Australia Archives -

Roza’s Sauces. All natural goodness from Brisbane, Australia. My favourite sauce company.

I make a lot of sandwiches these days. One, my wife S love sandwiches. And two, they’re easy to throw together in the morning. (I actually make toasties, having purchased a toastie machine from Tang’s a few months back, but that’s not the point of this post.) I would say that we eat sandwiches (toasties) for brekkie at least four mornings out of seven. One of the most important elements, to me, in making a great sandwich is a great sauce (spread). And while I’d like to pretend I have the time to make my own from scratch, the truth is that I reach into the fridge and grab a jar or two. But since I’m almost always reaching for a jar of Roza’s Sauces, I know that my sandwich will turn out simply stunning. Continue Reading →

See you at the Noosa International Food & Wine Festival

Next week, my wife S, two year old mini-me T and I are heading down under. Last year, as regular readers know, I attended the super-fun Noosa International Food & Wine Festival. Well, we’re going back again this year, but this time, instead of covering the festival, I’m there as a participant. Continue Reading →

Japan blossoms in Sydney restaurant Ume

Ume is a charming restaurant. Like the plum which it’s named after, it is sweet, and it is delicate. This modern Japanese eatery feels like it was taken straight out of the old streets of Kyoto and seamlessly placed in a leafy area of the otherwise buzzy Surry Hills, in Sydney. Continue Reading →

Burger extravagance at Jazz City Milk Bar in Sydney

American chef Dan McGuirt moved to Australia to further his career within a fine dining kitchen. After a successful time cooking at Melbourne’s Vue De Monde, he decided to go back to his roots, and opened Jazz City Diner, a restaurant that would give Aussies the opportunity to taste the American South. Making his New Orleans grandmother proud, McGuirt set his mind on offering robust, comfort soul food. With the success of his first restaurant, he’s opened a second, more casual spot: Jazz City Milk Bar.

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Great coffee and beans – Market Espresso in Melbourne

Over the past year or so, there has been a sudden surge in the number of coffee roasters and indie cafes in Singapore. Almost every weekend, we hear of a new chic coffee joints sprouting up, with even better coffee, often tucked away in an obscure part of the city. Being coffee lovers, the hubby and I are thrilled by the recent boom, and we have made checking out these coffee spots part of our weekly date routine, albeit with the kids in tow. Continue Reading →

Innocent Bystander: fabulous pizza and Moscato on tap

Over the New Year, we vacationed in Melbourne with our munchkins, our first family holiday since baby girl C entered the brood. Since the hubby and I love visiting vineyards when we travel, we were looking forward to exploring the best of Yarra Valley. I was anticipating neat rows of lush green vines, well-manicured vast lawns for the kids to run around in, endless wine-tasting, delicious seasonal food served at the restaurants, all set in the vineyards’ peaceful and tranquil surroundings. Continue Reading →

A meal at Waku Ghin in Singapore, Asia’s second best restaurant

Just a few weeks ago, the 2013 edition of The Miele Guide to Asia’s Finest Restaurants was launched. With that came the annual announcement of the year’s list of the 20 most highly ranked restaurants in the region–as determined by a popular and a juried vote. The highest-ranking debut on the 2013 list was Waku Ghin in Singapore, which debuted on the list in second place. For many of his fans, that Chef Tetsuya Wakuda’s restaurant would attain such a high rank so quickly, was perfectly understandable. Many people I’ve met have claimed that their meals at Waku Ghin have been their best in Asia.

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Spanish restaurant Movida makes a positive move to Sydney

Each time I visit Movida, I simply rejoice. The name, which means ‘the movement’, was chosen by Spanish head chef and owner, Frank Camorra. Inspired by the arts and film movement that emerged in Madrid after the fall of General Franco, he too wanted to draw from the principles of the era, a time during which ideas flourished and innovation was encouraged. Continue Reading →

A Q&A with Jim Berardo, founder of the Noosa International Food & Wine Festival

Last year, my wife S and I attended the Noosa International Food & Wine Festival. It was, as we reported, the most laid-back, coolest, happiest food and wine festival we’ve ever had the pleasure of being at. This coming year, I’m very excited because the Festival organizers have invited me to come back as a participant. I’ll be speaking on a panel and taking part in a cooking competition. Continue Reading →

A special cooking class: demonstration and dinner with Tomislav Martinovic

Opportunities like these don’t present themselves often, so, when given the chance to take a cooking class with Chef Tomislav Martinovic, I instantly jumped on the bandwagon.

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Salvador Coffee Espresso Bar: true coffee culture in Sydney

About a year ago, on my walk back home from downtown Sydney, I decided to take a different route, down a set of side streets. I wasn’t in a hurry. It was one of those days when strolling down the road felt like the right thing to do. The stars had aligned, because I was about to discover Salvador. The café is almost hidden, on Kings Lane, next to a pedestrian stairway in Sydney’s Darlinghurst. Salvador Coffee is a definite treat, thus I’d encourage a pit stop for those who are in the area. Continue Reading →