We finally made it! After planning to have lunch at the Sydney Fish Markets but never remembering when the time came around to decide where to go and what to do. I was a bit disappointed, though, because we didn’t see any of the action that you would expect down at the fish markets. The place was tiny and filled with retail shops. Whhhheeeeereee oh wheeeeeere were the real markets, yo? Where people scream prices at each other and haggle?! And fresh seafood is thrown all over the place?! Maybe we were in the wrong area… or maybe a few hours too late!

Looks a bit like he stole it, doesn’t it? lol.

Lobster mornay platter. Can’t remember what was on there. I think oysters – kilpatrick and mornay, octopus, prawns, calamari and chips. The abalone and scallop were extra.

This is where we ate – The Fish Market Cafe.

ZOMG! ALASKAN KING CRAB… legs!

The (_I_)head is an avid fan of The Deadliest Catch and was excited to see what the men of the show put their lives at risk to bring back. They were huuuuuuuuge! Crab legs bigger than my head!

Chocolate dipped strawberries. I am a sucker for these! You should’ve seen my eyes roll into the back of my head when I was indulgently devouring a strawberry kebab at the Royal Easter Show. SO. GOOD. I didn’t go to the Easter Show this day but I fondly think back to it when chocolate dipped strawberries come to mind :Q___

Big birds! (Seagulls for comparison)

It would be cool to see one of these with their beaks full like in the cartoons! These pelicans are lucky they’re hanging around the fish markets! Can’t say the same for their mates in the Gulf of Mexico at the moment, though. Poor bastards

Yummmmmmmm! I was looking forward to this event for some time and was glad when it finally rolled around. We attended the extended lunch time session on the last day which worked out well for us as the rainy weather from the days prior had cleared up. We made sure we were there ready to be let in at noon which was great because it was quite a bit more crowded by the time we left at 2 – 2:30pm. I don’t have snaps of all the things we ate (oh lawd, there was just too much excitement!) but we did manage to exercise a bit of restraint to capture a few pictures

Sydney rock oysters with Vietnamese dressing, crispy shallot and baby coriander – Assiette

Saddle of Suckling Pig with Garden Peas and Smoked Bacon Jus – Restaurant Balzac
I  have never been so willing to eat peas in my life… I think this might have had something to do with  the Smoked Bacon Jus that they were swimming around in

Chilled Vichyssoise, Salmon Caviar, Hawkesbury River Oyster Beignet – Berowra Waters Inn
Yummm! I love anything creamy (huge veloute fan, here!) so this creamy foam was an instant hit with me. I had no idea what vichyssoise or a beignet was but I knew I had to have this when I saw it floating around. I have always wanted to head to Berowra Waters and this just confirmed it.

Organic Grass Fed Wagyu Beef Burger – Plan B
Now, you’re probably wondering why I am posting this blurry, unfocused photo. It is because, my friends, this is how it appears in my memory. Quite frankly it wasn’t that special but maybe I’m being harsh in my judgement because…

… of the freaking HAIR I found sticking out of the pattie! I wanted to get a shot of this but David compulsively yanked it out before I got the chance. Needless to say, I was pretty turned off which is a shame because we have always wanted to eat at Becasse/Plan B. You sort of have higher standards for restaurants of this calibre. I’m sure though, that this was just a one off…

The outdoor dining and entertainment area

I spotted a pirate! Arrrr!

I  have to make a mention of the following dishes I didn’t document because they were damned good!

• Waygu Beef Daube with Paris Mash (Guillaume at Bennelong). Mmmm, didn’t even need a knife because the meat fell apart with just the prod of my spork!
• Vanilla panna cotta with lavendar honey and fresh pomegranate aka the booby pannacotta (Jonah’s at Whale Beach). Awesome. The combo of flavours was fantastic! I can’t even describe it.

We had a few ‘Crowns’ (festival currency) left so I decided to buy a cocktail with it. Man, I forget what it was – rum of some sort with pomegranate and lime but BOY did it pack a punch. I couldn’t finish it. The few sips I had, I’m pretty sure, would have burnt away my stomach lining if I hadn’t just eaten so much food throughout the day, haha.

The (_I_)head and I went out to a fancy dinner to celebrate our 4th anniversary. Note the donning of ‘cheesey’ (i.e. BAWLER) accessories, lol. We had to make sure we ‘fit in’, so we spruced up our outfits with little details, (although this did not help as much as we expected because we soon discovered that we needed a few years on us if we were to truly blend in ). Dinner started at 8:30 and we weren’t out of there until 10:30pm. I was sooo knackered! It was quite a contrast from the bustle of the Royal Easter Show, where we had spent the day earlier.

Check out the cool architecture in the background! I can’t say I have dined anywhere like this before. I guess there isn’t any other place quite like the Sydney Opera House! It was really nice, despite being initially seated at one of the less desirable tables at the back.. on the side. But that’s ok, we were moved to the front where we could admire the beautiful view after some of the other diners left.

ze menu!

Our Amuse Bouche. I think it was foie gras and gingerbread off the top of my head.
I can handle foie gras in small amounts but I think this was just too much.

I made the rookie mistake of filling up on the bread ): There was a selection of three varieties and of course, I had to make sure I had tried all of them while I was there!

YELLOWFIN TUNA basil infused with soy and mustard seed vinaigrette

ROYALE OF ASPARAGUS with spanner crab and truffle
This was amazing! I hadn’t ever tasted anything like it before. I guess this is where the dollars go. I’ve found that with fine dining, you also pay for the innovation, not just the ingredients. I can’t think of anywhere else I could get a Royale of Asparagus if I felt like it. God forbid I ever get a craving for something like this, lol.

MORETON BAY BUGS steamed and served with Sterling caviar and cauliflower veloute
Again with the innovation and creativity. From reading the menu, I did not expect the dish to come out the way it did. Oops, I could have gotten a better picture, it just looks like custard in this shot

BLUE EYE TREVALLA roasted on an étuve of baby Autumn vegetables

GRIMAUD DUCK roasted breast with braised endive, leg confit croquette, sweet potato and foie gras puree with a fig jus

DEBONED RIB EYE OF TAJIMA WAGYU BEEF (500 day grain fed, F1 marble grade 9+) with a tombé of field mushrooms, baby spinach, confit of shallot, merlot sauce. Paris mash on the side.
Delicioussss! The merlot sauce added such a complexity to the dish. I wish I had more room at this stage for another dollop of smooth, creamy, paris mash. *Sigh* By now it was about 10 o’clock and I was just absolutely knackered from spending the day at the Easter Show. I have to admit, I struggled through this despite how lovely it was. I wish it came out before the duck!

SOUP OF SEASONAL FRUIT with lime marshmallows and mango sorbet

SELECTION OF BERRIES with lemon verbena cream, meringue and a trio of raspberries

Mmm, nomz!

Generally, dining out was cheaper over there but I still think Sydney has the better tasting food. Maybe it has to do with the “omfg-so-hungry-effect” where anything tastes awesome anyway after exerting lots of energy. Yeah, that must be it, considering NZ is the adventure capital of the universe!

Disgusting plain food. Ugh. Wasn’t even heated through.

The Boy and his (own, unstolen) steak at Mac’s Steakhouse

Seafood chowder! CHOW-DEURRRR! So awesome! They had this on offer in most places throughout NZ. It’s like their national dish, lol

Corn fritters. I was disappointed with these to be honest, but I think it’s my own fault. For some reason I was expecting a creamed corn like filling inside a deep-fried crumbed casing… Err, I think I was thinking of those of the frozen variety. I have no idea why I thought they would serve those in a restaurant, lol.

Surf ‘n Turf Stone Grill at Triple 1 Five Cafe.

Steak of some sort

Roasted vegies

Eggs’ Benedict at Relish Cafe. This was okay but still, nothing compares to the one we had at the Boardwalk Cafe in Cairns. I still salivate thinking about it. Mmmm. I must post a pic of it some time.

Farewell UWS! Although I have looked forward to never setting foot on campus again, I have to admit that there are things I’ll miss… like the bummy lifestyle of being a university student and hanging around between classes. Although it wasn’t spectacular, I’ll also always remember the cafe – chai lattes, meat pies, potato wedges and burgers. Or the time I randomly spotted the words “black cock” scrawled on the desk during one of those horrendous Managing Employee Performance tutorials.

Au Revoir!

]]> http://yuggles.koonkii.com/2010/03/farewell-uws/feed/ 0 http://yuggles.koonkii.com/2010/02/wow-bulgogi-korean-bbq/ http://yuggles.koonkii.com/2010/02/wow-bulgogi-korean-bbq/#comments Tue, 02 Feb 2010 02:56:18 +0000 yuggles http://yuggles.koonkii.com/?p=896 So, the girls and I have been on a bit of a Korean BBQ binge lately… and I have documentation! This particular time we ate at a joint called “Wow Bulgogi” in Kensington which was a change from our usual local haunt since we had a Moonlight Cinema screening to attend later that evening. It was a pleasant experience overall. The service was nice and friendly and so was the decor. There was a slight deviation from the norm at the end of our meal, however, when one of the staff approached us with a Polaroid-style instant camera and asked if we would pose for a photo. Sure, why not?” So we proceeded to remove any food stuck in our teeth before smiling for the camera. He took two pictures, one for us and another under which we were asked to write a comment. I think we had just become the first contributors to a mural of some sort! Anyway, on with the pictures!

Side dishes (Front to Back) – kim chi, bean sprouts, potato and sweet potato and some other tasty side dish… (I’m not quite sure what it is, lol)

Pork Rashers – This is fast becoming my favourite dish but these rashers were a bit thick for my liking. Thin and crispy for me please!

Bulgogi – Thinly sliced marinated beef. NOMZ.

And our meat sizzling away on the hot plate. ssSSssSSsSsSsSs!!

Say… “Bulgogi”!!

Zommmmmmg, Pandan ice cream!! I was so excited to see this in the cabinet at Passionflower when we visited a few weeks ago. The only other time I’ve come across the flavour was in an ice cream parlour on Lygon St, Melbourne circa 2005. Total NOMZ. We aren’t sure whether or not this is flavour is a permanent addition or one that’s just seasonal (like the Red Bull flavour I saw once and never again)  so we’ve been eating it every chance we get. *hint*hint*. I hope it sticks around! Maybe this will work like it sometimes does in the nail polish world

I spent a lovely low key night in catching up with Robyn ad Nghi at the Tang mansion (thanks for letting us take over your crib, Negro! It was kind of funny squatting in your home while you went out and got so trashed you couldn’t even make it back to your own house ). We had originally booked an apartment down in Kiama but Rob had a few complications with getting home after spending a year in France, so that was canceled because there was some uncertainty about whether she would make it back in time. It all worked out in the end, though and lots of girl time was had. I painted Rob’s nails (OPI – Shootout at the OK Coral, for those wondering) while her hand slipped off the table as she drifted out of consciousness (jet lag’s a bitch! Especially when painting nails ). But that’s OK, I conked out soon after and neither of us woke up until 2010 when David called to wish us a happy new year, haha It was nice and relaxing to have a few Westcoasts and sit around hanging out with my two best friends. Welcome home, Robynnnn! We’re glad to have you back in Oz and relieved that you’re not stuck in Hong Kong a la Tom Hanks in The Terminal (fantastic movie, by the way).

I’m finally home after spending New Year’s Eve and Day at Paul’s and really enjoyed listening to Phoenix on Live at the Wireless while driving home. I can’t wait to see them play in March! On a less awesome note though, I have come home to a house with no lights. It feels kind of weird, blogging at my computer by lamp light (I’m thanking the universe, that my computer even works!). Would be cool if I had a few pals, over, though. It’s kind of slumber party-ish!

Anyway, here are two photos. Weak, I know, I didn’t even get pics of the pasta Rob cooked up!

Paul in his awesome Monkey Magic costume before heading out and leaving us to chill out at his crib. I can’t believe I got specific instructions to leave the Evo alone in the garage

Nghi’s awesome cupcakes! I’m not usually a fan of cupcakes but these have definitely converted me! Buttercream and peanut butter icing on top with an awesome Snickers surprise in the middle *drool*

Garlic pizza starter to share

The dranks. Can you believe a bottle of Westcoast is cheaper than a bottle of Coke?!

BBQ King Prawns on a Potato Roesti with Garlic Butter, Baby Herbs and Lime

500g MSA Grade T-Bone Steak served with Mash and a Garlic and Brandy Cream Sauce

Risotto of Duck Breast, Portabello Mushrooms, Spinach and Parmesan. This was very delicately flavoured. I’m a bit of a brute and felt the need for a few grinds of salt and pepper.

Yes, his nails are painted! Thien let me let rip on his nails with some neon purple and orange. I should’ve cut his nails and given him some nubbins. His girly hands and long nails makes this pic that little bit more disturbing!

The Family Tree. Loaaads of presents!

A full and satisfied David after eating copious amounts of food.

My present from Nghi! I’ll do another post on what I got this Christmas!

The Hostess with the mostest and I.

David with one of Nghi’s red velvet cup cakes.

Fruit cocktail, mMmMm!

Rocky. Cute, isn’t he? But looks are deceiving, he is one aggressive little bugger!

The fobby honey dew melon cake David and I brought over. MerryX’ Mas everyone! Sheesh, you’d think they would’ve put “X’Mas” together on a new line. But nevermind, it still tasted divine!

Red velvet cup cake – take away!