The Sababa in Newtown, Sydney

Becasse Creative

An aromatic and eye catching fruit loaf (above), lemon cheesecake presented like an artist's paint palate and a friand topped by pistachios and more (below). Welcome to the world of the Becasse.

A twist of a theme, or a well planned act of fusion? Below, the creation that looks like either threads per Uncle Moay, or like southern Chinese egg noodles per my perspective, had elegance and texture on the mouth.

Becasse is a French delight from Justin and Georgia North- their bakery I visited is located on level 5, Westfield Sydney Pitt Street Mall. The Becasse offers more than cakes and pastries - it has degustation courses for both vegetarians and meat lovers. The range includes hapuka, mushroom royale, aubergines, wagyu and partridge. Dining is closed on Sundays.

Autumn in Nan Tien

It was Wesak Day - the festival commemorating the birth,enlightenment and death of the Buddha more than two thousand years ago - when these images were taken. Above image, a recreation of the birth of the Buddha in Lumbini, Nepal. Below image, steps leading to a pagoda tower on the extensive landscaped grounds of the complex.

The Nan Tien Temple complex is sited in Berkeley, a short drive south of Wollongong CBD if one uses the freeway south. It is the largest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere and is part of a world wide chain of religious halls belonging to the FoKuang Shan group which originated from Taiwan.

Return to Guan an Bau Troung, Canley Heights, Sydney

The Bau Troung Restaurant is located somewhere in the middle of the main strip of the Canley Heights area in south-western Sydney, NSW. On this visit, mates and I had wok energetic stir-fried vermicelli; pho noodle soup; oysters on the shell bathed in a ginger and soy sauce garnishing (final image on this post) ; rather niche soups that utilised the flavours of salted fish, pork and prawn slices to offer a rich stock (below); and more. I was impressed with their version of side serve salads (above) and also secretly eyed the steamed duck in plum sauce which was being savoured by a diner at the next table.

The Life of Kevin

The month of May in the Gong has seen many variations of weather. The best, to me, is the cosy feel of wet and sound of windy whoosh, on a weekday morning, when I am resigned to be indoors any way for most of the day. The drip drap of persistent water drops sliding on leaves outside the bedroom window may not be the best way to greet the new day, but it is definitely refreshing -and once I get going, out of the bedroom and the house, and into the car, I relish the prospect of the possibilities of a a new day. Rain or not.

On a weekend, the sun and blue skies, typical of the Aussie landscape, are preferred. The promise of a packed weekend is only restrained by the distance travelled and the company I keep. The conscious sense of time diffuses better into a sheer memory of timelessness the better the company. It does not matter what we do as long as we enjoy each other's presence - whether we are cleaning the windscreen of a car, partaking food sitting around a table or driving along unknown roads far away from home.

At hallmark moments, the unplanned and unexpected provide quality delights - whether it is coming across an intensely beautiful sunset when one comes over the hump driving over the Gladesville Bridge, or discovering Thai food overlooking Shellharbour Beach on a placid sea-calm afternoon. At other times, mates and I do not have to go anywhere - we are content to just be able to sit and chat, with a gas heater humming away in the lounge. The conversation can be in looking back or relishing the future forward, but the enjoyment is anchored in savouring the moment of now.

Human beings love to congregate, whether to while away queuing on the steps leading to a Taiwanese inspired dessert cafe at the corner of Dixon Street Mall and Goulburn Street in Sydney's Chinatown, or hang for fish and chips in leathered gear after riding motorbikes on a punt at Berowra Waters in greater Sydney's north. I can think of more - women patiently waiting to reach the payment counter at the Zara store on the ground level frontage of Sydney's Pitt Street Mall Westfield, or the buzz and chatter when having yumcha and surrounded by purposeful acting individuals at the Palace Jade yumcha restaurant, located strategically in downtown Sydney's Piccadilly Centre, behind the Hilton and beside the Wesley Mission.

After all the running around, enjoyable it may be, one also looks forward to winding down long after the night sets in. That is when I value comfort food and practices. It may be the opportunity to have a meal of wok-energised lard na (the Thai equivalent of stir fried rice noodles bathed in a tapioca-based gravy and accompanied by garnishings and seafood or meats of choice) in St Ives or dabbling in Kalamata olives with biscuits and cheese slices in Hornsby. One Sunday night in Carlingford, it was a spread of a feast, including the Straits Chinese signature dishes of bubur chacha dessert, tamarind fish curry and nasi kunyit chicken curry.

In this cool season, the outdoor air gets nippy as I sink into dreamland. As I ponder on what I had done for the past day - even apparent "nothings" can at times turn out to be nurturing essential, whilst what were obvious "somethings" were only relevant for fleeting moments - my subconscious collates, analyses and summarises. The involuntary smile on my face synchronises with the rhythym of brightening stars shining above the Illawarra coast -and then I hear the sounds of rushing, incoming rain drops.

The Dale Cafe - Annandale, Sydney

Located at an unassuming and residential corner of Annandale, not far from Sydney's Anzac Bridge, I had the opportunity on a recent weekend to be introduced by friends to the Dale Cafe. Run by three twenty somethings, two guys and a lady, the place is divided into a cafe sit area and one with leather lounges, all placed with no airs, graffiti on a door and with a feel of a heritage past. The crowd on a Saturday arvo is relaxed, seems to be full of regulars and know what they want - a home away from home.

The Dale Cafe is located at 18 Trafalgar Street, Annandale, NSW 2038, in Sydney's inner west, close to the Italian quarter of Leichhardt. The nearest cross road is Albion Street. It also hosts The Little Marionette On the Dale, which offers breakfast, lunch and takeaways, but more interestingly, provides a one-on-one barista training opportunity for those interested.

Sydney's Fish Markets

The Sydney Fish Markets are an hour ahead of the Tsukiji Seafood Markets in Tokyo - both are world leading in their field. Apart from the obvious seafood trading, the Sydney version also hosts a cooking school; an upstairs Chinese restaurant called the Fisherman's Wharf (specialising in Hong Kong and southern Chinese cuisine); behind the scenes walking tours; lunching under Sydney's reputable blue skies and the not so reliable waiting seagulls; dawn crowds especially during the Easter and pre-Christmas seasons; unique offerings like Balmain bugs; the iconic Doyles outlet; and a host of other shopping possibilities for bread, sushi, cut flowers and newspapers.

The largest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere, the Sydney Fish markets offer water side views of fishing boats and marina yachts in an inland bay, with the Anzac Bridge overlooking it all. There are easily more than fifty separate retail outlets and a variety of seafood garnishing, ranging from soy sauce, wasabi mustard tubes and all types of dressings, in addition to my favourite choices of oysters on the shell, sea urchin roe and grilled barramundi. These markets have been here beside Blackwattle Bay since 1966 and open its doors every day as early as 4am. You can reach these markets by car with paid parking, or take the blue coloured trams from Chinatown. The seafood trade here has followed the computerised Dutch auction system since 1989.

On a recent Saturday morning visit, my mates and I selected oysters on the shell garnished with bits of bacon relish; whole cooked rainbow trout; miniature abalone on the shell soaked in ginger streaked broth; English style fish and chips; grilled prawns on the skewer; sea urchin roe; tuna and salmon sashimi; fresh oysters on the shell, again , but ungarnished; and all downed with beer. (above and below images).

The Bondi Tucker

I have not had souffle for a long time from a commercial restaurant, and could not resist
the version made by the Bondi Tucker (image above). Run by Ben and Louise, this cafe-restaurant is open every day, and is located only ten minutes walk from the main strip of Campbell Parade at Sydney's Bondi Beach. The place was relatively quiet when we arrived on the evening of Mothers Day, but soon had diners gradually fill up. The walls were surprisingly plain and did not match what was seen on the restaurant's website - maybe it was in the middle of some renovation exercise. Three blokes manned the closed up kitchen, whilst a lone woman attended to customers outside. Note the day menu is very different from the evening offerings.

White table cloths were put into place after 6pm that Sunday evening, followed by the practical disposable paper piece on top. For the mains, I took a conscious risk to select pasta with pumpkin and garnished by bacon bits (above image). The chef handled this delicate dish well, especially in the outcome on the palate - savoury, melting in the mouth and not over powering. Everything served at the Bondi Tucker is made on-site, including the garlic aioli to complement the well made breads ( ours was with compliments) and the banana nut bread. And yes, it is definitely Bondi - free range eggs only.

The entree was my next best nominated serving that evening, after the souffle - fresh aromatic oysters on the shell in an inspiring white wine-infused and fresh herb broth, accompanied by light vegetables. The juicy moist kangaroo (last image in this post) was served with spears of asparagus and usually not part of the regular menu. Meats used in the Bondi Tucker are from A.C.,Butchery in Leichhardt, whilst seafood are supplied by De Costi's at the Sydney Fish Markets.

The Bondi Tucker is located at 80 Hall Street, Bondi Beach, Sydney's iconic lifestyle destination.

Zumbo's Lab - Rozelle, Sydney

Austinmer Beach - What A Beaut Morning