Lolli Redini - Orange, NSW

On a cold night, with single digit temperatures, venison does warm the palate. Siting next to me, Chris chose, as mains, the loin of Mandagery Creek venison, garnished by a horseradish cream, generously swamped by slow cooked and spiced red cabbage and richly accompanied by Waru organic beets and a dollop of celeriac gratin. (picture above).  Welcome to the inner sanctum of the Lolli Redini.

A refreshing choice of side serve is having a choice of green coloured vegetables (broccoli and beans in picture above) doused with Le Barre olive oil and a twist of lemon.  My first taste of Lolli was in the ocean trout carpaccio (image below), as topped up by garlic toasts, horseradish remoulade, celeriac, green apple slices and mint leaves.  Remoulade is a French inspired sauce based on mayonnaise or aioli and may contain paprika, capers and anchovies, always popular to accompany seafood dishes.  Celeriac, also referred to as a knob celery, is turnip-rooted. A carpaccio is an Italian appetiser served with a mayonnaise based dressing, first formulated at Harry's Bar in Venecia in the 1950s.

Right in front of me, as served to Cindy, was the twice cooked Wagyu brisket, graced by rosemary flavoured crumbs, broccolini, Jerusalem artichoke puree and glazed Heirloom carrots and swedes (or Rutubaga, the Swedish turnip), gently surrounded by a brisket sauce, great with barbecued meats.

 

The Orange art fraternity do seem to utilise Lolli as a gathering place, and this is evident from the hung art pieces on the walls as you bite into your anticipated morsel of carefully prepared meals.
Contemporary French and Italian inspirations in the dishes, the restaurant recreates an Euro elegance with fine Australian produce from the central west of New South Wales. My impressions, of my night visit to Lolli Redini at Sale Street (nearest cross road is Byng)  in downtown Orange, are:
Atmosphere: Euro yet Aussie - reminders of Tuscany.
Location: In the centre of excellent local produce.
Taste: My pictures do not do it sufficient justice!
People Engagement: The staff member with a French accent was smiling and made useful suggestions of dishes whenever he spoke to guests.  Tall, slim and elegant, I reckon the lady diners would have considered him a big plus to an already good ambiance.
Service:  Attentive.  A possible blip when some of us had mains while the rest had entrees - what is the protocol in this for clearing the plates?
Best Time to Visit:  Dinner (only time opened)
Fav Dish Experienced: Slow roasted Belubula Pork belly, served with a sweet potato puree, wom bok cabbage and caramelised Granny Smith apples.  Belubula is a local river.
Would I Return?:  Whisk me away and deliver me to Simonn and Leah's gem of a restaurant!
Give me the pressed terrine of veal, rabbit and pork, served with a quince paste and a serving of Waru rocket salad and toasted truffle and buttered walnut sourdough.

Charmaine declared the risotto of asparagus, sweet peas, zucchini and parsley, as topped by king prawns from the Spencer Gulf in picture above, as outstanding.

Below, I had my main dish of Belubula pork belly, slow roasted instead of double cooked, providing me a hint of southern Chinese influences and yet with the reminder of Australian flavours in pumpkin and green taste of Granny Smiths.

The comprehensive wine, champagne and aperitifs list includes Pimms, and items from Reims in France and the Tamar Valley in Tassie.  Local Orange produce are illustrated by Ross Hill, Canobolas-Smith and Philip Shaw.

 

Canobolas-Smith Vineyard - Orange, NSW

There are easily more than a few dozen vineyards in the Orange District of New South Wales. Apart from its other reputation as the food basket of the state, its viticulture traditions and output are spread out along Pinnacle Road ( mountain topography, as with Ross Hill estate); Cargo Road in Lidster; the Escort Way (also known as the Borenore Trail, with names like Philip Shaw and Barton Creek); the Canowindra Trail; and the Eastern Heritage Trail. It was along Cargo Road that I enjoyed discovering the Canobolas-Smith Cellar Door, Winery and vineyards. This is a mature establishment since 1986 and significantly dry-grown area, which specialises in the Alchemy Cabernet blend. William Rikard-Bell and Murray Smith run the operations here.

We met Murray, an easy going and down to earth fella, patient at letting us explore our palate, starting with the sublime and moving us on the path  towards the Alchemy. Alchemy is a combination of the very best in Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Shiraz.

French oak is utilised in the casking and Murray emphasises the artisan approach in the wine making here, preferring the practice of small batches to allow as much as possible the outcome of the house's unique and natural flavours.  Interesting enough, all fruits are hand pruned and picked.  The six hectares planted lie on the northern slopes of Mount Canobolas. 

 

The Canobolas-Smith bottle label stands out bright blue, centring on a representation of the cheery sun with the crescent moon, and was designed by Orange artist Tim Winters.  The ladies in my group enjoyed their adventures with the Chardonnay produced here, whilst I reserved my tastings to the heavier reds which caught my eye, though I skipped the Shiraz on its own.  Commencing with the Semillon/ Sauvignon Blanc, I was heightened in interest with the Pinot Noir and was sold in conviction with my tasting of the Cabernet Sauvignon. I highly recommend the Alchemy.

The neighbouring Gordon Hills Estate in comparison is relatively new, established in 1999 and run initially as Burke and Hills until 2008.  The distinctive feature of the Gordon Hills is the elevation of the grown vines at around 900 metres above sea level and thus it benefits from such a cool climate in its output.

Santa Fe Portuguese - Wollongong, NSW

Tender cuts of pork, accompanied by appetising potato bites, olives, mussels on the shell and a squeeze of lemon, were served on a plate with traditional Portuguese markings.  (picture above). This was my dinner at a Portuguese-themed restaurant/cafe in downtown Wollongong.  The setting is casual yet traditional.  They open early in the morning, and seem to focus on a breakfast and branch clientele, but also offer wholesome meals in the evenings that can be the basis of an informal family outing or just with a group of mates. Are the meals from Brazil or from the Iberian coast? There are no table cloths, just clean white tables with a drinks fridge but coffee is made fresh at the bar. Not too many tables at this one-shop place with Crust Pizza across the road and Lower Crown East a few doors to the west.  the feel is also Mediterranean, with unique looking crystal or metal lamps and mirror borders.  The decor is modern and yet a touch of ethnic.

My fellow diners at the table all had skewer swords served, each holding juicy and delicate pieces of various meat and prawn combinations. The marinade applied to each meaty morsel must be the secret to Portuguese cuisine. I last had an encounter with such dining swords in Petersham, which has a hub of a Portuguese background, like Warrawong south of Wollongong CBD. Generous amounts of chips (above) or wedges (below), according to your preference, accompanied carrot and green leaf salads, to balance each square plate with the meat choices - lamb, beef, chicken and more.

That weekday evening, the crowd was mainly with an Iberian background, and most seemed to begin the meal with red wines and a relish.  There is a fair range of Australian and Portuguese wines above the counter. We had side serves of neatly cut polenta bread, but not the lupini beans and olives.  Traditional Portuguese tarts were seen available at the front counter display, maybe more suited for breakfasts.
To finish up the meal, I tried the coffee which more than a few people raved about. My first sensation, on sipping the rather hot concoction, was that this was an aromatic blend.  Then skimming the surface, I also found creamy layers.  Finally the heavy dosage of bean thickness struck through, as a cappuccino should. The experience was slightly different from the Italian versions common in Australia these days.

My impressions of the Santa Fe Portuguese Restaurant at 64 Crown Street, Wollongong CBD (near junction with Corrimal Street) are:

Atmosphere:  Informal and easy.

Taste: Better than my expectations.

People Engagement:  Friendly parents in a family run atmosphere.

Service:  Casual

Best Time to Visit:  Dinner

Fav Dish Experienced: Pork Grills

Would I Return?:  Yes.

A Life In the City Centre - The Shady Side

Living in the city centre, you may wonder, at times, what lies beyond.  The sun sets over the plains or the hills, but the true nature of outer suburbs or countryside do not fully reveal themselves in the city, only suggestive in produce from apparently faraway places, visitors arriving in transit and eager for what they do not have back in their neighbourhoods and in the occasional feeling of city dwellers that they may not have most of the things they need.  This often is heightened when there's the longing to get out of the city centre on long weekends, for  day excursions or just for a change of air.  The immediate effect of doing so is a real sense of more space - to roam, to breathe in and to dream of.

There are many shady lanes in a city centre, those of lack of light, those which are thrown in shadows and those meaning of a lack of character.  Even the neon lights may not help,  for after a while, display truly what they are - artificial, superficial and dependent on power sources. Where people gather, these lanes are usually not an issue, whether for a smoko, a quiet chat away from prying eyes or for an after work drink. Where boxes stack up, where garbage piles up and where there is a silence at midnight, such lanes suggest of another presence that are not so kosher and which may not welcome innocent individuals who by chance wander into them. Most city streets are empty from after hours to sunrise, but may still be populated by people who have no permanent abode, who may have been struck down by the inequities of society and life or who may have to ply a certain trade under the apparent cover of darkness.

Living in the city centre can mean a in-the-face reality of the lack of privacy, cardboard partitions, dwelling with virtual strangers in the same room and only having better friendships in cyberspace.
It can also dictate co-existing with leaking drainage; fauna with more than two legs which may not be so cute; and having more than the amount of mould than desirable. The lack of flora is expressed by the degree of delight any city dweller takes in fresh blooms and the extent of natural greenery, and also by the intensity of disdain for anything plastic. Having a city centre lifestyle does not mean knowing more people, but can positively bring you closer to the close circle of good mates and relatives that you already have.  Many may find greater comfort in the cultural tribes that they already have or long for in the move from home to a big city centre.

There are also many temptations to spend. Unless one has a conscious budget and a strong financial aim, life in the city centre can mean frittering away the spare cash, making unplanned purchases and falling into the herd mentality trap. It can begin unsuspectingly as peer activity, a basis to unwind or part of a new regime. On the other hand, a disciplined lifestyle of being frugal, when living surrounded by commerce and marketing signals, can mean inner strength or undergoing a constant battle to ignore the temporary and the meaningless. To spend less at times in a city centre means corralling one's self in a room and roam away in cyberspace.  It can also mean more fitness training in the city parks.

Maybe most individuals do not plan to spend all their lives in a city centre. They may be there to fit the best times of their lives which synchronises with their age, or when they can make the most money. They enjoy what a city centre can offer, but are also cognisant of the darker and shady side of living out their daily routines amidst impersonal buildings and transient communities. They are exposed more to the variety of personalities, agendas and frailties of a more diverse city culture, but they also gain more experience and determination to better handle different scenarios and challenges.

Racine by Arantz - Orange, NSW

Shaun and Willa Arantz do not only operate a restaurant, but offer a cellar door, cafe, vineyard, events and a wholesome experience.  The dishes are lovingly created, shaped and served in a manner complementary to making wine, with patience, much thought, innovation, care and an eye for the taste. The surrounding La Coline vineyard offers Pinot Noir, sparkling and Riesling on the surface, but once you get inside and saviour what is beneath the surface, you begin to better understand the underlying passion and drive that motivates the Racines.  For example, earlier this year, Willa selected her favourite art pieces for Shaun to then create follow up inspired dishes for an event - the Eating Art Dinner.  This 'eating art" concept comes alive when you see a dish like the twice cooked pork belly (image above) accompanied by rather sweet tasting, local produce green beans.

I chose the entree of whole pressed deboned duck (image above). Inside the layers of what can be compared to a multi-layered cake were sensations and bites of whole bread crumbs, interlaced with beet root puree and just the right amounts of radish, not overpowering but bringing out the best from the main ingredient - duck.  It went well with my glass of Merlot.

Chris had the entree of a slow cooked hen's egg (pictured above) resting on a bed of broad bean ragout, pea puree, asparagus and whole peas.  I was captivated that the exact temperature used to prepare the egg was provided, at 61 degrees Celsius.  There are other starters like crumbed lambs brains and poached water trout, but this almost initially simply named dish of hen's egg was to me the clear winner in a unique creation.

To have two meat dishes in a row can be a bit rich, but I could not resist the saddle of lamb for my mains.  With sweet bread, I found a balanced contrast with the medium rare juicy and flavourful lamb slices, on the left in the picture above.  Sweetbreads or ris are made by soaking the thymus, pancreas and glands of the sheep in water and then poached in milk, before breading and frying them.

The result I had that evening was savoury, sweet and sensational - never mind the actual and original  ingredients.

Located in the midst of the La Coline Wines estate, the restaurant has a pretty cottage setting amidst the vines.  We travelled towards Lake Conabolas Road after sunset, so it was delightful to settle down on a table beside a veranda window and with a high expectancy hanging in the air.

My impressions of the Racine Restaurant in Orange are:

Atmosphere: Country chic.
Location:  Away from the cares of the outside world.
Taste: Lovingly formulated, crafted and nurtured.
People Engagement: Satisfactory.
Service: Efficient and Busy.
Best Time to Visit: Dinner
Fav Dish Experienced:  Whole Pressed Deboned Duck
Would I Return?:  In whatever season. I was recommended the twice cooked pork belly dish to try next time.

Bakehouse On Wentworth - Blackheath, NSW

An autumn's day, the air gets cooler as we climb the roads up the Blue Mountains. There is a need to nourish, to refresh, to take a stroll. Our subconscious longs for warm , aromatic and reassuring food. We find a street like out of Monet, with leaves of orange, red, brown, yellow and more. Oh yes, there is an ATM thrown in, with a line of people waiting to get some cash. The entrance may be unassuming, but our noses follow the trial of freshly baked bread, pastries and pies. Welcome to the Bakehouse on Wentworth Street, in the cosy village of Blackheath, nestled in the Blue Mountains of NSW. Above image, the chicken , leek and mushroom pie, full of flavours, rather large for lunch but with such a toasty crisp bite.

Scones (image above) fire the imagination of the life of the first European settlers, good preserves and fire place evenings.  One has a wide selection of breads, rolls and buns (shelves in background above) to consume for snacks, with a meal and for breakfasts.  The beef pie below is an illustration of the heavier gourmet pies served in this Blackheath bakery - at 320 grams, the flavours that caught my eye are those with pumpkin, fetta and lentil; beef and Guinness; and lamb with rosemary and garlic.

The choices of sweet stuff (below) can range from chocolate and marmalade tarts to those with berry and frangipan.  I was captivated by the raspberry and white chocolate tarts.  Gluten free cakes are available in orange and almond, or in flourless chocolate.

This Blackheath bakery was the first of a chain that also has outlets in the neighbouring settlements - Leura, Springwood and Glenwood.  They specialise in organic sourdough, a naturally leavened concoction of water and fermented mixture of grains.  Unique selections are organic walnut, French yeasted organic baguettes and spelt organic.

My impressions of the Bakery on Wentworth are:

Atmosphere:  Village

Location:  Calming, easy and with character.

Taste: From sweet to savoury.  Good coffee as well.

People Engagement:  Friendly

Service:  Free wifi and good mannered people.

Best Time to Visit: For brunch or afternoon tea.

Fav Dish Experienced:  Sourdough bread.

Would I Return?:  No doubt.

The ambiance outside the shop (below) add a special feel to the selections available (picture with shelved pies, rolls and pastries) in an unassuming shop with table seating in a small courtyard by the side and with a country feel for those relishing an escape from suburban and capital city living.

Guylian Cafe, Darling Quarter - Sydney

Guylian Belgian Chocolate now has three cafes in Sydney CBD.  My first experience was at the outlet in the Opera Quays, along the walkway to the Opera House, a strategic location with views of the Harbour Bridge and passing sea vehicles of various kinds.  Recently I had the opportunity to check out the Darling Quarter joint, a much bigger place but with the same smiles of service and in fact more variety of offerings.  I have not yet visited the third outlet at 91 George Street at the Rocks.  Quality hazelnuts, cocoa butter and West African sourced cocoa beans underlie the Guylian product.  Above image, centre, shows the a wedding portrait of Guy and Liliane Foubert, the business founders.

The range of obvious products can be described as pralines, fruit mousses, milk choc, dark choc and truffles. For sit down meals and savoury stuff, you can have the choice of breakfast creations, waffles and pancakes, cookies, muffins, macaroons, bread snacks, salads and late night caps. There are also beef or chicken pies, plus quiche dishes.

Above, smoked salmon with capers accompany baguette slices and a choice of a lemon slice (the Belgian styled pistolets).  Below, the packaged product beautifully arranged on a shelf display. 

There are temptations like tiramisu, the poached caramel pineapple cake and 100% Pure Pleasure, which encompasses Belgian chocolate mousse with almond pannacotta and a so-called Guylian glaze.  For a couple, I recommend the chocolate degustation plate - and then get into sports gear and go for a run, together.  The plate has ice cream, chocolate, cake and dessert samplings.

One of the main aims of visiting Guylian is obviously to try the chocolate drinks, although they do serve affogatos and coffee based variations. I developed a fondness for the hazelnut praline choc milkshake

(image below).  Teas, juices, champagne, wines and iced drinks are also available.  There are wide clear windows to look out at the man made facilities just outside along the outdoor walkway, with the UTS Tower obvious and tall in the distance.

My impressions of the Guylian Cafe, at Darling Quarter in Sydney's Darling Harbour, are:

Atmosphere:  Trendy and spacious

Location:  Touristy, families and after work office people

Taste: Superb Chocolate

People Engagement:  Smiling, inviting and helpful

Service:  Friendly and quick

Best Time To Visit:  Mid-afternoons and late nights

Fav Dish Experienced: Opera Evolve

Would I Return?:  Yummy yes.

A Life in the City Centre - The Bright Side

In a city centre, if you live there, I imagine that one can more easily try new places, whether for a gig, catch up with mates, a quiet time with the special one or experiment the menu at a new eatery. The social media harps on suggesting and trying such new joints and people you know or on Facebook actually talk about them. Okay, so dress up and off you go and reach there in under half an hour (for Sydney or Melbourne that is). No fuss, you can check out what the demographics in that new cool place are wearing or chatting about - and quickly pick up what you want and decide not to. You do not even have to catch a ride on a vehicle, but walk, passing quickly by the jam lock traffic on city streets. The weather can be inclement, but you can duck from one sheltered buiding to another.


If you have moved on from the roast or salad and two veg combo meal for daily consumption, you do find a wider array of choices, especially in the exotic stuff (yes, chicken legs are available, if you ask). Living in the city centre means eventually you know someone from one of the major ethnic immigrant groups in Australia. Hey, we can't stick to our blonde haired partner always, especially when he or she is anyway trying out the new fangled stuff and fusion cuisine themselves. Just realise there are hubs in Sydney (or tribal villages in Melbourne) and it is easy to proceed. Purists say all these multicultural things have been watered down for the consumption of the still mainstream society here. Who cares? We have a taste of the sports, fitness, music, arts, food and trends from varied communities and foreign countries before we decide to spend some money on budget airlines to fly there and try the real stuff.


For migrants, the city centre also easily offers home and soul familiarity in the groups that congregate, especially around "their" food outlets -for example, just hang around the various parts of southern George Street or Surry Hills or Newtown in Sydney. You can catch the latest fad movie and walk home to be in bed within a decent few minutes, instead of facing the challenge of trasnportation back to the suburbs. Hey, what an opportunity to catch those special event movies that begin after midnight! Hair saloons are still abuzz in the east Asian strips of both Melbourne and Sydney after 6pm, even on weekends! There is no need to pay those superlative parking fees that are imposed on hapless visitors from outside the city centre.


You can buy less stuff in terms of groceries and kitchen supplies, for your personal fridge is only a stone's throw away and maintained by the commercial providers. When you have periodic bouts of insomnia due to the neighbouring noise from down the street, you just buckle up and join the revellers. Never mind staying up late, for you literally can be in your work place not long after you jump out of bed the next morning.


Summer is a great time to reside in the city centre. There are festivals, night club events, people who really don't want to go home as it is too warm and the sun sets late anyway. New Year's Eve brings home the true benefits of residing in a city centre, and many mates want to know you better and stay over. If you still do physical retail, instead of on-line buying,you can pop over to real great sales way before the hordes arriving from the outer west. You can buy takeaway from fancy diners and still have them warm on your kitchen counter - no need to microwave them, and besides they do taste odd after being put in a microwave.


In autumn, you can be at the ANZAC Day memorial way before dawn, with lots of time to spare, and I mean at major memorials. The airport is so close to the city centre in Sydney. You can escape to lonely places, those that you cannot even imagine, and on coming back, you quickly join the gravy train of the city centre, and I don't mean those dripping wet and messy stuff cluttered at some corners of some parts of an otherwise great city centre. This is the gravy train of a spectrum of roles to earn money and keep your career moving, provided the economy is doing well, even if you move on to another city. In a city centre, you do have the reality, and at times, illusion, that you are at the centre of action, even if it is just the Apple Store launching another product or if you find yourself lining up again in that queue to reach this hyped up retail outlet. You can get to see or meet or talk to people who have the same obsessions or perceptions about being based in the centre, beneath the sight of tall buildings and fascinating lights.

St Honore CakeShop, Sydney Chinatown - Yum Cha Possibilities

I reckon the Cantonese egg tart (pictured above), or the tarn tart, available at most yum cha sessions and in southern Chinese styled bakeries, is an excellent example of cuisine fusion, at its best, or viewed at the other end of the spectrum, an illustration of copying the Portuguese tart sans the caramel sauce. Or is it actually the other way? Granted that the texture and flavour of the custard can be different between the South Atlantic and South China Sea versions, the pivotal evidence is in Macau's past, where Portuguese adventurers of old came aboard and colonised the place, married the native girls and the rest is history - Eurasians bearing Portuguese names but looking like the average Guangdong person perhaps. 

I was at the St Honore Cake Shop along Sussex Street in Sydney's Chinatown recently (near the side with Paddys Market and the Market City Shopping Centre).  I instinctively looked for my fav yum cha piece, the char siew sou, oven baked pastries with a savoury and yet sweet filling inside of cooked pork bits, diced carrots, spring onions, mushrooms and with a garnish. The proof of quality is in the pastry and how it melts in your mouth.  Some versions include lotus seed paste, peanut, green bean, walnuts and the chemically induced hundred year old duck egg slices, but I avoid those.   They are all topped up by a sprinkling of sesame seeds (image above) and best eaten freshly baked. Good as snacks for lunch time or with tea, they can be oily but definitely delicious when served warm.

Imagine sticky flour dough concealing a hollow or sweet inside, usually with bean or peanuty paste, and served in various colours. Attractive to kids, but they may not keep well for a long period.  This is southern Chinese jian dou or northern Chinese ma tuan (image above) with a crispy outer skin and a pick me up bite.  Its origins go back a  few hundred years from the Tang Dyansty with its capital at Changan.  It is a cousin of the Japanese goma dango and the Malaysian or Indonesian kueh bom.

Another pastry above, but this one has rather sweet centre of another paste and requires a good cup of Oolong tea to wash down with. In Cantonese, it is referred to as the sweetheart or wife's cake, an interesting label, as I do not reckon there is a husband's cake in Chinese bakery.  The outside has to be flaky, so that, unless we don't mind a mess, we have to be careful with this cake, as it breaks apart when consumed, revealing a rather veg sweet inner core.  yes, there is icing sugar used, together with candied winter melon, castor sugar, glutinous rice flour and butter.

I also saw another interesting wrap below at the St Honore Cake Shop.  This is the type of outlet, where you are encouraged to arm yourself with a pair of tongs and an empty tray. You go around the glass shelves, open them when some display attracts and you choose them for counting and billing at the cash register.  There are normally no sitting tables.

Imperial Kingdom Chinese Restaurant, Glen Waverley, Melbourne

I visited the Imperial Kingdom at Glen Waverly, not once but twice, within an auspicious weekend, once for yum cha one day and then for a wedding dinner another evening. I can remember how the restaurant was beautifully transformed for Maggie and Eu-Gene Yeap's dinner reception at this venue. The dishes were carefully chosen for good omen and brought out the best in what the Imperial could offer. Lobster, prawns, crispy chicken, delicious noodles and extensively decorated banquet tables (each with the piece de resistance being the variety of floral bouquets) remain delightfully in my heart and mind's eye.


You walk up a staircase under a cover and reach the foyer of the restaurant. The dining area sits on this upper level, so I could easily see the goings on around the nearby junction, highway and neighbouring activities. Having this so-called bird's eye view delightfully reassures one of securely seated in a strategic lookout, especially during the change of colours from twilight to night. Then vaguely familiar individuals and more reassuringly known friends from the Melbourne area turn up, all dressed up happily and smartly for the occasion. The tables are placed close to each other but then everyone expects that in a Cantonese themed restaurant.


Maggie and Eu-Gene had a lunch reception earlier that special day with a modern Australian feel, complete with the bridal dance, walking under a canopy and letting off some party shoot off cannons. Tonight it was more Canton, although many dressed in Western styles. In contrast, the atmosphere at yum cha time, back at the Imperial, reflected more of the everyday bustle of such meals across the Chinatowns and suburbs of the world. The service, as required and expected, is fast and the tasty servings make me wonder why at times do we need to go downtown for such fare (again). There is ample ground level open air parking for the restaurant, though I am not sure if there is a lift up to the first floor. The yum cha tables had more variety to fit various numbers of people, unlike the ten per table practice for wedding dinners.


Is yum cha better in Melbourne than in Sydney, or Hong Kong and Vancouver? I reckon it depends on what you order from the moving passer-by trolleys - I would identify with fresh ingredients, skill in texture and cooking and how they are kept ready for serving. The skins must not be starchy, the vegetables must be appetising, the deep-frieds not soggy. The choice of teas must be liberal. The decor is not critical, but the taste in your mouth and on your palate as you place that delicate creation for your experience. The variety of sauces available and the quality of cutlery, chopsticks and China often vary between an elegant place and an ordinary one.


At the Imperial Kingdom, I had occasion to try the mango pudding, char siew pau (steamed pork buns), rice noodle rolls (with prawns in soy sauce)- and loved them all. My impressions of the Imperial Kingdom in Glen Waverly, greater Melbourne, are:

Atmosphere: Noisy and crowded.
Location: Suburban.
Taste: No need to go down to Little Bourke Street in Melbourne CBD.
People Engagement: As in any medium to large sized Chinese restaurant.
Service: Satisfactory.
Best Time to Visit: Dinnertime.
Fav Dish Experienced: Char siew so (baked pork filling pastry)and claypot vermecilli with lobster. Would I Return?: Yes.

Lees Malaysian - Sydney CBD

In the heart of bustling Sydney's city centre lies the HSBC Centre, off George Street, and the street entry food court has a range of office lunch time food providers. The one special to my heart is nearest the main entry, a branch of Lees Malaysian, offering an equal mix of Chinese Australian dishes and Malaysian staples like curry laksa, satay skewers and the classic har mee (prawn sufficed stock soup accompanied by vermicelli or Hokkien noodles). In all these years, my penchant for their version of the har mee has not abated.  I recall with fondness even now, how I would ensure having this dish for dinner before going home to the Sydney suburbs. The bus stop I used was only a stone's throw away along Druitt Street and I would gingerly time myself for enough indulging in this dish before catching the public transport home. This outlet of Lees Malaysian also opens late to almost 7pm each weekday evening, so it was great to visit after work or gym.  Above image - the Mongolian lamb, a staple of Chinese food in almost every Australian town and city.

Satay, oh satay as it should be.   Juicy, tender and moist, exuding of the best parts of chicken or beef cuts (above), flavoured just right with a combination of spices and whiff of  lemon grass in the south-east Asian style.   The peanut and chili based sauce is most critical, adding to the sensation of well prepared and marinaded meat cubes melting in our mouths.  Below, an illustrative representation of what is referred to as dim sims Down Under, always deep fried, wrapped in batter or skins - picture below depicts the spring rolls and snack bites, always good with beer or tea.

Above , the dish that I clamour for, a sort of soul or comfort food from my childhood - the har mee.
Garnished with a variety of equatorial spinach (kangkong), graced by thin juicy slices of prawn and pork cuts and topped up by a sprinkling of crunchy deep fried shallots, the dish's ultimate taste and outcome is also influenced by the amount of chili paste condiment you prefer and adopt (on spoon in picture above). The soup is first served clear before you add your choice of how much of such a chili paste condiment you then stir in.  There is always a half boiled egg as well for this street food special is traditionally consumed at breakfast time.  Yummy yum, I am salivating as I write this piece.

There is a method to making the noodle soup, as evident by the display above at Lees Malaysian.

The ingredients are prepared in various ways - chopped, sliced  or julienned - before any cooking is done.  They may involve carrots, corn, green veg, cabbage, lettuce, mushrooms, cooked meats and more, and the image above reminds me of a Subway fast food outlet as well.

My overall impressions of the Lees Malaysian outlet, located at the HSBC Centre in downtown Sydney, are:

Atmosphere:  Office and student crowd.

Location:  City centre.

Taste: Good value.

People Engagement:  Food court.

Service: Quick and responsive

Best Time to Visit: 2pm to 7pm on weekdays

Fav Dish Experienced: Har Mee

Would I Return?: Always