Sydney Vignettes

Newtown Revisited - Sydney NSW

Newtown, a fifteen minute ride by train from Sydney city centre, lies at the nexus of university, bohemian, alternative and happy day twenty something lifestyles.  Saturday morning and the tribes come out.  Students, artists, young families, musicians, couples of every orientation, gig followers and more have hallmark moments as they commence a weekend of possibilities. Wardrobe is casual and to identify oneself with a certain crowd. The pace is easy, often filled with the aroma of coffee, unusual shopping choices and a body mark here and there, be it a tattoo or a nose ring. The day may progress to a street market, music from buskers or the intent concentration on music, books or movies.  The Whitlams had a great start at the Sandringham Hotel here before they conquered the world.

Newtown has just celebrated its first 150 years.  It is now more diverse, dynamic and interesting than it has ever been before.  Many buildings are or may seem run down, but there have been renovations inside, as old gives way to the new, or sits side by side.  Murals, wall graffiti and grubby lanes add to the character and fun.  Ethnic food can easily be easy to find as modern Australian and fusion inspirations. Victorian mansions still exist if we take our eyes way from the distractions on the streets.  These are mostly sited towards the University of Sydney side of Newtown.   Below photo shows the Trocadero, restored in 2007 (left of picture).

One of my delightful places is to spend breakky at the Campos Cafe in Missenden Road (photo above In December 2012).  King Street is the main foodie strip but there are around 600 shops in this precinct of Newtown.  John and Eliza Webster opened a business called New Town Stores and the name of a suburb took its cue.  Almost forty percent of the demographics here were born overseas, especially those speaking Greek, Mandarin, Cantonese, Spanish and Thai.  Interesting enough , Newtown  is split in governance under the Sydney and Marrickville councils.

My other fav drop bys along King Street in Newtown itself and neighbouring Enmore:
The Flying Penguin
Spencer Guthrie
Black Star Pastry
Foodarama
Better Read Than Dead Bookshop
Square Peg Studios
Cafe Deli 242
Ziapis
Moo Woo Cow
Organic Pomegranate Cafe
Grub and Tucker
Cow &The Moon (Enmore)

Straits Chinese Cuisine - Comforts of Home

The har mee yoke, a soup based concoction of prawny flavours, spicy sauces, hard boiled eggs, tender pork cuts and spinach, is available throughout cafes and food courts in Australia, Singapore and Malaysia.
May be of interest is this blog entry on:

http://kindlyyours.blogspot.com.au/2011/08/making-of-fujian-har-mee-yoke.html

The Jiu Hu Char, or cuttlefish stir fry, can be a test of cutting and cooking skills and maturity.  Most of the ingredients have to be deftly sliced to a fine and consistent texture, for the resulting quality affects the taste and refinement of the dish prepared. Skin peeled yam bean, peeled carrots, cabbage, soaked dried shitake mushrooms, onions, minced garlic, shredded dried cuttlefish (which has to be thoroughly rinsed before use) are the main items to gather and prepare.  Sugar, salt and pepper is utilised to taste as garnish. In addition,m this is not a vegetarian dish, for pork belly or chicken strips are also thrown into the mix.  The mixture is eaten wrapped with lettuce leaves.  At the height of the Straits Chinese culture in the 19th and early 20th centuries, this dish was a favourite of mothers-in-law to ascertain the standards of cooking by the young bride.   The yam bean and carrots are especially challenging, for modern kitchen blenders unfortunately create a mash or pulp, when this dish requires a crunchy texture to be maintained of the finely sliced vegetables.

Sauces are integral to key dishes in Straits Chinese cuisine.  Above photo show accompaniments to the Penang street food special of lobak, deep fried soya skin rolls wrapping finely cut pieces of lean pork, shredded yam beans, chopped big onion and chopped water chestnuts.  Again, experience shows up in the outcomes as one binds such ingredients with five spice powder, tapioca flour and contents of eggs.  Cucumbers are served separately in slices with the lobak rolls.

The acar awak, a spicy pickled kick starter to accompany rice based meals, comes from a blend of traditions of Thai, Malay and Indian influences, adapted quickly by the Straits Chinese as to heighten the appetite at any meal.  Never taken for breakfast, a must at wedding meals, it can be viewed as a healthy concoction, as it uses cucumber, cauliflower, pineapple, brinjal, long bean, French beans, carrots and cabbage.  Again all these ingredients need to be patiently and  finely cut, to provide bite-sized satisfaction and crunchiness and to ensure that all are adequately soaked in the right spice paste. Vegetables are also required to be scalded by a formula to activate the pickling process - and this formula uses salt, sugar, white vinegar and water. The spicy paste is another elaborate affair to make, for it requires several ingredients like tumeric, galangal, candlenuts, toasted belacan, lemon grass, coriander seeds, dried red chillies, shallots and garlic, all pounded happily together with a mortar and pestel.  These days you can find all such ingredients in an Asian outlet, preferably Thai or Malaysian.  Roasted sesame seeds and peanuts are also good to sprinkle over the final mixture before serving.  Belacan refers to the dried shrimp paste and galangal is a staple of Thai cuisine to release heightened flavours.

The above dishes were photographed at the home kitchen of Madam Foo Gaik Hwa.

The Left Bower Cafe, Sutherland, NSW

Its decor, facade and ambiance can be unique. Except for the coffee equipment, I am thrown back to the 70s or early eighties. It does not over emphasise coffee, though it is the main product.  You walk into a lifestyle. You can delve into intimate details of coffee and learn much as to where the origin of all this used in this place.  It can be an unassuming place, but hey why are there headlights at the front of the shop?  You can take your coffee through a ice cream van-like counter.  You could be at a beach or camping ground, but no, you are in the Shire.

I find the coffee slick, mellow and stimulating.  I am offered a choice of whether I want my brew hard and strong, or smooth and easy.  The coffee beans come from two places in Australia, one near Byron Bay and the other from Mount Warning.  The barista can be the same person as the roaster.  What's so good about home grown coffee beans? The breakky and lunch menus support Shire providers and suppliers.

Left Bower is open on Saturdays (not on Sundays) and is not difficult to  locate, being along East Parade near the rail station and not far from the Sutherland branch of Mike's Bar and Grill.  This Sutherland cafe has connections with Jack of Harts in Engadine, a suburb located further down in Sydney's south.  Left Bower has woodwork creations of Ken Phillips, who in another life phase, was a boxer, but I am told that Ken made the rosewood panels at Parliament House.  Staff are usually  friendly, but some may be quiet on early mornings before 7 am. There are deck chairs outside to slide in - one can feel right at home fast.  This is modern Australian with a village and community feel. And to remind us that it can be so nice to be with mates and  family as we hit out on the caravan in January.

Picton, NSW revisited

On a warm December day, the inland suburb of Picton, tucked away 80 kilometers from the Sydney Harbour Bridge,  in the south-west of the greater Sydney region, looks like any New South Wales regional conurbation with its rail station, main street, supermarkets, cottage produce shops, heritage buildings and surrounding farmland.  Coming from Picton Road, and approaching the unique Picton Railway Viaduct, I had to reduce my driving speed to accommodate a residential area before getting into town.  The place looks sparse initially but perhaps I was on the quiet side.

Lunchtime beckoned me to the cafe strip, with several choices in modern Australian themed food, ranging from all day breakfast to burgers to pasta.  There is a Vietnamese bakery offering pork rolls at Aud 4.50 a piece near to the IGA Supermarket, but this is away from the main food and shopping hub. Along the way to the cafe hub, an elderly lady at a furniture shop struck up a conversation with me - she had a large courtyard in various forms of timber and stone furniture for the outlet that her son operated.

The La Crema Cafe at Argyle Street  dished up a delicious sauce for the pasta I requested (picture above), replete with mushrooms, bacon strips and aromatic herbs.   The place had chatter mainly from locals, primarily retirees, tradies and young families.  Service at this cafe was with a smile. Do try the coffee, it's uplifting and aromatic.

Picton NSW  is the administrative centre of the Wollondilly Shire and is close by car to Campbelltown.
It has several buildings of interest and offers convict and ghost orientated tours to curious tourists. Otherwise, the Mowbray Farmhouse home stays and the Picton Botanical Gardens are also highlights.

Picton was established when the Great South Road was built to connect Sydney with Goulburn.  More recently, radio personalities Merrick and Rosso caused a commotion with the airing of "The Picton Song" in which local teenagers were depicted as having widespread under age sex in order to gain benefit form the Federal Labour Government's substantial baby bonus payments to parents.

Brasserie Bread, Sydney Airport T2, NSW

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The most recent occasion I had checking out a Brasserie Bread outlet was a make shift stall in a campus. On a warm Thursday morning, when it was not quite 630am, I came across the airport outlet in Sydney. It was well patronised, located in a an area surrounded by fast food breakfast retails and in a terminal that served both budget and full fledged airlines.  What stands out from BB is the quality and display  of its aromatic baked stuff. The coffee is steady and the menu they offer has variety, with sourdough and garlic bread being their current stand out offerings.  Having said that, the airport cafe menu is not as extensive as those in South Melbourne and Banksmeadow, southern Sydney.

Quinoa, rye, soya and eggs are favoured by BB.  I chose the crispy bacon with avocado, soft boiled egg and roasted  tomato on sourdough (photo above).  The bacon was a bit over on the salt front, but otherwise the other ingredients were served in an appetising mode, especially good for travellers taking long haul routes. Service was quick and friendly. Many young families were at this cafe preparing their young charges for the journeys ahead.

I did note the power porridge (with chia, apple and cinnamon, amongst other things) and the sandwich with slow cooked pork laced with Argentinian chimichurri sauce on Italian inspired schiacciatta.  Chimichurri goes well with grills and is suited well for use as a marinade - it utilises cilantro, olive oil, parsley and Oregano leaves in its mix.

Of interest for a future visit is a salad made by combining poached eggs, fetta, smoked trout and parsley garnish.  Lighter selections include a toasted muesli with yogurt and mixed berry compote.  On the other end of this spectrum is slow cooked pork, perhaps for dinner or lunch time.

BB at this Sydney airport location is open early from 6am and closes late at 9pm.Would I return to this cafe?  Definitely yes.  The layout is also pleasant, and for what they charge, they are in line with their airport location competitors but provide rather special choices.  The only things is that there is not much of a view, but hey this is in a transport terminal!

Perfumed Pagodas, Vietnam

The Suoi Yen River is the path leading to the Perfumed Pagodas.  Here, the manually paddled boat ride can take up to 90 minutes, indeed reminding me of how native Americans more than two centuries ago used to ride up the various waterways in the North American continent.  Although the ride is calming and tranquil, it can be trying under a hot sun and humid conditions.  The Perfumed Pagodas is a collective term for a concoction of variety in temples, walking trails, mountain scenery, interesting caverns and cable car journeys.  This region lies just 65 kilometers south-west of Ha Noi.  My Duc town is another popular set off point to this area, especially during the Tet Festival or Lunar New Year period.

There are several major places of interest, but my sojourn there for just a full day had to be limited to a couple of pagodas - the Thien Tru, also fondly known as the Heavenly Kitchen Pagoda (photo above) and the Huong Tich, a revered grotto reached by a steep 120 step staircase.  Both temple complexes are dedicated to the Buddha and the Goddess of Mercy, Kuan Yin.  They are sited in an area dotted with limestone cliffs, forested hills and fascinating caves.   The area is known as the Perfumed Pagodas, in reverence to its Vietnamese language name of Nui Huong Tich or the Fragrant Vestige Mountain.  Previously this region was outside the shire of Ha Noi, but the boundaries  have been redrawn in recent years to now include this fascinating area as part of greater Ha Noi.

The Heavenly Kitchen Pagoda complex was built in the 18th century AD  and has three levels, including one with a triple-roofed bell pavilion and another with the main shrine.  You can see the pavilion in the background of the picture above whilst the foreground  is the foyer before the main shrine.  before the third level is a tortoise pond (photo below).

The third level of the Thien Tru Pagoda has embellished gold plated door and window frames.  Other pagodas of note to visit are the Den Trinh ( Registering Acceptance) and Giai Oan (Undoing Injustice Pagoda).

To reach the Huong Tich Pagoda, a visitor has two choices, walk all the way up terraced steps or opt for the Austrian built cable car system.   a canine mate rests at the top station of the cable car route in the photo above, whilst one can find many vendor stalls selling food, handicraft and souvenirs if you walk all the way, up or down.

I found an antique sugar cane juice extraction machine (above) approaching the 120 step staircase to the cavern housing the Houng Tich Pagoda.  A phrase alluding to the Most Beautiful Cavern Under the Southern Sky is carved on the rocks near its entrance.

Going back to Ha Noi via another river ride in mid-afternoon, we are entertained in conversation by our guide (picture below) and then wait at a  meet up point for our coach amidst padi fields.  This excursion has provided us with insights into religion, rural life and geological formations not far from Vietnam's s capital city.
 My group had lunch below the Thien Thu Pagoda, very local food but delicious and in generous portions.
On the way back by road to Ha Noi, just before sunset, there was a commotion involving teenage school students, involving umbrellas, knives and women, which had temporarily blocked our path and when our coach could go through, we could see locks of hair lying on the tarred road.

Vietnam can be an enigma, but its reality can also be clear.  It is a nation and economy in transition.  It has eager minds, energy and hunger for a better life.  Its people are reminded of the past but also embrace its unique heritage. Vietnamese can be practical and easy going but yet at other times, shrewd and careful. Education is so highly valued, together with family, prudence in savings and hard work.  The country is rich in agriculture, cultural icons and increasing commerce.  How can the nation fashion its future?

Ha Long Bay, Vietnam - Diversions