Kindly Yours

Eggs Benedict with fresh and yummy cherry tomatoes and herbs. There can be Eggs Benedict in so many versions, but that morning I realised I had a good looking , flavourful version on the table.   The garnishing also stood out and the bread nicely toasted.  The Hollandaise sauce stood out.  A bite on one half led to a gratifying taste on the palate, the eggs particularly good. The coffee is strong but hearty. An option for a hideaway seating. There is a large fern leaf incorporated into the bricked wall along a narrow enclave on one side of the back of the cafe.   Even if the space is compact, I noticed regulars heading straight for this alcove-like corner.  The beauty of this is that this is smack in the middle of Wollongong city centre, a stone's throw from the IPAC auditorium and across Burelli Street from the Council.   If you like, you can enter through a lane beside Lee & Me Cafe on lower Crown Street. Emphasis on cof...

A room with a view and verandah. Guillaume's Restaurant had renovations in August 2014.  I would like to share my impressions on my most recent visit in December last year. The Royale of Asparagus entree has always been a winner with me - served with truffle gems and mud crab meat, I reckon my focus moved away from the asparagus to its enhancing companions on the plate. The Moreton Bay bug warm entree is always a winner with me, served with delicate but flavourful pork cheek, sea spray, cauliflower and radish - providing a yummy harmony between land and sea produce.  For those being inducted into gourmet Australian cuisine, this is a symbolic experience for a sea produce that is unique to the eastern seaboard of this continental island. For beef lovers, it is irresistible to have the Shioro-Kin full blood Waygu from the Macquarie Downs region in Queensland.  This is accompanied by pickled radish and Jerusalem artichoke, before being drizzled wi...

Pavlova with strawberries and mango coulis. The lady who greeted at the door was friendly-infectious and knew how to get the drinks and food going.  She was professional, welcoming and made sure every table was attended to despite being busy.   We hung around for around three hours and felt like being at home.  There are choices in meats, salads and cocktails, with a good wine menu.  I noticed the Vegie Patch salad and tried at first to not choose chicken but in the end I deferred to the white meat, much to my glee for the crumbed chicken was a delight  - and I loved the uplifting batter. John Dory fish and chips The grilled Dory fish was just right - crispy batter, fresh flavourful juicy insides and with yummy chips accompanied by two dipping sauces.   For dessert I wanted the lime and coconut Panna Cotta but they had run out that day.  I looked at alternative choices of trio of sorbet but went for the chocolate cake, which turned out...

There is the Bakery Boys located further down Crown Street in Wollongong city centre.  But on the upper side along the mall, on top of another coffee place (the Square), lies a hidden gem, in the innards of the previous Central Chambers - climb up an unassuming stair case, navigate the narrow passages once you are on the first floor and head towards the corner balconies.  The menu is mostly Indo-Chinese, but you still have Aussie favourites like croissants, avocado smash and banana bread. Another perspective is that it is vegan friendly, has gluten free options and its catch cry emphasise "raw treats". Then we noticed the French baguettes, and before long it was Good Morning Vietnam!  Ingredients like fried shallots, coleslaw from the tropics, coriander, vermicelli salad and spicy sauces dotted the compact but diverse menu.  A fellow luncher recommended to me the v salad - laden with pepitas (roasted pumpkin seeds), mint leaves, cucumber slices, carr...

Coffee is good enough for horse riders as well , who make a pit stop with their charges before continuing. Hidden within the bowels of a suburb north of Wollongong is a cafe that feels like Waterloo or Surry Hills in Sydney or in a lane in Melbourne CBD, but from this cafe, one can wander down the beach, past a caravan park and enjoy a village feel in a small hub that has a newsagent, Foodworks supermarket, a clinic, a bakery and a small but good enough parking area. The cafe is Franks 'n Beans, opened last year, where regulars can stroll down in their shorts, with their doggies or relax after having done the shopping chores.   The place is otherwise residential, dotted by houses from the eighties if not earlier.  I can pump my petrol nearby and then enjoy the trendy food and varied menu. The long wall of Franks 'n Beans on one side have potted plants hanging  and there is even an old fashioned food cupboard that now serves to hold wine bottles.  Ther...

Sheer crispy slices of suckling pig with skin on. Beef with broccoli. Scallops with beans. Complimentary biscuits at the end of the meal with dessert. The Eight Modern Chinese Restaurant is located on Level 3 of the Market City Shopping Centre in Sydney's Haymarket. It is open every day for yum cha lunch and dinners. The above photographs were taken during a dinner with Jimbob.

With the stereotyped multi-million dollar view, the Dining Room in Sydney Harbour's Park Hyatt could not be placed in a better location - and with cosmopolitan cities these days, this means big money changing hands.  The menu at the restaurant is however medium priced for what you get -  care, creativity and sensitivity.   I love the presentation at the Dining Room, not just of the food, but of the lay out, the light from outside coming in and the view of the Sydney Opera House across the waters.  Staff are smartly dressed, obviously have been trained well and make guests feel good. Vegetarian and gluten free options are clearly marked and offered.  There are both full and tasting menus, degustation and wholesome meals.   Private rooms are also available for consideration with locking in the Chef's Table for eight diners. Escargot, carpaccio and gazpacho are words that   dot through the entrees for dinner.   The main...