Kindly Yours

Not since Adriano Zumbo has there been such a huge adoration for a Patisserie chef in Sydney, Australia.     Reynold  Poernomo is young, slim and full of dreams.   He has an eye for the aesthetic, the detailed and the captivating - not just visually, but in arousing our template and inherent urge for the forbidden culinary world.   Human beings need relief from the mundane, the usual and the routine.    Reynold provides this at the Koi Dessert Bar in downtown Sydney in the revamped village hub of Kensington Street in Chippendale. The menu creates more excitement with names from fairy tales and Nature.    The Forbidden Fruit suggests of a recreated apple, looking so red perhaps because of use of the raspberry Sorbet , but when you get digging into this, there are other treasures to discover - chocolate mousse, lime zest and raspberry gel, all sitting on a chocolate looking and tasting soil.    There is a definite plea...

The storm over the metropolitan Sydney area yesterday was pretty cyclonic - and we have had not so much rain so far for the month of March in the Sydney basin since 1942.  We have always been asked to prepare ahead and to clean out the roof gutters before anything negative occurs. Soil erosion is also an immediate risk, especially if we continue to be deluged every evening. Inadequate drainage is a causative factor behind most flash floods.  I applaud the work of our Sta te Emergency Services or SES - always mopping up, rescuing people in a time of need and in helping us, also often taking some measure of personal risks themselves. I have been watching the creek near my place and also noted that downstream this Creek in Fairy Meadow, Wollongong Council has been carrying out dredging activities recently. Good on them.  The storm risks to my neighbourhood are dislodged roof tiles, as the Illawarra coast faces open ocean winds.  It is always...

The rise of sufficient voters, in some Western democracies, to rebel against the so called political establishment, is a long due correction and adjustment to the system.  It is observed that such voters just want change and seek an alternative to a situation which has increasingly brought economic hardship, inequities and less hope to them in the course of daily living.  The rich get even more wealthy in the 21st century. Favouritism in political correctness measures become more obviously selective. Ruling parties continue to show signs of excessively being in the comfort zone.  Instead of being more in touch with heartland supporters, established parties wheel and deal with groups of marginal supporters who do decide election outcomes.  The heartland voters as such feel neglected, lose their political voice and now begin to fight back. The proverbial straw that has broken the so called camel's back of such voters is the strong realisation t...

Cronuts in a basket. I was tipped off about a new cafe in the suburb  -  the place had been relaid out, giving a different feel from the previous operation and that the coffee was good as well. Open every day, it has added to the ambiance in Fairy Meadow, a normally working class suburb  transformed over the past two years into something more to visit.  With its Italian-Australian flavours in shops, schools and community,  this small area north of  Wollongong city centre is now comparable to Haberfield in Sydney's inner west, although not so heavily ethnic.   It does have a beach to its east, not far away and even a rail station that once had the risk of losing its unique name to the suggestion of "Innovation".    That name change proposed to NSW Rail did not transpire, but the more significant matter of having a more viable commercial hub is happening as I write. Breakfast omelette. Toby the owner-operator may have a ...

Deep fried ice cream that comes more like a wrapped parcel, accompanied by muesli, cashews and strawberries. Sharing is always the best way to go with south-east Asian dishes, for not only does one get to sample each of the variety offered, but it also leads to a certain feeling of communion at the table.  When the restaurant occupies almost a third of the pub and bar floor, the camaraderie from the licensed bar area can easily translate to a better feeling of gathering at the dining section. The Shark Hotel in downtown Sydney can be accessed from both Pitt Street and Liverpool Street.   This is ethnic Western Sydney transplanted for a rising population that reside in the city centre and so perhaps for a different demographic compared to its original base in Canley Heights.   Here in the city, your diners can be more discerning, may have more disposable income or can devote more time after working hours.   I love this subtle but ...

A variation of Beijing duck with other dishes. Chrysanthemum shrub. The walls and well used lane of the Forbidden City. Qianmen Avenue. Central Asian cuisine is popular in Beijing. High tea at the National Museum of China. Entrance to the Wan Fu Xing markets. Wheat based dough is utilised to hold a diverse variety of fillings in Xian Bing -  inside the wraps can be minced pork, chopped fennel and other tasty delights. Beijing duck slices.

The Tian Tan -  this was a place of sanctity, a site of privilege, for only the Emperor (aka the Son of Heaven) and his inner sanctum in dynastic Chinese days could use with protocol, respect and ritual.    The fate of the nation, especially its agricultural wealth and status, significantly depended on the strength of prayers performed and the viability of the Mandate of Heaven.   The cultural and religious head of the huge kingdom connected with the Universe and the sublime on this very chosen spot.    It was the vital link between the masses and the unseen powers in the skies, through which one man, the Emperor, was the only medium of communication, power and influence. This place of importance has circular shapes in construction, as if to replicate the roundness of the planets, the Sun and the Moon.   The highest structure sits on elevated platforms, with tall pillars inside the halls and round topped roofs.     The size , sha...