Three Worlds, All On a Sydney Saturday

The pavements overflowed with fresh produce - vegetables, fruits and concoctions that came from both Australia and South-east Asia. I could not figure out totally if the stall holders and customers were all Cambodian, Chinese, Vietnamese, Burmese or Thai - but one thing was for sure, there was a notable absence of Caucasians. The cooked dishes called out in an appetising manner, whether they were fish in marinade, roast duck or curries. There were grapes red and green, seedless or with seed; longans on their stalks, plucked from plants; and all types of meat cuts in the butcher shops. I sensed the strong buzz of commercial enterprise and personal dynamics of purpose in the place. I had accompanied Jen and Viv on a market adventure. This was Bankstown Mall on a sunny May evening, the autumn air crisp and the aroma of flavours floating in the air.

The mocha had the delightful quality of Colefax chocolate. Five of us were lounging around a low table sipping in the hot beverages and taking a break from the everyday.
A Saturday morning, and the hustle and bustle of an Italian village lifestyle carried on outside, with happy children in the company of busy parents, couples lining up for pastries and cakes and the odd outsider visitors checking out the shelves of Zanetti or Lamonica. I could not resist getting my fav bread rolls in the bakery along Dalhousie Street, eyeing the currant studded buns with caramelised tops.
My group of friends relished in the lunch at Napoli en Bocca, which waiter Freancesco described a s "A Taste of Naples in the Mouth". I was impressed with the calamari ripieni, a delightful package of wrapped seafood in a stimulating sauce. Needless to say, it was good to see Alessandro again at the homely cake shop of A & P Sulfaro. This was Haberfield on the start of a weekend, with the proverbial blue skies and everything nice.

It was early night, and I tucked in the bonito curry, served with tangy tomato cuts and spicy reminders from the Indian Ocean. The lobak pieces melted in my mouth and instantly brought me back to memories of Penang coffee shops and home cooking. Lobak are compact parcels of tender juicy pork cuts marinated with five spice powder, amongst other things, and mixed with crunchy vegetables and other stuff, all cut finely and wrapped by bean curd skins, before they are deep fried in a wok. Then there was soy sauced chicken with hints of pepper. All thanks to the home cooking of Joyce and Aunty Rosie. I finished up with Italian biscotti and Charmaine's dark chocolate cake with sensations of nutty flavours. There was familiarity of chatter and conversation. There was banter with familiar people and friends. Ashleigh and Caitlin danced to the Wiggles on screen. This was Baulkham Hills at night, with the nippy air biting outside and flashes of lightning in the far distance.

Alessandro and the Ricotta Cheesecake

It was a feast not just for the palate, but also for the eyes. I could sense the texture of freshly made Peppes pasta, be it chili linguine or spinach flavoured. The range of biscottis, formaggis and hand made Colefax chocolates overwhelmed my attention. Easter is coming - and there were giant bunnies, lolly eggshells and hot cross buns. The rich aroma of freshly baked stuff from ovens reminded me of continental holidays. The collective feel of Saturday morning groups shopping and sharing similar passions brought me home to what is meant as one family and village.

I had previously frequented Haberfield only for dinner evenings, often wondering what was behind the closed doors of cafes, grocery outlets and fruit shops. Having the opportunity to visit it in the daytime was an eye opener. Fresh green olives beamed in their colour. The vodka laced pasta at La Grotta offered an agreeable orange coloured sauce that hinted of rose and savoury delight. We did not go check out the butcher Mario's, due to lack of time, or maybe the convenience of being enthralled in a circle of magical shops so close to each other, near the junction of Dalhousie and Ramsay Streets, was too difficult to get out of! Gelato after lunch on a summery day sounded logical and I had hazelnut flavoured richness - after deciding not to go for some curious egg based choice.

If there was one hall mark moment to illustrate that day, it was chatting with Alessandro about the choice of cakes in the family-homely outlet that he works - Sulfaro. With an earnest face and two super friendly eyes, he took me through the fresh offerings available - and I settled for the ricotta cheesecake. A very good choice it turned out to be, for later at a house party that evening, it was accepted very well. I found it not too sweet, with just the right texture, not too soft and just leaving a superb after taste in the mouth. There were queues in this shop, and everyone else seemed to know what they were coming here for.

We had started with a cuppa at the Espresso Galleria - that was good, especially for me having driven up from Wollongong. I landed up giving up my resistance to get two packets of Itorroncini Sperlari - check it out. At Zafettis, which specialises in unique products on its shelves, I could not go past the pickled red chillies made in Italy. Good to eat with the Cantonese rice noodles called hor fun - what a fusion idea. I could not leave the Little General olive oil bottle, looking so smart but alone, on the shelf of another shop - I rescued it.

The next afternoon, whilst catching a Rockdale Musical Society presentation of Miss Saigon, I had urges of living in a village where everybody knows my name. The stage demonstrated the pangs of being caught between two cultures, of how apparently momentary decisions can haunt individuals many years later and of how war can wreck personal lives. I thought, how nice it was on that Saturday afternoon in Haberfield, for me and my friends, to be able to absorb ourselves peacefully in apparently another culture - but one that shares so many comparable and similar passions for family, food and fraternity. Thanks Chris, Charmaine, Cindy for walking the route with me. I especially recall when Ashleigh and Catlin were with me in the bread shop queue, patiently waiting for me in my eagerness to get the hot cross buns - that was wonderful, with each of us taking in the character of the bakery, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.