Ipoh on York - Sydney CBD

The ice grinder

Jimmy is an affable person who hailed from Ipoh and now runs two restaurants in Sydney CBD through his two sons. His outlet at World Square is smaller than his York Street joint, located between the Grace Hotel and the Queen Victoria Building. Ipoh on York is located in a large basement level and one navigates the stairs to reach the order counter, which looks more like a ticketing office in previous reincarnations than one offering the spectrum of street food from south-east Asia, particularly the Malaysian Peninsular.  Ipoh itself denotes definitive good food, specifically of Chinese origin - dishes like Ipoh hor fun are held in high esteem.

Andre and I ducked in to this larger of Jimmy's joints one working lunchtime.  The place becomes chock-a-block with customers significantly from 1215pm onwards. Whilst waiting for Andre, I chatted up a Welsh chap having a stint in Sydney and who had got addicted to what Jimmy had  to offer in food. Apparently he is such a regular that the female staff all know him by name and recognition, asking him if he is coming back tomorrow. Most of the tables at Ipoh on York are small two seaters but do reflect a segment of the Asian population working around the Wynyard and Town Hall precincts of Sydney CBD.

The place is open for half a day on Saturdays.  In the Asian demographic, this can be a venue for catching up with mates from the old country without making an appointment. I understand that networking groups do gather at this venue and not just to enjoy the food.

Various elements for making coffee,  iced concoctions and drinks.



On this occasion I had the ever reliable  char koay teow.   I recall coming together with Shane one early morning, having survived the train commute, to sample the kaya toast and Malaysian coffee combination for breakfast a couple of  months back.  Shane found the condensed milk used for the beverage was rather sweet and I found the servings of toast under sized.  I reckon it may be worth trying the unique drink concoctions  for lunchtime if you have not tried them before.   They range from fruit based mixes to soya choices. What goes well with Malaysian street food is beer but of course, Ipoh on York is not licensed.  However, there is the usual menu of food familiar to anyone who has been to Malaysia - curry laksa, nasi lemak, Hainan chicken rice and so forth.

Ais Kacang (lower pix) - the hot weather cooler so commonly available in Malaysian and Singaporean food courts and streets.  Photo above - the char koay teow, worth trying and served on a miniature wok.

Il Buon Gusto, Picton Mall - Greater Sydney

Opened only a few months ago, Gusto is located on the right hand side as one enters the Picton Mall in south-western portion of the greater Sydney area. The mall itself is compact, with several retailers,the inevitable supermarket (Coles), a rather fancy butcher (which stands out with its produce and variety of offerings, especially various types of beef and pork sausages) and a coffee place. Occasionally, someone rents out a spot in the spacious lobby and offers products like accessories and handicrafts.
Down towards the main road and vehicle parking spaces is a rather delightful IGA, particularly for those who shun the bigger grocery players.

Picton is more of a place you live in rather than anything else. Visitors may pass by on their way somewhere, or regulars may stream in from their bush hideaways and lifestyle abodes. Residents in this corner of so-called Sydney may be more attracted to MacArthur Square and the urban hub of Campbelltown rather than congregate here. To get to Picton however is rather accessible, 40 minutes from the Wollongong Coast, an hour from Mittagong perhaps and okay to pop over from Liverpool further north.  It is also reachable by train if you have the time and you are duly rewarded by an interesting retro dining place inside a sandstone building once you go past the rail turnstiles.

So I was curious about Gusto. With only a lunchtime opportunity, I had sampled their fettucine gambari on a previous occasion, bought takeaway latte from them and hence wanted to try more. The owner said they make their own cannanoli and chocolate cheesecake - but I was eyeing the macarons, cake slices, friands and other sweet stuff in the covered shelf cabinet.  The kitchen was hidden to one side of the venue and there are seats for four on raised platforms, apart from the usual free standing tables inside and outside.

For a quick session, I decided this time on a breakfast item, the egg Provencal. Pictured above, I had a choice of ham or proscuitto, with a sprig of greens with eggs over a sourdough.  It was a nippy Tuesday but I was glad there were more people lunching than during my last visit.  The foodie scene is perhaps more tucked away on the side of Picton away from this mall.  Staff are easy going at Gusto and there seems to be an easy pace about it.

My Selection Cafe, Hunter Connection - Wynyard, Sydney CBD

Fresh coconut and vinegar-chili infused dipping sauce.

Kim beams with a welcoming smile every time she approaches customers.  I notice the ingredients used are fresh and the cafe interior has a modern and clean feel and look about it. The cafe's location may not be easy to locate, but any one who transverses the Sydney CBD tunnel between Wynyard rail station and the Hunter Connection arcade and food court would have definitely and inevitably walked past, if not come in for a tucker.  The place is located opposite a watch repairer and jeweller outlet and there is a carvery nearby from the Wynyard station side.

I had not known that Kim prepares homemade, iced preserved  kumquat and pickled lemon drinks.  These items are however subject to seasonal availability and the time it requires to make a good pickle.
I had asked for a kumquat pickled iced drink, even so late into the Sydney autumn and the wait staff lad was kind enough to let Kim know.  Kim came in an instant to have a chat about these drink items - this set the tone for the care and attention My Selection cafe devotes to its food, business and customers.

My own choice that quick lunchtime - the crispy chicken was bony but the tomato flavoured rice was good. I love crunching into such bony stuff anyway.  I had fresh coconut juice with slices of the whites
( young coconut flesh).  Delivery of your order was fast, especially for the office worker demographic.

Attention to details - flavour and texture of the tomato flavoured rice, plus presentation and aroma of the crispy skin chicken with a pinch of crunchy salad.

Next opportunity, I plan to have a breakfast snack of the egg and bacon muffin (at AUD 3.50)
and also try out the  char siu bao (steamed savoury pork bun) otherwise only found at yumcha sittings or buy frozen from your nearest Asian grocery.  Also available are the following that caught my eye -
congee (with thin pork slices and bits of century old egg or chicken and ginger slices);  Vietnamese iced coffee; and the "All Ham on Deck" scrambled eggs with potato, capsicum and onion slices.
Other items in the menu are the piping hot beef based pho noodle soups; broken rice lunch choices; sandwiches; shrimp fried noodles; Turkish breads and French rolls.  Interesting enough, you may consider the Hungarian beef goulash on a cold wintry day in Sydney city.