Il Nido Balgownie NSW - Breakfast Time

Il Nido now offers Sunday breakfast and lunch, adding to the variety at Balgownie Village.   I hopped over to Graze the butchers across the road after a mid morning catch up with mates at Il Nido.  Breakfast begins at 8am.

The Chich Breakfast - it is the oomph of the sauce with the baked beans, the quality of ingredients like the sausages and the eggs plus the lightness of the mushrooms and the rocket.

The menu - I am already eyeing the Softies & Quinoa, together with the Smashed Avo.

The Italian Mako coffee set, just nice for two persons.

Georgetown, Penang - Iconic Festive Foods

Kueh Kapek - folded "love letters" made to mark the Lunar New Year.  Families used to gather and make such festive creations together, patiently sitting over a row of charcoal ambers and toasting the mould holders containing the dough. Once the layers are ready, they have to cool down sufficiently before they are folded over and stored in air tight containers.

Belly pork on the bone - to signify plenty and prosperity for birthdays and other festive occasions.
With agricultural and cultural reliance on this very important live stock, many nations across the world  have strong cuisine traditions roasting, simmering, slow cooking and deep frying pork.

The Jiu Hoo Char - A Straits Chinese salad and savoury mix that emphasises texture, taste and refinement.
This dish used to be  a crucial test in showing good up bringing for potential daughter-in-laws.  The lack of discretionary time for working women these days means less opportunity to delve into practising the finer nuances required in making this delicate dish.  Modern kitchen aids cannot replicate the same results in the requirements of this dish - it requires a good attitude, attention to detail and deftness in slicing and cutting skills.  Not too many commercial restaurants have this dish on their menus.  Literally, the name of the dish indicates fried cuttlefish, but the dish also has thinly sliced pork; soaked and dried glass noodles; sliced and soaked mushroom cuts; peeled and shredded carrots; sliced shallots; finely shredded yam bean (the bang kuang); and of course, the dried cuttlefish.

Chicken red curry, served not he skin and the bone for extra flavour - south Indian inspirations. From Aunty Yong's.
Virgin coconut oil for cooking is back in favour, as for hundreds of years before the new fangled theories and media hype on what is truly healthy. Spices used are best pounded by mortar and pestle - and rolled fresh on stone implements, for the paste from an electric blender do not produce the same outcomes in the curry gravy.

The Kueh Pie Tee - crispy deep fried holders contain flavourful but thin slices of pork and crunchy veg.  Apt for cocktails, snacks and afternoon teas.  From Aunty Yong's.  A colonial favourite in south-east Asia, they are appetising, encourage moderate snacking and offer bite-sized consumption.  Lovingly called top hats as well, they require ingredients like julienned carrots, chopped dried shrimps and julienned yam bean (the jicama). Garnish with pepper, spring onions and a dash of soy sauce  to bring out the oomph in the mix. A challenge in making the deep fried cases is that you require a mould.

The Lam Mee, traditional musts for iconic birthdays and family gatherings.  The proof of this exquisite dish is in the soup stock.  From Aunty Yong's.  A discerning choice of pork rib bones sets the base for a good start as these are used importantly to determine the overall taste. The Hokkien noodles are preferably al dente when served.  Shelled prawns, shredded omelette strips (remarkably dyed pink for a happy omen) and bean sprouts are essential. The dish when served is garnished with shallots and coriander leaves.

The Roti Jala, or net flour based snacks, to go well with a spicy curry.  From Aunty Lai's.  To me they are better than breads or rice when dipping into meat curries and they are an alternative to the ubiquitous roti canai.

The Nasi Ulam, or a herbed rice salad, a healthy idea for lunch, yet tasty, organic and aromatic - of Indonesian and Thai origins.
From Aunty Lai's.  There are several versions of this, with emphasis on different ingredients, but all echoing the need for detailed work, fresh leaves and a sense of love when creating them.   In Western nations, most of  those herbs required can be sourced from Thai groceries or from home grown garden beds.  Some ingredients are a challenge to obtain fresh, like the bunga kantan or torch ginger flower; daun kaduk or the wild betel leaf; the daun kunyit or the turmeric leaf; and the daun kesom or Vietnamese mint leaf polygonum.  (Please note, daun means leaf and nasi refers to rice, as most visitors to Bali would already know)

From Fujian, the steamed taro cake, garnished liberally with toasted garlic - from Aunty Lai/s.

Altitude at the Shangri La Sydney

The Shang Sydney CBD is already sited on top of a hill and when we got to Level 36, expectations were naturally high.  Located above the iconic Rocks, the hotel group's only operation in the whole of Australia has to be distinctive and quality.  Alas, there is no yum cha outlet as in its Asian hotels, but having fantastic look outs on to both Sydney Harbour and Darling Harbour does carry the weight of responsibility and imagination.  At the literal pinnacle of this Sydney Shang, you come across the Blue Bar and the Altitude.

We were there for a cocktail and canapés function, surrounded on one side by a clear glass through-view of what Sydney Harbour is to the world's imagination - and in reality. The persistent rains and cloudy storms of the past week had passed this Saturday afternoon, to reveal why Sydney attracts visitors, especially on New Year's Eve and in summer - and also why the city has been named the fifth most expensive city in the world stakes last week (Singapore holds the dubious honour of the most expensive city this time around).

Lin, Sally and I were in the lobby cafe when we arrive too early for the function.  I was impressed with the high standard of training and service of the Shang staff, whether at this cafe or at the Altitude.  I did not meet the people who have given pain and angst when I read other reviews of this place in cyberspace.  Each staff member can hold a conversation, naturally know how to manage most situations and echo the adage of you get what you pay for, perhaps.  Although there was limited choice of food at the cafe that late weekend morning, attending staff were patient and made alternative suggestions from the menu or glass top display.

A wonderful idea of a private cocktail bar was provided  at the Altitude function we attended.  I asked the suited bar man to make me something which "you would recommend me" - and he eagerly made me Purple Rain, a good illustrative experience of how the staff can instinctively engage with the guest and make both enjoy the encounter.  Table seating was also thoughtfully made available for an occasion, which usually elsewhere, is carry on standing and keep on drinking. The canapés were carefully chosen, with exquisite presentations of lamb, chicken and prawns, apart from the usual stir fried vermicelli and other Asian styled bites.  Wine, juices and bottled mineral water kept the free flow of conversation - but we also enjoyed an innovative video presentation, fine speeches and a layered tray of cup cakes.

The wait staff, especially Lorenzo, were polished and discerning.   Easily up to 80 guests, if not more, attended, with the boat and vehicular traffic of Sydney and its harbour side swirling below.

I enjoyed catching up with people, both those I have met before and those I have not.   The official photographer took lots of group pictures.  You are placed higher than the Harbour Bridge.  You are brought down to earth by the down to earth attitudes of the hosts and some of the guests.  You want to return to the Altitude at twilight, with dinner served every evening, except for Sundays.