My Big Day Out

Hugo's occupies a strategic corner of the Manly ferry wharf in Sydney's northern beaches.

Incoming ferry passengers disembarking from Circular Quay in Sydney CBD pass by its verandahs, lined with dark wooden tables, fresh aromatic pizzas and bay views.  On the evening I was there with mates,

a rather hot sticky Sunday had turned into passing showers after a blow-up of ocean breezes and the coming in of clouds.  Hugo's was chock-a-block, granted that this was a holiday weekend for New Year's and we could see other lines of people outside queuing to catch the boats back to the city centre.  There was no room at the inn, so to speak, and my group had to take dinner at the wood fired pizza outlet across the road.  We had kangaroo, vegetarian and prawn laden pizzas, amongst other flavours, and I also could not help tasting the potato and bacon version meant for youngsters Ash and Cait.

For me, Hugo's was the final stop on a busy adventure out, that started with passing by this uniquely named cafe along Victoria Avenue  in Chatswood, NSW - Hello Happy (image above).   It was a bakery cafe outlet, but the name of the business suggests targeting a market with demographics of teenagers, Japanese and HongKongers.  Chatswood remains one of my fav chillout and shopping destinations in the greater Sydney area - and my easy quick lunch combo there often consists of an  entree of KFC wicked wings, followed by a mains of Malaysian, and topped up by a cool cup of iced smoked tea from ChaTime.

My reliable carriage (above)  takes a well deserved rest in a Baulkham Hills home. I had accompanied a visiting aunt, her daughter and son-in-law to Castle Towers to partake Thai food at the Red Spoon.

As one entered this restaurant located at the piazza of this shopping centre in Sydney's north-west, I felt as if I was on a tropical holiday resort and specifically at its music lounge lobby.  Jazzy and easy listening music was being played.   We had eyed the barramundi listed on the menu, but it was not available that day.  So for mains, we settled for cinnamon roast pork belly (recommended), a lamb shank Massaman curry (a bit sweet for my palate) and banana flower salad graced with grilled prawns.

Our entrees (above) at the Red Spoon - pandan leaf flavoured barbecued chicken (left) and a dish that combined soft shell crab with salads.

I just love the set up (above image) of glass containers that hold the various exotic seeds and nuts, accompanied by snugly packaged choc products from Max Brenner.

I had some time to kill between appointments,so I dropped by the bookshops in Darlinghurst.

I was delighted coming across this wall mural that depicted cheerfulness trying to encourage a boy pre-occupied and self-obsessed with his problems.  Change the boy depicted in the mural to an adult, and I surely have come across various instances of such a scenario playing out on Sydney CBD streets.

Below, the lamb shank Massaman curry from the Red Spoon Thai restaurant.

On the Trail of My Favourite Dishes

My utmost culinary sensation would be blue cod grilled fresh from the catch, with bites dunked in a wake-up condiment, eaten with the ocean breeze blowing in my face, surrounded by mates enjoying the flow of the day and following to where the wave of unplanned holidays take us.

For Breakfast:  Nothing beats like a simple feitan chok, or broth flavoured by slices of the so-called thousand year old egg (often duck eggs cured with vinegar and preservatives). This has been the meal opener for many in southern China, and is available at Hong Kong styled yumcha restaurants around the world.

For a Pick Me Up: Pineapple salad, usually inspired by Thai cuisine, can be done in various degrees of hotness and sour tastes.  My preferred version comes from the Straits Chinese, with lots of complementing mint leaves, traces of finely chopped hard boiled egg and with onion slices to contrast with the sharpness of the fruit.

Snacks: On hot humid days in Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan and Hong Kong,  it is not easy to avoid the ubiquitous bak kuah, or freshly cooked pork or beef jerky, which  are best served sizzling from a barbecue grill and eaten slightly cooled down. One can see the burnt black bits on top of the moist oily surface of the usually square slices. Such fare are also available in most Chinatowns around the Western world.

A Quick, Delicious Dinner:  Try the tomato flavoured rice, looking light orangy, which can be accompanied  ala Vietnam by crispy skin roast chicken, or in true Indian inspiration, the comparable briyani is best eaten with a chicken kurma curry.  Both best eaten with unrestrained hands, the latter over banana leaves.

To Refresh: Nothing beats a long and tiring day like having a small ice-cold bowl of gingko simmered in a dessert concoction.  For most Lunar New Years, I have been able to savour those made by an elder cousin on Penang Island.

In South-east Asia, do not miss sampling the kiam hoo gulai, or curry with a kick of dashes of salted dried fish, and usually accompanied with long beans or other crunchy vegetables. The true stuff is appetising, is often not that chili-hot and basks in a more creamy-like gravy. Best eaten with white steamed rice, it should not make you unusually thirsty but just craving for more of this dish - it grows on your thoughts.

Power Meal:  Try salmon omelette, a feature of Aussie breakfasts, with a tinge of Japanese and New Zealand influences, but most pleasing to the palate. It can be a balanced meal, is even better when taken with your favourite dressing or salad.  No frozen stuff to be sued please, everything must be as fresh as the eggs.

And then there are Spanish roast suckling pigs, French duck con fit, Moroccan cous-cous, Italian spaghetti gambari, Japanese grilled unagi and hokey-pokey ice cream from the Land of the Long White Cloud.

Sydney's Wonder of Wonders - 1 January 2011

Anticipation at Sydney Harbour, 31 December 2010

A Time to Re-gather

The views from the Panaroma House, as you approach Wollongong City from the escarpment top highway, are stunning. The generously sized car park can host a circus tent. The 360 degree experience that envelopes you, as you stand above verdant slopes, the ocean horizon and what seem to be be toy-like houses and container ships, does provide a sensational perspective of geography, psychology and priority. Sharon and I downed our red wine, I thought more could be done for this place and we let our cares of the world go away.

Inside the restaurant, a most smiling little boy of Italian background was carried by his older brother on the arms, followed by a sister and nanna. The youngest sibling exuded the spirit of the season, obviously embracing the company of his family and relishing in the innocence of his age. This was despite the child having a stump of a left arm. He did not draw attention to it and I did not not notice it until after a while. I admire his spirit, especially the glow from his eyes, his happy demeanour and in his enjoying the moment.  At this very stage, I only realised and recalled what "happy holidays" actually can mean.

Some of the waiters at the in-door Piazza restaurant facility at the Bankstown Sports Club south-west of Sydney CBD are obviously and stubbornly proud and make a show of ignoring selected customers.  You may try to call or signal to them in a  friendly manner, and they intentionally look away, smug in their perceived achievement of ignoring customers. Even as we arrived or left, they took much effort to ignore us. They were working for the only Italian place open in this Piazza that day, for the other facilities were closed.  I was so glad to have encountered them, for it reminded me to be more appreciative and thankful for others who did not behave like this. Like the Celtic chap at the bar counter in the club, or the Indian student at a petrol station, who has been working non-stop, both since Christmas Eve. Like our mates, family and others who do try as far as they can to be, and are, nice to us.

The musical duet performing at the Koppen Terrace were engaging as they belted out retro hits on  a lazy public holiday afternoon, in another part of the Club.  Here was such a contrast to those waiters - the two of them sang and played their guitars with such an enthusiasm, it seemed they knew their passion in life is to pass on their source of joy to others, even if for fleeting moments, through song and engagement with their audience.

Another day, another place. The marinated ham slices prepared by Ely and Ray were a hit with all of us at the dining table in Carlingford. Cousin Susan had made a very crispy and aromatic roast pork that day, and I was seated next to a an Apple engineer who worked on support for IPhone products at a secret location in Sydney CBD.  Edward was sociable, loved his curry and was even an alumni of the university where I work. I did not have to drive back that evening, so I chilled out more than usual, as I was staying overnight with Susan and Boo Ann - and next morning had my looked forward breakfast, that of toasted Lawsons bread slices with coconut-based kaya spread and Boo Ann's very thoughtful fruit blended drink to start the day.

Alternate days of heat and overcast coolness characterised the Christmas long weekend.  At best, it was humid daytime followed by relatively cooler nights. I had joined the Campbells for lunch - it was a gorgeous weather time for the various kids running around (like Emerson, James, Ben, Nick and Tom) in a Queensland-like setting of their home. Danielle had cleverly-made paper strip decorations of festive balls hanging from the ceiling of the recent extension to the house.  Shane was responsible for getting the family ham ready - and it was tasty on the carvery plate.  Bridget's blonde yellow hair was shaping up well even on a warm afternoon - and Nievy was enjoying the water slide with the others.  At Chris and Charmaine's, I was delighted to actually see the gingerbread house, sit with Cait and Ash and meet their friends.

It is this re-gathering and reaffirmation of attitudes, approaches and people that count in our lives which will hopefully ensure that illusion would never start.  Without illusion, we value better what we already have and re-channel our personal energy away from distractions and what does not matter.  I value a buddy who tries to go out with me, despite having inter-state visitors and relatives - and I do not mind if he cannot for now.  Recently I came across someone from Sydney's eastern suburbs whom I have known for a long time now, but just realised (again), how refreshingly engaging he is with friends, customers and mates. I enjoy interacting with Miguel, whose English language skills are better than my ability to articulate in Spanish, and that despite what perceived barriers arose from this situation, I find myself communicating with him, and he with me, out of sheer will and fun.

Like the spunky little boy with a stumped arm, I have understood better the festive message for me - to re-gather all our wits, energy and sense of fun to share them with others, and never to take good things for granted.