Gelato Messina, The Star Sydney

Drew had introduced me to this unique delight, Messina gelato made in the best traditions of Sicily, home of the classic movie Cinema Paradiso and the origin of many immigrants to Australia in the fifties and sixties.

Famiglia Palumbo started his business in Darlinghurst’s Victoria Street near the entrance to the Kings Cross precinct of Sydney. There I was, with Drew, ravishing a cone or two as it approached midnight. I am not sure whether it was the secret delight of enjoying ourselves in the city centre late on a Sunday night that added to the high sensation of taking in beautifully made gelato.

Gelato Messina has since opened another outlet, in the refurbished Star near Darling Harbour. (picture above) The range here is perhaps less, but there are always the reliable combinations of Italian nougat and tiramisu, chocolate and raspberry sorbet, coffee and hazelnut plus pandan coconut and passion fruit. I am told there is now a range of monoporzione ( or Italian for “single portion” ) with names like Bity Bity and Mini Me, but I was too preoccupied with the gelato to notice on my most recent visit. This is in addition to their ever popular gelato cakes.

Janie and Lai were with me on this visit to t Star outlet, and Janie did find the Messina version too creamy, having expressed a preference for the gelato from Dolcesimmo in Sydney’s Haberfield.

The Darlinghurst outlet is open from noon till 1130pm every day, whilst The Star branch operates from 11am to 11pm. My impressions on the Messina Gelato outlet at Sydney’s Star are:

Atmosphere: Informal and Cool.

Location: Touristy.

Taste: Refreshing and Nice.

People Engagement: Friendly and Focused.

Service: Patient and Ready.

Best Time to Visit: Late at Night.

My Fav Dish Experienced: Coconut, Lychee and Mango Sorbet

Would I Return? : Yes.

Adriano Zumbo's Patissier, The Star Sydney

Macarons are referred to as Zumbarons. The sushi train concept has been transfromed into a dessert conveyor belt instead, where customers can sit and watch, making into reality sugar and pastry dreams of childhood past. The latest outlet of Adriano Zumbo's at the revamped food street from the Star Casino in Sydney shines like a lit up Ferris wheel, cleverly tucked away at one corner, suggesting of an elegant uniqueness and yet with a welcoming air. The displays, inside or outside the shop, are what attracted me in the very first place, with key products delicately placed to capture our attention and captivate our hearts.

There are always new flavours to complement past favourites for Zumbarons. I especially like the salted butter caramel and the fingerbun versions. One bite into such macarons - and I realise how much thought and creativity has gone into formulating the taste, texture and sensation of the outcome. Zumbo knows we cannot take too much of such rich delights, but every savoured result on our palate is worth the choice. I also sampled the lychee, hot cross bun, passion/tonka and the watermelon plus orange varieties.

Zumbo's creative pursuits and results are also reflected in the careful and yet fun choice of

names for the gateaux - like Man Goes Peanuts, Grandma's Soap and Tastes Like Doris.

I love the plain croissants best, although Zumbo has almond and chocolate versions available.

He has carried on the practice of transparency in his baking labs, with clear glass windows emphasising on safety, skills and superbness. Also on offer are cakes, quiche, danish and various concoctions of breads like chorizo, multigrains, ciabatta, olive and rosemary plus wholemeal.

You can also drop by Zumbo's other outlets in Manly, Rozelle and Balmain in the outer Sydney suburbs. My overall impressions at Zumbo's at the Star in Sydney's Darling Harbour are:

Atmosphere: Fun like in a Fair

Location: Good for non-Gamblers but can be Touristy

Taste: Allows You Choice

People Engagement: With a Smile

Service: Quick and Focused

Best Time to Visit: Afternoon Tea

My Fav Dish Experienced: Salted Butter Caramel Zumbaron

Would I Return?: Definitely.

Mother Chu's Taiwanese Gourmet - Haymarket, Sydney

This is one of the places I often pass by on weekends, but never get a seat and is bustling with customers, day or night. So I strategised to drop by early in the morning to get a seat. The tables are small and placed near to each other, but there must be an attraction in the food served – was it the pricing, the variety, or the taste? I reckon it was all three factors, applicable to
the three dishes chosen on this visit.

Tofu originated in China during the Western Han Dynasty and these days is served in several ways, from entree creations to stir fry mains and cold desserts.

On my visit this instance to Mother Chu’s, my stomach was recovering from a heavy eat the evening before, so I chose this light dish of steamed tofu in ginger-laced syrup. (below image)
Traditional Chinese mothers, whether back in China or in Western countries, but especially in Hong Kong, often relate the virtues of such smooth-surfaced tofu to their daughters.

Char siew pau, or Cantonese for steamed roast pork pastries, are a favourite of mine for evening supper, brunch or breakfast. (image below)

The picture below depicts my bowl of congee simmered with pork-related slices and bits of the so-called “century old eggs.” The following recipe is reproduced from Allrecipes.com.
Ingredients
1 cup uncooked short-grain white rice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
6 cups water
1 cube pork bouillon cube
2 cups char siu (Chinese roast pork), diced
6 green onions, chopped

2 cups water
2 preserved duck eggs (century eggs), peeled and diced
Directions
1. Rinse the rice in several changes of cold water. Drain completely in a mesh strainer and place into a large pot. Stir the vegetable oil into the rice and set aside for 10 minutes.
2. Stir 6 cups of water, the bouillon cube, char siu, and green onion into the rice. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 1 1/2 hours. Stir frequently as the rice cooks to help break the rice grains apart and keep it from burning on the bottom.
3. Stir in the remaining 2 cups of water and the century egg. Continue cooking another 1 1/2 hours, stirring frequently until the congee reaches your desired consistency. The congee is ready when the individual grains of rice are no longer discernible and have thickened the soup.

My overall impressions for Mother Chu’s at Haymarket, in the arcade linking Sussex Street and Dixon Street Mall, are:

Atmosphere: With a buzz and in an arcade.

Location: Touristy and Ethnic.

Taste: Light and Unusual.

People Engagement: Helpful and with a smile.

Service: Quick but wants prepayment.

Best Time to Visit: Breakfast Time.

My Fav Dish Experienced: Silken Tofu Dessert (Dou Hua in Mandarin) with soft peanuts

Would I Return? : Yes.

Kazbah at Darling Harbourside, Sydney CBD

Think of tangine, hummus and tabouli. I was first introduced to Middle Eastern food by a mate Fred in Canberra – Fred has a rich French and Lebanese background, and so was the perfect person to do me the favour of opening my eyes to such cuisine.

I am now conscious of the variety of ingredients utilised in such fare, ranging from nuts, cereals, fruits, meats to grains – and how they are combined - to present such outcomes as saffron poached pear, tzatziki dips, harissa marinated and grilled octopus or lamb kafta – never ceases to amaze me. At times, I still get so confused with some familiar Greek dishes in the menu, but I reckon I should view all such dishes as cousins, inter related perhaps by geography and commerce. In the Wollongong area, the name Samaras stand out for such similar cuisine, located along Corrimal Street in the CBD area.

I had heard about Kazbah’s breakfasts and recently I had an opportunity to check this out at Sydney’s Darling Harbour (above pictures). The view by itself was inviting, the pace was easy on a lazy weekend morning and the décor interesting. I was taken aback by the choices just in the breakfast menu – sweet couscous, lamb mince, warm rice pudding, omelettes, pancakes and more.

Eventually I knew I had to try the combination that offered pork belly shish kebab, chickpea fritters, crème fraiche, baby spinach, roast tomato slices and poached egg – all topped up by
a capsicum sauce. (image below is the result of my half way going through this particular dish!)

Kazbah also operates restaurants at 379 Darling Street, Balmain and inside the Top Ryde Shopping Centre north-west of Sydney. This restaurant
emphasises on a n Moroccan theme.

My overall impressions of the Kazbah at the promenade in Darling Harbour’s Harbourside are:

Atmosphere: Relaxed and helpful

Location: Good views but a bit touristy for me

Taste: Exotic for me but Delicious!

People Engagement: I am happy

Service: With a smile

Best Time to Visit: Breakfast or Brunch

My Fav Dish Experienced: Chickpea Fritters with belly pork shish kebab and Poached Egg

Would I Return? : Yes

Chat Thai - Campbell Street, Sydney CBD

Chat Thai has a network of cafes and restaurants in the greater Sydney area, although I reckoned that the authentic original must be the outlet located at 20 Campbell Street, in the heart of the city centre’s Thai quarter. Here, amidst aromatic and exotic stuff from the nearby grocery and fresh food shops, I am brought back to memories of Bangkok, listening to the accentuated articulations of Thai words and expressions, feeling the buzz of commerce and wondering how the stage musical Love Never Dies, from the Capitol Theatre across the road, (picture above) fits in to this rather Asian-accentuated street of “Thaitown”.

The coconut milk flavoured ice cream (image below) is a must to finish up any meal. It is delicate, elegant and mild on the palate, a contrast to any spicy or chili-laden or sour dish you may have eaten for entrees or as the mains. I also eyed pandanus and pumpkin themed dumplings and the papaya salad "som thnam" guaranteed to give a kick in the palate, but I did have my share of well marinated chicken satay. (Image above). The satay was accompanied by a peanut sauce which was thicker, heavier and more consistent in texture than Malaysian versions.

Staff are quick to the step and service, echoing most Thai food outlets in Australia, heavily keen on obtaining as many table turnovers in customer patronage during the number of hours opened. The ambiance is rather dark and suggests much of wooden panelling. I was recommended to this Campbell Street place because of its rather high relative authenticity in cuisine and street food. I could not get a place to sit during the normal meal hours and had to resort to visit during Chat Thai's equivalent of “happy hours”, when you could taste its smaller servings of selected dishes for AUD 5 a quip between 2 and 5pm. Unlike most other Thai restaurants, Chat Thai has more variety in its offering of desserts, the menu of which changes daily at 6pm. Above, the entrance to the Campbell Street outlet and below, drinking water is served in unique bowls.

I chose a Thai version of the well known ChiuChow street food – kueh chap. (picture above) The proof of quality of this dish is in its broth stock, tasting both herbal and mildly salty at the same time. The ingredients gracing the soup can be confronting – pork intestine cuts are an inclusion – but go well when you just have hard boiled eggs, slices of pork shoulder, dried tofu pieces and slippery tubes of rice sheets.

Other Chat Thai outlets in the Sydney region are located at Level 6, Sydney CBD Westfield Pitt Street; Randwick’s Carrington Road; Manly’s East Esplanade; and the CBD's Galleries Victoria at 500 George Street.

My overall impressions for Chat Thai at 20 Campbell Street in Sydney's Haymarket are:

Atmosphere: Can be crowded and noisy

Location: Street wise

Taste: Some of the dishes are based on an acquired taste, but generally I found the food rather authentic

People Engagement: Smiling and Friendly

Service: Quick and attentive

Best Time to Visit: 2pm to 5pm

My Fav Dish experienced: Chicken Satay

Would I return? Yes.