A Life In the City Centre - The Shady Side

Living in the city centre, you may wonder, at times, what lies beyond.  The sun sets over the plains or the hills, but the true nature of outer suburbs or countryside do not fully reveal themselves in the city, only suggestive in produce from apparently faraway places, visitors arriving in transit and eager for what they do not have back in their neighbourhoods and in the occasional feeling of city dwellers that they may not have most of the things they need.  This often is heightened when there's the longing to get out of the city centre on long weekends, for  day excursions or just for a change of air.  The immediate effect of doing so is a real sense of more space - to roam, to breathe in and to dream of.

There are many shady lanes in a city centre, those of lack of light, those which are thrown in shadows and those meaning of a lack of character.  Even the neon lights may not help,  for after a while, display truly what they are - artificial, superficial and dependent on power sources. Where people gather, these lanes are usually not an issue, whether for a smoko, a quiet chat away from prying eyes or for an after work drink. Where boxes stack up, where garbage piles up and where there is a silence at midnight, such lanes suggest of another presence that are not so kosher and which may not welcome innocent individuals who by chance wander into them. Most city streets are empty from after hours to sunrise, but may still be populated by people who have no permanent abode, who may have been struck down by the inequities of society and life or who may have to ply a certain trade under the apparent cover of darkness.

Living in the city centre can mean a in-the-face reality of the lack of privacy, cardboard partitions, dwelling with virtual strangers in the same room and only having better friendships in cyberspace.
It can also dictate co-existing with leaking drainage; fauna with more than two legs which may not be so cute; and having more than the amount of mould than desirable. The lack of flora is expressed by the degree of delight any city dweller takes in fresh blooms and the extent of natural greenery, and also by the intensity of disdain for anything plastic. Having a city centre lifestyle does not mean knowing more people, but can positively bring you closer to the close circle of good mates and relatives that you already have.  Many may find greater comfort in the cultural tribes that they already have or long for in the move from home to a big city centre.

There are also many temptations to spend. Unless one has a conscious budget and a strong financial aim, life in the city centre can mean frittering away the spare cash, making unplanned purchases and falling into the herd mentality trap. It can begin unsuspectingly as peer activity, a basis to unwind or part of a new regime. On the other hand, a disciplined lifestyle of being frugal, when living surrounded by commerce and marketing signals, can mean inner strength or undergoing a constant battle to ignore the temporary and the meaningless. To spend less at times in a city centre means corralling one's self in a room and roam away in cyberspace.  It can also mean more fitness training in the city parks.

Maybe most individuals do not plan to spend all their lives in a city centre. They may be there to fit the best times of their lives which synchronises with their age, or when they can make the most money. They enjoy what a city centre can offer, but are also cognisant of the darker and shady side of living out their daily routines amidst impersonal buildings and transient communities. They are exposed more to the variety of personalities, agendas and frailties of a more diverse city culture, but they also gain more experience and determination to better handle different scenarios and challenges.

Racine by Arantz - Orange, NSW

Shaun and Willa Arantz do not only operate a restaurant, but offer a cellar door, cafe, vineyard, events and a wholesome experience.  The dishes are lovingly created, shaped and served in a manner complementary to making wine, with patience, much thought, innovation, care and an eye for the taste. The surrounding La Coline vineyard offers Pinot Noir, sparkling and Riesling on the surface, but once you get inside and saviour what is beneath the surface, you begin to better understand the underlying passion and drive that motivates the Racines.  For example, earlier this year, Willa selected her favourite art pieces for Shaun to then create follow up inspired dishes for an event - the Eating Art Dinner.  This 'eating art" concept comes alive when you see a dish like the twice cooked pork belly (image above) accompanied by rather sweet tasting, local produce green beans.

I chose the entree of whole pressed deboned duck (image above). Inside the layers of what can be compared to a multi-layered cake were sensations and bites of whole bread crumbs, interlaced with beet root puree and just the right amounts of radish, not overpowering but bringing out the best from the main ingredient - duck.  It went well with my glass of Merlot.

Chris had the entree of a slow cooked hen's egg (pictured above) resting on a bed of broad bean ragout, pea puree, asparagus and whole peas.  I was captivated that the exact temperature used to prepare the egg was provided, at 61 degrees Celsius.  There are other starters like crumbed lambs brains and poached water trout, but this almost initially simply named dish of hen's egg was to me the clear winner in a unique creation.

To have two meat dishes in a row can be a bit rich, but I could not resist the saddle of lamb for my mains.  With sweet bread, I found a balanced contrast with the medium rare juicy and flavourful lamb slices, on the left in the picture above.  Sweetbreads or ris are made by soaking the thymus, pancreas and glands of the sheep in water and then poached in milk, before breading and frying them.

The result I had that evening was savoury, sweet and sensational - never mind the actual and original  ingredients.

Located in the midst of the La Coline Wines estate, the restaurant has a pretty cottage setting amidst the vines.  We travelled towards Lake Conabolas Road after sunset, so it was delightful to settle down on a table beside a veranda window and with a high expectancy hanging in the air.

My impressions of the Racine Restaurant in Orange are:

Atmosphere: Country chic.
Location:  Away from the cares of the outside world.
Taste: Lovingly formulated, crafted and nurtured.
People Engagement: Satisfactory.
Service: Efficient and Busy.
Best Time to Visit: Dinner
Fav Dish Experienced:  Whole Pressed Deboned Duck
Would I Return?:  In whatever season. I was recommended the twice cooked pork belly dish to try next time.

Bakehouse On Wentworth - Blackheath, NSW

An autumn's day, the air gets cooler as we climb the roads up the Blue Mountains. There is a need to nourish, to refresh, to take a stroll. Our subconscious longs for warm , aromatic and reassuring food. We find a street like out of Monet, with leaves of orange, red, brown, yellow and more. Oh yes, there is an ATM thrown in, with a line of people waiting to get some cash. The entrance may be unassuming, but our noses follow the trial of freshly baked bread, pastries and pies. Welcome to the Bakehouse on Wentworth Street, in the cosy village of Blackheath, nestled in the Blue Mountains of NSW. Above image, the chicken , leek and mushroom pie, full of flavours, rather large for lunch but with such a toasty crisp bite.

Scones (image above) fire the imagination of the life of the first European settlers, good preserves and fire place evenings.  One has a wide selection of breads, rolls and buns (shelves in background above) to consume for snacks, with a meal and for breakfasts.  The beef pie below is an illustration of the heavier gourmet pies served in this Blackheath bakery - at 320 grams, the flavours that caught my eye are those with pumpkin, fetta and lentil; beef and Guinness; and lamb with rosemary and garlic.

The choices of sweet stuff (below) can range from chocolate and marmalade tarts to those with berry and frangipan.  I was captivated by the raspberry and white chocolate tarts.  Gluten free cakes are available in orange and almond, or in flourless chocolate.

This Blackheath bakery was the first of a chain that also has outlets in the neighbouring settlements - Leura, Springwood and Glenwood.  They specialise in organic sourdough, a naturally leavened concoction of water and fermented mixture of grains.  Unique selections are organic walnut, French yeasted organic baguettes and spelt organic.

My impressions of the Bakery on Wentworth are:

Atmosphere:  Village

Location:  Calming, easy and with character.

Taste: From sweet to savoury.  Good coffee as well.

People Engagement:  Friendly

Service:  Free wifi and good mannered people.

Best Time to Visit: For brunch or afternoon tea.

Fav Dish Experienced:  Sourdough bread.

Would I Return?:  No doubt.

The ambiance outside the shop (below) add a special feel to the selections available (picture with shelved pies, rolls and pastries) in an unassuming shop with table seating in a small courtyard by the side and with a country feel for those relishing an escape from suburban and capital city living.

Guylian Cafe, Darling Quarter - Sydney

Guylian Belgian Chocolate now has three cafes in Sydney CBD.  My first experience was at the outlet in the Opera Quays, along the walkway to the Opera House, a strategic location with views of the Harbour Bridge and passing sea vehicles of various kinds.  Recently I had the opportunity to check out the Darling Quarter joint, a much bigger place but with the same smiles of service and in fact more variety of offerings.  I have not yet visited the third outlet at 91 George Street at the Rocks.  Quality hazelnuts, cocoa butter and West African sourced cocoa beans underlie the Guylian product.  Above image, centre, shows the a wedding portrait of Guy and Liliane Foubert, the business founders.

The range of obvious products can be described as pralines, fruit mousses, milk choc, dark choc and truffles. For sit down meals and savoury stuff, you can have the choice of breakfast creations, waffles and pancakes, cookies, muffins, macaroons, bread snacks, salads and late night caps. There are also beef or chicken pies, plus quiche dishes.

Above, smoked salmon with capers accompany baguette slices and a choice of a lemon slice (the Belgian styled pistolets).  Below, the packaged product beautifully arranged on a shelf display. 

There are temptations like tiramisu, the poached caramel pineapple cake and 100% Pure Pleasure, which encompasses Belgian chocolate mousse with almond pannacotta and a so-called Guylian glaze.  For a couple, I recommend the chocolate degustation plate - and then get into sports gear and go for a run, together.  The plate has ice cream, chocolate, cake and dessert samplings.

One of the main aims of visiting Guylian is obviously to try the chocolate drinks, although they do serve affogatos and coffee based variations. I developed a fondness for the hazelnut praline choc milkshake

(image below).  Teas, juices, champagne, wines and iced drinks are also available.  There are wide clear windows to look out at the man made facilities just outside along the outdoor walkway, with the UTS Tower obvious and tall in the distance.

My impressions of the Guylian Cafe, at Darling Quarter in Sydney's Darling Harbour, are:

Atmosphere:  Trendy and spacious

Location:  Touristy, families and after work office people

Taste: Superb Chocolate

People Engagement:  Smiling, inviting and helpful

Service:  Friendly and quick

Best Time To Visit:  Mid-afternoons and late nights

Fav Dish Experienced: Opera Evolve

Would I Return?:  Yummy yes.

A Life in the City Centre - The Bright Side

In a city centre, if you live there, I imagine that one can more easily try new places, whether for a gig, catch up with mates, a quiet time with the special one or experiment the menu at a new eatery. The social media harps on suggesting and trying such new joints and people you know or on Facebook actually talk about them. Okay, so dress up and off you go and reach there in under half an hour (for Sydney or Melbourne that is). No fuss, you can check out what the demographics in that new cool place are wearing or chatting about - and quickly pick up what you want and decide not to. You do not even have to catch a ride on a vehicle, but walk, passing quickly by the jam lock traffic on city streets. The weather can be inclement, but you can duck from one sheltered buiding to another.


If you have moved on from the roast or salad and two veg combo meal for daily consumption, you do find a wider array of choices, especially in the exotic stuff (yes, chicken legs are available, if you ask). Living in the city centre means eventually you know someone from one of the major ethnic immigrant groups in Australia. Hey, we can't stick to our blonde haired partner always, especially when he or she is anyway trying out the new fangled stuff and fusion cuisine themselves. Just realise there are hubs in Sydney (or tribal villages in Melbourne) and it is easy to proceed. Purists say all these multicultural things have been watered down for the consumption of the still mainstream society here. Who cares? We have a taste of the sports, fitness, music, arts, food and trends from varied communities and foreign countries before we decide to spend some money on budget airlines to fly there and try the real stuff.


For migrants, the city centre also easily offers home and soul familiarity in the groups that congregate, especially around "their" food outlets -for example, just hang around the various parts of southern George Street or Surry Hills or Newtown in Sydney. You can catch the latest fad movie and walk home to be in bed within a decent few minutes, instead of facing the challenge of trasnportation back to the suburbs. Hey, what an opportunity to catch those special event movies that begin after midnight! Hair saloons are still abuzz in the east Asian strips of both Melbourne and Sydney after 6pm, even on weekends! There is no need to pay those superlative parking fees that are imposed on hapless visitors from outside the city centre.


You can buy less stuff in terms of groceries and kitchen supplies, for your personal fridge is only a stone's throw away and maintained by the commercial providers. When you have periodic bouts of insomnia due to the neighbouring noise from down the street, you just buckle up and join the revellers. Never mind staying up late, for you literally can be in your work place not long after you jump out of bed the next morning.


Summer is a great time to reside in the city centre. There are festivals, night club events, people who really don't want to go home as it is too warm and the sun sets late anyway. New Year's Eve brings home the true benefits of residing in a city centre, and many mates want to know you better and stay over. If you still do physical retail, instead of on-line buying,you can pop over to real great sales way before the hordes arriving from the outer west. You can buy takeaway from fancy diners and still have them warm on your kitchen counter - no need to microwave them, and besides they do taste odd after being put in a microwave.


In autumn, you can be at the ANZAC Day memorial way before dawn, with lots of time to spare, and I mean at major memorials. The airport is so close to the city centre in Sydney. You can escape to lonely places, those that you cannot even imagine, and on coming back, you quickly join the gravy train of the city centre, and I don't mean those dripping wet and messy stuff cluttered at some corners of some parts of an otherwise great city centre. This is the gravy train of a spectrum of roles to earn money and keep your career moving, provided the economy is doing well, even if you move on to another city. In a city centre, you do have the reality, and at times, illusion, that you are at the centre of action, even if it is just the Apple Store launching another product or if you find yourself lining up again in that queue to reach this hyped up retail outlet. You can get to see or meet or talk to people who have the same obsessions or perceptions about being based in the centre, beneath the sight of tall buildings and fascinating lights.