At All & Sundry, Woonona - Wollongong Coast NSW

The main counter.

Shane alerted me on SMS about this newly opened cafe one Saturday morning (the first one of May) when Scott and I were at Diggies, North Gong Beach for an early brunch.  On my way up to the north-western suburbs of Sydney , I reckoned I should give it  a try in the early afternoon. Initially I could not find the place, but the Woonona newsagent opposite Macker's had a friendly chap at the counter who knew about this cafe.

So as the clouds gathered above the Illawarra, and when the winds whipped up, I hurriedly went down slope along the Princes Highway and spotted a lane beside a butcher's, as advised.  And there it was.  All & Sundry. My first impressions were that it was so Melbourne and yet so Sutherland Shire.  Next opportunity it may be better to park the car in a parking area just outside the cafe but away from the main road.

At late lunch hour on a Saturday, there were several people seated at tables or waiting for their takeaways.  The pace felt casual, people seemed to have time as it was the start of a weekend and there seemed to be limited seating both inside and outside. It was a hotch-potch of various ages, ranging from the twenty somethings to older couples.  The place looked relatively bright inside with framed pictures on one wall, adjacent to an anime looking female character dominating the view as one stepped in.

I just wanted a quick cuppa. Apart from the ubiquitous espresso, I noticed that filter, pour over and aero press variations are also available. All & Sundry is not open at this stage on Sundays and  Mondays, but available from business on other days other days from  8am.  No dinner menus at this stage.  I chose to sit down and had a cup and saucer version of a standard milky order.

A limited indoor seating area.

My mate Shane, whom I understand earlier that day, chose takeaway whilst accompanied by his girls and a friend's five year old daughter.  He was not impressed with the takeaway cups, the last of which he had seen used in Sutherland's Left Bower. They had to wait twenty minutes - I am not sure what muffins they also selected, but the five year old found them  stale and told Shane.  I have suggested to Shane to go back with him and sample their other food servings.

Espresso options include the Guatemala "la perla"  (with maple syrup, hazelnuts, butter washed bourbon and orange mixes); the El Salvador "el Borbollon" (soft acidity washed Bourbon, sweet caramel and honey blend); and the Human Cannonball (the staple used by All & Sundry for milk coffees served there and a Brazilian sourced roast from Golden Cobra). The barista attending to me dressed in a casual trendiness and brought me the coffee in the photo below.  It was not a busy time and he had a smiling disposition.

Interesting use of retro saucers and cups.

Food choices on the current menu are eclectic and you can  have healthy wholegrain porridge (graced with poached nectarine and rhubarb) for breakfast, in contrast to a braised lamb shoulder ( accompanied by rocket, goat's fetta cheese and romesco) for lunch time.  Quick snacks include the Otway ham baguette (with Maffra cheddar and Stewie's own tomato relish) and a in-house granola with poached pear, prune and vanilla.

Kid friendly

There is wide variety of tea choices.  I find captivating the "Heal" mixture based on Calendula flower petals, fennel seeds, lemongrass, ginger and mint.  Several varieties are familiar to those with Asian backgrounds - the White Peony from southern China; Good Morning, a composite of blends from Yunnan, Assam and Sri Lanka; Masala Chai; and the Cloud and Mist, a savoury green tea from Jiangxi Province in China.  I found my coffee of an unusual flavour but need to return to provide a view.

A customer leaves by bicycle - the view outside the cafe.

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.

Napoli in Bocca, Haberfield - Sydney

The  Calamari Ripieni was carefully packed with other seafood mince and came out beautifully on the mouth. Even if I have a current aversion to overwhelming gravies of tomato, I accepted the Napoletana gravy well as it blended well with the taste of seafood. This was a good accompaniment to our Messina beer.

I have been to this restaurant several times - it is just a stone's throw from the main set of lights in Haberfield's junction of Ramsay and Dalhousie Streets. 

We had arrived ten minutes early and were told that Bocca opens at noon. We came back dutifully but were led to the worst table for two, beside a door that indicated toilet.  The place was otherwise relatively empty when we sat down. The veal was tough and chewy. We ordered three dishes between the two of us and even if we said we were sharing, one of the mains did not come with a serving spoon. 

I had inadvertently left a small bag of fresh aromatic bread when we left. When  I came back for it, I went to our lunch table but the chubby waiter, upon seeing me, exercised his discretion and was not very helpful, asked me to wait in a haughty tone, flinching a level of his ignorance and just shouted to another staff at the counter - the pizza guy - for the bag, instead of speaking to me directly to collect it accordingly.  In silence, , i walked over to another part of the venue and tHe pizza guy sheepishly gave me my bag of breads.

At that very moment, I thought of my resident villages of Italian cuisine in Fairy Meadow, Balgownie and Wollongong  - and the lovely Australians of southern Italian heritage there do not behave in this peculiar way.  I also felt to return to Carlton's Lygon Street.  In balance, I must note that the other wait staff were rather nice, including those who took our food and drink orders, cleared the plates and asked if we wanted to consider dessert.

The highlight of our Sunday lunch was the rucola - really fresh and rather sweet tasting large rocket with a subtle dash of thinly sliced Parmesan cheese, seedless olives, balsamic ooze and virgin olive oil.  We could eat them with an easy abandon and nurture our bodies with greens that are as meant to be consumed, without artificiality but with the quality of enhancing dressing and produce of the Earth as natural as they can be. At under AUD10, it was an optimal entree. 

The veal (Vitello Funghi) as one of the mains was disappointing meat wise.  Biting into them sent sensations of toughness and rubbery fears. Redeeming features were the white wine cooked sauce with a touch of cream  and the delightful potato pieces. We were glad that we had a non-tomato base for this. The lunch menu at Napoli in Bocca was not varied if you did not want pasta or pizza - and we had thought of getting something away from the chicken and fish.