The Tipsy Fig - Milton, South Coast NSW

You are almost close to reaching Ulladulla down the NSW South Coast, after around three hours drive from the Big Smoke of Sydney. In Ulladulla Harbour, young men still swim out to retrieve a cross thrown by the Orthodox priest as part of year start festivities and rituals - and you a re so far away from the Greek Isles.   Summer is a busy time for holiday makers, school children and families spending some chill out time - and they all seem to converge, like honey bees to a pot, at Milton Village, just before Ulladulla if you come from the north.  You cannot miss this out, the parked cars by the single main road, the throngs of holiday makers enjoying a bit of lunch or shopping and with an almost carnival air.  In the middle of it all, tucked away in a shopping green is the Tipsy Fig.

With  a mix of modern Australian fare, friendly staff welcome guests to sit in the green house like covered verandah with an almost perfect view of watching the surrounding shops.   Many could be there just passing by on the way further south or north, but I noted that all guests looked relaxed and enjoyed the best of both Australian produce and a bright ambiance about the place.  Staff took the effort to explain the vagaries and details of dishes.  I felt like in a garden setting on a day with no care, even if I had things to do later on after a quick rest for lunch.   Milton does not face the sea as it has cliffs nearby but reminds me of a typical English countryside feel.  I am sure during winter there is another kind of cosy atmosphere provided.  Also open for dinner, corkage is charged at the Tipsy Fig but I enjoyed a respite here after driving for a while.  The restaurant is open for both lunch and at night only from Wednesdays to Saturdays.

I thoroughly enjoyed the brandy snaps with perfect strawberries.   The local antiques lady further up the main road had recommended me another place to eat but this was closed that afternoon.  Instead I was delighted to discover this easy gem in the Fig.  A turn off nearby takes you to the excellent beach of Mollymook.  Both seafood and meats feature in the menu at the Fig, with light salads in interesting combinations.  Would I return?  A definite yes, for the way the Fig settles guests in with not just good choices but more importantly in an over all good feel!

Georgetown, Penang - The Eye of Ernest Zacharevic

Looking pensive yet curious and expectant, a young girl in blue dress waits clutching a string holding a collection of garbage bags.

Someone is blocking the way to the washrooms - this character says more than its apparent impressions, with underlying political undertones.  Originally set up at Legoland in southern Johor State in Malaysia, just across the border from Singapore.

The teh tarik, an iconic street drink of refreshing brown coloured tea with cinnamon flavours, is in the packet hanging on the left of this art piece.  Do read the detail at the lower right.

Sci fi undertones and colours that echo more of the street murals in Western cities.

A very candid and captivating impression of a bare shirted teenage boy on the streets of Georgetown, Penang.

A calligraphic like representation  of the iconic Horse that comes alive with brush strokes.

Not sure whether the orange coloured water hose is part of the artistic expression, but the former Hin Bus Company site has been energised with some funk, fun and fresh perspectives by Ernest Zacharevic.

A face that reaches out for your attention, with simple red coloured but bold strokes to suggest a blouse, but I do love the cleverly placed hair ribbons as well.

Hurdles, passages and walls - the facade of an existing structure that still stands is transformed into flexibility, challenge and triumph.  Photo credit to Ms May Wah Ong.

Owls hark back to the mysteries of the forests, with links to the human soul and fascination for legends.

The so-called dunce caps worn by these boys are roadwork contraptions seen around the world.

Row, row your boat - allusions to Chinese vignettes from the past and yet with a modern paddle, set against a backdrop of tropical moulding walls.

One of the pieces that I love best - with zest, no limits and full imagination, a child rides on the cusp of adventure, ambition and an imaginary horse,

This encapsulates what can be a typical street scene in most of south-east Asia.

A familiar face, rendered much taller and yet with a comfortable presence.

A rendition on sack cloth - I have yet to figure this one out!

A combined effect between art and physical reality, a clever coming together of the mind's impression and what cannot be removed.

A dairy cow comes alive with the use of thumb tacks.

This is the purpose of it all by Ernest - to open up minds, discussion and over coming the limits of appearances.

A piece simply called "Rubber Band".

I was attracted by the use of art over the pale green and white coloured chicks - what was commonly utilised over much of colonial Malaya and Singapore a fifty to a hundred years ago, to shelter stuff and people from the harsh equatorial sun.

Zacharevic's formula on how to make the teh tarik - a packet of milk with a packet of black coffee.

The very first tall tower in Georgetown that harks back forty years - the Komtar - overlooks the pop up site.

Zacharevic's very first iconic success in rendering street art along Armenian Street in the old quarter of Georgetown, Penang.

This scene was so endearing to me - with anime like impact, this young girl could be just be whiling away her time, but to me, also looking forward to her future, with much possibility, uncertainty and yet inner thrill.

Something In the Air

More people take to the skies as aircraft travel becomes more accessible, more vulnerable to timely internet pricing and with more variations in the quality and approach to service than ever before. Just ponder about the following scenarios and reflect on whether you have experienced them before, especially in the past five years. 1. Cabin crew are not well trained to communicate with passengers or if they do, seem to be not professional in the way they swagger around the aisles between seated passengers. 2. You are asked to take up some dish you rather not want in a full service airline, as cabin crew advises of the lack of availability after they serve you rather late for some reason. 3. Duty free shopping seems to be fast tracked shortly after take off, instead of being made available after the first meal and before the second meal on a long haul flight. 4. Passengers are not offered immigration arrival cards on a timely basis, especially for destination countries that require such cards of all arriving passengers, apart from those in transit. 5. Checking in lounges do not display clearly the destination cities of flights to be boarded. 6. Check in counters can change on an arbitrary basis even in front of long queues of passengers. 7. Some economy class conditions of specific airlines still look and feel the same as thirty years ago. 8. A few airlines expect much from their ground crew and cabin crew and this shows in their ability to attract loyal passengers even if their prices are higher than competitor airlines. 9. The seats of a budget airline can be much cleaner than that of some full fledged airlines. 10. Airlines offering self check in and printing of boarding passes for passengers can vary in getting customers line up more than once. 11. Some airlines do make very interesting safety information videos for their passengers before take off, whilst others still revert to demos by attending cabin crew. 12. An airline offers food not packed in their own country, even if it boasts of being a national icon. 13. Aircraft washrooms seem to slide in cleanliness the later a flight progresses, but I know of one airline that requires its cabin crew to refresh and clean up such places on a regular basis during a long haul flight - whilst their competitors do not. 14. There are individuals who do good work for their employer airlines, only to see such good will destroyed by some of their less well trained colleagues. 15. Offering gourmet food on business class may not be sufficient to justify the significantly extra charges. 16. Some airlines just want turnover of passengers whilst a few others offer unique positive experiences. 17. It is much appreciated to have early check in facilities from certain airlines at specific major airports around the world. 18. A sense of humour on both part of passengers and cabin crew do go a long way to result in a more pleasant flight. 19. Full fledged airlines are still intent on focusing on food but can change innovatively for the future. 20. Responsiveness by airline staff for late checking passengers can make a huge difference in how customers perceive an airline. Whether you take Qantas, Emirates, Air Asia, Singapore Airlines, Air New Zealand, Etihad, Cathay Pacific, Malaysian Airlines, Scoot , United, Thai Airways or British Airways, do try to match your experience with the numbered scenarios listed above.

Samuels at Thirroul NSW

Duck roast with a touch of French and modern Australian.

The restaurant is placed strategically in the northern Illawarra suburb of Thirroul, from which I did catch many a city commuter train in the wee hours of dawn.  There is also a bus stop right in front of Samuels, which has been patronised by both visitors and locals alike.  The beaches are further up the main road, Lawrence Hargrave, and in this hamlet of Thirroul, is a self contained village, sited on a narrow strip of land between the Tasman Sea and the Illawarra escarpment.  Catching up with someone now based in Canberra, I and always wanted to try this place, offering special value particularly on Wednesday and  Thursday evenings ( like a two course package for Aud 45), but also a pleasure to visit on an early Sunday afternoon.  Open only for dinner from Tuesdays to Fridays, it is open from 12 noon till evening on weekends.

The impressive variety of menu items on the blackboard, just after 12 noon on a summery Sunday arvo.

It was a rather quiet and calm setting, when Kristin and I caught up on career, choices and casual matters.  Staff were responsive, friendly and made us comfortable.   I had secretly peeked into the dessert choices - amongst other things, cheeses, cakes, sweet stuff and more. There is an underlying influence of Europe in the Samuels cuisine, particularly Italian, French and Mediterranean.  Although it has no beach front, Samuels provides other attractive aspects like an oasis of good food and ambiance away from the cafe and restaurant scene in downtown Wollongong and is a beacon of going out for those residents of the village suburbs north of there Wollongong CBD.  There is a wide choice of cocktails, aperitifs, liquor and beer.   Those passing by in the evenings down the South Coast may want to stop by after watching sunset at the nearby Austinmer beach.

Mushroom filled nuggets accompanying a bowl of fresh greens.

The white and subdued interiors contrast with the  harsh and bright Australian colours outside. The day we visited there were both large groups and smaller one like for us.  Chef Patrick does offer some interesting contemporary twists on several dishes and utilises ingredients to a refreshing outcome.  Some people have found the place a tad noisy at times (yes, I believe they do cater for group cocktails) but generally I find it is a good venue to chat, soak in the lifestyle choices in the Illawarra - and then for me, for example, to get home within fifteen minutes by car.  It is also family friendly.

Addisons Seafood Grill & Bar, Shellharbour NSW

A Mezza platter with scallops on the shell for entrees

It was a sunny arvo, but one that was blessed with light breezes. The nearby Shellharbour Beach had already filled up with visitors and day trippers - yes, it was already mid-summer, when carefreeness, timelessness and a sense of abandon reigned, infused and nurtured a festive and holiday season. Many people in board shorts and singlets or T shirts had walked past this restaurant, about half way down the main road leading to the marina, beach and harbour. Addy's was not difficult to find but there was almost no vehicle parking space left.   We found a back lot, an assigned parking area that was behind the restaurant and from which we strolled through grass and  past a knobbed and dried up tree.

Brioche and Parmesan battered pork cutlet with chips, condiments and a really yummy sauce

We were given a choice of seating - and I really loved the window bay table.  Passers-by were casually walking outside and stopping to look at a pasted up notice of a missing tabby.  I was thrilled when Scott mentioned about the practice of putting a red in the fridge around twenty minutes before consuming, especially in the hot season - and when we and no opportunity for this, we went for the choice of putting ice cubes in our wine glasses.  It really did taste better and more refreshing with this ice cubed wine - not conventional, but readily effective and so much fun.  When I asked the reason why pork at restaurants were not given an option of requested medium or rare  in cooking preference, I learnt why from Scott, about the challenges of pork grilling and why chefs are given the liberty of roasting it at their discretion.  The risk of undercooked pork, or even chicken, can cause real problems for an operating business.  My lamb was served the way I liked it, medium rare, retaining the juices, the tenderness and the flavours. I was however more impressed about the pork cutlets - I reckon Addy's has something good going there.  Their sauce for the chips is also worth trying.

Victorian lamb roasted medium rare

Seafood permeates the Addy's menu but on this occasion, we only had the scallops, offered on the shell.  I enjoyed the selections on the tasting plate, we only had the smaller version but that was good enough as an appetiser - with smoked salmon, mixed olives, Greek fetta, two sizeable pieces of garlic bread and cacciatore sausage.  Service was friendly and made us comfy on a chill out Saturday arvo.   We chatted about kayaking and paddling on Lake Illawarra, about young four legged Alfie (whom I absolutely adore) and matters which took me away from my weekday regime.   The chatter from the main parts of the dining room suddenly dived into a silence-  and we realised with amazement that it was already hurtling in time towards 3 pm. We were too full for dessert, but I already was more than satisfied with a mellow feeling, when we finally got out of Addy's, after a cuppa.