Flanagan's Dining Room - Thirroul Beach, NSW

A certain charm - a window side view of Thirroul Beach from Flanagan's.

I recall easy and lazy holidays beach side. I can feel the refreshing breezes rolling in and enveloping my face. I am taken back to beach bungalow days. I see iconic symbols and reality of the great Australian life style. I greet dogs and cyclists passing by in absolute content. I hear the roar of the ocean surf.  I watch a young board surfer running down with anticipation to where the waters meet the fine sand, and to what lies ahead for a day of technique, practice and fun. I see intent walkers strutting out on the sand washed pavements. There are women and men of various ages watching the Tasman sea coast with focus, some ready with surf suits, mostly holding their boards and all under the spell of a sea side lifestyle.  And then we come across Flanagan's, heard so much about, with much expectation.  Already we like what we see outside the modest but charming place,

Black pudding breakfast - uniqueness, presentation and detail in choice of ingredients.

Called Flanagan's after its road location, its bungalow like site and venue at once offers a casualness and friendliness to any visitor.  Not open for dinner (except for the 7 course degustation menu available on Friday and Saturday evenings), the restaurant cafe emphasises on carefully chosen ingredients, interesting menu combinations and exquisite presentation.  The staff are attentive and well trained in my experience. Seated at a window side table, we felt at home as if we had prepared the breakfast ourselves and and a relaxing time viewing the goings-on outside. And what a breakky!  I did not regret satisfying my curiosity as to how black pudding with eggs and toast have a place on a showery and cloudy Sunday's morning. The sourdough is sourced from the Berry Woodfired Sourdough Bakery an hour's drive south - and the seafood comes from my fav supplier of seafood at the Shellharbour Fish Market!  I adore the bonito, swordfish belly and sweet William from the lunch menu, but prefer to go to Flanagans's in the early part of the day, when I can dabble in home made salmon cakes, free range Eggs Benedict and a cuppa. Seating can be limited when the crowd comes in and so can be the vehicle parking on summery days.  The wood theme of decor inside at once suggests of comfort and being away from it all.

Entrance to Flanagan's - a bit retro atmosphere, very Aussie beach and modern dining.

Okay it is not actually an exclusive bungalow that Flanagan's has.  It does share the building with a surf club, perhaps underlining  a lifestyle theme and accessibility to beach lovers (who must be adequately dressed).  I am not convinced why the Indonesian condiment, sambal, is served with the delicate flavours of scallops, but I am heartened with the availability of Clyde River oysters from the Batemans Bay area.  I am blessed that Flanagan's is easily accessible to me within fifteen minutes - it also offers the high standards of grilled dish that is a significant feature of the Wollongong area.    Flanagan's displays a variety of cuisine influences from French, Mediterranean, Australian and south-east Asian, so there is  an eclectic variety to choose from.

The joy and anticipation of heading to the surf.

My Favourite Dishes

For My Breakfast
French toast - from student days
Masala dosa - from Madras
Croissants and bagels - French

Morning break
Goi cuon - spring rolls from Hanoi
Parma ham - snack bites from anywhere in Italy

Lunch
Fettuccini marinara - subtle with juices and produce of the sea - form Napoli
Char Siew So - baked pastry with roast pork inside - from Guangzhou
Seafood paella - soft and flavourful rice topped with fresh produce of the sea - from Espanol
Fish curry - Mum's Straits Chinese version
Fish and chips - from the Illawara coast NSW
Grilled unagi- delicately marinated eel slices - Japan
Pho - rice noodles in a soup with stock - Vietnam
Kam Pin Fan - mung bean noodles stir mixed dry with seafood and a pork lard based sauce - from Cambodia and Vietnam

Dessert
Hokey pokey ice cream on a cone - New Zealand

High tea
Homok or otak otak - steamed fish and egg mousse, wrapped in banana leaves - from Thailand or Penang
Lobak - pork cuts wrapped in soya based warp and the deep died, served with cucumber slices and a zesty dipping sauce - from Mum
Assam laksa - healthy veg cuts served with rice noodles and swirling in a tamarind based soup - from Penang
Spring rolls - any time anywhere bite on the go, better with shrimp and pork inside, but I also love the vegetarian version - from anywhere in South east Asia, Asian outlets (in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, UK and the USA) and southern China

Dinner
Lobster with vermicelli in braised earthen pot - Cantonese speciality to be shared in a table of ten - from any good Chinese restaurant
Beijing duck with wraps - from Melbourne
Suckling pig - Spanish style
Singapore chili or pepper crab - with sauces, humidity and friends

Georgetown, Penang - More Iconic Foods

A baked delicacy, the tau snah pneah, with aromatic pastry, pound bean filling and with Fujian traditions.

Lonely Planet earlier this year declared the current top food destination in the world as in Georgetown, Penang, followed by Victoria State in Australia.  Enjoy...

Fish curry, with garnishing of okra, tomatoes and Indian monsoon winds

Glutinous rice, with southern Chinese sausages, shallots and preserved duck, a dish for winter.  Fong Wei Chinese Restaurant, Georgetown.

The Bee Kueh Moy, swirling with fresh coconut milk and red beans, in a marriage of the Chinese and Malay cuisines.

Red curry, with chicken and potatoes, echoing of Indian, Portuguese, Dutch and Indonesian traditions.

Thai homok or Straits Chinese otak otak, served cleverly in a deep fried spring roll wrap.

A classic and iconic Straits Chinese pickle, the acar.  It requires deft cutting of vegetables, flavourful combinations and a sprinkling of sesame seeds or crushed peanuts. Photo taken at Aunty Yong's, Island Glades.

Mamak (Indian Muslim) roti canai, freshly made and cooked - Transfer Road, Georgetown.

Tamarind based laksa, with rice noodles, lots of greens and a sharp sour soup base.  Balik Pulau Markets west of Georgetown.  Not to be confused with the curry laksa.

A condiment to savour with dishes - the shrimp and pound chill based sambal.

To finish off  a meal - longans in jelly.

Batemans Bay NSW - The River Clyde

This scenery does remind me of Hoi An in central Vietnam, but it is on the NSW South Coast!

A vista of the river mouth at sunset.

Cruise boats, holiday makers, birds and the river.

Looking back at the Mara Mia Walkway, today lined with several cafes and restaurants, but always good for cycling and jogging.

The fish and shellfish, especially oysters, remain for harvest today.

Strewn rocks and carefully anchored yachts.

The light breaks through on an early morning before breakfast.

The long and straight pier.

A historical perspective at dusk.

2014 prices!

A cloudy and leaden twilight sky is reflected in the waters below.

The bridge that joins the northern and southern parts of Batemans Bay town is seen in the foreground.

Georgetown, Penang - Iconic Food

Mee goreng - South Indian flavours with a twist of lime and crunchy garnishing.

Cendol green bits in a cooling concoction. Milky lolly from Malacca beside the glass.

Lamb skewered satay - tender, moist and spicy. Highly recommended.

A Penang high tea to survive the humid afternoons outside - scones, pies and sandwiches.

Choon pniah - Fujian snacks with thinly cut vegetables and bits of pork.

Penang curry mee - unique to the island, different from curry laksa, with condiments such as well pound chili, coagulated pig's blood and tofu puffs.

Cantonese steamed dumplings with salmon roe for toppings.

Penang char koay teow - a dish to dream about, crave for and travel to. Served on banana leaf, it has bean sprouts, slices of Chinese sausage, prawns off the shell, garlic, pork fat and shallots.

Musang King durian - love or hate it, drink water from the emptied shells after consuming the custard like fruit, which can smell like bad or aromatic like heaven.

A Chinese twist to an  Indonesian salad, the pasembor, with crunchiness, a blend of sensations and a kick of a spicy sauce.

Grilled prawns from the barbie.

Penang lobak, pork wrapped rolls that are served with sweet chili sauce and sliced cooling cucumbers.  My fav.