Cable Bay Dining Room, Waiheke Island - Auckland

They say one must also enjoy the scenery along the journey and not just the destination.

How very true of this for the SeaLinkNZ ride across Auckland Harbour and Hauraki Bay to an isle that is a well developed outdoor holiday place, especially when it is a long weekend in the middle of the New Zealand summer.   Apart from Rangitoto, Waiheke is worth getting away to for a taste of the Pacific and yet not venturing too far from the largest city in the region - Auckland.  Blessed with sloping pastures, winding topography and great ocean views from almost high point - Waiheke is perfect for brief weekend encounters, music gigs and lazy afternoons.

The ferry to Waiheke is not the same size as those ploughing Sydney Harbour, say to Manly Beach, for example, but it was double deck and the route it took outwards passed by the docks, the city skyline, other isles and bigger ships.  Then you leave the comfort of the mainland and skip over a short distance to Waiheke.   Ferries seem to have been built with similar designs  - here you can sit inside with meal tables or feel the wind blowing in your face outside.    There is a practical system of being able to buy tickets ahead on line or only when you are  at a ferry pier.  The ferry we took apparently can fit around 600 passengers max.

Off to a music gig on Waiheke from Auckland ferry pier.

The sparkling blue and clarity of a beaut summer's afternoon set the tone for a wedding reception we attended at the Cable Bay Dining Room.  This was a venue around two kilometres from the ferry pier at the north-eastern side of the island.  Three of us arrived at a small bay with memorable marine colours beside the ferry pier on Waiheke.  We noticed the number of youngsters in casual gear, ready to hit the water swimming or just take it easy in a world away from their usual routine.   A pre-arranged coach took us and other guests to the evening cocktails at the vineyards of Cable Bay.

The Dining Room was already set out but their staff did not cordon off a dedicated area for the reception's hundred or so guests during cocktail time.  Most of us had to manage ourselves finding an area to settle in outside the dining room.  The grounds were uneven to walk upon, especially for those with high heels and later I was told the cocktail wait staff did not circulate around every body with their little bites.  The drinks guy did a good job, parking himself at a visible spot, for people to come line up for his refreshments, wines and beers during a rather warm and sunny day.   Some  of the guests were told off by some staff members to not hang around certain restricted areas near the kitchen - it would have been better to put up stand up signs.

The panoramic scenery around the Cable Bay Dining Room was stunning though.  With a late sunset, we were able to soak in laid back moments, with sheep grazing on a far pasture and twenty somethings leaning back on all the available low rise cushions in the middle of the field.  I always adore the cloud formations in New Zealand anytime and here on Waiheke, they did put on an impressive show.  The restaurant is strategically sited near producing vine yards and the water beckons not far away, albeit blocked by a huge stage along part of the view.

Oh Danny Boy, the pipes are calling.....

From bike to queues to sailing vessel.

When sit down at the Cable Bay Dining Room commenced around 8pm, I noticed no reference menu on each table as to what the meal was going to be.    Unless I am mistaken, shouldn't this be provided by the restaurant?   For ten tables or so, the dining room was not that big when a dance floor space has to be taken account for.   The upside of this was it became cosy as the evening proceeded.

We had shared platters placed in the centre of each table, but no lazy Susans were there to help us reach the offered food without standing up or having a pass around of the platters.  Still, my fav dish of pork belly, here accompanied by oats, apple, radish and smoked cheddar, stood out in taste, with the Valrhona chocolate tart, served with 70% Guanaja and Caramelia chocolate and cherry, a close second in my palate sensations.

The servings ordered at the reception were generous.  The selection of cheeses from France, New Zealand and the UK is most gratifying and does go well with a summer fruit salad.   William Thorpe and Sam Clark have both set impressive standards with the menu and culinary offerings at Cable Bay.

Several people I spoke to love the loin lamb  with eggplants, Freekah and Fromage Blanc, which was not part of this group menu, but there was the duck liver Pâté, graced by foie gras, cherry and brioche.  The young lady attending to our table did her best although it was a busy night.  The restaurant carefully timed serving of food when there was no speech or other event happening, like a lovely Cook Islander romantic dance performed by three friends for the betrothed couple or when the wholesome three tier wedding cake was being cut.

Cable Bay Dining wedding table set up.

By 1025pm, the friendly Kiwi coach driver had arrived to drive us back to the ferry point on Waiheke itself.  There is a ten minute ride from Cable bay itself past Church Bay Road, a sloping route with no street lamps for part of the way.  The driver waited ten minutes before most of the passengers came out of the reception - some had to be left behind after the coach filled up with around sixty people.  I understand the same coach driver made a kind dash back to pick up the remaining guests who wanted to take the 11pm ferry departing from Waiheke to Auckland.

A group of youngsters were singing along in a boisterous way already at the ferry pier when the Waiheke coach dropped us off.   They continued their engaged chorus all the way on the upper deck of the ferry back to Auckland.  Relaxed, full of fun and knowing almost lyric, even if the guitar seamlessly changed songs. They epitomised what a real holiday can and should be - carefree yet reasonably well behaved.

Clear sky, good food and wine plus pastures - so New Zealand.

As the ferry made its way back to the mainland (North Island),  there was an apparent super natural sight to behold.  Motutapu Island was dark, but beaming a few stories up from nearby Rangitoto was a giant beam projecting into the heavens.  The sky at that time before midnight was clear.   It was surprisingly comfortably warm with the ocean breezes coming to embrace us on the ferry's upper deck.  It was a fortunate choice remaining outside to enjoy the ambiance and such night views.  Soon the Auckland city lights beckoned - and it was back to reality, to Brittomart and then the Langham near upper Queen Street.

The ethereal show of light, unexpected but so much appreciated, as the ferry sailed back, underlines the significance of enjoying every part of a journey.   This giant light installation on Rangitoto, called Te Haeata o Rangitoto, comprises of thirty-three separate small lights and powered by man made generators which had to be shipped to the island.  It is a gift from 13 of the Auckland region's Iwi or Maori tribes to mark the Anniversary Day of Tamaki Makaurau (Auckland).

Sunset at Cable Bay, Waiheke.

So would I return?

Perhaps not soon to the Cable Bay Dining Room, but more to to other parts of Waiheke.  The reputedly least accessible restaurant, Te Whau Vineyard Restaurant has a signature Point red blend.

For street ethnic food, I am recommended to try the El Sizzling Chorizo's, sometimes as a food cart parked near St. Paul's Presbyterian Church in Oneroa, a village and hub worth to consider a walking or local bus tour.   This can go well down with most blokes, for the sausages are chunky, Argentinian marinaded and set a very casual tone.

The Thymes Tables at Surfdale emphasise on the best seasonal produce but has no attached vineyard and is dimly light.   They only offer one entree, two mains choices and a cheese dessert for dinner time.  An interesting alternative to explore if you are in the mood....

For pies and casual breakfasts, the Car Park in the central part of Waiheke Island is a top choice for many tourists and locals.

The Mudbrick Vineyard & Restaurant claims to be romantic, with seaside cottage, retreat and modern beachhouses - it also offers eye catching menu items like their own version of Pavlova, with macadamias, Elderflower, Lychee, Chia seeds and summer berries; sweet corn and truffle Ravioli, accompanied by Parmesan, watercress and Black trumpet mushrooms; and the Duck Tea, graced with green apple, wild rice, plum wine, duck liver dim sum, vanilla and confit duck.

Casita Miro in Onetangi offers a hideaway with much rustic charm and provides both fiesta and ala carte menus, which are highlighted by tapas, carefully crafted Iberian culinary influences and New Zealand produce.



The Cable Bay Dining Room is located at 12 Nick Johnston Drive, Oneroa, Waiheke Island in the Hauraki Gulf, half an hour's ferry ride one way from Auckland Harbour.
Telephone:  +64 9372 5889
Dinner is served from 6pm from Tuesdays to Saturdays.
Lunch hours are daily from noon.

Pishon Patisserie and Cake Cafe, District Dining, Chatswood NSW

Mango pretty.

Tea and walnut cakes. Churros and green tea latte.  Recently available, tiramisu and two coconut flavours, with mango and strawberry.  Hot chocolate.   Dainty cups and pretty presentation. Breads, cookies and sandwiches. A chocolate Kipferl, echoing of German Nanas baking in the home kitchen when you visit, with aromas of almonds and vanilla.  A black sesame doughnut.  A mango and raspberry juice blend.  A niche of fusion between East and West, but mainly contemporary Korean.  Aussie fruits and ingredients.  Euro baking perspectives.  A Korean corner in multi-cultural Sydney.

We could watch the world nearby go by, people of all ages and demographics, passing by the side glass window.  Most of them were transiting from the trains or on their way to the nearby supermarket.  It was late in the evening, but many in the crowd were relaxed and seemed to be just starting the night.  A good gathering area for coffee and cakes.  In a cafe that opens early, the whole day and closes late.  This is Pishon, a name inspired by the Hebrew to emphasise peacefulness and grace.

The three of us adults, together with smiling Alyssa, looked at the cafe's display, after dinner.  We then settled for what could be Pishon's signature - a delicate, beautiful creation with small squares of watermelon settled on a heart shaped base, which in turn is placed on top of the cake proper - the miniature Rose-watermelon.  Looking like it came out from an anime scene, it is daintily wrapped , can be challenging to cut but comes out well with a rose scented aroma.   The deja vu moment with this, when I first tried it, was to compare with Christopher The's signature watermelon-strawberry delight at the Black Star Pastry.   Different but related, both a must try.

The miniature cake - Rose-watermelon.

The trio-coloured Gateau-Mocha slices are captivating - that also is the name of an anime character!
When one bites onto them, it is into sponge cake that is reached, perhaps a tad disappointing to me, as a more solid build would better infuse the template with the coffee or chocolate taste.  They do however look good, sophisticated and petite.

For more wholesome snacks, I eyed the tuna omelette and the bacon tomato walnut rolled sandwich.  Walnuts in my bread, what an idea, for texture crunchiness to complement the usual breakfast insides.
Whole cakes can be ordered on line and picked up, like the uniquely designed Dalmation (yes white with spots) and the classic fresh cream cake.

Next visit, I shall try some items I have been curious about - the sliced potato cake, using an ingredient that takes a high place of traditional culinary pride in Korean culture; a cuppa of coffee with a twist, in the green tea latte; a garlic cookie;  the chestnut Manju or Japanese steamed cake; and the yoghurt cheesecake.  I am more agreeable with the food than the coffee here, but hey maybe the blends served can be an acquired preference...



The Pishon Cafe is located at Shop 54, 432 Victoria Avenue in the District Dining above Chatswood NSW rail station in the northern Sydney area.

Opening hours for the District Dining venue for Pishon are 7am to 9pm everyday, except on Sundays, when it is open from 9am to 9pm.
Contact +61 8540 2412


The Pishon has a patisserie and cake outletat 77 Rowe Street, Eastwood NSW and a warehouse at 57 Hunter Street, Hornsby NSW.   It offers franchises and also does supply catering.

Imperial Peking Chinese Restaurant, Blakehurst NSW

Siew Mai was luscious, generous and yummy.

Sunday with great weather, end of summer.  I saw the cars lining up parked on the side road of Stuart Street.  The building is eye catching, with a classical Chinese pavilion style with a beautiful tiled roof and lion statues at the main entrance.    The restaurant has a rather small car park at the back, but rather not sufficient for its needs at this rush hour.  We parked a block away from the main strip of King Georges Road and strolled to the front.  We could see the Princes Highway across the junction.  The place was chock a block, most people who were waiting for a seat sat in an inner rounded pavilion, whilst there were mainly small tables for lunching.  Welcome to Cantonese yum cha in the suburbs.

The Imperial Peking has been in business for many years - its custom has been mainly mainstream Aussies, although it is located in a region of greater Sydney that has many Asian demographics.   Service is fast, although there is not much room for use of food trolleys.  Yum cha goodies come out as the kitchen crew dictate, but it is always useful to look at what people are eating and the trays being held by wandering staff.   There are around 40 items available at lunchtime, ranging from deep fried, steamed, sweet to roasted.   Noise is part of the fun and ambiance, but the turnover of tables is reasonable and the food offered keeps moving.  Although there is no nicely dressed up lady to greet us at the place where customers first arrive, the guy who coordinates table seating is quick footed, although at times arriving guests may not be able to find him.

We enjoyed the char siew bao, the siew mai and the stir fried vermicelli.  Some of the other items were pretty ordinary on the bite.  We asked for beer but that did not come, so we dropped this. It was a rather busy time for the staff, especially those having to clear tables for the waiting guests.  Unlike in Din Tai Fung, we could not see the kitchen. By the time we left, albeit on a quick lunch, the dessert items had not come out to be served - never mind, maybe next time.   The Chinese tea blend served was pretty average.

A private dining room is provided upstairs, seating up to 40 guests.   Weekly specials at dinner time cover mud crab, beef and fish offerings.  The dessert range for evenings is good, including sweet almond dumplings, crepe Suzettes, Bomb Alaska, toffee banana and mashed bean cakes, with a choice of liquors and liquor coffee.   Peking duck, honey king prawns, duck with noodles, Mongolian lamb and beef fried rice stand out in their rather retro menu, but this is what the market here wants as well.

For more adventurous diners, there is the Imperial Beggar Chicken, a whole chicken wrapped with lotus leaves and enclosed with dough for baking; the Peking Picnic chicken, an alternative from the usual roast chicken; and Mermaid's Tresses, essentially a careful and pretty presentation of scallops placed on cabbage.

The Imperial Peking is located at an important junction between King Georges Road and the princes Highway in Blakehurst NSW, southern Sydney.  Its address is 979 King Georges Road.
Opening hours for yum cha are from 11am to 3pm daily from Mondays to Saturdays, with from 10am to 3pm on Sundays.  Also open for dinner from 530pm to 10pm from Sundays to Thursdays and on public holidays, with Fridays and Saturdays opening from 530 pm to 11pm.
Contact by telephone +61 9546 6122
A surcharge applies per person on public holidays.




 

Restaurant Hua Xin - Sungai Way, Petaling Jaya, Klang Valley

Unique alkaline based snacks accompanying a light stir fried salad.



Steamed fish with broth. Salted egg yolk pork ribs. Sweet and sour pork.  Fish head curry.  Steamed chicken on the bone cooked with Xiao Xing wine and herbs.  Buttermilk prawns served in a claypot.

These are the delights, amongst other dishes, of  a rather niche restaurant  found in the residential suburbs  of the Klang Valley outside the city centre of Kuala Lumpur.   The menu is inspired by Fujian traditions, yet embraces the mutli-cultural profile of Malaysia and offers some gems in culinary taste.

Fujian cooking emphasises broths and soups, the use of peanuts and fermented fish sauce or shrimp oil.  Its culinary attitude shares with the Japanese in the importance of Umami or Xian wei flavours,  underlining soft, subtle and yet tasty sensations.

Delightful, crunchy and tasty brinjal slices.

The place is down to earth, with a home cooked feeling, casual atmosphere and with photographs of the female chef smiling down from the walls.   Mr. Oh, an elderly man of gentle but focused demeanour, is seen interacting with customers.

There are only several tables, so it can get packed on weekend meal times.   The service is efficient and quick, traditional Chinese tea as in yum cha places is readily offered as customers sit down and most people that Saturday afternoon knew what they wanted - like my two cousins who took me there, with niece Sarah.

Fujian styled pork belly cuts braised in soy sauce - one of the signature dishes.

I hear that the curry chicken bun plus sweet potato and tapioca noodles are worth a try.   Fujian cuisine makes their own variation of Fuzhou fish balls and that is also available here.   The curry chicken is an illustration of fusion and cross cultural influences when many immigrants from the Hokkien community in southern China settled in south-east Asia.

Hua Xing also offers a fish paste bean curd, echoing the roots of Fujian beside the coast.


Oh Fuu Yong is a main principal at Restaurant Hua Xing
Located at Lot1-12, Forst Floor, Plaza Seri Setia, Jalan SS9/2, Seri Setia, Sungai Way, 47300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Open every day from 11am to 3pm and from 6pm to 10pm except on Wednesdays.
Contact  +603 7876 3288 or +60163080210

Sydney Fish Markets Revisited

There are fish markets of all sizes in Australia - in shopping centres, in quaint family run  shops by the beach, in farmers markets, near fishing village marinas and more.

The biggest Daddy of them all is the one at Blackwattle Bay, Pyrmont, south west of Sydney's city centre.  At last count, around two million people visit the markets each year.

Accessible by driving, light rail, walking or from the waterside, the Sydney Fish markets are not particularly large in area or variety of shops when compared with some of those overseas like Tsukiji in Tokyo and the La Nueva Viga markets in Mexico City.  What the SFM offers best perhaps is a laid back atmosphere, an authentic wet market feel, lots of tasty bites and easily watching the world go by.
Crabs, clams, oysters, octopus, shrimps, squids and lobsters are popular with visitors apart from grilled fish of different varieties.

Seagulls and black Ibis wander around without a care, whilst pelicans love to show off with their exercises in take off and gliding down to land off wooden piers.  Families gather especially on the weekend,  tourists take delight on most days, young students saviour their first experience with sea urchin or Barramundi and in one spot, every one can appreciate the variety of fresh seafood and produce.  Wild harvest, frozen packs and aquaculture produce are available apart from the usual fresh seafood items displayed on open shelves or in boxes.

You can also join walking tours conducted by the SFM to watch oyster shucking, better understand the Dutch reverse auction system for seafood and view sashimi making, for up to two hours.

Well, it is not just about seafood and beverages in this venue - you can carry off your selections of seasonal fruits and veg, plus meats.  A captivating feature of the SFM is enjoying fresh and raw oysters shucked off their shells, or carting off per dozen cardboard trays for home.  There are wholesalers for businesses and retail for every one.   There is a souvenir shop at the front of the main entrance, making the SFM an obvious touristy place.  Since 1989, there has been a Seafood School operating at the SFM. A Chinese restaurant on the upper floors offers lunch and dinner, with it being used as a wedding reception venue as well.

The eating tables can look messy on the outer promenade by the water, as fauna try to clear up let over bits and there is no one employed or seen cleaning used tables.

The source of the seafood is labelled by law, and many a treat comes from wild catches and farmed produce from the eastern seaboard of the Australian continent, or Tasmania.   Avoid going to visit the SFM during the Easter or Christmas periods, unless you do not mind being stuck sitting in a traffic jam.  The convulating nature of road access to the SFM also does not help, oh please do something the powers that be!

For wholesalers, auctions are a sight and experience to behold. It is said around 20 thousand tonnes and a hundred varieties of seafood exchange hands at each such auction at the SFM.   In terms of tonnes, the SFM is the third largest in the world but is second ranked in terms of seafood variety (after Japan).

It is often rewarding to explore parts of the SFM away from the sometimes maddening crowd.  As long as it is not slippery or cordoned off, you may wander and enjoy perspectives away form the sales, snacking and vehicle parking areas.  Oh yes, parking fees are rather on the high side.  I recommend eating fresh on the spot, rather than bagging purchases home, but if you do the latter, do organise your eskys and car boot.

The Sydney Fish Markets are open  from 5am each day until mid-afternoon.  As any seasoned seafood devotee knows, the best catch is early in the day.  Unlike the fresh veg and fruits markets like Flemington and Paddys in other parts of greater Sydney, there are no real value bargains of you go later in the day as the freshness of seafood can change.

The SFM is not a monopoly for seafood sales in greater Sydney.  In New South Wales, seafood catchers can supply direct to any one in possession of a valid Fish Receiver's Permit.

Auctions of seafood at the SFM since 1989 follow what was used for tulip sales in Holland a few centuries ago - the Dutch reverse auction system, whereby auction prices start around three dollars above assumed market prices and then go down a dollar every computerised revolution until a buyer stops the button.  Running concurrently with the main Dutch auction practice, since 2001, is an online trading system introduced by the SFM.

For travellers around the world, other interesting fish market sites include Hong Kong's Aberdeen Seafood Markets; the Mercamadrid in Spain; the Maine Avenue Fish Markets in Washington D.C; the Busan Cooperative Fish Markets in South Korea; New York's Fulton Fish Markets and the Faskekorka in Gothenburg, Sweden.