Holy Basil Shark Hotel Sydney CBD

Deep fried ice cream that comes more like a wrapped parcel, accompanied by muesli, cashews and strawberries.

Sharing is always the best way to go with south-east Asian dishes, for not only does one get to sample each of the variety offered, but it also leads to a certain feeling of communion at the table.  When the restaurant occupies almost a third of the pub and bar floor, the camaraderie from the licensed bar area can easily translate to a better feeling of gathering at the dining section.

The Shark Hotel in downtown Sydney can be accessed from both Pitt Street and Liverpool Street.   This is ethnic Western Sydney transplanted for a rising population that reside in the city centre and so perhaps for a different demographic compared to its original base in Canley Heights.   Here in the city, your diners can be more discerning, may have more disposable income or can devote more time after working hours.  

I love this subtle but yummy dish - more of a Chinese styled roast duck, sitting in a concoction of soy, garlic and Thai sauces, garnished by aromatic herbs and Bok Choy.

The quality of cuisine continues to maintained at high standards after all these years at the Holy Basil upstairs at the Shark Hotel.   I recall this hotel used to be a hub of night life but these days I am not so sure.     



The Sydney scene for Thai food away from Bangkok has grown, with a more experienced and sophisticated audience looking for unusual dishes, perhaps with more roasts and grills, with less coconut milk and with a sense of adventure to try variations of Thai standards like spicy salads, curries and noodle creations.    Holy Basil was part of the interim movement away from what Aussies saw and understood as Thai food.  They now face challenges from street food offerings with more interplay of Thai sauces, herbs and other ingredients.

Mango strips are heaped as a kind of salad on top of a  deep fried whole Snapper.

I reckon that Holy Basil still commands a good niche role between the suburban Thai and the new fangled Thai which have arisen in response to competition and fusion trends.    If you just want a good feed with reliability, Holy Basil can still provide you that.   The crowd on a recent Sunday evening seemed to reverberate with regulars, tourists and families.     The spacious seating  at the Shark Hotel outlet allows you to scan the tables for any exciting or popular dishes.

    

Alas, there was no pork knuckle or roast shoulder pork like those found at The Green Peppercorn at the Civic Hotel behind World Square.    However, do try the marinated lamb cutlets and the roast pork belly cubes enhanced by garlic and chilli.   A highlight for our evening was dabbling into the Laotian styled pork sausages - they are not oily, are rather more tasty than they look and are served with their unique sauce.     Those who have eaten at the Green Peppercorn may recall the grilled ox tongue with a certain fondness  - and the question is which one is better done, there or at the Holy Basil?


There was a reduced availability of unique sauces when compared with what are found at the Tawandang.   There is no lack of dessert choices at the Holy Basil, although I was happy with the selections of fruit juices and smoothies.    



Music can be played loud at times, for there is really no wall or partition for the restaurant from the rest of Shark Hotel.   There is a lift for those who want to avoid the stairs but that evening when we were there, it was locked and we had to make a special request for usage, responded to professionally by the duty manager from the Shark Hotel.

Tom Yum Kung or with prawns  - this was well made, with enough kick in the thicker soup.

Head Chef Tony Inthavong runs a family run operation  at the Holy Basil here.


My other dish recommendations at the Holy Basil at the Shark Hotel are:


Pad Thai with jumbo prawns, bean sprouts,crushed peanuts, eggs, chives, Spanish onions and chives.

Crispy chicken wings served with two sauces and made with a special recipe batter.


Satay chicken skewers served with a different kind of peanuty sauce.


Salt and pepper soft shell crab.





Holy Basil at the Shark Hotel visited is located at 127 Liverpool Street, near the corner with Pitt Street in Sydney CBD.
Opening hours are from noon to 3pm every day and for dinner, from 5pm to 10pm from Sundays to Thursdays and from 5pm to 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays.
Contact + 61 2 9283 8284
There is also a takeaway menu.

Street Scenes from Beijing

A variation of Beijing duck with other dishes.

Chrysanthemum shrub.

The walls and well used lane of the Forbidden City.

Qianmen Avenue.

Central Asian cuisine is popular in Beijing.

High tea at the National Museum of China.

Entrance to the Wan Fu Xing markets.

Wheat based dough is utilised to hold a diverse variety of fillings in Xian Bing -  inside the wraps can be minced pork, chopped fennel and other tasty delights.

Beijing duck slices.

Temple of Heaven Beijing

The Tian Tan -  this was a place of sanctity, a site of privilege, for only the Emperor (aka the Son of Heaven) and his inner sanctum in dynastic Chinese days could use with protocol, respect and ritual.    The fate of the nation, especially its agricultural wealth and status, significantly depended on the strength of prayers performed and the viability of the Mandate of Heaven.   The cultural and religious head of the huge kingdom connected with the Universe and the sublime on this very chosen spot.    It was the vital link between the masses and the unseen powers in the skies, through which one man, the Emperor, was the only medium of communication, power and influence.



This place of importance has circular shapes in construction, as if to replicate the roundness of the planets, the Sun and the Moon.   The highest structure sits on elevated platforms, with tall pillars inside the halls and round topped roofs.     The size , shape and lay out of the place is connected with astrological beliefs and practice.    Grand institutions of Chinese background seem to have wide open spaces to transverse before approaching the main focus in a specific building.    Here the visitor, since it was turned into a public park in 1918, can approach at will and ease, as the underlying foundations of the philosophy behind the Temple of Heaven have been under emphasised in contemporary times.    In its royal past, pomp and ceremony accompanied visits performed only on days and certain hours calculated on precise pondering of the stars, astrology and the Chinese Zodiac.

Nevertheless, one does not lose the sense of vibes in the air as you explore with eye, feet and a heavy appreciation of history.    Of all the cultural sites for a tourist to Beijing, the Temple of Heaven perhaps is the most kind of all in requiring  exertion and climbing.    I also observe the emptiness of spaces -  there are no longer much furniture or adornments inside those great round shaped halls, where have they gone?     In its glory, the Temple of Heaven did not look so emptied out.    Now the reverence has gone, but human beings scramble over its stoned plazas.   To its credit, the government does maintain restoration works and does repairs.    


The other part I like about the Temple of Heaven is outside , along garden paths lined with fruiting trees and just walking along outside the inner walls.    On a nice day like in September, the air is warm and the sun is kind.    Why was the Temple of Heaven built on this spot?  What is the relationship with Taoism and Confucianism?   This is a tribute to higher powers and so separated from the earth bound goings on in the Forbidden City.  

The colours that still stand out today are red, dark blue and white.      They all have purposeful meanings, not just the whims of officials nor the practical choices of maintenance.     Located south-east of the Forbidden City, in Dongcheng District, the complex was built in the early 15th century by the Yongle Emperor of the Ming Dynasty and renovated by the well respected Qianlong Emperor of the Manchu Qing Dynasty (1644 to 1911).


UNESCO recognised this as a world heritage cultural site in 1998.   During the Boxer Rebellion, troops from the  eight foreign nations which occupied Beijing desecrated the Temple of Heaven in the first decade of the 20th century.  The most impressive building, the Hall of Prayers for Good Harvests, remains the most beautiful sight in proportion, stature and aesthetics.   It is also remarkable for being a construction that uses no nails and all wood, reminding me of another spectacular building in Japan - the Horyu-ji Temple in Nara, with five roofed tiers.   This Hall has three layers of gabled roofs with a fairy tale effect.   It is also graced with marble floors.


We were expecting much with what is called the Echo Wall, surrounding the Imperial Vault of Heaven.    Did we not shout not with some force from our lungs, or was there too much of a crowd that afternoon?    We did not get any effect of an echo liked we hoped for.   The complex itself can be accessed by four gates synchronised with the directions.    Numbers play a meaningful part in Chinese culture, for example in the Hall of Prayers for Good Harvests, you can see four inner pillars, 12 middle pillars and another twelve outer pillars - they represent the four seasons, 12 months and twelve clock hours.



East of the Hall of Prayers for Good Harvests is a seven Stone Group, meant to represent the seven peaks of Tai Shan, a mountain with celestial meaning and purpose.

ONA Coffee House Fishwyck Canberra

Seated just outside ONA, five of us.   it was a comfortable morning for inland Canberra.   The road was just down this parking ramp and the shops are rather light industrial, but what a difference how one well run place can make.....especially a world competitive winner in the coffee stakes - some examples are the 2016 win by barista Hugh Kelly of ONA at the Australian Barista Championships and ONA founder Sasa Sestic winning both the Australian Barista Championship and the World Barista Champion in 2015.




Pulled slow roast beef in a croquet?  Wait, there was more....Salsa Verde, a Latin twist on fried egg and sprinkled with Cheddar Cheese.  It is as if the son from the ranch had brought home a pretty woman with a Spanish background. 
  

I wanted something lighter, particularly after the wholesome dinner the evening before.  And there it was, saying to me, "Take me, take me!".   White Anchovies on sourdough - they sound simplistic, but that morning it combined fulfilling my hopes of and  my missing the garnish from Southern Europe and adopted in south-east Asia.   What did it taste like, this potentially savoury saltish spread on hipster bread?


To me, it was texture on the palate.  The soft cushion of poached egg, enhanced by the anchovies, rested on dough with an air and a bite.   Instinctively I harked for the chilli Sambal to be part of this experience, but it was only a passing - but delightful -  thought. Never mind. 


Whilst most cafes have the Aussie Big Breakfast, here you can try the ONA Big Roll.    A pair of fried eggs and double rashers lay the foundation, with rocket, Aioli, tomato chutney and smoky BBQ sauce adding to the outcome.    We were on the cusp of lunch time but not quite - late breakky but not yet brunch!   If you are there later, try the Barramundi Larb, a salad like dish with Nuoc Mam dressing, peanuts and mixed greens; or the confit Chicken leg.   Nuoc Mam Cham is made from fish sauce, sugar, vinegar, cloves, chilli and lime juice).

And don't forget the cuppa.  If you are feeling adventurous, do check out the Ginga Ninja, which despite the name does have high levels of  cafeinne furtively waiting for you, in this combination of ginger and Cascara ( or tea from the dried skins of coffee cherry).

Ona Coffee House visited is located at  the Roastery sited at 68 Wollongong Street, Fishwyck, Canberra Australian Capital Territory.  Barista courses are conducted here as well.
Opening hours are from 730am to 230pm every day.
Contact +61 2 6162 
Ona has other ACT outlets in the Cupping Room in New Acton and on the Lawns in Manuka. 
Ona coffee is from the green bean trading company, Project Origin.



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Belluci's Italian Woden Canberra

Having being around for 20 years, operating in the political and academic capital of Australia,  Belucci's has been a main stay of southern European dining.    It opened its second restaurant in Woden several years ago and I had the privilege of being taken there.


It was a Saturday evening and the suburbs of Canberra are not the noisy hubs of night life that one encounters elsewhere in other capital cities like Melbourne and Sydney.   I rather enjoyed the quiet charm outside as an alternative, with easier vehicle parking but with a rather boisterous atmosphere once we stepped inside the place.   We were given a relatively private table on the side.


Immediately I loved the building that house the restaurant, standing tall over the darkness of the evening.   The lay out inside had a centrepiece of a welcoming counter and yet had a more captivating kitchen space at the back.    The staff took initiative to make suggestions, that was a good sign.  

For starters, my eye caught the listing of the crispy skinned pork belly garnished by Vincotto and apple slaw.   The slow brew and reduction of non-fermented grape in making VIncotto  results in caramelised sugars and a cooked wine with more concentrated flavours.


The mushroom Arancini has cauliflower puree and Parmesan shavings to help enhance the overall bite.   This snack of a Risotto had moved through the years from humble beginnings in Italy to be an elegant, grown up speciality.

A combination starter platter.

Meat roast and potatoes.

Staff service was attentive and friendly , even if it was a busy night with tables spread out over a rather large dining area.    I enjoyed the mains of the Marinara, provided with luscious chilli garlic, more than hints of the ocean and well stirred with al dente pasta.


It had been a wonderful catch up with new and known friends, who had come from far and near to gather at our table.    We opted out of a cheese platter but covered seafood, produce from the range, dessert, breads and a selection from the vineyards.   

Spaghetti Alla Marinara.

Zabaglione is whisked up from Sicilian Marsala,  castor sugar, white wine  and egg yolks.   The custard like outcome added a special touch to the Tiramisu served, together with the Mascarpone , trifle,  liquor and coffee, the serving brought to us was topped with chocolate shards.    My other fav to wind up dining for the night is the French vanilla bean creme Brulee served with almond Biscotti.

Belluci's Italian visited is  located at the corner of Launceston and Irving Streets in Woden, Canberra.  There is another restaurant outlet in Manuka.
Opening hours are from12noon to 230pm for lunch every day; for dinner on Saturdays from 530pm till late; and from Sundays to Fridays from 6pm till late.
Contact  +612 6282 1700