Lu Ming Yi Restaurant, Shantou, Guangdong Province

Snaggletooth Food and Drink Joint Fairy Meadow NSW

Cronuts in a basket.

I was tipped off about a new cafe in the suburb  -  the place had been relaid out, giving a different feel from the previous operation and that the coffee was good as well.


Open every day, it has added to the ambiance in Fairy Meadow, a normally working class suburb  transformed over the past two years into something more to visit.  With its Italian-Australian flavours in shops, schools and community,  this small area north of  Wollongong city centre is now comparable to Haberfield in Sydney's inner west, although not so heavily ethnic.   It does have a beach to its east, not far away and even a rail station that once had the risk of losing its unique name to the suggestion of "Innovation".    That name change proposed to NSW Rail did not transpire, but the more significant matter of having a more viable commercial hub is happening as I write.

Breakfast omelette.




Toby the owner-operator may have a nick name that relates to this cleverly named cafe - Snaggletooth.    Already a few weeks into business, one thing stood out to me - the generous servings of food served.   I must say it is wholesome food for customers.  The menu is also extensive.   There are little touches that mean a lot to me - avocado delightfully waiting to be uncovered below your Eggs Benni.   Snaggletooth also opens early for the commuter and the physically active.

Toby's Estate is the blend for the cuppa  - they not be overly bold for the strong hearted in preference, but good enough for me to stand out in my skim Picollo, when I first went there with a mate.   The cafe is close to supermarkets, a sporting ground used often by schools and is a useful pick me up amongst your trip to do the chores.    There are various forms of seating with a wide store front looking out on the Princes Highway.   


Snaggletooth literally means a projecting, broken or unusually shaped tooth.   If this is to indicate a suggestion to do something different and positive fro Fairy Meadow and the Illawarra Coast, why not?   The cafe may not look totally hipster but there are other markets waiting to be attended to as the art of coffee consumption spreads beyond the twenty somethings.    It must be said the quality of the food provided must be recognised as an important factor -  not just in the sourdough, but across all lines offered.    Do not just depend on the coffee, no matter how romanticised it can be.

Eggs Benny with salmon, wedges, avocado  and veg.

Snaggletooth visited is located at  19 Princes Highway,  Fairy Meadow NSW, near the corner with  Cambridge Avenue and opposite the set of lights with Daisy Street.

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.