Whirlwind in Wollongong

Many parts of Planet Earth had witnessed a flare up in climate related natural disasters

in recent times.  The Illawarra coast of New South Wales experienced one in early spring this year when a combination of high winds, quick temperature changes and its locational vulnerability to the open oceans

caused a bit of havoc. Above, the UOW Wollongong Campus saw tree branches being brought down half blocking an inner circuit road.

The metal sheets on top of the fitness equipment specialists tore over from another building across Keira Street in Wollongong, but not before destroying the windscreen of the petite black coloured car which happened to be parked in their path.

An example of uprooting near the freeway from the Gong towards Sydney.

The roof tiles of this shop house at the southern end of Wollongong CBD could not withstand the

gusty winds.

Snacks, Breakky and More

In most of South-east Asia, there is this strong concept - and practice - of having supper, the meal before one turns in for the night, a kind of night cap without the alcohol, but with the oil, the spices and more.
Apart from feeding the palate, it is also a social ritual, an opportunity to take in the cool breezes of late evening in lands that endure much humidity and day time temperatures above thirty degrees Celsius.  Supper supports economic activity and is a micro-economic forerunner of the stimulus that post GFC, several nations have implemented.

In contrast, across the Great Southern Land, Australian residents still find it relatively difficult to locate and secure food commercially sold after 9pm, whether in smaller conurbations like Wollongong, NSW or even in the capital cities. Oh ya, there is the ever open Seven-Elevens or petrol stations that offer warmed up frozen prepacks, or the shish kebabs sold by enterprising stall holders at midnight. Most of the action takes place much earlier in the day, perhaps to serve as winter warmers, quick lunch bites or casual brunch meals for those who can afford to while the time beside oceans, rivers and busy city pavements.  The food can be as varied as in a Moroccan market or Italian piazza, and no longer confined to pies, pasta or chikos.

Whether it is the weekend treat of melt-in-the-mouth cake slices with a dash of butter (from a Parramatta, NSW cafe), or a steaming spicy bowl of har mee (prawn flavoured soup noodles) from Lee Garden at the HSBC Centre along George Street in Sydney CBD, the best time slot is between 11am and 3pm to savour them when you find yourself in Australia.

A bento-styled serving of Vietnamese crispy skinned fried chicken (above, from the Golden Tower in Kingsford) or a wholesome and warmed up potato and chicken pie (below, from Out For Lunch in the UOW Wollongong Campus) are welcome on cold and windy weather days.

For those on the run, at work, business or for leisure, sushi rolls (above) are perceived as healthy, inexpensive and easy snacks. One can broaden the experience of the palate on a hot summer's day by drinking fresh coconut juice from Fiji or finish off after a meal by having a light sago jelly.  The selection int he image above is from The Oriental Tucker in Parramatta.

For a sit-down lunch, try the bean sprouts stir fried with Portuguese-inspired salted fish flakes, accompanied with rice, Malaysian or Singapore style, at the Sambal Restaurant in North Ryde, NSW.

The Campos Cafe

This flagship outlet from Campos Coffee in Newtown, Sydney is neither spacious nor unusual. Yet customers flock to the cafe like

driven by some magnetic pull, the right business model and/or a real need to be there, crowding with fellow addicts for the specific aroma and blend of this product. It does not even open on Sundays. The service is quick, friendly and matter-of-fact from the six or seven assumed barristas on the other side of the counter.

There is a whole series of heritage and unique coffee grinders, plungers and related gadgets placed on

a long, wide shelf in the centre of the room. Visitors cling to their high top round tables or wait on the side facing where the action is - the making of their carefully articulated requirements. As they wait and watch, there are keep cups and coffee blends to consider taking home. The range of available accompanying bites and snacks seem to be intently limited. After all, the emphasis is on the coffee.

A Newtown Festival, Sydney

Every major suburb in Australia tries to offer one special day in a year, when its residents and visitors from near and far, gather in a community spirit of mingling, browsing and patronising its unique produce, products and businesses. Call it a spring festival, market day or fete, such occasions showcase a neighbourhood's pace, uniqueness and culture. In November this year, I had the opportunity to sample the flavours of Newtown on a warm and welcoming day.

Innovative businesses in Newtown do offer unique tribe culture experiences like Replenished Records, BurgerFuel (offering lamb steaks!), The Mexican Guzman Y Gomez, Correllis Cafe and the Campos Coffee outlet. Outside on the pavements, the atmosphere is casual, bohemian and relaxing. There is an anticipation in the air and in the hearts of strollers that one can chance upon something interesting, something unexpected and something delightful. There is literally music in the air.

Iconic Aussie pub hotels like the Coopers and Marlborough do provide relief from the new fangled
outlets like Max Brenner, Kunetos Bar, Crumpler, MagNation and the Dendy. The awesome variety and choice of meals range from African at Kilimanjaro's, through Macedonian and Argentinian meat grills, to lighter stuff like the chicken pho soup(above) offered by Tnanh Binh.

Above: There are quiet residential neighbourhoods behind the main strip, where

daily life is played out with family, mates and loved ones that contrast

with the hype and reality of shopping, dining out and alternative lifestyles that Newtown may project to some.

Above: Hanging out at a key junction in Newtown, soaking in the

buskers, street players and just taking it easy on a Sunday arvo.

An Evening in IndoChine

La Mint is nestled away on a hidden corner of Riley Street, with a nearby cul de sac that adjuncts Sydney CBD's William Street.  William is the very street that serves as the main thoroughfare to the giant Coca Cola sign that signals the start of the Kings Cross precinct. Standing in front of La Mint, and its neighbouring La Spoggotti, one can see the top of the Westfield building. From the restaurant, though, our eyes wondered across the road through louvred wood blinds to an unassuming residential block called the Hyde Park Apartments.

We had gathered for a birthday meal, organised by Ely and Ray. My best palate sensation was the five spice infused duck confit, followed by the melt-in-the-mouth crispy skin of the Saigon styled roast chicken. I am a fan of duck done in whatever cultural cooking style, from Austrian through French to Beijing and Espanol.  I must confess that the La Mint duck has influences of my own Cantonese heritage, so I am not impartial on this judgement.  The La Mint version was moist, spoke of the aroma of spices and yet was different from the Hong Kong inspiration.

Three outstanding guzmania plants,with their eye-catching red blooms, prettily poised against a wall at the back of the restaurant -and they were so easily spotted under focus lights.  Three obvious French expats gathered on another table, smartly dressed but suited to the humid Sydney summer climate, reminiscent of colonial times in 19th century Saigon or Hanoi. Fashion Tv channel played on mute from pay tv on the large lcd screen. The partitions surrounding the dining area was possibly made of teak, a sweet reminder of South-east Asia and more elegant times.

                                Above, the entree variety platter; below, the pork ribs with a spicy garnishing.

Deep fried ice cream after being flambeed and accompanied by fresh strawberries.

My group of six persons first tucked in for an entree variety platter of the usual Viet favourite selection of finger food,but this was surpassed by the delicate omelette's pancake as second serving.  The dining experience was topped by a flambee of fried ice cream. In between, the lows were the rather salty taste from the soy doused pork belly,which was otherwise perfect in texture and presentation. Another dish of  pork ribs were rather thin and looked more like deep fried calamari, but that was more than made up by the
barramundi, which was deep fried to a perfect crunch.  Overall, the menu we had were skewed towards Asian rather than French,but there was a viable variety of wines and the ambiance was enhanced by French inspired tunes and decor.

I would return.