Wild Moose Cafe- North Wollongong NSW

My Cape Town risotto.

Please note that the Wild Moose has since September 2014 moved to 40 Princes Highway, Fairy Meadow, NSW 2519.  It has since closed in 2015.


Cosmopolitan, with hints of cross culturalism, a definite haven of rugby union gatherings and unique offerings in the regional city of Wollongong NSW.  This is the Wild Moose, with a primary heritage of South African cuisine, clever touches of Scandinavian and feeling comfy as a breakky and brunch hideaway.  I tried the Cape Town risotto and was struck positively by its inherent flavours, with chunky pieces of pumpkin, roasted pine nuts and tasty bites of chicken.  I eyed the Zanzibar chicken but saved it for next time.

There is a rather extensive menu for a place that does not open in the evenings (except for Friday evenings, when it is open till late with live music) and also does not operate from Mondays to Wednesdays.  The Boer heritage means a good drinks list (Swedish Mojito and Shaken Margarhita stand out)  with Fair trade organic coffee.   Did I get a hint of nutmeg from the brown toned culpa, or was it all in my imagination?

You have both indoor and outside seating, and the morning menu is littered with names like Karoo and African Sunrise.  There is modern Aussie fare like the prevalent Eggs Benedict and the version of Big Breakfast is christened the Jungle Brekki, with twosomes of bacon rashers, eggs and the unique Boerewors. The latter is a classic back in the home country - sausages of beef and coriander, also sold separately as take away snacks from the counter.  One of these mornings, when I next visit, I would want to try the Walnut Delight, a healthy vegetarian gathering of avocado, rocket and oven roasted Roma tomatoes , served on home baked walnut embedded bread and topped with a touch of the Mediterranean - feta and drizzled balsamic glaze.

An interesting set up from the previous site in North Wollongong.

Sited along a busy part of the Princes Highway just slightly north of Wollongong CBD, it is a good spot in the middle of increasingly bustling Fairy Meadow, with its variety of cafes, small business shops and three supermarkets - Aldi, Woolies and Coles. The couple who run this unique place, Wouther Debbes and Anki Rask, have created a uniqueness on the Wollongong cuisine scene. Anki is engaging, friendly and articulate when I met her - and so are her staff.

For a light meal at working lunch time, do go for the Jabulani Chicken burger, laden with baby spinach, chicken breast pieces, tomato cuts, pineapple, cheese and red onions with toppings of peri peri sauce.  There Chicken Marrakesh is pan fried and comes garnished with preserved lemon,fresh tomato, oven baked potato wedges and parsley mushroom - what refreshing and unusual combinations!   There is in addition the old reliable salt and pepper squid to accompany the beer.
Also available is the mango chicken salad. On Friday evenings, two dishes stand out - the marinated Mozambique tiger prawns, with a textured crispy coconut coating and peri peri sauce, and the grilled wild barramundi fillets panfried with Bourbon butter and accompanied by tiger prawn cutlets and chunky beer battered chips (more like wedges).  For takeaway, there are also muffins - I tried the strawberry version on my recent visit.

Do moose exist naturally on the African continent?  It is of Eurasian origin but a North American term.  Most moose are found in the snow laden territories of Russia, Canada, Alaska and Scandinavia.  In Europe, the animal is more referred to as the elk.  So why is this place honouring the moose? Good question, a surprise but I reckon it reflects the imagination and creativity of its owners and menu. I love it!

Redfern Sydney - Eveleigh Street Markets, Breakfast Time

Stunning, captivating and crowded.

Love grows in Redfern.

I just adore the produce from this stall - it has elegance, taste and aroma!

Blooms that delight from a walking dog's eye view.

Friends and more meet along the long alley way surrounding the markets.

What a way to start a Saturday - loaves, rolls and baked stuff

The view from Carriageworks, worth visiting in its own right.

From the Bird, Fish & Cow outlet.

Helensburgh Hindu Temple - Canteen Delights

Nestled in the bush at Helensburgh NSW, in the vicinity of the Sri Vankateswara Hindu Temple grounds sited on a hill at the northern end of the Illawarra coast, lies an unassuming canteen which offers delights in Indian vegetarian cuisine.  If driving by car, you have to turn off the ramp from the main highway south of Waterfall and not head towards Wollongong and the NSW South Coast.   City trains do have scheduled runs to Helensburgh, but it is a distance to navigate from the station to the Temple at Temple Road. The place is packed with crowds on religious festive days and Sundays, but it is always wise to plan your trip and arrive early , meaning like around 1030 am.  The canteen opens at 10am on weekends. The menu consists mainly of dosas, breads, rotis, deep fried snacks, yummy vegetarian curry and yogurt based dipping accompaniments.  Even the 'blank" dosas are delightful as they are light and easy.  An interesting combination is the dhalpuri, a version of the roti that is packed with yellow split beans, garlic, pepper and cumin. I just love the sambar offered here, with deeper intensity of taste than some commercial competitors in Australian conurbations -  and offering a kick when eaten with the fluffy warm pancakes or crepes.  Rotis are essentially made from atta  flour (stone ground wholemeal flour).  Another of my favourite choices from this canteen is the paratha.   Some of the curries - essentially light and soupy with no coconut milk - can be hot and vary in spicy intensity.  On a cold late morning, i have now learnt to not take my hot coffee too early but after my meal.

The canteen is well organised, asking for customers to line up and order/pay at a central spot.  You are then given coupons which you use to collect your food and drinks from other counters.  As in any self-respecting outlet, the food is prepared and served fresh.  Disposable utensils and plates are used - and there are sinks to wash up and neatly maintained garbage bins. You sit under cloth tent covers or in the open - I rather prefer the latter on a fine day as I did with Arun last month.  We could take in the pleasing and inspiring views of gum trees, the Aussie blue sky and feel the fresh air in our face.

The Dough Collective

Heaps and loads of baked stuff in displays that leaves the visitor gaping for making a decision.
The rolls seem heavier than for most competitors when held on the hand.  At rush hour, walking around the shelves makes one feel like in a train station.  Coffee from Single Origin Roasters in Surry Hills  is offered but there is always the happy risk that one can overload for the purchases. Everything is take away, there is no seating. The best strategy is to reckon who in your family or fraternity house loves what and you
will have one interesting gem for each individual the next morning.  The Dough Collective says it approaches each creation with love and care, and so should the buyer.

The view along George Street, next to the Metro Theatre and straight across the Event cinemas in Sydney CBD.  Perfect and strategic location for office workers, tourists, university students and shoppers.   A bakery that goes to the next dimension non its spectrum of flavours, choices and pricing options.  If you buy the rolls for home, they can last hop to 30 days in a freezer, and when thawing them, do spray over some water to help ease the process before putting them to reheat in an oven.  The roll size is good as a snack, lunch or breakfast.

These are tame combinations in the picture above, wait till you see and taste pumpkin, ham pizza toast, Belgian chic, goji, orange-choc, Grana Padano parmesan, longan, hot dog, kimchi and more.  I saw a higher percentage of savoury buns when compared to the expected sweet ones. My own favourite hands down is the Gangnam, with several Korean inspired ingredients. There is a wholesomeness in the stomach after devouring a Dough Collective roll.

These artisan breads are not made from bulk styled ingredients and cost around AUD 5 each.
Carefully thought out designs around the shop show off the breads at its best.  Visitors can sample bits and
portions of each flavour before deciding to buy or let go.  There is a fusion feel about this bakery, it is not totally
Asian but neither is it fully Australian.   Taiwan interests are behind this business concept and model -
the outlet in Sydney CBD opened in February 2014.  The rolls are not as rich as
contemporary Western styled breads and offer a different sensation and texture if you
had only prior confined yourself to sourdough.

Ajisen Ramen from Kumamoto- Sydney NSW

There can be such a big number of ramen stalls and restaurants these days in any large city around the world.  What makes one more attractive or better in taste or experience when compared to another?

Ajisen stock soup, although still based on pork bone flavours, is not so thick, provides a different taste and yet can be addictive in a different way.  The hard boiled eggs have a yellow yolk instead of orange.  The X factor for me was the chill condiment, not overly hot, but gives a flavour kick till I finished almost all the soup, once I got the condiment stirred in.   Those who prefer a lighter sensation with their ramen can try the Ajisen recipe. On my most recent visit, I tried the in-house version but I also noticed a tom yum version of ramen soup.   Is that taking cross- cultural vibes too far? Maybe not, as the ramen model has successfully transposed itself across various cultures and countries.

I found the gyoza (pan-fried dumplings) lovely and with a wonderful blend of cut ingredients inside - they feel and taste like home made yummy.  The donburi section of the menu provides the Pai ku don (tenderloin pork ribs with sauce on rice) and what stands out in the entree is the soft shell crab.  For vegetarians, there is a version of the adegashi tofu, always a great choice to test the quality of a cafe or restaurant.  And I did acknowledge the renkon chips, really suitable to go with beer!  These are simply deep fried lotus root slices.  Three choices of green tea are available - the premium Genmaicha, premium Sencha and the Houjicha.

Originally from Japan, the Ajisen chain has the logo featuring a little girl named Chii-Chan. In Australia, I understand that there are six more Ajisen outlets apart from the World Square in Sydney - at 270 Forest Road St George and in Melbourne - in Hawthorn, Boxhill, La Trobe Street Melbourne Central, Glen waverley and at 130 Bourke Street in the CBD.

Ajisen hailed from Kumamoto on Japan's southern island of Kyushu.  Well known for its iconic castle, the prefecture also hosts a variety of universities - and there in I can see the connection between a steady good reliable ramen model and a large potential market.  I recall being in Kumamoto many years ago and loved the character of the island, with impressive memories as well of Oita and of course Nagasaki.  Even though we are on the other side of the Pacific, I feel fortunate that we can have access to so many varieties of ramen from Japan.