Kinn Thai Wollongong NSW

Look up at the ceiling as well.

Keen on Thai.  I loved the grilled southern styled chicken thigh fillets. They are not over oily but full of flavour!  Tables were filled up even on a week night.  The lemon grass squash I chose was a bit under and I then reckoned I should have had a beer like Michael.

Curries were restricted to green, red and Massaman, the troika of best known Thai curries to Aussies.  Entrees had variety of choice from curry puffs to chic wings but not the desserts.  Staff members were quick on the go and friendly.  Next I may try the Pad Thai.  On the most recent visit, with the Campbell family,  I sampled the grilled pork ribs, a must have I say.

I reckon bookings are essential.  There are both indoor and outdoor seats, but for the latter, you can be right in the face with possibly busy vehicular traffic on Keira Street, depending on the time of day or evening.  The restaurant is located as part of the revamped GPT shopping centre, sited in the midst of different restaurants and cafes.  In the middle of Wollongong city centre, Kim Thai is easily accessible after some shopping.  Every time I am there, the kitchen staff (mainly male) are often as busy as the (mainly female) wait staff.  There is a prominently placed bar counter for the cocktails and grog to accompany our palate with all these spicy stuff - it is easy to recall memories of Phuket or Bangkok.

Sumptuously prepared crab and prawn rolls.

The Kinn Thai outlet in Wollongong is one of a chain, with other restaurants in NSW (Kotara and Castle Towers), Queensland (Westfields in Upper Mount Gravatt and North Lake) and the Canberra Centre.

The menu is comparable to Thai restaurants in the Big Smoke (aka Sydney) and there is the familiar Tom Yum soup, grilled meat satay sticks, salt and pepper squid, Massaman beef curry, stir fried Pad Thai noodles, red duck curry, basil flavoured chicken and the popular soft shell crab with papaya salad.  Michael tells me he likes the stir fried spicy noodles and I can understand why, it is yummy, though different from the Pad Thai.

There are also suggested set menus to ease the selection process but I prefer ordering ala carte.  Less spicy variations include the crispy pork belly, duck pancake and seared scallops (all more Chinese I must say). On the other end of the scale is the Crying Tiger Salad.  Vegetarians are recommended to try the pumpkin for mild preferences or for more spicy, the stir fry with green peppercorns.

Generous serves of grilled pork ribs.

There are hidden gems offered though like the Miang Kam, a kind of entree salad, consisting of betel leaf holding some crunchy and flavourful bits like nuts, dried shrimps and more.  As can be expected, the drinks have fascinating names like  Rambutan Mule, One Night in Patong Beach and Sugar Daddy.

Birthday celebrations seem to be the forte at this Wollongong outlet and the staff know how to churn up a celebratory mood with sparklers and music, often  with diners at other tables joining in to cheer the birthday person.


Kinn Thai Wollongong is located along the Keira Street frontage of the GPT shopping centre in Wollongong City Centre, with neighbours like Coco Cubano and Grill'ed.  Access can also be made from Coles supermarket down one floor in the centre.  Kinn Thai is a stone's throw from the start of upper Crown Street Mall.

Address:  200 Crown Street, Wollongong - this reflects more of the address of the GPT Shopping Centre, of which Kinn Thai is part.
Telephone: 02 4229 3407 and 02 4229 4417

All hands on deck!

Austi Beach Cafe - Austinmer NSW

The cafe is synonymous with summer time gelato and sorbets.

The staff member who sat us down was friendly and proactive.  I took up on her offer of the PH Balance drink, it was helpful for my budding cold. She could rattle off useful updates on dishes and items available.  I have perceived that this Austi Beach Cafe is the place to go to for summer time gelato in the Illawarra Coast, apart from the one at Panorama House, Cold Rock  and Patisccerie Massimo Papa.  However on our most recent visit,  it was imprudent to go for the cold stuff on a rather classic winter's day on the coast south of Sydney.

Austi does have an interesting food menu though. I have seen so many pulled pork offerings around the Wollongong, Melbourne and Sydney areas - so I gave the pulled lamb on toast sandwich a definite go.  I loved it, with the taste, texture and overall flavours pleasing my palate.  The ocean waves were crashing outside just across the road and fellow lunchers were huddled near the over head heater.  The drinks menu are pretty much what you expect from a beach side suburb - crushes, milk shakes, fresh juices, coffee, milkshakes and teas. 

As it is also a Gelateria, the choices in this respect are more colourful and varied.  I noticed there was an Affogato a Cafe, comprising of a shot of espresso over two scoops of the gelato flavours and topped by a wafer.  A dessert to also try is the Mandarin flavoured pudding, drizzled with honey and full of chocolate as well.

Open for dinner time on weekends, recommendations are to try the Toulouse Sausage and the king prawn Linguini, after entrees of crab and corn Croquettes or the Boston Bay mussels with fried bread.  The Cafe is normally open for breakfast, brunch and lunch. It can be a favourite stop for visitors from outside the Wollongong area on holidays and weekends.  The lunch menu is available only from noon.  Austin also caters for packaged menus.

Austin Beach Cafe is located at 104 Lawrence Hargrave Drive opposite the beach in Austinmer NSW.  It is a leisurely fifteen minute drive north from Wollongong city centre, or around 30 minutes south from Waterfall, a southern suburb of greater Sydney.Telephone 02 4268 5680The owners also operate the Point Cafe in Bulli NSW which bakes the sweet stuff for the Austi Beach.

Vehicle parking is best aimed for the Council provided parking beside the beach.

I adored this pulled pork over sourdough with veg.

Matterhorn - Te Aro Wellington

Venison Denver Leg with captivating sides.

A coolish mid June evening surfaced after the early winter sunset brought down temperatures.  The open fire places in the restaurant were being stoked and the engaging male staff in the courtyard allowed me to sit inside.  Both the food and drink menu is impressive.  The latter concentrated on New Zealand wines (especially from Hawkes Bay, Central Otago and Marlborough)  but also had several selections from Spain, Portugal, Italy and France. Crayfish, tuna  and salmon are featured for seafood but I reckoned the uplifting feature of the menu is the clever and thoughtful combination of ingredients.

I thoroughly enjoyed the duck variations with brioche entree.  Creative, imaginative and tasty on the palate, degustation of the several duck variations inspired my expectations and uplifted my comfort. Perhaps a mark of the return of head chef Sean Marshall from late last year.  Settling down in an Indian Runner cocktail, I did find the place rather too dark for its own good and the tiny flickering table lights did  not much help in reading the menu.

The Matterhorn in Wellington CBD is located hidden inside a passageway - after the sign outside on Cuba Street mall side, there is no other indication of where the restaurant is.  The staff were diligent in ensuring my drinks did not run out, whether non-alcoholic or not.  Seated near the bar, I could catch the banter of guests who treated it more like a pub.

Duck in the dark with brioche.

Being such an established institution in The Land of the Long White Cloud,  the Matterhorn carries a heavy burden in reputation and delivery.

I enjoyed the Franco-German theme and feel of the set up, provided with a finesse in the way the kitchen prepared meats, grilled and cured.  I selected the Venison Denver leg for my mains as it is local Kiwi produce  and I was looking forward to how the Matterhorn served it.  When the dish came, I was immediately distracted by the side servings, especially the eggplant caviar plus the Miso mix with sweet potato - this was an elegant representation of the best from the land.  Black sesame with other grains echoed absolute globalisation.  Oh yes, getting back to the venison, this had a deep flavourful texture.  It held its firmness and yet it was subtle on the bite.

Perhaps it was too early a start.

It had not been easy to zoom down to my final choice of starters.   The coddled egg had gravy over accompaniments of oyster mushrooms, polenta, garden peas and chicken wing bacon, all on one plate.  Another entree, wild rabbit, was enhanced with Spanish sherry, flavoured with cardamom and served with Shitake mushrooms, wild greens, barley and Heritage carrots.

For  lighter mains, Matterhorn offers the house Agria Gnocchi, made with seasonal harvest , pecorino and nettle pesto.  For heavy eaters, the Plate of Pig jumped out to my attention, served with pickled pumpkin,  Savoy cabbage and cider sauce.  Very German, very Oomp Pah Pah!

For those not having a course meal, the Matterhorn offers an interesting option to go with just drinks - the Grazing Food section.  An example of informal flexibility, you can have small serve items like mussels  bathed in malt vinegar, a Charcuterie board, Momma's fried chicken, Tuna sashimi, polenta fried zucchini dipped with spiced Tahini yogurt and simple Dukkah bar nuts.   Just great for after office chill outs and group drink sessions.

There are two outlets for the Matterhorn in New Zealand:

1.  Wellington - 106 Cuba Street, Te Aro

Open Monday to Saturday from 3pm till late;  Sundays from 1pm till late.
Nearest cross road  - Ghuznee or Dixon Streets
Telephone:  04 3843359

Bookings recommended on weekends.
Atmosphere - relaxed and diverse, with business, family and social groups
Sit down section inside and outside  with a joint bar section.

2.  Auckland - 37 Drake Street, Freemans Bay at the Victoria Street Markets  (not visited at this stage).

Open Monday to Saturday from 3pm till late;  Sundays from 1pm till late.
Telephone: 09 9292790

My impressions of the Matterhorn in Wellington:

Ambiance:  It can be a pub, it can be a fine dining experience.  Relaxed and diverse, one can be sitting near boisterous guests or have a private corner.

Taste:  More than satisfying.  Accompaniments bring the diner to higher sensations on the palate.

Location:  Not exactly ideal and such food created deserves a better waterfront setting.

X factor:  The chef's clever combination of ingredients to create exciting and well blended dishes.

Attentive mindset by most staff.

Would I return?  Yes, for the inspiring menu.  Also to soak in with the English Patient Martin Miller's, Saffron Gin, lemon, sugar and hopes made ginger liqueur.  There are only four Australian wines that evening if I saw it right - the Knappstein Shiraz from the Claire Valley South Australian; Shaw & Smith chardonnay from the Adelaide Hills;  Adam's Rib chardonnay from Beechworth and the NV Chambers Muscadelle from Victoria.  One USA choice  - the Zinfandel from California.

Ziferblat - Shaking all Expectations and Thank You for Your Time

Imagine a commercial cafe where customers wash the cups, cutlery and other dishes they have used in the place. Traditional Asian hosts will not allow guests to do that in their homes!  The cafe can be full of alternative lifestyle types - freelancers, artists, focus groups, philosophers, etc.  The first of such cafes opened in Moscow in 2010, and have extended to thirteen , mainly in eastern Europe, although there are outlets in Manchester and Shoreditch, London.  The founder Ivan Mitin was only 25 years old when he commenced with a pay what you can concept - Melbourne and Sydney's Lentil As Anything Cafe operate on such a basis - to the current pay by the minute when you are using the cafe.   Staff clock in guests as if they arrive to a factory or office for paid work.

The average stay by a guest at a Ziferblat can vary.  If you stay for 5 pence a  minute in the UK, that amounts to only about four Brit pounds for around 80 minutes, which is around the price of a barista coffee.  At Clock Face, which is what Ziferblat means, cookies and beverages are complimentary.  What an  unusual concept in retail business - but I reckon such cafes have to be located in urbanite places with hipster crowds that make individuals want to pay for hanging around an establishment.  It may also mean degrading the significance of the coffee served!

Would it work in the Antipodes?  Maybe for groups, formal and informal, requiring a central site to gather and promote their work.   Political associations, artists and students with a purpose have always sought such a location in history past.   Are such people seeking attention to be seen or heard?  The usual conference hubs have charged both for venue and food in the ubiquitous pow-wows held so many in this modern age.    The difference with the Ziferblat business model when compared with convention centre sites is that the former is more relaxing, offers a simpler setting, offers a cosy atmosphere  and works like a private house gathering of friends than conference delegates who don't even chat with each other.

Customers at Ziferblat can even be encouraged to bring their own food.  Hold it, it is beginning to sound like a shared picnic party.  Maybe this underlies the casualness of it all.  Asian cultural  norms would see guests being invited to a home, but in today's Western infused modern urban society, groups of people who know each other increasingly prefer to meet outside the home.   Would Gen Y cohorts bring their connectable gadgets and pay for time sitting in a Ziferblat cafe?  Most probably not, the purpose after all is to engage, converse and communicate with the other guests around you.

How viable is such a business model?  People in history have gathered at watering holes, fine dining places, community canteens and public squares without ever having to pay money for time spent.
It may not work on sleepy islands where nothing much happens.  It can only thrive in population centres where trade, energy and creativity are at high activity levels.  Such cafes can be the new destinations for corporate groups undergoing training and required transformation.

I reckon this is  an interesting experience for all visitors to Europe, to sit in such a cafe and experience the notions and reality of things turning upside down in their expectations and perceptions.  Yes, this has emphasised the value of time, personal, community, employer and family time.  It shouts silently in every one's face that time is precious, irreversible and really, is priceless.
It has recognised that time is a limited resource, have economic value and can be bought and sold like a commodity.

Bowery Lane, Sydney

Lime curd and coconut ice cream flavoured desert with garnishing of toasted coconut. Photo credit - Mr. J.W. Khoo

We were ushered into the inner chambers.  Our on-line booking was deftly recognised.   End of week,  there was relaxed chatter.  It was first floor and we could see the ground lobby through the glass enclosure.  The name of the restaurant evokes the Big Apple, of course.   The American site reminds one of mansions, cocktails, connections to farms and the Old World.   I was half-thinking of Kransky sausages, cold beer and a refuge from the world outside - yes, they do have that every Thursday evening, with the late night shopping hours in Sydney.  In fact, every week night has a theme at Bowery lane.

The classic Nutella Cheesecake with raspberries and  vanilla bean ice cream.  Photo Credit - Mr. J. W. Khoo.

It was a rainy day, the sun had gone hiding and it was windy outside.  Inside, it was so different. I had inadvertently dropped my knife.  Oh yes, JW and I had already started our pre-meal cocktails.

The cutlery knife slooshed gently through to the carpet.  The lady staff member offered a replacement fast, she made me and my mate feel relaxed and had a gentle sense of humour. She transformed the air, made me loosen up and forget about excesses of the past week.   The wait staff were busy but never lacked the attentive stance of responding quickly and engaging with diners in a natural way.  When I was stalling and had a mind block over my choice of mains, they were patient.  Our orders came professionally on a timely basis.   Refreshingly appreciated!  Just like Hershey's cookies and cream milkshake, which is actually on the menu.

Hickory smoked salmon salad, with avocado, hazelnut, cucumber, radish, iceberg and sesame vinaigrette.

For mains, JW had the grilled fish, a Hiramasa Kingfish served with a sherry infused vinaigrette, Tahini, charred corn, baby leeks and pea shoots.  I was refreshed by my Hickory smoked salmon salad.   The fresh produce, seasonal ingredients and emphasis on local sourcing showed through in its menu choices.  Dessert time saw us select a more Asian influenced creation with lime and coconut, balanced by a rather tempting Nutella cheesecake.

The drinks reflect more of the late 19th century New York with ciders, ale. lagers and hop hog.
Mineral water served is Capi's.  The wine selection is more local, with selections from nearby New Zealand, but I noticed a Rosso Fresco Merlot and Shiraz from New York State. and a Gloria Ferrer sparkling Blanc de Noir from Sonoma, California.

Stand outs for their catering options include mini jars of Bircher muesli, served with fruit compote and toasted coconut flakes; the filo pastry stuffed with pumpkin and feta; fritattas of various types; and sliders with Gruyere, double smoked leg ham and Heirloom tomatoes.  And they have conference capability as well.

Other offerings that caught my eye for on-site dining are the San Danielle Proscuitto; the king prawn Pappardelle; the dessert wines; the Scouts Breakfast, with poached egg, goat's cheese, Parmesan crumbs, roast potatoes and crispy Proscuitto; the tuna Carpaccio, with grapefruit pickled cucumber and smashed avocado; and the smoked BBQ glazed Chix wings.

Will I be back?  Yes, first thing on Monday evening, for a NYC cheeseburger and a Brooklyn beer. Later in the week, perhaps those Mango Croquettes, with touches of fried basil and Harissa Aioli.


The Bowery Lane
Shop 1, Level 4
No 1 O'Connell Street
Wynyard Banking District
Sydney CBD

Open every day from 7am till late weekdays; Saturdays open from 5pm and closed on Sundays.
Approach from Circular Quay or Hunter Street
Bookings recommended.
Atmosphere - relaxed and diverse, with business and social groups
Sit down section and a separate cafe section for takeaway
Biggest positive point - Attention to detail

Links - www.bowerylane.com.au