Loving Hut, Cabramatta, Sydney

If you're a vegetarian then you would completely be spoilt by choice here!  Being a former vegetarian, I can definitely appreciate the taste of fake meat.  At the same time I am now a meat eater so it's all relative!

I loved the crunch of the vietnamese pancake and so I rolled this in a rice paper roll. It was delicious.  I understand this place is a bit famous for vegans and I can understand why.

If you're a meat eater and wanting a break, feeling a bit curious then I'd recommend loving hut.

Don't come here and order any fake meat dishes if you have never tried it before.  Some of the other dishes without fake meat are great and the fake meat is more ideal for vegetarian or vegans.

Fail Alison. Fail. That's all I can say.  And good work Mel! A box of chips and you still downed lunch!

Vietnamese Pancake

My friend's failed rolled fresh rice roll

Fake meat, rice noodle to be rolled

Fresh accompaniments

Crumbed Taro 

Blu Ginger - Macmahon's Point, Sydney

Wow!  I'm not a massive indian food consumer (can you tell by the number of Japanese restaurants?) but I thought this place was awesome.  I tried a number of vegetarian dishes at Blu Ginger including a potato dumpling korma and an eggplant tomato based curry.  The bread was flakey and delicious. I love naan bread!

I work with a lot of English people who claim the quality of Sydney indian food is not comparable to their home country.  I decided to do the smart thing and ask an indian friend - He had said this place was highly recommended.  I don't know what exactly I ordered so I'll have to ask him what each dish contained!

North Indian food was delicious at Blu Ginger :)

Garlic Naan Bread

Sushi Yachiyo, Darlinghurst, Sydney

Yachiyo is a tiny hole in the wall type of restaurant but it's a nice little restaurant.  Get there early or book!  Tonight it was a light delicious mix of green tea noodle salad, sashimi and popcorn shrimp and avocado. I thought there would be a bit more sashimi but it was still tasty.  The green tea noodle salad was fresh and well balanced of flavours and textures.  The popcorn shrimp and avocado was a crumbed, beautifully sauced dish.

It's reasonably priced and dances on your tongue with different flavours, textures and overall that yummy hit you are looking for.  I came here after a few cocktails in the cross at a friend's event so I was happy.  Bob kept on interfering somehow with my photos and Mel makes a debut with her red nails too.

Green Tea Noodle Salad

Sashimi Main

Popcorn Shrimp and avocado

 

Tommy Thai Smile - West Ryde, Sydney

Tommy Thai Smile seems to westernise it's thai food. The food is tasty but since I eat so much thai, I was somewhat disappointed by the Pad Kee Mao -  a traditional chilli thai basil dish.  It was still a good stir fry dish but it wasn't a Pad Kee Mao.

The Almond Prawn Entree was a pleasure of textures but was missing a touch of moisture. It left a slightly crumbed oily in your mouth and the sweet chilli sauce didn't quite complement the dish as well.

The satay chicken was great. The sizzling place of seafood was very delicious.  The sauce was addictive actually.  A great suburban thai restaurant with nice atmosphere.  Don't order Pad Kee Mao.

Almond Prawn Entree

Satay Chicken 

Sizzling Seafood Plate

Not quite a Pad Kee Mao

 

Kuletos - Newtown, Sydney

Kuleto's was the best uni bar when I was younger.  Cheap, sugary cocktails in a dark cramped space.  It's been some years and they have renovated so there's more space upstairs and more trending seats.  It gets very crowded at happy hour time, 2 for 1 cocktails so I like to get there earlier.  The cocktails probably have less alcohol in them but since you're paying about $10 per cocktail (well technically $20 but for two), it's still a win!

I was getting relatively happy after three cocktails.  I bumped into newly weds this night too where there was an intense conversation about all sorts of things.

Rumbles Cafe - Eastwood, Sydney

Not a gourmet cafe but a good average cafe that will serve you a quick breakfast for a reasonable price.  Worthwhile if you can't be bothered making breakfast yourself but you want a quick breakfast.  If you're looking for something super tasty then I would say move on.  Expect reliable but average food.

Poached eggs with toast 

Scrambled eggs, mushrooms, bacon, tomato and toast

Soffritto - Newtown, Sydney

I think I got completely distracted by my company this evening because I would have sworn I took a photo of my dish which was a barramundi baked in a salted crust or as the menu would describe it the "Crisp skinned barramundi, baby leeks and almond quinoa, kasundi sauce".  It was tasty.

 My friend !xobile (pronounced sound "click" eeelay) had the beef which was good but we both agreed the Selah in Circular Quay was a major competitor and would probably win in the battle of tasty restaurant kick boxing.

Still, a great restaurant to share good wine, food and hopefully company too.  Good work !xobile.

Roast fillet of beef wrapped in pancetta with mushrooms and garlic spinach

 

Harbour Side Indian - Lavender Bay - Sydney

This is a popular destination for my work mates as we get the banquet and it always provides a colourful array of beautiful tasty dishes.  It's a great way to share food and you can taste a bit of everything in entree and mains.   

The dishes are not super hot so it's good for the western palette. I've also been here for an engagement and the food was lovely.  Share a glass of wine and eat delicious food in good company.

I'd definitely rate this place - you will need some time if you're going at lunch as it's a sit down restaurant.  Love it

Monsoon Poon, Auckland, New Zealand

This restaurant is a favourite with my managers at work.  They raved about the Dragon Tacos which I have to admit was amazing. It's made up of prawn, avocado in a spicy space hugged by flakey roti bread.

The dishes are shared like many Asian cuisines however it was hard to pinpoint the genre of restaurant. It's probably best described as Asian fusion.  A nice restaurant to attend to; staff are attentive although one of work colleagues claimed I was a famous blogger which may have influenced customer service that night!

Lamb Imperial Lettuce Cups

Little Dragon Tacos - Prawn Taco with Roti Crust

Degree Bar, Auckland - New Zealand

Degree Bar is on the viaduct waterside.  It was completely packed on this particular Thursday night with office workers. The male waiters all have random beards or facial hair.

My work colleagues got a solid chunk of meat on a grilled stone. It doesn't look particularly appetising but I was told it was delicious.  I got the mussels which were delicious and fresh in a saffron and tomato sauce.  My wind whirl work trip to Auckland is now over and it's back to work in Sydney!

Spice Gourmet Thai - Parramatta, Sydney

This place was a tiny restaurant hiding on George St in Parramatta but it was packed to the brim of hungry customers.  We ordered the good old Pad See Ewe which was tasty - flat rice noodles with vegetables in a basil chilli soy based sauce.  Not super hot so your taste buds can still live.

The plum duck was lovely, surrounded by shittake mushrooms, asian greens and herbs.  I think this place was a win.

Jack and the bean stalk suggested this one so kudos to his urbanspoon choice.  Thai is a cuisine that rarely goes wrong. Sydney is so lucky to have such a high quality of thai restaurants no matter where you are.  I suggest you book to get a table at this joint.

Pad See Ewe

Plum Duck baby!

Ishi-Ban Boshi - Galleries - Sydney

Ishi-Ban Boshi is a solid, reliable, run of the mill (wind mill or tread mill :P) Japanese restaurant.  I quite liked the egg omlette with noodles within; it's always a tasty surprise for me. It's got that rich sort of taste with all those mayonaise based sauces drenched over the salad and food.  The chicken was nice but I was wanting a Teriyaki based sauce which Ishi-Ban Boshi doesn't do apparently.

A cheap and cheerful place if you're shopping in town hall and want a bite to eat.  I'd come here over Waga mama (which is downstairs) but there are lots of high quality, competitive eateries in the area as well.  Regardless, a good meal to enjoy with a friend who was telling me all about her life of work, husband/wife domestics and baby antics.

Sweet Plum Wine

Chicken, Rice

Tree House - North Sydney

The signature dish is definitely the steak sandwich.  It's beautifully put together and just falls into place - the bread, the steak, trimmings and did I mention the salty, crispy chips (absolutely to die for).  I always struggle to finish the steak sandwich so I didn't opt for the delicious signature dish on this occasion.

The salmon was delicious and the other components had a variety of different textures and tastes that fell together quite well. A bit of a fancy lunch for a dear work colleague who was departing last Friday.  She will be sorely missed!

My other work colleague didn't rate the beef salad as it wasn't rare.  Stick to the steak sandwich for a reliable tasty lunch.

If you have time up your sleeve then i'd recommend lunch at the tree house.  You need a good hour and a half.