eathouse diner - redfern

at the corner opposite the once-sleazy redfern park, a red and golden glow oozes onto the dark footpath, luring those in search of a feed. inside eathouse diner the technicoloured funky decor and equally funky, bustling wait staff suggest that this not your average truck-stop diner. 

looking over the menu i feel like joel madden from the voice - forced into painstaking decisions between options which i know will perform incredibly in the future. we're a table of 7 tonight, and so are privy to the share style menu; two entrees and three mains served in quantities large enough to share and fill all of us. 

our meal commences with a round of chilli oyster shots. you can get them straight up or spiked with tequila. tonight we are not feeling as outrageous as the posters coating the diner’s walls around us and opt for the virgin version. the rim of the shot glass is coated in salt. Inside, the oysterlanguishes in a juicy tomato salsa. the shots are still incredible and we wonder if the experience would have been tainted if we had braved the douse of tequila. another round, anyone??

we fall, predictably, for the duck liver pate for entree. its served with rustic chunks of brown bread and a sweet and tasty onion relish. we also order a salad of gorgeous sultry lumps of buffalo mozzarella, fresh figs and lettuce. both entrees are satisfying, but the best is yet to come. 

the mexican-style beans are authentic and elevated with chunks of avocado and pickled cucumber stirred through. its perfectly coupled with a wedgeof home baked corn bread. next we get slow cooked lamb, with lentils and mint served on a bed of babaghanoush. the lamb is exceptionally tender and tastes so damn good. and lastly the fried spatchcock. crispy, seasoned skin coats the juicy poultry meat inside. its served with sweet creamed corn and crunchy coleslaw. one can’t help but think of this dish’s kentucky fried counterpart and smile guiltily. i could have eaten the whole bowl myself.

desserts were all winners. the eathouse pav, banana split, sweet potato, chocolate and pecan dart. all satisfying and festive ends to fun filled evening. the party even invaded the bathroom - watch out for the fish fillets. 


the worst thing about eathouse diner is that it's not open for lunch. 

japanese style rice with prawns

its not often the perceived length of the recipe translates to my cooking, but this one was definitely quick to whip up. simply cook japanese sushi rice in instant dashi broth for approx 15mins. stir through prawns and asian greens. top with boiled egg and fried onions and serve. so yummy. (c) gourmet traveller

we cooked enough rice to keep as left-overs. re-heated the rice over the stove and topped with sitr-fried asian style marinated chicken. could also serve this with a nice piece of marinated fish over the top. 

fouveax restaurant + bar

we stand outside fouveax restaurant + bar pondering over which door to enter through. there's the striking coloured red door, or the less glamorous glass sliding door. after considerable soul searching we take the red door and we descend to the alluring stone-walled, leather-chaired bar, reserving our ascent to the restaurant once we've self-reflected over a few cocktails. the bartender suggests a dryish portuguese port with tonic for my aperitif. the cocktail is as charming as the man who mixed it, a balance of dry and sweet levelled out by the bitterness of the tonic. 

upstairs the charm begins to fade. entree of caramelised venison tongue leaves the diner's tongue less than excited. the meat is quite chewy and despite the array of accompaniments: prawns, pork skin, cauliflower cream, cashew, soy and mint - the dish is a bit one note and bores my tastebuds. on the other hand, the entree of seared bonito is beautifully cooked, flavoured with black seasame garnished with the pickled vegetables and scatterings of elk (the plant, not the deer like creature - we asked). 

caramelised venison tongue

the mains are a bit lack lustre, failing to satisfy our palettes and also our stomachs. portion sizes are teensy bit too small and you may find yourself heading up the road after dinner in search of tacos at el loco. 

service is also hit and miss. our main waiter is amicable and amusing, inviting us to watch him jam on his guitar in the bar on friday nights. the other wait staff a clumsy both of limb and tongue when describing the dishes placed in front of us. they could learn a few lessons from the acoustic guitarist.

after such a pleasant start to the evening, we left a little disheartened through the glass sliding door. if only our meal had been ardent as the door through which we entered....

ginger and spice - singaporean restaurant, neutral bay

you know you're enjoying something really special when you catch yourself quietly humming your happy song as you munch away. this is feeling is further elated when you look up to your dining party's beaming smiles as they devour the same dish. the dish in question is of course the much sought after singapore chilli crab at ginger + spice. to be privy to this out of body of experience you need to order the crab 48 hours in advance and submit 130 of your hard-earned dollars. however everyone at the table agreed it was worth it. the crab is over a kilo and slathered in the most incredible sambal sauce. sweet from the tomatoes, tangy from the shrimp paste, spicy from the chilli, all set off by the slices of coriander and juicy crab meat. 

singapore chilli crab

the fish asaam generates almost the same reaction from a table. an exceptionally complex tasting curry, whilst remaining beautifully light and refreshing. 


i have a soft spot for hainanese chicken. this is a dish i would be happy eating everyday. the chicken was silky and succulent after having being poached in chicken broth, served with a delicious chilli sauce i've only ever seen served with this exact dish. you should eat this dish with the chicken rice (rather than coconut rice), as it has been cooked in the same chicken stock and complements the dish perfectly.


the ngoh hiang, deep-fried rolls of bean curd fllled with mince pork , prawn and water chesnuts was another starred favourite along with the famous char kway teow.


ginger and spice is my new happy place. 

hainese chicken

coconut and lime parfaits - recipe

easiest, yummiest dessert from my favourite cousin :)


4 egg yolks, 1 can cocounut  milk/cream (depending on the desired richness), 1 cup dessicated coconut, juice and zest from 2 limes 1/3 castor sugar (but for preferred sweetness). blitz up and freeze.

this recipe is also delicious with 500g frozen berries and 100ml of cream instead of coconut an lime.

best of all you can make meringues with the leftver egg whites!

paddington arms hotel

looking for a low-key casual meal last night, we head to the paddington arms hotel. the place was pumping on this saturday night with the bistro side full. fortunately we were able to order from the full dinner menu whilst lounging on the couches just by the the bar in full view of the footy and fellow bar-hoppers.

the entree menu offers popular english classics including scotch egg, duck liver parfait and smoked mackerel with pickles. unfortunately they are out of the mackerel tonight, so we go with spiced crab dip on toast with avocado relish and the scotch egg. the yolk is slightly runny and the sausage is enjoyably gamey-tasting. the toast with the crab is a little bit burnt and cold, but the crab itself is delicious. for main we try the market fish of the day which tonight is nz hake. the fish is delivered still wrapped in al-foil, not so atheistically pleasing, but practical in keeping the fish warm while we finish our entrees which come out at the same time. the fish is lovely and buttery in both taste and texture, and perfectly cooked. i loved the simplicity of the favours in that it let the natural flavours of the hake shine, but for my dining partner the flavours were a bit too simple (despite him gorging on all the thyme in the bag). 

we were joined on the couches by some barely-dressed, rowdy girls partying on after derby day at the races. it wasn't the perfect end to what was otherwise a casual and relaxed meal. not everyone enjoys their hake with a side of nipple, but i guess that's all part of the fun when you're not early enough to grab a table on the bistro side. 

paper baked nz hake w/ cabbage, tomatoes and thyme

zucchini noodles w/ goats cheese + salmon roe

salad for tonight's dinner. recipe taken from gourmet traveller. very labour intensive slicing up the zucchinis, but after that just dress with lemon, olive oil. toss through sliced tomato, parsley and basil and sprinkle goats cheese, grated almonds and salmon roe over the top. the boys gobbled it up in seconds! 

freda's - sandwich + wine bar

why didn't someone think of this earlier?? the menu reads what you crave - side of meatballs with your meal? confit duck sandwiches too - a first for many in our party, a risk definitely worth taking. the overall favourite was the pork and pickle sandwich although all the sandwiches were delicious and on homebaked bread.

leave room for the incredible pistachio choc brownies.

Chicken, Corn + Iceberg Lettuce