New Star Kebab, Auburn

Auburn
 
We went out on a limb one lazy Sunday afternoon and decided we'd drive to Auburn for lunch. We didn't quite know where we were going to eat, but we did know that we felt like a Middle Eastern feast. Driving through the main shopping strip, our attention was caught by the crowds outside New Star Kebab - we knew this was a place that we just had to try. 

Three Williams, Redfern

Cafe

I'd have sandwiches every day for lunch without fail when I was a kid. As a result, because I'd eaten so many, sandwiches have since lost their sense of appeal and I've tended to shy away from them as a lunchtime option. But then along came the narnie. 

Butcher and The Farmer, Glebe

Australian

The first time we visited Harold Park's gentrified Tramsheds complex was during the first month of opening, and the space was teeming with masses of crowds who were eager to get a piece of the Inner West's newly-restored food destination. It was, in all honesty, quite a stressful experience because it was just so busy.

Harry's, Bondi Beach

Beach

It can be hard to find a cafe that revamps the way you view breakfast. Harry's Bondi manages to do just that, while maintaining that surf-side coastal cool. 

Rell's Kitchen, Randwick

Cafe

With the Superfood craze that is becoming ever popular in today's dining scene, I have to admit that I had never tried Acai before visiting this cute little Randwick cafe. 

Lunching at Caffe Dante, Sydney CBD

Cafe

Hands up if you have been out and about shopping, and suddenly realise you're starving and it's way past lunchtime? You find yourself getting hangry while wandering around to find somewhere to stop, then resort to an underwhelming eatery that was most convenient because, really, you just needed to satisfy your stomach. It's a situation I can say I have faced a few times, partly due to a lack of planning. But, fear no more, I may have found the perfect place to stop for a mid-shop break in the city. 

Delisse Market Cafe, Sydney CBD

Cafe

French marketplaces are scenes of wonder and awe for many food lovers. There's an abundance of fresh produce and luscious baked goods everywhere you look, and a lively atmosphere of hustle and bustle unlike no other. In my opinion, it's market food that I most look forward to when visiting any market. Delisse is a little taste of the French marketplace in the form of a cafe in Sydney's CBD.

Tim Ho Wan, Burwood

Asian

When Michelin-starred Tim Ho Wan opened it’s very first Sydney restaurant in Chatswood early last year, dim sum fans came from far and wide to get a taste of those revered dumplings and that famous bbq pork bun.

Dera-Uma, Sydney CBD

Cheap Eats
The term ‘comfort food’ means different things to different people. Some might immediately think of a steaming stew or an oozy, melted cheese toastie. For me, comfort food almost always involves rice.

Manpuku Ramen, Chatswood | 2 Hungry Guys

Chatswood

Ramen lovers rejoice. 

Manpuku, Kingsford's stalwart ramen-ya, has expanded to open a second restaurant in Chatswood. The new restaurant has a similar menu to the original, with a slightly more upmarket interior and atmosphere.

Check out my post for Sydney food blog 2 Hungry Guys here, during which I had the pleasure of learning more about Manpuku's top quality ramen and unctuous handmade noodles from Chef Hideto Suzuki. With a ramen to suit all flavour and richness preferences, and a wide variety of authentic broths, there's something for everyone at Manpuku. Slurp away!

Cafe Oratnek, Redfern

Brunch

Japanese food is one of my favourite cuisines. It’s fresh, tasty and healthy; full of pure, delicate but sophisticated flavours. When you integrate it into Sydney’s booming café culture, you get what I would consider to be the holy grail of culinary creation.

Tea +, Burwood

Burwood
With all the salted craze that's been going around for some time, it comes as no surprise that salted milk froth has become a popular trend of late, particularly in the wide, colourful realm of Asian drinks. It's a gastronomic flavour combination which seems unusual, but works surprisingly well. Tea + in Burwood is a case in point, offering a signature SeaSalt Milk Foam which combines all things frothy and salty in one.

If you're a regular food instagrammer, you may have come across a snap or two of their House Special Plant Milk Tea in your feed. Described as a fulfilment of 'visual and tasting satisfaction' (according to their website) it uncannily resembles a cute plant in a giant glass mug. Depending on what flavour tea you opt for, underneath the oreo 'soil' sits a thick white layer of SeaSalt cream, floating atop a sea of milky, pastel coloured tea.

Stuffed Capsicums Recipe

Lunch
What do you do when you have an abundance of capsicums in the fridge? Stuff them, of course!

Seasonal produce can lead to the creation of many an inventive meal. I wish I was the kind of cook who could conjure up a meal, with complementing textures and a balance of flavours, from whatever I have in my fridge. But I'm not. Instead, I'm happy to share with you that I have a confidant in Google and my reliable cookbooks.

Cookbook recipes are the inspiration for my cooking, as well as a form of entertainment. For me, reading a cookbook is like reading a magazine, except that one will be greeted with the extra bonus of being able to glimpse and drool at a collection of beautiful food photos along every page. The way I read a cookbook is the same way I read a magazine - front to back, reading every word on every page, starting with the ingredients and ending with the final step of the method. I'm methodical like that.

Miss Chu, Darlinghurst

Darlinghurst
Living in the inner west, I don't really get a lot of opportunities to try all the wonderful eateries I often read about and drool over in the inner city and city. That's why I love weekends and the holidays, because that's when I really get to go out and eat. I recently had a course in Darlinghurst and got really really excited because over the three days I'd be there, I'd get to go out every day for lunch and try all the places I'd always wanted to go!

One of these places was Miss Chu, near busy William Street in Darlinghurst. This is the original Miss Chu tuckshop, which has since expanded to have numerous tuckshops in the Sydney CBD, Bondi, Manly, Melbourne and even London. Being labelled the 'Queen of Rice Paper Rolls', this small Vietnamese hawker-style eatery and takeaway shop offers both quick takeaway munchies - think rice paper and spring rolls, yum cha style dim sim and peking duck pancakes- as well as sit down noodles and salads, traditional Asian desserts and drool-worthy tropical beverages.