Sydney Weekend in May 6 - Lunch at Catalina

Catalina Restaurant
http://catalinarosebay.com.au/

After our oyster pitstop (I wish that was something I could say every week), we boarded a ferry to Rose Bay. I had never been to that part of Sydney before but had heard many nice things. Mostly, I was just excited about the restaurant we were about to try. I booked Catalina months in advance and spent the weeks leading up to Sydney checking out their website and rethinking what I wanted to order.

The day of our booking was like something out of an ultimate lunch date fantasy. The weather was perfectly clear but not too hot. We entered the restaurant and were seated out on their expansive deck with full views of the water. The setting was dreamy and I couldn't wait to put down my (heavily rehearsed) order.

Sydney Weekend in May 5 - Champagne and Oysters at The Sydney Cove Oyster Bar

The Sydney Cove Oyster Bar
http://sydneycoveoysterbar.com/

You know life is good when you decide you can stop off for a spontaneous oyster and cocktail brunch by the Sydney harbour. We had planned a ferry trip to Rose Bay for lunch but had underestimated the number of hours between check out at the hotel and lunch. It was nice weather so we took a leisurely stroll through the city to Circular Quay to enjoy the amazing views.

Chewbacca suggested we treat ourselves to some oysters. It was Jenny's birthday and there's no better way to celebrate a young ladies continued advancement through adulthood than with some bubblies and treasures from the ocean.

Sydney weekend in May 2 - Dinner at Rockpool Bar and Grill

Rockpool Bar and Grill
http://www.rockpool.com/rockpoolbarandgrillsydney/

Because of my anxious personality, I always need to plan things well in advance. If anyone asks me to think of a restaurant to visit on the fly, I freeze up and my mind goes blank. It's alright for when I'm in Brisbane because I live here and have a supply of general 'go to' places (mostly eateries around Sunnybank) for when I have no other ideas. On an interstate trip, it's less desirable to be unplanned because I don't know other cities well so unless I have a booking made at a restaurant pre-researched, I assume we'll sit down somewhere unremarkable.

Dinner Degustation at Wasabi, Noosa

Wasabi Restaurant and Bar
http://www.wasabisb.com/

Wasabi Restaurant has been in my scope of desire for a long, long time but as someone who doesn't frequent the Sunshine Coast, I never found myself there on a suitable evening. Recently, we had a lovely friend's wedding at Noosa Heads and took that as an opportunity for a long weekend away. I knew immediately this was our chance to finally try Wasabi.

Umeshu (plum wine)

We made a booking for a Saturday night. I didn't plan far in advance so many time slots were taken but there was one available at 8:30pm, which suited us fine because we prefer eating out later at night. The restaurant isn't quite in the main strip along Hastings Street but it was a very short drive away with easy parking. We were seated near a window that looked out onto the water outside. I could see fish in the water but it was too dark to make out much else.

Willy Wonka Themed Pop up Degustation

Willy Wonka Themed Pop up Degustation by Cody McKavanagh
http://wanderingcooks.com.au/cody-mckavanagh-the-chicken-pen/

Late 2015, I announced an exciting pop up event hosted and created by chef Cody Mckavanagh. This was to be a Willy Wonka themed degustation that sounded so intriguing I convinced both Marc and Jenny to come with me. It happened last Sunday and now,  I can finally give some insight to our experience.

Wandering Cooks in West End hosts many food events at their Fish Lane location. I had been there once for a food truck cook off that was so popular there was no food by the time we got there. Because of that, I knew where it was but hadn't had a taste (excuse the pun) of what it was like to eat there.

I imagine the venue space is very adaptable. For this degustation they transformed it into a lovely fine dining hall with candles, hanging bulbs and long tables for groups to share. We three took up a table with three other ladies but it was spacious enough to still feel like we were at our own table.

Pop Up Degustations by Prodigy Chef Cody McKavanagh

Pop Up Degustations by Cody McKavanagh
http://experimentalchicken.com/tickets

I thought last Thursday night was just going to be another non-event pretending to be Friday night (but ending with disappointment). I was trawling through Facebook when a random message alert came up. A Sydney-based chef, Dre Kang alerted to me an incredibly special series of food events happening in Brisbane early 2016.

Chef Cody McKavanagh of Warwick upbringing (Queeeeeenslaaaanderrrrr) is not an average teenager. Rather than being proficient at sleeping in, late night Maccas runs and computer games like I was at that age, he has already trained at some of Australia's top restaurants including Quay, Aria and Rockpool. Most impressively (at least to me), he has done a stint under renowned fantasy chef Heston Blumenthal at Fat Duck, one of the most highly rated restaurants world wide. That's mighty impressive for a 19 year old.

Made in China Restaurant at Beijing Grand Hyatt

Made in China Restaurant
http://beijing.grand.hyatt.com/en/hotel/dining/MadeinChina.html

I have often considered Peking duck to be my death row meal (it changes at times but usually bounces back to this) but I am picky. In Australia, even a half arsed Peking duck gets my mouth watering because any roast duck is better than no roast duck. In China, I've tasted a spectrum between "awesomely authentic" and "wannabe" and the difference is huge. Knowing how good it can potentially be, I feel like it's a huge missed opportunity to get anything less than perfection when ordering roast duck in China.

Needless to say, in Beijing the expectations were even higher. As a food blogger, it often surprises people to hear that when I go traveling, I don't research restaurants I want to try. The reason is that as much as I love food, the stress of finding addresses in unfamiliar cities and having to get there by a certain time is just not worth the trouble for me. I also think great overseas food experiences can be had by simply trying their street food or casual eateries.

Weekday Degustation at The Foraging Quail

The Foraging Quail
http://theforagingquail.com.au/

Last week, Jenny made some commendable life achievements. What better way to celebrate than with food? Another mate of ours recommended the degustation from The Foraging Quail and the menu looked good online so we went with that. The Foraging quail offers a discount off their degustation options if you dine on Wednesday or Thursday night and are seated before 7:30pm.

I took this 'seated before' business a bit too seriously and booked us a table at 5:30pm. Due to some crummy navigational mistakes, I got there 15 minutes late, which left Jenny alone at the restaurant for an embarrassingly long period of time. I think her glass of wine was the only thing that kept her going. The restaurant stayed empty until after 7. It was fairly lively by the time we finished. I felt like a complete nanna eating as early as we did!

Thorn-Clarke Fine Wine Dinner at Queensland Cricketers' Club

Thorn-Clarke Fine Wine Dinner
http://qldcricketersclub.com.au/fine-wine-dinner/

The amazing thing about living in Brisbane is that as relaxed and easy-going as the city appears to be, I can't even begin to exhaust the list of things to do and places to try. One might expect that for a big city like New York, Shanghai or even Sydney and Melbourne but Brisbane has a reputation of having less going on, which I think is unfair and has been gradually been adjusted in recent years.

Last Friday night, Marc and I were invited to a wine and food event at the Queensland Cricketers' Club. For others who don't know, this is located at The Gabba stadium in East Brisbane. It is on the 3rd floor, approachable from Vulture Street, opposite The German Club. When I went to highschool, mum drove me past The Gabba literally every weekday. Now that I live in West End, I still drive past it often. Never did I realize there would be so much more to it than a sporting ground.

We arrived after the event officially kicked off (parking difficulties) and entered the venue a bit confused and dazed. I hailed down a staff member and she indicated to us that the large dining space with hoards of people gathered was where we were supposed to be. Most guests had already arrived and were merrily sipping on beverages and munching on canapes.

Dinner at Montrachet

Montrachet
http://www.montrachet.com.au/

The last of my French dining adventures takes us to a restaurant that had eluded me for close to a decade. Montrachet is well known in Brisbane as not only the best French restaurant in town but also one of the best fine dining experiences period. It's a classic establishment that's been around for as long as I've been interested in food. It's still as popular to this day and I think in the wake of so much restaurant competition, this can only be a good sign.

The 'problem' with Montrachet is that they don't do weekend dinners. That's the meal slot I'm most likely going to use for a special occasion dinner and Montrachet doesn't give me that option. As someone who values sleep, I can never bring myself to do anything exciting on a school night (i.e. any night I have to work the next morning). My options opened up when I started working part time so knowing I had a Wednesday morning off last week, I booked Montrachet for the Tuesday night.

Mondo Organics for Lunch

Mondo Organics
http://www.mondo-organics.com.au/ 

I'm not one of those people who are obsessed over organic this and superfood that. I do try to eat healthy but I love all kinds of food way too much to be a health nut. Of course, if something is marketed to me as 'organic' I get a positive boost from thinking it's doing good for my body. Mondo Organics is almost walking distance from my home but I'd never been there before because it's not the type of place I can drag Marc to. Luckily I have a team of girlfriends who aren't as narrow-minded in their feeding habits.

Last weekend, Tracy and I tried Mondo Organics for lunch. It can be stressful trying to find a park in West End but Mondo has an area of exclusive parking spaces behind their building. We didn't make a booking but managed to get a table without much drama. There was seating outside but with the heat being so intolerable, I happily took up a table inside where there was airconditioning.

Engagement Lunch at Il Centro

Il Centro Revisited
http://www.il-centro.com.au/

With our recent engagement, Marc and I pulled our families together for a celebratory meet and greet. One event happened over lunch at Il Centro. I had been to Il Centro before albeit a long, long time ago. It's famed for its sandcrab lasagne and I can ascertain that it is, indeed delicious. This must be why it's survived on the menu for so many years.

Il Centro is located on the Eagle Street dining precinct, next to Cha Cha Char. I don't know what's going on with the parking under Eagle Street but we had the oddest experience being directed along the maze of carpark levels, finally finding a park (we weren't sure if most of them belonged to residents) and then not being able to work out how to get back to ground level. Being stuck in an underground carpark with no clear exit can get very claustrophobic very fast.

Dinner at Flaming Olive

Flaming Olive Restaurant and Bar
http://www.flamingolive.com.au/

Lately, Hungry Kittens has featured cafes and burger shops aplenty but it's obviously been a long time since I've eaten at a fine dining establishment. With a constant bombardment of bills, mortgage repayments, wedding planning deposits and more, it's become harder and harder to justify an expensive meal. I normally save that stuff for special occasions but all our special occasions seem to be in the first half of the year, which leaves July to November very dreary.

Thank goodness for restaurant promotions! I've recently discovered the power of Urbanspoon's weekly dining specials. If you book a special online through them, you get access to some darn good discounts. Only thing is, you have no control over what restaurant gets featured. It was a stroke of luck when I saw Flaming Olive because that has been on my list of restaurants to try since it first opened in the M and A building. Marc, the world's most passionate olive hater, quipped "why would anyone want to flame an olive? To get rid of them?" Ha ha, Marc. Very funny.

Eurotrip 2 - Shanghai and London

Shanghai and London

Shanghai

It's a bittersweet situation for me because when I was younger, I would go back to Shanghai almost once a year, if not once every 2 years. It was like a second home and in some regard, I still see it that way. Now that I'm older and more world-conscious (and my parents are no longer funding my holidays), I feel a sense of responsibility to myself to explore more of the rest of the globe. Luckily, on this particular trip, I didn't have to compromise. Marc and I stopped off for a week in Shanghai before flying direct to London.

Xiao long bao from Old Town

I have written a bundle of Shanghainese food posts in the past so I don't really need to repeat myself. For most of our stay, Marc and I just ate. We didn't really have anything on the agenda but we were staying right in the city centre so it was easy enough to walk out onto the street and spot a new place to eat.

Degustation Dinner at Urbane

Urbane Restaurant
http://www.urbanerestaurant.com/

Now that I'm an old lady with grown-up problems, fine dining experiences are for special occasions only. The thing is though, Marc and I are so settled into our home and have really brewed our laziness and comfort to a whole new level, we end up just doing home cooked meals or takeaway feasts for special occasions anyway. Because of this I can see from my own blog that my last fancy meal was April 2013 at Esquire.

Imagine my excitement when a couple of girls from work decided to arrange a joint birthday dinner at Urbane. I had it penned in my diary weeks in advance and found myself counting down to that weekend. Arguably even more eager than the birthday girls, I periodically looked up the Urbane website just to read the seasonal menu. I know I was obsessive because the menu actually changed at least once in the time that I was repeatedly looking it up.

Depot for Dinner

Depo, West End
http://the-depo.com/

After my long absence from Australia, I've finally started gathering material for blog posts again. I'm glad (and slightly overwhelmed) that there appears to be so many new restaurants/cafes/bars that have popped up in Brisbane in the time that I've been gone. Depo is one such venue that I'd never heard of before but is now much-mentioned in the foodie blogosphere.

With the number of catch-ups that I'm undertaking on my return, it's easy to try new places. Last night, my friend Pizza and I met up at Depo to scope the place out. It's located on Horan Street in West End, which is quiet and dark at night with ample street parking.

Degustation dinner at Esquire

Esquire
http://esquire.net.au/

When you think about it, one year is truly a long time. In the past year, I've reached the milestone of no longer being in my my early 20's (not so good), started to get into the groove with work (a bit better), expanded my scope of overseas destinations (better yet) and purchased 2 houses (HORRAH!).

Looking back, the whole journey can be surmized as one thing: growing up. Yup, a year is a long time and thus, when Marc and I reached our one year anniversary, we thought it was an important occasion to commemorate, even though we're far from being hardcore romantic types.

I had freedom of choice for the venue and I thought "what better time to tap into my reserve of unvisited fine dining restaurants that we otherwise have no occasion to visit?" Esquires got the luck of the draw.

Vintaged Bar and Grill for Dinner

Vintaged Bar and Grill
http://www.vintagedbarandgrill.com/

Byron recently bought a new car and to celebrate, we decided to go out for dinner somewhere nice in Brisbane. The plan made sense at the time because I was giving him a lift to Brisbane from Toowoomba to pick up the vehicle and we would be dining in town. He ended up going by himself during the week so it wrecked the purpose of the whole excursion but I'm hardly one to delete a food event simply because there's no reason behind it. Isn't eating nice food reason enough?

I chose Vintaged because it was conveniently located in the city (handy for me) and focuses on meats and proteins (good for him). I never even knew this restaurant existed despite walking past it maybe every time I'm in the city. This is because it's located on level 6 at the Hilton, accessible through the back of Wintergarden Shopping Mall on Elizabeth Street. I've walked past but never thought about what was above ground floor.

Dinner at Moda Restaurant

Moda Restaurant
http://www.modarestaurant.com.au/

I'm not the kind of girl who only gets excited about fine dining. Most of my recent dinners with Marc have been spent at trendier, casual spots and during the day, I tend to bounce between cafes. Every now and again though, I do get in the mood for a proper sit down meal with several courses and a bottle of red. We scheduled such a dinner aside last weekend and I selected Moda out of my list of contenders.

A Spanish red, recommended by our waiter

I only knew of Moda by reputation, and the fact that it's located where Gianni's used to be. It's a smallish restaurant with a predominantly outdoor dining space that succeeds in achieving a contemporary garden party atmosphere in the middle of the city. Not bad. Marc commented that he liked the style of furniture, minus the chandeliers. I liked the chandeliers.

Bacchus for Dinner

Bacchus Restaurant
http://www.bacchusrestaurant.com.au/

Brisbane seems to be the new 'It' location for starting a restaurant. New eating and drinking establishments are opening left right and centre every week. My long list of 'neet-to-try' locations is getting longer by the moment. I'm starting to feel like I'll never catch up! There's not enough meal slots in the weekend and space in my stomach to conquer them all before something newer pops up yet again.

One that I can finally tick off my list is Bacchus. Living in the South Brisbane area (my weekend home-away-from-home), I've been aware of Bacchus for a while. There was quite a buzz in the blogosphere as it opened in a frenzy of publicity-high launch parties. I figured it would be best to wait for the hype to cool a bit before trying the place out for myself.