Little Haveli, Broadway (Ultimo)

Little Haveli is a simple Indian restaurant with a straightforward menu and basic decor. While it’s not a place to go ‘out’ for dinner, I’ll definitely be ordering in from Little Haveli in the future – the food is good value and yummy!

Grasshopper, CBD

Nom Nom Pom had been telling me about Grasshopper for months, and we recently had the opportunity to try it out. It is hidden down a laneway. It is a small bar. It is unusual for Sydney. That’s all I’ll say. (I refuse to use the M- word in this post, so overused!!)

The Essential Ingredient, Rozelle

While gathering ingredients for our Tetsuya dinner the other week, I had to make a trip to The Essential Ingredient in Rozelle. And while there I had to take my mum for coffee. It was excellent coffee, as you’d expect from a place so dedicated to olfactory delights.

Essen Restaurant and Beer Cafe, Ultimo

A restaurant which serves a variety of local and imported beers, deep-fried camembert and eight kinds of schnitzel? That’s a Mr Black kind of place. So I took him along to Essen using a Jump On It voucher, and to my surprise, I liked it so much I took another friend there a month later!

Yum cha at The Dynasty, Canterbury Leagues Club, Belmore

Another Sunday, another yum cha. This weekend we decided to take my step-dad to yum cha at Canterbury Leagues Club in Belmore, near where I work. Despite having worn forbidden footwear, I was allowed in eventually after swapping my lovely, clean, dainty Havaianas for a pair of my step-dad’s velcro strappy sandals. Which looked ridiculous, but at least the bouncers would let me in. (Such a stupid, archaic rule!)

Hung Cheung, Marrickville

Now that Mr Black has fallen in love with yum cha, we have been going at least once a month. Happy days! There’s no better way to start a lazy day than sipping tea and taking a chance on the yum cha trolley roulette (or ‘tray’ roulette in this case).

Tetsuya Degustation Dinner

Recently, my good friend Chef Al and I had the opportunity to meet my favourite chef, Tetsuya Wakuda. We were so inspired by the simplicity of his dishes that we decided to hold a degustation dinner of our own for some special lady-friends. Each lady-friend brought along a wine to match one of the courses plus a stinky cheese to help round off the night.

Let’s Eat Thai, Marrickville

 Fantastic, authentic, cheap and sophisticated Thai in the Inner West – huzzah! We’ve been waiting for you, Let’s Eat!

I can’t praise the food here highly enough. Every dish, every mouthful was perfect. The menu is extensive, and the specials board particularly enticing.