Paddington

Spent noon afterwards in the Paddington area to visit the market especially.

entrance

OMIGOSH LOOK AT ALL THE SUNNIES. reminds me of designs by illesteva and a pair even resembles miu miu noir in this stall!

pretty pop-up cards of Sydney's and worldwide landmarks

budding designers got a spot too!

 Interesting at first but personally I much prefer the Camberwell Sunday market in Melbourne. Will be posting about that very soon.

the cutest array of shops. and the forever gorgeous mini cooper. sighs.

breathtaking view of a lane on the way back, somehow it reminds me of san fransisco. weird, huh?

Last stop in Sydney. The trip has been lovely but I am more than ready to go back to Melbourne. See you later, Syd!

Food Society

First time eating a modern eastern european meal and it was truly enjoyable. Slightly whimsical yet somehow dark and romantic, Food Society offers delicious dishes prepared by super good looking chef and served with equally heart-throbbing waiters.

blini stack, two types of roe, creme fraiche and dill. perfect starters.

guess winter came late in Sydney

goulash society style - slow braised beef cheek, polenta and paprika

twice cooked lamb ribs with sliced potatoes, tomato, eggplant and rosemary. tender, juicy, flavourful - delivers everything you expect from lamb ribs.

grilled cuttlefish on squid ink risotto and parmesan - dish of the night, hands down the best risotto i've ever had.

society signature pashka with strawberry compote - tasted like a very light cheesecake.

fluffy walnuts and chocolate souffle served with ice cream.

A girl just couldn't be happier.

Patisse

Tempted by MasterChef's episode when the master of dessert himself set the elimination challenge of creating his perfume-inspired dessert, we immediately cabbed to Patisse the next morning.  

le chic friend busy looking for a cab

pretty sign; chic, as expected.

the maestro!

fashionable reads available while waiting for the cakes to be served.

vanilla mille-feuille; any vanilla person will surely go to the seventh heaven.

looking good from any angle.

mango cake. reminds me of the oriental mango pudding, simply melts in the mouth.

pistachio and rose cake.

the three musketeers

 As soon as we arrived, we were looking for the perfume cake of course. Unfortunately they were only about to prepare that batch for the next day, so we compromised with what they have ready in the counter and ended up with the vanilla mille-feuille, pistachio and rose cake and the mango cake. Delightful desserts, served in the best place to chill; we were seriously in denial to leave the place. If only we got the chance, we would certainly come back for the perfume cake!

Chat Thai

Had heard so much about how wonderful this place is. We were so pumped up, once we got the seat at Chat Thai we ended up ordering five dishes with white fluffy rice for each yet there were actually only three of us. Humiliated ourselves due to our greediness since we were seated in the communal table with a petite couple who were very astonished with the capacity of our tummies. Not to mention I ended up eating most of the dishes we ordered since I transformed into Foodzilla that day due to my monthly syndroms. You know what I mean. Goodness gracious.

tom ssap; i hope i'm spelling this correctly!

seriously sick pad thai. sick in a good way, of course.

the ultimate savoury guilty pleasure - spicy fried rice with glistening sunny side up and extras of pork belly = carbs &fats. the gym awaits as the Foodzilla a.ka. me finished this thing alone ignoring the flabbergasted couple sitting opposite.

chewy pork shoulder

green is good for your health and so is this curry! ok maybe it's just good for the tongue & tummy.

It really does live up to its fame, I must say. The best Thai food I've ever had so far, can't stop thinking of going back every single day, for lunch, dinner and supper. Yes, that's how much I love them. Even simply staring at the pictures makes my tummy rumbles. Lord, do bring me back to Sydney!

Jamie's Italian

So excited to finally visit one of Jamie Oliver's restaurant. Stumbled upon this wonderful alley on the way there.

such a pleasant surprise!

sad, melancholic title for the artwork

hauntingly beautiful, somehow it oozes a sense of loneliness.

Only in Sydney have I stumbled upon something so unexpected in the middle of nowhere. The alley is full of the recordings of various birds' beautiful singing, details of what bird is it is written on the pavements. So sad and beautiful at the same time.

too excited, starting to take pictures of every little details of the place. i know, i know. i'm so asian.

the busy, busy counter.

the menu. i think. 

snippet of my outfit of the day - ASOS' rose gold watch; Forever New coat & dress; Wolford tights

 Moving on, we finally reached the destination of the day, Jamie's Italian! Got a seat right next to the busy counter on the second floor. 

complimentary bread drenched in olive oil

the phantom looks like it's helping me hold the piece of bread. book ring i got off The Rocks' weekend market.

apple & pear gorgonzola salad with peppery watercress & honey toasted walnuts

smoky scamorza arancini - crispy rice balls stuffed with
smoked mozzarella & porcini

We started off with the salad and the wonderful rice croquettes. Beautifully executed.

fish baked in a bag- local fish of the day with clams,
mussels, fennel, chilli, anchovies
&Sicilian cracked wheat

osso bucco milanese -Aussie lamb cooked overnight with
tomatoes, saffron, wine & herbs.
Served on oozy polenta bianca

We had the fish and the lamb as mains for our lunch, I thought these two could have been much better. On top of that, it is sad to say that the rude waiter at the place ruined the meal. Oh well, things aren't perfect all the time, it's just life.

Bourke Street Bakery

My friend claimed without any hesitation that this place is her one true love. Bourke Street Bakery never disappoint and stays consistent every time she pays a visit and honestly, how can you not agree? Just look at the crowd!

can you spot someone else who's taking a pic of the queue as well?

entertainment of the day!

 being asian, i couldn't help myself capturing the moment in my old fashioned blackberry. oh come on, it's not everyday that the sky is smiling!

getting closer to the entrance, excitement level 90.

managed to walk out safe and sound with these goodies! meringue tart and pear croissant.

unashamed greedy selves, camped on the garden opposite to the bakery, ready to munch them ALL.

Lucky enough to snatch what I want before they run out of stock. Epic battle comparable to shoe and sample sales or boxing day. Be prepared especially if you are visiting the place on weekends!

Messina

Been so blessed to get to visit Messina thanks to God and my human GPS buddies. It is said to be one of the best gelato  in Australia and I totally agree. How can one go on a diet when faced with these?

yuzu sorbet surrounds a salted caramel swirl, encased in orange scented chocolate

This fellow right here is named the Samurai for looking bloody and fierce for one stick of ice-cream, but it tastes more like a geisha hidden under the fierce facade of a samurai. Delicate and refreshing, perfect for those hot (or not so hot, if you're a glutton like me) days.

the extended family

can you spot the mushroom?

too good to be true.

 Samurai and his buddies belongs to the category of Monoporzione (whatever it is, it sounds and tastes good!) and the gelato bar is located just next to this.

fig and yoghurt-berries flavoured gelato.

 So much for cutting down the sugar.