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Winter Lunch

Recently my love and I embarked on a few days away in the Hunter region. Our stipulations were somewhere with a fire and beautiful scenery for walks. Of course, good food and wine were on the agenda also. Being big fans of Armando Percuoco - Chef of Buon Ricordo, and inventor of the insanely good truffle egg fettucine dish, we’d been wanting to stay at the cottage on his property in Wollombi for some time.

Valleyfield Escape had the roaring fire we were after, and 2.5 acres of gorgeous grounds, olive trees and outdoor sculptures to explore, along with the best bath I’ve ever had the privilege of soaking in.

They also offer an unusual but very cool dinner option. You can order dinner from a smaller Buon Ricordo menu and it will magically appear in sous vide bags in the fridge at Valleyfield, ready for you to throw into boiling water for a few minutes and devour. Very handy, when the nearest supermarket is a good 40 minute drive away. Out of curiousity, if nothing else, we had to try this!

Sure the delicate plating was missing but all the flavour was there and the portions were huge. We managed to feast on one meal for two of the nights we were there. And along with the provided bacon, eggs and ocean trout for breakfast, we were very well fed by Armando.

After enjoying all the comforts of the property, we were ready to venture out sans exercise clothes or pyjamas (hard to get out of actually), and dress a little more formally for a lovely long lunch.

Our lunch venue was easily chosen - Margan Estate’s restaurant has won Best Restaurant of the region more than a few times, along with being familiar with their excellent portfolio of wines. It’s also a gorgeous 30 minute drive from Valleyfield.

A crackling, deliciously smoky open fire greeted us.

Once settled in the cosy space, we were handed our glasses of elegant Margan Methode Champenoise Chardonnay Pinot Noir and started the menu deliberation. The degustation at $100 sounded absolutely perfect, except I’d spied a dessert that I just had to try - the apple soufflé. Luckily, our fabulously helpful waitress arranged to swap my dessert option and we were all set to relax and let the food flow. 

We were treated to a beautifully fresh plate of pickled veg, from the large restaurant garden on the property, compliments of the Chef. 

First degustation dish up was a stunning start. Jerusalem artichoke with gruyere, yolk from the chickens on the property and walnut. Creamy, decadent and just heaven.

Matched with the Smoke & Mirrors Pinot Gris, it was a perfect fusion of crisp and creamy flavours. Sigh. I love holidays.

Next was the inventive Salmon pastrami with cucumber, rye and kohlrabi and matched gorgeously with the Margan Aged Release Semillon 2010.

An artful plate of fresh and succulent flavours. Meanwhile, a couple had been seated next to us who had choppered in for a two course lunch, on the hunt for a wedding venue. Whilst we waited for an opportunity to befriend them and thus bag an invite to what was sounding like an amazingly luxurious wedding, the next course came.

Glazed ham hock with scallop, crisp pigs ear and peas, paired with the White Label Chardonnay 2014. That Chardonnay though, it felt like sipping manna from heaven. This dish was my companions fave, and whilst I loved the crunchy texture of the pigs ear with the smooth, velvety bite of the scallop raviolo, I just couldn’t get over that Jerusalem artichoke. 

Getting happily full, which we blamed on the ridiculously good smoked butter that we smeared on warm rolls between courses, we were ready for the last of our savoury dishes.

Charred Wagyu with pancetta, mushroom and onion marrow, paired with Margan Shiraz 2007. Just wow. The marrow had such incredible flavour, the wagyu juicy and beautifully cooked and I just had to have a moment over the plateware. Such exquisite presentation. Not to mention the magnificent savoury richness of the Shiraz, lusciously cutting through the decadence of the dish.

I knew dessert would be a corker, but we needed a bit of breathing room beforehand and an excellent coffee helped the digestive process.

Meanwhile, the Chef sent over a superb vanilla pannacotta and watermelon granita as a palate cleanser. From the way we tucked in, it was clear we were ready for dessert.

The dessert on the degustation also sounded dazzling, so I was relieved I’d get to try both. The Margan ‛pavlova’ was a deconstructed version of the traditional pav, with far more finesse and flavour than usual. A beautiful way to end the meal.

But - my apple soufflé with cinammon ice cream and Botrytis Semillon, just took it to another level. Nothing beats scooping into an airy souffle`, especially when it’s this good. It’s like eating a deliciously flavoured cloud.

We could eat and drink no more, so we strolled through the gardens to visit the resident chickens, and then piled into the car to return to our hideout and lay in food comas by the fire. There’s nothing like a Winter holiday to show your stomach who’s boss.

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Eat a Knafeh and shake your thang.

If your tastebuds haven’t been revolutionised by Knafah yet, here’s what you’re missing…

First, get the name down. It’s pronounced ‘kah - na - feh’

Second, a brief history of the dessert craze sweeping Sydney. The El-issa family decided to take their Jerusalem street food dessert from the Shisha Bar & Grill in Croydon Park, to the appreciative people on the street by converting a shipping container into a mobile food stall, NYC style.

Third, know what you're there for. A baked sweet cheese semolina pudding, resulting in a crumbly top layer accompanied by crushed pistachios and sugar syrup. Scoop in and you'll find a warm custard like consistency. You are there for this and maybe some cracking singing and dancing as the cooks get down to some funky Lebanese beats, but that is it. Look for your savoury dishes and drinks elsewhere.

Fourth, you’ll wish you knew some Lebanese dance moves. There will be music, whether it's an R&B band atop the shipping container, or some traditional horns and you will want to shake your thang but will find yourself outclassed by the bona fide Arabian moves in the crowd. Shake it anyway. 

Fifth, you will want a second Knafeh. They are that good. The decadent creaminess of a warm creme brûlée, packed with the flavour hit that characterises Lebanese food. Not too sweet and downright delicious. 

Sixth, check their Facebook page for their latest location and stalk until you get that Knafeh into you!

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Bang Up Dinner

A weeknight girls catch up in the cool, foodie haven of Surry Hills is such a great proposal on all accounts. Especially when trying somewhere new. Bangladeshi street food sounded exotically interesting and not too xxy.  Bang Street Food on Crown street provides its own synopsis - BANG is the favorite of celebrities and political leaders, the perfect place to share good times with friends, colleagues or lovers.

And indeed, we sighted a celebrity on this unassuming Wednesday night, but more about that later.

Outfit first. Surry Hills calls for a slight grunge glam vibe (but don’t go too far, we don’t want to look like we tried, right?), so, I was debuting a new faux fur scarf from Topshop. Really quite warm and paired well with my army anorak.

I was hurrying to nab a table in what I thought would be a heaving restaurant, but after running up some stairs I found a great industrial styled space but only two other tables full. Damn! I’d rushed thinking I’d have to line up and now I had a good twenty minute wait for my mate. Oh well, I ordered a Stone & Wood (big TICK for having this hard to get beer on the menu) and got down to analysing the menu in great detail.

The non alcoholic drinks sounded so good, (famous lassi’s -  yum), I contemplated a dry dinner. But then I read on and the wine list was particularly intriguing. All the wines are sourced from Portugal, a nod to the Portuguese’s arrival in Bangladesh in the 16th century and continued presence there. So, I really had to try the wine for a balanced experience, or so I told myself. 

My lovely dining companion arrived and the restaurant began to fill up. We had lots to gasbag about, so we decided to go for the ‘Bang for your Buck’ $55 banquet menu, so we could begin chatting and bypass menu deliberation. 

We started with some peanuts that set the tone for the meal cutely, wrapped in a Bangladeshi newspaper cone. 

Sweet idea but we’d only shelled half by the time the next dish arrived, too busy talking truth be told. The fuska - spiced potato, coriander, green chilli, shaved egg, tamarind water was a little parcel of deliciousness. And we thought it only right to order some wine about now.

I went for a glass of Flor de Crasto branco from the beautiful Douro region, which I have visited. It was crisp and fresh and a great match with the food. I love when a restaurant only offers the wine they think best suits the food. It’s great to be pushed out of your comfort zone and it was a perfect little list in this setting.

Next was a salad of pomelo, keera cucumbers, snake beans, grapes, black chickpeas & spiced almonds. It was fresh and crispy but taste wise, a little underwhelming. In fact, we commented on the lack of chilli within any of the dishes. It may not be traditional but it would be a welcome addition to some, or maybe as a side condiment offering.

Ora king salmon bhorta, creme fraiche, mustard oil & house pappadams were a nice step up. The salmon was served ceviche style, ready to be scooped up onto the pappadum. A nice crunch with the juiciness of the salmon. 

Honey roasted paneer, onion and peas was fantastic. A fun take on the traditional cheese of this cuisine, and a nice flavour combo.

Wagyu tri tip curry was sensational for a cold night. Rich and tender. But the naan was the real star. Warm and flaky and delicious. 

We were absolutely stuffed but when the Kulfi came out, we suddenly found room - mango ice cream, white chocolate and pistachio and presented so sweetly.

So, now for the celebrity sighting - right at the back of the restaurant sat the incredibly well preserved Jana Wendt. My mate is a journo, so we both felt pretty chuffed with our choice of venue for the night. If Jana eats here, and remains so gorgeous (and svelte!) then it’s good enough for us.

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An uncommon dinner.

It’s cold outside, baby. It really is a great time to be holed up somewhere intimate, snuggling, snuffling food and glugging wine.

I was planning a date night around my fave Winter event in Sydney- the Sydney Film Festival. Tickets booked for a thriller about house eviction, and now I needed a dinner booking.

I was on the lookout for places within walking distance to the cinema, that were open on a Sunday and had a fireplace. Not picky at all.

I chanced upon the Winter dining trifecta with The Commons in Darlinghurst.

We were amongst the first people in at 6pm, and kudos to them for operating a cool inner city restaurant on a Sunday night, they are truly in the minority there. As it happened, the table right by the fire was ours. Great news for two reasons, fire = romance, and, I could take off my large jacket and unleash my Klamir at Eve Adorned statement necklace onto the world. Win, bloody win. 

Once my cocktail arrived, ‘The Dutch’- campari, vodka and some skillful bar tending, (delicious), I could take in the ambience of the space. Just off the very  start of Oxford street, was this gorgeous sandstone cottage we found ourselves in. Rustic, warm and so different to my expectations. It felt like a cosy locals spot in a French village. So far, so lovely. They’d also very kindly rustled up some Fino sherry for my beloved from their well stocked, but closed bar downstairs.

Our charming French waiter informed us it actually was ‘locals night’ and as such there was a special of a $5 glass of wine with main courses. Très bien!

He also took us through the unbelievably delicious sounding menu as he was literally chalking the board behind us, and helpfully gave us a little wink on his favourite dishes. We had already ordered the duck liver pate’ to munch on whilst we deliberated, but we asked this of someone other than our French friend and during the dining room set up, so we forgave him for forgetting. Especially as we realised we now had room for more dishes.

We decided to share three dishes and get three $5 glasses of wine to boot. They weren’t just underwhelming house wines either. The white was a great drop from King Valley, and the red - a Merlot from McLaren Vale, really good also. 

The first dish out was Mussels in a creamy curry broth with handcut chips. This elicited a big nudge from our waiter, so we knew it was a must order. And thanks to his beautiful French palate, we were besotted upon first taste.

Such a fragrant, warming dish on a cold night. The chips were incredible, authentically hand cut with a nice salty cut through. The curry broth was gorgeously creamy but had the perfect amount of heat. When the waiter spotted us slurping it like soup, he promptly brought out some bread, and although this was our date night, by this point, we definitely developed a twinkle in our eyes for him. 

Next out was an Angus eye fillet with roasted vegies and a celeriac puree, and it was a beautiful piece of meat, presented simply. Just right.

We also opted for a dish I wouldn’t normally order, the beetroot, blue cheese and walnut risotto. I would expect this to be the type of dish you get a little bit sick of half way through.

I was wrong. We were fighting each other for more of it. So well balanced, somehow light, offset by the crunch of the walnuts and just downright delicious. 

We were having the type of blissful night out you have when you’re on holidays and you discover a locals gem where no other English speakers are plonking around. We were just blown away that we hadn’t been here before.

So, dessert. My dining partner wanted the crème brûlée . I am not always bowled over by them but I agreed, as long as I could order the donuts. Donuts are a retro dessert trend that I really hope stick around.

The crème brûlée was lovely. Light but beautifully flavoured, and gotta admit, I do love the ritual of cracking that toffee open.

The donuts turned out to be quite a large portion, but, somehow we finished them in no time. What’s there to say about an awesomely good donut? They’re best eaten quickly and we complied. Although, I didn’t adore the chocolate dipping sauce. I prefer a creamy accompaniment. Marscapone? Ricotta? Ice cream, even? But rest assured, the sauce didn’t stop me. 

Thankfully, we had a walk to the cinema ahead of us and before we left we checked out both the private room and the bar downstairs. Live music on Wednesday and Saturday nights - we will totally be back to gorge then boogie.

Date nights are always best when there’s love in the food and the waiters are French.

J’adore The Commons!

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Besser Italian

It was a chilly, wet Friday night and the four of us were hungry for a hearty meal and a warm place to hang our hat for the night. We had the brand new informal Italian joint in Surry Hills- Besser Italian, in our sights.

The team behind A Tavola has taken over the old Billy Kwong site, and installed a 60′s mod fit out, featuring, you guessed it, besser blocks.

Half our party arrived at 6pm and nabbed a table quite easily, thankfully. We rolled up a little later and took in the design of the space as we walked in. It conjured up vintage Italian posters and Peroni ads. Bright but intimate, sophisticated in its coolness but still relaxed, it was a welcome haven on a wintry night. 

I do love the excuse to wear so many outfit elements in Winter. New boots always get a run, it’s gorgeously comforting to pull out your favourite jackets and jewellery becomes even more attention grabbing to compete with all the layers. Or maybe that’s just me. I had a purple mani and it seemed to call for my game of thrones style ring, fittingly, from Italian brand Luxury Fashion at Eve Adorned.

A stylish waiter in a newsboy hat and braces informed us that if we wanted the risotto, we’d have to order it soon as they only make one batch a night - strictly at 7pm and it’s first in best dressed. So, yeah, we ordered the risotto.

But we also needed a drink, and Besser are offering one of my favourite European traditions. Wine on tap. It’s not exactly a 4 euro carafe, but still, greatly convenient to be able to order 3 different sizes of Italian wine. We chose the Montepulciano  and also got some advice on how many plates to order. Besser encourages sharing dishes, and with so many great ones on the menu, we happily obliged.

First out was San Daniele Prosciutto and Bufalo Burrata. Just yum.

Meatballs in tomato sauce and parmesan.

A little slice of fried heaven - lamb fingers.

Garlic bread with mama’s style homemade tomato sauce.

The small plates were warming and fun to munch whilst chatting. As the restaurant filled up, the service did get a little frantic. We had to wait a while for water top ups and to order additions like the bread, but it seemed excuseable, as the waitstaff were happy enough when you got their attention and it’s still early days for Besser.

Our risotto of pancetta and peas was worth the 6pm start time. Salty, nicely textured and simply flavoured.

Mushroom tagliatelle was creamy and rich without being heavy handed. 

A bite of freshness with zucchini, almond and faro salad.

I love to share as a table. It’s THE most fun way to eat. The dishes keep coming, you order more wine, the conversation ebbs and flows around the food arriving. The Italian’s just know how to live, right? With this food, it feels like they know everything. And the Besser team are offering their own simple slice of la dolce vita through this excellent, downright delicious food. 

Velvety textured Ossobuco.

And now we come to dessert. The menu offerings are small, simple and surprising. Gorgeous sounding Italian custard filled donuts and marscapone were a must.

But I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw Nonna’s sponge cake listed. I LOVE sponge cake. And unless I’m at a bake sale or in the country, it’s not often I get to have some. 

I went against my sharing principles here and announced I was getting the sponge cake, even if I was on my own. Once it arrived, I most definitely was not. The little silver and gold pearls on top were awesomely nostalgic in this setting. The kick of orange flavour elevated this otherwise excellent sponge into godly status.

Full, warm, happy and a little bit boozed. Did we really have to leave? That’s the only rub with eating so early.

The next wave of diners had arrived and were filling the restaurant, so we realised we must. We did get the risotto though, and no queuing for a table. Maybe those 6pm diners have been onto something all this time.

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Reuben Hills

A word on lunch. For me, it’s often a thrown together, undercooked affair. Unless I’ve made plans for a catch up with someone or have a ‘discuss the new direction of blah blah and be impressive’ timeslot scheduled, it’s usually a pretty mundane experience.

Not the day I decided to walk into Reuben Hills on a whim, in the middle of a nondescript workday. It could’ve been the new Nars Audacious lipstick I was wearing that made me do it (see what I did there?) in the gorgeous deep red tone of Charlotte...

Or it could’ve been that I had heard so much about their ‘NOT reuben’ sandwich that it finally passed through my subconscious into actual action. 

The cafe was packed but we managed to nab a couple of bar stools by the front window and order a couple of the Bondi Beach cold press juices. Rather a nice start. 

Of course we were going to have to try the Not Reuben, but as we watched plates being put in front of other diners, their dishes were heaped with food. So, we decided to share and perused the South and Central American inspired menu. After a lengthy conversation with our very helpful waiter we settled on the Green chillaquiles to go with our sandwich.

Whilst we waited, we took in the chill industrial ambience and ducked out of the food pics almost everyone around us were taking. Not that I could really talk.

After what seemed like a tad too long to wait, our food arrived, just as I was starting to think this may not be a great spontaneous thing to do on a busy workday. 

But it sure didn’t take us long to wolf it down when it finally came.

The NOT Reuben - wagyu salt brisket, pickled slaw, manchego and horseradish mayo on rye bread, was absolutely luscious, as hoped when paying $18 for a sandwich. The brisket with the manchego was rich and salty, but the horseradish provided a nice bitey cut through. And I have all the time in the world for gherkin. Yours too, if you don’t want it.

The Green chillaquiles with smoked pinto, seeds & currants, goats fetta, yoghurt, sumac and a poached egg was also a perfect lunch. Like a gourmet version of nachos but healthy and fresh. The egg made it just substantial enough to be a great accompaniment to the sandwich. 

Unfortunately we didn’t have time to try their coffee but I’ve heard it’s good gear. Our little lunchtime adventure was definitely worth the frantic trip back to work with heads down checking emails whilst leering around the streets like we were drunk. We didn’t crash into a pole or get run over, and there was gherkin consumed, so overall, a brilliant jaunt.

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Freeballing in Melbs.

I was in Melbourne for two days and one night and I had absolutely no food plans. I was going with a friend and we wanted to be loosey goosey about the whole thing, play it cool and make some new discoveries by winging it. Secretly, I was utterly panicked, as I felt the pressure of attempting to saunter into a restaurant on a Saturday night sans reservation, in one of the hottest eating cities in the world and by CHANCE - be served a f*&$cking sensational meal. You see, there are so many good options in Melbs, for me, every meal has to be a revelation. I can’t do mediocre there, I’m only there for 4 meals and every bloody one better be memorable. Sounds like a formula for a chilled weekend right? Uh huh.

I was at least dressed for the occasion, as it turns out the weather was incredible - sunny and crisp and my bright colours felt right. Really my outfit was driven by my accessories, new fave arm candy, The Ropes Chevron Bracelet, and my wardrobe workhorse neon orange earrings by Knotty Gal. Excuse the pretentious fash blog pic below, but that wall art was begging for a sultry over the shoulder gaze.

As the wheels touched down, I found myself repeating “what’s the food plan? Have we got a plan for where we’re eating?” - annoying, I know.

My buddy had his own agenda and I found myself comforted by some guidelines to work around. We were headed to Fitzroy to shop and he had heard about a great Mexican in St Kilda that didn’t take reservations (for once a plus) and as we were also planning to get to the famed Greyhound Hotel later in the night for a a fabulous drag show, St Kilda for dinner it was. I breathed out a little now that we had some semblance of a food plan, and we headed to Fitzroy for brunch and shopping.

I can’t remember the last time I just casually walked into a cafe in Melbourne without already knowing what the must try dish is, but here we were, walking along Brunswick street in Fitzroy and before we knew it, seated at Stagger Lee’s, staring at their cold drip coffee installation.

Getting caffeinated was definitely the first priority and when it came, it was thankfully up to Melbourne scratch and the kitsch cup looked pretty cute with my bracelet, an extra win.

Not wanting to hit my eating peak too early, I opted for ‘The Simple’ - vine tomatoes, hass avocado, meredith goats curd, basil, olive oil, murray river pink salt, with a poached egg and jamon iberico. It was delicious without being decadent. And I find jamon really ups the ante of every meal.

But, when my bestie’s meal came out I was devastated I hadn’t ordered the ‘shrooms and truffles’ masterpiece - pan roasted local pine mushrooms, truffled polenta, confit egg yolk, pecorino pepato and farmhouse toast. It smelt divine, the egg yolk was so perfectly cooked that he rolled it around for a little while before stabbing it. I had a taste and my eyes rolled back in my head. Well played my friend.

We had caffeine in our veins and money in our wallets (for now), we were primed to shop. Brunswick street held many boutique gems and of the few we hit up we bought something in each (oops).

AS Colour for good basics for the boys, like this baseball tee...

Milk & Sugar for super cute homewares and accessories, like this little coin purse that is now mine...

And Hemley for men’s and women’s clothing, like this cool Weathered anorak that I just had to have. It’s hard to come to Melbourne and not buy a jacket, alright? 

After changing into heels (Nine West) we took in a brilliantly programmed short film screening at the Melbourne Queer Film Festival (the actual reason we were there).

Then we headed for Radio Mexico. But unfortunately, there was a two hour wait - and this was at 8:30pm. Shiiiit. My nightmare was happening! We wandered around St Kilda considering not entirely desirable options, but I couldn’t give in to possible mediocrity just because we were getting sober. We then managed to do the impossible. We sauntered into a cool restaurant in Melbourne on a Saturday night with no booking and had a f%$cking good meal. Words eaten. Along with some very nice fries.

We stumbled upon a little enclave of three or so great looking restaurants in a row, and one of them had been highly recommended to me a while ago, Luxembourg. It was sexy, they could seat us outside and they had heaters on. It felt like Melbourne. 

Now to address our increasingly clear minded state, we chose a rather beautiful Pinot Gris with an equally beautiful label, by Domaine Lucci.

We opted to share mains. The Gnocchi Parisienne, salt baked celeriac & cauliflower sounded heavenly and we balanced that with the 300g O’Connor strip loin, Café de Paris butter and some hand cut chips with salad on the side.

I loved the gnocchi. Its softness contrasted well with the crispy cauliflower, although my friend wasn’t raving about it.  He did go gooey for the strip loin however, juicy and perfectly cooked, buttery and rich.

And the chips. Somehow, a bit of potato deep fried is always a highlight...

We did have a drag show to get to, but before that it would have been really wrong not to try dessert.

The chocolate tart, baked to order with cultured crème Chantilly, was somehow deliciously light but still molten in the centre.

But the unanimous winner was the blood plum, malt ice cream & coffee crumble. Unexpected flavours meshed together in crunchy, creamy harmony.

Thank Madonna we were about to dance our arses off, hopefully literally. 

To ensure maximum fabulosity, we enjoyed a very dirty martini before leaving and it gave me pause to admire my bling for the night - A Zariin green amethyst ring. 

Ah Melbs, you taught me a true gourmet lesson this time. Sometimes if you can be free enough to follow your heart, there’ll be a meal you would never have otherwise discovered at the end of it. 

* Next day post script: We managed to drag our hungover selves to the Australian Centre for the Moving Image in Fed Square and this was a non food trip highlight. So many interactive exhibitions and buttons to touch. Spent 30 minutes doing different posing sequences for a personalised flip book animation - the ultimate selfie! A must visit next time you get to Melbs.

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March into Merivale for Date Night

I love festivals of food, indulging for a limited time is just brilliant fun, especially when there’s a deal to be had. March into Merivale is one of my favourite food events. Merivale are just spot on with their venues - they get the food right, the fit out is always cool and during March they have lots of lovely incentives to get your butt at their table.

Scheduling a free night to catch up amongst a group of girlfriends is always challenging, so when a Tuesday was decided upon, we gave little thought to the actual Merivale deal of the day and buckled down to picking a restaurant. We decided on the French Bistro at Ivy, Felix, decked out with a heavy dose of Parisian charm and French accented waiters to boot. Also their steak frites is killer. 

We met up at the Chandon Vintage pop up bar on level two of Ivy for a pre dinner champs and I couldn't help but notice my lovely friend looking beyond gorgeous in her Veluna Necklace from Eve Adorned. We shared a Chandon and a laugh and then headed onto dinner. 

French decor and juicy steak is a recipe for passion, right? Well, when the 7 of us sat down to a table scattered with rose petals and a centerpiece of long stemmed red roses in vases, we felt pretty damn romanced.

Down to the deal…$55 for two courses including a glass of sparkling/wine or mineral water. For such great food and ambience, this felt like a steal. We quickly devised that we’d want to share entree’s and desserts anyway, so half would order starters and the other half desserts and we could have ALL the food!

We started with salmon rillettes, croutons and pickled cucumber, which was divinely creamy on top of crunchy bread and cucumber. 

Citrus cured kingfish and watermelon tartare with feta avocado and cucumber was also moreishly fresh and zingy. The Assiette de charcuterie was a nice selection of cured meats but the star was the chicken liver paté, which made us wish we’d just ordered a big plate of that. For each of us. 

By this stage we were ready for another glass of something, and red meat featured heavily in our main selection, so in honour of a recent and very boozy group trip to the Mornington Peninsula, we decided on the 2013 Maxi by Merivale Pinot Noir. And it was a great, inexpensive house wine.

Several big life changing announcements later (a baby on the way, another moving to London) and many cheers on, our mains arrived. Three of us opted for the sirloin steak frites and we were not disappointed. Accompanied by herb butter and red wine jus, it’s just a beautifully simple dish I can’t go past at Felix, because they always do it so well. 

The wood grilled king salmon, sauce soubise, fennel compote, lemon and chives was also delicious and for your information and ours, a sauce soubise is an onion puree.

A couple of us opted for the slow roasted lamb shoulder, herb crust, pomme puree, caramalised onion and rosemary jus, which looked utterly yummy also, especially when framed by the rose petals.

The last dish out was the succulent rotisserie spatchcock, rocket, iceberg and lemon vinaigrette.

The food was refined but simple, the service had a touch of Merivale cheekiness which is really how Sydney should be doing French Bistro dining. And the atmosphere was buzzing and dare I say - passionate.

But, we haven’t gotten to dessert yet. We asked if we could include their famous tarte tatin within our order, as it’s usually for two. The manager kindly agreed and we chose the passionfruit souffle as our other option.

The tarte tatin was absolutely huge and accompanied by calvados crème fraîche, roasted hazelnuts and vanilla ice cream. The tart itself was gorgeous, the apple was juicy but not sloppy and the tart a decadent crunch, however we all found the vanilla ice cream a touch too strong flavour wise.

The souffle with coconut sorbet was fluffy perfection. A souffle is my favourite dessert of all time and expecting nothing less than excellence from Felix, they of course, nailed it. 

So, did we score at the end of date night? I think walking away having spent well under $100 for that feast was definitely a foodie triumph. As for love, well, any chick that holds your hair back when you’re surfing the porcelain bowl deserves your eternal love, so, yep, love was at that table, rose petals or not.

March Into Merivale details here: http://marchintomerivale.com.au/

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Bellyful of Bao and Mardi Gras...

A short word on a small Thursday night drink excursion. My talented friend's film was screening at the Mardi Gras Film Festival  (on until March 5) and we needed a drink before his short animation - Hole, had its premiere.

Hole by Tony Radevski

We chose GoodGod Small Club for its proximity and its Belly Bao offering - those fluffy pancakes filled with Asian flavoured treasure that are having a major food moment right now.

I recently bought a pork pie hat and thought this the perfect occasion to don it - an audience filled with creative types and let's be honest, my hat wouldn't be the most flamboyant headgear there. The first time I wore it was to see 50 Shades of Grey, but that was another type of film night entirely - less creative and definitely less nudity. My new Mac Relentlessly Red lip needed a statement necklace and my Veluna Triple Agate necklace from Eve Adorned fit the statement bill.

Goodgod was of course fairly empty, being 5pm on a Thursday, but from what we could make out through the darkness, the fitout was like a cool Cuban beach bar - just inside a very dark room off George Street, but I think you need a cocktail to complete the transformation. Luckily, the drinks list sounded dreamily tropical.

We opted for a $30 jug of The Teacher - gin, lemon, bitters and cucumber, exactly what the nearly Friday Doctor ordered.

Then to the Bao - ordered from the Belly Bao canteen at the back of the bar. There are six delicious sounding fillings to choose from and we will be back to sample every single one of them. But the two we went with were the crackling roast pork belly and the slow braised beef short rib (on right).

Soft fluffy pancake wrapped around melt in your mouth filling is just a perfect pairing. My friend was loving the authentic crackling and the beef short rib was velvety and rich, but I could've done without the tang of the kimchi, personally. 

We pretty much ate and ran, but a cool bar with great eats is always a happy discovery. And those Bao led us to victory - with Hole taking out the top prize! In front of esteemed audience member George Negus, no less.

photo by The Aperture Club

The Mardi Gras Film Festival runs until March 5 and the shorts were just intensely good, (I'm positive George thought so also) so make sure you bathe your senses in the heady art our LGBTIQ community has on offer and visit http://queerscreen.org.au/mgff/ for tickets.

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Little Beach Boathouse.

Recently I took a mini break from Sydney, the city I love to eat in. We headed North to Port Stephens and I'd come armed with only one restaurant recommendation - Little Beach Boathouse on the outskirts of Nelson Bay.

So, naturally we headed straight there for lunch on Day 1 of our vacay. If you haven't visited the Port Stephens area, the coastline is achingly beautiful. Bays of turquoise, whitsunday-esque water that dolphins frolic in with silky white sand abound, and it completely lacks the buzz of city life, which is exactly what we were after.

It's not known as a foodie destination and having been a number of times, my expectations were rather low, apart planning a mandatory visit to Holberts Oyster Farm for some spectacularly fresh oysters.

So, when we pulled up at the stylish cottage that housed Little Beach Boathouse, I was straight up impressed.

Set overlooking Little Beach, one of those perfect Bays just mentioned, the interior of the cottage was airy, light and beachy but still sophisticated.

I was wearing a fave top from DeCjuba, new sunnies (obsessed) from Cutler & Gross and intricate silver earrings by Zarah Voigt at Eve Adorned. 

We sat down and took a moment to enjoy the gorgeous view. Unfortunately the only outdoor seating is at the very front of the restaurant. But with views of the sea pouring in from the windows, you can still feel the ocean breeze.

Whilst we were surrounded by quite a few ahem, more mature patrons, everybody seemed to be in carefree moods and enjoying the vino, so we took their lead and ordered a glass of the Lisa McGuigan Pinot Gris and settled into holiday mode.

The menu was compact and delicious sounding and we couldn't go past the Port Stephens Rock Oysters to start. They alone, were worth the trip.

I opted for the crisp pork belly for my main with chat potatoes, broccolini, macadamia nuts, cauliflower puree & fig jam. It was saltily excellent with the fig jam adding a nice touch of sweet to cut through the decadence of the pork. 

Our other main choice was the fish of the day - Barramundi with garlic chats, salad, aioli & roast capsicum dressing. Nicely cooked, tender and really tasty.

Wanting to hit that perfect water after lunch we decided against dessert but opted for a coffee to wake us up out of our wine stupor. And it was pretty good.

So, this little boathouse is definitely worth a visit if you're travelling up North, and if you're an oyster lover you NEED to get yourself there. Also worth mentioning are the Inner Light Tea Rooms at the Nelson Bay Lighthouse for a cute cafe with an awesome view and if you feel like working off your meals then try climbing Mount Tomaree. It's a short uphill hike for one divine vista. But don't tell too many people, we need to keep the beaches only a little busy and leave the Sydney at home. 

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Noma D's.

A friend rang to invite us to a surprise birthday dinner for his wife. The catch was that it was on a Monday night. If we were in New York or London, this wouldn't be worth mentioning. But in Sydney, we are usually in enforced domestic lockdown on a Monday night, with nary a (good) restaurant open. Or so I thought. When the intended location fell through, suggestions were flying and I added a little thought to mix - Nomad. Upon googling I found it to be open on a Monday (how bloody convenient of them) and also to have a $65 tasting menu - 2015 is the year of the budget for us, so this was Taylor Swift to my ear cuffs. I also hadn't eaten there yet but it had become a running joke amongst friends to call this fine establishment 'Noma D's' rather than its nonchalantly cool proper title, due to a faux pas I made when walking past on another occasion. There is a little extra space between the D and the A on the Surry Hills window (cool right?) and upon viewing the Nordic style industrial fit out behind the window, I wondered aloud at this new bar - "what's this? Noma D's? This looks cool". It is, and it's evident I am not. 

 Noma D's took our booking regardless, and we fronted up to an almost full 830pm sitting. Sydney restaurants take note: if you open it, we will come!

In order to make up for my daggy gaffe I wore my coolest new piece of jewellery - a Seasonal Whispers hand chain from Eve Adorned. No one could mess with my in the know mojo now. 

We started with a gorgeously fragrant pinot grigio by Pfeiffer, in fact the focus of the whole wine list is great Australian wines. After wine choices were made - we could just sit back and wait for the 'feed me' menu to roll out. No menu choice biffo between the group, just conversation and wine sipping. 

First up were some house pickled veggies. Trust me - much better than they sound. Crisp and tart, a fresh way to begin.

Then came the housemade Nomad charcuterie board. It was significantly more interesting than the usual offering and succulently moreish but when the bread arrived a few minutes later, we were wishing we'd waited, or that the bread had arrived with the board, so we could have paired the two.

Raw kingfish with blood orange and fennel was light, simple and great. Worth noting is the portions provided for the size of the group were spot on. There's nothing worse than fighting to get to two plates plonked on a long table amongst lots of hungry people. We had one plate between four and it worked easily.

Showstopper: Goats cheese churros with truffle honey. Each churros was a crunchy sliver of heaven with truffle honey clouds. 

Dish no. 5 (yep it's still only $65) was Nomad Jersey milk haloumi with BBQ zucchini, pinenuts and raisins. It feels unusual to have two courses featuring cheese after one another, but when everything is so damn delicious, it just works. 

BBQ Lamb Rump with Moroccan eggplant salad and sheeps yoghurt is divinely yummy. Such an expertly handled mix of flavours, from European to African, nothing feels out of place.

Lastly the Daintree Estate chocolate cake with Iranian apricot and Nomad crème fraîche.

You know you're in good hands when you can finish the chocolate cake and not feel disgustingly full.  

$65 for such exquisite food is really quite incredible, especially in inner city Sydney.  Thank you Noma D for your excellent Monday night service to Sydney's diners. We salute you.

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New school Italian.

So these days it seems the only way to eat is somewhere with a use by date. The best of Chefs are picking a temporary site, popping up with new incarnations of their menu and then packing up before the masses even hear about it.

Alfio's is the nonna version of the slick city pop up. Set in a quiet suburban street in Leichhardt, inside an authentic vintage Italian restaurant fit out - brick arches and all, is a hot little spot serving up phenomenal food, albeit on Nonna's flowery plates.

It's been there since October and who knows when it will close, but with a menu that changes daily and offers four courses for $60 - cash only and BYO only, I suggest you get your butt in a seat presto. It was an achingly hot day so I went with a simple Morgan Marks maxi, a glo mesh clutch, a gift that I adore from C.A.M, new sparkly flats from Sambag and a ghetto fabulous Zariin amethyst ring from Eve Adorned.

The heat wasn't alleviated in the restaurant. Being old school for real means no air conditioning, just sweating it out European style. But who cares when you can drink your own wine without paying for the privilege and be served the first of four outstanding courses by young, cute boys? Not I.

The Saturday night crowd was heaving and the tunes were pumping, hence the atmosphere was rocking.

Then these crispy delights came out and the night really started. Roasted potatoes with sage and corn puree. Delicious and a taste revelation dipped in the corn puree.

Next course was mussels in a tomato broth with chickpeas and capsicum and a huge chunk of rustic bread to mop it all up - bellissimo.

The porcini lasagne stole the night though. Creamy, richly flavoured and so so moreish.

Minted lamb shoulder and peas were gorgeous, melt in your mouth stuff along with a fresh, crisp zucchini salad. But oh, that lasagne.

After a few trips outside to cool down (read flapping my maxi skirt up and down like your embarrassing Italian mama) we were steadily getting through our wine and ready for something sweet when this little chunk of heaven came out. Rochetta is a cheese from the piedmont region made from cow, sheep and goat's milk and it is mightily good.

Roasted peaches with marscapone were the final course of perfection. Fresh, beautifully sweet and simple, just Delicious (with a capital D).

The upshot is unfortunately we can't expect these ridiculously talented cute boys to stay in Nonna's kitchen forever, so check yourself before you wreck yourself and get there.

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Singularly good.

A quick word on some food and coffee that's so good, it's loopy. Single Origin Roasters in Surry Hills is not new, but it is consistently fanbloodytastic.

Ok, so it's definitely hipster (there's a separate coffee menu) and parking close by is $9.00 an hour (say What?!!!!!). BUT it's all worthwhile if a mediocre cafe experience just won't do.

Hungering for a better than average coffee, I met a friend for brunch. To match the sunniness of the day I was wearing new gold slides from Shubar Shoes (comfort + cool = obsessed) and my fave Han Kjobenhavn sunnies with neon Knotty Gal earrings from Eve Adorned.

The piccolo that came out was worth every bit of it's $4 price tag. Strong, rich and in gorgeously textured crockery.

Last time I visited I tried their special egg. Cooked extremely slowly somewhere between 62 degrees and a pan of boiling water, the egg white turns out with a very unusual texture, not googly, not hard. Jury was out for me on that one until I try it a second time. This was not the day though, as I had my eye on the avocado and Persian fetta on 5 grain sourdough. I could have added the egg but instead I wanted to try the house cured bacon.

Oh my. Salty and creamy and crispy and divine. That bacon was everything. The genius combination of Persian fetta and avo with a perfect slice of toast is in the food memory bank. Will eat you again my friend, and soon.

My companion equally adored his kedgeree. Kedgeree is traditionally a dish made from leftovers that I'm sure has been mentioned in some more obscure Scottish novels I've read. The SO kedgeree is definitely not leftovers, and features quinoa, smoked ocean trout, egg, green beans, harissa and a delicious sounding goats cheese panna cotta.

Single Origin has also recently branched out with a new solar powered (hipster, I know) coffee bar in Botany. For all their cool ways, the vibe was warm and the staff were great. And a cafe turning out food and coffee of this standard is no bearded novelty.

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Don't blame it on the Italian. Blame it on the Colombian.

We were catching up with friends for a long talked about night out. Babies were being sat and dogs were given bones and we were out for the long haul. Baccomatto Osteria in Surry Hills was the chosen dinner venue, from there we had several options for a post dinner boogie and I'd also heard fabulous things about it.

Seriously festive jewellery was in order, and you don't get much bolder than my Noritamy dented earrings from Eve Adorned. I was also rocking a new DVF blouse and a blow dry, otherwise referred to as dancing attire - check.

We were seated at a cosy back table in the sleek space, which was fab for ambience but a bit dim for food pics. So consider this an apology for not pulling out the flash - but rest assured no other diners were harmed/annoyed in the eating of this meal.

We started with some Bellini's and beers and looked over the concise menu. We appreciated the larger selection of small dishes and starters to share but it was refreshing to be offered only a few main options. With our efficient Italian waiter's help we easily picked a selection of starters, our mains and also a Arneis from Piedmont.

Calamaretti in guazzetto (tomato sauce) was a great start and the pumpkin, fontina and truffle paste arancini was even better. Arancini have become such standard fare, it's deliciously surprising to bite into a really bloody good one.

A board of San Daniele prosciutto and warmed foccacia was gorgeous as expected and the Wagyu Bresaola was also extremely moreish.

I confess, I'm not an anchovy eater - I know, it's not my best quality, but they were apparently excellent.

We were thoroughly enjoying our Italian themed catch up. The vibe was buzzy, the service seamless and the wine flowed.

I'd picked one of the two pastas on the menu for my main. Homemade linguine with zucchini flowers, fresh tomatoes and prawns.

Dare I say I made a mistake by ordering pasta at an Italian restaurant? Once I'd tried the chargrilled rib eye with bernaise, I suspected so. The pasta was nice but not the step up from the starters (which were so good) that I'd expected. It felt a little bland. I had imagined a crispy zucchini flower with a little more zing to the flavour. The cod special was given a thumbs up and I can vouch for the steak being unbelievably tender and charringly tasty, and a juicy tomato gratin was an inspired addition.

What did delight us all was the roasted baby beets and dutch carrots with salted ricotta. The ricotta was heaven with the sweet roots and we loved it so much we ordered a second dish.

We began discussing venues to kick on at, but thought we could fit in a couple of mouthfuls of dessert. We had a pannacotta sceptic amongst us who'd been burnt a few times, but we were assured the banana pannacotta with chocolate sauce and hazelnut praline would reinstate his faith. It did.

The rhubarb  and  apple  crumble  with  vanilla  bean  ice cream was lovely but the pannacotta won this round.

So, now ready to dance off the meal, we headed off into the night and halfheartedly joined the queue at a couple of places. Realising queues were not our thing we then found ourselves trawling up Oxford street, walking in, then quickly out of a couple more. Where do 30 somethings go to dance (after a civilised meal) these days? The answer was: the very next bar 'cos our feet were getting sore (we ain't in our 20's anymore). Luckily (?), this happened to be The Colombian. We followed a voluptuous drag queen upstairs into a pulsing den of 90's music and intense pashing. We danced, we requested Beyonce, we watched a guy in scanty pink leopard panties writhe on a pole and danced some more. Consider the 'big night out' box ticked, in the most delightful way.

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iPad Sushi

I love technology. Particularly when the purpose it serves is fun. So when I heard there was a sushi place in the city where you place your order on iPads, we ventured there that very night. Geek chic was definitely the appropriate dress code here. So I opted for a top knot, a slick of Mac lipstick in Violetta, and futuristic style sterling silver earrings and ear cuff from Zarah Voigt at Eve Adorned.

Izakaya Yebisu is located in Regent Place, a little Asian dining precinct in the pedestrian laneways off George Street. I've always thought this spot held hidden gems, but there are so many restaurants packed in, that it's seemed overwhelming to blindly try and choose one in the past.

Yebisu's interior is traditionally Japanese, but the graffiti on the brick pillars hints at the modern face of Japan and of course, the innovation within.

It was packed, which was an excellent omen. And right after we sailed into the last two seats available, a line began forming. Smug, thirsty and hungry we turned to our electronic waiter and began playing.

We blissfully ordered two Asahi's on tap and when they turned up minutes later, we were as proud as if we'd brought the hops over from Japan ourselves.

We quickly tapped off an order for some chilli edamame, steamed gyoza and agedashi tofu. We were a little concerned that this place might be more gimmick than good food. However, the yummy smothering of heat on the edamame, the succulent pork filling in the gyoza and the delicious texture of the tofu reassured us.

As this was a very familiar menu we didn't miss having a human waiter on hand. Of course there were plenty around to help and also one pushing a sake cart about - another brilliant innovation, but we were happy to stick to  the system and impressed with how quickly the food came out.

I did get into trouble for hogging the iPad. It's not like we have two at home or anything. So, my companion ordered the spicy tuna roll, salmon ngiri and tempura prawns. All of which were great. Not mind blowing, but good, solid dishes. We got the feeling that this was a place to be relied upon for churning out the classics in a reliably excellent way.  And did we mention you order on an iPad?!

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Eastern flavours in North Bondi

It was a sensational day for a swim at North Bondi. Even the obligatory 20 minute side street detour to find a park (at least in the same suburb), couldn't tarnish such a shiny day.

I was in my fave swimsuit - a black and white one piece from Black Milk. Love their kooky prints, however you may need to layer a bikini top underneath for more support, as they are leotard style thin.

After we slipped, slopped and swam, our appetite was well worked up. We'd made a lunch booking at Shuk North Bondi  and congratulated ourselves for our foresight when we pulled up to a cafe heaving with lunchgoers.

A cafe/bakery/deli that promises a melting pot of middle eastern flavours sounded just perfect after thrashing through the waves. The bright, airy interior had more in common with a Surry hills cafe than an Israeli Deli. But there was a little tradition thrown in, with copper pots and pans adding folksy touches in a pared back, stylish way.

Shuk boasts its own bakery and the goods did look delicious, especially the Bondi hazelnut super snails. Next time, my pretty. For we had a large hunger and needed plates of food, preferably smothered in labne.

We celebrated that we'd arrived at 12:15 and so could choose from the breakfast menu (finishes at 1pm) OR the lunch menu (starts at 12pm). Win win.

We asked our sweet natured waitress for her recommendations and she pointed out the Beghrir - North African pancakes. We earmarked those for post lunch and went on to choose the signature lamb burger with charred eggplant & harissa aioli, chips & sage salt. Wait...it comes with crinkle cut chips? We were disproportionately excited about this. So many childhood memories sparked.

It was absolutely freakin delicious. The smoky heat of the charred eggplant and creamy harissa aioli worked perfectly with the Chalas bread.We hoped we might be able to buy this harissa aioli from the deli section - but where was it? We asked a waitress and were told they could definitely sell us some, the chef would just pop some into a container. It seemed like a missed opportunity not to have a section of packaged goods and condiments in such a large space. Would've been fun to peruse them after eating there.

I had ordered the Fattoush salad with tomato, cucumber, radish, spanish onion, mint, parsley, cranberries & pita crisps and a side of schnitzel thrown on top. Totally forgot to also order the side of haloumi I'd been lusting for! When it came out I was a little disappointed that there was no yoghurt accompaniment and it was a little dry going down. I had just the thing to fix this - a little side of labne. All of a sudden this salad went from pedestrian to yum. It's a transformative ingredient, at least for me.

Now, it was time for the Beghrir - cinnamon & almond meal pancake with honey lemon glaze, halvah, berries & crushed pistachios. Luckily we insisted on sharing this bad boy. Super, super sweet.

The accompanying yoghurt was thankfully unsweetened and served to cut through the sugar nicely, and the honey pistachio crunch had a lovey flavour. The pancake itself was fluffy and nutty flavoured and needless to say, we scraped the plate clean.

They may not catch waves in the middle East, but this feast certainly was just what we needed to round out this golden day.

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Romance Saké Style

We received a lovely gift recently - a generous voucher for a meal at Saké restaurant. With an anniversary to celebrate and a penchant for good Japanese, we headed to The Rocks.

My current obsession - a super cool pair of Zarah Voigt Plexiglass earrings from Eve Adorned... of course were on board.

And a new pair of jeans that I'm loving from Jag of all places! Black mid rise skinnies, cropped at the ankle with a zip for a little edge. Great curvy girl jeans and particularly comfy, important when you're going out to appreciate good food.

We walked in and were enveloped into the buzzy Saturday night atmosphere. The restaurant fit out is a great mix of traditional Japanese paraphernalia - cherry blossoms, timber screens and paper lanterns, within the quintessential Rocks sandstone cottage interior and the result is sexy.

They also boast a serious selection of their namesake beverage.

We were seated at a prime table towards the back of the restaurant. Interestingly, a bright light was positioned directly over the centre of the table and I was loving the implication that it's all about the food in this establishment, and appreciated decent lighting to surreptitiously take food shots. Let's face it, no one likes sitting near a blogger constantly snapping their food with a flash.

We ran our eyes over the large menu and were stumped. Do we do the banquet option? If so, which one? Do we order a la carte and if so, how on earth to whittle down the selection when everything sounded delish?

Luckily our fabulous server was fittingly knowledgeable and guided us through her favourites. We nodded along and picked a wine - a Grosset Riesling and the food started coming.

We started with the kingfish jalapeño, yuzu soy, jalapeño slices & coriander. Fresh and juicy and the jalapeño was a great twist.

Good right? The lighting makes all the difference.

Next up were tonkatsu cups; panko-fried pork belly & spring-onion in lettuce cups with mustard miso & Japanese barbeque sauce. Tasty, crunchy and since I'm obsessed with miso flavour right now, excellent.

At this stage I did see another table get an order of the sashimi tacos and got a food envy twinge. Going back for those bad boys.

Little did I know the dish of the night was next. And it wasn't the kobe beef, but a humble salad. Chirashi salad - yuzu-dressed sashimi pieces, crunchy salad mix, thin noodles, sliced sushi omelette & flying fish roe, topped with daikon tsuma & tempura crunch. Oh heaven. I know, you're thinking salad? really? But yes, really, get this salad. The crunchy tempura with the juicy sashimi was just so good. This salad will ensure our return. And the tacos.

Speaking of the master kobe, it consisted of confit of wagyu, wagyu croquettes, braised spinach & shiitake mushrooms with teriyaki and anticucho sauce. To be honest, it was a little disappointing. The beef itself eaten without the sauces was gorgeous. Velvety, soft and salty, just right. But the croquettes - I could have done without, and the sauces were distracting and masked the beautiful charred flavour of the meat.

Lastly, we had the s express sushi maki -scallops, spicy mayo, cucumber, seared salmon, witlof & sweet sauce. Yum and yum. I love witlof. It's underused and has such fresh crunch and palate balancing neutral flavour to it, that just makes its companion ingredients sing.

Of course we had dessert, it was our anniversary for cripes sake! Bet you were wondering when the romance was going to enter. Cue romance over shared plates of gooey sweetness now. 

The miso caramel centered chocolate fondant was really lovely. It wasn't overly rich and the caramel was a nice intrusion upon the chocolate.

My love tried the green tea kit kat and this was totally moreish. Green tea flavoured dessert always throws me for a second and then I'm back for more. The crunch of the white chocolate and green tea biscuit layer was a genius mix.

So, our love survived sharing desserts and we had a great time celebrating our anniversary in this den of cool.