tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78092302012-02-01T10:28:34.551+11:00Sydney eats, tasty travels and a feast of photos. Because life is one long buffet table...Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09631037662332740116noreply@blogger.comBlogger16011100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-3312543683551014692012-02-01T03:03:00.000+11:002012-02-01T03:14:19.811+11:00

It's no secret. One of the driving reasons why people visit food blogs is to look at mouthwatering food photos. I see you now - coffee cup in one hand, mouse in the other. Oh yes, I know you read every single word. Pore over it. Sure you do! But nothing arrests the attention of a fickle surfer like a striking visual image. I look back now on the photos I took eight years ago and wince. But

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-37295771581611110462012-01-30T01:00:00.001+11:002012-01-30T01:00:46.525+11:00

Truck on down to Gladesville and join the fiesta at Dos Senoritas, a poky restaurant that’s packed to the rafters almost every night. Sky-blue walls, sombreros and rainbow ponchos set the scene – the only thing missing is a mariachi band. It’s a popular spot for groups and kids on weekends, so dismiss any thoughts of a quiet, intimate dinner. Seating is also tight, so expect to make friends

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-15415469599420033502012-01-27T02:43:00.000+11:002012-01-27T02:43:35.856+11:00

Everything happens in threes, right? It was a hattrick of back-to-back dinners for Chinese New Year feasting recently, culiminating in a ten-course banquet for media at Kam Fook in Bondi Junction. It sits on the top floor at Westfield, above the food court, with large windows letting in plenty of natural light. Suckling pig and jellyfish cold meats platter The cold meat platter is a

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-12210344355209112282012-01-25T02:26:00.001+11:002012-01-26T23:51:49.156+11:00

Why hello. An invitation to a Chinese New Year dinner is always exciting, but when Veruca Salt told me that a suckling pig was also on the guest list, I could barely keep the grin of anticipation off my face. Chinese New Year is all about getting together with family and friends. It's a time to cherish loved ones, be thankful for what you have, and to clear the slate for a New Year filled with

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-17201846859990717632012-01-23T01:48:00.001+11:002012-01-23T14:22:59.443+11:00

Happy New Year! It's the first day of the Lunar New Year and 2012 is the Year of the Dragon. We celebrated with a dinner at The Eight at the top of Market City, buzzing with families and friends who had come together to eat. The Eight Yee sang sashimi salad $42.80 (specials menu) After a complimentary house soup - sweet with pork bones and filled with lotus roots and strands of lucky fat

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-1481260519845512722012-01-19T01:19:00.000+11:002012-01-19T02:47:43.457+11:00

Pate is one of those magical foods that arise from otherwise ordinary ingredients. A handful of panfried livers blitzed with butter and cream yields a smooth and elegant paste that demands to be slathered on thin crisp shards of toast. And yet it's the pickled red grapes on our chicken liver pate starter ($12) that steals the spotlight during our dinner at Macleay St Bistro. Plump and juicy,

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-50995962390617998542012-01-16T01:38:00.002+11:002012-01-16T11:27:26.138+11:00

How could you possibly improve on the juicy fattiness of a pork rib? You deep-fry it, of course. We stumble upon these nam yue pork ribs ($14.80) at Albee's Kitchen in Campsie, marinated in red fermented bean curd, then dipped in flour and deep-fried to a golden crunch. There's a sweet saltiness to this dish, underlined by the flavour of fermented tofu - slightly alcoholic and yeasty - but in

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-13788321146889226302012-01-13T02:28:00.000+11:002012-01-13T02:28:05.725+11:00

You don't really notice the gnome flipping the bird at you in the corner, but even when you do, it's hard not to laugh. It's an irreverent cheekiness that sums up this tiny cafe, perched on the corner of Crown and Davies Street in coffee-loving Surry Hills. Bloody Mary $11 Sure it's barely midday but it's easy to justify a cocktail when we're talking about a Bloody Mary. Gnome boasts an

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-9663910643057744602012-01-10T02:09:00.010+11:002012-01-10T02:23:17.178+11:00

Soul restorer. Reviver. Curer of all ills. A steaming bowl of Vietnamese pho is guaranteed to make everything better. There's something quite magical about this dish, an elixir that is more than just a bowl of beef noodle soup. It's hours of patient simmering of beef bones and secret spices to create a fragrant stock. It's the last-minute assembly of steaming broth splashed over glistening rice

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-808133590280432312011-12-30T01:07:00.003+11:002012-01-02T00:22:55.130+11:00

So we all know that Paddington Bear came from darkest Peru, but what did he eat before arriving in London? Peruvian cuisine incorporates a fascinating mix of influences, with immigrants from Spain, China, Italy, West Africa and Japan all leaving their mark on what have now become national dishes. There are a couple of Peruvian restaurants around Sydney, but Misky Cravings is one of the newest

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-61040056740154164942011-12-23T01:10:00.011+11:002011-12-23T07:58:49.520+11:00

Forget the presents, the suspiciously cheerful man in the red suit and the inescapable warbling of Mariah Carey. Christmas is all about family and friends. And food. What better way to celebrate all that is good in life than sharing the best produce with those nearest and dearest to your heart? It's a philosophy that underpins much of what Stomachs Eleven is all about - our roving dinner party

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-71964127537654872752011-12-20T03:42:00.014+11:002012-01-11T00:46:45.480+11:00

There's only one thing I look forward to when I travel. The food. You can understand so much about a culture, a country and its history by simply digging into the local cuisine. I was in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia over the weekend, a whirlwind trip as a finalist in the Best Food Blog category for the Nuffnang Asia Pacific Blog Awards. After an overnight flight via Melbourne, we landed early on

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-71165572938136058852011-12-13T22:58:00.003+11:002011-12-14T11:09:44.715+11:00

You would never find the Pie Tin in Newtown unless you were looking for it, a discreet corner building in gun metal grey off the main King Street hub. But really there are plenty of reasons to visit, and all of them involve the word PIE. Black forest meringue pie; apple rhubarb pie and The Pie Tin exterior The wet and miserable Sydney weather of late has given us one great big silver lining

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-62053279477881055422011-12-08T04:26:00.001+11:002011-12-08T11:31:48.510+11:00

What's in a name? Everything, I say, especially if you get to say "Let's go to Grandma's!" with genuine enthusiasm on a Friday night. I'd like to think that the proliferation of small bars in Sydney illustrates an appreciation for the quirky, independent business run on heart and soul, but is it also mandatory to make the bar as hard to find as possible? Is the secret entrance all about

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-61989830155325438412011-12-05T01:52:00.001+11:002011-12-05T22:22:35.241+11:00

Competitive eating. Despite its popularity in the States, competitive eating is still a novelty event in Australia - a wise thing, many would argue, given obesity rates and the environmental cost of food. But just like the guilty pleasures of reality tv, you can't help but watch, mesmerised by the sight of  ordinary people determined to ignore their stomach's warning signals. Nachos $10 At

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-57861227536678037442011-12-02T01:17:00.002+11:002011-12-02T11:16:44.651+11:00

The newly opened Encasa Deli is not like its neighbours. It's a little piece of Madrid on Bathurst Street, smack bang in the middle of the CBD. Giant salamis - from Rodriguez Brothers in Yagoona - hang over a display cabinet groaning with whole legs of jamon, wheels of cheese and terracotta dishes piled with plump and glistening olives. Olives stuffed with walnuts and haloumi cheese $8.50 (

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-75134251967208823662011-11-30T08:09:00.001+11:002011-11-30T08:15:42.231+11:00

It's easy to dismiss Nepali food as being 'kinda like Indian' but there are just as many differences as similarities. Although both cuisines feature plenty of curries, Nepalese dishes tend to be less spicy, and based around tomatoes, not yoghurt or coconut milk or cream. Keen to find out more, I headed to Everest Kitchen in Marrickville for this month's Eat This column in Time Out Sydney.

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-81869397861025011752011-11-28T01:49:00.000+11:002011-11-28T01:49:06.898+11:00

To marrow. To marrow. I love you. Oh marrow. If Annie had discovered the divine pleasures of bone marrow, surely she would have sung a different tune. Marrow is the only thing on our minds when we head to BLACK by ezard, the latest venture by Melbourne chef Teage Ezard, opening at The Star casino. Ezard is the creative force behind two hat restaurant ezard and Asian street food diner

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-33444622576673372222011-11-24T00:37:00.002+11:002011-11-24T09:13:54.137+11:00

In a city that feels increasingly over-run with food and drink franchises, Project 8 is a breath of fresh [caffeinated] air. It's a hip but slouchy kind of cafe - a mix of good coffee, cool music and an affordable snacks menu making it a popular hangout for local university students. Free range eggs with avocado and tomato on toasted sourdough, for example, will only set you back $7.50. It

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-39883774112499007482011-11-21T01:05:00.001+11:002011-11-21T11:15:14.143+11:00

If there's one dish you must order at Izakaya Fujiyama, it's the tuna jaw. This behemoth of bones, fin, gills and cartilage is one of life's pleasures - a testament that good eating can be found in the most unlikeliest of places, and that foraging for your own food provides endless fun. Sushi bar counter at Izakaya Fujiyama I'm dining with thefoodpornographer and Juji Chews tonight, both

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-66953915318006555252011-11-17T08:03:00.000+11:002011-11-17T08:03:13.613+11:00

Sydney may be over-run with Thai restaurants (hello Newtown) but newcomer Caysorn comes with a difference - serving up dishes from the country's south. Typically these dishes are heavier, more robust with spices, and have a chilli factor that is off-the-charts hot. Decor inside Caysorn You'll find Caysorn on level one of the Prince Centre in Chinatown, above Menya and the Chinese dumpling

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-24009827199480240692011-11-14T23:59:00.005+11:002011-11-16T10:54:21.677+11:00

Today I'm pleased to announce that Grab Your Fork is a shortlisted finalist for the Nuffnang Asia-Pacific Blog Awards 2011 in the category Best Food Blog. It seems like only yesterday that I wrote my first blog post. That was over 7 1/2 years ago. Way back in 2004, the idea of food blogging was a relatively new concept. Who took photos of their food before eating it? Now all the cool kids are

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com41tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-55543722838233433022011-11-14T01:44:00.003+11:002011-11-15T00:01:43.061+11:00

It was the perfect plan. Splurging on a dinner at Quay can always be difficult to justify in your budget, but if you have a fellow food lovin' friend who also happens to be a Scorpio, you can very easily take each other for a birthday treat! Everybody wins! The whiskey trolley We arrive early for our 6pm booking, allowing us plenty of time to appreciate the harbour views. The decor is

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-91552393988954809482011-11-09T00:02:00.003+11:002011-11-09T00:02:00.843+11:00

Who needs fancy? You won't find it at No Name Italian Restaurant, a local eating house in the back streets of Darlinghurst that's been feeding the cash-strapped and hungry for decades. The back alley entrance is rather ominous - just a steep set of stairs at the end of a brightly lit corridor. The dining room is just as bare - more like a cafeteria with laminex tables and a service counter

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-33420734924255373412011-11-07T00:49:00.000+11:002011-11-07T00:49:40.960+11:00

It's the name that gets everyone at first. Gastro Park? Head chef Grant King (ex-Pier) has a sense of humour and a quest for adventure, as diners slowly realise they've been let loose in a fun park of a menu. The critics can't seem to get enough of it, and after only six months of trade, Gastro Park was awarded two hats in the SMH Good Food Guide 2012. The restaurant itself doesn't give much

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-46018150635950070012011-11-04T00:15:00.006+11:002011-11-06T21:03:56.144+11:00

It was the lure of hot chocolate and cheese that brought us to Sonido. Hot chocolate and cheese? Say it isn't so! We'd stumbled along Gertrude Street in Fitzroy, Melbourne, early on a Sunday morning, taking in the eclectic mix of boutique clothing shops, vintage stores, art galleries and quirky cafes. Sonido was tucked away at the far end, barely noticeable but for an assortment of pint-sized

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-58060512093209817522011-11-02T01:03:00.000+11:002011-11-02T01:03:59.860+11:00

I've always thought that community clubs are some of the best hidden gems you'll ever find. This is food made by the people, for the people, where decor is secondary to what's served on the plate. For my Eat This column in the October edition of Time Out Sydney I headed to the Cyprus Community Club in Stanmore. Eat This... Kleftiko WHAT IS KLEFTIKO? If you’ve never tried goat before,

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-89855611040489363052011-10-31T00:50:00.001+11:002011-10-31T19:16:00.037+11:00

It's back. The Restaurant Arras petits fours platter has always created a frisson of excitement. Back too are newly weds Adam and Lovaine Humphrey, relocating Restaurant Arras from Walsh Bay to Clarence Street in the city, opening in the former digs of Becasse (and before that, Edna's Table). Restaurant Arras decor The interior has undergone a complete makeover. Gone are the Swarovski

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-7461139204474711952011-10-27T02:15:00.001+11:002011-10-27T02:23:29.943+11:00

Let's face it. Sydney can be a bit of a meat market. But hey, if we're talking about steak, then who's complaining? The menu at Steersons Steakhouse reads like a matchmaking site for carnivores, providing detail on the origin of each candidate, its breeding credentials, prior diet and minimum weight. Oh if only it was always this easy... Inside Steersons at King St Wharf We arrive at

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-8242584280084090182011-10-24T01:23:00.002+11:002011-11-05T13:52:07.650+11:00

Is there such a thing as too much fried? Nay, I say. If it can be dipped in batter, then go ahead and deep-fry that baby. And that's just the way the folk behind the Abercrombie Hotel feel, too. First they gave us the deep-fried Gaytime. Now they've unleashed the joys of deep-fried pizza and Twinkies to the Sydney masses. Fries with mayo and gravy $7 We make the mistake of presuming 

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-87610462336334312422011-10-19T07:31:00.001+11:002011-10-19T23:40:06.775+11:00

It really did look like a shard of glass, sinking in on itself  as though it had buckled from the heat of an inferno. We didn't know what it was as we snapped off pieces to eat, admiring its sleek surface, its amber brilliance and the bubbles trapped within. Salt. And vinegar. And hints of chilli that was later revealed to be sansho pepper. The edible artwork prompts conversation around the

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-2133711472911384582011-10-17T00:43:00.002+11:002011-10-30T22:44:44.339+11:00

It's the stuff that dreams are made of. A whole bowl of pork crackling for only $4.20. It's a tangle of pork skin strips, deep-fried until bubbled and blistered, the long shoe string strips helplessly intertwined with each other in a porcine and cholesterol lovefest. Inside Tommy's Beer Cafe Tommy's Beer Cafe is one of a slew of newcomers to open up on Glebe Point Road, trading for at least

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-57664062334092698162011-10-13T00:08:00.007+11:002011-11-07T16:57:56.790+11:00

The best type of shopping trip, I say, is one that involves feeding my stomach. The new Westfield Sydney may well be littered with stores, but I tend to bypass the bottom levels and head straight to the top - the dining levels. Level six plays home to the newest set of culinary tenants: Spiedo, Xanthi, Chat Thai and Chinta Ria... Mood for Love. We were invited on a level six dining tour

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-37784495590310538032011-10-10T01:04:00.000+11:002011-10-10T01:04:28.008+11:00

Has the humble fish and chip shop become a dying breed? Apart from the beach and coastal towns, they're few and far between in the suburbs, and even harder to find in the city. Nostalgia lives on at Mohr Fish, a humble Surry Hills corner takeaway tiled in white and powder blue. Mohr Fish shopfront Mohr Fish menu There's a distinct price difference between eating in and takeaway, and we

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-31695285585363487922011-10-06T01:12:00.002+11:002011-10-06T18:04:40.197+11:00

It's easy to guess the inspiration behind Simon Goh's newest restaurant.  The concept behind Chinta Ria... Mood for Love draws heavily on the 2000 movie In the Mood for Love, written and directed by Kar Wai Wong. It's an idea that has been brewing for the past ten years, Simon says, finally coming to fruition this week when the restaurant opened its doors to the public on level six at Westfield

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-58010340515656436172011-10-04T01:57:00.002+11:002011-10-04T02:07:53.743+11:00

You couldn't miss them. Two whole lambs spinning slowly over a charcoal, the skin slowly blistering to a deep golden hue. They'd been on the barbecue since 5am, we were told, tended carefully by chef David Tsireka of Xanthi. By the time they were carved for eating, they would have been slow-cooked for six glorious hours. The Crave Sydney International Food Festival started off with a bang last

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-75334098851163128592011-09-30T08:56:00.000+10:002011-09-30T10:27:55.102+10:00

Throw away your belts, I say. You won't need them in October which is now synonymous with the Crave Sydney International Food Festival. There'll be countless fooding events happening all over Sydney during the coming month. One of the most popular features is always the Sugar Hit, a chance to enjoy a special late night dessert at participating restaurants, cafes, bars and hotels. Crab roll

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-43230963813584911922011-09-28T01:04:00.005+10:002011-09-28T07:59:02.713+10:00

Bulgogi pizza Forget about the pineapple on pizza debate. Mario Tokyo throws all the pizza rules out the window with toppings like strips of sweet bulgogi beef and potato wedges. For this month's Time Out Sydney column I headed to Strathfield to check it out. Eat This...Bulgogi pizza WHAT IS IT? Bulgogi pizza ($15.90) is what you get when Korea and Italy collide in the kitchen. Start with

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-49839251937961423982011-09-26T00:09:00.007+10:002011-09-26T20:56:54.706+10:00

Where can you find a cheap lunch in Sydney? Frugal is not a dirty word at Cafe Ish, which celebrates Tight Ass Tuesdays with ten eleven dishes for only ten dollars. This cosy corner cafe bar makes a point of mixing up Japanese flavours with Australian native ingredients. Here you'll find crocodile coated in Panko crumbs and covered in Japanese curry; potato and fetta mochi with Davidson plum

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-84794656754946528482011-09-23T01:46:00.003+10:002011-09-23T22:15:57.545+10:00

It was the name that drew us in. Bling Bling Dumpling? How could we refuse? The former site of Dim Sum House has undergone only a modest makeover. Most noticeable is the striking black signage out the front, complete with an image of a huge sparkling diamond - guaranteed to draw in the crowds! Takeaway dumplings A display case of cooked dumplings is a clever marketing ploy for passing

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-55036150162852984322011-09-21T05:03:00.008+10:002011-09-23T00:26:41.960+10:00

  This cookies should come with a warning: one cookie is never enough. Combining salted peanuts, pretzels and dark chocolate would have been a madcap idea once upon a time, but now it seems like everyone is on the salty and sweet bandwagon. With good reason. It's deliriously good. There's something intriguing about the way salty and sweet play off against each other. The sweetness of a dessert

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-37226414833173840532011-09-19T02:25:00.000+10:002011-09-19T02:25:45.701+10:00

If you don't know what kushiage is, then take a seat, loosen your belt and let me explain. It's all about bite-sized nibbles of meat, vegetables and seafood, jammed on a skewer, dipped in batter and panko breadcrumbs and then deep-fried until all your dreams come true. Kushiage is one of the major drawcards at Menya Oiden, a new opening in Skyview Plaza next door to its sister outlet Menya

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-30764640211054297192011-09-16T01:47:00.000+10:002011-09-16T01:47:24.235+10:00

Everyone loves a dinner party - it's just finding a willing host that's half the problem! J-Girl and Jon-Boy volunteered to host our latest Stomachs Eleven dinner, a group of keen food lovers who take turns to cook a group meal. Barbecuing skate wings Even when he's not hosting, Pig Flyin' is always on-hand with a special treat or two. Within minutes of arriving, he and Mrs Pig Flyin' were

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-118971702103486162011-09-14T07:39:00.000+10:002011-09-14T07:39:19.471+10:00

Good food. That's the secret.  The Carrington, formerly a sleepy and seedy hotel pub, has been overhauled into a Spanish tapas bar that is now heaving each night with locals. We arrive at 6pm on a Tuesday and by 6.30pm the bar is practically full. Chef Jamie Thomas has created a menu littered with Iberian snacks, from bite-sized pintxos of kingfish pastrami and olives, to platos grande that

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-19182840968304044322011-09-12T01:51:00.005+10:002011-09-13T09:45:44.694+10:00

The best part about Xanthi? For me, it's the view into the kitchen. The three windows at the entrance to this slick new eatery may all be square, but it's just as fun as Play School, with an equally fascinating scene unrolling within each one. Xanthi Xanthi is the big budget move by David Tsirekas, head chef and owner of the now-closed Perama, a Greek standout and locals' favourite in the

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-62034120674064563512011-09-09T01:36:00.002+10:002011-09-09T02:33:03.984+10:00

You can't beat a homemade cookie. There's a purity of sweetness that comes with baking from scratch, although others might say it's the unmistakable addition of love. These dark chocolate and sour cherry cookies aren't difficult to make, but they do involve pre-planning and patience, as the batter must be chilled before and after rolling them into balls for baking. These are based on a Bourke

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-28651865709724974772011-09-07T09:29:00.002+10:002011-09-07T10:22:05.324+10:00

Den fried chicken $10 Everybody loves a secret. Is this why all the hot new bars and restaurants are deliberately difficult to find? We had all heard great things about Izakaya Den in Melbourne, but without Minh to lead the way, I don't think we would have ever found the entrance, marked only by a discreet silver plate stamped with "Den". We push our way through the glass doors of an office

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-38414163014984564062011-09-05T01:11:00.004+10:002011-09-05T09:53:53.758+10:00

Caramel eclair Baker Street is another one of Sydney's classic hidden secrets. From the outside it looks like a simple coffee shop set-up in a converted terrace, but step inside and owner Juan Duret's display cabinet beckons with a raft of traditional Argentinian treats. Baker Street The cafe offers bacon and egg rolls, burgers and pies and is a popular haunt for local ABC workers and TAFE

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-16963256632213704232011-09-02T00:09:00.018+10:002011-09-07T10:22:55.182+10:00

Moon Festival falls on September 12 this year, and to celebrate, Grab Your Fork has four boxes of mooncakes to giveaway thanks to Amyson. The Casahana range includes flavours beyond the usual red bean and lotus, and comes packed in pretty re-usable boxes. Because Moon Festival is next week, this competition is only open for six days so get your entries in now! The prizes Four lucky Grab Your

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com54tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-91295706391834613442011-08-31T00:26:00.000+10:002011-08-31T00:26:10.724+10:00

Exactly where and how does a ship prepare 8,600 meals every day for the passengers and crew onboard at sea? A behind-the-scenes tour of the Pacific Pearl main kitchen held all the answers. The Chef's Table The galley tour forms part of the recently launched Chef's Table, held in the privately enclosed Wine Room and bookable by any passenger. Up to three Chef's Table dinners for 14 passengers

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-80409619554974983442011-08-29T00:09:00.008+10:002011-11-21T01:07:00.829+11:00

El Capo means "the boss", and there's no question about who's in charge here. From the bad ass murals on the wall, to the pallet-load of dollar bills that doubles as a stool, El Capo feels like a seedy drug den come-to-life comic book-style. El Capo The pine tables are set with buckets of help-yourself cutlery and a box of domino tiles. The chairs are a colourful mix of wooden and metal

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-52775841403326969312011-08-26T00:16:00.002+10:002011-08-26T00:20:39.503+10:00

It's a long journey on the train out to Campbelltown, but the trip is well worth it when there's freshly baked rye bread at the other end. For my latest column for Time Out Sydney I headed to Olka Polka, a Polish bakery and deli that's been a godsend for homesick ex-pats for almost a decade.  The business has no relation to Sammy and Bella Jakubiak, the NSW sisters who used the same name for

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-76432169366155895612011-08-24T00:18:00.001+10:002011-08-31T01:13:51.779+10:00

It's true. The main thing you have to look forward to on a cruise is the food. With four days at sea on-board the P&O Pacific Pearl, our seemingly endless hours of idleness were broken only by meal times. Our visits to Salt Grill by Luke Mangan were a particular highlight. Salt Grill by Luke Mangan Dining at Salt Grill incurs a nominal surcharge for passengers ($30 at lunch and $40 at dinner

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-17686376967898318172011-08-22T00:27:00.002+10:002011-08-22T13:18:29.504+10:00

Food should always be fun, which probably explains why I've taken such a shining to El Loco of late. There's nothing fancy, with Mexican-style street food served in takeaway trays and margaritas dispensed in plastic cups, but that's half the appeal - chowing down on messy deliciousness as you perch on a metal stool at a table covered in plastic prints. El Loco Mexican cantina y barra El Loco

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-61990154905991798362011-08-19T08:15:00.006+10:002011-08-19T10:37:03.650+10:00

It's barely 10am but we just manage to score one of the last remaining tables at Cumulus Inc, the casual cafe bar restaurant by Cutler & Co's Andrew O'Connell. The room is bright and airy, warm with the chatter of breakfast diners and the constant hum of the coffee machine. A dark bar counter runs against the window side of the room; on the other side is the marble white counter of the open

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-72263077434433841552011-08-18T00:37:00.004+10:002011-09-09T01:50:09.903+10:00

Who said food blogging didn't get you anywhere? I was pretty taken aback when I was approached to be one of the editors for the new Eating and Drinking Sydney guide earlier this year. It's the kind of offer a food writer dreams about, and then freaks out over, when you realise the magnitude of responsibility this position entails. As editor for the Cheap and Cheerful section, I was entrusted

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com53tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-12471700805428704912011-08-15T03:46:00.004+10:002011-08-31T01:13:05.728+10:00

I'll admit it. I've never understood the appeal of cruises. I would look at those hulking great ships in the harbour and ponder the phonebook-sized passenger lists that could qualify as a small city. I imagined being stuck with a boat-load of American retirees in matching tracksuits called John and Barbara or Bob and Nancy. I had nightmares of a floating RSL with daggy carpet, bland buffets and

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-41318588932875219782011-08-12T00:33:00.006+10:002011-08-12T00:33:02.419+10:00

The best table in a restaurant, I say, is one that gives you a view of all the action in the kitchen. At   new Potts Point hot spot Concrete Blonde -- barely open for eight weeks -- this means everyone. It's hard not to keep staring at the whole Tinder Creek ducks, slowly rotating over coals as the five-spiced skin develops a crispy tan. The long and expansive fully-exposed kitchen offers

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-39399001856178283222011-08-10T00:31:00.018+10:002011-08-10T03:31:29.819+10:00

Is there a faster way to happiness than dessert? We weren't particularly organised with an eating schedule on our recent trip to Melbourne, but we did have two patisseries on our hit list: Burch & Purchese and LuxBite. Burch & Purchese Like bumbling interstate tourists we hopped on the tram towards Toorak, barely realising our poorly timed journey until a tidal wave of school boys engulfed

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-24163439442521257692011-08-08T02:52:00.006+10:002011-10-24T01:30:38.481+11:00

Deep fried Gaytime. Because surely a coating of batter could only make this sentimental childhood favourite even better than we remembered? It's not the only thing we're excited about as we head into the newly re-opened Abercrombie Hotel, resurrected after closing for more than a year. Booth seating and library shelves The Abercrombie was always a popular haunt for university students,

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com37tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-57861498465508370062011-08-05T03:15:00.002+10:002011-08-05T03:18:29.871+10:00

Churrasco is a carnivore's dream come true. In Brazil, churrasco means barbecue, a meat-fest of assorted cuts and proteins cooked on skewers over charcoal or a grill. The common way of enjoying churrasco in Brazil is rodizio-style, where waiters carry skewers of meat around the restaurant and carve slices for diners on demand. It's always all-you-can-eat. Palma Louca Brazilian pilsener and

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-32752672593329666242011-08-03T02:41:00.001+10:002011-08-03T09:24:44.949+10:00

The world needs more pintxos. These bite-sized snacks aren't common in Australia, but they're found all over bars in northern Spain, usually available at a self-serve counter for patrons and eaten at leisure over a beer. Pintxos means spike in Basque (pinchos in Spanish), referring to the toothpick that holds the ingredients together, often on top of a piece of bread. You take your time to

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-68162806872304700372011-08-01T02:15:00.001+10:002011-08-01T02:26:09.984+10:00

Grasshopper may be completely hidden to the average passerby, but that seems to be half the appeal for the Sydney suits and hipster crowd that spill out the front of this laneway bar each weeknight. There are no signs on the street to indicate its existence, but those in-the-know head down the narrow alley off George Street, unmarked but for the remarkably appropriate street sign "Temperance

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-18851015496634860462011-07-29T00:11:00.004+10:002011-07-29T00:11:00.512+10:00

The Hong Kong cafe is where cost and efficiency are valued over décor and conversational niceties. Expect your order to be taken within two minutes of being handed the menu and your food to arrive shortly after. For my Eat This! column in the July issue of Time Out Sydney, I headed to Hurstville where comfort food equals pan-fried spam, condensed milk on toast and the calorific glory that is

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-28303696947961178892011-07-27T02:48:00.001+10:002011-07-27T10:48:17.051+10:00

Half the fun of dining at Din Tai Fung is the chance to watch the dumpling makers in action, clearly visible through the glassed-in kitchen out the front. There's always something to look at - from the man stretching a skipping rope of noodles by bouncing it effortlessly onto the metal bench; to the secret huddle of staff deftly folding dumplings in the corner; to the man checking the bamboo

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-62845539972021631912011-07-25T02:52:00.002+10:002011-07-26T14:16:44.267+10:00

If you ever have a bone to pick with someone, make sure it's a marrow bone. It was this sight of marrow bone towers that excited me most when I arrived at the home of Mr and Mrs Pig Flyin' for our latest Stomachs Eleven adventure. Appetisers to start The members of our merry dining crew have all been terribly spoilt by the generosity of Mr and Mrs Pig Flyin'. Our original aim was to rotate

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-9371057605561384152011-07-22T01:39:00.002+10:002011-07-22T08:16:00.535+10:00

Today's assorted sashimi - Chef's selection $45 It's quite a romantic stroll along the waterfront at the Overseas Passenger Terminal. The winking city lights, the toot-toot of ferries and there in the distance: the sleepy sails of the Opera House, curled over as if mid-nap. Hidden up high on the fourth floor of the Overseas Passenger Terminal is Yukis, accessed by a glass elevator that

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-78002982885572223032011-07-20T01:45:00.000+10:002011-07-20T01:45:53.992+10:00

"Wow, everyone ordered vegetarian," says Mrs Presley, and it's only then she realises that everything on Badde Manors menu is completely meat and seafood-free. It's a commendable feat that this fact slipped unnoticed, the comprehensive menu littered with a range of dishes that all sound tempting and filling. We skip our eyes down the page that includes stuffed crumbed mushrooms, Cajun-spiced

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-92215983699203978332011-07-18T03:10:00.002+10:002011-07-18T09:39:16.559+10:00

Some women like to be wooed with flowers, handbags or jewellery, but seriously, who wants glittering trinkets when you can sink your teeth into a premium steak with gusto? Serve me one of these on a plate and I'm definitely calling you again. We'd gathered at the Chophouse for dinner, but there was only one thing I really wanted to order - the tomahawk steak. It's a gargantuan-sized cut of

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-52110602215528658092011-07-15T02:47:00.008+10:002011-07-15T10:03:22.207+10:00

Every Sunday, says Jacques Reymond, he smells disaster in his neighbourhood. "It's the smell of burning meat. Australians burn their meat until it's black." He shakes his head in dismay. "To cook meat you need to be gentle." He can't understand the Australian appreciation for charred protein. Reymond, head chef and owner of the three-hat Jacques Reymond - Cuisine du Temps in Melbourne, is

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-13775790503437573112011-07-13T01:46:00.001+10:002011-07-13T02:37:26.219+10:00

Chefs wearing hard hats in the kitchen? It's hard not to be bemused by a team of chefs wearing bright yellow helmets and overalls at Yok Yor Thai Food Factory. It was Suze who spotted the opening of this new restaurant on Campbell Street first, opposite Chilli Cha Cha near the corner of Castlereagh Street. Initially she'd mistaken the staff for construction workers until she realised it was

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-81332917171858322522011-07-11T02:15:00.003+10:002011-07-23T14:53:49.281+10:00

Waffles with blueberry compote, toffeed hazelnuts and cream I'm not a morning person at the best of times, but it's amazing how the promise of fresh waffles can get you out of bed with a smile. Our one-week trip to Malaysia was fast drawing to an end, and we farewelled Melaka with a final breakfast at The Majestic. It's a little bit fancy, with cereal, yoghurt and freshly sliced fruits

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-69439389591309535192011-07-08T02:30:00.000+10:002011-07-08T02:30:42.211+10:00

Mecca Espresso Ultimo had only been trading for four months when it was announced as winner of  Best Cafe in the Sydney Morning Herald Good Cafe Guide. Since then, business has been brisk at this corner cafe, far removed from its previous incarnation as a struggling Gloria Jeans outlet. The premise has been completely refurbished: a mixture of recycled timbers, bare brick walls and old wooden

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-74168230876418956852011-07-06T07:45:00.004+10:002011-07-07T00:25:53.203+10:00

The popular Iiza Japanese izakaya (or tavern) on buzzing King Street is always filled with people, but not many patrons realise there's a private dining area upstairs available for groups. Function menus range in price from $35-$50 per person with a minimum of ten people. The room can accommodate up to forty, seated on wooden benches. Tempura prawn sushi roll in egg crepe We've opted for

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-74788641463581102142011-07-04T01:55:00.003+10:002011-07-04T09:08:24.370+10:00

There's no denying it. Sydney is currently riding the wave of an American food obsession. Pulled pork. Hot dogs. Nachos. Sydneysiders have taken up snacking with the hunger of a growing teenager. The Dip, hidden within the bowels of the GOODGOD nightclub, has all your cheese-laden carbohydate cravings covered. The former La Campana site is barely recognisable, converted into a dark and cosy

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-35776249943284596592011-07-01T04:39:00.006+10:002011-07-01T09:10:22.129+10:00

If there's one thing you notice about Justin North's kitchen, it's how quiet it is. Forget the stereotyped image of a raging head chef barking orders at his brigade; the Becasse kitchen sounds more like a library, with a young team working steadily and efficiently under the guidance of head chef Monty Koludrovic. Last night I had the pleasure of dining at the Chef's Table at Becasse, ahead of

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-13334662688613275982011-06-29T00:29:00.001+10:002011-06-29T00:29:56.834+10:00

Congratulations to JasmyneTea who has won two tickets to a Taste Food Tour in Bankstown worth $160. Missed out this time? You can still enter to win a 12-month subscription to the Stonesoup Virtual Cookery School. Enter now!

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-56751175967626390082011-06-27T04:46:00.012+10:002011-07-23T14:41:18.882+10:00

Where is King Valley? It's a wine-growing region in north-eastern Victoria, not far from Albury and the border of New South Wales. Recently it's been marketed as Prosecco Road, one of the few places in Australia to be growing prosecco, a grape variety used to produce the popular Italian sparkling wine - a key ingredient in the famous peach bellini. I was recently asked by Tourism Victoria to

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-23584371210870910292011-06-24T01:51:00.003+10:002011-06-24T10:07:44.995+10:00

There's more to Liverpool than first meets the eye, and this south-western suburb in Sydney is impressively diverse. According to the 2006 census, more than half of the population was born overseas. You'll find sari shops, African hair braiding salons and Croatian delis before you eventually end up at the mammoth Westfield shopping centre, looming over the pedestrianised mall. For this month's

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-83193230140752864372011-06-21T01:26:00.001+10:002011-06-21T01:41:42.919+10:00

The ensuing discussion after my post on the Weekend Australian article on food blogs has only illustrated the fervent passion by everyone involved in this topic: food bloggers, food blog readers, journalists, public relations consultants, chefs and restaurateurs. I've added some extra comment to my original post which I think was necessary after reading some of the questions raised in the

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-3623554334699473502011-06-20T01:09:00.012+10:002011-06-21T09:56:48.410+10:00

"With more than 800 food blogs in Australia, traditional restaurant reviewers are under challenge. But is this really a triumph for democracy?" Eagle-eyed readers would have noticed the article, Everyone's a Critic, written by Elizabeth Meryment in The Weekend Australian magazine. Even after reading the final piece several times, I'm still not sure what my final thoughts are. There are a

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com149tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-58603799268389795922011-06-16T02:49:00.017+10:002011-07-11T02:21:30.876+10:00

You haven't really visited a city until you've seen its market. On our second day in Melaka, we woke early for a morning visit to Melaka Central Wet Market, hosted by the bright and bubbly Malaysian chef, Florence Tan. Melaka Central Market Florence Tan with Adam Liaw The markets are lively with activity, vendors cajoling their wares, and locals patiently inspecting each item of produce.

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-13710619660348173402011-06-14T01:05:00.003+10:002011-10-28T10:51:42.791+11:00

"Get some balls!" Sabbaba, the long-time Israeli falafel favourite in Bondi, is one of the newest additions to King Street, opening in Newtown late last year. Graffiti-scrawled walls (by professional graffiti artist Jeremy Hession) and mismatched furniture lend it some urban charm. The menu is on a clipboard, with a dizzying selection of options that could easily leave you dazed and

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-68720523191286809332011-06-11T04:06:00.007+10:002011-06-28T00:24:53.375+10:00

How much do I love oysters? I once ate 60. In one sitting. Plump, briny and full of minerals, surely oysters are the perfect ready-to-eat meal. We headed to the annual Narooma Oyster Festival earlier this month after an invite by NSW Tourism. The weather was perfect - clear blue skies and an easy five-hour drive down the south coast. Great Southern Hotel Great Southern Hotel We made a

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-17333642128073611872011-06-10T01:17:00.003+10:002011-07-07T00:27:23.864+10:00

So everyone's been watching MasterChef Australia (go #teambilly!) but are we really heading back into the kitchen to cook? You'll be able to solve your dinner dilemma with this week's Freebie Friday: a 12-month subscription to the Stonesoup Virtual Cookery School. Jules Clancy is a qualified food scientist who threw in her job as a chocolate biscuit designer (yes, really) and turned her food

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-6027209381267268892011-06-08T03:32:00.010+10:002011-06-28T00:16:17.552+10:00

Malacca or Melaka? The official name for Malaysia's third smallest state should be Melaka, we're told by our friendly guide. The traditional Malay spelling was reinstated after the city centre was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2008. Malacca is the British spelling - still used for the Malacca Straits that run between the Malay Peninsula and the island of Sumatra in Indonesia. Our

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-70393408483207113502011-06-06T01:01:00.003+10:002011-06-06T01:06:51.780+10:00

Omerta means 'union of families' says the Omerta restaurant website, even though Wikipedia maintains it refers to the code of silence used by the Mafia. A long communal table runs down the middle of the room, lined with bentwood chairs and ready for a family feast. Above the doorway to the kitchen hang bunches of herbs and heavy industrial grade whisk and beater attachments. You could easily

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-56564134634836649772011-06-03T01:32:00.005+10:002011-06-29T00:31:28.083+10:00

Always looking for your next food adventure? Then this week's Freebie Friday is for you! THE PRIZE Two tickets to a Taste Food Tour in Bankstown. Vouchers can be used for a food walking tour of your choice including: Arabic Adventure Cafe Crawl European Explorer Middle Eastern Treats Out of Africa Sugar & Spice Tastes of Asia World Fare Prize value: $160 (six-month expiry) Current tour

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-50166890409048426682011-06-01T03:46:00.009+10:002011-06-27T23:55:05.676+10:00

Forget the museum, the art gallery, the church or the zoo. Wet markets are one of my favourite plates to visit when aboard, the culinary underbelly of a city with its maze of makeshift stalls, occasional puddles, and smiling locals determined to feed the people with good fresh produce, poultry and seafood. Our second day in Malaysia would take us to Imbi Market, one of the last surviving wet

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-17816058396563758372011-05-30T02:55:00.010+10:002011-06-10T02:06:48.840+10:00

Oh Malaysia. It was like I never left you. Last Sunday night I landed in Kuala Lumpur with a contingent of fellow journalists, invited on a week-long media famil of Malaysia. The trip was a follow-up to the phenomenally successful Malaysia Kitchen Food Market, and the invitation to attend was definitely a rhetorical question. Adam Liaw, MasterChef season two winner and official ambassador for

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com41tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-89420070182938796312011-05-27T01:09:00.001+10:002011-05-27T01:09:00.181+10:00

This month's Time Out Sydney column is all about Burmese food. I headed to Kambozza in Parramatta and found a nine-page menu filled with traditional Burmese dishes. Eat this...Mohinga WHAT IS IT? Mohinga ($6.50) is the unofficial national dish of Burma, a fish noodle soup that is eaten primarily for breakfast, but is popular at lunchtime and dinner too. Find it at Kambozza, one of Sydney's

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-43991369801799330302011-05-25T01:31:00.005+10:002011-05-25T09:39:14.491+10:00

Marco Pierre White's reputation precedes him. Vaunted as one of the original bad boy chefs, Marco is infamous for his history of kitchen rage: legendary incidents that include kicking out customers from his dining room if they clicked their fingers at a waiter, and cutting open the back of a young chef's uniform with a sharp knife when he complained about the heat in the kitchen. And yet

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-69999618274307669682011-05-23T05:22:00.013+10:002011-05-23T05:22:00.263+10:00

Forget the humble nut cracker. I love that in Malaysia you get a little hammer to crack open your crab. After three days in Phuket exploring James Bond and Phi Phi islands, we make our way back to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for a finale of shopping and eating. Crab has been at the top of our To Eat list, and we head to Wong Poh in Petaling Jaya, a local favourite famous for their crab. Pickled

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-36213787805217839692011-05-20T00:39:00.005+10:002011-06-16T03:15:26.929+10:00

Hungry? Sink your teeth into Voracious, a collection of newly commissioned essays that celebrates "The Best New Australian Food Writing". Many of you will have already read my contribution, ABC, detailing my experiences on growing up as first generation Australian, and my thoughts on reconciling my cultural heritage with my nationality. The good folk at Hardie Grant have kindly offered up

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-30741063142807395102011-05-18T01:54:00.003+10:002011-05-29T00:01:52.587+10:00

"Maya Bayyyyy....... Maya Bayyyyyy......" Our second island day trip from Phuket felt more like a cattle call as we were herded into groups, labeled with stickers and then hustled along to our waiting speedboat, ready to take us to Phi Phi Island. Our squawking guide was a stark contrast to the quiet start the day before, a tour to James Bond Island that included sea canoes and cave systems.

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-197603380834852752011-05-16T05:21:00.002+10:002011-05-18T00:42:23.561+10:00

My name. On the front cover of a book! I'm so pleased I can finally reveal my work has been published in Voracious, a collection of newly commissioned essays that celebrates "The Best New Australian Food Writing" It's one matter to have my words published in a book with my byline, but to be included with noted food writers like Gay Bilson, Jill Dupleix, Matthew Evans, Helen Greenwood, Alan

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com69tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-56329855906161168482011-05-13T01:20:00.004+10:002011-06-08T10:40:59.203+10:00

It's Freebie Friday time! This week's prize comes to you from eFarmersMarket, a new online shopping site for Australian handcrafted artisan products. The current range covers 750 Australian small batch items, spanning from teas and jam, to olive oils and local honey. THE PRIZE One lucky reader will win a gourmet hamper worth $100 that includes: Lynwood Angelo's Plum Jam - Collector NSW

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-28064792359386534152011-05-11T04:26:00.003+10:002011-05-11T09:58:17.269+10:00

Dining at a Chef's Table has always been my idea of bliss. I'd much rather forgo the silver service of a dining room and be a fly on the wall of a restaurant's kitchen. It's here, in the inner sanctum, that the true heart and soul of a restaurant can be found. I'd first spied the Chef's Table at Becasse during the launch party, and was immediately struck by how thoughtfully this feature had

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com41tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-61535630197890177662011-05-09T02:15:00.005+10:002011-05-18T01:56:35.696+10:00

On our holiday to Malaysia last year, we ended up taking a detour to Phuket. We had two full days in Phuket, and like most tourists in the area, we booked ourselves on a island-hopping boat tour. We went with Holiday Sea Canoe to see James Bond Island, involving a 7.30am transfer from our hotel to the pier at Ao-Poh in Phuket's north. Our boat is large, with about 25 tourists on-board, and a

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7809230.post-75341325073665823472011-05-06T03:39:00.002+10:002011-05-08T21:36:08.181+10:00

The hand bag stool - it's one of several new features at Becasse, which relocated from Clarence Street to Westfield Sydney last week. The idea came from head chef and owner, Justin North, who had noticed female diners at Becasse asking for a napkin to place on the floor to protect their handbags. Could there be any more reasons for women to swoon over Justin North? Justin North We're here on

Helen (Grab Your Fork)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03816243919248900776noreply@blogger.com36