F o o d . F a s h i o n . V i c t i m *

Friday, November 2, 2012

Sweet Potatoes *

A distant relative of the potato.
Its flesh colour varies from shades of orange, golden yellow, white, purple & red.
Large, starchy, sweet-tasting and all-in-all a nutrition packed root vegetable.

Popular for the health conscious and dieters,
alongside other 'superfoods' such as chicken breast, broccoli & bananas.
Easy to bake, in a little as 35 minutes,
and ready to eat straight from the oven!

purple & orange sweet potatoes

Jacob's Creek *

When asked whether I prefer Red or White, my answer is usually "both!"

In terms of Reds, cabernet sauvignon and shiraz are on the top of my list due to pronounced black fruit notes of cherry and plum. For New World regions such as Australia, cabernet is often blended with shiraz to balance the harsh tannins in youthful wines.

A light drink before boarding my flight back to SYD.

Jacob's Creek Shiraz Cabernet Vintage 2010

Crystal Seafood Restaurant *

Time for Yum Cha!

Casual family lunch where everyone can be seated around small round tables for boisterous conversation. Be prepared to be pushed and shoved during the weekends as many line up (in no particular order) with kids in tow. Trolleys are stacked high with bamboo steamers and demanding Asian ladies will be yelling at you from all directions in Chinese, even if you are obviously not Asian! Whenever a trolley approaches the table, it will surely grab your attention due to the myriad of choices on show. Amongst the steamed healthy options are deep fried snacks, roast meats and asian desserts.

steamed meatballs

(finely ground beef & coriander served on top of bean-curd skin.

soft & chewy with a slight 'bounce' in each bite.

drenched in worcestershire sauce)

phoenix claws

(chicken feet that is deep fried, boiled, marinated

then steamed in a chilli & black bean sauce.

Fluffy texture while also moist & tender.)

steamed chive & shrimp dumplings

(wrapped in thin translucent rice-flour skin)

pork & peanut dumplings

(minced pork, mushrooms, water chestnut, celery, chopped parsley & peanuts.

skin is usually a bit thicker than other steamed dumplings.)

deep fried taro dumplings

(mashed taro stuffed with diced shiitake mushrooms, pork mince

and deep-fried in crispy batter)

egg tarts + taro & turnip cakes

(turnip cake is made from mashed daikon radish, dried shrimp & pork sausage,

which can be substituted for taro as desired.

And to finish off, flaky puff pastries with egg custard filling)

Crystal Seafood Restaurant

14 Churchill Avenue

Strathfield NSW 2135

+61 2 9763 7738

A Journey *

what is a journey. besides being a rhetorical question.

"A journey is not a trip.

Not a vacation.
It's a process.

A discovery.
It's a process of self-discovery.
A journey brings us face to face with ourselves.
A journey shows us not only the world,

but how we fit in it.
Does the person create the journey
or does the journey create the person?
The journey is life itself."

Where will life take you?

- Louis Vuitton

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Hudsons Coffee *

Quick lunch before returning to Sydney.
Gourmet sandwiches on offer included the classic Turkey, Reuben & Ploughman.
Coffee was surprisingly decent!

reuben sandwich

shaved silverside, dryslaw, lettuce, swiss cheese on toasted dark rye

(solid effort to make this classic)

Hudsons Coffee

Canberra Airport ACT 2609

+61 2 6262 8953

Up in the Air *

To keep occupied during the flight, one must sometimes resort to extreme measures. Since I didn't feel like eating, the next best thing was to visually eat by taking food photos!

sydney biscuit company breakfast box + black coffee

carrot & ginger muffin

mints & muesli bite

(mini mints were tres cute!)

mini water + pecorino cheese & green olive bites

spotted. a flying kangaroo!

Black by City Espresso *

"Featuring a 'light box' designed by architects from Building Studio.

With a slick fitout, smooth black finishes & timber cladding,

this project is a great example of clever design.

Not to mention an ergonomic layout that generates fantastic coffee!"

Spiro was headhunted by Qantas to run this new concept store, who in turn sought the services of Gina Di Brita from Numero Uno. Being a professional barista slash coffee coffee consultant, Gina designed an intense espresso blend providing strength for commuters to endure their upcoming flights.

My first pitt stop for the day before embarking on a short business trip to Canberra. I was pleasantly surprised to find a new cafe at the Qantas domestic terminal, which was almost like a lounge before the lounge!