So sometime last year (haha yeah I know, my bad with the lag), the boy and I went across the pond to good ol London town. It was my first time in London and after seeing all the usual suspects like Big Ben, Buckingham Palace and double decker busses, I had one specific thing on my mind. High tea!

We decided to splurge and booked in for Afternoon Tea £58 ($106) at sketch in Mayfair, London, months in advance. Unfortunately for Noods he got hit by epic food poisoning and barely survived the taxi over and mournfully sat and watched me eat.

I’d opted for the £72 ($131) Champagne Afternoon Tea because well, I spotted this guy pouring all fancy aaaand it’s champagne aaaaand a girls gotta treat herself 😛

There’s a tea master who will wheel their trolley filled with glass jars of loose leaf teas to your table and explain the teas on offer and help you choose what would suit your palate. I absolutely loved the teapot, milk jug and sugar container and it’s also available for purchase but lol £35 ($63) for the teapot yeah nah bruh

A sketch take on egg and soldiers means two cheesy comte fingers to dip into a comte cheese mornay with a 63 degree egg yolk, served in a china egg cup and a spoonful of caviar! Luckily for me (and unfortunately for Noods) I got to eat his serve ahahaha eat ALL the caviar! Decadence max esp with that champagne!

The sweets tier comprised of a range of Petits Gateaux: Malabar Marshmallow; Caramel & blackcurrant macaron; vanilla and hibiscus opera cake; almond and lemon cake; Yorkshire rhubarb and raspberry cheesecake. My fave was the cheesecake which was creamy but the tartness of the raspberry stopped it from being overly rich.

Man I love finger sandwiches haha there’s just something about seeing them all sliced perfectly that makes me happy! There was Corn fed Coronation chicken; ‘Igor’ Tomato chutney, lettuce, mayonaise; Oxfordshire duck egg and mayonaise, quail egg, watercress; and Scottish smoked salmon and Jacob’s cream.

And a plate of freshly baked fruit and plain scones with Cornish clotted cream, fig and strawberry jam. Tbh I wished the scones were a bit more fluffier but how amazing is clotted cream <3

After we (well, mainly me) demolished everything and our table was cleared, a trolley was wheeled over and we were asked if we would like a slice of something extra. Hell yes was the answer and we were presented with a fat slice of Pistachio Cherry Cake. I was already close to explodey point and while this cake was a bit on the dense side for me I loved the juicy cherries studded throughout.

There was also a slice of Traditional Victoria Sponge to be had! Look at that layer of cream! Look at that fine crumb of the sponge! I could’ve used a bit more jam but it was a very delicious cake.

Of course there had to be a trip to the hectic bathroom with psychedelic rainbow ceiling and egg bathroom pods!

Sketch is a definite must, it was such an amazing experience with delicious food and impeccable service. The live music was incredible and it was almost overwhelming just staring at the quirky artworks lining the walls, surrounded by pink velvet banquettes, pillows and ceilings!

sketch
9 Conduit St,
Mayfair, London

Trading Hours:
Monday – Friday: 7am–2am
Saturday: 8am – 2am
Sunday: 8am – 12:30am

Hi guys. Long time no see. I guess things are starting to get away from me and the blog is suffering. I’m sorry! I’m still eating all the things but am trying to live in the moment and put my camera away, settling for quick snaps on the iphone so that I can back to the eating and making new memories with friends. Like this lunch with @crunchytiger and @jchow211 at the newly opened Dish in Glebe, the second restaurant from the famed Sri Lankan Dish in Toongabbie. And btw, they’re BYO 😀

The Classic hopper breakfast ($19.90) calls my name, there’s 2 plain and 1 egg hopper, sambol and chicken curry. I fricken love hoppers, they’re made of fermented rice flour and coconut milk batter, are crispy on the edges and satisfyingly thicker in the middle like a pancake or thin crepe. Use your hands and tear strips off to dunk in the curry and you’ll be one happy camper.

Noods went for the Special lunch set menu ($22), choosing the dosa (more pancake-y in texture) over the egg hopper and egg roti. When reading the menu we were wondering what the lamb roll would be, envisioning a classic sausage roll but turns out it was like a cross between a deep fried egg roll and a chiko roll and was strangely satisfying.

There was also beef kottu roti (made with chopped roti, egg and vegetables), a tender chicken curry, and a trio of sambols perfect for dipping the dosa in- pol, katta and seeni.

Jabs has ordered the Slow cooked goat on the bone curry ($18) with rice and sambols. The goat is incredibly tender and just perfect with the rice to soak up the sauce.

Dish: Sri Lankan Street Food
381 Glebe Point Rd,
Glebe

Trading Hours:
Monday, Wednesday & Thursday: 5pm – 9:30pm
Tuesday: Closed
Friday: Lunch – 12pm – 2:30pm, Dinner – 5pm – 9:30pm
Saturday and Sunday: 11am – 2:30pm (for Brunch), Dinner – 5pm – 9:30pm

So I’ve always loved Spice Alley in Chippendale but have always thought something was missing. Specifically, a bar. Last year the Poernomo brothers (of Masterchef and Koi Dessert Bar fame) opened Monkey’s Corner on the end of Spice Alley, just across from Koi. The menu is short and sweet, the idea being grazing on snacks and getting some more substantial dishes later to go with your drinks.

Rice bowls are only available on the weekends which seems a shame because I would kill to have a rice bowl for supper during the week. Or lunch. Or a snack… ANYWAYS. A must order is the Spicy trout belly rice bowl ($14). I didn’t want to spend $45 on the Uni rice bowl but instead opted for the additional uni ($15), four beautifully briny petals placed ever so delicately on top. It had the perfect spice level for me and I thought the amount of fatty trout was pretty generous.

The Soy braised pork belly rice bowl ($18) is the perfect comfort food. Fat slices of pork belly with layers of quivering gelatinous fat oh baby oh baby! The fluffy rice underneath was perfect for soaking up all the juices though I kinda wished the egg yolk was more gooey.

Those that know me will know I have issues with ox tongue. Flavour wise I don’t mind it but I hate when it’s sliced lengthways and still looks, well, like a tongue 😛 Luckily I’d seen on IG prior what the Ox tongue ($15) looked like so I was fine ordering it.

The ox tongue has been slow cooked, sliced thinly and is then drizzled with beef fat. That’s right, beef fat! And yes it was glorious! It did get a bit rich but thankfully the lime and the smattering of chives helped cut through the richness.

The Kingfish Collar ($16) is an absolute must order but not one for people who have issues with bones. I reckon half the fun of eating the kingfish collar is carefully excavating out the delicate flesh and working for your meal 😛 I loved the crisp, blowtorched skin and the rubble of shichimi and furikake seasoning.

There’s a couple of desserts on the menu or you could bounce next door and press up against the glass display featuring cakes in all the colours of the rainbow.

Monkey’s Corner
40 Kensington St,
Chippendale

Trading Hours:
Tues – Fri: 5pm – 11pm
Sat: 12pm – 11pm
Sun: 12pm – 10pm

Not my top9 but what 2017 was to me: making new friends, losing old ones, finding new restaurants but returning to old favourites.

There were new jobs (yep plural), many memes, swims at the beach and a whole bunch of songs that hit me in the feels.

There was less dancing this year but more quality hangs over pasta and wine. There was a trip to Europe (and Malaysia, Japan and Melbourne) and realising exactly how small Sydney is.

There were many burgers eaten this year (71 to be exact), fried chicken and scones, too.

My hair colour stayed relatively the same for once, a new dinosaur tattoo was added to the collection and I realised how important my friends are to me.

I didn’t bake as much as I would have liked this year and I sure as hell didn’t cook at all. And while IG never shows the entire truth, I’ve actually been eating healthier (though a little more exercise would probably help my cholesterol).

Goodbye 2017, I’m really looking forward to 2018. I hope you guys have an awesome year!