Aseana Food Village, Randwick

The proper way to prepare teh tarik is by pouring the strong milky tea at great height from one metal cup into another, a thunderous waterfall that creates a foaming bubble of froth. It's a traditional method not always practised in Sydney restaurants, and so I'm mesmerised as we watch the spectacular tea pouring process in action at Aseana Food Village.



Aseana Food Villages sits away from

Thanon Khao San, Sydney

In a city over-run with Thai restaurants, the best Thai restaurants in Sydney converge around two city blocks that locals simply know as Thainatown.

I-San Thai was one of my favourite eats - cheap, cheerful and free of the incessant queues that plague Chat Thai around the corner - but sadly closed in late 2009. Thanon Khao San now takes it place, a little fancier and more upmarket than its

Eathouse Diner, Redfern

Low-key, cheerful and a little bit cheeky, Eathouse Diner is the kind of hangout everyone wishes they had in their neighbourhood. We follow the pointing finger instructing us to "eat here" and find ourselves in a deliberately kitsch American-style diner that is already half-full barely 15 minutes into service.



Turquoise walls trimmed with black-and-white check can't compete with the main

The Secret World of Culinary Bloggers

Readers of the Saturday Daily Telegraph in Sydney may have noticed the above article written by food editor Grant Jones on "The secret world of culinary bloggers", a somewhat odd title given the very public sphere in which we publish the minutiae of our lives and meals.

The feature makes some analysis of the growing influence of food blogs, including a quote that "one industry identity

Island Dreams Cafe, Lakemba

I'd known about Island Dreams Cafe in Lakemba in Sydney's south west for years, but never got around to eating there until last year. Island Dreams specialises in food from Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, and it wasn't until I visited that I realised the local cuisine offers a unique take on many Malaysian dishes.

Island Dreams Cafe, Lakemba
WHAT IS ISLAND DREAMS?
A café

Little India, monkeys and the hunt for durian - Penang, Malaysia

Breakfast. If only I could wake up every morning with my head resting on a roti pillow.

After a mammoth day of feasting in Penang, we awoke determined to exercise a little more restraint with our appetites.

Wait, who am I kidding. We ate ourselves stupid. Yet again.


Kassim Mustafa


For breakfast we drove to Little India, a small but bustling area in the city of Georgetown, Penang.

Lord Wolseley Hotel, Ultimo

In the back streets of Pyrmont, you'll find the narrowest pub in New South Wales, the Lord Wolseley Hotel. Built in 1881, the pub still remains much of a local secret, the front bar scattered with mostly male patrons, quietly downing ice cold schooners.

The bistro at the rear of the pub is bright and modern, with a small dining room situated on a mezzanine level, above the bistro counter.

Piroshki at Adelaide Central Market - Taldy-Kurgan

Take a yeasted bun, stuff it, deep-fry it and you have a piroshki, a glorious golden street snack that originated in Russia. Piroshki can also be baked or plain, but I know I'd choose a blistering baptism in bubbling hot oil every time.

Fresh piroshki are not so easy to find in Sydney, which is why my heart skipped a beat when we  stumbled on the Taldy-Kurgan stall in the Adelaide Central

Restaurant Reivew #237: Thai Kitchen, Simi Valley

Papaya Salad

Thai Kitchen has some pretty great Thai food, and not just for Simi Valley standards (North Hollywood isn't that far away, after all). I tried my three favorite Thai dishes--papaya salad, pad kee maw with beef, and pad Thai with tofu to see how they measured up.

The papaya salad was the one dish that didn't impress me--for the price, I felt that it wasn't a lot of food. The

Stomachs Eleven: Thai dinner

Hot, sour, sweet, salty and bitter, Thai cuisine is renowned for its balance of all five in every mouthful.

Last year, several members of our roving dinner party group, Stomachs Eleven, jumped at the chance to travel to the hometown of Thai local, the G-Man. Unfortunately I wasn't able to make it, as I was on my own fooding adventure around Malaysia, but everyone came back with photos and

1m roti tisu - Kayu Nasi Kandar

Remember the one metre tall roti tisu I waxed lyrical over during a recent trip to Malaysia?

Grab Your Fork reader, Winnie, did. She was so intent on hunting down this gravity-defying spectacle she printed off several of my Malaysian posts and packed it in her luggage for a holiday to Kuala Lumpur and Penang.

"My husband and I trekked to Petaling Jaya for a late dinner on January 3, 2011,

Mamak Village, Glebe

Barely two weeks old, Mamak Village is good news to inner west locals keen on a Malaysian roti fix but not quite prepared to brave the queues at Chinatown stalwart Mamak. The set-up is smaller, but a gleaming stainless counter out the front offers a peek at the theatrical display of roti production for passersby.



Only a few tables line the narrow corridor, but most customers are shepherded

Sideways Deli Cafe, Dulwich Hill

You seem them every weekend. Local cafes spilling over with couples, families and friends, escaping the confinement and drudgery of the house for a leisurely weekend breakast.

The click-click of the coffee machine, the smell of fresh espresso and the magical appearance of breakfast placed in front of you. This is the joy of breakfasting out. 



Sideways Deli Cafe in Dulwich Hill is not

China Doll, Woolloomooloo, Sydney

Why does sitting near water make a meal feel so good? The clip-clop of heels on a wooden pier,  the sight of boats in the distance and an abundance of natural light and space could easily trick you into thinking you were still on holiday.

Last night we headed to China Doll to bid bon voyage to Lex, chef and food blogger, who will be heading off to Canada shortly on a working holiday.

It was

A Penang Food Tour: Assam laksa, durian and Penang Road Famous Cendol

Assam laksa. An aromatic swamp of mackerel, tamarind, pineapple, chilli and mint,  I was determined to overdose on it as much as I could in Malaysia.

But first, we needed breakfast before we could hit the road to Penang, where their version of assam laksa is said to be the best. In the quiet town of Ipoh we found a dearth of places open at 9am, eventually settling for the ever-present

Yen for Viet, Marrickville

Is there a more perfect cuisine for summer than Vietnamese? Crunchy salads, sprigs of mint and splashes of sweet dressing, I know what I'm craving for whenever the mercury hits 30C.We turn up at new Vietnamese restaurant Yen for Viet to find a modern airy restaurant, the wall painted a cheerful cherry red, and hung with minimalist line drawings of cyclists and motorcyclists in Vietnam.The