Getting around Sydney by public transport can be hard if you're not going to the city. There is a website that can help you work out how to get anywhere around Sydney with public transport with details of special transport timetables.
www.131500.com.au
Note that the light rail doesn't appear on this website. This transport option is good for getting from Central station to Darling Harbour and the casino.
www.metromonorail.com.au
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Jordans
The location is great but the food is only just passable for what you pay. It didn't look any more special than what you can get at an RSL these days but it tasted ok. The service was not very special either- it took us a long time for us to order. I think it is mainly aimed at the tourist market and is not really looking for repeat customers.
grilled morroccan spiced tuna steak 35
on a roasted vegetable mash with tomato and onion chutney
Harbourside Complex
Shop 197
Darling Dr
Darling Harbour 2000 NSW
Phone: (02) 9281 3711
http://www.jordonsrestaurant.com.au/
grilled morroccan spiced tuna steak 35
on a roasted vegetable mash with tomato and onion chutney
Harbourside Complex
Shop 197
Darling Dr
Darling Harbour 2000 NSW
Phone: (02) 9281 3711
http://www.jordonsrestaurant.com.au/
Eastwood Garden Peking Restaurant
There are few Beijing Chinese restaurants around compared to southern Chinese restaurants. This is one of them. I went there for an afternoon special. You have to go there after about 2 o'clock (apologies I don't know the exact time). You can pick three courses for $13.80 between 2 people. It was great value- my boyfriend and I were quite hungry and still couldn't finish the food. The downside is that the specials menu is entirely in Chinese language. I had to ask the waitress to translate but she wasn't very polite about it. If they could improve their service they could make their restaurant quite a bit better. The hot and sour soup was good. The shallot pancake was excellent- heaps of shallots and very crisp. I was impressed with the generous portion of duck that was in the noodle dish. There are afternoons specials for four people also.
167 Rowe Street
Eastwood NSW 2122
02 9804 1289
- Hot and sour soup
- Shallot pancake
- Stir- fried handmade noodles
167 Rowe Street
Eastwood NSW 2122
02 9804 1289
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Learning to ride a bicycle in Sydney
When I lived in Vientiane, Laos for a year, the bicycle was my main form of transport. I bought a Giant bike, a hybrid between a road bike and a mountain bike. This was perfect for Vientiane because if you go off the main road there are major pot holes, rocky and generally uneven. It was great for keeping healthy and lots of fun so I brought it home to Sydney. In Sydney I had only ridden a bike around as a kid for fun, never for serious exercise or commuting.
My boyfriend pretty much put my bike back together for me when I arrived home. He used some instructions on the internet and advice over instant messaging from a friend. It was challenging riding my bicycle around my local neighbourhood because:
1. The bike wasn't as well tuned as it was when the guy at the bike shop did it. I'm going to have to learn this myself. I should also find a local bike shop.
2. Sydney has hills! I'm going to have to learn to ride on them, ie pace myself appropriately.
3. I pumped up the tyres with a hand pump and I knew this was a poor effort but I did try really hard. I was pleased my local servo now has a digital readout with the air pump so I used it to pump up my tyres. My tyres should be pumped up 45-65 psi. I had only pumped them up a paltry 15 psi.
4. I discovered my front tyre was on backwards so I turned it around today. I'm now proficient at taking the front tyre on and off. I now have to learn to do the back one.
I'm quite bad at things mechanic but I do want to learn how to maintain my bicycle. Here are some good resources:
I have to buy a few things including a puncture kit (and learn how to use it), a set of allan keys and other maintenance tools and a bottle cage.
My boyfriend pretty much put my bike back together for me when I arrived home. He used some instructions on the internet and advice over instant messaging from a friend. It was challenging riding my bicycle around my local neighbourhood because:
1. The bike wasn't as well tuned as it was when the guy at the bike shop did it. I'm going to have to learn this myself. I should also find a local bike shop.
2. Sydney has hills! I'm going to have to learn to ride on them, ie pace myself appropriately.
3. I pumped up the tyres with a hand pump and I knew this was a poor effort but I did try really hard. I was pleased my local servo now has a digital readout with the air pump so I used it to pump up my tyres. My tyres should be pumped up 45-65 psi. I had only pumped them up a paltry 15 psi.
4. I discovered my front tyre was on backwards so I turned it around today. I'm now proficient at taking the front tyre on and off. I now have to learn to do the back one.
I'm quite bad at things mechanic but I do want to learn how to maintain my bicycle. Here are some good resources:
- Bicycletutor.com has videos of how to do repairs and maintenance of your bicycle.
- Sydney community college has courses about commuting around Sydney and beginner's bicycle maintenance
I have to buy a few things including a puncture kit (and learn how to use it), a set of allan keys and other maintenance tools and a bottle cage.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Fedeles Pizza Restaurant
The food at this restaurant is superb. About half the time I go to pizza joints I am disappointed with pizzas I order have but this restaurant did not disappoint. The pizzas are reasonably sized. Good ingredients are used and the pizzas are light, not greasy. The pastas are excellent also. Where do you half a crab when you order a seafood marinara? Certainly their presentation is great.
I think I know their secret though! I saw them put the Silver Spoon recipe book by Phaidon Press back on the shelf. According to Amazon this book is 'First published in 1950 and revised over time, Italy's bestselling culinary "bible," Il Cucchiaio d'argento.' It's probably not a bad idea to be cooking from this book.
I didn't study their menu because I let my host order and the website's not complete so I don't have an accurate list of what I ate or what the prices are. I'll have to update this when their website is updated.
East Ryde NSW 2113
http://www.fedelespizzarestaurant.com/select.html
I think I know their secret though! I saw them put the Silver Spoon recipe book by Phaidon Press back on the shelf. According to Amazon this book is 'First published in 1950 and revised over time, Italy's bestselling culinary "bible," Il Cucchiaio d'argento.' It's probably not a bad idea to be cooking from this book.
I didn't study their menu because I let my host order and the website's not complete so I don't have an accurate list of what I ate or what the prices are. I'll have to update this when their website is updated.
- Sager's pizza
- Fettucine bosciola
- Spaghetti marinara
East Ryde NSW 2113
http://www.fedelespizzarestaurant.com/select.html
Musashi
I think this is also known as 'Dining bar Musashi' as per their website or 'Izakaya Musashi' per www.eatability.com.au. This is a Japanese restaurant that is always busy! You can reserve a spot by putting your name down at 5pm for a seat later that evening. We waited outside for a few minutes before we were seated. The food tasted pretty much exactly as it did in Japan which was impressive. The takoyaki, octopus balls were not too heavy like they should be, as was the fried tofu. The serving sizes of the okinomi- yaki and the grilled rainbow trout were above average. We couldn't finish all the food we ordered between the three of us. Service is quite friendly and food is served very quickly. The location is very convenient. I will definitely be back.
- Agedashi Tofu $5.80
- Takoyaki $6.80
- Okonomi-yaki Mix $10.80
- Grilled Rainbow Trout $19.80
Friday, July 4, 2008
Cooking Lao food in Sydney, Australia
The main foods I missed and wanted to make were larp, sticky rice, eggplant jeo and green papaya salad. I always dreamed of making the larp with kangaroo. I managed to do it and it turned out really well!
Kangaroo larp
This is a salad with plenty of mint, minced meat and seasoned with lime and fish sauce. The larp recipe I used was Rosemary Brissenden's 'South East Asian Food' book. This book is wonderful and has an amazing number of great Lao recipes it has. I substituted kangaroo for the meat suggested. Instead of buying minced meat like the book said I used one of those huge Asian choppers to chop the meat into small pieces. The herbs ie mint that is in the recipe is way more expensive in Australia than in Laos. I think in Australia herbs are still a bit of a luxury item where as in Laos they are an everyday vegetable.
Sticky rice
I bought a cone- shaped sticky rice steaming basket from Pontip in the city. Details of Pontip below. The basket was huge but this is the only size they sell. The first time I cooked it, it wasn't very good. It came out too sticky because the basket I bought was huge, too deep so the rice touched the water.There is quite a few variation of recipes which I think are all fine as long as you stick to the following rules:
Soak the rice for at least 2 hours before you cook it
This is a spicy chunky dip/ dipping sauce/ salsa-like dip with eggplant, garlic, chilli and fish sauce. I didn't follow a recipe for this, I just did it from what I remember it tastes like. I grilled the eggplant, garlic and chilli on the George Foreman grill but my little grill isn't powerful enough and it took too long. I mashed it all up with a mortar and pestle and served it with sticky rice. A delicious and healthy dish!
Green papaya salad
I missed tam mak hung really badly and would have been upset if this had gone wrong! Luckily it didn't. Using ingredients found in Sydney I could make this papaya salad. I bought the green papaya at Pontip and found that it was also available at my local greengrocer for $3.99 per kg. I bought the special fish sauce at Pontip also where they can make papaya salad to order for around $8, from memory.
Pontip Exotic Fruit & Vegetables Wholesale
This is a grocery store that is run by a Thai woman. It has equipment and groceries including fresh fruit and vegetables to be able to make Thai and Lao food. The also sell pre- cooked meals.
Kangaroo larp
This is a salad with plenty of mint, minced meat and seasoned with lime and fish sauce. The larp recipe I used was Rosemary Brissenden's 'South East Asian Food' book. This book is wonderful and has an amazing number of great Lao recipes it has. I substituted kangaroo for the meat suggested. Instead of buying minced meat like the book said I used one of those huge Asian choppers to chop the meat into small pieces. The herbs ie mint that is in the recipe is way more expensive in Australia than in Laos. I think in Australia herbs are still a bit of a luxury item where as in Laos they are an everyday vegetable.
Sticky rice
I bought a cone- shaped sticky rice steaming basket from Pontip in the city. Details of Pontip below. The basket was huge but this is the only size they sell. The first time I cooked it, it wasn't very good. It came out too sticky because the basket I bought was huge, too deep so the rice touched the water.There is quite a few variation of recipes which I think are all fine as long as you stick to the following rules:
Soak the rice for at least 2 hours before you cook it
- Steam the rice by putting it in the bamboo basket.
- Put the basket a pot with hot water at the bottom.
- Steam for 20- 30 minutes and make sure the rice doesn't touch the water. Angle basket away from water if necessary.
- You can buy a couldren- like pot to steam the rice but I did it with an ordinary pot.
- I didn't think it was as necessary to rest the rice in a bamboo basket, or towel as many recipes suggest.
This is a spicy chunky dip/ dipping sauce/ salsa-like dip with eggplant, garlic, chilli and fish sauce. I didn't follow a recipe for this, I just did it from what I remember it tastes like. I grilled the eggplant, garlic and chilli on the George Foreman grill but my little grill isn't powerful enough and it took too long. I mashed it all up with a mortar and pestle and served it with sticky rice. A delicious and healthy dish!
Green papaya salad
I missed tam mak hung really badly and would have been upset if this had gone wrong! Luckily it didn't. Using ingredients found in Sydney I could make this papaya salad. I bought the green papaya at Pontip and found that it was also available at my local greengrocer for $3.99 per kg. I bought the special fish sauce at Pontip also where they can make papaya salad to order for around $8, from memory.
Pontip Exotic Fruit & Vegetables Wholesale
This is a grocery store that is run by a Thai woman. It has equipment and groceries including fresh fruit and vegetables to be able to make Thai and Lao food. The also sell pre- cooked meals.
16 Campbell St
Haymarket NSW 2000
Opposite Capitol Theatre
Lucky Thai Frozen Foods
Shp643/ 40-50 Campbell St
Haymarket NSW 2000
This is another Thai grocery store that has a lot of Thai good such as shampoos. It has a lots of videos and pre- cooked meals. I actually have to check whether this is the exact correct store because I swear that at the shop there's only a Thai name out the front.
Haymarket NSW 2000
Opposite Capitol Theatre
Lucky Thai Frozen Foods
Shp643/ 40-50 Campbell St
Haymarket NSW 2000
This is another Thai grocery store that has a lot of Thai good such as shampoos. It has a lots of videos and pre- cooked meals. I actually have to check whether this is the exact correct store because I swear that at the shop there's only a Thai name out the front.
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