I have always loved the Aussie accent. How can you hear it and not have it bring a smile to your face?
What I didn't know? Was that they had so many sayings and different words. Here are some of my favorite words, phrases and sayings from my trip Down Under:
- Bottle Shop: liquor store
- Mystery bag: a meat pie (doesn't sound too appealing does it?)
- Chrissie: Christmas!
- Prezzies: presents (what Chrissie would be complete without prezzies?)
- Sickie: taking a day off work when you're not actually sick
- Roadie: an alcoholic beverage you take on the road with you
- Brekkie: why breakfast of course! (My favorite usage of the word? "Chew your arm off and have some brekkie")
A few words we left without ever knowing the meaning of. Can anyone help? Any Aussie's reading that want to help?
- Tog
- Turps
- Budgie smugglers
Showing posts with label Australia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Australia. Show all posts
Monday, January 12, 2009
Monday, December 15, 2008
Reflections: Hamilton Island, Australia
Hamilton Island is an amazing place. Since my visit there, I've come up with many theories and analogies, maybe I'll share those with you all one of these days. In the meantime, I want to share my favorite memories and things to do on Hamilton Island.
Pool Bar
First thing my mate Shaye and I wanted when we landed after almost 20 hrs of traveling? To jump in a pool and have a cocktail. What better place to go than to the Pool Bar, a "Cocktail-esq" bar in the pool! Beautiful views all around us while we swam and floated with cocktails in hand. The trip was getting off to a good start.
Live Music on the Marina
We lucked out. Turns out Sunday nights, there's a band that plays on this little stage down by the Marina. Not sure if it's the same band or a different one each week, but the band we heard, was amazing. Shaye and I were just taking an evening stroll, looking for a diner spot on our first night on the island, and the second we heard the music, we knew we had to plop oursleves down on the grass and stay for the show.
Music isn't complete without wine, so a quick stop into the Marina Tavern Bottle Shop, and then we were back on the grass, watching the band, taking in the views and sunset over the water.
Turns out it was a cover band, playing many of our favorite songs including "Jack and Diane" ('two Aussie kids, doin the best that they can'), "Brown Eyed Girl" (upon my request!), and even "Down Under" (and yes, at that point, Shaye and I did get up and dance. And yes, we were the only ones dancing.
Our time here was also the perfect way to meet some locals, and Shaye and I made friends that ended up showing us around during our trip (thanks to Dave and Matt!) An absolutely perfect way to spend an evening.
One Tree Hill, day
They say it's one of the most beautiful spots on the island, and they're right. Absolutely stunning views of the surrounding islands. We were amazed by how far we could see, and how clear the water was. We missed it, but hear that if you go up here at sunset, you can have a cocktail and take in the sunset from the top of the island. Probably a good spot to see the sunrise too!
One Tree Hill, night
The day views are pretty spectacular, but the night views even more amazing. You can see the water crashing, low tide, and then the lights of the resorts and marina down below. The night we went, there was actually a band playing at one of the resorts, and we could clearly hear the music as we took it all in.
Southern Hemisphere stars and constellations
While you're up at One Tree Hill at night, be sure to look UP! Especially for my Northern Hemisphere friends, you have no idea what we'e missing. The stars and constellations look completely different. There is no Orion, no Big Dipper-instead it's the Southern Cross.
Click here for some photos from all over Hamilton Island!
Great Barrier Reef
If you're already at Hamilton, the 2 and 1/2 hour boat ride to the Great Barrier Reef is definitely worth it. The water is unlike anything I've ever seen.
We went to Reefworld, and was able to go snorkeling there. People. You MUST do this. The wildlife and fish we saw was so beautiful. The colors of the fish and coral all popped. I saw bright almost neon colored blue and yellow fish, a little one that looked like it had zebra stripes (made me think of Kimpton!), a bright green and purple fish, one that was black and had a red mouth and you could almost see it's teeth (I called it the Joker Fish). It was all very 'Finding Nemo'.
Some of snap shots from our day on the reef
I saw sword fish, a little shark, and these clam things that had a purple top that almost looked velvety. There were areas of really shallow coral, and then suddenly it would drop off into a really deep section. At one point I saw almost a wall of silver fish in one of these drops. And I swam through it all!
In order to snorkel there, you need to put on a stinger suit, fins, then of course the snorkle mask and mouth piece. As I was dresing, I did find myself thinking, isn't it a little unnatural that we have to put on all of these clothes and dress in sting suits, flippers, etc in order to go down there? Maybe humans weren't meant to be in the water and weren't meant to disrupt the wildlife?
+042.jpg)
Don't get me wrong, it was beautiful, and I've done other arguably 'unnatural' things (umm, you really think mankind was made to jump out of a plane?) But I found myself thinking about it.
Also while I was down there, for a second, literally a split second, I found myself not wanting to eat fish and understanding how a vegeterian might feel. The wildlife was just so beautiful in it's natural habitat. It quickly passed though, and I found myself thinking about which type of fish would be the tastiest.
Whitehaven Beach
Another 'must see', is Whitehaven beach. It's a 30 min boat ride from Hamilton Island and it's one of the most amazing places in the world. BBC voted it a 'must see place before you die', and now I know why.
First, the sand on the beach is a super-fine grain white sand, and actually, isn't even really sand. It's silica. And second, there's nothing out there. Nothing. Your boat gets close to the beach, then you have to take something else to get to the beach. Once you're there, that's it. No stores, no restaurants, no bars. Just miles of beautiful and secluded beach. Click here to see our photos from Whitehaven!
Catseye Beach at night
This is one of the beaches behind one of the resorts on the island. It's pretty during the day, but at night, it's even better. The sand is hard, and you can sit down without sinking in. When it's in low tide, you can't see or hear the water. All you see is pitch black. And since there aren't many other people on the beach, it's just you and the mates you're with. Enjoying each other's company.
R Bar
*Disclaimer: This one on the list is probably the most difficult of them all. Not something just any one can go and do. BUT, if you're up for the challenge, please try. *
Hamilton Island is a resort island. Which means there's a bit of an "us versus them" culture. The staff that works there aren't suppose to mix and mingle with the resort guests. You do your thing, we do ours. That's the mentality.
Well, that's fine. Unless you're two young gals vacationing together. You tend to look for the younger hot spots. All around us were honeymooning couples, and families. Neither group really appealed to us in terms of fun people to meet and hang out with. So what did we do? We broke the barrier.
We ended up meeting some of the staff on the island. And learned that there was a staff bar! Drinks were half the price, it was up a little hill (with signs marked "Service Road" and "Staff Only" the whole way up). They often checked for employee IDs, and no guests staying at the resorts were allowed in. So what did we do? Sneak in.
Yes I know, not my finest moment, but it was one of the most fun nights we had on the trip. There was a musician playing rock songs that Shaye and I sang outloud with from our table. There was dancing on a little dance floor (which we had to restrain ourselves from doing- couldn't try any attention to ourselves!). It was all very "Dirty Dancing" if you ask me! (Well, minus the actual 'dirty dancing'!)
The best moment of the night? Our friends went to the bar to get drinks (we had to stay behind, in case they asked for staff id). Well, someone tapped us on the shoulder and we heard "Staff ID please ladies". Our jaws dropped. Were we going to get kicked out even before we had our first drink here?
As we were both speechless, the guy started laughing. It took us a moment, but we realized, he was one of the bellmen from our hotel! We had talked to him several times, but just didn't recognize him without his moustache!
In any case, this staff only bar gave us a glimpse into life on the island.
Night tour of the island on a buggy
There are no cars on Hamilton Island. Just golf carts. Or buggies as they call them there. We had decided we didn't need to rent a buggy for our short time on the island, after all, just about everything was within walking distance. And there was even a free bus that circled the island. It was generally very easy to get around.
But then we realized, there are spots on the island that really aren't walking friendly. And in order to really get a sense of the whole island, you needed to drive around it. So how did we manage to get a night time tour from our new friends.
The locals we met were kind enough to drive us around the island on our last night, showing us lots of different spots on the island that weren't over run with tourists. We noticed that there weren't many drinking and driving laws on the islands. Everyone was driving around with 'roadies', beer in one hand, steering wheel in the other. Interesting.
However, near the end of the night, as we were heading home, we did see a breathalyzer check point. It was nuts! Guess there are some rules on the island.
My parting words? Go to Hamilton Island! Make the trek, it's well worth it and you won't regret it.
Pool BarFirst thing my mate Shaye and I wanted when we landed after almost 20 hrs of traveling? To jump in a pool and have a cocktail. What better place to go than to the Pool Bar, a "Cocktail-esq" bar in the pool! Beautiful views all around us while we swam and floated with cocktails in hand. The trip was getting off to a good start.
Live Music on the Marina
We lucked out. Turns out Sunday nights, there's a band that plays on this little stage down by the Marina. Not sure if it's the same band or a different one each week, but the band we heard, was amazing. Shaye and I were just taking an evening stroll, looking for a diner spot on our first night on the island, and the second we heard the music, we knew we had to plop oursleves down on the grass and stay for the show.
Music isn't complete without wine, so a quick stop into the Marina Tavern Bottle Shop, and then we were back on the grass, watching the band, taking in the views and sunset over the water.
Turns out it was a cover band, playing many of our favorite songs including "Jack and Diane" ('two Aussie kids, doin the best that they can'), "Brown Eyed Girl" (upon my request!), and even "Down Under" (and yes, at that point, Shaye and I did get up and dance. And yes, we were the only ones dancing.
Our time here was also the perfect way to meet some locals, and Shaye and I made friends that ended up showing us around during our trip (thanks to Dave and Matt!) An absolutely perfect way to spend an evening.
One Tree Hill, day
They say it's one of the most beautiful spots on the island, and they're right. Absolutely stunning views of the surrounding islands. We were amazed by how far we could see, and how clear the water was. We missed it, but hear that if you go up here at sunset, you can have a cocktail and take in the sunset from the top of the island. Probably a good spot to see the sunrise too!
One Tree Hill, night The day views are pretty spectacular, but the night views even more amazing. You can see the water crashing, low tide, and then the lights of the resorts and marina down below. The night we went, there was actually a band playing at one of the resorts, and we could clearly hear the music as we took it all in.
Southern Hemisphere stars and constellations
While you're up at One Tree Hill at night, be sure to look UP! Especially for my Northern Hemisphere friends, you have no idea what we'e missing. The stars and constellations look completely different. There is no Orion, no Big Dipper-instead it's the Southern Cross.
Click here for some photos from all over Hamilton Island!
Great Barrier Reef
If you're already at Hamilton, the 2 and 1/2 hour boat ride to the Great Barrier Reef is definitely worth it. The water is unlike anything I've ever seen.
We went to Reefworld, and was able to go snorkeling there. People. You MUST do this. The wildlife and fish we saw was so beautiful. The colors of the fish and coral all popped. I saw bright almost neon colored blue and yellow fish, a little one that looked like it had zebra stripes (made me think of Kimpton!), a bright green and purple fish, one that was black and had a red mouth and you could almost see it's teeth (I called it the Joker Fish). It was all very 'Finding Nemo'.
|
I saw sword fish, a little shark, and these clam things that had a purple top that almost looked velvety. There were areas of really shallow coral, and then suddenly it would drop off into a really deep section. At one point I saw almost a wall of silver fish in one of these drops. And I swam through it all!
In order to snorkel there, you need to put on a stinger suit, fins, then of course the snorkle mask and mouth piece. As I was dresing, I did find myself thinking, isn't it a little unnatural that we have to put on all of these clothes and dress in sting suits, flippers, etc in order to go down there? Maybe humans weren't meant to be in the water and weren't meant to disrupt the wildlife?
+042.jpg)
Don't get me wrong, it was beautiful, and I've done other arguably 'unnatural' things (umm, you really think mankind was made to jump out of a plane?) But I found myself thinking about it.
Also while I was down there, for a second, literally a split second, I found myself not wanting to eat fish and understanding how a vegeterian might feel. The wildlife was just so beautiful in it's natural habitat. It quickly passed though, and I found myself thinking about which type of fish would be the tastiest.
Whitehaven BeachAnother 'must see', is Whitehaven beach. It's a 30 min boat ride from Hamilton Island and it's one of the most amazing places in the world. BBC voted it a 'must see place before you die', and now I know why.
First, the sand on the beach is a super-fine grain white sand, and actually, isn't even really sand. It's silica. And second, there's nothing out there. Nothing. Your boat gets close to the beach, then you have to take something else to get to the beach. Once you're there, that's it. No stores, no restaurants, no bars. Just miles of beautiful and secluded beach. Click here to see our photos from Whitehaven!
Catseye Beach at night
This is one of the beaches behind one of the resorts on the island. It's pretty during the day, but at night, it's even better. The sand is hard, and you can sit down without sinking in. When it's in low tide, you can't see or hear the water. All you see is pitch black. And since there aren't many other people on the beach, it's just you and the mates you're with. Enjoying each other's company.
R Bar
*Disclaimer: This one on the list is probably the most difficult of them all. Not something just any one can go and do. BUT, if you're up for the challenge, please try. *
Hamilton Island is a resort island. Which means there's a bit of an "us versus them" culture. The staff that works there aren't suppose to mix and mingle with the resort guests. You do your thing, we do ours. That's the mentality.
Well, that's fine. Unless you're two young gals vacationing together. You tend to look for the younger hot spots. All around us were honeymooning couples, and families. Neither group really appealed to us in terms of fun people to meet and hang out with. So what did we do? We broke the barrier.
We ended up meeting some of the staff on the island. And learned that there was a staff bar! Drinks were half the price, it was up a little hill (with signs marked "Service Road" and "Staff Only" the whole way up). They often checked for employee IDs, and no guests staying at the resorts were allowed in. So what did we do? Sneak in.
Yes I know, not my finest moment, but it was one of the most fun nights we had on the trip. There was a musician playing rock songs that Shaye and I sang outloud with from our table. There was dancing on a little dance floor (which we had to restrain ourselves from doing- couldn't try any attention to ourselves!). It was all very "Dirty Dancing" if you ask me! (Well, minus the actual 'dirty dancing'!)
The best moment of the night? Our friends went to the bar to get drinks (we had to stay behind, in case they asked for staff id). Well, someone tapped us on the shoulder and we heard "Staff ID please ladies". Our jaws dropped. Were we going to get kicked out even before we had our first drink here?
As we were both speechless, the guy started laughing. It took us a moment, but we realized, he was one of the bellmen from our hotel! We had talked to him several times, but just didn't recognize him without his moustache!
In any case, this staff only bar gave us a glimpse into life on the island.
Night tour of the island on a buggy
There are no cars on Hamilton Island. Just golf carts. Or buggies as they call them there. We had decided we didn't need to rent a buggy for our short time on the island, after all, just about everything was within walking distance. And there was even a free bus that circled the island. It was generally very easy to get around.
But then we realized, there are spots on the island that really aren't walking friendly. And in order to really get a sense of the whole island, you needed to drive around it. So how did we manage to get a night time tour from our new friends.
The locals we met were kind enough to drive us around the island on our last night, showing us lots of different spots on the island that weren't over run with tourists. We noticed that there weren't many drinking and driving laws on the islands. Everyone was driving around with 'roadies', beer in one hand, steering wheel in the other. Interesting.
However, near the end of the night, as we were heading home, we did see a breathalyzer check point. It was nuts! Guess there are some rules on the island.
My parting words? Go to Hamilton Island! Make the trek, it's well worth it and you won't regret it.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Reflections: Sydney
By the time I reached Sydney, I think I was mentally and physically exhausted. Relaxing that much can be draining! But seriously, all of the plane travel, combined with going out, staying out late, and drinking too much vino, made for two tired gals. But my mate Shaye and I were both determined to continue having fun, and to end our trip on a high note!
Some of my observations of Sydney? It’s a much different city from Melbourne. It’s a little bit more sprawling. Lots of different neighborhoods, but so difficult to get around! Not like Melbourne (or SF, or even NY…), in Sydney, you have to navigate between multiple public transportation systems—from light rail, to monorail, to buses, and of course ferries! (Which sadly, we never made it onto the ferry!)
In Sydney, we were clearly in a big city. The people were not quite as friendly. There were plenty of skyscrapers and large buildings. I walked by a number of major corporations, and saw lots of familiar shops and brand names. Suddenly, it almost felt like we weren’t that far away.
In any case, there were lots of things about our few days in Sydney that I did loved. Here’s a few of them:
Bondi Beach
One of the most famous beaches in the world, it’s about a 30 min bus ride outside of the Central Business District in Sydney. There are many beaches to choose from when you’re visiting Sydney, and we did think about seeing some of the other ones (like Manley!) But again, this was our first trip out there. It just felt wrong to go some where other than Bondi—this really is the beach that Sydney is known for!
Some of my observations of Sydney? It’s a much different city from Melbourne. It’s a little bit more sprawling. Lots of different neighborhoods, but so difficult to get around! Not like Melbourne (or SF, or even NY…), in Sydney, you have to navigate between multiple public transportation systems—from light rail, to monorail, to buses, and of course ferries! (Which sadly, we never made it onto the ferry!)
In Sydney, we were clearly in a big city. The people were not quite as friendly. There were plenty of skyscrapers and large buildings. I walked by a number of major corporations, and saw lots of familiar shops and brand names. Suddenly, it almost felt like we weren’t that far away.
In any case, there were lots of things about our few days in Sydney that I did loved. Here’s a few of them:
Bondi Beach
One of the most famous beaches in the world, it’s about a 30 min bus ride outside of the Central Business District in Sydney. There are many beaches to choose from when you’re visiting Sydney, and we did think about seeing some of the other ones (like Manley!) But again, this was our first trip out there. It just felt wrong to go some where other than Bondi—this really is the beach that Sydney is known for!
The view from Icebergs is a must see
It’s a beautiful stretch of beach, and a cute little beach community. My friend JT was lucky enough to live out here for a year and she loved it. Having been there myself now, I can understand why. We chose to go out there on a Sunday, so it was filled surfers, families, and people trying to get out of the city. It was a bustling beach scene.
The day we were there, it was sunny and beautiful out. We spent our time there sitting, drinking mimosas, and doing a lot of people watching.
The day we were there, it was sunny and beautiful out. We spent our time there sitting, drinking mimosas, and doing a lot of people watching.
For more photos of beautiful Bondi, click on the slideshow below:
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| Bondi Beach! |
Wildlife Park
It seems silly to do this, and I’m not really a big zoo or animal person, but how can you go all the way to Australia for the first time and not get up close and personal with a koala and kangaroo? You don't. I guarantee you, when you come back from your first trip to Australia, everyone will want to know if you saw a koala or a kangaroo (especially if you know any kids at all!)
It seems silly to do this, and I’m not really a big zoo or animal person, but how can you go all the way to Australia for the first time and not get up close and personal with a koala and kangaroo? You don't. I guarantee you, when you come back from your first trip to Australia, everyone will want to know if you saw a koala or a kangaroo (especially if you know any kids at all!)
We were actually kind of lucky. As part of our wine tasting tour, we had about an hour at this Wildlife Park. It was just the right amount of time for me. We ‘met’ a koala bear (poor thing, had just woken up and was bombarded by a bus load of American tourists), and had the chance to feed a kangaroo. Now, let me be the first to warn you. Those kangaroos are vicious! They go after you when they want more food, and sadly, we even saw one go after a young boy. You’ve been warned!
Here's a link to some photos of our time at the Wildlife Park. I know you've always wanted to see a photo of me and a koala. Or me feeding a kangaroo. Or better yet, a photo of an emu.
Was it a little silly? Yes. Is it still a must do? Yea, probably. At least if it’s your first trip Down Under.
Hunter Valley
Now, onto one of the best days of my vacation. Wine tasting day! Shaye and I signed up for a bus tour, so that everything would be all taken care of. The bus picked us up from our hotel, drove us to the different vineyards, had VIP tastings all lined up, and even lunch was provided (and it wasn’t half bad!)
As we drove through some beautiful parts of Australia, we learned a few things. We heard stories about the prisoners that first came to Australia, saw some of the original roads they had built, and even an old graveyard. We learned that avocados, navel oranges, and tons of stone fruits grow in this region. The Wollombi Valley is beautiful, and there is a healthy farming community there.
We started off the day with a quick stop at the Wollombi Tavern where we sampled some of the famous Dr. Jurd’s Jungle Juice (this is something you’ll have to ask me about in person…or check it out here.)
From there, we moved on and tasted at Brokenwood and Oakvale vineyards in the Hunter Valley. The wines at both vineyards were amazing. Really good. And really reasonably priced. We learned the grape harvest in Australia usually beings in mid January, and goes until the end of March. The region we were in gets HOT HOT HOT, and they’re really known for their semillons and shirazs. All of the wines were screw tops (yay!), and at both vineyards, we had knowledgeable people leading the tasting for us.
At Brokenwood, I was intrigued to see a Nebbiolo on the menu, and was happy we got to taste it. Grant told us his description of the wine (which I loved!), “Tar and Roses” he said. Grant had a lot of little sayings, and I couldn't help but smile each time he gave us a new one. When describing the Cabernet and Merlot blend (which I actually really liked, although I’m typically not much of a merlot drinker), Grant said “the cab is a doughnut wine, the merlot rounds it out and fills in the middle part.” Interesting descriptions. Interesting guy.
Our tasting at Oakvale even included an awesome paring of wine and cheese (the Dutch style marinated feta with bay leaves and peppers was AMAZING!) Thank you Grant and Gordon!
We took a break in there and had lunch at San Martino Restaurant. And I was pleasantly surprised. Lunch was good! And we had five or so different wines that we paired with each course/dish. Amazing! Our little tour group had a great time at lunch, and Shaye and I both quickly realized how lucky we were to have a good tour group. These people really helped make the trip as amazing as it was.
After lunch, we stopped in to Blue Tongue, a microbrewery right there next to the restaurant. This was one of my favorite stops. The beer we tasted was delish—why don’t we make more alcoholic ginger beer in the states??
All in all, the day we spent in Hunter Valley was one of my favorites. Having tasted wine in a few different wine regions, this one is near the top of my list. The people were all really friendly, the pairings made for a more interesting tasting, and there was just the right amount of information provided. I would most definitely recommend booking a day trip out to Hunter Valley (the company we went through was Australian Eco Adventures, they were great!)
And to see the random photos from our day in beautiful wine country, click here!
The Food Scene
So, unlike Melbourne, when I mentioned to friends that I’m traveling to Sydney, everyone had suggestions of places to go and see. I had a long list of restaurants, bars, and notable Sydney/Australian chefs in hand long before I headed down there. I almost had too many suggestions.
One of the hardest things was making sense out of it all. Who knew me? Who knew my taste buds and my idea of what a ‘good restaurant’ was? While I like a good ‘scene’, I don’t like it to be too ‘sceney’. Get the difference? I want to be comfortable in a restaurant. I don’t want to be in a restaurant where I feel the people are there just to be cool (and trust me, we did end up seeing tons of those spots). I go to a restaurant for it’s food. Yes, the décor and atmosphere play into it all, but that’s secondary. As we sorted through dozens of restaurant and bar names, and decided each meal or each night where to go, I had to take into consideration who provided the suggestions to me.
The other interesting thing? What is ‘Australian cuisine’?? Cynics would say “What Australian cuisine?”, making a jab that it is a cuisine of ‘borrowed flavors’.
Me though? I liked it. Maybe it’s because of my love for Asian spices and flavors, but I thought there were some interesting spices and flavor combinations that I don’t get to see often here in the U.S.
In San Francisco, we are just beginning to see a greater variance of Asian flavors, with people like Chef Tim Luym bringing ‘fusion’ flavors of Southeast Asian, and with Thai, Indian and Malaysian cuisines becoming more and more popular, there’s finally more awareness and understanding of these cuisines. Yet it’s still not as wide spread as it was in Australia. Obviously, given Australia’s proximity to Southeast Asia, one would expect there to be greater influences from that region.
I think there was definitely a lively and bustling food scene in Sydney. Lots of local ‘celebrity chefs’ the Australian’s are excited about (from Neil Perry to Tobie Puttock to Kylie Kwong…) There is a lot to taste in Sydney. It’s all still ‘growing up’ and coming to it’s own. I think it’ll be an interesting food scene to keep our eyes on in the future.
Here's a link to some snapshots from our time in Sydney. All in all, we had an amazing time in Sydney...and the next time I return? I think I'd be curious to check out more of the neighborhoods, steer away from the super touristy spots, and continue to eat my way through the city!
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Reflections: Melbourne
When I told my friends that I was going to Australia and that I was going to be in both Melbourne and Sydney, what was the response I got? “Oh, you’re going to love Melbourne.” I had no idea how right they'd be.
Melbourne is like San Francisco in many ways. There’s a lot of unique neighborhoods. The city is fairly easy to navigate through. And there are a lot of options of things to do, places to see, and restaurants to check out. It's got a bit of the same feel as many European cities, and as my friend Sabine pointed out to me, a bit of an artsy feel (like another one of my favorite cities, Portland!)
The funny thing is, when I asked people for specific recommendations of restaurants or places to check out, there wasn’t many. People seemed to have lots of recommendations for Sydney, but when it came to Melbourne, all they could say was “just explore it!”
Well, explore it we did. And here are some of my favorite sites and moments from the short time I spent there.
The People
Have you all noticed? The Australian people are nice. Seriously. All of them. I don’t know if it’s something they teach here in school, or maybe it’s the drinking culture that brings out the niceness in them, or maybe it’s even as simple as the fact that they’ve got these great accents so everything they say seems nicer, but I’m not joking. My mate Shaye and I had the opportunity to meet so many different people. Just from chatting with them at the bar, or because they were friends of friends, or even just because they happened to be sitting near us at one thing or another. I think they’re onto something here. Maybe the Americans can learn a thing or two from them.
The Trolley’s
No, not cable cars, actual trolley’s. Like the F line. Going all around the perimeter of the Central Business District. Not only did it make it easy to get around, but it made me think of my favorite city.
The Alley’s
Explore the alley’s!! Go against your instinct and don’t avoid the alley’s! Down these different alley’s, you’ll find rows and row’s of restaurants, unique boutiques, and other interesting spots. Many of the most popular bars in the city are down one of these infamous alleys.
The first night Shaye and I arrived, we were exhausted. We had been up early to catch our flight, and had had very little sleep while on Hamilton Island. By the time dinner time rolled around, we were exhausted. During dinner, I could see Shaye’s eyes dropping…and I saw an early night in our future. Part of me was equally tired. But the other part of me wanted to explore. We had just gotten there after all, and it was our first night in town!
We decided to go into one bar, have one drink, and then head home. As we walked down one of the major streets in the Central Business District (CBD), we realized we weren’t coming across anything. So we quickly went down the back alley of the street, and began to realize there were tons of cute boutiques and shops down this alley! We walked by a restaurant that seemed to have a great crowd, and good music playing and we ducked in for a cocktail.
Stumbling into Hairy Canary was one of the best things we did. Richard behind the bar made one of the best drinks I’ve ever had, called a Bourbon Street Sour. And I could see by the way he was mixing the drink, I had found myself a mixloligst! At that bar we ended up meeting people, learning of other restaurants and bars to check out in not only Melbourne, but Sydney as well. It was definitely the perfect spot for us.
Late late nights
So, after our first drink at Hairy Canary that night, do you think we left and went back to the hotel? Ha! We actually ended up having three there, and making spots at two other places that night and getting home at 6:30 am!) Which leads me to another favorite thing about Melbourne! Things are open LATE!
All around Australia, we noticed signs that read “Trading Hours: 5 pm- Late”. We got a kick out of it. What exactly did ‘late’ mean? 10 pm? 2 am? Later? And if you didn’t know what time the restaurant or bar closed, how would you know when to go? While I envy the Aussie’s and their ability to stay out late, I will say. There is something easier about the way it’s done in the states. There’s a closing time. You know when you have to go home.
In California, you can pretty much bet that your night will end shortly after 2 am (Ok, not always true…there are those late night clubs, and late night restaurant/bars, and even better, those certain bars that will sometimes let you stay past closing—I can’t disclose which bars those are, I want to enjoy them still!)
But as an American on holiday, I loved the fact that the night didn’t have to end. Similar to how I feel about New York, there’s something special about being able to stay out late, and continue to check out spot after spot. (Like New York though, I often find that you’re in a time warp, and even though you don’t mean to stay out late, the next thing you know it’s 4 or 6 am, and the sun’s coming out, and work’s calling in just a few more hours!)
But if you are up for a mellow late night, check out Supper Club Bar. It was truly one of the coolest wine bars I've ever been to. With views of the Parliament House, there are wines from around the world on this list. Our night here was made even better by one of the best practical jokes that have ever been played on me...ask me about 'snickerdoodle' and I'll fill you in. But regardless, go check out this spot.
Queen Victoria Market
The San Francisco Ferry Building is my happy place. Shoot, most farmer’s markets are. I really enjoying seeing the local produce, what’s in season, and meeting the locals. Well, Queen Victoria Market is a MUST SEE on my list. Whether or not it’s truly a tourist attraction or really a place the locals go, doesn’t even really matter in my book. Click on the photo below for a slide show of my favorite pictures from the market.
First, there’s the meat and fish area. Literally dozens and dozens of stalls and shops selling fresh meat down one side of the hall and then dozens and dozens of stalls and shops selling fish down the other side.
In another back area, there were dozens and dozens of vegetable stands. Selling tons of fresh produce and fruit. I saw some things I have never seen before, as well as plenty of familiar fruits and vegetables.
There was a food court area, not unlike other food courts I’ve seen, but this one was prettier. There was even a wall filled with black and white photos of the market, some old ones (showing the history of the market), and other newer ones.
There were other tents and stalls filled with things to buy. Knick knacks, almost like the night markets in Hong Kong, or even a flea market. Some cheesy touristy things (yes, I did make a few purchases). Nevertheless, interesting to walk through and peruse.
All of this was amazing, but my favorite area of the market was the deli. There were stalls and shops, all specializing in one thing. For example, the little French Cheese shop, or the Polish shop selling polish sausage and condiments. There was the tofu guy, selling all things tofu, and then the Greek deli selling what looked like hundreds of special dips and olives. I was amazed by each and every one of these stalls, and took the time to really look at what each one was offering. It was pretty amazing.
This was the point during my time in Melbourne when I found myself really wishing I lived there. I just know I would be at this market often, and not only buying items to take home to make, but buying some of the cooked food items from the deli area, and also getting to know each and one of these shops.
I was lucky enough to explore the market alone for a few hours while my mate Shaye went for a run one morning (yea yea, we obviously know who the healthier one is, I prefer walking, hiking, yoga, pilates, biking, swimming...but run? No thank you. And besides, I’m a food lover, there’s nothing better than exploring the market early!) I struck up conversations with a number of the vendors and farmers, and even chatted with a few chefs while I was there while they were making some early morning purchases. It was nice to see a piece of the Melbourne food scene.
All and all, Melbourne has quickly joined my list of Favorite Cities in the World...I hope to make it back soon.
If you want to see other sights and sounds from the city, click here for a link to more photos of fun in Melbourne!
Melbourne is like San Francisco in many ways. There’s a lot of unique neighborhoods. The city is fairly easy to navigate through. And there are a lot of options of things to do, places to see, and restaurants to check out. It's got a bit of the same feel as many European cities, and as my friend Sabine pointed out to me, a bit of an artsy feel (like another one of my favorite cities, Portland!)
The funny thing is, when I asked people for specific recommendations of restaurants or places to check out, there wasn’t many. People seemed to have lots of recommendations for Sydney, but when it came to Melbourne, all they could say was “just explore it!”
Well, explore it we did. And here are some of my favorite sites and moments from the short time I spent there.
The People
Have you all noticed? The Australian people are nice. Seriously. All of them. I don’t know if it’s something they teach here in school, or maybe it’s the drinking culture that brings out the niceness in them, or maybe it’s even as simple as the fact that they’ve got these great accents so everything they say seems nicer, but I’m not joking. My mate Shaye and I had the opportunity to meet so many different people. Just from chatting with them at the bar, or because they were friends of friends, or even just because they happened to be sitting near us at one thing or another. I think they’re onto something here. Maybe the Americans can learn a thing or two from them.
The Trolley’s
No, not cable cars, actual trolley’s. Like the F line. Going all around the perimeter of the Central Business District. Not only did it make it easy to get around, but it made me think of my favorite city.
The Alley’s
Explore the alley’s!! Go against your instinct and don’t avoid the alley’s! Down these different alley’s, you’ll find rows and row’s of restaurants, unique boutiques, and other interesting spots. Many of the most popular bars in the city are down one of these infamous alleys.
The first night Shaye and I arrived, we were exhausted. We had been up early to catch our flight, and had had very little sleep while on Hamilton Island. By the time dinner time rolled around, we were exhausted. During dinner, I could see Shaye’s eyes dropping…and I saw an early night in our future. Part of me was equally tired. But the other part of me wanted to explore. We had just gotten there after all, and it was our first night in town!
We decided to go into one bar, have one drink, and then head home. As we walked down one of the major streets in the Central Business District (CBD), we realized we weren’t coming across anything. So we quickly went down the back alley of the street, and began to realize there were tons of cute boutiques and shops down this alley! We walked by a restaurant that seemed to have a great crowd, and good music playing and we ducked in for a cocktail.
Stumbling into Hairy Canary was one of the best things we did. Richard behind the bar made one of the best drinks I’ve ever had, called a Bourbon Street Sour. And I could see by the way he was mixing the drink, I had found myself a mixloligst! At that bar we ended up meeting people, learning of other restaurants and bars to check out in not only Melbourne, but Sydney as well. It was definitely the perfect spot for us.
Late late nights
So, after our first drink at Hairy Canary that night, do you think we left and went back to the hotel? Ha! We actually ended up having three there, and making spots at two other places that night and getting home at 6:30 am!) Which leads me to another favorite thing about Melbourne! Things are open LATE!
All around Australia, we noticed signs that read “Trading Hours: 5 pm- Late”. We got a kick out of it. What exactly did ‘late’ mean? 10 pm? 2 am? Later? And if you didn’t know what time the restaurant or bar closed, how would you know when to go? While I envy the Aussie’s and their ability to stay out late, I will say. There is something easier about the way it’s done in the states. There’s a closing time. You know when you have to go home.
In California, you can pretty much bet that your night will end shortly after 2 am (Ok, not always true…there are those late night clubs, and late night restaurant/bars, and even better, those certain bars that will sometimes let you stay past closing—I can’t disclose which bars those are, I want to enjoy them still!)
But as an American on holiday, I loved the fact that the night didn’t have to end. Similar to how I feel about New York, there’s something special about being able to stay out late, and continue to check out spot after spot. (Like New York though, I often find that you’re in a time warp, and even though you don’t mean to stay out late, the next thing you know it’s 4 or 6 am, and the sun’s coming out, and work’s calling in just a few more hours!)
But if you are up for a mellow late night, check out Supper Club Bar. It was truly one of the coolest wine bars I've ever been to. With views of the Parliament House, there are wines from around the world on this list. Our night here was made even better by one of the best practical jokes that have ever been played on me...ask me about 'snickerdoodle' and I'll fill you in. But regardless, go check out this spot.
Queen Victoria Market
The San Francisco Ferry Building is my happy place. Shoot, most farmer’s markets are. I really enjoying seeing the local produce, what’s in season, and meeting the locals. Well, Queen Victoria Market is a MUST SEE on my list. Whether or not it’s truly a tourist attraction or really a place the locals go, doesn’t even really matter in my book. Click on the photo below for a slide show of my favorite pictures from the market.
 |
| Queen Victoria Market |
First, there’s the meat and fish area. Literally dozens and dozens of stalls and shops selling fresh meat down one side of the hall and then dozens and dozens of stalls and shops selling fish down the other side.
In another back area, there were dozens and dozens of vegetable stands. Selling tons of fresh produce and fruit. I saw some things I have never seen before, as well as plenty of familiar fruits and vegetables.
There was a food court area, not unlike other food courts I’ve seen, but this one was prettier. There was even a wall filled with black and white photos of the market, some old ones (showing the history of the market), and other newer ones.
There were other tents and stalls filled with things to buy. Knick knacks, almost like the night markets in Hong Kong, or even a flea market. Some cheesy touristy things (yes, I did make a few purchases). Nevertheless, interesting to walk through and peruse.
All of this was amazing, but my favorite area of the market was the deli. There were stalls and shops, all specializing in one thing. For example, the little French Cheese shop, or the Polish shop selling polish sausage and condiments. There was the tofu guy, selling all things tofu, and then the Greek deli selling what looked like hundreds of special dips and olives. I was amazed by each and every one of these stalls, and took the time to really look at what each one was offering. It was pretty amazing.
This was the point during my time in Melbourne when I found myself really wishing I lived there. I just know I would be at this market often, and not only buying items to take home to make, but buying some of the cooked food items from the deli area, and also getting to know each and one of these shops.
I was lucky enough to explore the market alone for a few hours while my mate Shaye went for a run one morning (yea yea, we obviously know who the healthier one is, I prefer walking, hiking, yoga, pilates, biking, swimming...but run? No thank you. And besides, I’m a food lover, there’s nothing better than exploring the market early!) I struck up conversations with a number of the vendors and farmers, and even chatted with a few chefs while I was there while they were making some early morning purchases. It was nice to see a piece of the Melbourne food scene.
All and all, Melbourne has quickly joined my list of Favorite Cities in the World...I hope to make it back soon.
If you want to see other sights and sounds from the city, click here for a link to more photos of fun in Melbourne!
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Reflections: Down Under
I recently came back from the most amazing trip to Australia. I was there for 10 days with my mate Shaye, and we explored three different parts of the country. We went to Hamilton Island, a resort island out by the Great Barrier Reef first. Then we spent a few days in Melbourne, and finally we ended up in Sydney.
Over the next few days, I'm going to share my reflections and stories (and photos of course!) from my trip. I have a bit of that Type A personality in me, so would like to go in chronological order of our trip, but sadly, I'm still waiting for some of our photos from our first stop! SO. Rather than keep all of you waiting, I'm going to start with Melbourne, the move to Sydney, and finally end with a recap of our time on Hamilton Island (probably the most beautiful photos are from this leg of the trip!)
All in all, Australia is a country filled with amazing sights and kind people. Every where we went, people asked us where we were heading and what we were going to do and see. And every person we talked to, was eager to offer up their suggestions of things to do, sights to see and restaurants to eat at. We collected a number of small pieces of paper with notes jotted down eagerly.
And speaking of the people, boy can they drink! No matter what time of day, or where we were, I felt like we say people drinking. Beer. Wine. Cocktails. All of it. Pubs were open all day long (and all night long), and you could almost always guarantee that there'd be at least a few people sitting there drinking. (Our lists of recommended 'must see places' included a healthy number of bars and pubs!)
While Australia was never super high on my list of places to visit, I have to say, I was wrong. Boy, was I wrong! It's a unique place (that has qualities similar to the U.S., and yet, reminds you that you are a world away.) Everyone reading needs to make a trip to Australia at least once in their life. It really is a unique place that we should all be so lucky to see.
To me, Australia will always be a country filled with beautiful places, lots of great experiences, and memories of all of the people we met along the way. Enjoy!
Over the next few days, I'm going to share my reflections and stories (and photos of course!) from my trip. I have a bit of that Type A personality in me, so would like to go in chronological order of our trip, but sadly, I'm still waiting for some of our photos from our first stop! SO. Rather than keep all of you waiting, I'm going to start with Melbourne, the move to Sydney, and finally end with a recap of our time on Hamilton Island (probably the most beautiful photos are from this leg of the trip!)
All in all, Australia is a country filled with amazing sights and kind people. Every where we went, people asked us where we were heading and what we were going to do and see. And every person we talked to, was eager to offer up their suggestions of things to do, sights to see and restaurants to eat at. We collected a number of small pieces of paper with notes jotted down eagerly.
And speaking of the people, boy can they drink! No matter what time of day, or where we were, I felt like we say people drinking. Beer. Wine. Cocktails. All of it. Pubs were open all day long (and all night long), and you could almost always guarantee that there'd be at least a few people sitting there drinking. (Our lists of recommended 'must see places' included a healthy number of bars and pubs!)While Australia was never super high on my list of places to visit, I have to say, I was wrong. Boy, was I wrong! It's a unique place (that has qualities similar to the U.S., and yet, reminds you that you are a world away.) Everyone reading needs to make a trip to Australia at least once in their life. It really is a unique place that we should all be so lucky to see.
To me, Australia will always be a country filled with beautiful places, lots of great experiences, and memories of all of the people we met along the way. Enjoy!
Sunday, December 7, 2008
The Life I Missed
It’s always great being on vacation. Exploring a new place. Meeting new people. Being away from your normal, day to day life.
But what happens when you’ve been gone for a little while? What do you start missing? Me? Here are a few things I found myself missing when I was on vacation in Australia:
My family
I don’t necessarily think it was the number of days I was away from my dad and sister, I’ve been away from them for longer. But it was because it was over the Thanksgiving holiday, and also my mom’s birthday. All of that combined made me miss them more than normal. I found myself wondering what they were doing, how they were celebrating Thanksgiving, and what it would have been like if I was home with them. I also found myself seeing things and thinking of them, and wanting to pick up the phone to call my sister to share with her.
My friends
I realized, as much as I adored my traveling mate, I missed many of the people that are in my daily life. From friends that live near me in San Francisco, to friends that I email frequently with, to my friends at work. You don’t realize the people that play such an important role in your daily life until you’re away from them.
Cooking!
Mainly in my own home kitchen, but also in the Postrio kitchen. There is something comforting about making your own food, and doing all of the prep work (and even washing the dishes after…)
Blogging
I know, dorky. But seriously. Blogging’s become a bit of a diary for me, and I had lots of random thoughts and observations I had jotted down throughout my vacation. I really couldn’t wait until I came home and could put all of my thoughts together and share my adventures online.
My own familiar apartment and bed
There is something hard about picking up and ‘moving’ every three nights or so. I found myself confused a few times when I woke up in the middle of the night, wondering where I was. After awhile, I realized I missed my own little apartment.
Don't get me wrong, the vacation was amazing. I'd go back in a heart beat! And I was a little sad when it was all ending. But it did make me appreciate my own simple life in San Francisco.
But what happens when you’ve been gone for a little while? What do you start missing? Me? Here are a few things I found myself missing when I was on vacation in Australia:
My family
I don’t necessarily think it was the number of days I was away from my dad and sister, I’ve been away from them for longer. But it was because it was over the Thanksgiving holiday, and also my mom’s birthday. All of that combined made me miss them more than normal. I found myself wondering what they were doing, how they were celebrating Thanksgiving, and what it would have been like if I was home with them. I also found myself seeing things and thinking of them, and wanting to pick up the phone to call my sister to share with her.
My friends
I realized, as much as I adored my traveling mate, I missed many of the people that are in my daily life. From friends that live near me in San Francisco, to friends that I email frequently with, to my friends at work. You don’t realize the people that play such an important role in your daily life until you’re away from them.
Cooking!
Mainly in my own home kitchen, but also in the Postrio kitchen. There is something comforting about making your own food, and doing all of the prep work (and even washing the dishes after…)
Blogging
I know, dorky. But seriously. Blogging’s become a bit of a diary for me, and I had lots of random thoughts and observations I had jotted down throughout my vacation. I really couldn’t wait until I came home and could put all of my thoughts together and share my adventures online.
My own familiar apartment and bed
There is something hard about picking up and ‘moving’ every three nights or so. I found myself confused a few times when I woke up in the middle of the night, wondering where I was. After awhile, I realized I missed my own little apartment.
Don't get me wrong, the vacation was amazing. I'd go back in a heart beat! And I was a little sad when it was all ending. But it did make me appreciate my own simple life in San Francisco.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Meal of the Month: November
End of another month. Time for another Meal of the Month recap! Sorry for the delay, I know you’ve all been anxiously waiting. But hey, better late than never, right? Blame it on vacation.
So aside from my amazing New York trip earlier in the month (click here for the recap on meals from that trip!), I’ve had plenty of other really fine meals. Many in San Francisco, but many in Australia as well. From fun and casual meals with my dad and sister, to having the girls over for cheese and nibbles at my house (along with yummy crème fraiche ice cream!).
I also had the chance to eat at Poleng Lounge with my good friends Wendy and Mark (where Chef Tim Luym spoiled me!!), as well as eating at Baraka with JT, Troy and friends (where Chef Chad Newton continues to amaze me with his food.) I was lucky enough to have a homemade meal at my friend’s Sabine and Rohit’s house—where we feasted on braised short ribs and a pesto faro salad. Yum yum.
I enjoyed pizza at Beretta with two friends from out of town, as well as a delicious meal at Postrio with some of my favorite PR people from around the country! And that was just all in San Francisco.
In Australia, I had a delicious Italian meal overlooking the ocean, dinner at Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen in Melbourne (where Tobie Puttock is the executive chef), a delicious Thai dinner at Longrain, dinner on a historic tram, and an amazing lunch in Hunter Valley wine country. WOW!
So, from all of that, which is my Meal of the Month? Lunch at Rockpool restaurant in Sydney.
Neil Perry is a famous Australian chef, with restaurants in Sydney and Melbourne. His Rockpool restaurant is in the Rocks neighborhood of Sydney, and is a beautiful spot, with a great open kitchen. I ducked in for a solo lunch (my traveling mate isn’t much of a foodie), and I settled in at a table with a great view of the kitchen. Lucky me, I was looking right into the pantry (or garde manger) station, which made me both so happy, and also sad and missing the Postrio kitchen.
In any case, I started with thinly sliced serrano ham, served with slices of pear. It was light and perfect. A great balance of salty and sweet.
I moved onto the fried fish over rice, served with a ginger and shallot sauce. Simple yet perfectly prepared.
All of the food I had was great. I wish I had a table full of friends with me so that we could have ordered the whole menu! But what really made my experience? Having a view into the kitchen. From where I was sitting, I could actually hear the chefs talking to one another. The first thing I noticed about this kitchen? It’s QUIET! They were working with their heads down. There was very little talking and interaction with each other. This was a serious kitchen.
What else did I notice? There was a flat screen TV mounted on the wall—and it was video footage into a kitchen. I looked closer, and I noticed it wasn’t the kitchen of the restaurant I was in. I asked the waiter, and he explained. It was looking into the kitchen of the Rockpool restaurant in Melbourne. And what were they seeing? Into the Rockpool restaurant in Sydney of course! At the time I thought this was absolutely one of the coolest things ever. (I still kind of do.) But when I was telling this to my friend Tim, he commented “Oh, like Thomas Keller’s kitchens.” Oh. Hmm. Guess Neil wasn’t the only one that had this idea. Well, until I make a visit to the French Laundry or Per Se, Neil did it first in my book.
I saw that they had three people working the pantry station, and from where I sat, I could see five working the line in the back. A smile quickly came to my face when I started hearing the sound of a ticket coming in. Oh how I had missed that sound! How I missed being in a restaurant and cooking at Postrio!
I saw one of the gals working the pantry line kind of picking on one of the other guys working the station. She kept looking up to see what he was doing, and I even saw her go over to him, and re-plate the salad he was working on. As I paid closer attention to their interaction, I could tell he was new.
As the lunch service came to an end, I was one of the remaining guests in the dining room. I could see the cooks begin to loosen up. Now they’d have a few hours to regroup and relax a little bit before dinner. I saw one of the cooks grab a clip board and went down a long list of what prep needed to be done before dinner. I saw deliveries come in. I saw laughter and cooks joking.
And I saw the gal talk to the new guy. She asked when he had started, where he was cooking before, how long had he been cooking, and on and on. I felt bad for him. I could relate. That was me. The newbie. Getting all of the questions. Not knowing what I was doing in the kitchen. Getting tested. I wanted to go and talk to him so badly. I could sympathize. As they were talking, I could see her warm up to him. At one point, I even heard her say, “It’s ok. It really is all just practice, you know?”
Taking all of this in, I realized why this slower down time was one of my favorite times of day in a restaurant. The calm before the storm. It also really made me miss the cooks and team at Postrio.
The other reason this special meal is my Meal of the Month? Because I met Chef Neil Perry. A very well known chef throughout Australia, I had read a lot about him before my trip. I knew he had a mini empire in Australia, and not expect him to be at the restaurant the day I was there.
Through my conversations with the manager and my server, they came to learn that I had come a very long way to eat at this restaurant. They had learned that I was a foodie, and had even spent a little bit of time cooking in a restaurant kitchen. When I asked whether or not they sold Chef Neil Perry’s cookbooks at the restaurants, the manager told me yes, and then leaned in, as if to tell me a secret. “Chef Perry is here today, he could autograph and personalize your book if you’d like.” Sold.
Not only did Chef Perry sign my book (and spell my name correctly!), he came out to talk to me. When he learned I was visiting from San Francisco, we launched into a long conversation about San Francisco restaurants. His favorites? Zuni Café and Quince. He was extremely kind, and interesting to talk to. He seemed genuinely interested in hearing what had brought me to his restaurant and about my eating experiences in Australia. He was truly a classy guy. And made this not only an amazing meal, but an amazing experience.
So aside from my amazing New York trip earlier in the month (click here for the recap on meals from that trip!), I’ve had plenty of other really fine meals. Many in San Francisco, but many in Australia as well. From fun and casual meals with my dad and sister, to having the girls over for cheese and nibbles at my house (along with yummy crème fraiche ice cream!).
I also had the chance to eat at Poleng Lounge with my good friends Wendy and Mark (where Chef Tim Luym spoiled me!!), as well as eating at Baraka with JT, Troy and friends (where Chef Chad Newton continues to amaze me with his food.) I was lucky enough to have a homemade meal at my friend’s Sabine and Rohit’s house—where we feasted on braised short ribs and a pesto faro salad. Yum yum.
I enjoyed pizza at Beretta with two friends from out of town, as well as a delicious meal at Postrio with some of my favorite PR people from around the country! And that was just all in San Francisco.
In Australia, I had a delicious Italian meal overlooking the ocean, dinner at Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen in Melbourne (where Tobie Puttock is the executive chef), a delicious Thai dinner at Longrain, dinner on a historic tram, and an amazing lunch in Hunter Valley wine country. WOW!
So, from all of that, which is my Meal of the Month? Lunch at Rockpool restaurant in Sydney.
Neil Perry is a famous Australian chef, with restaurants in Sydney and Melbourne. His Rockpool restaurant is in the Rocks neighborhood of Sydney, and is a beautiful spot, with a great open kitchen. I ducked in for a solo lunch (my traveling mate isn’t much of a foodie), and I settled in at a table with a great view of the kitchen. Lucky me, I was looking right into the pantry (or garde manger) station, which made me both so happy, and also sad and missing the Postrio kitchen.
In any case, I started with thinly sliced serrano ham, served with slices of pear. It was light and perfect. A great balance of salty and sweet.
I moved onto the fried fish over rice, served with a ginger and shallot sauce. Simple yet perfectly prepared.
All of the food I had was great. I wish I had a table full of friends with me so that we could have ordered the whole menu! But what really made my experience? Having a view into the kitchen. From where I was sitting, I could actually hear the chefs talking to one another. The first thing I noticed about this kitchen? It’s QUIET! They were working with their heads down. There was very little talking and interaction with each other. This was a serious kitchen.What else did I notice? There was a flat screen TV mounted on the wall—and it was video footage into a kitchen. I looked closer, and I noticed it wasn’t the kitchen of the restaurant I was in. I asked the waiter, and he explained. It was looking into the kitchen of the Rockpool restaurant in Melbourne. And what were they seeing? Into the Rockpool restaurant in Sydney of course! At the time I thought this was absolutely one of the coolest things ever. (I still kind of do.) But when I was telling this to my friend Tim, he commented “Oh, like Thomas Keller’s kitchens.” Oh. Hmm. Guess Neil wasn’t the only one that had this idea. Well, until I make a visit to the French Laundry or Per Se, Neil did it first in my book.
I saw that they had three people working the pantry station, and from where I sat, I could see five working the line in the back. A smile quickly came to my face when I started hearing the sound of a ticket coming in. Oh how I had missed that sound! How I missed being in a restaurant and cooking at Postrio!
I saw one of the gals working the pantry line kind of picking on one of the other guys working the station. She kept looking up to see what he was doing, and I even saw her go over to him, and re-plate the salad he was working on. As I paid closer attention to their interaction, I could tell he was new.
As the lunch service came to an end, I was one of the remaining guests in the dining room. I could see the cooks begin to loosen up. Now they’d have a few hours to regroup and relax a little bit before dinner. I saw one of the cooks grab a clip board and went down a long list of what prep needed to be done before dinner. I saw deliveries come in. I saw laughter and cooks joking.
And I saw the gal talk to the new guy. She asked when he had started, where he was cooking before, how long had he been cooking, and on and on. I felt bad for him. I could relate. That was me. The newbie. Getting all of the questions. Not knowing what I was doing in the kitchen. Getting tested. I wanted to go and talk to him so badly. I could sympathize. As they were talking, I could see her warm up to him. At one point, I even heard her say, “It’s ok. It really is all just practice, you know?”
Taking all of this in, I realized why this slower down time was one of my favorite times of day in a restaurant. The calm before the storm. It also really made me miss the cooks and team at Postrio.
The other reason this special meal is my Meal of the Month? Because I met Chef Neil Perry. A very well known chef throughout Australia, I had read a lot about him before my trip. I knew he had a mini empire in Australia, and not expect him to be at the restaurant the day I was there.
Through my conversations with the manager and my server, they came to learn that I had come a very long way to eat at this restaurant. They had learned that I was a foodie, and had even spent a little bit of time cooking in a restaurant kitchen. When I asked whether or not they sold Chef Neil Perry’s cookbooks at the restaurants, the manager told me yes, and then leaned in, as if to tell me a secret. “Chef Perry is here today, he could autograph and personalize your book if you’d like.” Sold.
Not only did Chef Perry sign my book (and spell my name correctly!), he came out to talk to me. When he learned I was visiting from San Francisco, we launched into a long conversation about San Francisco restaurants. His favorites? Zuni Café and Quince. He was extremely kind, and interesting to talk to. He seemed genuinely interested in hearing what had brought me to his restaurant and about my eating experiences in Australia. He was truly a classy guy. And made this not only an amazing meal, but an amazing experience.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Heading to Australia!!
I'm heading to Australia tonight, yay! I can't wait to get away and to explore and experience a new country.
I've written a few posts that will be popping up while I'm away, so please continue to tune in. But expect a slew of new posts, observations, photos and stories when I return! G'Day Mate!
I've written a few posts that will be popping up while I'm away, so please continue to tune in. But expect a slew of new posts, observations, photos and stories when I return! G'Day Mate!
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
A Month From Now...
This is where I'll be...
Sydney!! This photo was recently on a Sydney blog I'm checking out, and I have to say, it got me even more excited!!
My friend Shaye and I have been talking about all the things we're going to do (snorkeling and kayaking for sure!), sights we're going to see, food we're going to eat (yes, I plan on trying kangaroo!) and wine we're going to be tasting!
At the end of a long, hard, and sometimes frustrating day, what do I do? I do what any Australia bound gal would do. I start singing "You come from a land Down Under..." and it makes it all better!
Sydney!! This photo was recently on a Sydney blog I'm checking out, and I have to say, it got me even more excited!!
My friend Shaye and I have been talking about all the things we're going to do (snorkeling and kayaking for sure!), sights we're going to see, food we're going to eat (yes, I plan on trying kangaroo!) and wine we're going to be tasting!
At the end of a long, hard, and sometimes frustrating day, what do I do? I do what any Australia bound gal would do. I start singing "You come from a land Down Under..." and it makes it all better!
Friday, August 8, 2008
Pack Your Bags!
Yay! The end of this year is going to be a busy one for this gal...
I'm packing my bags and will be spending Thanksgiving in...AUSTRALIA!
I'm packing my bags and will be spending Thanksgiving in...AUSTRALIA!
It's my first trip there, so I'm taking suggestions for Sydney, Melbourne and the Hamilton Islands. You know me, always looking to be connected with some fun local people...I need the insider's tips on food, wine, sights and sounds! My friend Shaye and I are traveling together and I can't wait to hang out with her and for us to explore a new city together. Should be amazing...lots of photos and memories for us to reflect on when we're old.
And then, right after Christmas...I'm heading to HONG KONG!
Hitting up one of my all time favorite cities with my family. I can't wait. And best of all, we'll get to spend New Year's Eve and my sister's birthday there! This is one of my favorite eating cities of all time, the food there is amazing. From the nice restaurants to the street food. It's all good! Don't believe me? Hop on a plane and join me! Happy to play tour guide for friends! It's one of the things I enjoy most, sharing things, places, and foods I love with people that can appreciate it.
Too bad I don't have a lot of time off (nor a lot of money...) Wouldn't it be great to travel to New Zealand, Northern Australia, Thailand, Bali, Vietnam, Thailand, Japan, or some other fantastic location over on that side of the world for the month in between?
But still. What a lucky gal I am...to be able to visit not only one of my favorite places in the world, but to check out a new one too!
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