Opera Bar

I’m beginning to see why people like living in Sydney. Leaving Canberra on a chilly 14 degree day, I arrived in Sydney to a balmy 27 degrees for the ballet at the Opera House. It was perfect weather to meet up with my friend in between performances (I went to the matinee, she to the evening show) and so we decided to go to the Opera Bar. We sat near the band, but the sound wasn’t up too loud and their song choices were quite mellow. We wanted a light snack and so ordered a serve of the soft shell crab and kimchi bao to share. I waited for quite a while at the bar to collect our drinks; my friend’s berry mocktail looked amazing, full of muddled blueberries, lychee and mint, I would definitely try it next time. The bao came out fairly quickly and whilst the bun itself was a bit dry and thin (not light and fluffy like they should be), I couldn’t fault the filling – crispy deep-fried soft shell crab, with kewpie mayonnaise, corriander and spicy kimchi. Perfect for a warm evening catch up.

Opera Bar, Lower Concourse Level, Sydney Opera House, Sydney NSW                http://operabar.com.au/

The Botanist

I will find pretty much any excuse to go to The Botanist, and staying in Kirribilli for a week gave me the perfect one to go back. We went for dinner and I started with the Strawberry Mule, which was a perfect blend of gin, ginger beer, frangelico, strawberry and lime. It was served in a tall glass and was incredibly smooth and beautifully sweet. To eat, we started with a serve of marinated olives, which were a mix of black kalamatas and green sicilians, both of which had really intense flavours. Next up was the beetroot cured salmon, which was served with avocado puree, radish and croutons – the presentation was perfection and each element worked so well together, bringing out the best in the salmon. The crispy duck with pear chutney and sesame caramel was not crispy as advertised, but the duck was moist and the pear went so well with it that we didn’t mind. Finally we had one each of the steak and chicken tacos – the steak was smokey and went beautifully with the corn and spicy sauce. The chicken was equally delicious and well-matched with the avocado and tomato. The Botanist never fails to impress.

The Botanist: 17 Willoughby St, Kirribilli NSW              http://thebotanist.com.au/

Cool Mac

I met a friend at Cool Mac for an early weekday breakfast during my training week in Kirribilli, and we were both very impressed with what they had to offer. We sat outside on the sidewalk, which is something I really liked about this place – that, and it was one of the only places at the local shops open at 7am. I started with a Botanica cold pressed juice (bottled in the cutest jar), which was both healthy and refreshing. The owner was very friendly and patient while we chatted away before ordering – eventually I chose the eggs benedict and added a side of avocado (why not?). I consider eggs benedict a good test of a place, and Cool Mac passed with flying colours. The eggs were beautifully poached, there was plenty of rich but not-too-rich hollandaise, the bacon was plentiful and crispy, and whilst the toast was a bit crispy for me, it didn’t spoil the overall deliciousness. The avocado I added was a full half, and went really well with the dish – I’ll definitely keep this in mind for future orders. Cool Mac is a fun, friendly and tasty breakfast venue.

Cool Mac Cafe, 2/34 Burton Street, Kirribilli NSW, no website

Gelato Messina

Upping the anti to gelato cakes this #icecreamthurs! Gelato Messina’s gelato cakes are famous around Australia – that was more than enough motivation to give them a try! The cakes are only available at their Darlinghurst store, so off we went, excited by the creative options. Because one’s eyes are often bigger than one’s tummy, Gelato Messina offers mini gelato cakes as well as the full party size – I couldn’t go past the ‘Dr Evil’s Magic Mushroom’ (who could, with a name like that?). It was a shame to get stuck in because it was so beautifully crafted, but the first mouthful cured me of any further guilt. The top of the mushroom is made from dark chocolate gelato, peanut cookies and silky smooth dulce de leche, the bitter dark chocolate flavour matching the sweet dulce de leche and the cookies adding some crunch. The same flavours continue into the white stem, but the real surprise was in the ‘grass’ – popping candy! The crispiness of the base finishes the dessert off perfectly. Gelato Messina is famous for a reason – give their icecream cakes a try for flavoursome and creative desserts.

Gelato Messina, 1/241 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst NSW                 http://www.gelatomessina.com

Home Thai

Dining alone can be a strange experience. Some people find it very uncomfortable – I find that if I have something to do (book to read, notes to write etc.), I can eat out alone comfortably at dinnertime. This is what I ended up doing after arriving quite late in Sydney one night for a conference in Darling Harbour. Not much was open, but a quick google threw up Home Thai as a trendy option that was open at 9:30pm for dinner. I waited a while for a table, but was excited to see how much the place was buzzing – always a good sign. I am a sucker for dumplings, and on a cool evening I wanted something warming, so opted for steamed dim sum and a bowl of tom yum goong soup. The plate of dumplings came out with a mound of corriander and drizzled with black vinegar, which suited the pork and prawn mix. The tom yum was fresh but unbelieveably spicy – sadly, but it was a bit too much for me and I needed some rice to be able to eat it – I’d recommend asking for a mild version. Home Thai gets a tick in the solo traveller box!

Home Thai, Shop 1-2, 299 Sussex Street, Sydney NSW http://www.homethaisussex.com.au

Parlour Burger

Sometimes you just need a burger. After a matinee at the Opera House, I found myself craving some beef, and remembered the diner-style addition to The Morrison that is Parlour Burger. Having eaten there in a hurry once on a work trip, I decided to pop in without the time pressure to satisfy my craving. Parlour Burger has a simple concept – five different burgers, $10 each – and has something for everyone’s tastes. I picked ‘The Original Morrison’, a beef burger with chipotle mayonnaise and decided not to have a side, despite being sorely tempted by the deep-fried pickles and the duck fat chips. You can choose to have your patty pink or cooked through – the menu recommends the pink option, so that’s what I went with. The burger came out quickly and was hot and fresh – the patty is a bit coarse, so you feel like you’re sinking your teeth into some serious meat. There’s lettuce, tomato and pickles on top, and the chipotle mayonnaise has a good amount of bite to it. Parlour delivers exactly what it promises – a cheap, filling, tasty feed served without fuss.

Parlour Burger, 225 George Street Sydney, NSW             http://www.themorrison.com.au

Baskin Robbins

I was first introduced to Baskin Robbins in Adelaide, but I don’t think they have many stores there now. My favourite flavour is a seasonal one called Love Potion #31, which is generally available in summer, but sometimes also pops up at random times during the year. What’s in this magic love potion, I hear you ask? Well, it starts out with white chocolate and raspberry ice creams, swirled with a raspberry ribbon and loaded with raspberry-filled dark chocolate hearts and chocolate chips. Seriously. I was delighted to see it was on offer at the Circular Quay store as I made my way back from a show at the Opera House, and grabbed a small cupful to savour. My favourite part is the dark chocolate hearts with raspberry liquid centres – the bitterness of the dark chocolate and the tartness of the raspberry balances out the sweetness of the icecream perfectly. The raspberry ripple throughout also mixes up the texture, making it one of Baskin Robbin’s more sophisticated offerings. I can’t vouch for its effectiveness as a love potion, but it sure is excellent icecream.

Baskin Robbins Circular Quay, Lot 2, Quay Grand 61-63, Macquarie Street
Sydney, NSW http://www.baskinrobbins.com.au