Lotus Dumpling Bar

I really like Sydney’s Walsh Bay precinct – there are some lovely little places near the Sydney Theatre Company theatre, and Lotus Dumpling Bar is probably one of the loveliest. A hole in the wall place with limited seating, Lotus is beautifully decked out with calligraphy on the walls and elegant crockery, plus a couple of hanging plants for good measure. I’d heard that the Xiao Long Bao are excellent here, so that was my first pick. They came out steaming hot, bulging with soup and bursting with flavour – definitely a winner. Next up were the prawn dumplings, which had a generous amount of prawn inside and a crisp, clean taste. Finally, we had pork and prawn wontons in spicy sauce, which were again super flavoursome; the soup was well balanced and not overly salty. One of the highlights of the dumplings here is the skin – springy, soft and chewy, the texture is the best I’ve encountered in Australia. I’d recommend booking to secure a spot at this lovely little dumpling bar, it’s well worth a visit.

Lotus Dumpling Bar, 3/16 Hickson Road, Walsh Bay, Sydney NSW   http://www.lotusrestaurant.com.au/

Lo and Loud

Lo and Loud was my local breakfast place for the two days my colleague and I spent in Ankara. Within walking distance of the hotel and stocked with incredible, mouthwatering pastries, it was no hardship to pop down for breakfast in the mornings. Turkey seems to run on tea (çai), and I had my first taste of it here. As someone who usually drinks black tea, I quite enjoyed the brew with one sugar to counteract the bitterness. We tried a variety of savoury pastries across the two days, although never reached the point where I knew their names. Favourites included a slice that was filled with meat and potato (served warm), and a glazed bread topped with black sesame seeds – simple but tasty. We were lucky enough to meet a Turkish gentleman who spoke fluent English on the first day, and he graciously talked us through the pastry options and then ordered for us – hospitality is flawless in Turkey. We were delighted to see him again on the second day, where he repeated the favour. Obviously Lo and Loud was his local too, and I can understand why.

Lo and Loud, Barbaros Mh., 06700 Ankara, Turkey, no website

Tha Fish Restaurant

It’s pretty much impossible to go to Cairns and avoid seafood – a group of us decided to embrace the inevitable seafood feasting and booked in to Tha Fish. With the fancy esplanade location, we expected great things. We ordered a dozen natural oysters to start, which came with chilli jam and Asian-style fried onion crisps. The first oyster I had was fresh and flavoursome and enlivened by a drizzle of lime. Each of the following ones were a little less tasty than the first, but still satisfied my craving. Choosing a main was tricky – the menu has so many options – but in the end I picked a fillet of barramundi served with cous cous, dukkah and labne. The cous cous was moist and suited the barramundi, which was quite large and cooked to perfection. The crunch of the dukkah and the creaminess of the labne really brought the best out of the fish – definitely a winning combination. The staff were very attentive and the service was excellent, although fair warning, good fish does come with a high price tag – in this case it was well worth paying.

Tha Fish Restaurant, Pier Point Road, Cairns QLD        http://www.thafish.com.au/

Blackfire

I have been eating in Braddon a lot lately. I think I’m close to trying them all (this has become a Pokemon-like quest). Today’s adventure was Blackfire, a brunch catch up with good friends. I slept in and didn’t have a pre-brunch snack, so was pretty hungry when I arrived. How to address this? Order the big breakfast, of course. It’s called the ‘Blackfire morning’, and comes with grilled mushrooms, avocado, asparagus, eggs your way, ciabatta, black pudding, rosemary potatoes and bacon. Again for me, having bread that was crispy but not hard to cut was a huge winning factor of this breakfast, and I was excited to have black pudding served on a breakfast plate. The mushrooms and potatoes were excellent, and the only thing that stopped me from finishing the plate was the fact that I was completely full (I got very close to finishing though). The staff were very friendly taking our orders and we sat comfortably for a good half hour after eating without feeling pressured to leave. The decor is upmarket, with modern wood panelling on the walls and iron chandeliers. After this, I’ll be adding it to the dinner ‘to eat’ list.

Blackfire, 45/38 Mort Street, Braddon ACT http://www.blackfirerestaurant.com.au

Movida @ Sydney Airport

I have been very lucky to travel a bit for work this year, and quite a few of these trips have been to Sydney. Returning from one solo trip, I decided to head to the airport early and have lunch at Movida, in the Virgin Domestic terminal at Sydney airport. On arrival, staff offer bread with olive oil, which I accepted and thoroughly enjoyed – the oil had a strong flavour that suited the soft bread perfectly. I treated myself to a few different tapas dishes, including the Paletilla Iberica, 24 month old jamon, which came out sliced paper thin and accompanied by sweet peppers. The jamon was incredibly flavoursome and something I would happily order again. I also had spiced octopus served with a mash potato puree (so creamy!), but the highlight of the meal was the Pinchitos Morunos, or chargrilled lamb skewer, which turned out to be large cubes of soft, smoky and beautifully tender lamb. I would double my order of this next time without a doubt. Three dishes was just the right amount for lunch and I felt quite spoilt after working so hard. Definitely good for a treat when travelling.

Movida @ the Airport, Sydney Airport T2                                   http://movida.com.au/airport/sydney-airport-menu/

Asian Noodle House

If you’re a Canberra local, you’ve probably eaten at the Asian Noodle House more than a few times. I certainly have, and whilst the Dickson store is the original, it’s not super close when you’ve been to the theatre. Luckily the Civic outpost is, and that’s where we headed for a post-show dinner. The menu is a mix of Asian cuisines, from Thai to Laotian (hello larb) to Chinese to Malay – diners are spoilt for choice. I’m not sure if the laksa is Singaporean or Malaysian-style, but it’s legendary in Canberra.  Packed full of greens, tofu, two types of noodles and a mix of sweet spices, the Asian Noodle House laksa is a dish that expats make a beeline for when they’re back in town. It’s no wonder, when the laksa is reliably delicious and the same at every store, every time.  For those whose eyes are bigger than their tummies (guilty), there’s a half-size available too.  A local legend for a reason – check it out if you haven’t already, and if you have, well, it’s probably just about time to go back for another bowl.

Asian Noodle House, 49 Northbourne Ave Civic Canberra City  http://www.noodlehouse.net.au/Noodle_house/Welcome.html

Wharf One

I was pretty excited to discover that Wharf One did breakfast – I’d had icecream there on the waterfront and admired the view, thinking, this would be a great breakfast place. They were way ahead of me. I came back the next day and ordered the ‘broken eggs’, not entirely sure what that meant but excited to have avocado, and a classic banana smoothie. The smoothie came out first, while we sat enjoying the sunshine and light breeze, and it was exactly what you want a banana smoothie to be – sweet and obviously full of fresh bananas. Mmm. When the broken eggs arrived I was intruigued by the colour – the egg white seemed more cooked than the yolk, making it something in between scrambled and poached. It was actually just the right consistency, and when combined with the avocado served on another piece of toast it was one of the best breakfasts I’ve had in a long time. The seats are nicely spaced apart for privacy and the open structure is designed to allow maximum enjoyment of the weather and the view, both of which were just as lovely as the food!

Wharf One, Wharf Street, Cairns QLD, no website