Saturday, July 24, 2010

Sushi carneval

My friend Phong and I once decided that we’d have to go try out different restaurants in Sydney. We’re both interested in the restaurant and hotel industry and it was a shame that we hadn’t been making the most out of our time here in this multi-cultural metropolitan. At work I’ve heard about quite a few places and always thought I’d have to go there some time, but that never happened.

So we decided to take some action and go to the city on a Saturday evening. It was quite silly to go out for dinner on a Saturday without any bookings, but we were willing to take our chances. Phong said he felt like some German food and wanted to go to Loewenbraeu – how creative I thought, but since Germany was having a World Cup match that night and Phong needed some experience with German dining anyway, I agreed. Apparently everybody had the same idea with us, because when we arrived there was a massive line in front of the restaurant. So we went on our search for the perfect place to dine. We considered the Passenger Terminal, especially Doyle’s, and then Wolfie’s Grill, but I felt it was too touristy, so we went back to The Rocks, skipped Pony, Sake and a few other cute little cafes and bistros as we still “had time”. We even went to the concierges at the Four Seasons and the Marriott; the concierge at the Four Seasons suggested Pony and Sake straight away when I asked for something “fun and spontaneous”. However we agreed to make our way to Longrain in Surry Hills, recommended by the Marriott concierge as a fun place for some Thai food. Walking all the way there and then not getting a table until an hour did make us a bit hungry. I was still being restless and eager to find the place, but after a while my poor friend was starving, and so was I. We landed in Sussex Street and saw a small sushi shop at a street corner – not exactly a breath-taking place, but we didn’t mind anymore. Turned out Sushi Rio was a cool shop indeed; the most creative fusion sushi rolls were passing us on the train. My favourite was the lobster salad sushi, but Phong hit the jackpot by ordering some scallop and beef sushi from the menu – they melted on your tongue and were an absolute bliss. A quite affordable and definitely fun place to go when you’re craving for sushi – I’ll be back some time. :)






Green tea latte - a taste of heaven.



Places I would like to check out next:
1.         Café Sydney
2.         Sake at The Rocks
3.        Pony
I know they’re pretty flashy places, but they seem to be highly spoken of. Any other fun recommendations?

Friday, July 23, 2010

SYD

Back then I wasn’t very fond of the thought of living in Sydney. Australia is very popular with the Germans, who probably love the idea of a laid-back life, warm weather, beaches everywhere and surfing everyday. When I first arrived, I found the city grey and sad, and in general everything was just very unimpressive. Once I started to go out more, I learned to love the city in the afternoon sunlight and in the rain – it’s magical how clear the edges of the buildings would come out in the downpour. I love the adorable corners and alleys you would find everywhere in the city. And the Opera House and Harbour Bridge – once you walk around and see them from different angles, you will feel how grand they are and wouldn’t want to imagine Sydney without them anymore. Walking along the Passenger Terminal and looking at the Opera House, and walking through the Rocks beneath the Harbour Bridge is a must. It’s so hard to take pictures in those moments because you could never capture the way you feel when you’re there, especially with a crappy camera like mine. But there definitely are some simple but breathtaking spots around this town.


Angel Place

At Milson's Point


Harbour Bridge




On the Manly ferry


At the Rocks


Most of all, however, I’m in love with Manly, where Polly and I live and go to college. It’s totally different from the hustling and bustling city (where you can find some quiet hideaways though, but still everyone seems to be in a hurry at most times). People are sitting at the beach and at the wharf and in cafes and are lying on sculptures to sunbathe. Beaches are at both ends of the Corso, our main street in Manly, and it’s just so relaxing and beautiful that you would feel like everyday is weekend.






I’m not out very often and don’t actually know many places, but I’d definitely recommend walking around in the CBD and The Rocks, just to breathe in Sydney. The CBD has lots of streets with beautiful buildings – my favourite is Macquarie Street. And don’t be afraid to get lost in the Rocks; the alleys are so cute, and even if you get onto the higher levels, you will always find a way back down to the “streets”. And in Manly? Just get a coffee, or even something to eat, and go sit in a sunny spot at the beach. Just sit. And breathe.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

The crib

Since we moved into our apartment, both Polina and I have taken quite a few pictures of our (still incomplete) apartment. For some reason we haven’t uploaded any of them, though we’re pretty much in love with our place. I myself think it’s a bit boring to show off plain pictures of each room. I didn’t have much to do the other day and took a few close shots of stuff standing, lying or hanging around our home, which therefore also make it so adorable.









And to celebrate our freedom in our own place, excessive “in-house” dining is also practiced. The result of my first curry was very Australian, just the way I like it. It was a fusion fish curry with cauliflower, spinach, cherry tomatoes and lots of onions. But the chocolate cake was brought home from work by Polina. Garnish improvised by me. :)




Dinosaurs are the new cherries on top.