Archive for the ‘Cuisine: Australian’ Category

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Rokeby Cafe; of Eggs Benedict, Baked Beans and Coffee

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Rokeby Road, for many of us who studied in Perth, refers to one particular street in the Subiaco suburb near my university. The street, lined with cafes, restaurants, and retail boutiques on both sides, brings back many memories of my time in Perth. It definitely does not feel like it has been 6 months since I’ve graduated from a place that I’ve called home for close to 2 years.

Anyway, ever since the day that I learnt that a new cafe, Rokeby, has set up shop somewhere along Boundary Road from a friend, I’ve had my mind set on paying it a visit. Last weekend, I decided to make an impromptu trip there, no reservations in tow. As luck would have it, it happened that a table was available, this considering how the cafe pretty much had to reject walk-ins just 10 minutes later. NB: Reservations highly recommended.

Divido, Mount Hawthorn (Perth)

Divido is a modern Italian restaurant along Scarborough Beach Road in Mount Hawthorn. Make no mistake about Divido – she is not your run-of-the-mill Italian restaurant. At this juncture, you ought to get pictures of large portions of pasta tossed in traditional sauces out of your mind. Instead, think multi-course, almost French fine dining style cuisine.

Must Winebar Bistro, Highgate (Perth)

MUST Winebar is a name that constantly pops up in peoples’ conversations whenever one asks for recommendations for a good restaurant in Perth. After this meal, I can definitely see the reasons behind it. Yes, service can be patchy at times but the food more than makes up for it. By the way, MUST is not a new entrant to the culinary scene in Perth – this is their 10th year in business.

There are two Must Winebars in Western Australia, the other being located down South in the Margaret River vicinity. So with a 83% approval rating based on 800 votes on Urbanspoon, read on to find out how our meal went…

Aria Restaurant (Sydney)

For fans of Masterchef Australia, Chef Matt Moran and ARIA Restaurant should be no stranger to you. Overlooking the Sydney Opera House and Sydney’s gorgeous harbour, ARIA is one of the few restaurants that matches a beautiful view with spectacular cuisine. 

Becasse (Sydney)

Won’t you agree with me when I say that this is one of the more colourful presentations on this blog in a while? All said and done, it is with much sadness that I read in the Sydney Morning Herald that “Becasse joins toll of food casualties“. Let’s hope that Becasse doesn’t suffer the same fate as Bilson’s which shuttered its doors sometime in October 2011. With that in mind, I’m hoping that the culinary scene in Singapore continue to thrives and grow – not just the restaurants, but the hawkers as well.

This post is largely a pictorial as the degustation menus at Becasse are seasonal and subject to change.

Open Door Policy

Open Door Policy - Tiong Bahru (5)

ODP (Open Door Policy) is a bistro concept located on Yong Siak St, hidden in the up-and-coming enclave of Tiong Bahru. The menu is written Tippling Club’s Chef Ryan Clift who has put together a modern bistro fare with a rustic twist.

The Tiong Bahru area used to be…. well for most part of it, still is…. a mature estate. In between old school coffee shops (usually non air-conditioned hawker shops) that sell Teochew porridge and shops that sell daily necessities (i.e. provision shops), it’s amazing to find indie coffee houses and book stores like Forty Hands and Books Actually and Western bistro concepts like this. You could say, this area has somewhat been gentrified in recent months.

To be honest, it’s hard not to see why; it’s minutes away from the nearest Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) stop, a 10 minute drive to the main shopping street, Orchard Road and it has this unique old world charm hardly found in other parts of Singapore.

Restaurant Amuse, East Perth (Perth)

Restaurant Amusé (pronounced with an é) is probably THE restaurant to visit when one is in Perth. Having won over many food critics and bloggers alike, it has been accoladed with many awards including being rated number one in Western Australia in the Australian Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide three years in the row, 2010, 2011 & 2012 and Awarded Three Hats and rated 17/20 in the Australian Good Food and Travel Guide 2012 (Sidenote: This is one guide that I refer to quite frequently.)

Be forewarned though, that at Amusé, there are no ala-carte options. There is only the ONE degustation menu which changes based on ingredients and seasonality. You are, however, requested to make your allergies and dietary requirements known at point of reservation. (Considering that the restaurant is quite small and tables are quite wide spread, my recommendation to potential visitors is to definitely make a reservation before heading down!)

Quay (Sydney)

Sydney - Quay Restaurant (4)

I miss Sydney, in more ways than one. There’s a certain je ne sais quoi about the city and I love every bit of her.

Of course, having been cooped all the way in the West (of Australia) does make you envy every bit that the East Coast has to offer. I’ll like to think that that’s the same for every country (San Francisco and New York, and to a much, much smaller extent, Jurong and Changi)

By many accounts, Quay is THE restaurant to visit and Executive Chef Peter Gilmore is one of the most highly awarded and respected chefs in Sydney. Awards include Chef of the Year in The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2012, 3 hat & 3 star rating in The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide & Australian Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide respectively and to top it off, Quay was voted Number 26 on the coveted S.Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurant’s list in 2011.

So, is Quay worth all the accolades?

Marmalade Pantry at the Stables

This verdant area, formally home to the Singapore Turf Club, has languished with occupancy of exquisite dining spots. Following the success of Marmalade Pantry in ION Orchard (Pantry in the City), the group’s second location is tucked within the lush greenery that surrounds Bukit Timah Saddle Club –and being adjacent to a horse stable, you’ll enjoy the view of horse riding when seated outdoors.

Its whereabouts is pretty much secluded and tucked away from the mad rush of the city crowd; a map will come in handy to locate this restaurant.

Osia

[Note from Glenn: I visited Osia sometime in May or June last year: For the pictorial, see http://www.glenn.sg/2010/07/osia-at-resorts-world-sentosa-a-pictorial/]

Multi-award winning Australian restaurant, Osia, recently added another feather to its cap, clinching Best Dining Experience award at the Singapore Experience Awards 2011. Situated along the Festive Walk at Resorts World Sentosa, the 120-seater restaurant embodies the free-spirited nature of Australian dining and feel, with uncluttered interior bedecked in a neutral colour palette, creating a relaxing, laid-back and casual dining ambience.

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