Pigged Out! Sydney Edition

I'm not quite done with Sydney yet. 

We had some really good food in Sydney. And I thought to list them here so that I can come back again and again to all these wonderful food experiences. A little like my very own pocket guide to my food memories.

I imagine I would very soon start kicking myself for doing this because staring at, much less thinking about, these photos always inadvertently sets off unrealistic cravings. But I just had my favourite wanton mee for dinner and that might just hold the stomach for a while.  

*****

Pho Pasteur - 709 George Street, Haymarket, NSW 2000

We chanced upon this busy cafe right after landing in Sydney. The beef slices were melt-in-your-mouth tender, the soup was delicious and, for about $10, the serving was generous. Even Testuya's got this one's back.    

Harry's Cafe de Wheels - Corner Cowper Wharf Roadway & Brougham Road, Woolloomooloo, NSW 2011

Giant hot dogs and caramelised onions nestled in chilli con carne and sweet green pea mash along views of the Woolloomooloo waterfront. The celebrity photo line-up is enough proof this hot dog stand have got their dogs right. 

Read more about our delicious meal at Harry's Cafe de Wheels here.

Medusa Greek Taverna - 2 Market Street, NSW 2000 (Corner of Kent & Market Streets)

Medusa was a favourite of Matthew's when he last lived here. He saved it for special treats e.g. when his family visited, or at the end of the week when he had spare cash from his weekly meal allowance.

It was easy to understand why. The food was delicious, fresh and came in very generous portions. Olive oil was the star of the meal, featuring very strongly in each dish - I've finally learnt why the Spanish and Italians are so particular about olive oil, it really propels any dish towards a new dimension.

Be sure to end your meal off with the "Medusa", a very interesting and pretty dessert of ouzu strawberries, pomegranate coulis, anise ice-cream and rose water fairy floss. It was our first encounter with ouzu and we enjoyed it very, very much.

Lindt Chocolat Cafe - Darling Harbour, 1 Harbour St Cockle Bay Wharf, NSW 02000

Visit here while touring Darling Harbour for some sinfully rich DIY hot chocolate. I like to make mine very very thick.

Nando's World Square - Shop 9.91, Lower Ground Floor, 644 George Street, NSW 2000 

The paella here is wickedly spicy and warms through your stomach - perfect comfort food our bodies welcomed on the first day whilst adjusting to the chilly weather.We were planning our next visit to Nando's right after we finished with our first. 

Four Ate Five - 485 Crown Street, Surry Hills, NSW 2010

Perfect coffee, perfect eggs, delicious sourdough bread in a neighbourhood perfect for the Surry-Oxford-Bondi-Coogee walk. Read more about our breakfast at Four Ate Five here.

Papa Giovanni Gelateria - 172 Campbell Parade, Bondi Beach, NSW 2026

Generous nutella bits and swirls embedded in smooth, creamy gelato. Need we say more?

Adriano Zumbo - Shop 1, Cafe Court, The Star, 80 Pyrmont Street, Pyrmont, NSW 2009

This new dessert haunt serves up bite-sized sweet offerings on a sushi train. The idea is enough to get any dessert-lover carried away, but we were not very impressed with the desserts on offer - sugar seemed to be the star of every dessert, and nothing else. 

Visit here for the novelty of the sushi train but don't be expecting superstar desserts, even for the price.

Moo Gourmet Burgers - 232 King Street, Newtown 

The burgers at Moo are heartily-sized and are full of hearty flavour. The Moo team are big on free-range, free-to-roam produce, and I think this emphasis really comes through in their delicious offerings. We had the beef avocado and bacon burger. The ingredients tasted very fresh and made one very tasty burger. 

We also tried the tim tam milk shake... wait... did I just say tim tam milk shake? Yes!! If that didn't get to you already, you'd be pleased to know that you get to slurp it up with a straw taped in white and brown swirls. They really know how to complete an experience. 

Peter's Fish Market - Waterfront Plaza, Sydney Fish Market

Fresh seafood at very wallet-friendly prices. The box of uni packed a delicious punch full of creamy, buttery goodness at a very happy price of AUD12.

On our way out, we saw some very happy Japanese excitedly pitting the offerings of the Sydney Fish Market to those of the Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo; almost proof that the seafood at the Sydney Fish Market is world class.

Matsuya - 14 O'Connell Street, NSW 2000

If you're too lazy to head down to the Sydney Fish Market, you may want to try the sashimi boat at Matsuya. In our case, we had just started the day with the Sydney Fish Market and were still reeling from that experience that we thought, why not just repeat it! You can never have too much of a good thing. 

We also tried the grilled wagyu beef, which was a plate of melt-in-your-mouth goodness, and the seafood hotpot which consisted of fresh and succulent seafood bathed in sweet and tasty seafood stock. Oh~ and they have green tea creme brulee here too! Yum yum yum. 

Bourke Street Bakery - 633 Bourke Street

The folks at Bourke Street Bakery have got their tart shells and pie crusts right, and I think that's what made the beef pie and ginger creme brulee tart so sublime! 

I swear, the tart shell on the ginger creme brulee tart, what really looks like layers of tart shell layers packed into each other, has the best texture I have ever come across. Add to that, the idea of ginger with creme brulee and pistachio... and bham! It was wow in every bite. 

Chat Thai - 20 Campbell Street, Haymarket and Shop 6002, level 6, 188 Pitt Street, Westfield Center Point

If I had a choice, I would try Chat Thai for breakfast, lunch, dinner and supper. And that's because this wonderful Thai restaurant has a different menu for each meal. 

We only got to try Chat Thai for dinner and supper though, and each time we left feeling throughly satisfied.

For more on the delicious offerings at Chat Thai, see here.