sugarlace – by trishgtonel

Holy Duck! Sydney

18 June 2017 No Comments

Chippendale is totally buzzing, and anyone can see why. Thanks to the shiny, glitzy lights of new structures in the area such as Central Park, UTS, The Old Clare Hotel, and the Kensington Street dining precinct, this once dark and somewhat shady part of Sydney has been resuscitated back to life.

Last Tuesday, we were privileged to sample the relaunched menu of Holy Duck!, one of Kensington St’s newest kid on the block. Thanks to the team behind Chefs Gallery (hello cute buns!), Holy Duck! is a modern Chinese diner-slash-restaurant that offers both traditional and fusion dishes, with the menu boasting east meets west flavours. We sampled dishes from the relaunched menu and I must say, their signature roast meats (duck, chicken, pork, and beef ribs) did not disappoint. Apart from the uber delicious signature roast Holy Duck! (with a thin crispy skin and very minimal fat), the menu also offers winner dishes such as the crispy crackling roast pork belly, lightly battered king prawns on ee-fu noodles cooked in lobster bisque, and the old time favourite roast duck pancakes. The white chocolate cheesecake stack with salted duck egg caramel and matcha crepe & banana fritters with vanilla ice cream and Adzuki beans capped off an amazing feast.

Holy Duck!’s relaunched menu is available now.

Thanks to Holy Duck! and Cardinal Spin for the ‘ducking’ amazing feast. Trish dined as a guest of Holy Duck!

Signature crispy duck served with 8 steamed pancakes, orange hoisin sauce, cucumber & shallots

Crispy rice balls with roast Holy Duck! & seasonal salad

Spanner crab with salmon roe, wild rocket, granny smith apple & seasoned seaweed salad

Double cooked pork belly flash fried with black beans & chilli, served with mustard sauce

Roast beef short ribs with jalapeño puree, green shallot kimchi, soy glaze

BBQ & roast platter Roast Holy Duck!, char siu & pork belly

King Prawn on ee-fu noodles cooked in lobster bisque garnished with butter, ginger shallot and asparagus

White chocolate cheesecake stack with salted duck egg caramel

Matcha crepe & banana fritters with vanilla ice cream and Adzuki beans

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Holy Duck!
The Old Rum Store
2-10 Kensington St Chippendale
Open daily 11am-3pm and 5.30pm-10pm

Uncategorized

Acre Eatery, Camperdown

26 March 2017 No Comments

Change of seasons here in Sydney means crazy change of weather too. The last four weeks were just wet, wet, wet. Last weekend was no exception – our usual Sunday morning routine of gym, brunch, and markets were dampened by the non-stop rain (also it was doona weather so I was feeling extra lazy to exercise). I’ve always wanted to give Acre a visit and I thought, it was the perfect lazy Sunday to have a lazy autumn brunch.

Acre was nothing short of beautiful. The grounds are surrounded by rows after rows of fresh produce, herbs, plants, flowers, and with chickens clucking all around all thanks to their partner Pocket City Farms. There’s a make-shift container cafe at the front as you walk in, an outdoor al fresco eating area, and the beautiful, expansive indoor restaurant. What the whole initiative is trying to achieve is a”closed loop” of composting, recycling, and reducing water waste. Nothing processed, artificial, and commercial in the food and drinks they serve here – everything is organic, natural, sustainable, ethical and local. I love the idea that the food I’m eating is not only absolutely delicious, but also comes from land that is farmed with love.

From the Weekend Garden Breakfast menu: acre pit smoked beans, sourdough with sausage and poached eggs

From the Weekend Garden Breakfast menu: acre breakfast plate, prosciutto, macadamia hummus, pickles, chutney, soft boiled egg, sourdough

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Acre Eatery
31a Mallett Street Camperdown NSW
02 9194 3100
Open Wednesday – Sunday (closed Monday – Tuesday)

Dinners, Restaurants

Harbour Bar and Kitchen | First Post of 2017

26 February 2017 No Comments

Transitions. Changes. A journey.

These are just some of the many things that can aptly describe the last year and a half. I have been absent for quite some time, posting one or two things here and there, but absent nonetheless. I needed time to figure out a lot of things, mostly on my own, mostly with people surrounding me. I’ll spare you the details dear readers, but suffice it to say that there were good times and bad, but in the end it’s how you handle them and what you make of yourself (all against adversary). Also, adulting is bloody hard! But we got there in the end with rainbows and flying unicorns and sprinkles and flowers 🙂

So for my comeback post, my first one for 2017, I am hoping that the happiness of our first meal in 2017 (waaaay back in January) with my parents and siblings, will be the light that will rekindle the fire inside me. To capture moments. Take photos. To write. Share.

We decided to enjoy the beautiful summer that we’re having in Sydney by taking the parents to Darling Harbour, which is quite close to our apartment. It was January, the sun just setting behind us, the harbour buzzing with summer activities and eager tourists, and us? Craving for some cerveza (Mr J), cocktail (me!), and good old fashioned ribs. Harbour Bar and Kitchen recently opened and offered the perfect vantage point for this one beautiful summer afternoon. The beer was cold, the lychee cocktails were exciting, the cheese platter was humongous, the ribs were smokey perfection, and the fish was amazing. It was definitely a great start to a promising year ahead.

Beer and Lychee Flyover (Soho lychee and chambord with pineapple juice and strawberry purée)

Full rack beef ribs and woodfired chargrilled barramundi with saffron rice

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Harbour Bar and Kitchen
Shop 437& 447, Level 2,Harbourside Shopping Centre 2-10 Darling Drive, Darling Harbour
9280 2029
Open Monday to Sunday 9am til late