January 6th, 2015 | by Lee Tran Lam | published in Bars, Latest | 2 Comments »
Just opened: Tokyo Bird in Surry Hills. Having followed this yakitori bar on Instagram for nearly a year, it’s nice to see that it’s transformed from small-screen pixels and eatery-in-progress to an establishment you can step inside and happily sink a few hours. It’s still early days (it only opened on Boxing Day, after all), […]
November 4th, 2014 | by Lee Tran Lam | published in Latest, Podcasts | Leave A Comment »
As a 15 year old, Kerby Craig was fascinated by the world of restaurants – seeing a chef breakdancing in the middle of service (!) confirmed for him that this was the industry that he wanted to work in. By accident, he ended up at the original Tetsuya’s as a teenage apprentice chef and, after […]
November 1st, 2014 | by Lee Tran Lam | published in Favourites, Latest, Restaurants | 2 Comments »
Here’s an excellent way to jumpstart your Sunday – try the new brunch menu at Bar H in Surry Hills. Bring a supersized appetite, because the extensive menu is designed to ruin strict diets and make you want to order enthusiastically. There’s none of the standard-issue eggs/toast/muesli cliches – in fact, Bar H has taken […]
October 25th, 2014 | by Lee Tran Lam | published in Latest, Restaurants | 1 Comment »
What an accidental time trip: at Mama’s Buoi in Surry Hills, I instantly reconnected with the home-cooked Vietnamese flavours I grew up with – not something I expected on a fast-gentrifying corner of the inner-city, of all places. The Coconut Tamarind Curry ($15), soaked up with a crusty baguette, reminded me of the crumb trails […]
July 23rd, 2014 | by Lee Tran Lam | published in Cafes | 1 Comment »
Here’s a nice way to defrost from winter’s stubborn chill – head to the Bar Pho pop-up that’s currently on at Surry Hills. Once you enter the courtyard hosting this street-stall eatery, your attention is vividly intercepted by a three-part harmony of spice, smoke and stock. There’s a pho station in one corner, with slithery […]
February 17th, 2014 | by Lee Tran Lam | published in Podcasts | Leave A Comment »
I’ve just finished a new podcast – here’s a snack-sized blurb that’ll hopefully stoke some curiosity (and, fingers crossed, a few downloads, too): O Tama Carey grew up “eating nothing, refusing all food”, so it may be surprising that she ended up as a chef. In fact, she jokes that she was “tricked” into this […]
October 7th, 2013 | by Lee Tran Lam | published in Restaurants | 1 Comment »
Chow Bar and Eating House – the new Chinese eatery for Chui Lee Luk of Claude’s – opened in Surry Hills on Friday. With Cannon Shot Dumplings ($9) and Explosive Lamb ($26) on the cards, it has one fired-up menu. Chow is Chui’s take on Chinese food, with rerouted stopovers in unexpected places. The decor […]
August 1st, 2013 | by Lee Tran Lam | published in Restaurants | Leave A Comment »
The first time I was adrenalised by a meal was at Bentley Restaurant and Bar in Surry Hills. It was visit number one, the beginning of many trips. That dinner was charged with high-voltage flavours; and it unlifted so many surprises, I was amazed when my feet hit the ground again and life resettled to […]
June 27th, 2013 | by Lee Tran Lam | published in Restaurants | Leave A Comment »
Chur Burger reopened in Surry Hills this week. It’s upsized its digs – moving from its squeezy Beauchamp Lane quarters into the roomier location where Albion Street Kitchen used to be – and it’s also stretched out its menu, too. Not only can you carbo-load on the joint’s acclaimed $10 burgers, you can now score more […]
June 4th, 2013 | by Lee Tran Lam | published in Cafes | 2 Comments »
It doesn’t take a lot of detective work to conclude that Devon Cafe in Surry Hills is worth a visit. It’s only a few weeks old, but already has some gold-star credentials – the kitchen’s run by chefs from Melbourne’s Bistro Guillaume and Sydney’s Guillaume of Bennelong, the coffee’s by Coffee Alchemy and Five Senses, […]