November 1st, 2010 | by Lee Tran Lam | published in Restaurants | 11 Comments »
When Bloodwood opened earlier this year, and everyone rushed to declare “casual dining” as the hot new thing in Sydney, I felt a tad skeptical. Bloodwood is great, but can a trend really exist when Exhibit A only holds one example? Well, since March, we’ve seen the opening of Berta, Eathouse Diner, District Dining and […]
October 19th, 2010 | by Lee Tran Lam | published in Uncategorized | 4 Comments »
I think this brings new (arm-stretching) meaning to the term “pop-up bar”. At The Doghouse in Darlinghurst, the tables literally spring out from the walls (see below). And the beer bottles are hoisted about by a rope-and-pulley system. I asked the bar’s interior architect, Adele Winteridge of Foolscap, whether this was tricky to do. Turns […]
October 11th, 2010 | by Lee Tran Lam | published in Uncategorized | 3 Comments »
First up, the sad news: the Blueberry and Yogurt praline has been phased out at Kakawa in Darlinghurst. The good news: the store’s display case is filled with many great consolation prizes. One new addition is the Wild Lemon, which twists the tang and sweetness of lemon into a lovely showdown with milk chocolate. I […]
July 13th, 2010 | by Lee Tran Lam | published in Uncategorized | 3 Comments »
It’s true, we’re all primed to try new things. There’s something about the never-seen-before that queue-jumps other claims for our attention. So I noticed that Kakawa had these new chocolate squares – in dark and milk versions – pressed with deep berry specks and rugged kernels and seeds. One of my favourite things about fruit-and-nut […]
April 8th, 2010 | by Lee Tran Lam | published in Uncategorized | 12 Comments »
I like how people get very protective about their favourite flavours at Gelato Messina in Darlinghurst – whether it’s Gingerbread, Pavlova, Tiramisu or the one inspired by The Mighty Boosh. With an everchanging selection, it’s impressive when fans single out which scoops should get long-term freezer residency. With news that the popular Pavlova was on […]
March 28th, 2010 | by Lee Tran Lam | published in Uncategorized | 4 Comments »
When a calendar-flip shows how close Easter holidays is, I guess everyone starts plotting their time off and chocolate stockpiling. So this weekend, I stopped at two of my favourite chocolatiers to see what holiday-flavoured goodies were on their shelves. At Kakawa, David and Jin have converted the traditional hot-cross bun into a miniature praline. […]
February 18th, 2010 | by Lee Tran Lam | published in Uncategorized | 5 Comments »
One of my favourite things right now is the Dark Chocolate Caramel from Kakawa in Darlinghurst. Take the paper wrapper, give it a ballerina-like untwist, sink it into your mouth and chew (and chew and chew). Anyone afraid of the bitter bite of dark choc needn’t worry, as the caramel sweetens the jolt, making it […]
January 19th, 2010 | by Lee Tran Lam | published in Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
The Pond in Darlinghurst has reinvented itself as The Commons. The beer sponsorship is past tense and now the team is running the show entirely on its own whims. I like the look of the (almost-ready) downstairs Even Books library – venue manager Bob says you’ll need to contribute two books to join, and then […]
November 18th, 2009 | by Lee Tran Lam | published in Uncategorized | 4 Comments »
It’s been fascinating watching the quiet end of Burton Street, Darlinghurst, crack into life at night. Once noiseless with shut doors and ‘closed’ signs, it’s now a-buzz with Pocket Bar, Doctor Pong and, today’s exhibit A, The Pond. A triple blend of pop-up bar, clever sponsorship, and heritage restoration via working bee, this venue is […]
October 18th, 2009 | by Lee Tran Lam | published in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
I easily fall into a spell looking into counters lined with exquisite pralines, and the new Kakawa chocolatier in Darlinghurst is the latest place to continue this hold on me. The boutique is a nice front-display break from the endless car showrooms and rental vehicle outlets that keep William Street so drab, and what’s in […]