November 19th, 2017 | by Lee Tran Lam | published in Cafes, Latest | 1 Comment »
Every cafe that opens nowadays seems to have at least one pin-up dish, designed to look good when framed in Instagram. At Paperboy in Concord, there’s no doubt it’s the lamington waffles – buttermilk batter hardened and coated in drips of dark chocolate, then run through a dust storm of dessicated coconut. It’s sandwiched with […]
August 3rd, 2015 | by Lee Tran Lam | published in Latest, Restaurants | 1 Comment »
Lotus Restaurant at The Galeries isn’t just a good spot for recovering from Muji-Browsing Fatigue, it’s a fine choice if you’re plain hungry, too. This 270-seater restaurant is the blockbuster-sized sequel to the tiny dumpling bar of the same name down at Walsh Bay, but doesn’t feel like a cynical franchise at all. In fact, […]
October 10th, 2013 | by Lee Tran Lam | published in Events, Restaurants | 2 Comments »
Lifting the lid off bamboo steamers is a standard Saturday ritual, but the Bao Town Pop-Up at Sydney’s Vella Nero cafe offers an inspired take on this bun-savouring custom. Theresa Nguyen’s venture goes far beyond the default options – her inventive menu includes dessert bao with a stowaway layer of lemon polenta, or one that […]
June 19th, 2013 | by Lee Tran Lam | published in Restaurants | 2 Comments »
La Lupita unpacks a lot of fun and firepower at The Basement in Circular Quay. This colourful installment to the music venue gives you a reason to visit beyond the bands commanding the stage. While this Mexican eatery has only recently taken up residency at this site, La Lupita isn’t entirely a newcomer to the […]
September 25th, 2012 | by Lee Tran Lam | published in Restaurants | 4 Comments »
Who doesn’t love an all-purpose chocolate shop? At Josophan’s new city store, which opened last month, you can find spiced drinking chocolate, nut-encased blocks, colour-splattered slabs of cocoa and, importantly, The Best Ice Cream Topping In The World (made of wafer balls, multi-flavoured chocolate pebbles and other crunchy, scoop-enhancing ingredients). There are also chocolate lollipops […]
September 13th, 2012 | by Lee Tran Lam | published in Podcasts | 4 Comments »
At N2 Extreme Gelato in Sydney’s Chinatown, the ice cream is a front-row-worthy spectacle. Unlike the usual vision of some poor staff member deep-cabinet-diving to wriggle a scoop out of a ginormous rock of gelato (and you praying they’ll be spared from end-of-shift RSI after all that wrist-heavy excavation) – at this new establishment, employees […]
May 17th, 2012 | by Lee Tran Lam | published in Uncategorized | 9 Comments »
The blueprints of Miss Chu have always been worth reproducing. This excellent Vietnamese canteen first appeared in Darlinghurst in 2009, a lantern-adorned pit stop that made the best rice paper rolls I’d ever had. It’s since had many spin-offs – in Melbourne, Circular Quay, Bondi – and its latest branch opened on Monday in Sydney’s CBD, […]
November 9th, 2011 | by Lee Tran Lam | published in Uncategorized | 9 Comments »
Sydney seems to have a limitless addiction to Fratelli Fresh and the new outlet that opened today in the city is only going to refuel that fixation. Hidden in a sandstone basement opposite the stock exchange, it expands on the usual “Cafe Sopra plus gourmet grocer” template with a mozzarella bar, where you can order […]
October 27th, 2011 | by Lee Tran Lam | published in Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
Prior to being the restaurant manager and head sommelier at Arras, you were at Quay. What were some standout memories from your time there?Choosing wine for U2; chasing Russian President Putin’s minders for an outstanding account of $17000 (which they paid in cash); having to justify the decor to guests – in one instance, a […]
September 3rd, 2011 | by Lee Tran Lam | published in Uncategorized | Leave A Comment »
From the wall of origami felt to the meringue with strawberry paper, there’s so much to like about The Bridge Room, a new restaurant that’s opened near Circular Quay. Not only is the Strawberry Marshmallow Meringue ($18) a joy to eat, the given instruction that you need to smash it open with your spoon – […]