Red Chilli Sichuan Restaurant - Chinatown, Sydney

Cheesecake Boy and I love Sichuan food.  We usually frequent the Chatswood restaurant of Red Chilli Sichuan Restaurant, but we're lucky they have five restaurants and after work we duck into the Chinatown restaurant behind Harbour Plaza to ease our chilli cravings.  

The first time Cheesecake Boy and I visited the Chatswood branch, we ordered the fried diced chicken with dried chilli, that was only indicated as having a heat level of two chillis.  We didn't think it would be too hot, but we were so wrong.  It was so hot that we couldn't eat the dish, and no amount of beers and water eased our pain that day.  Apparently, it is one of the hottest dishes on the menu, so you have been warned.   We have learnt our lesson, and now get an indication of the heat of dishes from the staff before we order.

Chocolateria San Churro, Glebe

A dessert fix was in order after El Loco and straight away Cheesecake Boy and I thought of San Churro.  When Cheesecake Boy and I first started dating, we spent a lot of late nights at San Churro chatting, nibbling and sipping the time away.  The first two weeks we discovered San Churro, we came so many times that it took a few months for us to recover and make a return visit.  Anyway, Cheesecake Boy and I love San Churro when we need our ocassional late night churros fix.

Sassy's Red by Chinta Ria - Westfield CBD, Sydney

One of the things I hate most about renting is waiting for repairs to be done.  You may ask why this post has started off with a rant, but our stove elements have been out of order for a more than a week, and it's becoming an awful pain.  Cheesecake Boy and I love our home cook meals as much as our meals out, but there are times when nothing beats a home cooked meal, especially when you're having a rough week.  

We were roaming the CBD last Thursday night after work, trying to be inspired by something quick and easy.  When Cheesecake Boy guided me towards Westfield, I was thinking that he'd lost his mind, as I know what it's like at lunch time, but to my surprise it was reasonably busy and not packed at all.  When Cheesecake Boy and I walked passed Sassy's Red by Chinta Ria and there was a spare table, we knew we had found our place for a simple no fuss dinner that night.

El Loco, Surry Hills

Last night, Cheesecake Boy, Dumpling Cousin and I were off to El Loco for two reasons.  The first reason was to celebrate that Cheesecake Boy had just finished his exams for the semester, but the poor thing had to go back to work today.  However, it was a good enough reason to chow down some Mexican food, and slosh down some margaritas and beers.  The second reason we were out was that Cheesecake Boy wanted to test out his early birthday present by taking a few photos, so there will be mainly shonky photos from me and some much brighter ones from Cheesecake Boy's new toy.

Berta, Surry Hills

Blink and you may very well miss Berta, with its discreet and narrow glass entrance.  That's what happened to my poor friend K, when we were having one of our girly catch ups.  It was Wednesday, and we were here for one of Berta's sagra dinners.  The sagra dinner's centres around the use of a key seasonal ingredient.  Our sagra dinner menu was titled 'Sagra della Pera', meaning we were in for a treat, as it was going to be a pear feast.  I love pears, and was really looking forward to see how they were going to incorporate the use of pears in each dish.

Japan City, Top Ryde

The posting has not been as frequent lately due to my flu that's still lingering around.  However, I did have a shining moment today when we went to Japan City in Top Ryde, so that I could indulge in some daifuku.  Inspired I decided this needed to be shared as soon as possible.  However, if you told me when I was young that I would be eating these mochi balls that usually are filled with a sweet filling, I would have laughed.  I hated Asian sweets when I was young, and you were more liking to see me eating a chocolate eclair or the rainbow ice cream on a cone from Darrell Lea when they use to sell ice cream in store.  Rainbow ice cream was one of my favourite treats growing up in Melbourne, and if I was good in the supermarket when my parents were buying the groceries, then off to Darrell Lea we would go.

Back to the daifuku though, so the literal translation is 'great luck or fortune'.  I don't know if eating them gave me any luck, but I was happy snacking away on these.  Cheesecake Boy came upon these when he decided to have a study break lunch at Japan City last week when I was at work.  Being the considerate and thoughtful boyfriend that he is, he remembered how much I enjoy daifuku at times, and bought some back from Japan City.  Now, when I saw the chocolate on top of the daifuku, I was quite skeptical, but looks can be deceiving.  I liked the taro daifuku so much, that I had to kick the craving a few hours ago at Japan City.

Orto Trading Co, Surry Hills

All I wanted to do last Friday night was to tuck myself and my terrible flu under the covers.  However, Dumpling Sister was in town.  If it was anyone else, I would have  definitely cancelled.  You see, at my birthday earlier this year at Ms. G's, Dumpling Sister got stung by some blue bottles a couple of hours before my dinner.  Much to my amazement, Dumpling Sister still insisted on coming.  That's sisterly love for you, so my flu and I just sucked it up.  If she could make it to my birthday after being attacked by blue bottles, I could make it to dinner with the flu. 

I also had reservations at Orto Trading Co, so that was an additional incentive not to cancel.  I had been looking forward to this visit, and once we found the place, I was reminded of Greenhouse by Joost.  As there were cute buckets of fresh herbs outside, flowers in glasses on tables and recycled bottles dangling from the ceiling acting as vases.  It was awfully cosy, and thoughts of wanting to be in bed flew out the window.