Ladies Lunch Platter @ The Stoned Crow (platter for 4 people)
It had been a while since I had last caught up with the lovely Grace and seeing as she had just come back from her exchange trip to China, a group girly catch-up session was much needed! Having been to the other small bar establishments under the Lil Darlin’ group, I knew The Stoned Crow - Crows Nest, would not disappoint. Beautifully decked-out interior with an enchanted garden ambience but still very casual. Shortly after sitting down, the locals started filling the place up. Great place for a drink - has a Surry Hill vibe. 
Cheers! A drink to good health :)
Champagne comes with the ladies lunch platter
Salt & Pepper Calamari w/ nahm jim & aioli
Crispy Chicken Drummers w/ chipotle mayo & chili sauce
Golden and flavoursome bites of tender calarmari dipped in creamy aioli and a lighter alternative with the sour tangy nahm jim sauce were gone in seconds. And the crispy chicken got nods of approval.
This is the fifth year of Taste of Sydney 14-17th March - Centennial Park, and it seems to get better each year! I’ve gone with family for the past two years and we always have a fun-filled moveable degustation day spent grazing from stand to stand both purchasing dishes and tasting an exorbitant amount of samples from exhibitors! This year there will be a Sail & Anchor Beer & Cider Hall, Rekorderlig Cider Bar, Cointreau Fizz Lounge, Destination Dining - Biota Dining ♥ and Jonah’s at Whale Beach, Malasyian Kitchen, Sensology - Art of Cocktail Making, Tasmanian Pavilion (really excited about this because they have the beeeeeeeest berry produce ^^ I especially love raspberries lol) and many more.. Thanks to Stellar, Taste of Sydney and the following four restaurants below; I was invited to an exclusive Taste of Sydney safari preview where we were escorted to one restaurant after another ^^
Claude’s - Slow braised pork cheek and black fungus relish rolls 6 Crowns
MUST GET THESE! Don’t be put off by the description of black fungus as this toasted buttery milk bun with the super tender pork jowl and black fungus relish bursts with umami flavour :D 
Claude’s Executive Head Chef - Chui Lee Luk
Our first stop for our safari trip was Claude’s in Woollahra, which is split into two levels. The amicable Chef Chui Lee Luk (say hi to her, she’ll be at Taste of Sydney! Oh and she’ll only be making 10 of her Icon dish - twice baked cheese souffle 22 crowns) explains how the bottom floor is a more casual dining space that will be serving bar food, whilst the upstairs with the lilacs and soft pink interior will be reserved for degustation dining. 
Chicken liver parfait $9 - available on the Bar menu at Claude’s
I love how she incorporates a lot of her Chinese-Malaysian background in her dishes and this did not disappoint though I was a bit skeptical at first! The achar pickles provide a nice cut-through to the richness of the chicken liver parfait. Unfortunately this won’t be available at Taste of Sydney.
4Fourteen
Koreatown in the heart of Sydney
We’re all quite acquainted with the Colonel’s finger lickin’ KFC but let me introduce to you an even more delicious alternative also commonly referred to as KFC - Korean Fried Chicken. Home to the best KFC I’ve had can be found in Sydney’s dubbed Koreatown (when did that sign get put up??) at an unassuming underground Korean restaurant, NaruOne.
Seafood and leek pancake $13
Cold buckwheat noodle soup $12
Tap beer (500cc) $7
Complimentary ban chan (side dishes) and bucket for bones
The best things to accompany fried chicken is a chilled beer, icy beef broth with long chewy strands of buckwheat noodles and pickled radish. And of course, a wonderful group of friends to enjoy that with :) The seafood pajeon (pancake) here is mediocre as it has a much higher ratio of leek to seafood compared to other places but it’s merely a filler dish for the main attraction. 
Egg yolk porn!
One of Sydney’s hidden gems that’s popular with the locals is Cafe Morso in Pyrmont. It’s a quaint little cafe on the wharf that’s only open for breakfast & lunch and always abuzz on the weekends especially if the weather is warm and sunny. Best to book ahead if you want to nab a table without the wait :) This was on my must-go-to list for the longest time and I’m glad I finally got around to going because it’s definitely a favourite of mine now! The boy took me here for my birthday brunch :) Our plan was to go for brunch, art gallery for the Francis Bacon exhibit, and then followed by a romantic picnic.. but ended up going home after brunch to prep an exorbitant amount of food for the picnic ^^” 
Late breakfast - Bacon and egg gnocchi with baby herbs and truffle oil $18
Plump rolls of soft, fluffy gnocchi with julienne bacon strips, perfectly poached egg in all it’s oozy glamour, finished off with a drizzle of truffle oil. The ultimate breakfast combination of bacon, eggs and potato :) The toast was perfect to mop up the golden yolk and truffle oil :9 So moreish though my only strife was the gnocchi which I would have preferred it to be cripsy, pan-fried but that’s just me being nit-picky ^^” would still order this again!
