Review: Restaurant Balzac, Randwick

'Congratulations...you have won...' were the keywords that jumped out at me when my mother came into my room, waving a postcard in my face, preparing to interrogate me on the whereabouts of the stated restaurant. The other which followed were '$100 worth of matching French wines' at 'Restaurant Balzac'. I've honestly never won anything in my life - not the toy watches with the Coco Pops cereal boxes or the iPhones from career fairs. Although I may have preferred winning food as opposed to wine, as I have not quite developed myself as a connoisseur in that area, I was extremely happy! Taking time out of our continued tasting selection that day at Taste of Sydney to fill in these little competition cards was worth it after all!

I had limited time to make use of the voucher and it had to be between Tuesday and Thursday. Seeing as exams were coming up, the restaurant was a short walk from uni and we had a meeting on a that evening, SK and I booked a table for a quiet Tuesday night at 7:30PM. It was only a short walk from our UNSW Kensington campus and by the time we arrived we were about 20 minutes early but was greeted by a warm and friendly waiter at the front who told us it was fine to be seated early and that 'The early bird catches the worm...but obviously you won't be served worms!' It might just be me, the inexperienced fine diner, but I appreciate a bit of humour and warmth even when I go to fine dining restaurants...really helps me relax and enjoy the experience!

There was a little initial confusion, possibly my own fault for not presenting my voucher upon arrival, but we were presented with menus and a wine list before being left alone to decide the fate of our stomachs. It wasn't long before another waiter came by and realised we were here for the degustation menu with matching wines, politely apologised and congratulated me on my prize. I've never had degustation before but was glad that for once there was no need to pore over menus and spend ages deciding what we wanted. I was however quite amused when the table was set with additional cutlery...I have never seen so many forks and knives placed together for a meal! (I probably sound naive and uncultured to all you foodies at this point!)

So to kickstart our meal that evening, we were served four slices of Sonoma Sourdough and a small pot of butter with a small amount of salt. For those of you who know me, I'm conscious of my health (Mostly! Although when it comes to chocolate and dessert I rarely resist), and avoid too many condiments and rarely ever eat butter or even margarine. When you see SK and I slathering on the butter (or maybe it was just me), then you know it is excellent butter. Not too heavy and with the sprinkle of salt, it spread easily on the sourdough and together just dissolved inside my mouth. I tried my best to not eat all of my share because I didn't want to spoil my appetite for the remaining 8 courses but that attempt failed...in fact, I ended up finishing half of SK's slice because she had better self control than me! I loved that salted butter mmmm...

Sonoma Sourdough 

By the time our first dish arrived, I was still busily savouring the sourdough but quickly swallowed to begin my descent on our dainty dish. It was a Venison Bresaola with Brussel Sprout Remoulade arranged neatly on a square plate. I'm personally not very fond of brussel sprouts and found that the aroma actually spoilt the bresaola for me but in combination with the piece of rocket used to garnish the dish and the drizzle of olive oil actually allowed the flavours to meld really well with the saltiness of the bresaola.

Venison Bresaola with Brussel Sprout Remoulade

The next time our table was invaded, I was quite unprepared to receive a small teacup as our next dish. Fine dining has taken me a fair while to accustom myself to. Let me explain and enlighten you. Coming from a Chinese background, we have several large dishes to share amongst our family members and eat a lot with our bowls of rice. I have grown up eating large mouthfuls of food. Fine dining requires the appreciation of small dishes and a lot of restraint and training has been required of me not to finish everything in one bite. This time however, I was challenged to not drink the entire cup of White Onion Veloute with Thyme Chantilly in one gulp. While SK took her continuous small sips, I tried my best to ration it. Do you have any idea how hard that is?! Even now, I want to just run into the kitchen and drink from the huge pot that this must've been cooked in!

White Onion Veloute with Thyme Chantilly

Before our next dish arrived, we were graced with the presence of a 2008 Domaine Bondeville Grenache Blanc, the first candidate from my prize originating from France. It delivered a crisp taste, not too acidic; just enough to be refreshing.

2008 Domaine Bondeville Grenache Blanc – Languedoc, France

What came next was absolutely beautiful...to look at! The Seared Yellow Fin Tuna was sliced thinly; a bright translucent red with a cooked rim garnished with with some herbs and red onions and finally topped with a single beignet (which I still don't know how to pronounce!). It wasn't misleading in any way whatsoever - as delicious as it was aesthetically pleasing, the tuna melted in my mouth

Seared Yellow Fin Tuna with White Anchovy Beignets and Salsa Verde

As the next set of matching wines arrived, a 2007 Bourgogne, Chanson Viré-Clessé, we were also greeted by an equally hard to pronounce dish (I may only be speaking for myself) of Panfried Mahi Mahi, ‘Petit Pois à la Française’ with Salt and Pepper Cuttlefish. This white wine was a long drier than our first and neither SK nor I appreciated it quite as much. The waiter explained to us the fact that there were peas made in three different ways (French peas or petit pois, a pea foam and a pea puree). I'm pretty sure that at this point, SK was squirming at the overwhelming platter of greens. She's not too fond of green items unless they are dessert related. Being a bit skeptical at first, I was personally hooked by the pea foam - it wasn't too strong but offered a sweet flavour to the dish especially in combination with the cuttlefish.

Panfried Mahi Mahi, ‘Petit Pois à la Française’ with Salt and Pepper Cuttlefish

The first word that came to mind when I tasted the Braised Should of Venison, which was paired with a 2007 Bourgogne, Lucien Muzrd Et Fils, was 'Chinese'. The venison in combination with the flavours from the chestnuts and the sauce itself reminded me of a warm and homely dish that I eat a lot as a child. I had no complaints though, in fact I adored the tenderness of braised venison!

Braised Shoulder of Venison ‘Bourguignonne’ with Chestnut Spätzle 

2007 Bourgogne, Lucien Muzard Et Fils – Burgundy, France

As a foodie-in-wheels, wheels which may never be removed, I feel that I can voice my uneducated foodie blunders without being embarassed. The waiter approached the table with our Daube of Beef and proceeded to introduce them as our 'mains'. Now you're all going to think I'm stupid but it never occurred to me that we would have received so many entree dishes prior to our main! Okay, enough focus on my inexperience - back to the main! 

We were given the choice of a Shoulder of Lamb with Moroccan Spices, Aubergine and Sheep’s Milk Yoghurt but upon DD's recommendation, we both decided to choose the beef instead. The sauce was a thicker and stronger in flavour than I expected and probably would have overpowered the flavour of the beef had there not been a delicate balance struck by the beautifully smooth 'teardrops' of mash potato! The mash was unlike anything I've tried before - it was more a smooth cream since it had been placed through a sieve. The creamy texture and lighter flavour balanced out the sauce perfectly. 

Daube of Beef with Artichokes and Wild Pine Mushrooms

2008 Mas Des Bressades Rouge – Languedoc, France

Having finally managed to get through our entrees and mains, the best part of the dinner (of any dinner) arrived. The dessert. SK and I are both dessert lovers but if I recall correctly, at this point, she was already extremely full. That clearly didn't stop her. The Cinnamon Spiced Rice Pudding was what was called a 'pre-dessert'. Not entirely sure why but I wasn't complaining. Essentially my tastebuds and stomach were saying, 'Why not? We have two desserts then!' Perhaps it was named as such because it was a lighter dessert which would prepare us (and quite well done I'd say!) for the sweeter ones to come!

We were first presented with the French dessert wine which I never managed to catch the name of (menus are a saviour!) and even if I did, would definitely not have been able to replicate in pronunciation anyway. This was perhaps the only wine SK actively disclosed her liking for while I was a bit more reserved simply because it was a dessert wine and too sweet for my liking. I was ready to pounce on the fondant instead!

2007 Les Clos De Paulilles Banyuls – Roussillon, France

I'm eternally grateful for the invention of what I have affectionately termed 'dessert stomach'. It let me consume the warm and velvety chocolate fondant which always tastes so great with the cooling feeling of ice cream in your mouth topped with a sprinle of crunchy peanut brittle. Who cares if you're full? You can always fit in dessert. Always. That's a philosophy I hope all readers will share with me! Having said that, afterwards, I could relax with some English Breakfast tea but only managed to finish one of the petit fours and took a small nibble from the other honeycomb chocolate. 

Warm Chocolate Fondant with Porter Ice Cream and Peanut Brittle

English Breakfast Tea 

Petit Fours

This was definitely the most prolonged dinner experience I've ever had and I enjoyed every moment of it. Contrary to some reviews I had read before, the service at Restaurant Balzac was impeccable - all the staff were friendly and the door was even held open for us as we left. I'm glad that I won that voucher from Taste of Sydney - otherwise it may have taken me a while to get through the rest of my list before finally arriving at this place!

Restaurant Balzac

141 Belmore Road

Randwick, NSW 2031

Tel: 9399 9660

Review: The Bathers' Pavilion, Balmoral Beach

So, what do a bunch of 20-something year olds do when they're bored in the evening with next to nothing to do? We're over the drinking, over all the clubbing, and generally over the fact that most of us will be graduating soon and free time simply won't feel the same again?

Well, they hit up a nice place for dessert of course! Especially the ones which require a little driving just to get away from parents screaming from behind at how ridiculous it was that we were heading out so late in the evening.

And that was when we discovered The Bathers' Pavilion Cafe at Balmoral Beach.

Crème caramel, poached caramel pears, cinnamon filo crisp - $15.50

"You're going to the beach NOW?" cried my father. Yep, anything for the food. Besides, it's not like Mum makes Crème Caramels for me for dessert.
"Do you even know your way?"
"Nope, but if I get lost, we ALL get lost"

Perhaps I should suggest to him that if he could make such a creamy and luscious Crème Caramel for me at home then I would consider staying home a tee-wee bit longer. Oh and the filo pastry was to die for. I could eat this stuff all day! (Hey, there's a thought! That way I wouldn't even bother heading out.)

Lemon delicious, confit lemon, lemon sherbet - $15.50

Either way SK, LT, JL, JC, SL and I all managed to find our way there that night - albeit a little late. By a little I really mean half an hour. I'm sure AY admired the evening view while he waited in the breeze.

Or perhaps he should have ducked inside before us and smacked his face in his Lemon Delicious. I know I often say "What's in a name?", but seriously, if this had been called anything more complicated I probably would have pondered over whether it was delicious or not - but Lemon Delicious? Lemon. Delicious. Simple. Straight-forward. When the dish lives up to its name, you know you just have to get another spoonful. Just the way life should be sometimes.

Pineapple tart tartin, pineapple compote, coconut ice-cream - $15.50

So was the whole getting lost, arriving late and dishevelled, being flamed by the always-5-minutes-early AY really worth the effort? Well short answer is yes; long answer is when you are warmly greeted and seated after arriving at close to 9:45pm on a quiet evening in a beautiful location, the experience is simply a rare thing in itself. To be honoured the visit with such delectable morsels of food such as a Pineapple Tart Tartin was just the right icing on top.

It almost felt like the only thing missing was a glass of Pina Colada and some dancing.

Vanilla & strawberry cheesecake, strawberry salad, strawberry sorbet - $15.50

And then there was the factor that there really was something in it for everyone. For the fruity dessert lovers (or those chocolate goddesses in search of a change in scenery, aka, SK), the Strawberry Cheesecake will do no wrong. With a scoop of refreshing strawberry sorbet on the side mixed with a tangy sweet strawberry salad, I prithee, this is something you'll not want to walk away from.
Anna's chocolate and banana gateau, chocolate fudge sauce - $15.50

And then if you really cannot peel yourself away from your chocolate addiction, well, I wish you all the best! At least here at Bather's Pavilion you'll get a slice of the lightest chocolate cake bending over for you, waiting for the perfect scoop to take it to your mouth.

Never knew food could be so trippy, eh?

The Bathers' Pavilion Cafe
4 The Esplanade
Balmoral Beach, NSW 2088
Tel: (02) 9969 5050
Website: http://www.batherspavilion.com.au/

Review: Etch, Sydney

Christmas has rolled around once again, and I'm always sad once I reach the other side of the festive season. No more presents, no more decorations, and no more Christmas parties.

Above all else, there is a particular thing I look forward to during the lead up to Christmas, and it's the multitude of work parties and lunches that occur during the period. Sadly, I heard that many work parties were downsized this year as a result of the GFC, but luckily for me, I nevertheless had the chance to pick the restaurant to book for our midday feast this year.

There was one criterium and one only. That is, the place had to be located somewhere close to where SK is currently doing her vacation work so that she may be able to join us during her lunch break.


Because of the late notice, finding a place proved to be a little difficult. However, with a little luck, I rediscovered Etch - the brainchild of Becasse's Justin North. The restaurant was situated in the perfect place, and thus it did not take me long to pick up a phone and lock ourselves in.


As one walks into the restaurant, the immediate surrounding will undoubtedly strike you as a form of subdued elegance and pretty. There's a hint of playfulness in the quirkiness of design - it's almost like a place taken straight out of a page of Frankie Magazine.

The service here is attentive and professional. As we settled ourselves into the comfortable chairs, we sneakily eavesdropped another table to listen to a very well informed waiter carefully divulging the intricacies of each dish.


We first nibbled on a little ciabatta to satisfy the peckish. (Like me). The Ciabatta was soft and full of flavour. Definitely more interesting than your standard Foccacia.

6 hour braised beef cheek, baby vegetables, Madeira consomme - $34

We skipped entrees and dived straight into the mains. I have to say, however, that it was incredibly hard to resist the temptation to go for a 3 course lunch and stuff myself to the absolute brim.

The decision for the Boss was straight forward. It took her less than 2 seconds to decide on the Braised Beef Cheek - something which she has been dying to dig into since our visit to Mad Cow during the Winter Feast. She had tried to order this dish on a second visit, but sadly it was no longer on offer.

The cheeks were absolutely divine and melted away the minute it touched your tongue. The madeira consomme provided a really robust and flavoursome backdrop against the sweetness of the meat - I think I almost cried a little when I tasted it.

Provencal potatoes, aged prosciutto, smoked garlic mayonnaise - $9 (Please do yourself a favour and try this.)

Local sea bream, crumbed scampi, fennel puree, citrus a la grecque - $31

DW and JH both ordered the local sea bream, which was a beautiful piece of fish cooked to absolute perfection. Both were really taken away by the fennel puree (something which has given me motivation to slave away in the kitchen to perfect), and were overall just in gleeful happiness as they slid each morsel into their mouths.

Spaghetti, sauteed prawns, peas, prawn bisque - $30

While I was tempted to try the Lobster Thermidore, I eventually decided to leave that dish for another day while I examined the particulars of prawn bisque. I know it was just a single element to the dish at large, but since the early days of foodie adventures, I've grown particularly fond of assessing individual elements of each dish in hope that I may be able to replicate them in my own kitchen one day.

Yes, some people have suggested that it would just be easier going to a culinary school...but I often prefer the scenic route.

Either way, I absolutely LOVED the prAWniness (hehe) of this dish. The bisque was an absolute explosion of flavour in my mouth. Then there was the Spring-freshness of the peas, then the satisfying bite of the spaghetti, and then the pure indulgence of a well cooked and flavoured prawn - all of which was then signed and sealed by an almost palate-cleansing taste of the cress.

Pear and Lillet blanc trifle - $15

While dessert had not been part of the original plan, as soon as we were handed the dessert menu, deep down we all knew that it was going to happen, whether we wanted it or not (but seriously, who wouldn't?)

Upon seeing the option of a trifle, JH cheerfully reminisced the times when her mother made her version of trifle back in Kiwiland. The next thing we knew, everyone was sharing the own visions and memories of a trifle made and enjoyed. It was interesting to see how a simple dessert, with its myriad of transformations, could spark a strange unity in a table of people from very different backgrounds. Spiced nougatine parfait, figs - $15

Lastly we happily shared a plate of Parfait - which was really one of the best dessert dishes I've ever had. The parfait was lusciously smooth and creamy - and only just mildly sweet. JH and SJ both commented on how this dessert simply wasn't sweet enough to their liking, while I happily nommed away on what I thought to be a dessert with the perfect level of sweetness. I had often discussed with JH (who is an absolute sweettooth) the Western vs. Asian dessert issue, and why if you enjoyed one it was always easy to be disappointed by another. It may just be the two of us and we are by no means a good sample for the entire population, but there are obvious differences between the two.

To be fair I would often point out my general apathy towards chocolate, and my utter dislike of dense and immensely sweet flavours. The confusing thing is, JH says the exact same thing about Asian desserts? So my gut feeling tells me that the problem probably lies in textural differences too, but I'm not too sure.

So I hand the problem over to you. What does it take to turn a "good" dessert into a "great" dessert?

Etch Restaurant
62 Bridge Street
Sydney NSW 2000
Tel: (02) 9247 4777
Opens: Monday to Friday 12pm - late, Saturday 5pm - late

Review: Palate, Sydney

“Japanese…again?!”

When you have no time, no booking, no money, no sleep and have been eating fast and unhealthy meals during the week, the first cuisine you think of is Japanese. It’s quick, cheap and relatively healthy but for some (not me, I will never get sick of this cuisine), it becomes incredibly boring. So that was FYL’s complaint when I once again suggested Japanese. After this exclamation, we found ourselves standing under the staircase at World Square, peering into what appeared to be a fairly busy café.

“No. Not a café for dinner.”

Making our way around the corner, we reached a dimly lit restaurant, which seemed to be closed until a waiter signalled for us to come in the other entrance. Turns out, it was the restaurant version of the café we saw but perfect for us – quieter and exclusive called Palate. 

FYL was very happy with her selection, especially the privacy it brought us, until the waiter opened the main entrance and several other groups came in. The atmosphere and décor immediately made me feel comfortable and slightly high-class too but the prices didn’t turn out to be that expensive either!

Photo compliments of FYL 

Photo compliments of FYL

Photo compliments of FYL

We’d been told that canapés would be served at the party we were all heading to later on, so amongst the four of us, we decided to order three dishes.

Pumpkin & Beetroot Salad $11.00

Spending a whole week having quick lunches and dinners meant I had little veges to satisfy my nutritional quota for the week and the Pumpkin & Beetroot Salad was welcomed with open arms. The beetroot was sweet and juicy, juicy enough to warrant my careful gobbling to avoid staining my shirt. The roast pumpkin on the other hand may have been a tad overcooked so slightly on the dry side, but overall the salad was nicely refreshing.

 Mushroom Risotto $14.00

When we reached the Mushroom Risotto however, I’ll have to say, the presentation wasn’t the best attribute of this dish. In our little photo here, the Parmesan cheese has shielded you from most of the risotto but when we made our way past those top layers, the consistency was too gooey and brown – the resemblance was really too uncanny. I’d have to say it was also a bit too flavoured for my liking but partnered with our other two dishes, it made it through.

Salt & Pepper Squid $10

Finally, the Salt & Pepper Squid. What can I say? I love deep fried nibbles. Although it didn’t satisfy my health conscious self, it certainly satisfied my tastebuds, stomach and everyone else around the table – a good sharing tapas dish. This one had all my approval with its hint of garlic and chilli flavours.

Palate wasn’t our idea of a homely Italian restaurant bustling with energy but really suited that particular occasion where we just wanted to dine in peace before another late night out. The prices were quite reasonable and although a slight fluctuation on the taste, we will probably put this on the hit list for another relaxed dining experience, especially since it’s so conveniently situated inside World Square.

Palate

World Square

Level Upper Ground, Shop 17-18, 123 Liverpool Street

Sydney NSW 2000

PH: (02) 9264 3661

Review: Ash's Table, Manly

Just a quick note that I’ve been overwhelmed with work and focussing on the organisation of setting up a brand new food blog server for all your readers out there so my posts are a bit delayed! Sorry! So anyway…=) I've lived in the Northern Beaches region for the large part of my life and but I've rarely eaten around the area. My frequent haunts are all around the Sydney CBD area or Eastern suburbs, especially when it comes to brunches and lunches. Everyone's been on hardcore exam study sessions lately, leaving me with no one to hang out and eat with! I chose all assessment based subjects this semester so I didn't have exams, which most consider to be lucky but at the same time, I have to spend all my free time with myself anyway! It just so happened that a large gap appeared in AW's exam timetable and since we live quite close to each other, we decided that Manly would be a nice place to satisfy our tummies.

As always, AW was running late, so by the time we found parking on the beach side of Manly, it was already 11am. Having both skipped breakfast - we were pretty much ready to devour anything. It was an overcast Sunday morning but there were plenty of people walking around in wetsuits, pushing prams and just enjoying the relaxed beach lifestyle - so it was only natural that every cafe or restaurant we could see in the distance was bustling with crowds of people. Briefly glancing at the menu, we were greeted warmly by the owner (I assume), who happened to be pinning up the lunch menu, and so not really wanting to keep walking in the rain we settled on eating at Ash's Table.

I'm always extremely grateful that when cafes, or any other eatery for that matter, keeps their breakfast menu available for most of the day. Well-cooked breakfast is something I think that I'd be willing to eat no matter what the hour! Going through the menu, AW and I were quick to decide that we would pick one breakfast item and one lunch item and with tummies madly grumbling at our neglecting them, we promptly selected a pizza most appropriately named The Meaty - tempting me with bacon, pepperoni, chorizo, mushroom and capsicum on a sweeeeet chilli jam base topped with mozarella cheese - as well as a classic Sausage and (Scrambled) Eggs served on sourdough.

The Meaty (small) $18.00


Sausages & Eggs with Sourdough $12.00

On top of that, we also ordered a Mango Smoothie and a Latte :) For the amount of people in the cafe, I was quite impressed at the quick service we received. The waiters didn't stand there and leer at us, but did periodically check with us to see if we were ready as they rushed around serving other customers. My only criticism would be the relatively long wait for drinks to arrive - they were on our table with only a few minutes to spare before the food came which caused a slight raise of the eyebrow. Having said that, my Mango smoothie was yummy and refreshing (I love mangoesss!) and after AW's initial puzzlement over how to consume her piece of biscotti, she seemed quite satisfied with her latte.

Mango Smoothie $6.00

Latte $3.00

So what about the food? Well boys and girls, I am currently doing a marketing placement for a large bread company and just recently, happened to be involved in taste testing of various sourdough and let me tell you – the sourdough served here was really just plain bread. There was not even the slightest hint of a sour note – not in the first bite and it didn’t build up to anything either. The bread itself was also slightly stale. The only item I appreciated was the scrambled eggs which, although not brillant, still filled my tummy with protein goodness. And what of the pizza? Well it was indeed, extremely meaty. The layers of meat far outweighed any previous encounters I’ve had with self-proclaimed ‘meaties’ from the popular fast food pizza outlets and definitely satisfied my carnivorous yearnings. But…yes, there is another ‘but’…it was wayyyy too oily. Literally dripping with it. When something is that oily – you just feel sick. That’s probably why AW only ate a little and delegated the rest to my mouth and stomach.

I think I’ve been quite harsh with this little review. I definitely enjoyed the atmosphere, service and just the idea of a little lunch near the beach even in the dreary weather – but when it came down to the food…it just didn’t quite cut it. I will however, revisit that strip of cafes and try my luck at another one next time.

Ash's Table
93 North Steyne Road
Manly NSW 2095
PH: (02) 9976 3382

Review: Dolphin Hotel, Surry Hills

BLT with bacon, tomato, lettuce and aioli - $12

As if Yulli's wasn't enough...

After our visit to Yulli's we walked down the road to the Dolphin Hotel for a few drinks to continue our celebration of FYL's birthday. Little did we know that our food frenzy would continue deep into the night. Two meals in 5 hours? Houston, I think we have ourselves a group of gluttons.

Orders were simple, though. TC started with a straight-forward BLT sandwich which made everyone gasp at. Who said pub food couldn't cause a stir?

Beef Nachos with sour cream and guacamole - $16

Unable to resist the temptation of the bistro menu on the walls behind us, JL and I quickly approached the counter in defeat, and ordered a serve of Nachos to share. We reasoned that eating would reduce our chances of getting drunk.

Apart from the slightly burnt bits on top, we weren't complaining. The bean salsa was tast-eeeeh. Perhap even better with a glass of red which I mentally pictured myself drinking. JL lost his wallet earlier in the week, which meant that I was unfortunately DD for the night. Green P's = No drinking. FML.


The Dolphin Hotel
412 Crown Street
Surry Hills, NSW 2010
Tel: (02) 9331 4800

When food brings people together...

BBQ's are fun. Especially when the people who are in charge of the BBQ have absolutely no idea what they are doing and before long everyone is reduced back as if they were children again. Messing around with dirty bits of coal and firestarters, we resembled a bunch of headless chooks scurrying around in attempt to work the mechanics of a coal BBQ.

Look. We're Asian. BBQ working skills just isn't inherit in our blood.

Everyone at there that day grew up as little kids together. It's weird that now one of us is getting married and most of us are all grown up and doing our own individual things. Despite our ages, I think if someone had been watching us that day, we really were just a bunch of big kids. JX continued his ritual of bullying me...and I to SL...and then SO-Y ran around lost amidst all the commotion.

Big kids. Yes?
Everyone contributed a little on the day. JX and his fiancé contributed the house and the meats and the BBQ itself. SL forgot his part...which were the potatoes, but that was almost entirely in character and expected. My little addition was a simple mixed leaf salad and avocado with a Japanese dressing to go with it. I'll post a recipe for it when I finally get my hands on the last ingredient, which I think may need to be shipped from Hawaii.

Gosh.
These were Alice's Szechuan Lamb Skewers. They were heavily flavoured with cumin, and an absolute delight to munch on.

Unfortunately, the first batch of chicken wings were utterly charred. They still tasted good nevertheless - we just cut off all the burnt bits and continued on. There was another batch of wings on the way anyway.

Luckily for us the weather was extremely warm and beautiful that day. We somehow managed to strike gold by choosing one of the warmest winter days this year. 28°C in August?

Oh how I'm going to die during Summer this year. Dang you global warming!

Apart from being outside of the house and enjoying the great weather, the other thing I look forward to during a BBQ is the plate of SNAGS waiting to be munched on. Nothing beats a good sausage sizzle with some mustard and caramelised onions. They make BBQs what they are today!

The teriyaki chicken was the last to appear and we were seriously filled the to brim by the time this arrived. The meat was soooo extremely tender and juicy and I was so sad I had not left enough room to enjoy more of it.

JX happily said that this would become his lunch at work the next day. I think I wanted to kick him.

After the food we sat around and caught up on the various happenings in life. Then we moved on to Wii and rediscovered the fun of Raving Rabbids and Mario Kart.

Oh my goodness. Someone buy me a Wii already!