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I'm Still Hungry | A Food & Travel Blog

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  • Cuisines
    •         - Fine Dining
    •         - Cafes
    •         - Japanese
    •         - Modern Australian
    •         - Thai
    •         - Italian
    •         - Nine Caesars
    •         - Eight Caesars
  • Australia
    •         - New South Wales
    •         - Victoria
    •         - Tasmania
    •         - South Australia
    •         - Northern Territory
    •         - Queensland
  • Asia
    •         - Japan
    •         - Hong Kong
    •         - China
    •         - South Korea
  • Americas
  • Travel
  • About Me
  • Disclaimers and Policies
    •         - Media Policy
    •         - Invitations Disclaimer
    •         - Affiliate Marketing Policy
    •         - Privacy Policy
    •         - How I Score

Tag Archives: NSW

Gateway to the Hunter | A Weekend in Maitland

September 15, 2019Regional NSW, Travel2019, Maitland, NSW, Sponsored

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I'm Still Hungry - A Food & Travel Blog by Michael Shen is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Based on the work at https://imstillhungry.net

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Instagram post 2149252741304950405_38107218 Hot, spicy, numbing, and satisfying in a way few other dishes are. It's taken me long enough to have my first taste of malatang outside China. It's not as I remember it, but it's good enough that I don't miss not being in Sichuan for it. In fact, so so good. I got an 853gm bowl (before soup) and finished everything - soup included. Typical me. 😏 #ISH_Malatang
Instagram post 2147854953786693831_38107218 A couple more dishes from @editionroasters: bacon dashi udon w/onsen egg & pork crackling; and spiced eggs w/puffed grains. The former, light and invigorating - just like how the Japanese would do; the latter, a fair toss of the salt shaker, mate (sorry K.Rudd). According to staff, this must have been an accident as it's one of the more popular dishes - I'll give it the benefit of the doubt. Regardless, an interesting dish that thinks different. #ISH_Edition
Instagram post 2147126364367947386_38107218 It's been almost exactly one year (one year and six days, to be exact!) since I last visited @editionroasters. It's good to see the cafe's bones remain strong: dark & moody vibes, Japanese-Scandi influenced cafe fare, and restaurant-level techniques. For that reason, it's still the kind of place I recommend to people looking for something beyond the archetypal Sydney cafe. . DIY sushi tacos? Sure, why not. The rice needed to be a bit firmer, but this was an otherwise fun and whimsical breakfast dish. Props to the healthy serving of seafood. . BTW, anyone else's IG been updated to allow dark mode? It looks epic - the dark framing really brings out the pop of photos! (check IG stories for a look). #ISH_Edition
Instagram post 2146387103104449826_38107218 It can be so refreshing to be behind the times. Case in point: no line whatsoever at The Alley. . I'm not obsessed with milk tea, so I'm not one to queue for any of it. That's not a swipe against The Alley either - they produced a perfectly serviceable cup. I can certainly see myself going back: like the incoming summer heat, it is...inevitable. #ISH_TheAlley
Instagram post 2146056597611487899_38107218 Wow. It was my first visit to Monkey's Corner this year, so it's appropriate that it was to see out the last of the truffle season with two of my favourite dishes from the small bar (you know what it is). Talk about a return to form - on my part. . Fortunately, despite @arnoldpo not being in the kitchen any more (who can blame him, the boy's got a boy to raise!), I'm surprised the quality is still more or less the same. There's every chance it could suffer - and others have told me of experiences to that point (and I believe them); for now, I'm glad it's yet to happen to me. Fingers crossed for ever more inventive, delicious fare to come. #ISH_MonkeysCorner
Instagram post 2144934902603512550_38107218 My favourite pastry from @tini.artisanbakehouse is the brioche. Tearing into this - quite literally - was a delight. There's a case of butter pooling at certain spots which meant it's not consistently buttery, but the baseline level of heart-rending grease is high to begin with, and the staff offering to toast this one prior to consumption is underrated. My picks? Brioche, then pain au chocolate, then the croissants. But really, any of them will scratch the pastry itch. Heh #ISH_TiniArtisanBakehouse
Instagram post 2144211583243831706_38107218 There's a new bakery in town and as per its namesake, it's barely bigger than my car. But @tini.artisanbakehouse is clearly an example of big things coming in small packages, and when it's the @koidb team behind it, you know it will be a step up from the get-go. . Having tried 5 of the pastries, I can say that it's a very respectable entry to Sydney's viennoiserie scene, and I'd be surprised if there were a better one in close proximity (for the record, Brickfields is the closest bakery I consider excellent). While the pastries aren't baked onsite (the space simply won't allow it), props to the staff offering to toast certain pastries if eating in. . Pictured is the truffle croissant w/salted caramel & hazelnut praline. It's no longer available for obvious reasons, but given that every flavour other than the Matcha Rose will be rotating in and out based on the whims of the baking team, there's every reason to return. #ISH_TiniArtisanBakehouse
Instagram post 2142037187062172024_38107218 As someone who prefers to keep the focus on food no matter the pomp or pageantry of the underlying restaurant, 'exciting' is an adjective that's rarely trotted out. And yet, for Orana's 5-week residency at the old Longrain site in Sydney - the biggest pop-up of the near, no doubt - exciting is the only word that appropriately captured the experience. Or should I say, experiences? . I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that you know pretty much everything there is to know about eating at the Best Restaurant in Australia (by various publications, no less). And if not, my blog post isn't far away: @zonfrillo's utter devotion to native Australian ingredients, spearheading - possibly redefining - a new wave of true 'Modern Australian', and of course, his unwavering quest to push forward the culinary ways of Australia's first people through the Orana Foundation. . Having visited the Adelaide institution twice - both excellent - Orana had set itself a high bar for its Sydney iteration. In the end, there was clearly nothing to fear: while the Adelaide experience wasn't short of a compliment, they really outdid themselves with Sydney - just check out the dining room near the end of this set! More courses, more deliciousness, and perhaps the most beautiful dining room I've seen in a long time - and it didn't need to rely on panoramic views of some beach, harbour, or *cough* coathanger. Sure, it was more expensive too - nearly 50% more in fact - but you know it's money well spent when you go a second time in nearly as many weeks. I did say exciting; however, I'm kinda glad for my wallet that they didn't stick around. Hah. . Specific dish descriptions can be found in my story highlight on my profile page. #ISH_Orana
Instagram post 2141344779211198781_38107218 As someone who prefers to keep the focus on food no matter the pomp or pageantry of the underlying restaurant, 'exciting' is an adjective that's rarely trotted out. And yet, for Orana's 5-week residency at the old Longrain site in Sydney - the biggest pop-up of the near, no doubt - exciting is the only word that appropriately captured the experience. Or should I say, experiences? . I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that you know pretty much everything there is to know about eating at the Best Restaurant in Australia (by various publications, no less). And if not, my blog post isn't far away: @zonfrillo's utter devotion to native Australian ingredients, spearheading - possibly redefining - a new wave of true 'Modern Australian', and of course, his unwavering quest to push forward the culinary ways of Australia's first people through the Orana Foundation. . Having visited the Adelaide institution twice - both excellent - Orana had set itself a high bar for its Sydney iteration. In the end, there was clearly nothing to fear: while the Adelaide experience wasn't short of a compliment, they really outdid themselves with Sydney. More courses, more deliciousness, and perhaps the most beautiful dining room I've seen in a long time - and it didn't need to rely on panoramic views of some beach, harbour, or *cough* coathanger. Sure, it was more expensive too - nearly 50% more in fact - but you know it's money well spent when you go a second time in nearly as many weeks. I did say exciting; however, I'm kinda glad for my wallet that they didn't stick around. Hah. . Specific dish descriptions can be found in my story highlight on my profile page. #ISH_Orana
Instagram post 2140583122017022353_38107218 Still the best 🍣 this side of the hemisphere...probably 😉 #ISH_Sokyo
Instagram post 2139863354821836534_38107218 Tajima, truffle, black sesame. @sano3sushi could serve just sushi and it would still be booked out for months, but as this marvel and yesterday's photos show, the appetisers and other non-sushi interjections bring the Sokyo Omakase experience to an unparalleled level. #ISH_Sokyo
Instagram post 2139135421014532010_38107218 An abalone 'burger' with toro, TAS sea urchin, caviar & sea grapes. I know I often describe @sano3sushi's creations as 'one of the best things I've had' in the many visits I've paid to this one-of-a-kind omakase, but that's what happens when the bar keeps getting raised. And that's not to mention all the other innovative dishes (swipe right) that he crafts, seemingly without a creative dead end in sight. . This is why after sixteen visits in, sitting at Sokyo's sushi counter can still feel like a first-time visit. 凄い! #ISH_Sokyo
Instagram post 2136968452937062279_38107218 This is a similar shot to the first one I posted on Maitland, but its bucolic beauty deserves the double take. I won't oversell it: it's not a substitute for the Hunter Wine Region, nor Newcastle - so if you had plans to visit either, I'm not going to try and convince you otherwise. . All the same, the Gateway to the Hunter's charms are its own, and at a 40min drive, a detour isn't onerous. If you ever do decide to drive up for a weekend living in the slow lane, you won't be disappointed. Thanks again to @destination_nsw for the eye-opening experience! #ISH_Travel #ISH_Maitland #MyMaitland #sponsored
Instagram post 2136226977198490911_38107218 The original custodians of the land on which Maitland sits are the Wonnarua people. Coquun, meaning 'fresh water' in their language, was one of the original names given to the life-conferring Hunter River, from which the native food bowl springs forth. It makes sense then that the restaurant of the same name has an Indigenous focus (notwithstanding some cheeky coastal inclusions), and such is its execution (not to mention its stunning interior) that if there were one restaurant on the entire trip that could grasp at a chef's hat, it would be this one. . Obviously don't miss it. #ISH_Travel #ISH_Maitland #MyMaitland #sponsored
Instagram post 2135510613261357739_38107218 If you decide to visit Maitland, be sure to drop by @ickystickypatisserie and @fratelliroma. The former may be the best patisserie in NSW outside Sydney - not that it wouldn't be competitive if it were IN Sydney - and the latter is that ephemeral 'local gem' trattoria that every suburb supposedly has but few deliver. Pastries made onsite; pastas made from scratch, it's not only eating well but also eating local. Needless to say, a lot of takeaway happened at our own expense - obviously an easy price to justify. #ISH_Travel #ISH_Maitland #MyMaitland #sponsored
Instagram post 2134784297264444969_38107218 With the Hunter Wine Region 40min to its left and Newcastle 40min to its right, Maitland is the proverbial Malcolm in the literal middle. It may not have the former's reputation for wine, nor the latter's golden beaches, but the often-overlooked city - one of NSW's fastest-growing - has history, culture and food that punches well above its weight class. . Thanks to @destination_nsw and Maitland City, we were invited to explore the reasons why Maitland deserves to be much more than just a red pin on Google Maps. Spoiler alert: there are many. Blog post up - link in profile - you know what to do. #ISH_Travel #ISH_Maitland #MyMaitland #sponsored
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I'm Still Hungry - A Food & Travel Blog by Michael Shen is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Based on the work at https://imstillhungry.net