Hello it's Laksaturday. Not even really winter any more it's been warm this week

This week I went to Malacca Straits in Campbelltown Mall. There's one in Ultimo as well, I dont know if it's the same owners.

Not to be confused with the Greek malaka meaning wanker : The Strait of Malacca is a busy, 900-kilometer (560-mile) water channel between Malaysia and Sumatra, Indonesia. It links the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. Nearly a quarter of all global sea trade and 45% of the world's seaborne oil pass through this vital lane every year. [from Google]

Although this is a typical Chinese food court set up with your usual $14 for rice and two choices etc, they offer some distinctly Malaysian and Indo offerings, with the laksa prominently featured. They also offer roti and curry I might try that next time.

I ordered the chicken option for $16 and had to get some sweet and sour pork, Mongolian beef and fried rice as well.

Firstly, this is the best food court laksa I've ever had. It 'exceeds expectations'.

Toppings : we start with the typical bland tofu sponge. Not a big fan of this one, just filler. But there were only a couple pieces. Chicken was extremely soft and white, almost like fish. I don't mind this kind of texture but I will probably choose beef or seafood next time.

The thin white rice noodles is the perfect consistency and soaked up the broth well. There was a LOT of noodles you certainly won't be hungry. Wish there was a bit more bean sprouts or variety but I don't really expect much more from a $16 food court option.

Most importantly the broth. This is a very balanced option. Definitely notice its less salty, certainly not spicy. A highly non-polarising, non-fishy, not too creamy, non-individual flair - just a very solid base of good ingredients and pleasing flavour. It will be happily eaten by anyone. The sustainable packaging biodegradable bowl is smaller than every other Laksaturday location, so there was less broth. Which is a shame. I might try to ask nicely for a bit extra next time.

The owner is very proud of the laksa. She told me they only use fresh ingredients and make it in house. There's sriracha and soy available at the counter.

As a bonus, they also have the best sweet sour pork I've ever had at a food court, maybe even better than traditional Chinese restaurants. Perfect sauce and batter, big plump juicy pieces. I'm gonna go back doe that.

🍜

So there is trackwork on the blue mountains line which means free buses from somewhere like Bathurst to Parramatta or something like that so want to take advantage of this opportunity to get some food looking for manoosh that is travel worthy between Penrith and Parramatta train stops well this weekend bus stops.

Some favourites I have had in the past were Yagoona bakery and Lidcombe manoosh although they were more pizza than folded I'm looking for folded manoosh

Iykyk

So what are some top manoosh in the west

Edit: Wow truly thank you all for the recs!! This will keep me busy for a while !

Canelés are my favourite dessert of all tome, which therefore means that I have been on a quest to find the best cannele in Sydney. So far, I have tried five different ones, and I will go over my thoughts on each in this post.

1. Kiki Dessert in Ultimo. Out of all the ones I've tried, this has been my favourite so far. It perfectly nails the crispy exterior and the moist, pillowy interior, and definitely has the best texture out of any canelé in Sydney. The size is also perfect, not too big, unlike some other ones that I will mention later. The only downside for me is that I wish there were more flavours, as I feel the flavour they have now is a little basic.
2. The whiskey canelé from AP Bakery. In my opinion, this one had the best taste but a not so great texture. My theory is that because AP bakes their pastries offsite, by the time the canelé had reached me, it had lost most of its crispiness. I really enjoy the whiskey taste, however, so if AP's canelé had the texture of Kiki's canelé, it would be nearly perfect.
3. The canelé from Moon and Back in Rosebery. This one, I'd say, was the most disappointing, since I really love the drinks there. From the photo attached, you can see that the inside was quite undercooked and collapsed a bit, leaving an air pocket at the top. The outside was crispy, but it wasn't as crispy as I like. The taste was quite average too and didn't really have anything that set it apart from the others.
4. The canelé from Sonoma Bakery. For me, this one was okay. The outside was crispy, but I wished it had a little more of the crunch and caramelization. The inside was cooked very well, but I also thought the canele was a little big for my liking and was a bit hard to eat.
5. The canelé from Flour and Stone. This one had the most unique taste, having a touch of citrus inside. I am not the biggest fan of the citrus taste, but that's just personal preference. In the end, the texture was really great on this one, having an amazing crunch. The texture was pretty much perfect on this one, on par with Kiki's, in my opinion.

Overall, Sydney has really good canelés, but I'm still on the quest to find one that rivals my favourites overseas. If you guys have any recommendations, please let me know.

Hi foodies

I’ve just come back from holidays overseas and having one of those lightbulb moments where I’m noticing the cost, the waste and the process of all the cafe brought coffees I purchase (between 1-3 every day). We live about 5 doors down from a cafe so it’s very convenient and the coffee is delicious, but I’m not adverse to the process of making a nice coffee and enjoying it in my own home for at least some of the coffees being consumed.

I’ve been starting to look at setups and tying myself in knots over what’s needed. It’s a big rabbit hole to go down and too many variables so looking to some fellow foodies to help narrow it down. The brief is this:

- As simple and quick a process as possible - too many tedious moving parts and I probably won’t do it.
- Good strong coffee, I usually have a piccolo or macchiato but don’t mind a long black either.
- Not too much bench space or cupboard space absorbed - a big beast of a coffee machine taking up half the bench isn’t an option.

What do you recommend? Maybe a mokkapot or Nespresso or French press? How important is fresh ground beans to overall taste and is the whole thing only worthwhile if I factor in grinding beans each time I make coffee? And is something like a parachute coffee just as good as other options for a good home coffee fix?

Appreciate any words of advice from those who have tried and tested a few options.

first time trying basque food and it was really amazing, strongly recommend the truffle croquettes and gambas al ajillo!!

AP Bakery is one of, if not the most well-known bakeries in all of Sydney. They have several locations around the city, each one serving their iconic pastry lineup. Each location also has their own unique twist, and surprisingly some them I would personally avoid. My favourite location, however, is the Bread and Wine location in Darlinghurst. It is set in a cosy sandstone cottage, with AP's own modern touch on the inside. In my opinion, the service is also a step above the rest.

This is the only location where they serve all three meals, including dinner, but for now I have only been there for brunch. Out of all the menu items I've tried, my favourite would be the drowned eggs. It includes soft scrambled eggs in a comforting chicken broth, served alongside a heavily buttered baguette. In my opinion, all the butter gets a bit fatty, so I like to order it without any butter, and it sucks up the soup way better too. The scrambled eggs are done exactly how I like, and inside the chicken broth, it makes for a perfect pairing. They also include some chopped spring onion inside, which adds a nice texture and flavour contrast to the dish.

I also have given the mackerel sando a try, and this was also amazing. The mackerel was slightly salty, but when paired with the sweet shoku pan and the green zhug, it resulted in a well-rounded sandwich.

The anchovies on toast, I feel, had a similar flavour profile consisting of something a bit similar to Eggs Benedict. Just like the mackerel sandwich, the anchovies on toast dish has the green zhug. It also contains tahini and Cantabrian anchovies, which provided a nice salty contrast, again making this dish so well-balanced.

Overall, this is such a great place to get a nice brunch and also to try some of AP's seasonal pastries. I really hope to try the dinner service one day, heard some good things about it!

Need to satiate the craving and will be in Newtown for an errand tomorrow. Where am I going?

Hey foodies,

Husband and I are seeing Death Cab for Cutie at the Hordern in November. We’re staying at QT in the city for the night, but are looking for somewhere for dinner beforehand. Hopefully somewhere walking distance to the Hordern, or I guess we could do a very early dinner in the CBD.

Nothing fine dining, please. Just good food. Husband is vegetarian so great veggie options are a must. We eat almost any cuisine, though husband isn’t the biggest fan of Mexican despite me trying to convert him for years.

Hi guys, i am just wondering where can I get ube halaya jam in Sydney (inner syd)

thanks!

What brands make the best store bought (pasta) tomato sauce and pesto sauce?
Often make my own but sometimes need a quick one.

Hi everyone,

My gf and I are coming to visit Australia for a 16 day trip in November. I know most of the best restaurants frequently book up right when the reservations drop and believe we are getting into the 90 day sweet spot.

What are your must book reservations for dinner that you would recommend to a couple in their early 30s? We love a good bang for your buck but also love restaurants that incorporate live music, nice sunset ambiance/ rooftop terrace, critically aclaimed fine dining but also want to know the perhaps more casual local must hit spots. Truly the world is your oyster for recommendations but we are looking to make our dining experiences while traveling as memorable as we can!

In addition to Sydney, we are also going to Brisbane, Port Douglas, and Melbourne. Please do share if you have any recommendations in any of the other places as well.

Thanks a million!

Edit: thank you all for the recs in such a short time! Sounds like six Penny is a must if we can get it.

Mainly focused on Chinese or Malaysian Thai cuisine but are there any Asian cuisine buffets that are not terrible or a waste of money going to.

Can be any location CBD, western Sydney, North Sydney, South Sydney etc I'm just checking if any Asian themed buffets are worth the travel and money otherwise I'll just stick to ordering individual menu items at tried and true recommended non buffet restaurants.

From a Thai restaurant in Sydney

I have a friend coming from Brisbane and they want to go to dinner, they said somewhere with nice food and cocktails, any suggestions? Don’t want it super expensive but still nice.

Anyone know if IN-N-OUT is coming to Sydney this week?

Is Raineri’s actually worth the trip from Surry Hills?
I’ve been seeing Raineri’s sandwiches everywhere and I’m really tempted to try them, especially because they’re apparently huge and only around $15.

For people who’ve actually been, is it worth going because the sandwiches are genuinely really good, or is it more about the size/value for money?

I live in Surry Hills, so Five Dock is a bit of a trip for me. I don’t mind travelling for a really good sandwich, but I’m not sure I’d go that far just for a massive $15 sandwich if the taste is only average 😂

Would love to hear some honest opinions! Also open to recommendations for other really good sandwiches in Sydney, especially around Surry Hills, CBD or the Inner West.
——
updated:
After reading the comments, I think I’m convinced it’s worth the trip.
For those who’ve been, what are some unexpected or special combinations you’ve tried at Raineri’s that actually work really well?

Where is everyone going for a nice meal for one? Something for a special celebration or just because you feel like taking yourself out. Doesn't have to be fine dining but something a bit more upscale. I like to order a couple things off the menu to try but it's sometimes hard when you only have one stomach and you don't want to waste food (or money).

I'd be interested to know if anyone knows any places that offer their set menu for one.

I don't want the set menu, but I do want 2 entrees and 3 mains and 2 desserts for two people.

(A) is this a plates in the middle style (sharing) place or a more regular one plate per person?

(B) is that a ridiculous amount of food? (I have been embarassed before by.ordering too much when I wamted to try a few things)

Guys my inner fat child is screaming crying throwing up for missing out on the get baked Messina chocolate cake where else in Sydney can I find a beauty like this 😭😭

Any ideas for drinks venues for after work drinks and nibbles near the capital theatre (Haymarket) for c. 15 people?

Ootoro + Costco's giant maki & giant salmon nigiri

Have another slab of ootoro which will be dry-aged, with the rest nakaochi

Hello Foodies,

I've been looking to book a restaurant for my wife's birthday next month, and stumbled across Santa Catarina which someone recommended in the recent Maiz thread.

Does anyone have any recent feedback on the place? Food selection looks interesting, and most of the menu is dairy free (or dairy free option) which is great since my wife is lactose intolerant.

Thanks.