Sydney Rock Oysters

I was fortunate last week to be on a work-related trip to Sydney Fish Markets, carefully scheduled around lunchtime, where I had a great polystyrene tray of fish and chips for $7.  I've never actually been to the Fish Markets before, mainly because it always seems like a bit too much of a hike to get there, but co-incidentally I'd been cooking quite a bit of fish over the last few weeks and so was a bit more enthusiastic about the trip.

It also happened to be my husband's birthday and so I picked up a dozen A Grade Sydney Rock Oysters to have as an appetiser at home before we went out for dinner.  They were beautiful, fresh, creamy and about half the price than you'd pay any bar in the city. We ate them raw with a bit of lemon juice and white-wine vinegar and a bottle of sparkling wine.  I'm actually a huge fan of oysters and think that Sydney Rock Oysters might even be my favourite because of that wonderful rich and velvety texture.  

And the Fish Markets is probably my new favourite place to get them.  My second favourite oyster experience in Australia , and again a perk on a work trip, was fresh from a shack on the edge Pambula Lake down near Merimbula...its a hard life!    

Sour Cocktails

My sister came to visit recently and we went for dinner at Danks Street Depot. The food was alright but the main highlight of the evening was our discovery of the classic Amaretto Sour.  We were so taken with the whole sour thing that we went on that evening to have another sour, this time a rhubarb and cinnamon one at The Passage in Darlinghurst.  Since then I've had a few more at various locations, The Winery did a particularly good one, but that first taste at Danks Street was still the best.  

I'm not quite sure what it is about the sour taste that's so appealing - I love lemons but egg white isn't something that I've ever really been partial to. Still they've definitely been a big feature over the winter months and a bit of a classy way to kick off a night out.

Provensen Desert Boots

I hardly ever see things in fashion magazines that I want any more. I've been finding most trends, from haute couture to high-street, really genuinely uninspiring and pretty boring. On top of this has been the issue of moving to Sydney and realising that Australian clothes are crazily over-priced and terribly samey and also that the Vinnies scene is a lot more likely to throw up some interesting pieces at rock bottom prices. So, by my standards, I've done hardly any clothes-shopping over the last 18 months.

Consequently, I was caught off-guard by these great winter boots that jumped off the page in a glossy recently.  They're reasonably priced and not synthetic (which are two major achievements in the local footwear market) and I can see something a bit grungy in them which is bang-on for my own personal grunge-trend revival. The white ropey laces really stand out against the tobacco suede and the interesting eyelets. Beautiful.

But they aren't available in any Sydney stores - Melbourne and Brisbane only! Faye from Provensen has advised that a website will be up and running soon and they can be ordered online, but I'm always wary of ordering shoes online, especially expensive ones because of the multitude of things that can end up being not-quite-right rendering them unwearable. Might be a good excuse for a much overdue shopping trip!  

Butter Dish

On Sunday I finally managed to find the elusive church hall op shop that operates a few days a week near Seven Ways.  My good friend Rachel discovered this real hidden gem many months ago, but even though I kept an eye out, I could never manage to find it.

Anyway, I was originally looking for a lampshade to go with a quirky Middle-Eastern style lamp base that I had found by the side of the road on Friday evening (and will probably be the subject of a later post when its looking a bit less shabby) but had no luck.  

It was not a wasted trip, however, as this vintage butter dish caught my eye and after originally budgeting at $5 was pleasantly surprised when the lady manning the cash box asked for $2.  I was tempted to give her the full $5 as for me that was still a bargain, but given the significant portion of my salary that goes to op-shops anyway, I decided to make the most of my good fortune. 

Its made by Kokura Ware Japan and the lid's resemblance to a soft block of butter is something I find quite amusing although I'm sure its not intentional.  After doing a quick Google search and confirming that its not highly rare or valuable, it has been put to use and complements the cute Japanese coffee cups that are still my breakfast table favourites and our funky new (old) table cloth that was a souvenir from our Easter trip to Lorne.   

I've recently re-discovered the fantastic organic bakery on the corner of Warners and Glenayr in North Bondi - I think its called Organic Republic but we usually refer to it as 'that nice organic bakery down at Bondi'.

Weekend mornings are always pretty congested but the afternoons are a bit more leisurely and the best time to grab a sunny spot out the front.

Its quite unique for Bondi as, although it doesn't completely escape, its less affected by the self-obsessed, pretentious crowd that frequent most cafes in Bondi anywhere near the beach. The staff are also friendly, down-to-earth and don't try to make you feel privileged for being served a coffee.

The almond croissants are the current favourite and we were lucky enough to devour them warm, straight from the oven, this morning. Beautiful buttery pastry, sweet ground almond filling and toasted slivers of almond on top. Gorgeous.

Be Creative

Today my horoscope in the usually spot-on MX instructed me to be creative. Here we go...