Today’s post features my fave eating spots in Sydney, Australia.

Sydney is a truly awesome city – the sights, the food, the beaches – what’s not to like?!!! I was also blessed to spend my time there with the best tour guides (and most amazing family) ever – sending big hugs to the Vida/Green family!!!

Mr Wong, Bridge Lane

Mr. Wong serves up truly sensational Chinese food in a contemporary style. The Cantonese-style menu features over 60 dishes as well as an unrivalled dim sum selection (and creative cocktail menu!), so there is sure to be something to appeal to even the fussiest of eaters.

Sprawled over two levels and with a 240 seat capacity, Mr. Wong is one of the largest restaurants in the northern end of the Sydney CBD and in this case bigger is most definitely better – the food is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!! Just a peek at the open kitchens is an awe-inspiring experience – there’s nothing better than being able to see the chefs conjure up their magic right in front of you.

Our party opted to go for one of the banquet menu’s and I have to say we were not disappointed – and certainly didn’t go home hungry! The food was aplenty and each offering seemed to delight even more than the one before. With dishes such as Yellowfin tuna, kohlrabi, sweet wasabi, soy and ginger dressing and a delicious Salad of Alaskan snow crab, snow pea leaves, bamboo shoots and ginger, the flavours in each meal were creative and stunning.

My personal favourite, although it sounds rather dull, was the crispy eggplant, which tasted more like a dessert than a vegetable dish. It had a wonderfully crisp honey-like outer with a gooey eggplant centre – absolutely delicious!!!! As always, I was always a sucker for the steamed BBQ pork buns and Kung Pao chicken.

I also couldn’t resist the Chinese inspired cocktail menu (what girl in her right mind could?!) so ordered the ‘Donghu Lake’ cocktail, which is made up of lychee sorbet rolled together with Plymouth gin, fresh lemon juice, blue curacao and a drop of rose water, which is then garnished with a rose petal – it was sheer cocktail-heaven!

We ended the evening with plates of deep fried vanilla ice cream served with butter scotch sauce, and the mango pudding with coconut tapioca, lychee granita and mango pearls – let’s just say that my mouth was overjoyed and my belly rather full from Mr Wong!

Manly 16ft Skiff Sailing Club, Manly Cove

The best way to get to Manly is to hop on the ferry from Sydney harbour. The trip is stunning and offers the most amazing views (and photo opportunities!) of the harbour bridge, opera house and Fort Denison, a historical prison built on an island in the midst of the harbour waters.

Manly Sailing Club has great seating both indoors and outside over the water. At first glance, the menu looks no different to any other pub style menu, however, as soon as the food arrived, I realised my taste buds were in for a blast! After tucking into fish n’ chips, the meatiest burger, a whopping fish basket and most divine shrimp pizza, I’m amazed the ferry endured our return back to Sydney harbour.

Speedo Cafe, Bondi Beach

If you’re looking for somewhere to enjoy a good brunch or coffee with cake, then look no further than Speedo’s!

Just looking at their selection of doughnuts is enough to make you put on 5 pounds and the chocolate cronut is served alongside a syringe of extra chocolate sauce for you to inject into this already deliciously moist, yet flakey, chocolate-ly, gooey serving of scrumptiousness – can you tell I LOVED this!

Whilst diving head first into the cronut I did manage to come up for air just long enough to spot these delicious pancakes being taken to the table next to us. They looked and smelt absolutely out-of-this world, so I couldn’t resist asking for a photo – I’m definitely making a bee-line to Speedo’s during my next trip so I can get a mouthful of these, as well as another eyeful of the surfer eye-candy on Bondi beach (wink wink!).

Jackie’s Cafe, Paddington

The name ‘Jackie’s Cafe’ really does not give the right impression of this culinary hot spot. We went to this “cafe” for a girls’ lunch and gossip and Jackie’s was simply the perfect venue. Serving light, yet delicious Japanese inspired food in a relaxed environment, we were proud as punch of Mickie for finding this location.

Myself and Beth opted for the Salmon Tataki salad, whilst Susie and Mickie went for the Dynamite Rolls. As you can see from the photos the presentation of the food was absolutely beautiful and the taste was just as amazing. Together with champagne cocktails, great company and lots of giggles, it was truly a perfectly relaxed girly afternoon.

Harrys Café de Wheels, Woolloomooloo

Harrys Café de Wheels is to the Australians what the food truck is to the Americans and the kebab truck is to the Brits, serving up their iconic meat pies to the starving throngs of Sydney.

Harry “Tiger” Edwards opened the original “Harry’s” caravan cafe in 1938, but had to close it when he was called up to serve in World War II. He re-opened the cart as soon as he returned in 1945 and Harry’s has been running ever since.

Harry’s signature dish is the “Tiger” (named in honour of their founder) a meat pie stacked with mashed potato and mushy peas, which is then slathered in a generous serving of hot gravy – delicious! And not that the pie stack won’t fill you up, but I have to say, their chips aren’t half bad either…

Harry’s is a definite winner, whether it be for the days you just need to “get your pie on”, or for those nights after having just “one” too many beers.

The Boat House, Balmoral

You simply couldn’t get much better than The Boat House for location and great tasting food. However, this does not come without some compromise. The service is so “relaxed” you often have to clear your own table when you arrive and the prices are “above average”. However, if you don’t mind shifting a few used glasses, or paying $26 for an albeit rather delicious burger, The Boat House is actually a gem.

The breakfast and lunch menus have really inspiring choices that offer something for everyone, from healthy raw green salads to good old fish and chips. My hubby went for the burger, which was topped with cheddar, grilled onion, bacon, lettuce, pineapple and beetroot. I chose the “healthier” veggie burger option, as it came topped with lots of my favourite things: avocado, zucchini, grilled haloumi, salad and chilli jam. Both burgers came with a cup of delicious chunky chips and a flavoured sauce/mayo.

Now it’s not often that this happens, but as soon as my veggie burger arrived my husband was hit with instant food envy. That’s not to say that his burger wasn’t good, but mine was out-of-this-world good and I clung on to it for dear life until I had devoured the very last bite!

We ended the meal with fresh warm banana bread and an iced coffee, which was creatively presented so you could make it to your own taste.

Taronga Zoo, Sydney

While this has nothing to do with food, I couldn’t sign off without mentioning Taronga Zoo. A visit to this city zoo is a must. If the many animals and animal shows don’t amaze you, the stunning views of the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge will truly bowl you over.

And that my friends, is all I have to offer on my food frolics in Sydney. So until the next time, it’s goodbye to Sydney, Australia – it’s been fun!

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