11

Behold the ‘Almighty’… burger, that is.

This big guy was happily devoured by hubby and he declared it excellent. We were dining mid-week with my friend Lorraine, you might know her from her food and travel blog, Not Quite Nigella and her lovely hubby Mr NQN.

Armed with the knowledge that we could pretty much order anything, you’ll be pleased to know that we didn’t totally pig out. Well, we didn’t over-order, but then we weren’t counting on the two extra burgers the staff were going to offer us.

But hang on, I’m getting ahead of myself, we’ll get to that bit in a minute…

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I was lucky enough to accompany my friend Lorraine, who writes the blog Not Quite Nigella, on a very special ‘Behind the Scenes’ evening at Cafe Sydney, Circular Quay a few weeks ago.

We got to be part of a staff meal, listen to a front of house briefing, get a tour of the kitchen, watch the kitchen in action during busy service and then dine in the restaurant as customers!

Warning! There’s loads of photos in this post, so grab a cup of tea and come along for the ride.

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8

20% off at Monkey Magic on Mon/Tues/Wed nights, all Winter!

Quick! Get your Japanese-food-lovin’-mouth down to Monkey Magic.

Dillon and I have deemed it the best Japanese food we’ve tasted (outside of Japan), in Sydney. You still following me?

We went early on a Tuesday night and stayed for a few hours (you’ll see why when you feast your eyes on all the food pics) and the restaurant was almost full by 7.30pm.

I guarantee you it’s not just because of this special 20% off deal they’re offering right now – it’s because the food is bloody fantastic (excuse my Aussie cursing!).

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11

A few weekends ago I went to the beautiful Blue Mountains with my hubby to celebrate his 30th birthday.

We got up close and personal with nature (and the log fire – it’s winter in Oz!) while staying at A Bower Above. It was a cosy little apartment set in the picturesque town of Blackheath.

We deliberately ate at low-key local places throughout the weekend away because we had a booking at Tetsuya’s (which I made last December in order to get a table!) and knew that the 10 course degustation was going to be sinfully rich and delicious.

However, on hubby’s actual birthday I wanted to go somewhere a little bit posher and that’s how we ended up at Echoes Boutique Hotel and Restaurant for lunch.

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10

My 2nd wedding anniversary degustation dinner at Satiate in Bangalow, NSW Australia

This review is a million years overdue. 4 months to be exact.

My 2nd wedding anniversary was in early January this year and we celebrated it at the gorgeous Satiate Restaurant in Bangalow on the NSW north coast (which is near the more famous, Byron Bay).

The degustation with matching wines was absolutely amazing and the perfect way reflect on two great years of marriage.

I’m being a bit lazy with this review and letting the pictures say a thousand words for me… hopefully you’ll give me a break because I’m pregnant! Enjoy…

Above: Complimentary amuse bouche of savoury custard and crispy proscuitto. I love savoury custard and this one was soooo good! Silky, nicely set and still a little warm.

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Freshly shucked oysters on ice with cucumber, lime and Campari dipping sauce

From the minute we’re seated at The Byron at Byron Restaurant, to the moment we leave, we’re relaxed and at ease. We certainly understand what it means to ‘discover natural luxury’, which is what the famous resort and spa aims to achieve.

We’re immediately introduced to our waiter Rob who’s a chatty and like-able bloke that’s very knowledgeable about both the resort and the menu.

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