Summer’s over. My uni-less freedom and seasonal contract retail bliss are gone, and my pits are sweatier than ever. But I give one last hurrah to February—because it truly has been the month of munching.
We begin with Marrickville heavyweight, Banh Cuon Ba Oanh. Pictured, I ordered the banh cuon thit nuong (steam rice noodle rolls and grilled pork). Before I dig in taste wise, I need to flag the absolute boss value of this meal—two dishes, two drinks, $45 in TOTAL. God bless Vietnam.
The bamboo plate is stocked with the essential Hanoi-style hodgepodge. A garden of fresh herbs like mint, coriander and ruffles of questionably washed lettuce (just eat it—grow up—good for your immune system—omg). A third covered by the steamed rice paper sheets, folded with pork mince and shredded wood-ear mushrooms. Finally, a palm-sized bowl with the good good. Fish sauce spiked hot broth, with chopped stems of lemongrass and iceberg chunks of charred thit nuong. The method is to tear a bit of the sheet, dip it in the broth and chase with the smoky meat and the questionable lettuce. For a bit of punch, hoard some of the self-serve pickled garlic and chilli and hide a sliver in the lettuce-meat bite.
Of course, this lunch hits all the classic fresh, zingy, pungent notes. But what cements Banh Cuon Ba Oanh as king, for me, is texture. The steamed ribbons of rice paper are silky, the filling adding a savoury chew. The pickles snap, the meat is tender, the veggies tear with ease. My chopsticks are restless because I’m too excited. It’s a vibrant lunch.
And across the road? An empty Lox In a Box. Felt like the type of relief I had when Gracie Abrams won no Grammys. Immigrants run Sydney.
But when I clock into my yummy mummy tea, Bondi’s Lox In a Box is exactly where I go. Suddenly, my hair is blonde, my self-tan is drying, and I’m ordering a schnitty caesar bagel—add-on pickles + crisps—with a cherry-lime soda to sip.
I know I talk a lot of shit, but I like to get the best of both worlds. God bless the Junction.
The bagel is pretty boss too, with turkey bits, egg mayo and dressed baby cos. It can only be eaten in huge bites. I’m picky with schnitty, but Lox did great. My mouth wasn’t cut up and there weren’t any mysterious ‘chickeny’ bits in that slab of meat. I would have loved to get more salad though, the caesar dressing was phenomenal, but with such a little ratio—sometimes all I got was a mouth full of boiled bagel. For a cheeky side, forget hashbrowns—Polish latkes are the Lox alternative, served with crème fraiche and apple sauce.
But as the day winds down, I trade in my schnitty for something a little more soaked in soy. Dinner’s calling, and this February, I went to … multiple izakayas? Sydney defo needed another Japanese ‘sake+sounds’ concept, retro vinyl record bar (“Can I please recommended our ‘house yuzu spitz????!????’”)!!!!!!
I condemn, yet I fall victim.
I went on a beautiful catch-up girlfriend date to Amuro in Darlinghurst, I had been there before but the menu changes weekly—so I wanted to test my chances again. Amuro’s concept lies in its boutique size, it seats only 20, but boasts a liqueur and sake list of maybe triple that. Girlfriend orders an umeshu and I opt for a peach liqueur, both on ice. Their menu used to be handwritten, and ordering drinks usually had to be done through conversation. It also used to be also walk-ins. However, the cute decorations and playful ceramics still remain familiar. We had glowing animals as our tableside mood lighting.
A highlight from the typed menu was a flower of Hokkaido scallop sashimi, ume and white soy. The earthiness from the sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds paired with the satiny bites of raw scallop perfectly. Another highlight, was a teeny mound of clack oscietra caviar with crushed potato chips on a pillow of bechamel sauce. Bite-sized luxury. Salty, creamy, crunchy… (* ´ ﹃｀*) ᶻ 𝘇 𐰁
Izakaya pit-stop number 2: Jōji. Every publication has covered her at this point, she’s the Christmas star at the top of the Cartier building. I was sceptical, but she truly is great. I went on a mummy-daughter date and the staff were attentive and friendly. Because of their kind service, we were able to move midway during our meal to a balcony side high-chair counter. This is genuinely the best seat in the house. In live time, you can hear Sydney’s nightlife kickstart like a humming machine as the sun sets. Easy bar snacks are the go here, our starting selection was the fried lotus chips with salt and vinegar, a coral pink plate of kingfish dressed with umeboshi and yuzu kosho and faultless grilled edamame, tossed with perilla furikake. Three drinks go down easy between our pair.
Well, that’s it from me! Thank you for reading. Keep eating!!!
Stay busy xx
Very Busy Bee 
Leave a comment