This post is dedicated to food.

We spent quite a bit of money on food this time round. And the stingy me with less deep pockets felt a slight pinch. But aiyah, in the end I kinda relented - I wld at most just eat at Amoy everyday after I'm back in Sg and balance it off lor. After all, it's not everyday you get the luxury of time to enjoy all the yummy food waiting to be bought/ eaten.. :)

Meals were a combination of take-outs/ semi-picnics; home-cooked dinner/self-prepared brekkies and semi-bank-breaking nice sit-down meals. Food was generally good, except for a one-off misfortune of having some gross tasting roast chicken at a highway cafe for lunch, on our way to the Blue Mountains. We also made a few supermarket trips during the lil road trip, and my best find was this ultra-fresh tasting banana chips that cost a mere A$2.30 per pkt! (it was on sale, and reminded me of my mostly-look-out-for-offer-grocery-items college days).

Most of my food pics are of breakfast - the most ex meals were photo-less cos I guess it's kinda paiseh to go nice restaurant and keep snapping away at the entrees/mains like we're very suaku like that haha.

Eggs Florentine with smoked salmon

Cereal with milk and... banana chips! Simple but good.

Prying open a fresh fig after breakfast.

Passionfruit still-life?

Our cosy-looking breakfast area at Potts Point hotel in Sydney. Loved the cushion prints and tasteful deco. The TV screen reads "Hottest Underwear Trends" (some local morning show) :P
Inviting fruit platter@fruit and juice stall

Warm chai latte for a rainy sat morning...

A meat pie called "Tiger", topped with generous portions of mashed peas and brown gravy. It's a 'delicacy' from an established kiosk named "Harry's" - selling meat pies, hot dogs etc from a little cart on wheels (but now a permanent kiosk). Heh its looks were more "stunning" than its taste - the hot dog version tasted way better :)

Polenta with blue cheese sauce and oyster mushrooms. Polenta is apparently some cornmeal product originating from Italy - it looked and tasted a bit like tofu.

Nice counter at this restaurant called "The Book Kitchen" at Surry Hills, Sydney. They sell cookbooks and regularly whip up different dishes using recipes from their cookbooks. Concept reminds me a bit of 25 degrees in Sg.

I.... finally bought an oven yesterday! A 26-l, DeLonghi electric stainless steel oven to be exact. Haha ok, why wld anyone be interested in my oven model hor.

It was an unplanned purchase and quite a bit cheaper than expected. Not sure why I keep thinking that electric ovens wld cost somewhere in the range of $1000; perhaps it's cos my auntie has a $1000 one. After scrutinising the many models on sale at Courts, realised that one can easily get a medium sized one for $200 - $300 in Sg. Maybe Courts sells the lower-end, consumer sorta ovens. But I think a $300 oven is good enough for me, as long as it bakes well... :) Yay, I can start baking again so am feeling kinda excited. Hopefully I really get down to doing it.

I bought my oven on gut feel... The sales-auntie kept promoting the adjacent Kenwood oven but somehow it just didn't quite click with me. I think cos the Kenwood one looked and felt more like a toy oven (white in color; plasticky-looking knobs etc) whereas the Delonghi one felt more heavy-duty with its full steel exterior and reliable-looking black knobs heh. It was scary 'cos when I finally decided on the Delonghi one, she told my mum - I know she likes the other one, I can tell one... So scary, I was already trying to be diplomatic/ make the sales-auntie feel better by casting a few more looks at the Kenwood one... but all my extra effort obviously didn't work cos she cld immediately tell. Dunno if she's so worldly she can tell or what... In any case it made me feel very vulnerable... :(

Hai - weekday afternoon shopping for household appliances with parents was so rare but nice.

Before this trip, I never thought very highly of Australia as a holiday destination... Sure, trips to Perth/ Melbourne as a teenager/ young adult were enjoyable, but somehow its appeal has waned over the years, when European/ American or even just Asian holidays seemed more exciting/ happening :P But now I think I was a little narrow-minded... cos Sydney was really a great place to visit and possibly live in - it's blessed with lovely beaches, beautiful mountains, great weather... Outdoor/nature stuff aside, there's also a tonne of things to do in the city - good shopping, yummy food... Only grouse though is that things are not cheap :P

Sydney Opera House from the Harbour Bridge. Embarked on the climb after a long day of walking, but it was worth it. Great views of the opera house... It was certainly not worth it to pay over A$200 to climb the Harbour Bridge though...

The SOH actually looked pretty old/ slightly run down - so it might not actually seem that impressive from close-up. But we went on an excellent tour of the SOH, which gave us a much better understanding and appreciation of the toil/ politics that went behind the scenes. It took some 16 years to complete at a cost of $102 mil, with diff architects responsible for the outer sail/ shells and design of concert halls..

View from Bronte beach - after a 2 hr coastal walk in the afternoon. The blue ocean/ ocean waves were gorgeous.

Dramatic skies at Blue Mountains... abt a mere 1.5 - 2 hrs drive West of Sydney

One of my fav paintings by an Australian painter at the Art Gallery of New South Wales - a suburban home in pop-artish colors

AVOCA - Avocado smoothie with ice cream, fresh cream, honey and pistachios... heavenly.
Home-made veal fettucine with sun-dried tomatoes. The outstanding creation of two holidaying chefs. Looks pretty yummy hor :P

Stylish lobby at BLUE Sydney - a splurge for the last night, but totally worth it