Saturday night. The heat. Sydney Shop Girl. My Mexican Cousin. Tania Doko.

When the temperature is 38 degrees and I get in my hot car to drive into the city  - fortunately not a long trip - but seems longer with the blistering sun and airconditioning that takes a while to warm up (cool down?) - I know that I've made plans for a good night ahead. Or I wouldn't be going out at all. I much prefer to hibernate at home sitting in my bedroom with my new airconditioner on its coldest setting. But last night I had made plans to catch up with two of my favourite people in two separate events - dinner and seeing a band.

First stop was picking Sydney Shop Girl - I am always embarrassingly early and this trait worked out well as I got to wait for her in the coolness of the hotel lobby, admiring a beautiful bride, and just being thankful I wasn't in the heat. 15 minutes later and SSG came down to meet me, I was calm, and we were set for a fabulous dinner.

We headed on to My Mexican Cousin - which is situated in the Melbourne Recital Centre on Southbank Boulevard (where I won my Yooralla Media Award). Unfortunately there is a big lack of parking in the area, and we had to park around 500 metres away. Ok, it was probably less, but in that heat it seemed a bigger distance. I was pleased to be able to swing my car into a tight spot (I am not good at reverse parking, having only ever done during my driving test back in 2000 - gosh, it pains me to admit that in writing, on the internet, which will be forever - but with SSG's guidance, I made it. And also did another semi reverse park later in the night! Things are looking up for my reverse parking skills. Note - I am pretty competent at driving forward.

It was a good job we parked so far away because we ate So. Much. Food. And needed to walk it off. My Mexican Cousin is not the Mexican I've been obsessed with lately. It is more like home-style Southern American tapas and mains. Which may prepare me well for my American trip.

We were perched at the bar, where the cool kids sat, quipped the barman, drinking wine and starting off with bar snacks.

First up - spicy and sweet popcorn. It had bites of chilli and perhaps honey. I definitely know there was chilli on the popcorn as some of it ended up in my eye and I had to make a hasty trip to the bathroom to dab my eye with water and eye drops. I want to try making the popcorn at home. I promise to be careful with the chilli.

 Entree was salt cod fritters - cod and mashed potato with a side of garlic aioli. The fritters were deliciously fishy.

Our first main course was the Poboy sandwich - shared - deep fried prawns, lettuce, mayo and a semi spicy Creole tomato chutney. It reminded me of eating a Vietnamese Banh Minh. The prawns were big juicy and flavoursome. I could eat a whole Poboy.

The second main we shared was the pulled pork topped with crusted cornbread. While maybe a little too hearty for the temperature outside, it was such a yummy dish. It was served in a hot skillet. The cornbread was just crisp enough, and between the cornbread and pork was a layer of melted cheese. I do think it could have been a touch more salty though.

We had a conference about dessert and decided our tummies could withstand two desserts to share. So we chose chocolate brownies and pecan pie. Wow. Perhaps on this rare occasion, my eyes were too big for my tummy. But I ate for Australia and made it through the not very arduous task of finishing my desserts.

The chocolate brownie was fudgey and dense, filled with pistachios and cardamom. It was served berries in their juice, the most delightful sweetened cream, strawberries and mint leaves. When eaten altogether, the flavours were amazing. 

But it was the pecan pie that won my heart. There were shards of toffee were scattered over the plate was a brown sugary-pecan filling was atop a shortcrust pastry. The vanilla bean icecream was a perfect match - but it melted too quickly for me to eat it with the pie.

We enjoyed sitting at the bar - the staff entertained us with their cocktail skills and humour.

Sydney Shop Girl and I had a lovely chat and she promised me she will give me some tips on eating affordably in London, as she heads off there next week. She tried to convince me to buy that spotted blue dress from Target but I stayed strong.


After getting lost around the maze of streets at Crown Casino (I always do) I said goodbye to SSG and headed to Northcote to meet my friend Melissa at the Wesley Anne. Again I drove around and around to find a park. At one stage I entered a tiny, dark and isolated carpark in a backstreet, and a man looked to be walking to his car. I he waved to me, gesturing me over to his park and I started to turn around, nodding that I was coming. He then ran to my car, shaking his hands around. I got a bit scared, and sped off. Anyway, after driving for about 10 minutes, I scored a carpark right out the front of the venue!

Mel and I were there to see Tania Doko - formerly from Bachelor Girl and She Said Yes. The show was acoustic, and really lovely. Mel and I got there just in time to see Janine Maunder who sang such pretty songs. Janine also performed backing vocals for Tania.

She did a mixture of old and new - it was nostalgic hearing the Bachelor Girl songs. She also did two songs by the Eurythmics which matched her voice perfectly.

Lots of her friends and family were in the room - she told funny stories about her Dad, and gave shout outs to her boss at White Lion where she's a youth worker, and mentioned her Italian teacher.

My favourite part of the show was Buses and Trains where she sang parts of it in Italian, and got the audience to sing along. If you listen closely you can hear me singing at the end. The chorus seems to go on forever and today it is in my head - in a good way!

So apart from the relentless heat, last night was a really good one. Great to catch up with BFFs, eat good food and see wonderful live music.

A Sydney adventure - guest post by Sydney Shop Girl

My regular readers will breathe a sigh of relief to know that this is the first post in November that does not feature Darren Hayes. And my concerned commenter can rest assure that I haven't drowned in my obsession (I will address that perception when I'm not so busy living a Hayesless life this week). This is a story of the other things I did in Sydney. Mostly eating and drinking. Fact.

Tonight's post is a guest post by the equally lovely and beautiful Sydney Shop Girl. When In Sydney I was privileged to spend an evening with her and Sandradee from St Frock. It was a gorgeous night harbour-side, and as I sat eating and drinking extravagantly, I realised I was in the company of two smart, funny and strong women, who have overcome such adversities. I admire them a lot, and I am so glad that we are friends. 

Sydney Shop Girl wrote this post on her blog so brilliantly I wanted to reproduce it on my blog. (It's actually lazy blogging - I am still in a food coma from my Sydney eating, and asleep on my feet from my Darren Hayes OBSESSION. Actually I am about to prepare for a pretty big week ahead. Got stuff to do). Take it away, SSG!

I'm a bit of a nanna when it comes to going out on a Friday night after work.

I like catching an early evening bus because they're usually pretty empty city bound and I get a seat and some piece and quiet whilst I listen to my BBC podcasts and try not to smudge my dramatic evening makeup.

This usually means I get to my destination early enough to have a soothing cup of tea before pre dinner drinks.

Soaking up the atmosphere outside Jamie's Italian on Friday night.  As you do.

And I also have an older persons dislike of queuing for dinner.  Or in the case of Jamie's Italian on Pitt Street (really hard to find actually), lining up in the the line to wait for the chance to have dinner.  Apparently, if you get to the start of the queue I was in, you get to wait 2 more hours for dinner.  7.30pm on a Friday?  I think not.

Luckily, Carly and S, who I was meeting for dinner felt the same about all the waiting.  We met, turned on our heels and walked to the Opera Kitchen, which is a relatively new development in the concourse area of the Opera House.

Where good food, seats and a bit of quiet came our way pretty quick smart.  We were blessed with perfect weather and clear skies.  The Sydney sky line at night always takes my breath away.

We decided to sample dishes from a few outlets at the kitchen, starting first with Kenji.  Kenji Nishinikagawa was originally the sushi chef at Koi in Woolwich (one of my favourite local haunts and I'm so sad it's now closed) and this sushi kitchen at the Opera Kitchen is his latest venture.

I'm cursing the decision to try and take photos in total darkness but I had no other choice.  The photo above was meant to be of our bento tower which was served high tea style.  We also each had a bowl of miso.  This wasn't overly salty but lacked a strength of character.

The top layer was an assortment of vegetable, prawn and calamari tempura. The batter was crisp and the vegetables had bite to them.

Underneath was a platter of mixed sushi and sashimi.  I was pretty impressed with the freshness in a 'food court' setting though the flavours were not as delicate and refined as at Koi.

The final layer was sashimi.

It wouldn't be a Friday night amongst friends without bubbles.  For me it was also a celebration of surviving a rather long and draining week.

I think Miss Chu will forever remind me of Carly, S and K (who was unable to join us on Friday).  We met earlier in the year at the original Miss Chu in Darlinghurst and now here we are at the Opera Kitchen ordering a few of our old favourites.  Unfortunately, they were all out of rice paper rolls.  I can safely say that this outpost of Miss Chu's is every bit as delicious as the mother ship.

The pork dumplings were juicy and well seasoned.

The 3 of us all eyed the final duck pancake.  But alas, there could only be one winner of a second serve.

There's always room for a bit of the 80s on a Friday night and we had our flash back with a prawn cocktail from the Cloudy Bay Fish Co.  It was deluxe.  The dressing wasn't fluorescent pink or too thick and there were plentiful prawns and a crisp vibrant bed of greens and red onion to boot.

We still had so much to talk about after all that food that ending the night with a dessert stop was the logical next step.  S and I managed to sweet talk (love the unintentional pun) Carly into going to Guylian for dessert.  Carly isn't the biggest chocolate fan but we convinced her that there would be non chocolate items on the menu - macarons, danishes and the like (or at least we thought we'd seen these foods at Guylian the last time we checked).

We needn't have worried.  Once we entered the chocolate coated world of the Guylian Cafe (link to menu) at Circular Quay, Carly decided that she'd bat for our team just this once.  We ordered a tasting plate which included a hot chocolate that our waitress kindly offered to divide into 3. In hindsight I wondered how 1 person alone could finish a hot chocolate as well as the array of desserts that accompanied it.

The hot chocolate is served with a Guylian chocolate seahorse at the base of the cup.

Then someone with a steady hand like S pours hot chocolate over the seahorse and you stir the 2 together.

It was heaven and a little goes a long way.  Carly was impressed.  Here she is modelling the Diva replica of the Duchess of Cambridge's sapphire engagement ring.  We were both lucky to get ours as they sold out at full price at practically every Diva store in Australia.  Apparently Kim K's version is now going for half price.  I might investigate this during the week.  Carly, if you want me to pick you up one, please let me know ASAP.

Yes, that's the tasting plate.  The scoop of vanilla and berry ice cream was delicious actually.

A cup of chocolate dipping sauce with strawberries and a selection of beautifully decorated cakes.

I am pretty sure at least one of them was a chocolate sesame cake, another a chocolate mousse cake and the pure pleasure cake with almond in it.  There were also chocolates.  There was too much choice.  The orange gold flakes scattered on the plate looked gorgeous.  If I wasn't so full I would have tried them too.

What more can I say?  Here's to friends, food and Friday nights!

Tiptoeing and avoidance

"I wonder if you know the pain to want the one thing that you haven't got?"
~Savage Garden - Mine

Sometimes when there's something 'wrong' with you, others may avoid talking about the parts of their lives that you can't have. So it doesn't make you feel uncomfortable, or jealous or sad, I guess.

I've been thinking about this a lot lately - the tiptoe and avoidance around topics. Mostly about the tightrope balance of not wanting people to avoid discussing the topics that are an elephant in your room, and then, not wanting to face up to the elephants in your room when they do come up in discussion. Do you follow? Maybe I am tiptoeing and avoiding being clear. It is hard to explain.

Take my situation. I don't expect my friends to stop discussing make up or waxing just because I can't do those things. But I will say that I once got a bit bored when a friend I was out with went on a tangent in the shopping centre, lured by an accented man giving away free facials. I sort of hung around while she got her facial, and he didn't acknowledge me, at all, because, obviously, I was the girl with the weird red face, clearly unable to use the products.

However, sometimes, and only very rarely, I don't want to hear how good people have it, when I can't easily have the same.

When my face is sore, and so infected I can't look at myself in the mirror I don't want to hear about peoples' bad hair days or broken nails or minor pimples (nor do I want to hear about it when I am 'well', in fact!). I can't deal with that trivial crap.

And often I can't handle hearing about constant success stories of finding love, or even just quick fucks. I recently spent time with an old friend and I got tired, and admittedly a bit sad, about the number of dates she'd been on, and the ease of it all. Man after man, and casually shrugging at the ease of dating.

I think that is what it boils down to. I can't say it's jealousy. Nor wallowing in self pity. I know I've got it pretty good in my life. It's more like "I don't want to know about the ease of it all".

I think about how easy it would be not to have to worry about what I will wear - not for the fun of fashion that I love so much, but for not having to worry about getting hot or cold or sunburnt or scratched. I once felt the breeze on an un-stockinged leg on a spring day. That feeling was amazing! I wondered what it'd be like to feel that every day. I wonder what it'd be like to wear a dress without having to cover up, not just for a photo on the concrete step, but for a whole night.

I think about how easy it would be to not think about staying over at someone's house impromptu. Like a one night stand. I did this recently with Bern Morley - not a one night stand in the literal sense, but decided to drink a lot more than anticipated, so I stayed over at her hotel. I had to top up on my vaseline at the 7/11 and source some clean undies and find a facewasher at reception, all because I don't wake up looking and feeling the same way as I go to sleep. And if I was to have a one night stand - pigs might fly - I'd get all hot and heavy and then have to explain that I wake up looking like Freddy Kruger, post coitus. Awkward.

I think about how easy it would be just to smile at someone in a bar and catch their attention, and have them come over to me and start up a conversation - not because they are curious about the way I look, but because they like the way I look.

I'd been discussing this idea of tiptoeing and avoidance with my good friend Sydney Shop Girl. The sadness and loss she has endured this past year is heartbreaking. She is the most giving, resilient and kind person I know, and it is so difficult for her to comfortably see new life just happening around her, and accept the conversations of how easy things are for other people. My thoughts are with you Sydney Shop Girl, through this difficult time, and beyond.

The things that people do in life - the way they live their lives, the way the world turns, just happens. Births, good health, able bodies, wearing a strapless dress. These things can't be avoided when you can't do or have what they can. And no matter how simple they seem, they can often be difficult to deal with. No matter whether tiptoe and avoid the topic for your sake.

Girls night out at Miss Chu's + The Victoria Room

Friday night in Sydney was a girls night out. It was so much fun. I dressed up in my St Frock dress :) How beautiful is it?! The purple and the beading and the blush is so special. And it has a special place in my heart as Sandradee kindly gave it to me.

Sydney Shop Girl, Kristy and Sandradee and I dined at Miss Chu's, a Sydney streetfood institution. It was lovely seeing my friends become friends :) And Kristy is a big fan of Sydney Shop Girl's blog.

Sydney Shop Girl took this picture. Isn't it quirky?

I loved the shuttlecocks and bamboo steamers hanging from the roof hanging over the pavement.

 And the bananas. Such an expensive decoration!

We sat on milk crates, watching Sydney Shop Girl brave the long queue, filled with pretty, stylish young things (including YOU, SSG). Girls wore corporate casual with style - high waisted skirts, pearls, funky dresses and sky high heels. We admired.

The menu is fresh and tasty Asian. So cheap too.

Water came in plastic bottles resembling hip flasks. I loved the look. We wished we'd gone to one of the many bottle-os along William Street for some wine.

 We were served food in paper bags.

 

 We ordered heaps! Twice.

Chicken rice paper rolls (they'd run out of duck and banana flower ones) - so fresh and cool. Peking duck pancakes - rich and warming. Eggnet crab spring rolls - not greasy, nice and seafoody.

 Scallop dumplings and Shanghai dumplings - fat and juicy with spicy sauce.

 On our second order, Kristy and I ordered Wagyu pho. Spicy, lemony, slurpy goodness. Wow.

And we also ordered more pancakes. Yum yum yum.

We were all so impressed with Miss Chu's and I was excited to learn there's one in Melbourne. Must. Go. Soon.

We then walked up a large hill to the upmarket Darlinghurst bar, The Victoria Room.

Sydney Shop Girl had a Cinderella moment and changed her amazing sky high shoes to sensible yet stylish flats.

We saw two more Cinderella moments - this carriage at a lavish Russian home decor (??) store.

We lamented that Kate Middleton won't be having a horse drawn carriage at her wedding, and I remembered Kirsti from Melbourne on My Mind went to school with Kate Middleton when she was known as Catherine.

The third Cinderella moment was more bogan, more relatable. A nearly empty bottle of beer and one shoe. I hope she found her prince.

Once we braved the hill, we had cocktails at The Victoria Room. I found it hard to choose. I chose rose and lychee.

 I felt so grown up at The Victoria Room. So plush and posh.

We shared dessert - I had the privilege of choosing them. A divine rose pannecotta with strawberries. So light and creamy, and just sweet enough. It was my favourite of the two.

And this, an apple tart tatin, which I adored only a millimetre less than the pannecotta. SSG and Sandradee loved it! It was warm and rich, and had a sticky sweet caramel sauce.

Friday night in Sydney was the perfect end to a perfect day. Here's to my friends becoming new friends. You can read Sydney Shop Girl's blog about the girls night out here.