I am constantly on the hunt to find the best ramen in Sydney and so far the contenders are Ippudo and Gumshara. Gumshara offers better value for money and is popular for their thick, collagen-filled broth which some people may not be too fond of. On the other hand, Ippudo offers the traditional tonkotsu-based broth that I am sure we are all familiar with however at a relatively higher price tag. Hakata-Maru Ramen is a joint that has been garnering some attention in the ramen scene and like Gumshara it is located in a food court. It can be found at Market City in Haymarket on the top floor. It was a quiet Saturday night when we arrived so the wait was not long at all. 

The tonkatsu was one of the five side dishes available to order along with a bowl of ramen. Priced at just $3 it was definitely good value for money. The juicy piece of pork breaded with panko was deep fried to provide the perfect crunchiness and together with the drizzle of tonkatsu sauce was extremely delicious. 

Potatoes are the bomb, because who doesn't love all that starchy goodness? When I read about this place I knew I had to try it. It is a another popular cafe located a little bit away from the main noise of Surry Hills and fortunately it wasn't too busy so we got seated straight away on a Saturday afternoon.

We ordered our drinks to which I opted for an iced coffee and a flat white for him. I quite enjoyed my iced coffee and appreciated that they didn't overdo it with the cream. 

Surry Hills is the suburb to venture to if you want a nice breakfast or lunch as it is bustling with cafes. Rustic Pearl was the first on our list to try due to a recommendation from a friend. We arrived on a Saturday at midday and we weren't surprised for it to be busy but luckily we didn't have to wait for a table. The restaurant is quite small consisting of some tables inside and a few right outside the cafe.

Avocado Smoothie

I had the pleasure of celebrating my 24th birthday at Quay thanks to DT and it was a much anticipated dining experience, mostly for the famous snow egg made popular by the Master Chef TV show. We came on a weekday because that allowed for a booking 2 to 3 months in advance as opposed to weekend bookings which are much harder to secure. Unfortunately that night our view was obstructed by a cruise ship so that was quite disappointing but not the restaurant's fault so I will let that slide. We were originally set on the four course dinner menu but were finally swayed towards the tasting menu so we could sample a bit of everything they had to offer.

I was invited to have a complimentary meal for two at Grill'd in Parramatta Westfield back in February and so this review is long overdue. I remember Grill'd having its first store in the Sydney CBD a long while back and I am happy to see it has expanded greatly since then.

While not the focal point of the meal these thick-cut potato chips were delicious. They were not your ordinary deep fried pieces of potato goodness as they were seasoned with a unique blend of herbs and not oozing with oil so you will not feel greasy after demolishing them. And you definitely cannot deny a side of chips with your burger.

I have been yearning to indulge in this recently introduced (May 2013) Japanese high tea service at Azuma and it has proven to be rather difficult to arrange a day to come here as the high tea sessions are only available from Mondays to Fridays from 2 to 5pm. Finally a friend and myself found a day to have the high tea on Christmas Eve. No bookings are required, you may just rock up and mention that you are having high tea and you will be seated straight away.

Here is a link to their high tea menu. We opted for the Kyoto high tea which was $25 per person and included a choice of tea or coffee.

It took about 20 minutes for the food to come out which not a long a wait at all and when it was brought out my eyes lit up in excitement. Everything was daintily presented and looked really delicious especially the desserts. I love how everything was arranged in cute bento boxes which made it all the more traditional and unique.