Unbelieveably right … Chef and co-owner of Spice I Am Sujet Saenkham talks about his craft

One of my favourite Dr Seuss books is the one about green eggs and ham, and the thing about Spice I Am, is that like the aforementioned dish you can eat Spice I Am anywhere.

If you ever find yourself in Sydney’s Kings Cross on a Saturday night, I know a place where you can get away from the crowds and enjoy some of the city’s best Thai cuisine.

I say some of the best only because Spice I Am – Sydney’s iconic Thai eatery – has two other locations, one in Balmain and one further downtown in Wentworth Avenue.

But back to Spice I Am Darlinghurst, a short stumble from the Coke sign.

I get there late on this particular night and my date is running even later. The light is subdued but you can still find your way around without stumbling over things or tripping on handbag straps. There is polished dark timber everywhere soothingly reflecting the gentle lights.

Outside, next to us through the huge glass window a group of eight girls are sitting under the heaters laughing and cheersing each other.

We start with cocktails – a lychee martini for me and a lychee mojito for her.

“This mohito has everything I like about mojitos and nothing I don’t like,” she pronounces.

We swap. It’s the best mohito I’ve ever had, all the sweetness – without being too sweet, and none of the vinegar rictus some mojitos can give you. My martini is pleasantly spicy.

Then it’s on to entrees – steamed spicy fish wrapped in banana leaf parcels. “It’s like a Christmas present and dinner all in one,” she says, again writing my review for me.

The minced fish is spicy. Very spicy and loaded with finely chopped kefir lime leaves. We are both starving and this is just what the doctor ordered on this chilly night.

By now the cocktails have disappeared and have been replaced by an Austrian gruner veltliner by Nigl.
If I had my way everyone would eat Thai food with this awesome grape the Austrians have been growing since they were flogging it to Roman legionaries in Kremstal, Niederosterreich.

More food arrives, deep fried betal leaves topped with prawns – like a giant crunchy prawn chip. Then the crispy pork belly with chilli jam.

Spice I Am’s co-owner and executive chef Sujet Saenkham gets this dish so completely right it’s almost unbelievable. The crackly is still crunchy, yet the pork is still melt in your mouth.

It’s very rich and I have to struggle to save room for Spice I Am’s signature dish, the roast red duck curry.

This comes served in a fresh coconut with the top hacked off.

It’s rich and spicy and unctuous all at the same time and no trip to Spice I Am would be complete without this dish. Let me say it again. Only a gibbering idiot would go to Spice I am and not order the roast red duck curry.

What we can’t eat is taken home, because after all, you can eat Spice I Am anywhere, right Sam?

Spice I Am

www.spiceiam.com

info@spiceiam.com

Baz Luhrmann’s visually lush – yet much delayed – adaptation of The Great Gatsby will undoubtedly showcase a golden age in American style including one particular accessory – the headpiece or the hat.

Even before the film unspools in cinemas, the world of fashion has been rewinding the clock back to the early and mid 20^th century. And sitting front and centre or on top (in this instance) is the hat. If you ever watch the films of the era or go online and checkout the fashion you’ll often notice most of the women are in hats.

Exquisite… Izziana Image

Hats kind of finished an outfit and delivered an extra layer of elegance in an age before you wore sandshoes or thongs on the way to work or looked forward to casual Fridays.

Milliner Pamela Martin from Izziana Image suggests the world is about to enter a new age of elegance. She believes people want to dress-up and look different when they venture out because so much is impersonal nowadays as we hunker down in front of our electronic devices.

Martin recently spoke to Lunch Magazine at the launch of her new range of hats and headpieces at Sydney’s Fraser Suites, where she suggests it’s time to bring the hat back and educate consumers on how to wear them.

She says along the catwalks of Europe, many of the world’s leading designers are topping off their creations with hats and it’s only a matter of time before the trend filters down to high street retailers.

“Hats and headpieces are a conversation starter,” says Martin, who combines fashion with farming on the family’s superfine Merino sheep farm located near Wagga Wagga in southern New South Wales.

Interestingly, many of her elegant creations are inspired by the Australian rural landscape and she often relies on resources close to home, combined with her exquisite eye for detail.

Every Izziana piece is meticulously crafted, using an abundance of materials – felt, simamay, silk, feathers, beads, straw, braid and wire.

Moreover, fashion is beginning to supplant farming as the true family business with stylist daughters Isobel and Anna joining their mother as well as running their own successful style consultancy.

“You don’t need to look too far back in history to see that hats play an extremely useful role for any woman who wants to look stylish from head to toe,” Isobel says.

“We all love accessories – bags, bangles, necklaces, even tattoos are a form of adornment. There really is nothing left to embellish apart from the head. A well-matched hat not only finishes an outfit beautifully, but speaks volumes about the wearer. It’s such a fabulous way to express your personality.”

Tangy... marinated zucchini

A fusion of pop-art and industrial design gives Concrete Blonde an edgy, chic feel – making it a stand out for all the right reasons in Sydney's party haven Kings Cross.

With a contemporary menu, communal tables and an open wood-fire rotisserie, this forward-thinking eatery has already established itself as one of the go-to places in the Cross. 

Head over for Sunday lunch and ease your way into a breezy afternoon with a two or three-course lunch deal and a live jazz band playing cool, lazy jazz beats.

 

My afternoon begins with marinated zucchini and goats curd – a simple yet tasty way to kick off lunch. 

 

Succulent... chargrilled pork cutlet

For the main event, I follow my nose and opt for the chargrilled pork cutlet. I could smell it roasting away when I walked in and knew it was for me. It tastes just as good, if not better than the aroma. Juicy white meat on a bed of tangy celeriac remoulade provides a fusion of texture and an added contrast of flavour come from a sweet pear and blue cheese salad.  An unforgettable dish.

 

As always for me, dessert is is the most coveted dish of all – a white chocolate and honeycomb parfait that is decadently sweet and creamy with a hidden honeycomb crunch. An accompanying sesame tuille is crunchy and flavoursome, another excellent combination of texture and taste. 

 

Good food and great cocktails plus rusty all-encompassing saxophone beats make for an unbeatable Sunday lunch.

 

And here's one more reason to visit Concrete Blonde – $7 cocktails before 7pm.

 

So get there now.

 

 

Concrete Blonde

33 Bayswater Road, Kings Cross, NSW 2011

02 9380 8307

www.concreteblonderestaurant.com.au

A Special Lunch Correspondent 

Culinary king... Sean Connolly

The overused phrase 'best kept secret' may possibly apply to Taronga Zoo, in Sydney Australia.

And a little known, undisclosed enigma in the heart of this hole in the wall, nestled among bushland, is the Zoo’s Taronga Centre.

Why the Zoo is kept a secret by the city’s tourism supremos, is a puzzle for a wiser philosopher to mull.

I was there recently to enjoy a magnificent repast prepared by that great friend of Lunch, chef Sean Connolly.

If you have to go to this surprise retreat across the Harbour from one of the most spectacular conurbations in these parts, then dining with some old friends while sipping Pommery champagne and being served by one of the nation’s most innovative chefs is the way to do it.

Ireland’s loss is Australia’s gain I tell Sean as I take in the panoramic views spanning across the harbour with incredible views of both the city, Harbour Bridge and Opera House.

Sean is the Consultant Chef for Restaurant Associates who run the Taronga Centre, a function venue with world-class facilities.

He collaborates with R.A Executive Chef Sebastian Letaud (they used to work together at Astral) and has created a fabulous new function menu with matching wines.

Having just catered for Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles on their most recent trip to New Zealand (where he also has award-winning The Grill by Sean Connolly), Sean has proven himself as one of Australia’s most accomplished chefs who brings impressive culinary experience and knowledge to the Restaurant Associates kitchens with a menu that uses the finest produce and products available, his main priority when creating any dish.

With the renovations of the Taronga Centre completed last month, Sean’s new menu completes the updated space offering a fresh approach to a traditional function’s menu. From canapés through to desserts, his choice of ingredients is perfectly matched, tantalizing the tastebuds with every bite.

Delicious... Strawberries and cream

“I want guests to remember the food at Taronga as much as they do the iconic view” Sean says.

As the exclusive caterers onsite at Taronga Zoo, Restaurant Associates are excited to have Sean on board. He brings a modern twist to the traditional functions menu.

With extensive experience in both local and global markets as one of the world’s leading caterers, Restaurant Associates is driven to provide inspired, first class solutions.

The menu is … deep breath: scampi sashimi, chilli, coriander, virgin olive oil with Penfolds Cellar Reserve Gewurtztraminer 2010.

I've vowed to never eat raw scampi but in six minutes the plate is, well, totally empty and I’m looking around for more.

This is followed up by heirloom tomato salad, goats curd, liquorice, baby basil and washed down with Coldstream Hills Sauvignon Blanc 2012.

Then it’s time for the main event, slow roasted beef, fondant potato, miso Hollandaise with jamon crumbs matched with a peerless Matua Matheson Vineyard Hawkes Bay Malbec 2009.

Sean’s take on steak and chips gets a nod from the Big Guy upstairs as the sky opens and a spectacular lighting show erupts over the city.

Dessert is strawberries and cream with glass after glass of incomparable Baileys of Glenrowan Frontignac 2012.

Sean’s idea of strawberries and cream is roughly what Achilles promised the Gods, but failed to deliver.

Sadly, all too soon it’s time to find a public conveyance and return to life outside of the inner sanctum, wrapped in a sanctuary that is the Taronga Zoo Function Centre.

www.tarongacentre.com.au

The free mobile app is available in English or Simplified Chinese and offers all the functionality of the luxury hotel group’s website, plus additional features such as location-based offers. The Android version follows the recent launch of the first-generation iPhone and iPad Shangri-La apps; a Blackberry version will be available shortly.

"Introducing an Android app was critical to our global mobile strategy. Our guests value connectivity and convenience, and many of Shangri-La’s 2.2 million Golden Circle loyalty programme members are Android users, particularly those in mainland China, where 33 of our 75 hotels are located,” said Wee Kee Ng, director of corporate loyalty and partner marketing of Shangri-La International Hotel Management Ltd.

“Guests can take full advantage of Shangri-La’s free Wi-Fi in all of the group’s hotels and use the mobile app to easily check hotel details and manage their Golden Circle membership account.”

Key features of Shangri-La’s mobile app include:

• Explore, book, view and edit room reservations at all Shangri-La, Traders and Kerry hotels and resorts

• View special promotions and receive location-based offers with GPS technology
• Enrol in Golden Circle quickly with just a few taps
• Manage a Golden Circle membership account and check Golden Circle (GC) Award Points balance
• Redeem points for complimentary stays plus dining and CHI, The Spa vouchers
• Get travel tips, read and share travel stories with Golden Circle members
• Integrate with popular social media platforms
• Connect to the nearest international toll-free numbers for 24/7 customer support using location-based GPS technology
• Retrieve offers and stories when visiting Shangri-La properties with the built-in QR code scanner

To celebrate the release of the Android app, existing Golden Circle members who download the Android app and log-in through 15 December 2012 will earn 200 GC Award Points.

Users who download the Shangri-La Mobile App and share suggestions on how they would like to earn or redeem GC Award Points will be eligible to receive 100 GC bonus points. They will also have the opportunity to win a three-night stay in an Executive Suite at any Shangri-La hotel or resort. Each week from now to 15 December 2012 an English and a Chinese language entry will be selected to win a three-night stay. The Shangri-La app can be downloaded from http://goldencircle.shangri-la.com/app and either the App Store or Google Play.

The Golden Circle Programme enables members to earn and accumulate points by staying at Shangri-La, Kerry and Traders hotels and resorts, dining at participating restaurants or enjoying spa treatments at CHI.  These points may then be redeemed for complimentary room nights, upgrades, dining, spa privileges and airline miles.  Golden Circle members may earn one GC Award Point for every US$1 or local currency equivalent spent.  Rewards are available for as little as 500 GC Awards Points and members can share rewards with family members.  For more information about the programme or to register as a member, visit www.goldencircle.shangri-la.com.

Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, one of the world’s premier hotel companies, currently owns and/or manages 75 hotels under the Shangri-La, Kerry and Traders brands, with a room inventory of over 30,000.  Over four decades the group has established its brand hallmark of ‘hospitality from the heart.’  The group has a substantial development pipeline with upcoming projects in mainland China, India, Malaysia, Mongolia, Philippines, Qatar, Sri Lanka, Turkey and United Kingdom. 

www.shangri-la.com

A new way to dine... vapas

Tapas, typical of Spanish cuisine, are a favourite when dining with a group of friends or enjoying a light snack before dinner, but now there’s an even better way to feast on this culinary classic.

Vietnamese tapas, or ‘vapas’, at Bay Tinh restaurant offers six courses of authentic Vietnamese share plates matched with award-winning wines.

Chef Harry Hoang’s vapas menu showcases the classic, clean flavours of Vietnamese cuisine including tamarind soft shell crab with Great Southern riesling; salt and pepper calamari with Margaret River chardonnay; pork skewers and hoisin sauce with Mornington Peninsula pinot noir; and duck curry with Margaret River cabernet sauvignon.

This contemporary cuisine also features Chef Harry’s famous little rice cakes teamed with an award-winning sauvignon blanc from Margaret River.

The Vapas menu is available alongside the regular a la carte menu for $49.50 per person (minimum 2 people). 

www.baytinhrestaurant.com.au

Lauren Arena 

It's called 3:30itis. That time of day where a cup of tea and a sugary treat can really perk up a dreary afternoon and carry you through the rest of the day (or week).

I’ve found the remedy – and it’s not too far from the office – afternoon tea at The Westin Sydney.

Delightful... Heritage Afternoon Tea

The hotel’s Lobby Lounge, Bar and Room, a sun-drenched space under the building’s atrium (once a part of the General Post Office built in 1887), offers a few intriguing adaptations of the afternoon tradition.

Westin’s Heritage Afternoon Tea is a remodeled version of the classic offering that is thought to have originated during the early nineteenth century when Anna, 7th Duchess of Bedford, felt peckish in the afternoon and requested tea and a light snack be delivered to her boudoir. 

Instead of cucumber sandwiches and sponge cake, the Heritage Afternoon Tea offers a prawn salad, tangy chicken and ham wraps, crunchy profiteroles, a glazed caramel mousse and velvety crème brulèe.

For a more adventurous afternoon, try the Mad Hatter’s menu. Sweet and savoury bites inspired by the story of Alice in Wonderland include the White Rabbit’s pocket watch, a blueberry macaroon with blueberry cream filling; The Queen of Hearts, layers of raspberry buttercream, chocolate ganache and raspberry jelly; and the Mad Hatter’s Hat, a rich chocolate mud cake encased within chocolate icing.

Tea party... Mad Hatter's Afternoon Tea

The best thing about these afternoon delights, other than the bottomless cups of coffee and tea (of which there is an impressive selection of white, green and black tea varieties) is, of course, the scones – piping hot, perfectly molded morsels of buttery heaven served with clotted cream and homemade jam.

Here you get the best of both worlds – a sense of history married to some very contemporary design and deluxe service. Suited waiters wear white gloves as they carry tiered platters from the kitchen to the table, and through the sunny atrium you can gaze up at the iconic GPO clock tower. Teamed with a cup of premium Jing tea, or a flute of R de Ruinart champagne, this is the ideal spot to enjoy an afternoon refreshment or even hold a business meeting. 

So for your next office do, instead of cramming into a musty conference room, do as the Duchess did and drink tea instead.

Afternoon tea at The Westin is served from midday till 6pm. Reservations are essential 24 hours in advance. 

The Westin Sydney

1 Martin Place

Sydney NSW 2000

+61 02 8223 1111

www.starwoodhotels.com/westin

Tantalising... Macanese cuisine

The number of Australians heading to Macau is on the rise, but if James Packer’s latest gambling multiplex isn’t enough to sway you, Macanese cuisine will ensure a trip to the former Portuguese colony is well worth it.

Macanese cuisine offers an interesting blend of Cantonese and Portuguese culinary traditions, with an added touch of spice from African and India influences. 

Macau Food Week is currently underway in Sydney and to whet your palate Sheraton on the Park is serving traditional Macanese fare until 26 October.

In the hotel’s new Feast restaurant, Macanese delicacies such as caldo verde, a chourico-scented soup with finely chopped Chinese spinach; gomes de sa, salted cod with potato; and Portuguese-inspired egg tarts take pride of place on the expansive buffet. 

Diverse... Macau Food Festival

Also available is the genuine Macanese dish, Minchi (minced or ground meat flavoured with molasses and soy sauce and topped with a fried egg) as well as fragrant African chicken and Macau prawns.

If you’re still hungry for more, head over to Macau in Novmeber to celebrate the Island's 12th annual Food Festival. Held at Sai Van Lake Square from 9 – 25 November, the festival will showcase local cuisine as well as culinary delights from Europe, Mainland China and various parts of Asia.

www.macautourism.gov.mo

Impressive... the MCA's Sculpture Terrace

The term 'high tea' often conjures up images of elderly women sipping from delicate porcelain teacups, eating cucumber sandwiches and speaking with very English accents.

But as the tea-drinking trend enjoys something of a resurgence, more and more, this image is shifting.

This month, Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art takes a creative new approach to the afternoon tradition of drinking tea. 

We’re in the MCA Café, on the rooftop of the museum’s new Mordant wing, where incredible harbour views make up for the somewhat stark feel of raw concrete floors and minimalist decor inside the cafe.

This ultra-modern eatery serves a variety of share plates, sandwiches and burgers – but today we’re here for the ‘Twisted High Tea’, a special addition to the menu as part of this month's Crave Sydney International Food Festival.

I sit out on the expansive terrace, basking under the sun and watching the ferries, as my afternoon tea arrives and boy does it make a statement.

Twisted... these treats are not as they appear

A brightly coloured tiered platter of savoury delights and sweet things is placed in front of me, accompanied by a glass of sparkling and a pot of Earl Grey tea – the Swedish tourist sitting next to me is impressed, and nods in approval.

I attack the savouries first: chicken and tarragon sliders with a brioche bun, pea and mozzarella arancini and smoked salmon moneybags are all deliciously tasty.

Making my way for the desserts, I spot a humble sausage roll in amongst the lamingtons and macaroons… or so I thought.

I take a bite and am pleasantly surprised, for instead of brackish meat and tangy tomato sauce, my taste buds begin dancing to a sugary tune of hazelnut praline and strawberry coulis – and thus the twist is discovered.

Hidden bursts of unexpected flavour and texture are riddled throughout this collection of edible goodies (just a heads up, the lamington is actually a marshmallow) and add to the delightfulness of sipping champagne and soaking up one of the best views in Sydney.

There's nothing nanna-eque about this high tea – it’s a casual affair with cheeky treats and a side of culture. 

Twisted High Tea is served at the MCA Café every day from 2pm – 3:30pm throughout October.

To book, visit www.cravesydney.com

The MCA Cafe

Level 4, Musuem of Contemporary Art

140 George Street, The Rocks

www.mca.com.au

www.freshcatering.com.au