All-you-can-eat ribs. It’s such a beautiful concept that it almost makes me tear up at the thought.

Tender, succulent crescents of meat that slips effortlessly off the bone. The finger licking goodness of the slightly sticky sweetness of the flavourful sauce. As much as your stomach will allow, and then a little more.

I’ve been hankering for these all-I-can-eat ribs from Cafe Ish, ever since I’d first heard about them while on a holiday in Malaysia.

It’s odd to have a craving for such a thing in a country that is known for its depth and breadth of excellent food, but I did. So once a Sydney food blogger outing was organised by Richard, there was no question that I would jump at the chance.

I was the first of our party of ten food bloggers to arrive at their Campbell St restaurant. Having been directed to our table, I sat down and waited with eager anticipation for the rest of the party to arrive, as well as what lay ahead.

Cafe Ish is not only an embodiment of their owner/operator couple of Ai & Josh, but there’s a certain element of yin and yang that seems apparent to me. Not so much in polar opposites exactly but with regards to contrasting elements in union, often in harmony with each other.

For instance, Ai and Josh are of Japanese and Australian heritage respectively. Their food incorporates elements from the rugged Australian outback with the refined cuisine of the Japanese, and vice versa. Though their individual character are as distinct as night and day, their service is complementary.

The rest of the party arrive and we commence with pre-dinner drinks.

Oz Geisha is an elegant looking cocktail that’s an original recipe of Ai’s.

Summer Time Ale, a wonderful beer selected by Josh, is served in the bottle with a stubby holder. I imagine this was his idea as well.

A stubby holder, for those that are unaware, is an insulating sheath (often neoprene) that keeps the beer from exchanging heat with hands or the surrounding environment.

You could almost be forgiven for passing on the side dishes and going straight for the all you can eat ribs. There are certain rules of thumb of making the most out of your all you can eat dining experience (one of which is to skip the filler, especially if it costs you extra) which exists for a reason.

However, were you to do so, you’d be missing out on some rather nice starters and accompaniments. Take for instance the Cabbage ($5), served with a wattleseed miso mayo.

Yeah, that’s right. Cabbage. If you’ve just cocked an eyebrow, I know. I thought the same thing when I’d heard a few people from our dining party speak so highly of it. However, once you try it out for yourself, you’ll understand.

Firstly, it works as a stand-alone dish. The fresh, crisp leaves of cabbage works so well with the umami packed flavour & saltiness of the miso mayo. It also serves as a textural contrast, as well as something of a palate cleanser, to help balance out the rich sweetness of the ribs.

Other sides such as the Chili Edamame Beans ($6), and Fries ($6) served with wasabi mayo, are worth due consideration as they’re both great as well.

The commendable warm up act takes its leave and slide towards the wings as they make way for the main act to takes centre stage.

There are two sets of ribs on offer, both of which are prepared in the same fashion. Blue gum smoked, braised in a marinade of soy, sake, mirin & ginger, & finished with a garnish of fresh coriander, chilis, sesame seeds & shallots.

The Pork Ribs are really good, with the sweetness of the meat really coming through. They’re up there with some of the best I’ve had in Sydney. However, they pale in comparison to the beef ribs.

The Beef Ribs are for me, and will likely be for many others, the reason that you not only come for the all-you-can-eat-ribs the first time around, but the reason you keep coming back for more.

These ribs are incredible! To say that the beef ribs are moreish is something of an understatement. They almost demand gluttony. Why?

A high degree of meat-bone-ratio so there’s more meat for less effort. The flavour, though made in the same way as the pork ribs, is more savoury and has more apparent flavour to it, as if it absorbed more of the braising marinade.

While on flavour, the beef ribs remind me very much of the Korean dish jang-jorim, beef braised in a flavourful soy-based broth. As such, I very much felt the need for a bowl of white rice and miss its presence from the menu.

I’m not the only one, as a number of people on the table felt the same way. Though to be fair, they, like I, were all Asian.

As much as I wax lyrical about these ribs in the key of gluttony, a measure of judgement should be exercised. Not only to save yourself from eating your way to nausea or perhaps worse, but for those that are fiscally sensitive, there is a charge of $50/Kg for excessive waste if your demand far exceeds your capacity.

We take a little breather after our rib rampage to allow our stomachs to settle enough to fit in a bite or two of dessert. Unfortunately, I’d not noted prices so apologies for that. A web presence with a menu would have helped though *hint* *hint*.

Lemon Delicious, served with a scoop of ice cream, is the embodiment of truth in advertising as it is, as its name implies, both lemony and delicious.

The soft, pudding-like consistency with its slightly sour taste and delightful citrus aroma is so moreish that you can’t help but keep coming back for more.

The Chocolate Gateau, served with a scoop of wattleseed ice cream and a smear of umeboshi, a salty sour preserved plum of Japanese origin is nice. Ai presented the dish with some pride, and it’s something she should be proud of.

The umeboshi smear on the other hand I could have done without. I’m appreciative that it was presented separate to the cake as it would have lessened the experience for me otherwise. Never been a fan of umeboshi.

The Wattleseed Creme Brulee, served with anko sweet red beans on the side, is almost a fantastic dessert.

The creme brulee is an excellent execution of this dish. The burned sugar crust actually has some substance to it, shattering into shards when its surface is breached. The wattleseed custard beneath is barely set and is somewhat like silken tofu. I much prefer it this way over firmer interpretations of this dish.

However, the red beans on the side feel to me as either a lack of confidence in its acceptance by not incorporating it into the creme brulee itself, or something of an afterthought.

I would have much preferred it either be added as a paste/sauce at the bottom of the creme brulee or left off the dish entirely. It otherwise detracts from the greatness of the creme brulee, which is able to stand on its own merits.

All in all, a fantastic dinner and one of the best all-you-can-eat experiences I’ve had in quite a while.

All you can eat ribs are $35 per person, available only on Wednesday evenings. There is a time limit of 90 mins from when the first bowl of ribs hits the table. A charge of $50/Kg applies for excessive waste of ribs. All drinks, side dishes and desserts are charged separately. They are neither all-you-can-eat, nor inclusive of the $35 charge.

Cafe Ish
82 Campbell St, Surry Hills.
(02) 9281 1688

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Note: Cafe Ish is no longer located on Albion St, Surry Hills.

Dim lights of orange and yellow cast rays of warmth, drawing forth a sense of comfort on an otherwise frigid winter’s evening. Lights, that barely give form to sophisticated cocktails and diners a like, provide an intimate mood of romance, elegance & class.

A party of five gathers around a small table, some of whom are old friends. The transformation from stranger to acquaintance takes place as introductions are made and pleasantries exchanged over martinis and aperitifs. A moment passes. Before long, an escort directs us to a booth. Positions are taken around a square table. A listless anticipation builds, as we await the first course of the tasting menu at Tokonoma.

Tokonoma Shochu Lounge and Bar, on the surface, looks much like any other modern, sophisticated lounge bars that can be found in the Sydney CBD district. However, delve a little deeper and you’ll soon realise that there are a number of things that sets this place apart from the others. The devil, as always, is in the detail.

As the name may give away to some, Tokonoma, as contemporary as its presentation and ambiance may be, is very much Japanese-inspired at its heart. From the extensive range of sake and shochu; Asian twists to contemporary cocktails, such as the Apple and Yuzu Martini pictured the opening image; to the rather comprehensive menu of Japanese food items, served in small portions much as one may expect from any izakaya in Japan.

The first round of dishes from the tasting menu makes its way to our table.

maguro no miso taru taru – A tartar of tuna with baby shiso leaves and a barley miso dressing is light and rather refreshing. This was paired with sweet potato crisps, which wasn’t on the official tasting menu but provided a nice crunchy contrast in texture.

watari-gani kara-age – Deep fried soft shell crab cooked in the same style as chicken karaage was delightfully crunchy and moist, without being all that greasy. This was paired with a wasabi mayonnaise dipping sauce, which provides some fragrant heat.

gyu niku no tataki – Beef tataki, seared briefly on the outside leaving its centre deliciously rare, is complemented with pickled onions, mizuna (a Japanese green with a peppery taste) & garlic chips.

After a small break, another round of dishes were presented.

omakase zushi – This can be interpreted loosely as “chef’s selection of sushi”, an assortment of sushi that I presume is dependant of the availability of produce and the whims of the chef on the day.

Two styles of sushi are presented – maki (the sushi rolls) and nigiri (the ah… other ones). The seafood in the sushi is quite fresh, and the sushi overall are quite good. It’s much like sushi you can find at most decent sushi restaurants in Sydney.

piri kara dofu to abogado – Cubes of deep fried tofu are garnished with an avocado salsa and barley miso. Despite being deep fried, the tofu is rather soft and delicate. However, the avocado salsa didn’t quite work for me. Not that it was bad. I just didn’t find it all that interesting paired with the tofu.

A third round of dishes are presented. By this stage the pace of eating slows somewhat, due mostly to the moderate volume of rice in the previous course acting as filler. However, this was the last place we should be slowing down, as a couple of the best dishes of the evening surfaced during this course.

ami yaki ro-su niku to wafu sauce – For me, by far and away the best dish of the whole tasting menu. The scotch fillet steak, served with wafu sauce & garlic crisps, has a smokey flavour & a moist, meaty texture. The taste is more reminiscent of a steak house than one I would have expected from a Japanese restaurant, not that I’m at all complaining. This one is something I will certainly be back for.

hotate no jalapeno amazu zoe – If my research is right, scallops are grilled robata style (a Japanese style of open charcoal grilling on sticks), topped with sweet pickled apple & jalapeno garlic.

The scallop I had was cooked to perfection, with the sweetness and acidity of the garnish serving as a delightful complement. Though it may be due to my chili-tolerant palate, but I didn’t notice any of the jalepeno’s spiciness.

zucchini no wafu yaki – Grilled zucchini skewers served with wafu sauce and toasted sesame seeds was firm and sweet but otherwise nothing special.

shiro miso – Miso soup, made using shiro miso (white miso) paste is accompanied with spring onion, tofu and wakame seaweed. As a miso soup, it’s was pretty so-so, lacking any real umami punch to it.

However, the one thing I found interesting about it was that it was served at the very end of the course. Almost like a palate cleanser for the dessert course to come, though I don’t know if that was the intent. As someone who is use to having miso soup served at the very beginning of a meal, as is tradition, this was quite a weird experience.

We come to the end of the tasting menu with the dessert course. Listed on the menu simply as dessert plate, an assortment of various desserts and fruit are served on a platter of ice.

Just after the dessert plate was presented, the head chef Regan Porteous spared a few moments from his busy kitchen for a bit of a meet-and-greet, which soon turned into an impromptu Q&A session. As a Kiwi by birth i.e. from New Zealand, I found it rather surprising how much respect and attention to detail was paid to stay as true to the Japanese roots of the dishes as was possible.

Sure, there were some fusionesque detours but they were pretty infrequent and minor. Which is why I couldn’t help but feel somewhat let down by the dessert.

With all the effort and attention to detail with the meal up until this point, the dessert course was decidedly contemporary in nature. There was very little attempt, in my mind, to incorporate Asian elements to the desserts, let alone Japanese ones. Though, having said that, one thing I wasn’t disappointed with was how some of the dessert items tasted.

The fruit-filled spring rolls served with creme anglaise were great, with its crunchy exterior and sweet filling. Unfortunately, what fruit, I cannot recall.

The creme brulee shames a number that I have had in the past. It actually has a crunchy toffee crust, one that requires a bit of force to breech.

The chocolate fondant (pictured in the previous image) is rich with its molten chocolate core.

Assorted fruit are a sweet, refreshing change to the richness of the other desserts.

All in all, the tasting menu ($70 per person, with a minimum of 2 persons; drinks not included), was a good meal in a very classy establishment. The service was professional and attentive. The ambiance is fantastic, something that needs to be experienced first hand to fully appreciate. It’s a good place to spend time with close friends. It’s even better as a destination for a romantic night out.

Between the food, company and ambiance, it was quite an enjoyable evening.

Dined at Tokonoma courtesy of Leigh from Mark Communications.

Tokonoma Shochu Lounge & Bar
490 Crown St, Surry Hills
Ph: (02) 9357 6100
Tues – Sat, 5:30pm to 12:00am

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Mr B’s, or more specifically the Japanese & Thai restaurant Iima located on the same premises, is a venue that’s only come up on my radar recently; a last minute invite for dinner out with friends, and friends of friends. It is something of a curiousity, or perhaps an oddity.

Encompassed within the two levels of this establishment (ground floor and overlooking mezzanine) that use to be the premises of the old Mandarin Club, are a Thai restaurant, Japanese restaurant & a western bar/lounge (with its own menu). It’s an East-meets-East-meets-West sort of affair. However, each component remains true to itself and distinct from each other (for the most part), rarely falling into the culinarily dubious territory of fusion cuisine.

This philosophy follows through to the kitchen at Iima, as there are two distinct crews working independently on the Japanese & Thai dishes. So too, is the Mr B’s bar portion of this establishment.

Before we move onto the food, there is something to be said for these magnificent, tall-backed leather arm chairs located on the mezzanine lounge area of Mr B’s. These seats are absolutely awesome! You can’t help but feel a sense of power, or at the very least a commanding presence, whilst your seated in these leather thrones. As with any seat of power, eyes fall upon you with a covetous gaze. Vultures, patiently circling, biding their time until they can swoop down and claim these seats as their own.

Iima, however, is more of a humble affair with its basic restaurant tables and seats.

For those of you that know me, or have followed my blog for some time, you should know that there are a number of benchmark dishes that I use as a rough guide to the quality of the food served at any given restaurant. In the case of Thai food, the benchmark dish is, for better or worse, the Pad Thai, for reasons that I’ve stated in a previous post.

This Pad Thai is very much along the lines of what you can expect to find at Chat Thai, from its degree of authenticity, to its flavour & quality. This should come as no surprise to those that know that the person who had built Chat Thai to the hallmark that it is today was the same person behind Iima, namely Amy Chanta.

The dish was sufficiently sauced so that rice noodles weren’t dry or clumping together like they often tend to with lesser quality Pad Thai’s I’ve had at other restaurants in the past. In this particular case, the Pad Thai was slightly better than what I’ve previously enjoyed at Chat Thai.

The Salmon Aburi Sushi is better than what I’ve experienced at a lot of specialised sushi restaurants. The salmon was fresh. The blowtorch char of outer surface lent a wonderful smokey flavour and aroma to the dish. The sweet sauce, along with a drizzle of creamy mayo, served to complement the dish without overpowering any of its components.

Iima Cocktail Sashimi is essentially a salad of mixed salmon and tuna sashimi, served with a ponzu dressing. As with the previous sushi, the sashimi was delightfully fresh.

A mixed assortment of tempura was certainly up there with some of the better ones I’ve had. Superbly crispy on the outside without either overcooking the battered contents, or ending up tasting overly greasy.

Kareage, deep fried marinated chicken with a delightfully crispy coating, as with the tempura, was one of the better ones I’ve had. The chicken was moist and quite flavourful having been marinated in a soy-based marinade, which permeates throughout the meat. It seems to be a step that a lot of places either skip or under do. The only downside to this dish was that it could have done with a little more mayo.

The Som Dtum Tempura is where we start to enter into fusion territory. Think of a regular som dtum salad for a moment. The searing heat of the chili, the salty fishiness of nam pla, sourness of lime, the textures of dried shrimp and roasted peanuts, and so forth. It’s all there. Except that the green papaya is deep fried in a tempura batter, and the dish is served warm.

It seems so wrong in principle, in the same way that deep fried pizza seems likewise so very, very wrong. Yet, somehow the dish works. The crispy and slightly chewy texture of the deep fried papaya works so well with the rest of the salad. The warmed of the green papaya tempura intensifies the flavours & aromas of the dish that you simply cannot replicate with a standard som tum. As wrong it may have seemed in principle, and as apprehensive as I was when I was trying out this dish, it’s something that I will certainly be coming back for.

Maybe I should give that deep fried pizza thing a go sometime…

We cap off the evening with some dessert. There isn’t much in the way of a dessert menu at Iima beyond pancakes. If however, you a partial to pancakes, there’s a lot of options for you to choose from.

In my case, I went with the pandan pancakes served with pandan sauce and a side of coconut ice cream. As pancakes go, it was quite nice. The coconut ice cream wasn’t too bad either. Can’t quite say the same for the pandan sauce though, as I wasn’t a huge fan of it. Not that it tasted bad as such. Just wasn’t into the mouth feel of it. Felt like those cheap, gelatinous sauces that are meant to imitate a creamy flavour/texture but without the cream. Maybe it’s just me but I’m very particular about that sort of thing.

Overall, the experience at Iima and bar/lounge areas of Mr B’s was a fantastic one, with the food being quite good and the prices quite reasonable (around $12 a dish). It also opens quite late, with operating hours from 11am to 2am daily. With the popularity of establishments like Chat Thai or Mamak, I dare say that in time (if it isn’t already now), Iima will be a destination of choice for late night diners, or those that are just sick of waiting in hour long queues, seated in cramped quarters without the ability to reserve seats in advance. Yes, Iima takes reservations. Not that we really needed it at the time we went, as there was sufficient seating to be had.

What Iima lacks in its depth of dishes when compared to Chat Thai, it more than makes up for with an equivalent level of quality, its breadth of dishes, very reasonable price point, access to a bar &, in my mind most importantly, it’s very unlikely that you’ll need to wait around to be seated. If you do, there is a bar, and a lounge area on the mezzanine, to loiter around until a seat is made available. Even then, I doubt you’ll be waiting long.

Iima @ Mr B’s Hotel
390-396 Pitt St, Sydney (corner of Pitt St & Goulburn St)
Ph: 02 8080 7777
11am to 2am daily

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the heart of food is now a little over a year old, having first started on February of 2009. The birth of this blog is in some part thanks to Helen, from the prolific Sydney food blog Grab Your Fork. She was the one that inspired me to start this whole blogging thing, as she has with a number of other Sydney food bloggers.

Over this past year, there have been quite a number of amazing food experiences. One of the things that stands out in my mind are the birthday celebrations of various food bloggers.

Please join me for a review of the food experiences regarding birthdays and birthday-related posts over the past year, including some new material and images.

Before I continue, apologies in advance if I’ve overlooked anyone’s birthday that I was a part of over the past year.

The first series of posts on the heart of food were about presents and a birthday, or rather a birthday I had to miss due to a last minute work related matter.

The birthday boy, whom I’ll refer to as “That Guy”, is of Filipino origin. The food to be showcased on his birthday was authentic, homemade food from the Philippines made with loving care by his mother. It saddened me to no end that I not only had to cancel, after previously agreeing to go, due to work (on a Saturday no less!), but also had to miss out on such a good food opportunity, especially considering Filipino restaurant food just doesn’t rate from what I’ve been told.

Despite these circumstances, he was kind enough to offer me some of the party left overs the following day. I returned his generosity by getting him a hamper of various gourmet goods from a few of my favourite vendors.

Not long afterwards, Richard from Here Comes the Food had kindly invited me out to a birthday dinner to have all you can eat mussels at Bungalow 8. It was an intimate affair with only four of us in total.

The experience was somewhat surreal. I guess it’s kind of like that moment when you first make friends at preschool or in kindergarten. There’s a sense of child-like joy when you meet with someone that likes what you’re interested in, and just “gets you”, for lack of a better term. In some ways it’s also a sense of belonging. That you’re among like minded individuals, and not just some weird, misunderstood outcast. From a food blogging perspective, that was my moment.

To this day I don’t know why Richard invited me. However, I am thankful that he did, as a lot of interesting experiences have been had since that time.

For instance, a masquerade themed birthday party of around 30 food bloggers, crammed into a private dining room at Wagaya that is supposed to only cater for 25. Who else other than the ever popular Suze of chocolatesuze, whom I like to jokingly refer to as the poster child of Sydney food bloggers (though not entirely untrue), could organise a gathering of this size? It was a gathering of her food blogging friends, acquaintances and other food bloggers that she has yet to meet in person.

At the time it was rather surreal to see a roomful of food bloggers pause from their current activity or conversation in order to take photos of food that had just arrived. A storm of people gather around plates of food. The rolling thunder of conversation goes quiet as photographers focus; the beeps, clicks and whirrs of digital cameras taking over the growing din of silence. On occasion a flash fires; a blinding bolt of lightning that briefly illuminates the room. The eye of the storm soon approaches, as one by one food bloggers sit back and wait patiently for others to finish with their photos. A calm settles in as the beeps, clicks, whirrs and flashes become fewer, less frequent. As the last of the photos are taken, the rest of the storm front rolls in as hungry food bloggers rain down upon a plain of food.

The dinner is a large gathering of friends and strangers alike, all with the common purpose to not only celebrate a birthday or share a meal, but also partake in the appreciation of food beyond that of mere sustenance. It is one that has only since been eclipsed by the Sydney food blogger’s Christmas picnic in Hyde park. Another successful gathering organised, in part, by the poster child of Sydney food bloggers.

Karen of Citrus and Candy gathers a small, intimate  group of some of her closest food blogging friends to celebrate her birthday at the Belgian Bier Cafe. The hearty fare of Belgian beers, meatballs and mussels, finished with some wonderful sweet desserts of chocolate and waffles, makes for a fantastic meal.

It ceases to amaze me how quickly friendships can be born and forged over the common appreciation of food. People, that under different circumstances would likely amount to little more than casual acquaintances, become close friends, mentors, advisors and confidants.

It isn’t just with food bloggers that birthday celebrations have been shared. Adriano Zumbo’s Macaron Day was not only a celebration of 60 different flavours of macarons, but also an opportunity for the food blogging community as well as the general public to celebrate his birthday.

As much as he may be the maestro of the macaron, he is a rather humble, approachable and softly spoken individual in person. One without the pretension or arrogance that quite often comes with those with a high degree of skill or, dare I say, genius. It was personally satisfying to be able to wish him a happy birthday, as well as to discuss a range of topics including his favourite macarons from the collection.

Then it came time to organise & celebrate my own birthday party. Well, birthday parties but I’ll get to that.

When it was time to organise my birthday dinner for a close circle of food blogging friends, I wanted to incorporate a little of the familiar with something that was new to all of us. The familiar ended up being Wagaya, a safe bet when it comes to the quality of the food (not bad), service (fast & attentive) and cost (reasonable, depending on what you order). Wagaya is the sort of dining experience that I prefer; fairly casual & laid back with food that can be easily shared amongst a group of people.

We then moved onto the something new for entertainment and dessert, in the form of Norita Cafe & Board Games. It’s a place where you can enjoy various contemporary & Asian flavoured drinks, desserts and the occasional savoury snack whilst playing a multitude of board games.

The board games are a core part of the experience rather than some tacked-on gimmick, as is demonstrated by the extensive menu of board games they have on offer, separate to that of the food & beverage menu. Though the food & drinks weren’t noteworthy, the fun that was had with the board games was well worth the experience. There were many fits of uncontrollable laughter, as well as a few things that are better left unmentioned. What happens in Norita, stays in Norita :)

Birthdays are a fantastic opportunity to meet with new people and be reacquainted with ones that you may not keep in as close contact with as you may have liked. My second birthday party, a BBQ picnic at Centennial Park, introduced a few new faces, namely Jacq from Penguin Says Feed Me, as well as The Shooter and The Ninja from The Ninja Review.

I could imagine that it would be somewhat intimidating for newcomers entering into an established group of friends or associates, especially when it’s a sizable group.  For instance, it took some time for the The Ninja Review crew to step down from a battle-ready state, take off their disguises and intimidating weaponry, and actually relax and enjoy the company and the food. Well, as much as one could in a blistering 40+ degree heat wave. Once the picnic was over, a subset of the attendees made their way to Sinma Laksa House to counteract the heat wave with Ais Kachang.

On the subject of food at the picnic, a huge thanks must go out to Mei from Brasserie Bread for catering a large portion of the picnic. So large in fact that everyone had a generous parting gift to take home with them, all of it great stuff. From a number of chewy rolls and sour dough loaves (the wholemeal mountain bread makes for excellent toasted sandwiches), wonderful sweet pastries such as various fruit tarts, tea cakes and brownies, as well as THE BEST garlic bread to date I’ve ever had the pleasure of eating. The caramelised garlic bread was so highly regarded by the picnic attendees that negotiations were held to determine the lucky few that would be taking a portion home.

The birthday party of Helen from Grab Your Fork was something of a special event for a number of reasons. Firstly, it was a dumpling making party, for lack of a better term. Everyone contributing ingredients and making a large number of handmade gyoza-style dumplings, a fair portion of which were devoured with gusto soon afterwards.

For dessert, Ais Kachang was made from scratch. This began with preparing the various ingredients to form the mise en place. Once this was done, two ice shaving machines buzzed constantly as mountains of ice shavings piled up, ready to be topped by the ingredients and syrups prepared earlier.

To close the evening, chocolatesuze had prepared a fork-shaped cake, a reference to Helen’s blog name. Whilst this was in itself impressive and well received, the true genius of the cake lay within, in the form of a stunning rainbow of colours. Though rainbow coloured cakes are not anything new for chocolatesuze, this implementation of her trademark cake was particularly impressive.

Lastly, we come to a recent birthday dinner, celebrating the birthday of Jacq from Penguin Says Feed Me. She had managed to gather an impressive 17 food bloggers at the Waterfront Grill for all you can eat ribs for $29. The ribs are served along with some tasty but stomach filling steak chips. There is also a web special that is meant to score you a free soft drink with your ribs. It had taken a fair amount of insistence, the attention of the restaurant manager and an iPhone before the free drinks were flowing.

Ellie from Almost Bourdain capped of the dinner with a homemade Momofuku Crack Pie, which she had generously offered as a birthday cake. I can see why it’s called Crack Pie. So addictive… :)

To end this post, I’d like to thank those of you that have followed my blog over the past year, especially the ones that have weathered through the dry spells, and those that take the time to leave comments. It’s very much appreciated!

For the silent readers out there, I encourage you to step out of your shell and show your love, or share your opinion, by leaving a comment. I don’t just mean for my blog, but for any other one that you may be reading as well. We food bloggers, and I presume bloggers in general, thrive on comments.

Also, a special thanks to Helen for inspiring me to begin this food blog in the first place, as well as all the people to date that have made the past year of food, friends & fun a memorable experience.

It was a warm Summer’s evening when this whole episode began. A little too warm and a little too Summer for my tastes. I’d received word on the wire from a fixer that I know. A friend. She’d tipped me off to a function at a cocktail bar & lounge that had opened recently on Crown St, Surry Hills. A group of us were invited. Wanted to know if I was interested. The joint was called Tokonoma.

Tokonoma had meant nothing to me at first. My fixer informs me that there was the promise of free food, and more importantly, free drinks. That was all I needed to hear. Like the seductive scent of an exotic femme fatale, suspecting that there would be trouble by the end, I was drawn in like a moth to a raging bonfire. How could a man, down on his luck, refuse such an offer.

I made my way into Tokonoma, a classy establishment with a classy clientele. A lot of curves to draw the eye. Media types, business people, even an olympic swimmer. The ambitious, the successful, the well to do. Those that have earned their wealth and those that have inherited it. Perhaps, even a few that wish to be perceived as any or all of the above. All would no doubt feel welcome. A place to relax, a place to share stories of conquests or, with the right company, a place to endeavour in a conquest or two of their own.

I felt immediately out of place. A fish out of water. Angus beef on a fast food franchise burger. I was none of these people. Didn’t help that I was on my own, the first of my party to arrive.

I make my way to the fashion boutique towards the rear of the establishment. A still life of a fashion runway. Sophisticated looking Caucasian women adorned in modern interpretations of traditional Asian clothing. Likely a statement. A metaphor for the establishment, as it billed itself to be a sophisticated cocktail bar serving modern Japanese food.

Surely. this would not be a permanent fixture of the bar? Sure enough, I was right. Like an ornamental garnish, it was merely for show. The mannequins and outfits were borrowed for the function from a guy that goes by the name of Akira. A fashion designer. Perhaps there was a statement within this too.

I chart a course to the bar, a literal island within a sea of people. An oasis for those that lap upon its shores. Bottles line the counter with a stoic patience, their meanings to be uncovered at the bottom of a glass.

The barman moves with practiced motion, mixin’ mojitos for the masses. Lychee mojitos to be precise. With practiced motion of my own, I casually take my leave from the bar with a glass in hand. A seat towards the rear beckons and I oblige its call.

An exotic beauty, the offspring of Cuban and Asian origins, the lychee mojito serves as pleasant company. A splash of bright colour on a palette of grey. A ray of sunshine breaking through a dreary cloud of existence. A welcome distraction until my companions arrive.

The fixer strolls in with Augustus & Aunt B in tow. Big wigs within the circles I keep. I introduce then to my drinking companion. Soon after, they acquaint themselves with drinking companions of their own.

Food starts to circulate around the restaurant bar. A carousel of canapes. A platter of sushi makes its entrance.

A nugget of chicken, tender, with a sweet soy sauce glaze soon follows, giving life to an appetite and the desire for more.

Tuna tartare on sweet potato chip. The fresh tuna marinated in an Asian dressing; a smooth, fragrant silk.

A monstrous piece of salt & pepper calamari makes its presence known. A claw rearing back, ready to lunge. An exercise in futility, as it’s swiftly shown its place within the food chain.

Bullions of sticky rice, grilled until golden, served with a sweet soy dipping sauce. Crispy, smokey, chewy. Delightful.

After a few rounds on the carousel, we take our leave. We make for the exit as another case calls. As we pass vacant booths, clouds close over the ray of sunshine. The splash of bright colour fades, blending in to the palette of grey.  A familiar feeling of melancholy comes home to roost.

I look back on the cocktail bar & lounge, its colours now a figment of my imagination.  There wasn’t the trouble that I’d suspected. There was no femme fatale. Just an exotic beauty, a high-priced geisha, that served as a pleasant distraction for a time.

Tokonoma Cocktail Bar & Lounge
490 Crown St, Surry Hills
(02) 9357 6100
open wednesday to sunday 5pm – midnight

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