SF Food Wars – Battle Cookie

Yes, you can have too much of a good thing. After eating 20 different types of cookies at the latest SF Food Wars, I went into cookie coma! Needless to say, LOTS of milk was also consumed.

One of the many platefuls of cookies after visiting the competitors’ tables

I voted for the “Chocolatey Oatmealicious Cookie Sandwich Experience”, which won the People’s Choice Honorable Mention
The “Chocolate Crackle” was another one of my favorites and actually one the People’s Choice Award.
I also liked the Red Velvet Cookies Sandwiched with White Chocolate, but they didn’t win anything. This is the 2nd SF Food Wars I've attended (previous post), and once again I completely disagree with the Judges’ Choice for the winner – they seem to go for things that are unique, but don’t taste good. If it doesn’t tastes good, nothing else matters.

Other Side Trips from Sydney

Hunter Valley is the wine region about 2 hours outside Sydney. My mom’s not a big wine drinker (i.e. wino like me), so we didn’t spend that much time here. The area is magnificent, a rolling countryside filled with vineyards under the bright blue sky.
We stayed at the Sebel Kirkton Park Hotel . It’s a charming property, part Southern plantation home with its wraparound porches and part English country with its rose gardens. The rooms were small but quaint, each with a balcony looking out onto the manicured grounds. However, I would steer clear of the hotel’s restaurant, Infuzion, if you can help it. The restaurant served ridiculously overpriced mediocre food (~$20/appetizer, $30-40/main course). I had an overcooked, spongey crab soufflé for my appetizer, and sad, limp pasta dish for my main course. I didn't even want to try their dessert.


We also took a day trip to the Blue Mountains (90 minutes from Sydney). I had heard that the scenery was breathtaking, but the rain and clouds detracted from my experience. The oils from the eucalyptus trees give the mountains their “blue” haze.
The Three Sisters are one of the most famous rock formations in the Blue Mountains. Their formation is based on an Aboriginal legend.
BITE METER: Sebel Kirkton Park Hotel – 3.5 bites (out of 5)
BITE METER: Infuzion – 1.0 bites (out of 5)

Dolphins, and Sea gulls, and Camels! Oh, my!

This was probably my favorite day out of the whole trip. We had so much fun at Port Stephens and Stockton Beach. It’s about 2.5 hours from Sydney, and I highly recommend the excursion.

We started out with a boat ride at Port Stephens. Great way to enjoy the sunshine and feel the wind blowing in your hair. There were quite a few little islands with white sand beaches.

A fearless one-legged sea gull braves the sky.

About 20-30 dolphins swam right alongside our boat. I was giddy to see so many so close.

Yes, folks…there are camels in Australia!! I learn something new everyday.

Sandboarding near Stockton Beach - what a fun experience! It was absolutely beautiful here among the huge dunes of powder-like sand.

Where the sand meets the sky.

Exotic Foods of Sydney’s Asian Markets

These large, brownish-purplish crustaceans are Mud Crabs (aka: mangrove crabs), which I had the pleasure of eating a few days before.
One of the largest species of crab in the world, this Tasmanian Giant Crab was literally twice the size of my head! They average 20-30 pounds each…now that is a LOT of crab meat. I will definitely have to feast on one next time I’m in Australia.
The Kona Crab is probably the strangest looking crustacean I’ve ever seen. I wonder how it tastes…although it doesn’t look very appetizing to me.
These Mangosteens were gorgeous! Bright purple and lime green, they are my mom’s favorite fruit. The inside is white and fleshy…super sweet when eaten fresh, but they turn sour very quickly if you don’t get eat them in their prime.
I first had Rambutans during a trip to Vietnam. They are funky looking, but sweet and juicy on the inside…like a larger version of the lychee fruit.
I thought these Kiwiberries were so exotic…until I later saw them at the Whole Foods in Boston (no idea how I missed them until now)! Anyways, I had never seen them before this trip and thought they were cute. They tasted exactly like a tiny kiwi.

Creatures of the Land Down Under

We went to the Australian Reptile Park to get to know the wildlife. Not the best zoo I've been to, but it was cool to feed the kangaroos (they're greedy little creatures!)

Koalas sleep 18 hours a day…only waking up to eat. What a relaxing life!
“Whatchu talking’ about, Willis?!”
Ironically, this alligator is from the U.S.
Rock wallabies – Do you see the adorable baby in the pouch?

This would be a fun place for kids. However, if it's only adults, I'd recommend only stop by here if it was along the way to an excursion outside Sydney (it's an hour north of the city).

BITE METER: Australian Reptile Park – 3.0 bites (out of 5)

Sightseeing in Sydney

I took my mom on a trip to Australia for some quality mother-daughter time. This was the first visit for either of us, so we spent a lot of time sightseeing…and of course, eating! We mostly ate Asian cuisine because it’s my mom’s preference, and I have to say the Asian food in Sydney rivals (if not surpasses) that of most other cities outside of Asia.

Sydney Harbour Bridge
The stunning Sydney Opera House
My mom has always wanted to eat giant abalone, so we had lunch at Golden Century, one of Sydney’s top Chinese seafood restaurants. It’s pricey, but well worth it. We started off with a bowl of dried scallop soup. Then we had Mud Crab with Ginger & Scallions. I’m a huge crustacean fan and was excited about trying something new. The Mud Crab was EXCELLENT – like a cross between Dungeness crab, stone crab, and blue crab…it was large, yet the meat was succulent and sweet.
Steamed Giant Abalone – more tender and delicate than any abalone I’ve ever had. Beautifully prepared, it reminded me of thinly sliced squid, only sweeter and less chewy. I also didn’t know abalone meat could be white – all the other abalone I’ve had was smaller with a light beige colored meat. This abalone tasted totally different.
Darling Harbour
We then stopped for a “snack” at Din Tai Fung. Originated in Taiwan, Din Tai Fung is famous for their dumplings and has people lined up at their locations all over the world. The quality of their Sydney location is a bit inconsistent, although their dumplings are still superior to other restaurant’s that I’ve been to. The steamed pork dumplings (their most popular) weren’t as juicy, like it had been sitting around for a few minutes too long. However, their steamed crab and pork dumplings were SUBLIME! They were bursting with hot juice from the perfectly steamed crab and pork, and the wrapping was fine and satin-like (pictured). We had also ordered the steamed mashed red bean buns for dessert, but they forgot our order (boo!) and we had to get going.
We had dinner in Cabramatta, the predominantly Vietnamese part of town. I forget the name of the restaurant, but they’re oysters rocked! Plump and luscious with lots of flavor – cooked with black bean sauce (on right) and ginger and scallions (on left).
Recommendation: You MUST also try the pho (Vietnamese noodle soup) in Cabramatta. I had it here for lunch during another day, and it’s seriously the BEST PHO I’ve had (outside of Vietnam). Don’t get the chicken pho, go with the traditional beef pho…the broth had so many layers of rich flavor and heaping with slices of tender beef.

BITE METER: Golden Century – 4.0 bites (out of 5)
BITE METER: Din Tai Fung – 3.7 bites (out of 5)

Farina – Sometimes Food Just Isn’t Enough

I had read somewhere that Farina boasts the best pesto in San Francisco, so naturally the Italian food-lover in me wanted to eat it. I’m glad I had it, but would probably not come here again.

Aside from our waiter, the staff was terrible. The host was snooty and condescending – I was actually quite taken aback since I’ve never encountered such an attitude (even at famed 3 Michelin star restaurants). The bartender took forever to greet me, and then overcharged me by an extra glass of wine. Then the kitchen forgot the anchovies in my pizzata focaccia – it was one of the key ingredients!

At least I enjoyed the food for the most part…

Manilla Clams – oddly enough, I don’t remember anything about this dish! I think it was pretty good, but obviously unmemorable.
Pizzata Focaccia – although they forgot the anchovies (which our waiter later brought out separately in a ramekin), I thought this pizatta was great. The texture of the focaccia was perfect, it had just enough tomato sauce and oregano, and the cheese was warm and oozing.
Handkerchief Pasta with Genovese Basil Pesto – the bright lime green color was definitely a surprise, but this pasta was wonderful. The handmade pasta had a lovely silky texture, and the pesto was creamy yet delicate and fresh. Was it “the best pesto” that I’ve had? No, I was actually more impressed by the handkerchief pasta than the pesto sauce…I loved how it just glided in my mouth.
Overall, the food was good, but not good enough to overcome the poor service.

BITE METER: Farina – 3.0 bites (out of 5)