Justin Park, ex-Executive chef at Quay has opened up his fourth cafe - Dining and Co in Mascot / Alexandria. I’ve been to the original venue of Dining and Co in North Ryde so I know i'm in for a good experience. The Dining and Co in Mascot is spacious with lots of tables to choose from. The staff are super friendly but you can also order on your phone if you prefer. My little one orders a babycino. It’s quite cute. I notice there’s a Taro Latte on the menu. I love the sweet flavours of taro so I order this with one sugar. Its purple colour is always inviting. You don't often ..read more

Izakaya Umina is located in Cremorne. It has a simple shop front so you may not realise this hidden gem exists. While the name “Izakaya Umina” sounds Japanese, the restaurant is best described as Modern Japanese with a splash of French technique. Owner and Head chef Tomo is Japanese but is trained in French cooking. I love this combination. The venue is beautiful with a selection of tables and then there's selected horigotatsu seating towards the back where you need to take off your shoes and sit on a recessed floor. There is still leg room. I was actually quite excited because ..read more

Happy Sunday! It’s a hot and sunny day and I am looking forward to a relaxing lunch. The Winston has recently been renovated and I’m keen to check it out. There’s a spacious outside area. I can see a big group having a function of some kind. I am seated in a more quiet area by the fireplace. There’s seating inside too if you want to hide from the elements. The staff give some suggestions on the menu. So we are off to order at the bistro counter and we are given a table number.  Firstly, we ordered the zucchini flowers. It’s been a while since I’ve ordered zucchini flowers, t ..read more

Tara Sushi is located in Surry Hills and is famous for their all you can eat for $39 (cash, card fee applies otherwise). You can choose unlimited plates of sushi, order hot menu items and you have a choice of one sashimi plate and one dessert plate. Tara Sushi is a bit of a hidden gem, you could easily walk past, not knowing the value you could get from this delicious venue. I arrive just before 12pm with a booking. I notice several others have come in with a booking too and only the odd person walks in. The venue is relatively small so I would suggest booking. I'm here to try the ..read more

  ONYX Grill in located in Burwood and your go to place for a steak dinner followed up a roof top drink. I head here with some friends for a catch up. I immediately like the cocktail menu at ONYX Grill because they have cocktails with umeshu (Japanese plum wine) which is so delicious. I had to order the ONYX Spritz.   This is a delayed post but there's special menus each month. I was here for September's $59 per person menu (below) where it's a shared menu if you want to taste everything. The decore at ONYX Grill is quite lush. I quite like their fancy roof lights, it's ..read more

  Angelo's in Cabarita has veiling a new menu in October - Modern Australian with a fusion of flavours. I was lucky to get a preview of this recently.  Angelo's in Cabarita has an amazing waterview. There's something really calming about a waterview. As the weather is warmer, there's an option to enjoy some drinks with this amazing view before heading into the restaurant. There's the signature cocktail, Angelo's which is made of stoic gin, orange curcac, lemon, sugar and rosemary. This cocktail is delicious, it's sweet, flavoursome with a hit of gin with an underlying delici ..read more

Today, I want to share my experience at the Royal Oak in Balmain. Mr Weekend Food Escapes wanted a Sunday Roast so we set out to see what the Royal Oak had to offer.  It's been so cold in the Sydney winter. I hope this warms you up.  We arrive at the Royal Oak at quarter to 6pm and find the front of the pub with people drinking and getting ready to enjoy the band. It's warm and cosy, full of atmosphere. I end up popping out the front again, later to briefly enjoy the tunes. We walk towards the back towards the bistro area, we don't have a booking but luckily we are seated ..read more

Sonora can be best described as Modern Mexican with a twist of fine dining and creativity from new Head Chef and Owner Roy McVeigh. Sonora in Potts Point is under new management. I check out their new tasting menu - $85 per head which is an absolute steal in today's environment. It's a rainy kind of day and I am meeting an old friend who's heard great things about Sonora in Potts Point. The menu reads simply but doesn't articulate the sophistication and complexity of the dishes. My friend and I go with the Chef's Tasting Menu which consists of 6 share plates at $85 per person. Sonora ..read more

Pizza Bros is on the roof top of the Imperial Hotel in Erskineville. I check out this venue for an early lunch on a weekend to check out the social media hype on these famous pizzas. They live up to it! Read on for more. Pizza Bros is run by Marty and Joey, two brothers who have perfected the art of pizza over 20 years. They have previously served up delicious pizzas at Bella Brutta, Gigis and the Dolphin Hotel so now they created their own pizza empire called Pizza Bros. It's a nice sunny day and lots of people are sitting out on the roof top but I decide to sit under the shade. The menu ..read more

  Margan Wine and Restaurant holds a dear place in my heart. First of all, they are an award winning winery and restaurant. Secondly, they are leaders in sustainability and environmental operations. Thirdly, the staff are amazing, friendly and helpful. It's been a few years since 2014 since I've last been to Margan Wine and Restaurant but I've had such fond memories of my last experience. For an anniversary celebration, we decide to revisit Margan's see what's changed. I make sure to book at Margan Wine and Restaurant and book the "Margan Dining Experience" which is a bespoke 5 course t ..read more