By Rose Had the most epic pho adventure at Sapa Asian Fusion Restaurant! Picture this: steaming hot broth in a stone bowl, so exciting, it just couldn’t stop boiling! Add in some tantalising ribs, and my taste buds were doing a happy dance.  Sapa, you’ve officially won a spot in my ‘Pho-nomenal Places’ list! Did you know pho is like a Vietnamese hug in a bowl? Rice noodles, add-in-yourself herbs that make you feel like a chef, and a broth so good, it’s practically a national treasure! Don’t miss out on this flavour fiesta! Location: Swinger Hill, Shop 14/84 Ainsworth St, Mawson ACT 2607 ..read more

By Rosemarie John One of Canberra’s most iconic foodie events, the Canberra Night Noodle Markets, is returning to the city from Friday, 25 February to Sunday, 6 March! Over ten nights, Canberrans will experience the vibrant Asian street food festival, with stallholders including crowd-favourites: Gelato Messina, Wonderbao, Hoy Pinoy, Teppanyaki Noodles, Flying Noodles, Twissto and May’s Malaysian Hawker, as well as local legends Korean BBQ king, Korbq, Raijin and Donburi Station, and more.  Other stand out pop-ups include a Dan Murphy’s Zero% Bar and Aperol Spritz Kombi Bar, along w ..read more

By Rosemarie John No road detour was going to stop us from grabbing a bite this afternoon. Good Life Food was the destination. Located on the ground floor of a commercial building next to the Woden Police Station is an unassuming Indonesian restaurant run by Chef Daniar who has called Australia home for some 25 years. Daniar is hands on in the kitchen with trusted help pushing out dish after dish, along with some staple Malaysian favourites like Nasi Kerabu and Roti Canai. We placed our order and enjoyed the breeze as we chose to be seated outside the restaurant. Some moments later, an enticin ..read more

By Rosemarie John Getting a taste of new beginnings! Congratulations to Andrew Duong and Miss Van’s for bringing the much missed flavours back to the Canberra food scene. Boasting highly treasured and I bet secretly guarded recipes from his nan, Andrew shared a glimpse of what is to be Miss Van’s eating house. With the current ‘limited’ menu, this is what we tried (pictures not in order): Bread with umami butter Lamb Xa Xia – sesame leaf, ginger, scallion  Lao Sausage – Jaew Bong tomato salsa, charred cabbage Grilled Tiger Prawns – tomato, curry leaves and shellfish oil Steamed Jasmine ..read more

By Rosemarie John Malaysian food has been on my mind lately, and not the kind I make myself, but the food from Ho Jiak instead. During these trying times, dinning out or interstate travel has not been an option, but with restrictions easing a little and restaurants opening their doors to a few number of patrons at a time, I find myself reminiscing my experience at one of Sydney’s best Malaysian restaurants. The weekend in Sydney involved a lot of walking and by the time we sat down to dine, we were parched. Our drink orders were no surprise, we ordered typical ‘kopitiam’ drinks – iced milo, i ..read more

By Rosemarie John and Joseph Ellis We wandered in on a crisp Canberra morning and was immediately greeted with the aroma of brewing coffee. It was about 7.30am but Morning Dew was already busy with suburban folk and tradies popping in for a quick breakfast grab. We ordered the Benny Dew and a croissant with scrambled eggs. Benny Dew is the cafe’s unique take on eggs benedict if you’re wondering. Two poached eggs sit on top of asparagus, bacon, creamed spinach, and a Japanese croquet while freshly made hollandaise sauce glazed the eggs and crumbs of feta and drizzles of balsamic glaze brought i ..read more

By Rosemarie John An unpretentious shopfront with seating areas visible through two large windows on either side of the entrance, Amirtham in Woden was our recent find. Sans a large social media presence, this small Sri Lankan restaurant is helmed by two lovely ladies who make mostly everything to order. Together with friends, we tried their lamb biryani, chicken kotu, masala dosa, plain dosa, medhu vada, and dhal vada. The stand out dishes for us were the vadas, dosa and their delicious coconut chutney. If anything, go just to try the chutney – it’s fabulous! What we liked about these deep-fr ..read more

By Rosemarie John and Joseph Ellis We finally made it to Kita last Friday. Such a lovely setting with comfortable sofa seating. Looks like it’s a favorite coffee spot for the coppers too, but we didn’t try any black java that night. Instead, we had the below spread… Our top two dishes were from the dessert range. The curry of the week was a Beef Rendang and while we were so tempted to try it, we didn’t. We had already planned our menu before arriving and didn’t want to divert from it. For the entire period we were there, there were at least about twenty police officers coming in and out to get ..read more

By Rosemarie John Canggu, once a sleepy fishing village, is now one of Bali’s most desirable holiday destinations. This quick guide to Canggu will help build ideas for your next island getaway! Nestled between beautiful green paddy fields, black sand beaches and all the excitement of nearby Seminyak and Legian, Canggu offers the best of both worlds, a laidback ambience in a still vibrant setting. In recent years, yogis, surfers and young bohemians have all flocked to this little town, transforming it into a cultural and spiritual hub for travellers from all over the world. Accommodation Wheth ..read more

By Rosemarie John and Joseph Ellis Every town has at least one pub, but with food a cut above your usual taproom fair, The Yass Hotel is a must visit to grab a bite and a cocktail or two. Previously closed for renovations, their cyan walls, original period tiles, pendant lighting and dark wood seating make for an inviting atmosphere. We choose a table in the light-filled front room and order our starters – three plates to share with impromptu mocktails and cocktails from the bar. We are intrigued by our drinks as only two of them have official names. ‘Liquid Blue’ is made up of Bacardi, blue ..read more