The Iron Chef - Cabramatta : diverse and versatile

Famous for yum cha - dim sum offerings, the Iron Chef has done well with Sichuan (central China) hot and spicy cuisine during the special promotion. Kitchen and stage performers were specially flown in for the month long celebration of the moon festival. 

In the face of more competition with the opening of similar restaurants which offer seafood and Cantonese cuisine, it is no wonder that even the renowned Iron Chef must innovate and reinvent its image and expand its repertoire to capture more customers from a saturated market. 

Double cooked pork - 3/4 fried in oil, and returned to finish off with spicy sauce with garlic, shallot and leek

Two flavoured / dishes of coral trout :
(1) stir fried with snow peas in light sauce and ginger garlic chive toppings - above picture
(2) steam fish with soy and sesame sauce + shallot greens and coriander garnish

Kung-po (gong bao) meaning palace treasure is the basic and key foundation to spicy Sichuan cuisine.
Compared to most make belief and adulterated versions available in most restaurants in the city and suburbs of Australian towns (forget about the country), this is perhaps closest to the original and authentic. It is a bit short of chilli hot, overpowered by peppery taste. But still good.

Postscript: Our good first impression was cracked (not shattered) with subsequent visits during the busy weekend. The staff were grumpy and the kitchen could not cope, sending out food that is lukewarm and dishes that have not been properly cooked.

Breakfast at Red Door, Leura

To hungry diners, any food served is yummy. The Red Door cafe is crowded during the weekend of Leura Garden festival.

Oops! too late. The hungry person couldn't wait for the photographer. Already taken a bite on the scones with homemade strawberry jam and whipped cream.

Free range egg omelette with mushroom, tomato and cheese melts.

Hot chocolate drink to warm up and energize of the long walk ahead.

Cupuccino was a little overrated but good by overall standard.

- Copyright Reserved

Moruya Weekend Market

A view of the markets in the distant, from the northern bank of the river.

This market has many more stalls than most suburban or rural weekend markets probably because everyone who lives or visit the Batemans Bay area seek recreation at the famous Moruya markets. Ideally, an open air market should cater to a diverse crowd, offering good food, entertainment, local arts and crafts, second hand stalls, toys, electrical goods, etc. Moruya seem satisfy all these criteria.

This is the famous spring roll stall. The lady who looks Indochinese in appearance worked ceaselessly to meet the orders of the crowd lining up in front of her stall while her manager keeps things under control. There are only two choices - vegetable spring rolls or thinly rolled minced pork rolls.

The other goodies are the freshly squeezed orange juice and macadamia nuts. I was surprised to see exotic Tibetan cuisine sold here, a change from the usual kebas and sausages. Next to it are the honey and prawns stall.

Some of the preowned goods are in pretty good condition and reasonably priced. Do check out handiwork and crafts among stalls selling similar things. I realized what a bargain I got when I saw another stall charged at least 20 per cent more for the same stuff.

Scenic Moruya

The Moruya bridge was touted as the inspiration for the iconic Sydney harbour bridge.

The calm waters of Moruya river with blue mountains in the background.

A relaxing walk is a good way to end a morning's tour of Moruya.

Historical Lighthouse and Wildlife on Montague Island, NSW

Montague Island was once a fertile hunting ground for the Aboriginal people. It is now classified as a nature reserve with restricted access and commitment to preserve the environment and wildlife.

It was drizzling but the trip was not cancelled as the dark clouds were clearing when it was time to leave the wharf. On record, for every three tours booked, only one materialised, which means that two out of three were cancelled due to poor weather conditions. Count ourselves fortunate to be able to land on Montague Island!

After a rough ride across the choppy seas, we were sure glad to disembark smoothly. The water was clear and welcoming but too cold to entice the majority to go snorkelling.

The lighthouse on Montague Island was first advocated in 1873 encountered many trials and tribulations due to inexperience and tardiness of contractors and masons and harsh conditions of transporting building materials from the mainland. The only material available on the island was granite which had to be transported uphill for construction.

A downpour came without much warning as we were climbing the steep slope towards the peak where the lighthouse sits.

The lighthouse keepers' quarters as it was (shown above). The head lighthouse keeper's house has modern decor and full facilities to accommodate visitors who want to stay overnight at the lighthouse.

After a few cups of hot tea, the able-bodied took a climb up the lighthouse for a bird's eye view of the surrounding.

Then we were on our way again, still half drenched. Walking around the island, we saw yet another beautiful aspect of the lighthouse.

If you think this looked precarious, I assure you that the seas were actually much calmer on our way back.

For information and pictures of the wildlife on Montague island, please check out my Nature blog :

http://australianature.blogspot.com/2009/04/fur-seals-on-montague-island-off.html

- Copyright Reserved

Mogo zoo showcases endangered species

Sponsored by businesses and industries, Mogo zoo sustains some endangered species under natural conditions akin to their original habitat with the aim of preserving and conserving these animals. We managed to catch a couple of feeding times. The zoo keepers gave interesting talks and interacted with the animals. Not many zoos allow visitors to see animals, including the ferocious ones, at such close range.

The red panda has a pretty maroon coat. Like the white counterparts, this animal loves to eat bamboo leaves. He's probably camera shy, hiding behind the bamboo branches or climbing on the tree top.

The enigmatic Scimitar Oryx lives and grazes harmoniously with the zebra and giraffe in wide open spaces.


Feeding the Sumatran Tiger

Serval cats are considered the mildest among the wild cat family. They are playful, quarrelsome but quite harmless unless aggressively provoked and attacked.

African lions are more intimidating while the Snow lions puts on cavalier air.

The tapirs loved their bath. They have grown attached to the zookeepers who take care of their daily needs.

The Primates

This Lar Gibbon family members love a variety of fresh fruits for all their meals. The male was indifferent while the females don't mind getting closer to visitors.

De Brazza monkeys are agile and strong swinging from rope to rope mimicking life in the dense jungle. Doesn't the silhlouette resemble that of a human being?

Tiny monkeys slightly bigger than the human palm are really cute and fun to observe. The are cooperative and help each other out.

Tamarins (picture above) and Pygmy marmoset (picture below)

Otters are playful little creatures. It was enjoyable watching these play mates glide around the rocks and the water.

Where do local Sydneysiders go : recommendations for tourists

Beyond the cliches: Sydney's hidden gems

There's no better way for visitors to discover some of Sydney's hidden gems than to spend a weekend doing as Sydneysiders do.

If you've already climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge, cuddled a koala at Taronga Zoo and been to a performance at the Opera House, it's fun to wander off the tourist track for a different view of the harbour city.

Base yourself in a swanky hotel and set off to explore.

- AAP, SMH

For details, follow the above link by clicking on the title.

Trust me - locals tend to explore beyond the city area. If you have time, you might want to move to a suburban hotel or even home stay to see and feel the real Australia.

Historic Windsor at the heart of Hawkesbury Valley, NSW

Historic Windsor was a Macquarie town (the first NSW governor) in 1810. It remains a quaint small town with lavish display of traditional and modern wares in the shops and street stalls.

Cow hide comes in different sizes, prints, texture and finishes. The leather goods are soft, light and inexpensive.



The kids (and young at heart adults) would love this lolly shop, redolent with sweet aroma, rainbow colours and temptations.

Windsor Mall Craft Market

Opens every Sunday from 9 am in Windsor Mall, George Street. Quality handmade homewares, arts, crafts, fashion and fresh produce for you to browse and pick up some souvenir to bring home. A beautiful setting for locals and tourists. There is wheelchair friendly access, public seats for resting and picnics and ample street and shopping centre parking.

Turkish Gozleme

Olives galore

Familiar tunes played by musicians add to the festive mood.

Best Fish and Chips in Sydney metro area?

I heard from a friend that Windsor has the best fish and chips in town. So this weekend, we decided to check it out with no inkling of the name of the eatery and address. Based on some googled results and whereis directions, we found it after a casual stroll in the mall area. It is opposite the pub and park, quite close to the end of mall area along George Street (accessible from Macquarie Street via Fitzgerald Street).

The battered deep sea platter which is larger and costs almost one and half times that of the seafood platter is the tastier of the two. One large platter could easily feed three to four adults. The verdict : the seafood is fresh and nicely fried but not fantastic given the price and long wait. The chips are thick and limpy. We must try the fresh oysters and the hot n cold platter if we visit Windsor again.

Horse and Carriage

Look again - it's actually a restaurant. Wonder if diners have to pay for the two riders who ensure that the horses remain stationary.



- Copyright Reserved. All photos and written content are IR of blogger. Permission must be sought and granted for republication in any form.

Is the dream job at Great Barrier Reef for real?

Check this out : Too good to be true? Wow $150,ooo in 6 months!

http://business.asiaone.com/Business/News/Office/Story/A1Story20090111-113776.html

Tourism Queensland is offering an extremely lucky individual a chance to get what they say is the best job in the world - to be their Island Caretaker.

Essentially, you will be getting paid to explore the islands of the Great Barrier Reef. Sailing, kayaking, snorkelling, diving, and bushwalking, are just some of the activities that you can do on the island.

All you would need to do would be to post a weekly blog, photo diaries, and create video updates to tell the world about the unique experiences available on the islands of the Great Barrier Reef.

You can even bring a friend or relative to stay with you in your own spacious holiday home complete with plunge pools and stunning island views, fully equipped with modern facilities and exquisite furnishings. Naturally, a state-of-the-art entertainment system as well as complete access to the Internet is available.
You'll also get to explore the different tropical islands along the Great Barrier Reef while staying at luxury resorts.

How to apply

Create and upload a 60-second or less video in English explaining why you're the best person for the job and demonstrating your knowledge of the islands of the Great Barrier Reef. You will also need to complete a short application form and upload the video to www.islandreefjob.com.
Ms Lim Mui Khim, Regional Director of Tourism Queensland (Southeast Asia), said, "All applicants will need to submit an application, and if they're shortlisted, they will go through interviews and the employee will be selected based on merit. It is not a competition based on luck or popularity. Being the caretaker of the beautiful Islands of the Great Barrier Reef is truly a dream job. The attractive salary package is the icing on the cake."

All applicants must be at least 18 years of age (as of January 1, 2009) and must be available for a 4-day interview from May 3 to 7, 2009, if selected as one of the final candidates. The employee's six-month contract period will be from July 1, 2009 to January 1, 2010. Applications close on February 22, 2009.

So what's the catch? According to the local Australian papers, candidates need "excellent interpersonal communication skills", "an adventurous attitude" and a "willingness to try new things". They also require at least one year's "relevant experience", fluent English and "good swimming skills".

As lure of the Great Barrier Reef beckons, potential candidates may want to do some reality check. Go ahead and try your luck but take it easy and don't place too much hopes on getting that dream job. Bear in mind that there are many hunks and babes among Aussies and foreigners on visiting visa who are good swimmers, divers and make good advertising models.

http://australianature.blogspot.com/2009/01/great-barrier-reef.html

Having worked and interacted with Aussies, I believe this is clearly a publicity stunt to promote tourism in sunny Queensland. The economic downturn has hit the tourism industry which is highly dependent on visitors mainly from Asia Pacific region, Americas and Europe has been badly hit since last year. Even the arrogant and abrasive customs in the major cities have bowed down to the crunch of falling arrivals, according to feedback of travellers in recent months.

One might also want to note that there has been a rise in the number of shark appearances and attacks on the eastern shores of Australia, Pacific Ocean.

Monet's Art Works

Art Museum
Rarely do we get the opportunity to view the vast collection of Monet and other impressionist artists' works displayed at one exhibition.

Waterlilies

Reflection

Textured painting of nature