Taking on Tempura at Sydney Seafood School

Selling over 100 different seafood varieties every day, Sydney is home to the second most diverse fish market in the world – coming in after Tokyo’s famous Tsukiji Market. The Sydney Fish Markets are located in Pyrmont around the corner from Darling Harbour and a popular lunch or shopping destination for both Sydney visitors and locals. With so much fresh seafood to choose from, we want to make sure we know how to cook our seafood bounty correctly. Enter: Sydney Seafood School, one of Australia’s premier cooking centres, located above the market’s auction floor and consumer markets.

With a class schedule full of presentations by celebrity chefs, smaller dinner party style courses, and even seafood basics courses for those wanting to get comfortable with preparing fish, the school has a class for every foodie taste and cuisine. Tonight, we’re taking an after work course on the Japanese art of tempura and teppanyaki—starring prawns, squid, salmon, scallops, ling, pippies, and even a few fresh veggies.

The course begins in a demonstration kitchen with tiered seating and screens to enable easy viewing of the preparation and stoves.  Here, Chef Brigid takes guests through the evening’s dishes. Her presentation covers everything from properly removing the membrane to de-rubberise calamari to peeling a prawn in one step and beating the perfect tempura batter (never let it sit).  According to Chef Brigid, Japanese food is traditionally very light and delicate, so tempura gets its flavours from the dipping sauces that go with, not the heavy sauces and curries like other cuisines.

As Chef Brigid heats the frying oil, she reminds students that deep-frying fish can actually be healthier than cooking fillets in a small amount of oil. Dunking the fish in the hot liquid, quickly cooks the outside of the fish, enabling the meat to essentially steam on the inside and not absorb as much oil. “That’s why you might see people at the beach order fish and chips and remove the shell,” Brigid informs us.

After the aroma of the cooking demonstration reminds everyone that it’s dinner time, we divide into groups and assemble at the sleek cooking stations in the next room for the hands-on session. Overlooking the auction room floor, the kitchens make the guests feel like they are head chefs of their own three-hatted restaurant with electric woks, teppanyaki grills, professional grade knives, and fridge drawers stocked with fresh seafood and a few bottles of refreshing mineral water.

Rotating through the provided recipes and running order while Chef Brigid and her assistant guide, everyone has a chance to try their hand at frying lightly battered prawns, steaming pippies and creating the perfect fried rice taught in the earlier demonstrations.

Soon it’s time for a glass of wine and for a communal meal to taste the jointly created dinner. Heading into the dining room, a chilled bottle of Riesling is waiting on every table as the fried rice and freshly prepared seafood are shared around. “The Sydney Seafood School really de-mystifies cooking seafood,” says student Erika. Alongside her friend Vanessa,this tempura and teppanyaki course is the fifth time she’s attended the school. Vanessa likes that the Seafood School’s courses are practical and simple saying “It really is achievable for the everyday person.”

Sydney Seafood School courses run frequently throughout the week. Whether BBQ, Tapas or Mediterranean, find a class that suits your taste: http://www.sydneyfishmarket.com.au/SeafoodSchool/CookingClasses/tabid/85/Default.aspx

Added bonus: you don’t even have to do the dishes.

Craving the Globe at Crave – Sydney’s International Food Festival

It’s known as a city of villages, and all throughout October, Sydney’s villages are switching on the BBQs, woks, and pizza ovens to celebrate some of the world’s favourite cuisines. From the large scale events like Breakfast on Bondi and Hyde Park Night Noodle Markets, to smaller festivals highlighting Australia’s vast foodie regions, Crave Sydney International Food Festival means that no traveller will have an excuse to skip lunch this month.

One of Crave’s most popular events, Night Noodle Markets take place in Hyde Park over 13 nights this season. Stop by after 5 pm when the first public park inAustralia is transformed to an Asian-style night market. When dining here, it’s best not to arrive starving so that you can take your time to explore the dumplings, noodles, and desserts on offer. With several bars scattered throughout the market, make sure to grab a glass of wine before grabbing a seat in the gorgeously lit up park and enjoying the live entertainment.

The Night Noodle Markets take place on October 3-5, 8-12, 15-19

 It’s called Crave Sydney after all, so it wouldn’t be right to celebrate food without any mention of the beach. Enter: Breakfast on Bondi. Finally giving non-surfers an excuse to enjoy the beach at sunrise, this free event is in its second year.  Bring your own breakfast and grab a spot on the beach to listen to the orchestra as they usher in the daylight. Coffee and food stalls will also be selling breakfast if you forget the picnic basket at home.

Extra indulgence: VIP tickets get you into a prime reserved seating area and a Bill Granger Breakfast menu.

Breakfast in Bondi takes place 14 October  between 5:30am- 9am

Beyond the icons, Sydney’s different villages and precincts are often some of the most authentic options for exploring international cuisine. With various community festivals occurring throughout the city during Crave, you can take the opportunity to delve deeper into a region’s cuisine. Within Sydney, here are a few upcoming events where travellers and locals can taste their way around the globe:

Norton St Italian Festa, Leichhardt- 28 October

Culinary Carnivale (South American)- 13 October

Philippine Food Week, Shangri-La Hotel- 10-18 October

With all this fresh food and drink coming into Sydney, there’s no better time to explore the regional NSW food and wine producers responsible for making it all happen. Some events happening outside the city:

Taste Riverina- October 1-28

Flavours of Auburn- October 20

Orange Wine Show- October 19-27

So this October, save some time to eat, drink and celebrate the tastes of the globe at the Crave Sydney International Food Festival.

Which events will we be seeing you at?

Swimming Back in Time at Sydney’s Ocean Baths

The weather is warming up, the days are getting longer, and summer is in the air in Sydney. It’s only natural that we’d want to flock to one of Sydney’s iconic ocean baths to cool off.  Sheltered from the ocean, but still filled by the waves, these picturesque salt-water sea-side pools have become icons of Sydney’s coastal lifestyle.

At a time before surf lifesaving clubs had been established and when daylight beach swimming was banned, gender-separated ocean baths originally provided Sydneysiders with a safe place to cool off whilst protecting their modesty. Though ocean pools in Newcastle and Wollongong pre-date the pools in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs, Sydney’s early swimming spots are thought to have a much stronger influence on the emergence of Australia’s swimming and surf lifesaving culture.

The heritage listed McIver’s Baths, to the south of Coogee Beach, is the only remaining women-only coastal pool in Australia. The female- only tradition at McIver’s Baths is said to date back to before the 1820’s when the area was a bathing space for Aboriginal women. The baths were developed into their present state in 1918, and are still exempt from the anti-discrimination act. Like in decades past, entry is twenty cents and collected via the honour system.

As attitudes toward mixed- gender bathing relaxed, 1907 saw the opening of Wylies Baths in Coogee, one of the first to allow whole families to swim.  Though the ban on swimming in the surf ended five years earlier, ocean baths still provided a safe swimming spot for those afraid of getting caught in rips along the Sydney coast.

Present day visitors to Wylies almost step back into time when walking down the steps onto a huge wooden deck overlooking the 50- yard pool (Approximately 46 metres). With shaded areas, a shower, change rooms and endless Pacific Ocean views, Wylies is an easy place to spend a sunny day. A single visit costs $4.50 per adult and multi visit passes are also available. For an extra indulgence, Massage By The Sea operates at Wylies throughout summer.

 To see the importance of ocean pools played in the development of competitive surf lifesaving, look no further than Ross Jones Memorial Pool. It’s located underneath the surf lifesaving club at the southern end of Coogee beach. Built in 1947, this free pool would have also provided a place for daily competition practice and still enables locals to swim year round. Today, it’s a great place to come with a takeaway coffee and chat with a Coogee local.

Beyond Coogee, the Bronte Baths, Bondi Icebergs, and North Bondi Rock pools also offer more chances for those exploring the Bondi to Coogee coastal walk to cool off on a warm spring or summers day. With over 30 coastal pools between Palm Beach and Cronulla, you’re never far from somewhere to cool off this summer:  http://www.sydney.com/things-to-do/beach-lifestyle/sydneys-outdoor-pools

Research:

http://www.dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/ocean_baths

http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/australias-modern-swimmers

http://wylies.com.au/history.html

Glebe – One of Sydney’s Hidden Gems

Glebe is one of those parts of Sydney that people often hear about when visiting, but usually never get the chance.  With so many locals often praising Glebe and what it has to offer, isn’t it time you jumped on a bus and headed over?

It’s always amazing how the suburbs close to Sydney’s CBD can be so unique, and that is more than likely 

how you will feel about Glebe. Only three kilometres out of Sydney’s centre and close to two universities, Glebe feels young, relaxed and alternative. It’s full of second hand bookstores; clothing and furniture stores, and galleries, small bars, pubs, cafes selling chai, fresh juices and local art are scattered throughout the streets.

The Glebe Markets are what lure many visitors to the area. Held each Saturday between 10am and 4pm, the market sells not just food and produce, but fashion, jewellery, books and handcrafts. Buskers and musicians entertain you along with friendly stallholders. Definitely go with an empty stomach as the market food is irresistible! If you’re a markets person the Glebe Markets are one of many, visit this page to discover more.

Down the other end of Glebe Point Road (the street that runs from one end of Glebe to the other) you will find Bicentennial Park and the Glebe Foreshore Walk – the perfect place for a picnic. Bicentennial Park sits on an edge of Sydney Harbour and looks straight across to the magnificent ANZAC Bridge. With views of Sydney Tower and the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the background, it almost feels like a secret viewpoint that only locals know about.

This park also marks the start of the Glebe Foreshore Walk which takes you along the waters edge around to the Sydney Fish Markets. It’s a great weekend stroll and an ideal way to digest all that market food!

Leafy green Glebe is the perfect balance of vibrant inner city life and relaxation. Enjoy the markets, stroll the harbour foreshore or just sit in a café and people watch. Whatever you do, this is one Sydney neighbourhood that ticks all the boxes for a refreshing weekend.

Stylish in Sydney

The Mercedes Benz Sydney Fashion Festival kicks off at Town Hall this week so we took the opportunity to chat to Lana Guineay, the Australian Editor of ASOS, about the fashion scene in Sydney. From Bondi, to Surry Hills and everything in between, Lana shares some of her tips with us.

Best City in the World Blog: What makes Sydney a unique fashion destination?

LG: Sydney has a very vibrant fashion scene. Each neighbourhood has its own unique character so people on the street are just as inspiring as the pros.

Sydney is also the place where all eyes focus on fashion in Australia with Fashion Week and other amazing events, and with so many major designers being based here.

 

BCITW: How do the fashion personalities of Sydney’s neighbourhoods differ?

LG: I would say Bondi is lots of topknots and denim at the moment. Whereas, Surry Hills has more of an independent and vintage vibe with a few designer pieces thrown in. My favourite vintage stores are there on Crown Street.

Newtown is great for people watching because you get all types from hipster to goth and everything in between.  Meanwhile, Paddington has more of a clean-cut, high-end designer appeal, so it’s also very international in flavour.

BCITW: Where are your favourite places to shop in Sydney?

LG: I love going to the Strand Arcade in the CBD, which is a great destination for Australian designers. It houses the flagship Lover store, my favourite Sydney based designer.

For Artists Only in Rose Bay also has a super amazing selection of Australian labels.

BCITW: Which Australian designers do you pay attention to?

LG: I adore what Lover are doing because they’re so unique within Australia and the world. I love to see what they come out with in each new collection. You have to check out Maniamania (for accessories– they’re former Russh girls and they make beautiful organic pieces. I haven’t seen anything else like it. It’s beautiful.

Dion Lee is another favourite.  His cuts and his prints are always so fresh and unique and Ellery is just consistently amazing.  She’s the quintessential Sydney cool girl.

BCITW: What are some must-see fashion destinations for visitors to Sydney?

LG: William Street and Glenmore Road in Paddington both have a real mix of pieces from international and Australian designers.

Check out Surry Hills on a Saturday when the markets are on for vintage finds. If there are any designer sample sales, which there are frequently all over Sydney, definitely stop by because you can pick up major bargains from labels.  That’s my favourite way to shop. I love it.

For everything under one roof, plus high tea shopping breaks, Westfield Sydney is a great choice as well.  The Queen Victoria Building and The Galeries are also nearby, which are absolutely beautiful places to shop.

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Looking to plan a shopping trip? Visit Sydney.com to learn about upcoming fashion events and more great places to shop in the city.

Bledisloe Cup Festival: Wallabies Fever hits Sydney

One of rugby’s most storied rivalries began in 1903 with the first Rugby Union Test match between Australia and New Zealand.  New Zealand beat Australia with a score of 22-3 at the Sydney Cricket Ground that year but over the next 109 years, the teams would meet nearly 167 times.

First contested in 1932, the Bledisloe Cup was named after the Governor General of New Zealand, who donated the original trophy in hopes of fostering a sporting community between the two nations. This year, the All Blacks return to Sydney to face off with the Qantas Wallabies for the prestigious trophy on Saturday, 18 August. To mark the iconic game at ANZ Stadium, Sydney is coming alive with events that celebrate the rivalry between the two nations.

Already this month we’ve seen photo competitions, a Day at the Races at Warwick Farm and a Qantas Wallabies Fan Day at Darling Harbour as part of the Bledisloe Cup Festival  — but we’re just warming up for more chances to meet the team in the week leading up to  the match.

New Zealand and Australia might have been competitors on the pitch but during World War II, they were brothers in arms. The current Bledisloe Cup exhibit at the Museum of Sydney (3 – 19 August) explores this dynamic relationship with a collection of mementos from both teams during the few years before Britain’s entry into WWII. As many players were sent off to war, the photos, jerseys and personal tales on display remember the contribution both teams made whilst fighting overseas.

After growing to a symbol of trans-Tasman Rugby in the years after the war, the 9kg silver trophy will also be touring various locations around Sydney in the week leading up to the match. Check the trophy’s touring schedule and see how you can get a photo with it. During the Festival, Wallabies players will be making appearances alongside the Bledisloe Cup at “Qantas Wallabies Towns” at select Westfield shopping centres.

Wrapping up the celebrations before the Test, All Blacks and Wallabies players will take rugby to the golf course in the inaugural Classics showdown at Oatlands on Friday, 17 August. Former Wallabies captains George Gregan and Andrew Slack will lead ten classic Wallabies into battle on the course against an All Blacks line-up including Justin Marshall and Wayne Shelford.

All events culminate to the 8pm kickoff of the 2012 Bledisloe Cup on 18 August at ANZ Stadium, Sydney Olympic Park. Be bold, wear gold and get along to the Test. Learn more about the Bledisloe Cup Festival and how you can be at the game by visiting sydney.com.

Short Breaks in Sydney’s Backyard

We’ve climbed the Harbour Bridge, we’ve surfed Bondi, and we’ve conquered the fine dining of Woolloomooloo. But we’re still craving more. Lucky for us, Sydney is not only the gateway to a vibrant coastal lifestyle but our city’s backyard also boasts some great escapes into nature.

Just a train ride from the centre of the city, the Blue Mountains offer World-Heritage listed wilderness, amazing tracks for bushwalking, and ancient canyons complete with towering waterfalls. The rocky plateaus sticking out of dense eucalypts and rainforests evoke a sense of primeval earth. To get an idea of how ancient the Blue Mountains are, consider the tale of the Wollemi Pine—a tree thought to have been extinct for two million years until it was rediscovered in this wilderness right outside of Sydney.

For the traveller looking to explore beyond a bushwalk, try abseiling or canyoning with one of the adventure operators in the region.

The mountains are perfect for a long weekend break with cosy inns and B&Bs near Leura, spas in Katoomba, and even luxurious glamping (glamorous camping) experiences.

The Hunter Valley, one of Sydney’s local wine regions, also has plenty to offer a traveller looking for a wine tour with a difference.  Consider a biking trek of the region to feel the wind in your hair and smell that fresh country air.  This wine region is home to over 120 vineyards, many of which offer tastings of locally produced Semillon and Shiraz at their cellar doors. In addition to wineries amongst the rolling hills, the valley is home to plentiful cheese shops, olive oil producers and smokehouses. For those less wine inclined, breweries and distilleries offer an alternative taste of the region.

Spend a weekend in the Hunter at a B&B. Keep in mind the vines can also be explored at a slower pace in a horse drawn carriage. With plentiful spas, the Hunter is also the ultimate location for a girls’ weekend or romantic break.

Craving the ocean? Just northeast of the Hunter Valley is Port Stephens. This coastal bay is host to golden beaches, crystal waters and resident dolphins.  Whether you’re a surfer or just looking for a seaside getaway, Port Stephens’ proximity to the Hunter means that you’ll have a perfect mix of crisp wines and local seafood to go along with the sunset.

In addition to kayaking, sailing, and snorkelling, this area is also a great base to explore the local sand dunes and bush on quadbikes or horseback. Main accommodation areas are located on Nelson Bay and Shoal Bay.

So let us know—on your next short break from Sydney, are you thinking bush, beach, or wine?

Photo credits:

Blue Mountains: http://www.visitnsw.com/destinations/blue-mountains/katoomba-area/katoomba

Hunter Valley: Paul Blackmore

Port Stephens: http://www.visitnsw.com/destinations/north-coast/port-stephens-area/gallery