Author Archives: andyq

Hurricane warnings

Posted on 27 July 2020 by andyq

There’s a hurricane warning for Hawaii at the moment. My brother, Tom, who lives in Kaneohe, with his family, says there’s never been a Hurricane Level 1 Warning since he’s lived there, which is now over 30 years. It’s scheduled … Continue reading →

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Sydney Food Diary: Chin Chin, Surry Hills

Posted on 21 July 2020 by andyq

For my birthday, I wanted to go somewhere special, and it’s been almost three years since I went to Chin Chin for lunch with my friend Lai Heng and meant to come back (here’s the review from then). This time, … Continue reading →

Posted in Asian, Food n' Grog, Modern Australian, Sydney | 2 Comments

Sydney Food Diary: The Colonial, Darlinghurst

Posted on 6 July 2020 by andyq

Almost four years since I’ve been to the Colonial, and I’m impressed they’ve kept it open. As I’ve said many times on this blog, the restaurant business is hard in Sydney! And getting through the COVID lockdown: these are hardworking … Continue reading →

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Coffee in Sydney: Take Coffee, Marrickville

Posted on 30 June 2020 by andyq

We were looking for coffee, perhaps Vietnamese coffee, after our amazing pork rolls at Alex ‘N’ Rolls. On that little strip of Illawarra Road, we couldn’t find anything. Lots of small restaurants, but nothing that looked like it served Vietnamese … Continue reading →

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Cocktails with Cynar

Posted on 29 June 2020 by andyq

I always liked cocktails, and got into a regular negroni habit, but the cocktail making really kicked off with the COVID-19 lockdown. It’s been fun to explore new drinks and treat ourselves to a covid cocktail. My strategy is to … Continue reading →

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Sydney Food Diary: Turpan Restaurant, Kensington

Posted on 29 June 2020 by andyq

We thought we’d grab a quick lunch in the neighbourhood before hitting Peter’s of Kensington to scratch that kitchenware itch. Kensington’s long had a reputation for interesting and tasty Asian food, but on this day, a Sunday, it looks like … Continue reading →

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Sydney Food Diary: Casa Barelli’s Burgundy Truffles from Aldi

Posted on 28 June 2020 by andyq

Newsflash! As of right now (28 June 2020), these truffles are back at Aldi. Maybe only this week! Run out and grab them if you like them. They’re $7 (seemed to be $8 in July 2018) and both varieties are … Continue reading →

Posted in Consumer, Home, Home cooking, Sydney | Tagged , , | 13 Comments

What’s your favourite men’s cologne?

Posted on 27 June 2020 by andyq

We’re running out of one of our current favourite men’s colognes right now. I only learned that my husband really likes it too, both on me, and to wear. It was Dsquared2 Wood, and it was discontinued a few years … Continue reading →

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Cocktail of the Day: The Sencha Flip

Posted on 26 June 2020 by andyq

I love Japanese tea and often serve it to my reiki clients before (and after) a treatment. While hojicha is my standard, with roasted rice, sencha is another green tea that I like and got a hold of lately. It’s … Continue reading →

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Sydney Food Diary: Alex ‘N’ Rolls, Marrickville

Posted on 25 June 2020 by andyq

My friend Lai Heng (whose photos appear in this post) enthusiastically recommended that we take up the suggestion from this rave review in Broadsheet and head over to Alex ‘N’ Rolls to see if they really do have the best … Continue reading →

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