Glorious chips and divine ice cream...

In terms of culinary delights, Sydney has yet to tingle our taste buds in the way we expected. So far, however, there have been two exceptions to this. The first, was a particularly mouth-watering box of fish and chips, and the second, was a rather divine ice cream.

We stumbled upon the Fish and Chip place simply because our attention was drawn to people in the shop eating from boxes. Now, I have always wanted to eat my take-aways from a box (á l' américaine) because it just feels right. All the food is nicely packed (or squashed) into a little, greasy parcel which acts like a chest guarding treasure (in this case, my food).

Ju took the elegant and healthy option of lightly grilled fish (marinated with lemon, basil and pepper) on a bed of fresh salad leaves, served with corn on the cob and shavings of sweet potato. Her dish was light and full of flavour. It left her wanting more...

None of that healthy tomfoolery for me. When it comes to fish and chips, I aim to punish my left ventricle and clog it up with fat. My fish must always be deep fried in heavy batter so that when I bite down on it, I can feel the batter crisp and break away as my teeth sink into a moist and fresh fillet of glistening white fish flesh. My chips, they have to be big and chunky. My preference is for the hand-cut variety. I like to have a selection of chips in front of me. The large, chunky chip, fluffy in the middle is the hallmark of stodge and does what's required in preparing my stomach for what's to come. On the other hand, the small, slightly crispy and overcooked chips, are light enough to have at the end of the meal.

As you can see above, I did break with tradition and this is an example where the Australians do what Brits do, and do it better. They have done away with chicken nuggets (thank God) and replaced it with deep fried calamari rings. Unlike British attempts (bland in taste and elastic in texture), these calamari melted in my mouth. Quite simply, they were divine and succulent. Each mouthful took me back to my childhood in Greece with the taste of fresh squid, drizzled in lemon and encased in a golden batter. This meal was a real feast tha left us wholly satisfied and we didn't mind leaving, as we knew that we would be back.




The second item that tickled our taste buds is their gelato. Sydney is the hub of Italian immigrants and naturally this means that pizza bars and ice cream parlours are everywhere. While the parents are slaving away to make wonderful pizzas and divine ice creams, their children litter the streets. Just like back in their native land, adolescent boys buzz past on their vespas while 'cao, cao'ing the unimpressed girls as they go past.


Ju treated herself to one scoop of Yogurt and Berry and another of Lime Cheescake. Personally, I believe that this was a poor choice, underpinned by mild hysteria induced by the plethora of mosquito bites my poor wife has been suffering from. When it comes to ice cream, the first flavour must always be pistachio and depending on the climate, the second is either vanilla or almond. When it comes to quality of taste, the simple flavours cannot hide poor ingredients. The more complex flavours try to hide and deceive the taste buds by overwhelming them with a massive explosion of taste that is quickly followed by no taste at all. Whereas with the humble and much maligned pistachio, the flavour is simple and unassuming. While it is pleasing it is also familiar and soothing. The flavour continues to play on the senses long after the dish is empty.

Please look at the poll we are undertaking and participate to see who has true culinary taste and who does not ....