Kings Cross Festival 2014

Macleay Street Long Table made family- friendly eating in the middle of the road at Kings Cross an unexpected reality as part of the Kings Cross Festival at 10am- 5pm on Sunday October 12, 2014 with the surroundings of Fitzoy Gardens.

“At this year’s Kings Cross Festival, you’ll find our local restaurants and cafes, all in the one place!”

What comes to mind on Sunday at Kings Cross? Saturday nights could be a bit rough..maybe the occasional kebab on the way home…but if you wake up with a starving stomach, then this was the place to be. The variety of food was endless and if you were up for some wine tastings, there was the option too!

Walking from Kings Cross station, I  honestly didn’t expect to see so many people around.

Surprise surprise! There was a cooking demonstration going on.

After purchasing wine glasses, 5 tastings for $15, there were a range of stalls to choose from.

Nubian Estate and their proud owner.

Batlow Cider Co had a delicious great of cider-duh. Thanks for letting me know that there are 3.5 apples in every bottle! That’s healthy, right? Or perhaps maybe too healthy?

Alcofree had an assortment of alcohol- free drinks. The packaging makes the difference, aye?

Artisans Bottega del Vino not only specialised in wine, but bread too!

I remember going on my lunch breaks around Kings Cross earlier this year and the park was pretty dead except the few office workers who enjoyed the sun when it came out. Now look at how many people there are.

Very close to the iconic fountain- ball thing was Puntino Trattoria. There were nonnas dressed in white making gnocchi at its best! Look at them go!

$12 a plate and look at the enthusiastic chef stirring dem pasta! Remember: mixed plate = misto per favor!

The absolute highlight of the festival were the long tables beneath the luscious green trees.  The fantastic thing about thee long tables are that you can socialise and meet other people from your community. There were also separate tables and a bar in the space.

The favourite place the Events team at Cancer Council loved to go for lunch was Harajuku Gyoza. It’s reasonably priced and there’s gyozas with peanut butter, banana and Nutella and salted caramel. Sold. There was even a lady dressed up with pink hair! Sold.

Overall there were a few taste testers here and there but the majority if food was $6 a plate. It’s so good you end up trying everything! Most of it is small little eats like tacos…

Sweethearts rooftop sold their delightful beef brisket sliders and salads for only $3 each.

Towards the back side if the festival, there’s some space to play giant chess.

And to generally chill.

At this side of the festival, there were stalls aside from food such as knit wear, bank stuff, pet food, games and a book shop.

Did I mention there was a farm too? It was crowded! There was a $5 entry fee but the animals looked so cute! Check out the fluffy chicken!

The stalls mentioned above were only a few I stumbled upon. Is could be worse than deciding at the Night Noodle Markets! Here, it’s cheaper and he portions are designed to  be small enough for you to go through courses and courses! Who doesn’t love a long lunch?

Rating Review: (1-5, with 5 being exceptional)

Event (Kings Cross Festival): 4.5/5

Ambience: 4.5/5

Service: 4/5

Value: 4.5/5

Would I recommend going to Kings Cross Festival next year? Are you a foodie? Or perhaps a wine lover just generally in the area? The eateries in the Kings Cross area have congregated to deliver the best of the best all at the same time for a celebration of food and fun.

Highlight: I haven’t seen long tables at food festivals before! It’s been mostly chairs and tables, or even funky chairs. Despite the lack of greenery around the area, the organisers have thought this one out! I also love the smaller eats from all the vendors. I love trying everything!

Suggestion of improvement: there were so many stalls I couldn’t believe how much of a community the people around the Kings Cross Area brings! I think everyone was heaps together but perhaps too together and it would’ve been better if there was more space between the tents- particularly around the food areas because it was a good squish!

Link: http://www.kingscrossfestival.com.au/

Occurs: Annually

Official hashtag: #kingscrosscolour

Angela Bee

Moe’s Tavern – Woolloomooloo Bay Hotel

Woolloomooloo Bay Hotel turned into Moe’s Tavern and brought Sydney Homer Simpson’s favourite Duff Beer on May 23-30.

“With breathtaking views spanning Sydney Harbour, the Botanical Gardens and the Finger Wharf, The Woolloomooloo Bay Hotel is one of Sydney’s waterfront centrepieces. The Bay is the perfect location for any type of lunch, dinner, gathering or event. With seating available on the ground floor bistro, courtyard, fireplace or level one balcony, the hotel truly does cater to all.”

Homer Simpson once said, “A woman is like beer. They look good, they smell good, and you’d step over your own mother just to get one.” Haha. #simpsonslove #childhood #adulthood

In celebration of my fellow intern completing her time at Cancer Council, we walked to the hotel to get some Duff in our bellies. Who doesn’t want to see what the Simpsons were in real life?

Loved the door. It screams welcome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

On the way up the stairs, we were greeted by kegs of beer. There were many more to come!

Walking in, the fake windows/mirror shone brightly around the pool tables and surprisingly there weren’t too many people. Just a tip, we got there at around 5:30 before the corporate invasion.

We approached the bar and of course we ordered a beer! $9.30 but it was light and quite bland. Not really a favourite and I expected it to be more unique.

I absolutely loved the beer taps though! It seemed like it was the only type on tap for the nights. You could alternatively purchase something else downstairs and bring it up if you wanted.

Then, we lined up for food.There was only one at the counter…

The food menu was alright and we accidentally met a girl who told us that the wings were tiny and the beef burger didn’t taste that great. Check out the size of that bun.

We opted for the seafood basket for $18. The batter on the fish was waaaay too much and the chips were a bit soggy. The squid was the best but where was the pepper?

The only thing I would get next time would be the pizza. Donuts always taste good but $4 each…?

Sneaky shot of someone else’s donut

Wings $10

Oysters

There was an outdoor area with some coasters. We were quite sneaky and stole a couple! Who knows, we can sell it on EBay ahahah.

Loved how the waiters had their Duff Badges, too! If only they had a real life a Homer and the TV show in the background…

Ohwell! There was enough beer for everyone!

Btw when we were walking outside, the line was huge! The security guards were strict and tallied numbers. Next time, get in quick.. or buy it from Dan Murphys or BWS: $17 a six-pack of 355ml cans and/or $45 a case from May 28.

Review Rating: =D  =)  =|  =(

Product (Moe’s Tavern): =)

Ambience: =D

Service: =)

Value: =)

Would I recommend going to Moe’s Tavern to friends? The atmosphere was great and that was it. It was opened from 5pm and if you plan on arriving after 6:30 it might not be worth the long wait.

Would I donate the money I saved to a charity? The experience was great but because the food and drink was so expensive, I don’t think I would spare much….especially if a beer normally costs $6 at my local pub. At least entry was free?

Highlight: the media wall! We just had really fun pictures! Also the taps and decoration. The walls were even blue and yellow diamond tinted! Amazing effort designers!

Suggestion of improvement: the food wasn’t the best. The wings portion was minimal for $10, the burger looked big but mostly bun and the seafood was so oily. No go.

Ends: May 30, 2014

Link: http://www.woolloomooloobayhotel.com.au/

Angela Bee

50 cent chicken wings and drumsticks – Black Penny

50 cent chicken wings and chicken drumsticks are such a great bargain for a Monday nights at Black Penny in Redfern.

Black Penny, along with Black Listed Gallery, is a bar and art space on 648 Bourke Street.

It was a 20 minute walk from Central Station on a pretty gloomy might for a couple of friends graduation. It was nicely situated on a corner and a small enough bar for a few guests.

The first thing you’ll notice when you get in is the art on the right side. It includes Pinnochio!

On the way up to the bar, which is only a couple of steps, you’ll see a small range of notes and coins from around the world as well as some old bottles.

It’s actually quite nice peeping down onto the quite small main floor but gives you that inch of importance.

On their website, it says that they Happy Hour specials are from 5-7 but on their PDF menu, it says 5-7. It was pretty unfortunate that we didn’t make it in time and it was actually the latter that was true #warning. Remember: next time arrive at 5pm for $5 drinks and $5 fries and pork crackling.

We just had some shared plates to go around including chunky hand cut wedges made from real potatoes. The skins were still on them and they were piping hot served with bacon infused aioli. Yum.

Of course we had the chicken too and the first of our batch went too quickly.

What I loved about them was that the meat was almost falling off the bones so you just had to use a fork to eat. They were deliciously marinated and definitely going for more.

We also had some salmon patties that were nice as well.

Small and dimmed bar with very nice staff. They even brewed their own beer for Craft Beer Week! They should do it all the time!!

Review Rating: =D  =)  =|  =(

Product (Monday specials at Black Penny): =)

Ambience: =)

Service: =)

Value: =)

Would I recommend a friend to go to Black Penny? The location is quite the walk but not too bad if you have the time. It was a cosy chilled out place but then again, we did go on a Monday night. I would have to tell my friends to go early for some special deals!

Would I donate the money saved to my charity? I’m not sure how much I would’ve saved? I don’t think so… If I was a local I would come here more often.

Highlight: chicken wings and drummettes. Maybe I was hungry but maybe the chicken was just really good. They also come in three flavours.

Suggestion of improvement: maybe just update the website so customers aren’t mislead when they arrive. I mean, they had so,e really nice cocktails and I would come back to try the other daily specials.

Ends: none. Click on link below to be updated.
Link: http://www.blackpenny.com.au/

Angela Bee

$5 steak Mondays – The Forresters

A hilltop feat from a Central Station makes $5 steak and chips at The Forresters a worthwhile treat on Mondays all day long with any drink purchase.

“Cold beer. Hot pizza. BBQ. Cocktails. Burgers.”

On the corner of Foveaux and Riley Street sits a funky pub with outdoor and indoor seating areas.

Their food and beverage specials are booming on either side of the window panels so passerbyers know what exactly is going on.

My friend and I go into into a warehouse- type room with the sun filtering through the ceiling. The orange lanterns and yellow string lights kinda make it feel like it’s Christmas again.

We head upstairs where longer tables and stool chairs are situated in front of a funky bar. If you go further up, there are umbrellas in the ceilings surrounded by ocean blue. It reminds me of Under The Sea Party!

Coming back down and towards the right hand side of the entrance is where it’s most crowded. Notice all the bottles on the top shelf.

The bar is crowded with memorabilia.

On the way we spot some nice sign writing promoting their daily specials. If you think you saw it once on a wall, walk around a bit before dole checking with staff. It’s everywhere!

So the deal goes like this: order a steak and say how you like it (rare. Medium, well done), specify if you’d like chips or mash, and which type of sauce (gravy, mushroom, pepper). Don’t forget to order a drink too.

It was hilarious because I just went up to the counter and said ‘a steak and chips please’ and the lady asked me like 5 questions after that. Cheapest beer is Carlton for $5.50, cider on tap $7 and glass of wine for $8.

I am absolutely amazed at how many people ordered steak and chips/mash. I guess it’s their specialty right? It came probably after 10 minutes with their famous Margherita Pizza my friends ordered. Very cheesey.

The steak was obviously not too big and there wasn’t that much chips but BUT that mushroom gravy was divine. For me, it was a good size. That is, if you’re a guy you might want to order two but it’s totally worth it. Chips were crunchy and I hadn’t had crinkle cut in a while! Oh McCain, you’ve done it again! Dish of gold and washed down with a good cold beer. I felt like a man. Slightly.

It wasn’t too crowded and the three of us could hear each other. Tops.

Review Rating: =D  =)  =|  =(

Product ($5 steak and chips): =)

Ambience: =)

Service: =D

Value: =)

Would I buy a $5 steak and chips at The Forresters every Monday? Portions are to my liking, not a bad atmosphere, a block away from Messina..let’s make it a weekly thing!

Would I donate the money I saved to my charity? Well I tried to see how much it cost for a small piece of meat at Woolworths. You’d also have to factor in the costs to make it, staff, rent, etc. I think steak, chips and a beer for $10 is pretty good. I mean, St James Hotel do something similar. Maybe $2 will go to charity.

Highlight: the gravy. It was wiped off the plate with my steak and chips. I really liked the signage and deco around. There was heaps of staff and pretty efficient service.

Suggestion of improvement: maybe more delicious gravy and slightly more chips next time round? I’ll have to try the mash next time round to see if it’s from powder or real mash. I’m always so skeptical since the KFC mash is powdered. It would’ve been nice if there was a vegetarian alternative. Oh wait, there is.. but it isnt on the menu/walls. Just saw $4 cobb salad and $4 greens on their webiste. oops.

Ends: never, but check website
Link: http://www.forresters.com.au/

Angela Bee

Burgers, Fries and Beer – Little Rumour

Last time my brother and I had an amazing time munching big juicy burgers with our Groupon deal. Unfortunately round 2 was the opposite.

Little Rumour is a small cafe, restaurant and bar joint on 4 Castlereagh in the centre of Sydney’s CBD offering $10 burgers, fries and beer as a Groupon voucher.

Expecting the same burger menu, I already had an idea of what I wanted. But when me and my friends got there, there was only the mere choice of cheeseburger, chicken breast burger, or chilli hot dog.

We had a little bit of difficulty when it came to ordering because there was no signage but we were told to present our vouchers at the bar.

There is a $5 beer special on weekdays 5-7pm so arrive early for some pre drinks.

Apparently the chilli dog isn’t that great so I decided to go for the cheese burger. Fortunately, I was allowed order a salad instead of fries because last time the fries were a bit dry. I’m not sure if the rocket and parmesan did it justice. There wasn’t a lot in the burger, probably the patty and that was all I could taste!

Instead, I piled it on my burger to add those veggies in my meal.

The cheeseburger was not bad but there was fat oozing out if you gave it a squeeze. Maybe opt for the chicken breast burger when you go.

Groupon burgers were half the size of their real juicy burgers. Shameful because after this instance my friends and I were put off by it.

Maybe the highlight was that there was a little bit of live music…

Next time come for their other specials.

Overall they were average. Nothing fancy. I would say the presentation was fancier than McDonalds.

Rating Review: =D  =)  =|  =(

Food and drink: =|

Ambience: =|

Service: =)

Value: =|

Would I come and get a Burger, Fries and Beer deal from Little Rumour again? In my previous blog, we were given better options and service was excellent. However this time round, I would say I would never buy it again. I recommended this to friends the first round and their comments were similar to this post.

Would I pay full price ($22) for the burgers, fries and beer? Now if I were to get the first burgers I originally got, yes. For this time, I would say no. $10 max and only because it came with beer.

Highlight: probably the beer. We tried to swap it for cider since my friend did it last time when she got the deal. Their needs to be some consistency required. Other than that, the interior design is fab.

Suggestion of improvement: bring back those deliciously huge burgers for the Groupon customers! If it was a marketing strategy then it wasn’t too well thought out. The salad would’ve been nicer with either tomatoes, or some other veg and not just rocket and small shavings of cheese. I squished it all in my burger instead. Now looking back at the Groupon, it states: ‘All burgers and chilli dogs served with a side of fries and aioli”- what?! Please give accordingly…

Ends: February 19, 2014
Link: http://littlerumour.com/

Angela Bee

Previous blog post: https://thewalkingadvertisement.wordpress.com/2013/12/15/little-rumour/

Sydney’s Backyard at the Opera Bar

There isn’t a more Australian thing to do than have a hot sausage sizzle in your right hand, and an Aussie beer in the other, particularly with the backdrop of Sydney’s most iconic attractions at the Opera Backyard BBQ.

The Opera House kitchen turned into an Aussie backyard for the past few weeks in lead up for Australia Day from 12-9pm, including musical performances on selected evenings.

The hint of green amongst the world class views of the harbour was the perfect solution to enjoying the summer lovin’ weather. Head over to the bar for some lemonade or beer.

Snag a (quite) expensive snack of cob on a cob $5, sausage sizzle $8, prawn skewers $10.

Then sit back on the chairs to enjoy the moment.

Best thing was the laundry hanging up. It’s quite rare that I had a conversation with foreigners about the hills hoist. Is it something we are proud of?

A little kids area with Connect Four!! I honestly didn’t know it was ‘Australian’.

Head up the stairs for the best kodak moment in the Southern Hemisphere.

Review Rating: =D  =)  =|  =(

Product (Opera Backyard BBQ Bar): =)

Ambience: =|

Service: =)

Value: =)

Would I go to the Opera Backyard Barbeque everyday? Unless you arrive at 11 on the dot or even when the weather is a bit down I don’t think I would because it gets so crowded! It’s actually quite a small area.

Would I pay to go to the Backyard BBQ? Sydney’s icons can be seen from plenty of angles and they are all spectacular. Fees are not charged so nope! The views itself should will get the money rolling for the Opera Kitchen.

Highlight: the white laundry hanging up on the tents. Who would’ve thought that would be more iconic than a fake beach? Kudos. Also, that killer background.

Suggestion of improvement: make it bigger because the amount of seats is quite minimal. And maybe have a dessert menu like pavlova or lamingtons for more variety. I also think we are lacking kangeroos and koalas in the area.. maybe we’ll need an outback theme next year!

Ends: January 27, 2014
Link: http://operabar.com.au/sydneysbackyard

Angela Bee

Little Rumour

There’s a ‘Little Rumour’ that burgers, baskets of fries and beers are back on the board amongst busy business offices on 4 Castlereagh Street, Sydney.

Groupon’s $10 Burger, fries and beer deal (http://www.groupon.com.au/deals/sydney/Little-Rumour/717765204) is a clear winner for a satisfying lunch or dinner meal if you’re working between Wynyard and Martin Place Station in the Sydney CBD.

“Little Rumour is a brand-new small bar in the heart of the CBD, by the team behind Batch Burger and Espresso, Kirribilli. The menu combines Thai street food with American-style bistro burgers and chilli dogs. Whet appetites by snacking on Bangkok fried chicken with Sriracha sauce and lamb spring rolls with hoisin or skip straight to the main event, with meals including the Brooklyn beef burger, pizzas and the classic Parmy.”

Spread the rumour about Little Rumour because my brother and I found it slightly hard to locate. It is inside an arcade-type building, with its cafe in front of the restaurant and bar. The cafe looked extremely appetizing, offering coffee, salads, muffins and sandwiches, but walk a little further and you’ll notice a bar with signs saying ‘$5 drinks’- not a bad price for drinks during or after work! (Shh, don’t tell the boss!)

As you walk in, the arty farty vibe will hit you. There are four areas you can sit in: outside stools and tables, watching a live installation that is cleverly situated next to the bar, royal blue couch with a gaming machine, or simply on the hard brown wooden table and white chairs as you walk in.

We were greeted with a wide eyed waiter who was (I felt) closely eyeing us as we walked in. He greeted us, accepted our vouchers and showed us our choices which came with fries and a Singha beer :

Brooklyn Burger (my brother got this)
100% Angus beef, bacon, smoked cheddar, pickles, tomato, lettuce and Spanish onion with Thousand Island dressing Brioche burger bun, served with fries and aioli

New Yorker Burger
100% Angus beef, bacon, fried egg, pineapple, beetroot, cheese and lettuce with BBQ and mayo on a brioche burger bun, served with fries and aioli

Tijuanero Burger (I chose this)
Spicy marinated chicken tenderloin, smoked cheddar, lime avocado, Spanish onion, cucumber, tomato, jalapenos & peri peri sauce on a brioche burger bun, served with fries and aioli

Classic Cheeseburger
100% Angus beef, cheese, pickles, Spanish onion, American mustard and ketchup on a Brioche burger bun, served with fries and aioli

Chilli Dog
Beef sausage, cheese, chilli mince, chilli sauce and American mustard on a white roll, served with fries and aioli

Noticing that they also do buffets of Thai salads, curries, rice and noodles for around $10, this place is not bad for those who want a full stomach.

The design and atmosphere reminds me of an art exhibition with short clips of animated characters displayed on one of the walls.

As you can notice, there isn’t really a ‘theme’ to this place which made me a tad confused because those chairs give that edge of the room a modern Asian feel…its as if a bunch of random funky stuff got together and made the furnishings of an unquestionably artistic room.

The bar has a modern but rusty feel to it too but of course it is well polished since its opening last month in November! It’s like we’ve just stepped into a comic strip scene!

We decided to sit on the ‘royal blue couch’. The dangerously slick and outrageous ornaments made this place stand out. There were even two boxes of old school disks.

Our meals were carried out to us even though they told us that our buzzer will beep when it was ready and the plus side was that we went pretty early – around 11 for an early lunch after my brother finished one of his exams!

How BIG is it? My mouth could barely reach both sides of the burger. We halved each portion to share and taste each others.

Brooklyn burger: beef patty was definitely better than the chicken making it extra tasty. This massive burger reminds me of Grilld burgers and the condiments were very similar.

Tijuanero burger: The chicken lacked a little but the sauce was brilliant!! It was so big that it nearly couldn’t fit in my mouth and the bun was also nice and soft.

Chilli dog: My friend came here through my recommendation and got this but said it wasn’t that great.. in other words, just stick with the burgers!

The chips were stick thin and were pretty much similar to ones from Maccas. They lacked some good chicken salt and came with an under performing aioli sauce although they were displayed neatly in a mini deep fryer rack. Maybe next time I’ll ask to exchange the fries with salad for a healthier choice. We barely managed to even finish half of it! The Singhas helped us wash down our burgers.. but I wouldn’t mind another to help me finish the fries!

Seeing everyone come in their nice little office suites is really a testament of how their little rumour has spread around the area. There was a lot of variety and unlike other places where people with solely vouchers would come, this restaurant needed the Groupon deal to act as a launchpad for growth.

Rating Review: =D  =)  =|  =(

Food and drink: =)

Ambience: =D

Service: =)

Value: =D

Would I buy another $10 deal? YES – I mean, it even includes a beer!

Would I spend $22 on the same meal? perhaps. I would probably discard the fries though.

Would I buy the same deal again? Yes

Best thing: the vibe, especially the royal blue comfy couch! Also, no bookings required.

Suggestion of Improvement: Add some chicken salt to the fries or add more garlic to the aioli sauce and give it that ‘wow’ factor.

Angela Bee