Home Thai Restaurant | Sussex Street, Sydney | 9

Thai food is an institution in Australia. In Nick Earls’ book Zigzag Street (which now seems ubiquitous across Brisbane high school reading lists) the “usual order for Hiller” comprised of chicken satay, panag nua and large ice. I would have to agree with the order for Hiller- nothing beats a good lounge around sort of takeaway dinner than a tasty Thai curry.

Recently, rafts of new Thai restaurants seem to be testing the Australian palate. On the recent trip to Sydney, Home could not be avoided. The default dining partner and I needed a quick and cheerful bite before a show and Home came highly recommended.

Henschke Henry’s Seven | 2009 Shiraz Grenache Viognier Mourvèdre, Barossa | 9

There’s nothing better than sitting down and relaxing with a nice glass of a good mellow red. There’s something about the way in which the wine waltzes down your throat, sending a wave of warmth through your body. Although, there’s not much worse than swallowing a mouthful of red-coloured kerosene and having to pour the rest down the sink.

I’ve found that $100 bottles of wine can sometimes taste of absolute crap. Similarly, I’ve found many $10 wines that I really like. The great thing about Australian shirazes, cabernets or blends involving either is that when you pay around $20-$30, you always get a wine that you enjoy. The Henry’s Seven is a magnificent blend of quality and price that for $25, in my opinion, isn’t matched.

Marigold | George Street, Sydney | 6.5

In our world which is Brisbane, we can heap our food scene with much praise, and rightly so. In the last few years cuisine options have expanded, and Melbourne-esque laneway bars have emerged. However, when compared with our southern brethren, Brisbane is still a long-way off. Perhaps it was precisely for these very reasons that despite my recent whirlwind trip to Sydney, I still feel that I packed on kilos. Or perhaps, it is the family phenomenon where we seem to most often bond over food.

One obligatory meal commitment is the lunch time yum cha. The only problem is that this is a somewhat ubiquitous tradition! Sydney Chinese restaurateurs have cottoned onto this, and as a testament to their entrepreneurship, supply satisfies demand. Marigold Chinese Restaurant was cavernous, and sprawled over two stories. Here, finding a table for ten was no problem. The issue was logistical - getting up to the restaurant via three small elevators!

Shinbashi Yakiniku | Logan Road, Underwood | 7.5

There is little doubt that chicken soup is highly nourishing. However, it is even more so when it comes with your dinner, and is free-flowing!

It was the night of my mother’s birthday, something special was requested. After much umming and ahhing (for most options around the Logan area has been long expended) we set out in a non-committing manner. Fortune favours the bold, and we stumbled across Shinbashi Yakiniku. I do enjoy a good Asian barbeque, and I was not disappointed.