Totti’s - Bondi

My wife discovered Totti’s when we were hunting for a good place to eat around Bondi. We went for the first time less than a fortnight ago, and I’ve been haunted by their delicious Rigatoni (see below) ever since!

Located on Bondi Rd (up the hill from Icebergs) Totti’s is a Merivale location that is just perfect for a summer Italian meal. It’s tucked beside / next to The Royal Bondi pub - but once you walk in you’ll forget about the pub part nearly instantly.

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Menu (as of December 2019);

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Antipasti selections

Clockwise from top; Wood-fired bread ($11.00), Prosciutto ($16.50), Olives ($8.00), and Salami ($8.50).

When we first visited Totti’s we were in a rush and foolishly decided to skip the antipasti menu options. After seeing how great all the options were on neighbouring tables - we very quickly knew what we wanted to try. All the options were great and of high quality.

TIP: If you are ordering pasta, save half or a third of the wood-fired bread for dipping in remaining pasta sauce(s). This is a pro Italian tip.

From another angle, to give you an idea how high the bread rises from being freshly made in the oven.

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Rigatoni ($28.50)

Rigatoni, milk-braised pork & chilli

Here is what my mind is calling ‘perfection pasta’'. It’s hard to describe how happy I am eating this dish. It’s rich, delicious, and just what I want. The delicious pork is merged with the right amount of cheese and chilli to create a dish that blew my mind when I first had it - and was just as amazing the second time.

This time we had spare bread to dip in the sauce - a must.

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Bucatini vongole (with extra chilli, $29.50)

with chilli and garlic

My wife’s choice is an outstanding seafood pasta. She always orders extra chilli for pasta - and they get it exactly how she likes it. I only got to sample a few bites before it disappeared - but suffice it to say it’s a hit.

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Baked Eggplant ($11.50)

Baked eggplant, chilli & pangrattato

This is a side that we ordered on a whim, and has become a much needed order. The freshly baked eggplant has a very tangy and spicy chilli coating.

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PROS:

• One of the best pasta dishes I’ve had in Sydney

• Have yet to try anything on their menu that hasn’t been delicious

• Great waitstaff / Highchairs for babies!

CONS:

• Parking on Bondi Road might be difficult

• A bit too expensive to come more frequently

• You may feel sad finishing your meal / dish

OVERALL:

We loved Totti’s so much we had to get a second visit in before the end of the year. I can forsee this being a place we visit at least a couple of times a year.

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DETAILS:

Address: 283 Bondi Rd, Bondi NSW 2026

Phone: (02) 9114 7371

Site: Totti’s (Menu)

Instagram: @tottis.syd

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Antipasto Christmas Wreath

This Christmas my wife made this incredible antipasto Christmas wreath for our family lunch. The idea is so simple, yet so effective that I really think this is my preferred way of eating antipasto now.

The entire wreath is compiled from individual 16cm skewers, which look like….

Individual antipasto skewers.

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INGREDIENTS:

There is no strict list, but all of what we got was at Woolies;

• 16cm skewers.

• Salami (I like the Garlic & Fennel one)

• Hot Salami (Sopressa)

• Prosciutto / Jarmon

• Baby Bocconcini

• Little peppers stuffed with feta

• Pitted Green olives

• Pitted Black olives

• Marinated Artichokes

• Cherry Tomatoes (halved)

• Basil leaves

• Cocktail onions

• Fresh Rosemary Sprigs (Optional / Garnish).

It’s really up to you what you think would be tasty, but what I noted was that having a mix of items - salty, tart, fresh, different meats

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METHOD (constructing skewers):

• This is fairly obvious, but you set up all your ingredients and start shoving them onto skewers.

• We found that it’s good to place stronger/firmer items at the base and top of the skewer to ensure it all stays constructed (note: it’s usually a green olive or a cherry tomato).

• You can mix up the combos, we tended to have two meats on eat skewer. Note, this can be made vegetarian/vegan friendly by just selecting appropriate ingredients.

METHOD (constructing the wreath);

• On a large white square or round platter, carefully place individual skewers in a circle (wreath) shape.

• We started with a hexagon, and then kept overlapping

• Garnish with fresh rosemary sprigs

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An example of what two different skewers look like

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Bonus: You can use these skewers for a great picnic!

We had leftover components after Christmas and brought along the skewers to a picnic.

Sang by Mabasa - Surry Hills

We are delighted that a fantastic new Korean restaurant serves up some of the most exception Korean food in Sydney! My wife has praised this place saying “it's the most authentic Korean she's had outside of Korea”.

I actually saved a review of this back in Nov 2018, but it took us nearly a year to first visit. We’ve been twice, and both times walked away so happy and also sad that our dining experience ended.

We are always on the look out for new Korean and places that do specific Korean dishes really well. My wife is Korean and having amazing Korean food helps with homesickness and cravings for things that her aussie husband hasn’t quite mastered cooking yet.

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Weekend Lunch Menu (As of Dec 2019);

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Lunch Specials (as of 07.12.2019)**:

**Note: the lunch specials changes frequently - but so far they’ve all been excellent. In fact, I’m sure I’m not alone when I say I wish some of the specials were regular items on their menu !

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Jjim Mandu ($14.00)

Home-made pork or vege steamed dumplings with sides (v).

Korean dumplings (Mandu) are usually a good thing to order, and at a place like SBM we guessed correctly that they would be great. They were frankly perfect.

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Jae yuk ($15.00)

Spicy BBQ pork belly with rice & sides.

Yae yuk is one of my favourite Korean dishes, and SBM’s version is really great. The dish comes out in it’s own small hot plate, and rice and sides come seperate. I’m glad that this is one of the regular menu items.

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Soondubu Jjigae ($15.00) - **LUNCH SPECIAL / Limited time**

Spicy silken tofu soup

Words really can’t describe how good this version of Soondubu is. Perfect? Amazing? I’m getting sad thinking about the fact that this was a lunch special which means it was only available for a limited time.

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Kimchi Bibim Guksu ($15.00) - **LUNCH SPECIAL / Limited time**

Spicy cold noodle with Kimchi

This was the dish that my wife was dying to have. She was so satisfied with this dish, it really felt like being back in Korea. It was really tasty, and I noted that it was very popular with our Korean friends who went to try it - and on Sang by Mabasa’s Instagram account!

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Banchan (Side dishes) - FREE / Complimentary

It wouldn’t be a Korean restaurant if you weren’t given some panchan. The exact mix changes constantly, but expect to have a kimchi, a more neutral/green option, and perhaps a fishcake. This guess is just based off the two visits we’ve done.

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Pomegranate Ade ($6.00)

I love this so much that I don’t think I can come here and not order it! So good and refreshing. The only trouble is convincing our toddler that it isn’t juice for him to try/have.

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Older Lunch Specials (cira Nov 2019):

As I mentioned before, the lunch specials change frequently which is a double-edged sword. You constantly get new and amazing things to try - but when you love it, it’ll likely be gone.

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Ddeok Bokki ($15.00) - **OLD LUNCH SPECIAL / Limited time**

Spicy Stir-fried rice cakes

Whilst Ddoek Bokki is normally casual street food, this is exactly the high-quality you’d expect to have as a restaurant dish. My wife likely still wants to order this.

Note: since this was a lunch special back in Nov 2019, they might not make it / have it available to order.

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Kong Guksu ($15.00) - **OLD LUNCH SPECIAL / Limited time**

Cold Soy-bean noodle soup

This was my adventurous order - I love cold korean noodles, but have never had the soy-bean variant before. My wife said that it would likely be very good, and whilst it was (according to her native expertise) I have to admit I was slightly disappointed by it. Not because of the dish, but rather my own inability to enjoy soy-bean as much as I thought I did.

I didn’t really eat that growing up and the flavour is something I’m learning to appreciate. To be frankly honest, the biggest reason I was disappointed was because I knew I could have ordered something else from the menu and made a pact that that I’d have to come back to try more of their menu.

Note: since this was a lunch special back in Nov 2019, they might not make it / have it available to order.

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PROS:

• Could be the best tasting Korean restaurant in Sydney.

• Every lunch special has been amazing, and all the food has been really great.

• They have a high-chair !

CONS:

• Lunch menu seems to be more appealing / better options than dinner menu.

• Amazing lunch specials disappear too quickly and you’ll be wanting more!

• Extremely limited soup options for dinner/takeaway

OVERALL:

We love love love SBM and only wish that they did more of their menu at night/dinner so I could come and get takeaway once a week. Sadly, we seem to only be limited to visiting at lunch on weekends.

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DETAILS:

Address = 98 Fitzroy St, Surry Hills NSW 2010

Phone = (02) 9331 5175

Website = https://www.sangbymabasa.com.au

Menu = https://www.sangbymabasa.com.au/menu.html

Instagram (for weekly specials!) > @sangbymabasa

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R U Ok? Day - it's ok not to be ok

Today is national R U OK? Day (12th Sept), an Australian suicide prevention charity that aims to start life-changing conversations.

I’m a supporter of this cause, because I always want to help people, and I want to do my utmost to ensure that those I know, love, and care for know that I am always here for them.

Caring conversations.

At the heart of RUOK? is the idea that three simple words can have a profound impact. Sometimes, just the act of actually caring and actually listening is enough to help someone.

I’m not the guru on how to do these conversations, but R U OK? site - How to Ask has some great resources if you are interested. They also have a resources page for more detailed information.

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Look and listen

One of the things about RUOK? is that you should take a moment to consider if what you see and hear add up. If you feel that someone is struggling, or there is something bothering them - be brave and ask. One time someone I worked with was busy, rushing around, and as we passed each other going down the hall a brief glance and nod of acknowledgement didn’t sit right with me. Something about the nod, something that was in his eyes… said something more was at play. So I stopped, turned, and asked if he was ok - but really meant it. He was a little taken aback, that I had stopped my day to speak to him, but he sighed and said that there were some family things happening that were upsetting him. I asked if he wanted to chat to me about it - in a sincere and polite way. He smiled and thanked me, but said that if needed to he would.

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It’s ok not to be ok.

I think one of the complexities surrounding this is the inherent nature of people to hide / shy away from sharing when they are struggling. In this day and age of social media, we are constantly being bombarded and pressured to only display the superficial “best things”.

One thing to keep in mind is that it is actually ok to not be ok. Life can get messy, bad things happen, stress / pressure / responsiblities can see overwhelming. Sometimes just having a friend or someone you can honestly say “I’m not doing ok" can be a good first step. Don’t feel guilty to speak up, or ashamed that you are struggling.

If you’ve gotten this far - and you need someone to talk to Lifeline = 13 11 14

Alternatively, if you ever need to chat - you can reach me via twitter @benjamin_lewis

(*Note: I’m not a doctor, nor mental healthcare professional, but I am happy to listen).

Mekong Merchant - Avalon

Residents of the Northern Beaches (/North Shore) don’t have to trek out to Marrickville, Enmore, or Cabramatta to have a fantastic Vietnamese Bánh Mì - there’s a place in Avalon that’s smashing it.

Wrap ya laughing gear around that! The photos and words don’t do it justice.

Located near the heart of Avalon shops (near the Avalon RSL - using landmarks for locals) Mekong Merchant is a little place that has some amazing Vietnamese dishes.

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Menu (as of August 2019):

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Crispy Pork Belly Bánh Mì ($12.00)

other filling options are: BBQ Pork, BBQ Chicken, Lemongrass beef or Marinated Tofu (all $10.00)

You get a choice of which type of Bánh Mì you want, but after a previous visit I know that I’ll only ever be ordering the Crispy Pork Belly one. It’s full of delicious crispy pork and crackling, along with your traditional Bánh Mì fillings.

The problem is, that about halfway through eating it you’ll experience a sense of sadness that you're going to be finishing it soon. You’ll briefly ponder if you can eat two without becoming sick but dismiss that as gluttony.

Check. It. Out.

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Beef Pho ($16.00)

beef noodle soup

The pho is really great. Flavourful, fresh, hot, but one downside that my wife shared was that it doesn’t come with a lot of noodles. I definitely snuck 4-5 spoonfuls of broth joyfully.

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Rice Paper Rolls ($4.50 each)

Choice of: BBQ Pork, BBQ Chicken, Lemongrass Beef, Marinated Tofu.

BBQ Pork rice paper roll

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PROS:

• Amazing Bánh Mì

• Pho is delicious

• Perfect food options for the beaches

CONS:

• Only open until 3:00pm (wish they were open for dinner)

• Food items can sell out towards end of day if popular.

• You may experience regrets that you didn't order some as takeaway.

OVERALL:

We love Mekong Merchant, in fact when we were discussing where to eat in Avalon I counter suggested we get Vietnamese from here and we both agreed that was the best option.

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DETAILS:

Address: 53 Avalon Parade, Avalon Beach

Phone: 02 9918 3547

MAP:

 

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Bonus - takeaway

My wife was smart enough to order some rice paper rolls as takeaway, and I was very envious a few hours later when she tucked into them.