SYDNEY DAY 2.5
Hello! I'm back to finish off the last post (: Eating a chocolate cupcake from twelvecupcakes. (Surprise from J after work hehe) So yes, I'm in a good mood although we got stood up by a friend for supper tonight. Got stood up twice today! Lol.
After our whale watching experience of which you can find the post HERE, we proceeded to the Sydney Aquarium. I am usually very excited when it comes to aquariums and such. Was definitely hoping the experience would be very much like my experience in Shanghai! Loved the one in Shanghai.
Here's a Crane fountain which I thought was really pretty (actually, I'm not certain if they're cranes..)
Probably the only decent shot with the fountain without any weird ladies behind me taking photos or small boys running around to hug the cranes lol
Random lonesome seagull
We actually managed to get to the Sydney Aquarium before nightfall. Hooray!
If you're interested, ticket prices for Adults (16 years and above) are Aud$35, concession prices are Aud$28. The trick in Sydney for everything touristy is. SERIOUSLY. to buy everything online. I should have done that for the Aquarium and I had no idea why I didn't. I only came back to find out that the price is so much cheaper bought online -_- Adults Aud$20 only. You save $15!
There are also Combo passes whereby you could mix and match the other attractions you would like to visit as well such as WILD LIFE Sydney and Madame Tussads or Sydney Tower Eye. Depending on how many you would like to visit, there are different price categories for different combinations.
You can book all online tickets here: CLICK HERE!
Opening hours for Sydney Aquarium is 9am to 5pm.
The Great Barrier Reef display was amazing.
They had super huge and wide tank/s to hold all the fish in it!
A pretty pink ray with blue turqouise dots on it. All Ivan could think about when he saw it was how delicious it would taste -_- (same goes for almost the rest of the other sea creatures that is humanly possible to be consumed)
HUGE Spider Crabs! Their tentacles are crazily long!
This is probably the most dangerous section of the entire aquarium. It was an open spaced tank where you could see what fish they kept below it, meaning it was a free-for-all if you were to dive into it and get eaten by sharks alive 0_0 There is literally no netting and the glass panel is slightly higher than waist level. No security guards nor warning! Parents who bring their children should definitely be careful here haha. You don't want your children ending up as shark bait would you?
Sharks and huge rays below
Scary shark :/ Look at those menacing teeth and eyes
We had to walk down a level to view the shark tanks. Was very disappointed because it was so dark! I couldn't really see them properly. I'm not sure if they preferred to live in dim lighting though which is why the tank was very dim. Either that or the lights were spoilt -_-
This really interesting fish is probably one of the highlights during my trip there! You had to look into a pitch black tank that was taped up, leaving only small holes for you to look into. You can't see the fish but you can see flashes of blinking neon lights!
An extremely grumpy stonefish lol. It looks retarded and it has barnacles growing on it.
Ivan wants to eat this crab v badly and I can see why. Look at how much meat you can get out of the claw! #whatintheworld
An adorable puffer fish (:
The Great Barrier Reef area was the best to take photos in. It was so gorgeous!
I really like that pink coral on the left. Looks like a bunch of coral pink daisies with yellow centers!
Clown fish and the Sea Anemone
Hi Dory! Where's Nemo?
One of the rather shallow tanks where the tank is not 3 times your height haha
I love this spastic fish. And oddly enough, it's called a Unicorn fish.
Loved the Great Barrier Reef section and it was located nearer the end of the Aquarium journey. They do need to seriously improve their lighting in some of the other tanks though :/ I was actually pretty sad that I didn't get to see the Penguins and Dugongs cos their areas were under renovation. WHATT... I missed the penguins in Shanghai as well ): and DUGONGS! I wanted to see the dugongs.
Night scenery of Darling Harbour
This was along the streets at one of the State Theatres.
Didn't mind catching a show on my own whilst I was there but 1 ticket costed more than Aud$140 :/ I was hoping it'll be cheaper..
We met up with Ivan's friends for dinner that night at Food Society. Chef Richard Slarp presents a take on the classics and a twist on Eastern European cuisine, flavoured from the Adriatic.
Their restaurant setting was extremely European-like. Simplistic and slightly modern with a rustic feel. LOVE IT.
It was pretty crowded for a Wednesday night apparently so our food took a while to arrive. We started off with a 2010 Cuttaway Hill Estate Chardonnay (Southern Highlands) - White Wine, Aud$54 a bottle.
Unfortunately for me, the lighting in there is pretty dim. And there were specks of yellow light flickering everywhere and it's not exactly great for Food Photog. Poor and without a decent flash, these are what I managed to snap. (lol at the useful tealight candle in every background) Oh, and the help of Ray's flashlight app.
| Starters |
Cevapi, Balkan style sausage on cos with Crisp Speck, Red Pepper Puree and Sour Cream
(gluten free), Aud$3.5
We had the sausage for starters and they were really good! Had the right amount of heat in the sausage itself and the sour cream managed to balance off the spiced flavour very well.
| Boards |
Cured Meats with House Pickled Vegetables, Aud$20
HEAVEN ON A BOARD!
The Salami and Prosciutto were probably my favourite. Great quality cured meats definitely
| Substantials |
Chicken Breast with Potato Dumplings, Mushroom and Paprika, Aud$25
The lady suggested for us to order 3 substantials amongst 4 people to share. I find it quite interesting that they call their mains 'Substantials'. Most people who love chicken thigh would not like chicken breast since they might find it dry but this chicken breast was extremely tender. What I loved most about the dish is actually the potato dumplings! lol. They are like mashed potato but rolled into a ball and the consistency of it is thrice the starchy-ness of mash. They are super sticky but oh so delish especially when paired with the chicken. YUM.
Lamb Ribs with Sliced Potatoes, Tomato, Eggplant and Rosemary, gf, Aud$25
The lamb ribs were extremely tender to touch and they slide right off the bones with no effort at all. They were marinated really well and I loved this dish! I cleaned my bones off very happily. Did I mention that I love the potatoes that came with this dish as well? Unlike the potato dumplings, they're normal sliced potatoes but they taste so great! They must be doing their potatoes the right way for them to taste so good in every dish.
Grilled Cuttlefish on Squid Ink Risotto with Parmesan, gf, Aud $26
Squid Ink Risotto. What more can I say? You could literally taste the amount of butter in that risotto as well. YUMS. The cuttlefish was grilled to perfection as well and had the right amount of chew to it. Definitely a good variety on our substantials list alongside the lamb and chicken.
Overall, I was really happy with our mains! They were extremely tasty and definitely worth the amount of money we were paying for them. It's probably hard to find a risotto done well in Singapore. I would go back for all 3 mains in a heartbeat. There were 7 mains in total on their menu that night.
Like as if we weren't stuffed enough, (oh I forgot, I was eating with 3 guys lol) we decided to order desserts. I thought, alright, a dessert or 2 would be good. BUT, we ended up ordering 4! -_- Out of all 6 desserts on the menu, we ordered 4 of them. Oh my. Such gluttens we are. We each picked one from the menu.
| Sweets |
Society Signature Paula with Strawberry Compote, Aud$12
This was probably the least photogenic out of all the desserts. And it didn't came out looking like what we were hoping it to be! We didn't know what was a 'Paula' so we googled it and it sort of looked like a pudding cake but it came presented like that :/ It didn't really sit on my taste buds very well either. I only took a bite out of it so I can't exactly comment much on it.
Walnut Souffle with Walnut Ice Cream and Chocolate Sauce, Aud$13
The Walnut Souffle was fluffy and moist and had a strong aroma of the walnut. I felt that together with the walnut ice cream, it was sort of like an overkill though. Had to sort of neutralise the taste with the chocolate sauce.
Chocolate Ganache with a Chocolate Mousse, White Chocolate Ice Cream coated in Brownie and Bitter Tuile, Aud$12
Please look at the dessert title. How could you resist something like that! Needless to say, I chose this dessert and it's definitely the BEST among the 4 desserts we had. The chocolate ganache paired with the choc mousse and white choc ice cream was simply heavenly! The ganache was so thick and rich and creamy and I was slightly sad I had to share this cos I wanted it all to myself haha. The tuile was crispy and sticky, just the way it should be. For the price point of the dish, this was extremely worth it!
MUST TRY!!!
The last dessert that we had was the Baked Apple Stuffed with Pistachio, Rice Pudding, Almonds and Cider Caramel, Aud$11. Didn't have any photos of it but I remembered I didn't exactly like it as well. If you love apples, you might be a fan of it as the apple was really moist and drizzled with loads of caramel. It had a unique taste to it.
The Chocolate Ganache Dessert is definitely on my list of MUST TRY food items in Sydney. I would gladly go back just for this the next time and probably to have a main or two (:
FOOD SOCIETY
91 Riley Street, Darlinghurst, Sydney
Tel: 02 8090 3462
Website: www.foodsociety.com.au/
I wanted to visit GoodGod but by the time we got there, it was closed ): We reached there about 11pm and they were being extremely vague by saying that they will close LATE. Seriously Sydney? Why are your bars closed so early as well...
In any case, GoodGod is like a bar and small club. They have musicians or comedies performing there on different days and they offer a list of interesting burgers/ hot dog buns as well. There was a 'Watermelon and Bacon Burger' consisting of grilled watermelon w/ bacon, lime mayo, rocket and grilled onion. Really wanted to try that! For sweets, they serve peanut butter ice cream w/ toasted brioche, peanut brittle and strawberry jelly. Obviously for the peanut butter lovers out there (:
We decided to settle for a cornerside pub called 3 Wise Monkeys. I've passed by it a few times since I was there and so decided to go in to take a look. The interior was pretty shabby and more of like, a casual pub. They had 3 levels and there was live music playing on the 3rd where we ordered a beer and sat down to listen. I got a James Squire Golden Ale cos I asked the bartender to recommend me one of their Australian beers.
3 WISE MONKEYS
555 George Street, NSW 2000, Sydney (corner of George & Liverpool Street)
Tel: 02 9283 5855
Website: www.3wisemonkeys.com.au
Opening Hours: Monday to Thursday 10am to 3am | Friday 10am to 4am
Saturdays & Public Holidays 11am to 4am | Sundays 11am to 3am
Not the best pub to visit in Sydney but if you're looking for one that opens till pretty late, then you ought to visit it. Furthermore, it's said to be located in a historic building and the pub is listed in the City of Sydney Heritage Inventory with free live music 7 nights a week.
That about wraps up my 2nd day in Sydney.
Next up: Sydney | Trio Cafe at Bondi Beach, Surry Hills Vintage Shopping & Grill'd
Have a great day!
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