Music Friday - time to party with Nick Howard - Falling For You

Nick Howard - Falling For You

I start to think about the way you make me smile

Like pictures in my mind I hold them for a while

I’m thinking to myself "yes I’m a lucky man"

I don’t believe in fairytales but this time around I can

I start to think about the way you make me laugh

There’s no one else on earth that I could ever love

When I stop and look at you my heart, it starts to bloom

My legs and arms they crumble when you walk into the room

Now I’m falling for you I hope you’re falling for me

And I’m falling so hard that I am head over heels

And I hope you touch down before my feet hit the ground

I’m falling for you

I hope you’re falling for me

I start a list of all my favorite things you do

Like the way your smile can light up any room you choose

I love the way you look at me and hold my hand

The things I couldn’t do before when I’m with you I can

Now I’m falling for you I hope you’re falling for me

And I’m falling so hard that I am head over heels

And I hope you touch down before my feet hit the ground

I’m falling for you

I hope you’re fallinG ....

See you’ve got my grip and I can’t let go

I’m falling hard and the whole world knows

The whole world’s singing ‘L-L -Love Love Love’

Well I’m standing here and I’ll break your fall

And we’ll scream and shout it out

Till the whole worlds singing ‘L-L -Love Love Love’

Till the whole worlds singing ‘L-L -Love Love Love’

They say you lose the spark in time well that’s not true

I still get butterflies whenever I see you

I’m so relieved that you fell just as hard as me

Together we’ll keep falling, and in love we’ll always be

Now I’m falling for you and now you’ve fallen for me

And we’re falling so hard that we are head over heels

And I hope we touchdown, but our feet don’t hit the ground

I’m falling for you

And now you’ve fallen for me ....

Restaurant Review - Gastro Park (Kings Cross) - hatted hype

Give it up for Grant King's Gastro Park, recently awarded two chef's hats in this year's Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide. Barely six months into its infancy, Gastro Park has garnered immediate acclaim from critics, foodies, and hoi polloi alike. Other restaurants must be feeling a touch envious at its meteoric rise from a concept to being awarded two toques all within a blink of an eye. Even the now three-hatted and much lauded Sepia in Sydney's CBD started with a single hat before gaining a hat each year to become 2011's Restaurant Of The Year. It certainly helps that Grant King was the head chef at three-hatted Pier before leaving to open Gastro Park, but what makes the restaurant so spectacular? We are here on a Friday lunchtime to get to the bottom of its success and determine if the hype is justified.

The location

Gastro Park is in Sydney's most infamously salacious suburb, Kings Cross, and unless one is a fan of seedy discotheques, vagrants, illicit drug activities, bordellos, or adult-related establishment implorations, then it seems hardly an ideal location for a fancy noshery. It is interesting to note Gastro Park's website stating both Potts Point and Kings Cross as its address (with Potts Point listed first, natch), but with it being barely thirty metres from Darlinghurst Road, it is a little optimistic to say the least.

Its location at the juncture of Roslyn Street and Kellett Way affords it a little peace and quiet, but the views are not exactly inspiring. A dirty laneway, delivery vans and trucks, Ward Avenue, and a near-ramshackle building are the best it has to offer. A shame too as the milk-can-like building housing the restaurant itself is eye-catching and unique.

The name

Hmm, Gastro Park. The 'gastro' is patently 'gastronomy' abbreviated, but in most minds, gastro is more commonly short for 'gastroenteritis', not exactly what one wants to have on the mind when dining out, even if one has a packet of Imodium handy. And the name is not exactly as elegant or sophisticated as other hatted royalty such as Quay, Bilson's, Tetsuya's, Aria, Marque, Rockpool, etcetera. Alas, 'Grant's' would be too diner-esque and 'King's' too grandiose and pretentious, so the chef's name is no source of inspiration here

The decor

The dining room is industrially modern, elegantly chic, and casual. Treated floorboards; lots of concrete; dark wooden tables and chairs; no tablecloths; hanging lights; a large centrepiece holding a potted flora of some sort and housing menus, cutlery, plates, water, and cheeses; a lone abstract painting giving a splash of colour. Finally an element worthy of two chef's hats, as everything works synergistically. Floor-to-ceiling windows allow lots of natural light, and thin curtains can be drawn when the Sydney sun is overbearing. The only downside is the aforementioned view and no soft furnishings to dull the din when the restaurant gets busy, which will be often.

Hot buttered sourdough ($5)

The menu

Sophisticated but with a casual vibe. Five categories - snacks, entrees, mains, cheeses, and desserts - each with something out-of-the-box and intriguing. Liquid butternut gnocchi? Check. Soy and mustard glazed swordfish belly? Ditto. Nitro pavlova? Yep, you've got me. And not a cliched duck or pork belly dish in sight! Miraculous.

The menu is printed on A4 paper; not leather-bound, not tackily laminated, just a simple piece of copy paper prone to water, creases, and sticky fingers. No nonsense chic.

Seared venison, wilted elk, soy, ginger, and bonito dressing ($26)

The food

Venison is not a common sight on menus around Sydney, and I wonder why, because when prepared well, it is uniquely gamey and tender. This Asian-style venison entree is something to behold: vibrant, moist, and flavoursome, while the dressing lifts it to another level with a strong balance of salty and sweet. It is presented nicely and appetisingly, but on one of those darn black slates, which screeches like fingernails down a blackboard each time the knife is used. One confusion I have is the wilted elk; the only elk I know and have been able to ascertain is the deer, so what's the elk on the plate and can you wilt a deer?

Liquid butternut gnocchi, mushroom consomme, sage ($26)

The butternut gnocchi entree's description does little to reveal its true identity, which is whimsical, spectacular, ambitious, and designed to frustrate. A crispy ring of cheese is perched on the rim of a small fishbowl, and three fragile ovate spheres of liquid butternut is precariously balanced symmetrically, alongside enoki mushrooms and a crispy sage leaf. Inside the bowl is an earthy mushroom consomme, warm and aromatic, with more 'gnocchi' spheres floating about. The flavours are intense, the technique employed is surely time-consuming, and the result is a sight to behold. Each liquid 'gnocchi' lovingly pops in the mouth, but the consomme is difficult to consume without a proper soup spoon, so slurping is the only option towards the end, making it socially awkward.

Slow-cooked hapuka, octopus, cavalo nero, chorizo, preserved lemon, butter sand ($38)

Ugh, another black slate. The hapuka main is once again a palette of colour, texture, and flavours. Fleshy and incredibly moist, the hapuka is mainly bland, but combined with some slightly rubbery octopus, briny cavalo nero and chorizo cones, and gritty butter 'sand', it becomes a harmonious melange. Scraping the flavoursome 'sand' off the slate once again produces an unwanted scratching sound, and the preserved lemon sauce is redundantly subtle. With Restaurant Arras' monkfish dish still lingering in my memory, the hapuka pales in comparison.

Saddle of lamb, mushrooms, potato puree ($42)

The lamb is another artistic flourish on a plate (and not on a black slate, yay!), and K's request to have the artichokes replaced by a potato puree is granted by the kitchen. A long saddle of lamb is surrounded by a kaleidoscope of mushrooms, leaves, and herbs. Flavours are strong and earthy, but parts of the lamb are unusually chewy.

Pain perdu, caramelised apple, balsamic ice cream ($18)

Unlike in Australia, where French toast is a breakfast item, the French likes theirs for dessert. This one is minimalistic, with three cubes of golden brown bread served with more cubes (of caramelised apple), a non-descript foam, and balsamic ice cream. The bread is toffee-like sticky, sweet, and possesses a deft crunch, while the apples and balsamic ice cream give contrast. Good but slightly forgettable.

Chocolate, honeycomb, mandarin sphere, cookies and cream ($22)

The final dessert is a cracker, and in fact part of this dessert needs to be cracked, with a mandarin sphere holding a pool of delicious honeycomb and chocolate-flavoured cream ready to erupt. There are textural components dispersed all around the plate, and the details are intricate, down to the minuscule violet macarons the size of thumbnails (who made these, the Smurfs?). Combine everything and one gets a sensual bacchanalian of sweet, smooth, cool, crunchy, and oh-so-good-I'll-have-another.

The food overall is a gastronomic success, a culinary detente of convention and innovation. Fashion-forward food firmly grounded in traditional cooking but with soupcons of modern techniques are becoming the norm, and Gastro Park does it better than most. Whether it is superior or more memorable than those restaurants not worthy of two chef's hats is debatable.

The service

Service is one element which separates the great from the so-so, but on this occasion it stumbles with inconsistencies, miscommunication, and what appears to be greenhorn staff road-testing the lunch service. Although the restaurant is only half full, two courses (mains and desserts) are unforgivably delivered to the incorrect table, while for the $5 sourdough bread, no bread plates or butter knife are given. And even though the service is friendly and professional, it falls short of bonhomie or genuine warmth and feels a little clinical. Not quite the level of service we have encountered at similar restaurants.

Whatever our opinion, Gastro Park is already in the eyes of many a sparkling diamond amidst the debauchery of the Cross if the overwhelmingly positive reviews are any indication. It may have potentially titillating food using some interesting and high quality produce, but small quibbles regarding the location, the messy service, and uneven execution prevent us from a wholehearted recommendation. So despite the love affair food writers and foodies have with Gastro Park, we won't join in the culinary menage a trois just yet. Time will tell whether it is truly worthy of its burgeoning reputation or if it is just another evanescent flash in the crowded and fickle Sydney pan.

The good: intriguing food (especially the liquid butternut gnocchi); robust flavours and combinations; well-constructed dishes; beautifully airy and spacious dining room

The bad: chewy lamb saddle; no bread plates or butter knife for the paid sourdough; black slates used where the food needed to be cut causes discordance; high noise levels when busy; location; service issues; the name

What the?: all credit card transactions incur a $1.50 surcharge

www.gastropark.com.au

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Music Wednesday - time to reflect with Brighten - Whoever You Are

Brighten - Whoever You Are

I'll sing a song for you

Cross the world for you

Name every shining star for you

My darling dear

I'll build a house for you

Catch that mouse for you

Be every girl's dream for you

You'll know it's clear

I'll be a man for you

I'll talk a stand for you

I'll hold your hand for you

When you get out the car

I'll do what I'm supposed to do

I'll brag and boast of you

Once I find you

Whoever you are

My eyes cry for you

My heart dies for you

My, how time flies for you

When you're around

I'll love both sides of you

I'll feel obliged to

Do whatever I must do

To keep you around

I'll make a life for you

Oh baby, I'll die for you

I'll make a wife of you

I'll hold your heart

I'll never grow tired of you

I'll walk across the fire for you

Once I find you

Whoever you are

Baby close your eyes

Do you see me?

Do you believe me?

Wherever you are

I'll be waiting

Just to see you

And know that me and you

Were never apart

Whoever you are

Restaurant Review - Baroque (The Rocks) - flunking the flank

Why are so many Australians terrible at enunciating and pronunciating? From the lazy ways of saying truly ("trooly"), Australia ("Austraya"), and millionaire ("mill-yan-aire"; how does Eddie McGuire stay on television?) to the widespread phenomenon of the epenthetic 'R' (drawing becomes "draw-ring", Mr. Abbott becomes "Mister Rabbit"), we Aussies are guilty on many levels, so much so that it was by far the easiest way to mock us on Kath & Kim. This dialectal anomaly was also a source of much chagrin when K and I dined at Baroque Bistro, but thankfully K's laziness was deemed to be a waitressing error and the upshot was a surprising gesture from the restaurant floor manager.

Baroque Bistro at The Rocks is renowned for its patisserie and its fanciful sweets, in particular their macarons, but the bistro is garnering as much attention these days, thanks to the talents of chef Peter Robertson, who has worked in acclaimed kitchens such as Bilson's and Oscillate Wildly.

The restaurant, in an old heritage building much like others in the area, is cavernous, with ceilings so high one could probably practise pole-vaulting. The dining room retains most of the colonial style of its heyday, with a bare concrete floor and ceiling, exposed and distressed brickwork, and a peeling-paint look. The open kitchen near the entrance allows the savoury and sweet aromas to wonderfully fill the room, and despite its openness, is quiet and professional throughout the evening without any audible chef outbursts.

The concise menu offers a tempting array of the usual upmarket bistro dishes Sydney is renowned for, but unusually on the current menu, no pork belly is present when every other dining establishment offers some sort of belly, whether it be lamb, salmon, or the favoured pork. The menu also adds a touch of class (and pretension) with French as well as English names and descriptions. Oui.

Burgundy poached hen's egg, speck, beech mushrooms, brioche, Burgundy glaze ($17)

This interesting entree is essentially a breakfast dish (except for the presence of Burgundy), containing egg, bread, mushroom, and cured pork; the only things missing are tomato, baked beans, and a hash brown. The Burgundy is not too prominent but gives an edge to an otherwise average dish. Each component is well cooked - especially the delicate poached egg - but as an ensemble it misses something and it is more suited to breakfasting.

Fricassee of calamari, saffron cracker, crab cream ($20)

The calamari fricassee works better, and the way it comes surprises. Kernels of diced calamari that almost pop in the mouth texturally is enlivened by a balanced and flavoursome crab cream. The saffron cracker visually stands out amongst the white-on-white presentation, but its expected crispiness is unfortunately lacking.

Confit leg and grilled breast of duck, ragout of mushrooms, wilted spinach, onion arlettes ($37)

The duck main is beautifully plated, filling the entire plate with colour, texture, and volume. The two cuts of duck are good if not great, with the grilled breast more tender and tasty than the slightly dry confit leg. The huge mushroom (resembling a slice of toast) melts in the mouth and is scrumptious, while the whirlpool spirals of onion gives a cracker-esque crunchiness. The whole dish would have been dry but for the mushroom, spinach, and splash of jus.

Grilled Angus flank steak, triple cooked chips, eschalotte and watercress salad, bearnaise sauce ($35)

The Angus flank steak main is not as artistically plated as the duck, but its simple presentation is more than inviting, with the bovine star front and centre. Alas for K - as a result of his poor enunciating - it comes bloodier than an episode of Dexter. The request for "medium-well" is heard by the waitress as "medium-rare", and the result is perfectly-cooked flank steak .... for me. It is very tender, luscious, and pinker than a Mardi Gras float, but K takes it in his stride .... by dunking the meat in the creamily rich bearnaise sauce .... and by demurring after he had eaten half the dish. Fortunately for him, the floor manager apologised for their "error" and compensated him with a pack of their famous macarons. Now that is service. So the moral of the story? Complain and win, whether you're right or wrong!
Aside from the scrumptiously tender Angus, the triple-cooked chips are surprisingly ordinary. Handcut and ultra-crunchy to start, the crunchiness wanes over time and they end up more like good potato wedges than the epitome of chips.

Broccoli, almonds, garlic butter ($9)

The lack of greens with the mains means we order a side of broccoli, but they are rather bland despite the garlic butter.

Unfortunately I lost the description of the dessert we shared but it was an unusual plate of components that cleansed our palates. A mint granita refreshed along with the tart sorbet, while a granola-bar-like yogurt log was smooth, chewy, and crunchy.

While we were impressed by the service and commend the manager for her kind macaron gesture, the food at Baroque Bistro was slightly forgettable. The dishes certainly had their moments, from the fun of the calamari fricassee to the frabjous tenderness of the Angus flank steak to the grilled duck breast's simplicity, but the execution faltered on certain components. The variety on offer from the ever-changing menu is a reason to return however, and we are hopeful on our next visit the dishes are more cohesive and K has learnt to enunciate properly.

The good: superb Angus flank steak; calamari fricassee; desserts; menu variety; floor manager's quick dealing of K's steak situation

The bad: triple-cooked chips are not as good as expected; K not enunciating "medium-well" sufficiently; Burgundy-poached egg entree a little weird for dinner; saffron cracker not crunchy enough

What the?: menu in French as well as English

www.baroquebistro.com.au

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Music Saturday - time to party with Allison Iraheta - Friday I'll Be Over U

Allison Iraheta - Friday I'll Be Over U

Oh yeah!

Monday, Tuesday, we were cool

Wednesday I found out 'bout you

Caught my heart by tellin' lies

You weren't what you advertised

But silly me, to believe

Oh woah oh, I was unique

When I'm there, you put on a show

Oh woah oh, you gotta go

'Cause what's true about you? Who are you when I'm gone?

Wanted to be with you

Don't know what I was on

'Cause you got me, to forget me

Oh woah oh, you know that's true

Yeah, you got me, to forget me

So Friday I'll be over you

Oh yeah!

No, no, I ain't gonna cry

Go and be with her tonight

I really don't care what you do

'cause Friday I'll be over you

But silly me, to believe

Oh woah oh, I was unique

When I'm there, you put on a show

Oh woah oh, you gotta go

Cuz what's true about you? Who are you when I'm gone?

Wanted to be with you

Don't know what I was on

'Cause you got me, to forget me

Oh woah oh, you know that's true

Yeah, you got me, to forget me

So Friday I'll be over you

oh yeah! oh yeah!

Silly me, to believe...

when I'm there you put on a show

Oh woah oh you know that's true!

Oh, woah!

Yeah you got me to forget me.. oooohhh

Yeah you got me to forget me

So Friday I'll be over you!

Music Friday - time to party with The Baseballs - Hot N Cold

The Baseballs - Hot N Cold

You change your mind

Like a girl changes clothes

Yeah you, PMS

Like a bitch

I would know

And you overthink

Always speak

Cryptically

I should know

That you're no good for me

'Cause you're hot then you're cold

You're yes then you're no

You're in then you're out

You're up then you're down

You're wrong when it's right

It's black and it's white

We fight, we break up

We kiss, we make up

(you) You don't really want to stay, no

(but you) But you don't really want to go-o

You're hot then you're cold

You're yes then you're no

You're in then you're out

You're up then you're down

We used to be

Just like twins

So in sync

The same energy

Now's a dead battery

Used to laugh 'bout nothing

Now you're plain boring

I should know that

You're not gonna change

'Cause you're hot then you're cold

You're yes then you're no

You're in then you're out

You're up then you're down

You're wrong when it's right

It's black and it's white

We fight, we break up

We kiss, we make up

(you) You don't really want to stay, no

(but you) But you don't really want to go-o

You're hot then you're cold

You're yes then you're no

You're in then you're out

You're up then you're down

Someone call the doctor

Got a case of a love bipolar

Stuck on a rollercoaster

Can't get off this ride

You change your mind

Like a girl changes clothes

Cause you're hot then you're cold

You're yes then you're no

You're in then you're out

You're up then you're down

You're wrong when it's right

It's black and it's white

We fight, we break up

We kiss, we make up

You're hot then you're cold

You're yes then you're no

You're in then you're out

You're up then you're down

You're wrong when it's right

It's black and it's white

We fight, we break up

We kiss, we make up

(you) You don't really want to stay, no

(but you) But you don't really want to go-o

You're hot then you're cold

You're yes then you're no

You're in then you're out

You're up then you're down, down ....

Music Wednesday - time to reflect with Adele - I Found A Boy

Adele - I Found A Boy

I thought I told you, he'd be home soon

Couldn't help myself, you're too good to be true

I fall short each time

Every time he ain't here

You and your charm creep closer, closer in here

Like a fool for fire I fall, with my pride and all

Like a bomb before explosion

Ticking by your call

You're the wiser one, disguised from greed

And I'm just a child who belongs on her knees

But I found a boy who I love more

Than I ever did you before

So stand beside the river I cried

And let yourself down!

Look how you want me now that I don't need you

So, you thought that I would crumble to my knees

At the first sight of you, crawling back to me

To whisper "Will you leave your man?"

'Cause you swear that this time you can stand by me

I won't stand by you

'Cause I found a boy who I love more

Than I ever did you before

So stand beside the river I cried

And let yourself down!

Look how you want me now that I don't need you

I ain't yours for no taking

You must be mistaken

I could never look in your eyes, and settle for wrong

And ignore the right

Well I found a boy who loves me more

Than you ever did me before

So stand beside the river you'll cry

And let yourself down!

Look how you want me now that I don't need you

Restaurant Review - Chefs Gallery (Sydney) - gallery of hope

When one has a headache, one can take an analgesic. For hayfever, an antihistamine. For a non-productive cough, an antitussive. But what about a remedy for a condition I have suffered for many years, DYCS (Disaffected Yum Cha Syndrome)? In London last October, I found relief to my ailment in the form of Yauatcha, but in Sydney, it has been a forlorn hope, and until somebody with a clear and innovative vision comes along, I could be a chronic sufferer for a while longer.

Only early last month, new yum cha upstart Fat Buddha blustered its way into Sydney's CBD with high expectations, but alas ones they did not quite meet, as I mentioned in my post last week. During this time, a nascent Chinese restaurant in nearby Bathurst Street well known for fresh handmade noodles and piggy face buns has tippy-toed its way into yum cha territory, and with surprising and delightful results.

Recently, Chefs Gallery overhauled and expanded its already impressive menu to include yum cha dishes, and while the selection is not as expansive as its competing brethren, it is still a worthy list of around twenty classic yum cha hits and reinterpretations. Surprisingly, there is no mention of yum cha on their website, and it was purely by accident we stumbled upon this new addition to its repertoire.

Confusingly, some of the dishes on the separate yum cha menu are also on the regular menu, but combined, the two menus is a sizeable compendium of dim sums, soups, tapas-style dishes, noodles, fried rices, desserts, and even roti to choose from. Wisely, they eschew the normal yum cha trollies in favour of a la carte ordering, and since there is a small photo of each dish on the menu, there is little lost visually. Better still, each dish comes out with the steamy aroma wafting into one's face, an indication of fresh preparation.

The sequence in which the food arrives is still random - we assume in order of easiest to hardest to prepare - and so the lone fried rice we order comes first. The fried rice with three kinds of eggs is as good as ever - light, moreish, and texturally interesting - but it is the yum cha dishes that pique.

Both types of steamed prawn dumplings are superb - perfectly formed, delicate, and full of plump, juicy prawns - but the spicy version has a medium spiciness that adds an extra dimension. The shui mai are equally excellent - tender yet firm and well-seasoned  - although an extra prawn on top of the dumpling is a little excessive (there is another type with a scallop on top). The deep-fried calamari wontons are beautifully crunchy on the outside and a bite reveals well-cooked and fleshy diced calamari, aided by the dried seaweed's umami and a tangy spicy dressing.

The rice noodle rolls here are not the usual kind filled with beef, prawns, or barbecued pork. Instead, they are plain rolls, no filling, and covered with a choice of three toppings. We order the shredded roast beef version but are told they have sold out, which is unusual because we arrived at the restaurant on opening at 11.30a.m. Still, the two we manage to try are delicious, with the pork mince tangy and sharp while the prawns and tako (octopus) topping satisfies. Two of my diners thought the rice noodle rolls are gorgeously silky but I find them a little too soft and nearing mushiness.

The seafood and tako fritters are essentially deep-fried seafood rolls but they are great examples of ones done right - crispy and filled with a delicate mix of tender seafood. The pan fried prawn potstickers are further proof that the Chefs Gallery kitchen knows how to cook prawns perfectly, and they are wrapped beautifully in a light skin and fried to a golden singe on one side.

With the sliders craze taking over Sydney dining, Chefs Gallery gets in the act as well, using mantou (Chinese bun), but going that extra step and deep frying it. The result is sweet, crispy, and scrumptiously devilish; add a piece of marinated roast pork as the filling and the result is a show- and heartstopper. On the other hand, the slow roasted beef in cracker bread is a strange incongruous concoction: flavoursome but dry overall and a piece of raw onion in each is overpowering. Tiny diced capsicums of each colour dotted around the plate add an abstract visual appeal, but are redundant as the cracker sandwiches are best eaten by hand.

Larger dishes such as the squid are refreshingly light, well cooked, and tasty, but the glass noodles are too texturally similar to the squid to be nothing more than filler. The egg, shallot and onion roti is surprisingly good, coming out fresh, warm, and satisfyingly fluffy. The best however is the homemade egg and spinach tofu, eight colourful blocks possessing a supreme texture that melts in the mouth. Flavours are a bit muted but the preserved vegetables sprinkled on top adds depth.

Silken tofu pudding with ginger tea and gogi berry, served cold ($5.90)

Piggy face buns are so last year that we give them a miss and instead order the silken tofu pudding and the much loved egg tarts. The silken tofu arrives first as its preparation time is minimal, and it is a fairly standard bowl of this Chinese favourite. The tofu is silkenly luscious as advertised but the ginger syrup is anaemic, and the addition of a few tiny gogi berries is superfluous; this dessert may be loved by the Chinese for its tepid sweetness but its appeal to Westerners is questionable. On the other hand, egg tarts are loved by one and all, but after twenty-five minutes of waiting, we are informed the kitchen had overcooked them, so we are unable to test their quality on this occasion. On the plus side, at least we know they are made fresh and they did the honorable thing by not bringing us inferior burnt tarts.

The new additions to the Chefs Gallery menu is a success and its foray into yum cha dining even moreso. The yum cha dishes are a solid selection that covers beloved classics as well as a few interesting revisions, and everything comes super fresh to the table. Not content with just adding yum cha to its arsenal, Chefs Gallery will soon be offering day and night yum cha, so dim sum cravings can be satisfied at all hours.

Chefs Gallery may not be a cure for my DYCS, but it is an efficacious panacea for those suffering DCCS (Disaffected Chinese Cuisine Syndrome). It is so welcome to see a Chinese restaurant change, add, and remove items from its menu (something most Chinese eateries are allergic to), be bold and innovative, care about giving diners new food experiences, and forge an identity to stand out from its competitors. Not everything works and they can be accused of overtrying, but for a restaurant prepared to push the boundaries and lead, I am definitely willing to follow.

The good: excellent new menu and interesting new dishes; yum cha day and night; marvellous dim sum; efficient service

The bad: service can lapse when busy; dessert selection has decreased to just piggy face buns, silken tofu pudding, and ice creams (no more red bean crispy pancakes or pumpkin pastry dumplings for example); no mention of yum cha or new menu on website; dishes come out in random order; my fellows diners and I were left with a residual thirstiness indicative of MSG use

What the?: raw onion in the slow roasted beef cracker sandwiches

www.chefsgallery.com.au

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Music Wednesday - time to reflect with Glee - Get It Right

Glee - Get It Right

What have I done?

I wish I could run, away from this ship going under

Just trying to help, hurt everyone else

Now I feel the weight of the world is on my shoulders

What can you do when your good isn't good enough?

When all that you touch tumbles down?

'Cause my best intentions keep making a mess of things

I just wanna fix it somehow

But how many times will it take?

Oh, how many times will it take for me?

To get it right

To get it ri-igh-ight

Can I start again with my faith shaken?

'Cause I can't go back and undo this

I just have to stay and face my mistakes

But if I get stronger and wiser

I'll get through this

What can you do when your good isn't good enough?

When all that you touch tumbles down?

'Cause my best intentions keep making a mess of things

I just wanna fix it somehow

But how many times will it take?

Oh, how many times will it take for me?

To get it right

So I throw up my fist

Throw a punch in the air

And accept the truth, that sometimes life isn't fair

Yeah, I'll send down a wish

Yeah, I'll send up a prayer

And finally, someone will see

How much I care

What can you do when your good isn't good enough?

When all that you touch tumbles down?

Oh my best intentions keep making a mess of things

I just wanna fix it somehow

But how many times will it take?

Oh, how many times will it take?

To get it right

To get it ri-igh-ight.

Music Saturday - time to party with Darin - Breathing Your Love

Darin - Breathing Your Love

Baby, you is the diamond that lasts forever

And I just can’t take a single step without you

Baby, to you I’ll always be a faithful lover

‘Cause my heart can’t make a single beat without you

You make me fly, you get me high

You turn my world to such a better place

Your crazy touch, the sweetest rush

Is something that saved my life

I wanna spend my nights and days between your arms

Every day breathing your love

And even in my dreams I wanna be kissing your lips

Baby, breathing your love

Breathing your love, love, love

Baby, breathing your love, love, love

Breathing your love, love, love

Baby, breathing your love, love, love

Baby boo, only you can make me recover

The lost parts of me I thought they’d gone a long time ago

With you life rhymes like the best love letter

I was just an empty soul until you stepped into my show

You make me fly, you get me high

You turn my world to such a better place

Your crazy touch, the sweetest rush

Is something that saved my life

I wanna spend my nights and days between your arms

Every day breathing your love

And even in my dreams I wanna be kissing your lips

Baby, breathing your love

Breathing your love, love, love

Baby, breathing your love, love, love

Breathing your love, love, love

Baby, breathing your love, love, love

I wanna have that crazy love

Want it running in my blood

I want it taking over me, over me, over me

I wanna spend my nights and days between your arms

Every day breathing your love

And even in my dreams I wanna be kissing your lips

Baby, breathing your love

I wanna spend my nights and days between your arms

Every day breathing your love

And even in my dreams I wanna be kissing your lips

Baby, breathing your love

Breathing your love, love, love

Baby, breathing your love, love, love

Breathing your love, love, love

Baby, breathing your love, love, love

Breathing your love, love, love

Baby, breathing your love, love, love