Foodies’ Diary

Welcoming Wave
Under 42,458 wooden batons hanging from the ceiling in a new-look refurbishment designed by the renowned Yasumichi Morita, five hundred guests helped Ocean Room relaunch last week. Executive chef Raita Noda had guests salivating for a taste of the fifty-six kilo blue fin tuna carried in over their heads, and then quickly segmented by samurai sword right before their eyes. It was dispensed as superb, almost bloody, sashimi; and grilled on a traditional Japanese charcoal barbeque, filling the party with an intoxicating aroma. Intoxication also followed from mixologist Andy Penney’s ‘seven Japanese gods of fortune cocktails’ sent out in the hands of geisha serving girls. Drink your own toast to Sydney summer here soon!
Ocean Room, Overseas Passenger Terminal, Circular Quay West (02) 9252 9585

Not so A’Mews(ing)
Glebe’s dining scene will be a little poorer after Richard Moyser dishes up his final service at A’Mews on Saturday 28th November, 2009. Moyser, a veteran chef with a quarter of a century’s cooking experience under his belt, has made A’Mews his home for the last four years. I have had the pleasure of his cuisine, and his lovely wife Dani’s warm hospitality myself, so I wish them well with their exciting Noosa Heads venture. Squeeze in a last four course meal for a ridiculously low fifty dollars any Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday evening before they depart.
A’Mews, 99 Glebe Point Road, Glebe (02) 9660 4999

Toby’s Estate Lends a Hand
Coffee-maker Toby Smith and his team are getting involved with their local community by assisting with The Chippendale Road Gardens Project. On the first day of Spring they installed two Aerobin compost bins on the corner of Rose Street for their staff to fill with coffee grounds and fruit and vegetable scraps. Empty coffee sacks will become weed mats, and they’ll be donating their roasting chaff too. Local residents can also use the bins, and contribute to the patch of ground Toby’s Estate has started preparing for growing herbs and fruit – all for the community’s use. Plants grown by the roadside do not absorb environmental toxins – just rinse them as usual and enjoy the spoils!
Toby’s Estate, 32-36 City Road, Chippendale (02) 9211 1459

Reduce Home Wastage
Make this the year you reduce your household wastage by getting into a spot of preserving at home. We all moan when raspberry prices get back over the ten dollar a punnet mark, so why not grab a copy of the third edition of The Beginner’s Guide to Preserving at Home (RRP $24.99) by Janet Chadwick, and start freezing them in sugar for a next winter’s pies? It’s available at all good bookstores.

Good Clean and Fair
If you’re interested in food-orientated ways to save the world, go hear a real food hero speak. Carlo Petrini, international president and founder of the Slow Food movement will be at The Sydney Opera House on Sunday 18th October, 2009. He started off life as a McDonald’s protester, and ended being listed as one of ‘50 People Who Could Save the Planet’ by the UK Guardian last year. He’ll give you some great guiding principles to buy your food by, and they all start with food that tastes great.
Sydney Opera House, Tickets $39 / $29 (02) 9250 7777 www.sydneyoperahouse.com