Food is Fashion at Westfield Sydney

Adding weight to the theory that the current obsession for all things food is a fashionable trend, Westfield Sydney – that epic homage to both fashion and food on the end of Pitt Street Mall and Market Street – is presenting a free photographic exhibition that features fashion style of real shoppers with signature dishes from the restaurants in Westfield Sydney.

Happy :ab for Food is Fashion photographic exhibition at Westfield Sydney,
Pitt Street, Sydney

Launched earlier this week at Cloudy Bay Fish Co. and on until Thursday, 15 August 2013, the ‘Food is Fashion’ exhibition was curated by fashion blogger Nicole Cooper of confidentliar.com who talked about the great fusion between food and fashion.

Din Tai Fung for Food is Fashion exhibition

The photos and styling were done by food stylist and food photography duo, Janet Mitchell and Tanya Zouev, with the photos currently on show across the food Level 5 at Westfield Sydney.

Sydney Tower Dining for Food is Fashion exhibition

The photographs highlight intricate connections between food and fashion; ranging from colours, textures, cuts and overall presentation.

Jones the Grocer for Food is Fashion exhibition

"It was an incredibly creative process where we took the fashion ‘look’ and then carefully crafted the most popular dishes to match. We paired a classic dish of mango sticky rice from Chat Thai with a vintage yellow shift dress, and a beef tartare with edible flowers from Cara & Co was teamed with a digital floral print dress," said Zouev.

Reuben & Moore for Food is Fashion exhibition

The ‘Food is Fashion’ collection showcases pairings from Chat Thai, Xanthi, Cloudy Bay Fish Co., Via Del Corso, Ragu Pasta and Wine Bar, Victoria Room Tea Salon, Reuben & Moore, Chinta Ria … Mood For Love, Ippudo, Snag Stand, Jones the Grocer, Din Tai Fung, Cara & Co, Sushi Hon, Happy Lab and Sydney Tower Dining.

Sushi Hon for Food is Fashion exhibition

For some of the photos, there’s a bit of a stretch of the imagination required whereas others, like my favourite one featuring Sushi Hon tuna and salmon sashimi, seem to capture the colour, texture, cut and draping of the outfit/dish completely perfectly.

Ragu Pasta & Wine Bar for Food is Fashion exhibition

As part exhibition, Westfield Sydney shoppers have the chance to win one of four ultimate dining experiences in the centre by taking a picture of their favourite dish on Instagram, tagging it with #foodisfashion.

For more 'Food is Fashion', keep an eye out for my next post on Cara & Co winter menu.

Japan times - part 9: Kyoto travels

Earlier this year I spent two-and-a-half weeks in Japan, eating and drinking my way through a destination I've wanted to visit for more than a decade. This is the ninth of several posts of food, booze and sights in Japan.

Kyoto Station, Kyoto, Japan

The former imperial capital of Japan, Kyoto is a day trip's travel away from Osaka by train. It is renowned for its reverent temples and shrines, and is completely another side of Japan compared to bustling Tokyo.

Kyoto Tower, opposite the station

I had an expectation that I'd be transported back centuries on arrival to Kyoto, although the station and facing Kyoto Tower turned out to be pretty modern.

A city teeming with international and Japanese tourists, the station has information centres catering to temple seekers and an all-day hop-on hop-off bus ticket. Even then, the temples and sites are much more spaced out in distance that I thought. Best to eat first.

Ten-don - tempura chicken rice bowl with pickles and small udon noodles

We'd gotten a late start and it was already well into lunch time when we got into the heart of Kyoto. Near the first temple we were to visit, there were a couple of touristy shops and basically only one eatery.

Lucky for us they had gorgeously light tempura and delicious udon noodles on the menu. My ten-don rice bowl topped with battered chicken breast pieces was satisfyingly filling if not a bit heavy ahead of a day of sightseeing.

Udon with vegetable tempura

I quite like how in some noodle venues in Japan, diners can choose their preferred servings sizes of a dish - all for the same price. It prevents unnecessary wastage; accounts for the perhaps differing male and female eating capacities; and is just really thoughtful.

The udon soup ordered above was a medium serving from memory with some fabulously light, unoily tempura battered vegetables and prawn.

Kinkakuji - Temple of the Golden Pavilion, Kyoto

I'm pretty sure I learnt about the Kinkakuji Golden Pavilion during my high school Japanese years but nothing really prepares one for the beauty of a gold-gilt Zen Buddhist temple on the edge of a pond.

Each of the three levels of the structure are meant to reflect different Japanese architectural styles, while the top two levels are covered in genuine gold leaf. The temple houses Buddhist relics and is set in appropriately relaxing, if not completely Zen, gardens.

Walls of the Kyoto Imperial Palace

From Kinkakuji we headed by bus to the Kyoto Imperial Palace, completely unaware of visiting times, days and permissions (unfortunately, I hadn't done my research ahead of the day trip).

Even just walking around the perimeter of the grand palace, it was definitely an ideal setting for anyone keen to live out ninja fantasies of running fights across the rooftops.

Kyoto houses

Gates of Yasaka Jinja, Gion, Kyoto

We headed to Gion late in the afternoon purposely to increase our chances of seeing geisha or more accurately, maiko apprentices in the streets of old Gion.

The Yasaka Jinja Shinto shrine sits before the huge Maruyama Park in Gion. The Shinto faith intrigues me so just watching worshippers' routines at the shrine was an educational experience.

Torii gate entrance

Tied paper fortunes

Yasaka Jinja Shinto shrine

Lanterns at an entrance

Maruyama Park, Gion, Kyoto

Hanami-koji Street, Gion, Kyoto

Gion is the traditional area of Kyoto and while some streets don't look too different from city roads, there are streets where unglamorous-looking tea houses and restaurants sit, and presumably further into the back street, houses where geisha and maiko live.

Buildings in Gion

Side street in Gion

The older style buildings in these back streets was much more along the lines of what I expected from Gion, and Kyoto generally. There were plenty of Japanese tourists in search of maiko in these streets, with a tour group leader even asking a shop keeper if he had any in his store.

Yakitori restaurant in Gion

To refuel after a hot day of touristy walking and bus travel about Kyoto, we ended up finding quite a modern-looking yakitori grilled chicken on skewers restaurant in one of the side streets.

A maiko after sending off a client

After dinner as we headed back to the main road to find our way back to Osaka, we spied a maiko across the road, sending off a businessman in a taxi after presumably dinner or drinks with said client.

In traditional platform geta wooden clogs, she walked slowly and delicately along the footpath in an ornate kimono and obi, with hair accessories swinging.

Up closer, we could see the maiko's detailed application of make-up: white face, neck and upper back in a distinctive pattern, tiny red painted lips and dramatic black around the eyes.

A maiko acrossing the road in Gion

We actually spotted another maiko waiting at the same street a crossing, descended upon by both international and Japanese tourists asking to take photos. She looked so shy, but obliging, as she posed for mobile phone cameras that I actually felt bad for the young girl and just admired her from a distance.

With our geisha/maiko spotting checked off quite inadvertently before a quick drink in a swish back lane bar, we got the bus back to Kyoto Station and the train back to Osaka with complete ease. How I miss public transport in Japan.

More Japan posts to come - back to Tokyo. See more photos from my Japan trip on my Facebook page.

Cruise(y) lunch for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia

Yesterday saw the last of the shows for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia (MBFWA) 2012 in Sydney – a week when the Overseas Passenger Terminal region of Circular Quay is overrun by leggy models, meticulously-styled fashionista types and snap-happy fashion media.

Carlie Waterman show as part of The Innovators at Mercedes-Benz Fashion
Week Australia, The Tent, Circular Quay

While food may not necessarily be synonymous with fashion, this year Cruise Bar opened especially for lunch during MBFWA, should any of the stylish audiences have needed replenishment between shows.

The view from Cruise Restaurant and Bar, Overseas Passenger Terminal,
Circular Quay

With The Tent venue right outside from Cruise and visible from the upper restaurant level, it was the perfect place to grab a bite and a cheeky drink before or after a show, which I was lucky enough to do.

Lunch with our small group was a shared affair of countless platters and sparkling wine. Even though I'd missed the shared entrées, there was more than enough food in the main dishes for all.

Grilled ocean trout fillets with salsa verde

Salt and pepper prawns with sweet chilli aioli

Chilli and garlic marinated chicken breast

Black angus sirloin

Pumpkin, spinach, goat's cheese and pinenut salad with balsamic dressing

Rocket, parmesan and pinenut salad with balsamic dressing

Leaf salad and mixed roast vegetables (back)

Steak fries

After the gorgeously fresh lunch at Cruise, the huge general admission queue outside The Tent showed how popular The Innovators session was.

This is an annual show featuring hand-picked TAFE graduate student designers from Fashion Design Studio – which has produced some of Australia’s most renowned designers such as Akira Isogawa, Lisa Ho, Dion Lee, Nicky Zimmerman and Alex Perry.

Susie Bubble (front row, centre)

And sitting in the front row opposite me was London fashion blogger Susie Bubble, who was in town for MBFWA, among other things.

The show started with a presentation by Nicholas Huxley of Fashion Design Studio and Akira Isogawa to Kaylene Milner who won a $15,000 scholarship and was also selected for an internship with Diane von Furstenberg in the US.

The show followed with collections from Milner (luxe with colourful tribal prints), Carlie Waterman (floaty, feminine and gorgeous), Cynthia Thai (almost kitschy, fluorescent knitwear and beading), Stephanie Goerlach (crazy bright knits and prints), Yuliy Gershinsky (futuristic, Back to the Future style menswear) and Christopher Baldwin (shimmery evening chic full of attitude).

By Kaylene Milner

By Carlie Waterman

By Cynthia Thai

By Stephanie Goerlach

By Yuliy Gershinsky

By Christopher Baldwin

See more photos from The Innovators show at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia at my Facebook page.

Food, booze and shoes dined at Cruise as a guest and attended The Innovators show at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia with thanks to Agency G.

Designer dessert: Adriano Zumbo Pâtissier launches at The Star

Food and fashion have a lot in common: they're both trend-driven; come down to individual taste; have broad categories and varieties; can be luxurious or comforting; and are hopefully satisfying.

Always one to take things a step further, Adriano Zumbo has introduced the idea of seasonal collections to his desserts. And given his sweet creations are as colouful and complex as any haute couture runway, it makes some sense that he's using a dessert-inspired fashion show to launch his newest patisserie at The Star, which opens this very weekend.

Adriano Zumbo launching Adriano Zumbo Pâtissier at The Star, Pyrmont

In collaboration with Mossée, Farage, im Boutique lingerie, and in conjunction with the launch of his new book Zumbo, the well turned-out crowd sipped Moet and cocktails and munched on sushi and sashimi canapes in anticipation of the "AZ Summer Collection 2011". Candy pink lights illuminated the space and runway outside the wide, white-curtained new shopfront, soon to be revealed.

Caramel popcorn martini by The Star

I was drawn to the cocktail in the martini glass which was garnished with caramel popcorn on a skewer. Designed by bartenders of The Star and in keeping with the Willy Wonka quirkiness, the caramel popcorn martini was smashing.

The vodka was infused with popcorn via the fat washing method, where presumably popcorn is cooked in lots and lots of butter which is then added to the booze. After setting and straining out all the fat, the popcorn taste miraculously pops into the vodka, in quite a strong fashion too compared to some bacon-infused booze I've tried.

Mixed with a dash of caramel sauce and coconut water, this is definitely what Willy Wonka would be serving if he could get a small bar license in Sydney.

AZ Summer Collection 2011 - Caramelised pumpkin seed Zumboron - clothes by Mossée
(image courtesy of Hausmann)

The fashion parade started fashionably late and it was a little difficult to make out some of the desserts. The show featured a few stunners in terms of the Gateaux de voyage - larger cakes that wowed the crowds as much as the first lingerie-clad model (see more fashion parade photos at my Facebook page).

Lemon verbena Zumboron - clothes by Mossée

Berry Bag (feature item not on menu) - clothes by Mossée

Pecanne: Blackcurrant jelly, blackcurrant ganache, chocolate almond cake, pecanpraline (Gateaux de voyage)  - clothes by Farage

Water My Melons: Orange creameaux, watermelon jelly, compressed watermelon,yogurt crème légère - clothes by Farage

Lemon Carpet Crush: Crème citron, flourless lemon cake, lemon crush liquid, vanillaChantilly, lemon crush jelly, lime marshmallow - underwear by im Boutique

Lemon Meringue: Flourless lemon cake (Gateaux de voyage) - lingerie by im Boutique

Eu-Genius: Caramelized puff pastry, chocolate crunch coconut jelly, violet gel,blackcurrant crème légère - lingerie by im Boutique

As the designer (Zumbo) came out at the last round of the show, the curtains covering the shopfront fell dramatically to the cheers of the appreciative crowd, revealing the confectionary pink and yellow wonderland of Zumbo's creations, with full view of the pastry chefs and ovens too.

Adriano Zumbo Pâtissier at The Star
(image courtesy of Hausmann)

Designed by Luchetti Krelle, there is a definite Willy Wonka feel about the space. I overheard The Star managing director Sid Vaikunta talk excitedly about the conveyor belt in the patisserie, offering sushi train style service, which could be very, very dangerous.

Berry Bag (feature item not on menu)

On the other side, there were displays in the front window, as any designer shopfront would have, featuring the season's collection under bright lights and glassed in away from hungry hands.

Man Goes Peanuts: Peanut butter crunch, mango compote,
mango burnt honey mousse, pain de epice

Ssnowmanorr: Pâté a choux, bubble tea custard, lychee coconut crème légère,
lychee gel, coconut crunch

Eu-Genius: Caramelized puff pastry, chocolate crunch coconut jelly, violet gel,
blackcurrant crème légère

Water My Melons: Orange creameaux, watermelon jelly, compressed watermelon,
yogurt crème légère

NYC Eclair: Pâté a choux, sour cream légère, shortbread crunch, compressed custard

Xiwt: Chocolate Bar Tarts

Lemon Meringue: Flourless lemon cake (Gateaux de voyage)

Pecanne: Blackcurrant jelly, blackcurrant ganache, chocolate almond cake,
pecan praline (Gateaux de voyage)

And next to the bathtub filled with packed chocolate goodies, there are playful cabinets within housing bright, multi-coloured macarons, or indeed as they seem to have been renamed, "Zumborons".

Macaron cabinets

Flavours in this summer collection include coconut, lavender and green chilli (delish!); lime and mint mojito; blood peach; lychee; cola; milk chocolate, chilli and cinnamon; and tonka bean and passionfruit. We were also treated to the collection cakes, some considerately miniaturised so we could fit more in.

Lemon Carpet Crush: Crème citron, flourless lemon cake, lemon crush liquid,
vanillaChantilly, lemon crush jelly, lime marshmallow

Berry meringue tarts (name unknown)

Ssnowmanorr: Pâté a choux, bubble tea custard, lychee coconut crème légère,
lychee gel, coconut crunch

Lychee gel centre

While the relaunch of The Star might have kept cynics at bay, the impending openings of Sokyo and Momofuku Seiobo are only going to add to the hype that Zumbo will create as his loyal legion of fans descend upon the casino.

Fans might also go crazy for Zumbo's long-awaited book, Zumbo, which we got in the goodie bag and is filled with so many recipes it makes my teeth hurt just looking at it. It's sectioned into "Zumborons", chocolates, pastries, gateaux de voyage, cakes and desserts - the latter two chapters of which look like so much fun for at-home designer desserts too.

Pages from Zumbo (by Murdoch Books)

Pages from Zumbo (by Murdoch Books)

 Food, booze and shoes attended the launch of Adriano Zumbo Pâtissier at The Star courtesy of Hausmann.