A little bird crush

For the single, a crush is like a little - or sometimes major - diversion from the norm. A bit of excitement, however gibberish-tongued and heart-wrenching it is. A fantasy away from the daily grind. Until the inevitable flattening of the crush, when it's squeezed the heart just a little too much to bear.

Thankfully crushes on restaurants and other establishments of eating are a little more reciprocal. There's a delicious reward at some point in the relationship. And that's all you need - a little love in return.

The Falconer is perched quietly on the oft loud and boisterous Oxford Street, surrounded by few like it. It's right next door to an independent supermarket towards the Hyde Park end of the street; an endearingly easy stroll from more city centre.

It's moodily-lit but unpainfully funky, oozing with charm from another time. The cushioned booths are comfy, the music is inoffensive and the service is arms-length friendly - all very, very good signs at an early stage.

Menu at The Falconer, Oxford Street, Darlinghurst

The menu also signals goodness: an interesting beer and wine selection, including options for half bottle carafes, and my struggle to choose from six of each mains and pastas. Luckily the entrees are easier to deal with - the tasting plate eliminating the need to choose one lust over another.

Entree tasting plate

Two baked, stuffed baby bell peppers sit squat and cute at one end of the rectangular plate, lids concealing a smoked paprika rice that's several minutes before al dente and a little knob of goat's cheese. The sweetness of the peppers is heightened and makes for a lovely contrast with the stuffing.

A pair of golden polenta crusted arancini spheres sit in a splash pool of a tomato-based sauce. They're filled with zucchini, tarragon and the flavour-maker of Fontina cheese, but a little dry and needing more sauce.

The couple of prawns arranged in union on a garlic, chilli and smoked eggplant puree are a swoon-worthy highlight. The sultry smokiness from both the prawns and the puree has me wanting more of the fresh, firm, tail-on, de-veined crustaceans.

And sweet simplicity of fresh flavours wins us over with the sugar-cured Petuna ocean trout. The lime acidity and dill thud of the dressing clothed the trout smartly and sharply - a smooth operator here.

Jealousy is a one-way street, usually anyway, and it's true tonight when I passively concede my first choice main to another diner. Envy and regret are painful in any situation - culinary or not.

Slow braised veal shank with celeriac puree and porcini jus

The apple of my eye turns out to be a lean, dark hunk of a dish. The caramelly surface of the veal shank comes away from the bone with a fork, providing serious depth of flavour in both the meat and the rich jus. With a mouthful of the smooth celeriac, food like this makes me glad it's winter.

Grilled Wagyu beef bavette with sweet and sour root vegetables

The wagyu comes out looking like a platter on another long rectangular plate. A little rarer than the requested medium-rare, the cut of meat is a little tough on the tooth but completely redeemed by the accompanying jus; a suave, smoking chair kind of feel with luxuriously rich flavours perhaps even overshadowing the meat. Cubes of parsnip soak up all the juices and pickle onions add a tart lightness to the overall.

Pappardelle with braised Bangalow pork, fennel, thyme and tomato

My pasta dish is the lightweight in comparison to the beef dishes, but heavy on the pork portion. Chunks of the tenderest Bangalow pork, fatty goodness here and there, are covered in a fennel-strong tomato sauce. The thin pappardelle struggles to keep up with the abundance of pork, but aided by my requisite order of a rocket, radicchio, pear and parmesan salad wth aged balsamic.

With the main event over, we brush aside petty jealousies and silly fantasies to lock eyes with the dessert menu. The Falconer has a few stickies on offer as well, and after my meaty meal a glass of moscato turns out to be the only thing I need.

Vanilla bean creme brulee with rhubarb and almond tuile

I find it tough to resist the charms of a mouthful or two of the creme brulee, though. Served with a crisp, paper-thin tuile of almond exclaimation, a cracking toffee layer reveals a thick and creamy custard sugar-high. It makes the shy, quiet type out of all of us.

Sitting cosily in our darkened booth, it feels like we've just gotten to know The Falconer so I'm no longer judging a bird by its feather. And how do I feel about it? I'm smitten and can't wait to see it again.

A meeting of (blog) minds

What do you say to an invitation to join over 30 food lovers for night of eating, drinking, conversation and masked fun? "Yes, I'd love to."

I'm at my first ever meeting of food bloggers, coinciding with a birthday, at Wagaya across from the Entertainment Centre in Chinatown. Thanks so much to Suze of chocolatesuze for the invite and organising the event (and happy birthday!), and special thanks for securing the private room so that we camera-wielding food freaks wouldn't frighten the hell out of all the other patrons along with the staff.

In a flurry of shoes, people, masks, cameras, introductions and touch screen ordering, a parade of food arrives over my shoulder by staff who are probably a little bewildered but trying their best not to show it. Lighting effects that would qualify for a rave ensue before the task of eating while talking to those next to, two people down, across the table and right at the other corner.

Edamame beans and sushi roulette from
Wagaya, Harbour Street, Haymarket

Sushi roulette for 30 odd people is sadistically amusing; eating and watching the random spark around the table go off like a firework. The lump of wasabi hidden in one of the salmon nigiri sushi is substantial, tear-worthy, and luckily, not on my plate.

Fried lotus root chips

The holey lotus root chips are moreish and much more impressive than a potato chip. Super crunchy with just an inkling of flavour beyond straight starchiness - another ideal movie snack.

Tempura combination

The tempura is a pile of golden crunch; vegetables, prawn and a piece of fish roe for something different.

Rice...

Several massive, hot stone bowls were delivered with their crunchy-bottomed but rather uninteresting rice contents; an unusual sight to see it used directly as an eating vessel.

Fried pork rib and chicken pizza? ( background)

More deep-fried, meaty morsels in the pork rib and the odd-looking pizza styled dish, of which I didn't sample. Sometimes I feel fusion just pushes too far.

Deep fried cheese

A definite favourite was the deep fried cheese, not tofu as it first resembled. It's almost as if everything can be improved through a battering and deep fry process. This is so good, yet probably unhealthy, as always seems to be the case. You win some, you lose some.

Suze with a sashimi platter

The massive sashimi platters were impressive and popular with a huge variety of seafood, nigiri sushi and rolls. The blue-green raw prawns with heads looked dubious but were said to taste like a less creamy raw scampi.

In what seems like hours of constant food and drink delivery (oh, hang on - it was), it was fun and, in a way, astounding to meet and see so many people of a very specific niche all in the one private room. Never has discussion of ingredients, menus, chefs, restaurants, food fairs, food careers and MasterChef been so easy and free-flowing.

Suze with her sheep birthday cake

Thanks to Trisha of Sugarlace for her sweet and chocolately gesture: chocolate and sprinkle covered cake pops with a sensationally moist ball of cake inside. It was lovely to meet, if not chat, to everyone. I loved putting (masked) faces to blogs and look forward to seeing you around on- and offline.

Cake pop from Trisha of Sugarlace

Tripping vivid visuals

There's no better time than smack-bang in the middle of festival season and this I where I've found myself, despite being the beginning of a very cold winter. Praise must go to Events NSW for attempting to make something out of the nothingness that is Sydney winter. And praise, of course, to all those who managed to drag out the winter woollies and a companion or two to face the chill all in the name of the festival.

With both Vivid Sydney and the Sydney Film Festival coming to an end, it's a busy weekend of cramming. Following a riotous and trippy movie at the Art Gallery of New South Wales - with an unforgettable banquet scene of gorging, trashing and general anarchy - we find ourselves with a bit of our own city tripping while awaiting the festival-closing fire spectacle at The Rocks.

Insert here an awkwardly-timed meal, as is becoming my norm, at the cheap, cheerful and straightfowardly named Sushi Train. I adore the immediacy of a sushi train: enter, sit, eat. A succession of tasty morsels just parading their ingredients and colours for the hungry diner.

Salmon and avocado roll from Sushi Train, Bathurst Street, Sydney

First plate to alight the train is a standard, fresh salmon and avocado roll, rolled inside-out with a sesame seed coating - simple comfort fare with soy and wasabi.

Eel nigiri sushi

The friend's eel nigiri looks lusciously inviting, although I generally avoid it as I have issue with the skin and fatty bits of the slithery fish.

Takoyaki - octopus balls

The takoyaki arrive piping hot in a DIY sauce manner; a packet of sauce to be distributed over the three balls and mayonnaise on the side. I prefer it pre-sauced - yes, I'm lazy but the bonito shavings usually take up some of the moisture so they're not dry and papery as they are here.

Scallop aburi nigiri sushi

The scallops look stunning on their little wooden platform; charred, juicy and simply demanding to be devoured. They have a fresh and firm texture, but not quite the sweetness that I love of scallops.

Volcano roll

And lastly it's a pretty spectacular-looking charred dish, appropriately named the volcano roll. Thin inside-out sushi rolls of crab meat form the mountain, topped at the summit with a rich and creamy mix of more crab, cubes of cream cheese and mayonnaise. A red sauce and a dabble of roe represent the lava and while it's an intimidating stack, it's surprisingly good enough to warrant a second serving.

Sushi-stuffed, it's time to head down to The Rocks for a final glimpse of the city's light extravaganza. I admit I didn't get through the entire Light Walk and I thought the Fire Water show was more about music and testing people's patience, but I love the ability of a festival to draw people out and together to celebrate something, anything.

Lighting the Sails by Brian Eno, Sydney Opera House

Lighting the Sails

The Opera House was seriously psychedelic. Everytime I looked at it there was a different, but still awesome, effect that was quite beautiful and inspiring. Perhaps something about constant change and how that can be a wonderful thing?

Vessel of (Horti)Cultural Plenty by Warren Langley, Cadman Park

This pertly pretty floral piece looks very much a spring arrangement, so perhaps oddly out of place in the winter chill.

Rainbow by Mark Hammer and Andre Kecskes, outside Billich Gallery

Kiddies and adults alike love a rainbow - this piece of work reflecting that simple, almost nostalgic, fondness for seven worldly colours.

Burning log? Fire sculpture

The forecourt at Campbell's Cove was a hive of smokey activity, thanks to burning logs and firey trash cans. Warm but can't be good for the environment nor lungs really. Crowds swelled for the reenactment performance of a slowly emerging, then burning and sinking convict boat which was not quite as dramatic as marketed. My poor vantage spots means I'm not sure I got the storyline and no photos.

Rocklights by Ingo Bracke, Argyle Cut

My last foray into Vivid Sydney's offerings is the remarkable light effect projected on the underside of the tunnel at the Argyle Cut. Lines, numbers and other slightly recognisable symbols covered the area in something reminiscent of John Nash's efforts in A Beautiful Mind. I'd love this on my bedroom ceiling.

It's the walk past The Argyle that cuts short any ambition to head towards more bright lights. All wooden warmth and half litre brewed beverages, it's a top-notch solution to winter troubles when tripping about many a venue is just not viable. Cheers to the festival!