Looking back to 2012. Bring on 2013!

Ok I wasn't planning to do an end of year post but since this year has been a very eventful one for me, I thought I might as well. Both food and non-food related.

I've had quite a lot of adventures this year surprisingly. Been to many food events including March into Merivale and Taste of Sydney as well as the Night Noodle markets and the many foodie events occuring during Crave Sydney International Food Festival. I'm super keen to check them out again very soon as it is always a treat to see what they offer.

I also got the opportunity to try out a cooking demonstration at Alio Restaurant where the chef demonstrated the many pasta types and how several of his signature dishes are made. So keen on make a tiramisu using the recipe provided from the seminar.

I have also been to a couple of picnics where I met many wonderful bloggers, several of whom inspired me to start this blog back in 2011. Can't wait to meet you all again at the next picnic or any other foodie event!

RIP District Dining and your amazing quail eggs :(

Moochi froyo

Noggi froyo

Hartsyard fried chicken!

Pulled pork bun at Eat Art Truck

Doggs breakfast at Reuben Hills

Sadly there have been many closures from high profile restaurants that have gotten chefs hats and coverage in the SMH Good Food Guide only a few months prior which is always sad to hear especially if it's a favourite but it sadly shows that even a few chef hats may not save you in the long term especially with the high expenses. Hopefully 2013 is a better year for the restaurant industry. When there are closures, there are also new openings. During 2012 there has been even more small bars, Mexican restaurants and bars, casual dining spots, food trucks and frozen yoghurt stands opening throughout Sydney. Especially frozen yoghurt. Cafes have also played a huge hit with a few favourites like The Grounds of Alexandria, Kitchen by Mike, Cowbell 808 and of course, Reuben Hills which began on the first day of 2012!

What made this year the most eventful has been my travels back in May and June where I have travelled from the three-day stopover in Singapore to Italy to Spain and everywhere in-between. I had the best time over there and till this day, I still miss it so much. Hopefully some day I will be back in Europe as it was the best experience I could ask for. Plus it was a bit more rushed, so hopefully a longer stay in many of those cities will be beneficial.

So here it is, the last day of the year that many of us thought was going to be the end of the world. Bring on the new year of what I hope will be a much better one full of surprises and opportunities. Thank you readers for checking out The Random Foodie throughout this year. I will try to post more often as I still have many more places that have not been reviewed on this blog yet so will be updating it as soon as possible. Thanks also to my friends who have been great dining and drinking buddies and who have been patient enough for me to finish taking photos before digging in :p. Have a Happy New Year and I wish you all the best in the future. Now it's time to party hard!

Yup they are still drinking...