2013 recap. Wait it's the end of the year already?!

What the hell? It feels like yesterday when I did my end of year recap of 2012! I did not expect the year to fly by so fast nor did I expect the year to turn out the way it is. As of later September 2013, The Random Foodie has hit the Terrible Two's. There has been a few layout changes and maybe even a few more coming soon. Hope the current layout is pleasing to the eye. I've also decided to increase the size of the photos. If you can think of better changes, please let me know :).

There have been so many foodie trends this year that it's crazy. One of which is fine dining chefs turning their heads to casual dining. They can be making burgers, serving ramen or opening up a new cafe. This is no surprise considering the many fine dining restaurant closures recently not to mention the overwhelming success of casual restaurants and small bars with the Drink n' Dine team opening numerous restaurant ventures in a single year with even more to come! I guess thanks to the success of brunches at Bills, and eventually at The Grounds and Reuben Hills has led to cafes opening up left, right and centre. Mexican food has also been a growing trend this year with many new restaurants, small bars and even a few cafes adding tacos on their menu. Not that I'm complaining ;). There has also been a crazy number of gourmet burgers joints popping up lately like Chur Burger, Mary's, Parlour Burgers etc. So delicious but I think my diet hates me for that. Cronuts were also a big hit but haven't really tried the ones at Zumbo yet.

There is also way too many froyo joints. Everywhere. Especially on George Street, Sydney near Town Hall and on King Street, Newtown. That is all. (Mooberry was lots of fun though. Thanks guys. And Yogurtland wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.)

Those who had been keeping up with my instagram page will know that I did went through a phase involving lots and LOTS of ramen especially during the winter. Haven't had ramen for a while thanks to the hot weather but cravings be damned.

Clockwise: Ippudo Sydney, Ichi-Ban Boshi, Tan-Tan Takeaway at Chifley Plaza, Hakata-Maru Ramen, Ramen Ikkyu

2013 was the year when I have been doing the ol' Monday to Friday 9 to 5 (well 6pm actually) that I have been doing constant lunches in the CBD. I have also achieved my new year's resolution of losing weight though thanks to Birthday celebrations, Christmas and recent work stress; I have been falling back into old habits slowly. As the saying goes, that's the life and dilemmas of a food blogger (sighs). Unlike last year, I did not get to travel this year however I did get the opportunity to go out of Sydney for a day trip to Thirroul near Wollongong for a lunch outing at Flanagan's Dining Room with lots of amazing bloggers.

Speaking of fellow bloggers, I've reunited and met up with so many wonderful people throughout this year. It was great getting to know most of you at food-related events, launches and at the Sydney Food Blogger Picnic this year. Many thanks to Suze from Chocolatesuze and Helen from Grab your Fork for organising a wonderful and delicious day as always! I'm still craving for Mr Crackles's pork crackling. Ermagherddd.

I also finally did a recipe post thanks to The Sweet Swap. Didn't expect it to go well but so far I've gotten positive feedback and even did more sweets (chocolate truffles) at the Sydney Food Blogger Picnic. Unfortunately the heat was too much for the truffles to handle but those who didn't get put off by the melting chocolate seemed to love it. Hoping to do even more recipe posts in 2014.

There is still more reviews coming up that will tantalise your taste buds (including a certain restaurant that serves delicious fried chicken). Hopefully there will be more local outings and brunch related posts in 2014 because there are way too many yummy new cafes popping up this year. Seriously I can't keep up any more and I love my weekend sleep-in. Thank you soooo much to everyone for your love and support on The Random Foodie this year. Thanks also to my foodie and non-foodie buddies for bearing with me taking a zillion photos while you are dying to eat your food. .

Feel free to check me out on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest (I will try to use the latter as much as possible in the new year). 

Cheers to many more foodie memories and hopefully a bit of travelling in 2014! See you all next year! Don't get too smashed :p

Chur Burger, Surry Hills (and it's my 2nd Blog Birthday!)

OK where has the time gone?!?! I didn't end up celebrating my 1st bloggerversary / bloggiversary / blogaversary /blogiversary (seriously guys how do you spell that?) and I have no idea what to do for my 2nd one. I would say that over the last couple of years, I have gone through so many changes that it's just incredible. When I started The Random Foodie in late September 2011, I was near the end of my job at the time. What inspired me to do a food blog was the passion and love to explore different cuisines...and I have been a bit of an explorer. Before I started this blog, I was already super excited to check out pretty cool restaurants with my former colleagues. After a few requests from friends, I eventually started this blog. Why 'The Random Foodie'? To be honest, I couldn't think of a better name. Plus I guess back then, I like to be anonymous when it comes to reviewing restaurants. These day, not so much ahahaha. 

Since then, I have gained lots of weight for the love of food and eventually lost a lot of weight this year too (I still love to eat out dammit! It's so hard!). There was also some great foodie moments including meeting some amazing food bloggers, getting invites to a few cool events and travelled to Europe and Singapore. 

Thanks to everyone for your support and checking out my blog over the last couple of years. This includes enjoying the (not so great) pictures and the detailed content. I've appreciated the feedback that many of you have told me via this blog and in person. Cheers (or Chur hahaha) to 2 years of belly bursting fun times and more foodie adventures to come. Like this one. 

Speaking of random moments, I did not expect to end up dining at Chur Burger one night. I was with a few blogging mates at a bar that evening. We were so hungry and then one of us blurted out "let's go to Chur Burger!". Without hesitation, we all ended up here because it's a pretty damn awesome idea. Yup random moments are the best. For those who have no idea what I meant before, Chur is Kiwi for "cheers" (lol geddit? no? meh). Even though it was a Tuesday night, we waited for about 15 minutes for a free table...which wasn't too bad for an eating joint that has been on the lips of those in the food scene for months. While the atmosphere was noisy and buzzing, this was combined with decent and attentive service from the staff. 

You can order your food after seating at your tables or, if there are no seats left, you can also order at the counter while you wait for a table. Despite the busy crowd, the food gets delivered incredibly fast to our tables. Oh the choices!

Saucy times

We were spoilt for choice so it took a while for us to decide. Even the sides look appetising. I was in the mood for beef burgers at the time so it has gotta be the Grilled Beef Burger with cheese, tomato jam, mustard mayo and pickle. The picture below does not do this burger any justice. With a juicy beef patty with a bit of pinkness in the middle, zesty pickles and a soft and fluffy brioche bun, the burger is amazing stuff. 

Grilled Beef Burger ($10.00)

Oooooohhh yeaaahhhhh!!!

I didn't end up trying the Pulled Pork Burger (with Chur BBQ sauce, red slaw, fennel mayo) on my first visit but it got positive responses from those who did try it. It looked incredibly delicious that it was the reason I went back again recently. On my second visit, both CC and I tried the pulled pork but on this occasion, we thought that the pulled pork was chewy and not as seasoned or flavoursome as we had hoped. The BBQ sauce was quite runny so it didn't add much to the burger. This led to making good use of the other sauces to add some more flavour. However, the amount of pulled pork was still generous which was what I enjoyed the most from this burger. 

Pulled Pork Burger - 1st Visit (($10.00)

Pulled Pork Burger - 2nd Visit

I didn't end up trying the Crumbed Fish Fillet burger (with pickled cucumber, dill and lemon mayo) but C thought it was good and crunchy. Looks so tasty. Will definitely try it out in future visits.

Crumbed Fish Fillet Burger ($10.00)

Not sure if it's me or are sweet potato fries popping up at lots of menus across Sydney these days. Chur Burger's version has chunky pieces of sweet potato which was delicious but incredibly salty. We couldn't seem to detect the garlic and lime though I assume that might have been the seasoning. We ordered too many of these so there were leftovers due to its very generous servings. 

Sweet Potato Fries, Garlic, Lime ($5.00)

I tried a few of these chips and found these to be very addictive. Not good for those on a low carb diet but damnnn they were so crunchy on the outside and fluffy in the inside. I didn't seem to notice too much chilli inside so it seems to be alright for those who can't handle it. Again a very generous serving for us.

Chips with chilli salt ($5.00)

Since Chur Burger is owned by Warren Turnball, the same chef who formerly owned District Dining, I was so happy and a tad surprised when I spotted Quail eggs on the menu again. This time I thought these treats were better than ever. Oozy egg yolk and crumbled coating combined with the tangy tarragon sauce was the highlight out of the snacks menu. Soo good!

Crispy Quail Eggs with Tarragon Mayo ($10.00)

We all enjoyed the milo and salted caramel (didn't get a photo for this one :( sorry) milkshakes although they were quite thick and rich. Some of us thought it was too much to handle especially with all the other food we've had. Nevertheless, they are still sweet and refreshing to have especially on a warm day.

Milo Milkshake ($8.00)

While some people reckon that it's a bit pricey compared to Maccas and HJ's, I reckon it's one of the cheap eats considering the size of the burgers and the location. Would love to check it out again to try the fish burger and the spiced chickpea fritter burger (note this vegetarians!) sometime soon. Great social vibe, quick and friendly service and no fuss. Churrrr!

Chur Burger
48 Albion Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010
(02) 9212 7979
http://www.churburger.com.au/

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...