The Hungry Bunny

When we pick our accommodation in an Australian city, we've a few perimeters, paramount of which is location. Ideally, we'd like to be right in the heart of where the action is. So we can walk around, explore on foot, and leave the car behind because hunting for available parking in the city is a pain. Then we try to pick one with room service, a gym, and a bath-tub, with as much luxury we can find (and afford of course). The Mayfair was our choice of accommodation when we stayed in Adelaide. A boutique luxury hotel in the heart of town, its central location is the best thing about this hotel. I mean, it's directly across from Rundle Street, the primary shopping belt of Adelaide city, so its location can't be beat. Conserved from a heritage building that used to house the Colonial Mutual Life, the decor is tasteful and elegant, and interiors are swathed in soft shades of taupe and cream.  Parking was the biggest issue with The Mayfair , in that, there was no avai...

Ruby Red Flamingo was a recommendation of the hotel's concierge, which turned out a big fat dud. So apparently, the Italian joint is crazy popular with locals, but I can't see how or why. Maybe it's coz the portions are Trump ego-huuuuge, but the cooking was clunky and rustic approach to food awkward. That said, if you need to go cheap, and wouldn't mind quantity over quality, this'll be the place for you. We prefer our diet the other way round and would pay more for better food, and so, we had a most unsatisfyingly mediocre dinner. Service was lovely though, even if the trattoria was bursting at the seams with a Kardashian-esque crowd. There was something distinctively Jersey-ish about the crowd, where big coiffures, kohl-rimmed eyes, and tight little white dresses seemed to be the unofficial dress code. Think Jersey Shore, and that's the crowd you'll be eating with. We found that highly entertaining. The Roasted Vegetables (A$7), a medley of sweet po...

Our #1 Australia-holiday tradition is hunting for and eating meat pies. It's our favourite Australian comfort food, and we can never get worthy alternatives back home in SG.Really, no visit Down Under is complete without "stuffing our pie-holes with pie". So, we were in Adelaide city, and heard of the award-winning, very literally named, Bakery on O'Connell . Their pies at priced at A$5 each, and we bought a bunch of them for tea. I didn't think it was possible to have a bad pie in Oz, but by golly, these were the worst pies we've ever had. The pastry was lacking in that buttery flaky texture, and the fillings were insipid; what an utter wash out. The bakery may have been great, but that was once upon a time, and that time has long passed. Suffice it to say, we didn't finish the pies. The red wine sauce was too sweet and unbalanced against the dry, stringy stodgy beef in the Chunky Steak . A most one-dimensional pie. The best thing about the...

Barossa Valley in South Australia is the primary wine-producing region in Australia. So it makes sense that Adelaide, the state's capital city, would house Australia's National Wine Centre . For oenophiles, it's a must-visit. I mean, there's 120 wines to sample in just one spot. ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY WINES. We went nuts. We love Australian shiraz for its big bold peppery flavours, so this was practically like a pilgrimage for us:- the National Wine Centre was our first stop immediately after touching down in Adelaide. You can stroll along the gardens adjacent to the sprawling complex, the gorgeous grounds frequently host weddings in the Spring. Or you can take a tour of the building itself, and learn about the history of wine in South Australia, the wine making process, yadda yadda yadda. OR you can make like us, skip all that dribble and head straight to Wined Bar . Because, tasting room. So, you go to the cashier counter, ask for a card which allows you to swipe ...

A little further East along Waymouth Street from Press Food & Wine , is another well-known name, Bistro Dom . Serving modern European cuisine, the galley of a restaurant is low-lit and swash in black hues, projecting a romantic but relaxed vibe. Food was a bit of a mixed bag, but my issue was really with the less-than-fresh produce, and not inept cooking. The dinner started off superbly with the South Australia Gulf Prawns (A$23.50), dusted with paprika salt and grilled to a smoky succulence. Its pairing with a refreshing white gazpacho, and muscatel grapes provided balance, while jamon nubbins lent a meaty saltiness. The Suquet (A$38), a Catalan-style seafood soup awash with shellfish was seasoned with saffron and garlic picada. The soup was overwhelmingly saccharine, and the mussels were less than sparkling fresh. The Confit of Duck (A$38) was a medley of duck done two ways - pulled duck swaddled in hamlets bacon, and a roasted duck breast. Fermented purple cabbage, ...

Waymouth Street in Adelaide is lined with dozens of restaurants. Amongst the sea of restaurant options is a number of prolific standouts, one of which is Press Food & Wine . Drawing its namesake from its address which previous tenant was a printing house, Press Food & Wine is bright and airy and casual. Serving modern Australian cuisine all-day, in small plates, the restaurant highlights locally sourced produce. We popped by for a mid-afternoon bite, and ended up ordering a lot more than we'd originally planned. The menu's decidedly limited, and while it isn't the most exciting or inventive of foods, I liked it for its simplicity and light touch to fresh ingredients. The Beef Carpaccio (A$22) was exquisite. The beef was a lot less full-bodied than I'd expected, but its surprisingly delicate taste was well complemented by the truffled pecorino, aioli, baby cress, lemon drizzle, and radish. A must-try, the Asparagus (A$18), the spears and shaved curls a...

Jolley's Boathouse is an Adelaide institution. Though, surprisingly, it's not their food that's the allure; rather, it's the scenic landscape and history of the locale that's key to its charm. The iconic glasshouse-like structure has been around since the 18th century, and is renowned for its sweeping views of the Torrens river, the main estuary running through Adelaide city. The food's perfectly lovely, albeit a tad unmemorable and uninspired. And considering the quality of other restaurants in South Australia, I would say Jolleys Boathouse is a ok-to-skip if on a short tour of Adelaide. That being said, service was exemplary. Personable, warm and so chirpy. The fatty decadence and smoky notes of the Mount Alpine King Salmon (A$18.50) was juxtaposed against the refreshing bite of baby beet ringlets, pickled fennel, green apple slaw, and horseradish. The Crisp Fried Duck Leg (A$21.50), salty and punchy in flavour, was cut with the piquancy of the g...