Deusexmachina is a motorcycle shop that we’ve driven past many a time which peaked our interest due to the clever name and eyecatching windows. Deus Ex Machina means literally in Latin “God out of a machine” which is a rather clever name for a motorcycle shop, cum cafe, cum gallery. The way it reads on the outside almost looks like “De Sex Machine” which really catches the eye. And for those who can’t quite recall what Deus Ex Machina means, it’s a plot device used in books, movies or television that allows for the improbable but neat solution to resolve a situation or plot. Think Dallas and the question “Who Shot J.R.?” being resolved with “It was all a dream”. I couldn’t have ever imagined stopping there to have a look as I don’t have any interest in Motorcycles until I read that they actually had a cafe attached to it, called naturally, Deus cafe.

One lazy Sunday afternoon we decided to have lunch there (ok it was brunch but at lunch time). As they close at 3pm we had to get our butts into gear, across the bridge and down the peculiarly numbered Parramatta Road earlier than we would normally leave the house on a cold Sunday.

Entering the huge space of the cafe you’re immediately struck by the low lighting, large communal tables and the fact that it is jam packed for an area that doesn’t have that much nearby. The mark of Dare Jennings, the Mambo founder is stamped across everything. It’s that rustic, laidback, boy friendly but not girl unfriendly look where objects look like a collection of cool vintage and new.

We share some surprisingly soft and comfortable wicker couches with others and I go to order. I take a good 5 minutes standing (probably open mouthed) trying to decide that to order. There are specials that finish at noon, cakes, rolls, salads, breakfast eggs in all sorts of variations as well as more substantial lunch food like lamb shanks. I wanted to order the Bircher muesli with fresh stewed fruit but they’ve sold out, as they have with the granola with yogurt and fresh fruit. I settle on the fruit toast ($4) as I’m told it’s made on the premises, a New England Clam Chowder with Deus roll ($10) and a Lamb sausage with tzatziki, tomato confit on Deus bread with chips ($12). It’s order and pay at the counter and they provide complimentary help yourself filtered water. There is a huge tables of magazines from the New Yorker to the Sunday life and newspapers so I grab some and get reading.

Fruit toast $4

Our fruit toast arrives first, two thick wedges of lightly toasted raisin bread with 2 squares of butter at the perfect temperature so that it spreads easily. I am glad to see that it is packed with lots of raisins and even though my husband isn’t a big toast eater, whereas I am, he enjoys this as much as I do.

New England Clam Chowder $10

The New England Clam Chowder and the Lamb sausages arrive together about 10 minutes later. The clam chowder is full of lots of bacon, celery, potato and some very tiny sliced up clams. Although it’s not particularly clam-my or briney, it’s creamy and comforting and lovely with the freshly baked roll, which is like across between a panini and a turkish roll. I’m hoping my husband won’t like it but of course he does.

Lamb sausages with tzatziki, tomato confit and chips $12

The Lamb sausages sit within a split lightly toasted Deus roll with two confit of tomatoes and a generous serve of tzatziki. The sausages are strong in fennel seed and whilst it’s nice, there is a little something lacking in the sandwich. I find myself adding salt which improves it slightly but not enough for me to want to eat more. My husband finds that there is too much roll for the filling and I have to agree. The french fries are actually stone cold which is a disappointment but we can’t be bothered waiting to wait for a fresh serve.

We’re full so we walk into the shop adjacent to the cafe where there is the distinct smell of grease and oil. Lots of motorcycles, books and interesting displays adorn the shop and for a motorcycle enthusiast, it’s probably their idea of nirvana.

Deus Cafe, part of Deus Ex Machina

98-104 Parramatta Road Camperdown
Tel: +61 (02) 9557 6866
Parking to the right via Barr Street
Open 7 days:
Mon-Sat: 8:00-3:00pm
Sunday: 9:00-3:00pm

http://www.deus.com.au/

Sophia Loren once attributed her ever youthful looks to a bowl of pasta a day. As she is a celebrity, it probably also involves a Petrossian caviar masque and a diamond dust exfoliant but I suppose that’s giving away the real secret. If you are in the mood for some anti ageing Sophia Loren style, The Italian Bowl seems a suitable place to start. After a movie one Saturday night at the Dendy Newtown, we walk the three doors down to The Italian Bowl and it’s long line snaking onto the footpath. Luckily most people are getting takeaway and we nab a seat opposite the counter where we are to order and where they cook the pasta in front of you.

Order and paying at the counter, I choose the Beef Tortellini with chicken peppercorns and the Spaghetti Bolognaise, a dish that when done well is a lovely comfort food but is often done badly. I must be blind or the font is hard to read but I miss the best deal, the combo with any choice or pasta and any veal or chicken dish ($18, seafood pasta $2 extra). I also order a Chinotto drink ($3), the Italian version of Coke, made from the bitter citrus Chinotto tree.

We’re in a prime location to watch the pasta being cooked. It’s all cooked furiously fast and fresh to order. The waiters are vocal, it seems that there’s nothing that can be said unless it’s shouted across the restaurant and takeaway customers have their numbers bellowed out and one unfortunate takeaway customer gets an impatient chastising as the waiter calls her number out a few times to collect her order. In the kitchen area itself, there’s much clanging, yelling and high licking flames and within 5 minutes, we’re presented with our pasta dishes.

Beef Tortellini with chicken peppercorn sauce $12

The beef tortellini with chicken peppercorn sauce has a good amount of tender chicken breast scattered throughout it. Even as a garlic lover, I find the sauce a tad too heavy on the garlic and whilst it’s creamy there aren’t enough peppercorns in it to balance out the other flavours. When you do come across a green peppercorn and it explodes in your mouth, suddenly you think “Ahhh this is nice, if only there were more peppercorns.” Perhaps in the frenzy of cooking to order so many dishes, balance is haphazardly applied.

Spaghetti Bolognaise $10

The Spaghetti Bolognaise is next, we can see straight away that it is very watery and with a small amount of mince and only mince. I prefer a thicker tomato sauce and some bacon or carrot in the bolognaise sauce and I find this disappointing. Trying to thicken or flavour it up with parmesan improves it a little but not enough. The pasta itself is a little overcooked too which is something I cannot stand. It has to be al dente or nothing. I leave most of this behind and my husband reluctantly finishes this.

We spied a tiramisu at another table, a large sundae glass filled with creamy mascarpone and sponge ($8). Unfortunately there isn’t enough stomach space to fit this in. We might be back for the Combo deal at a later stage but will steer clear of the Spaghetti Bolognaise.

The Italian Bowl

255 King Street Newtown
Tel: +61 (02) 9516 0857
Open 7 days from 10:30am-10:30pm
Except weekends 10:30am- 11:30pm

It’s literally been years since our last visit to Marigold. In fact since our last visit, it’s now changed it’s name to Marigold Regal instead of Marigold Citymark. Marigold Citymark used to be our Chinese restaurant of choice, mainly because the food was good and the decor was nicer than your average Chinese restaurant (I find Golden Century’s food is great but the decor isn’t as nice) and the free parking for dinner guests always made my father and husband happy. Yes, we’re the type of family where the men will greet each other with “Where did you park?” and the park closest to the restaurant wins and gets a  fleeting moment of pride. Please tell me we aren’t the only ones.

The decor has been spruced up with warmer reds and oranges instead of austere blacks and whites. The fish tanks have been moved further down but other than that, everything is fairly similar. What we notice is back are the silver spoon and chopstick rests which is what we liked about dining here in the first place. Yes I know it may make me sound like a complete brat, and at times I am, but it’s the little details that help set a place apart and these were the details that my sister and I noticed and liked. So when they didn’t put them out 3 times in a row and we had average food we stopped coming here.

Tonight we’re here with my uncle, cousin, my family and my cousin’s wife who is over from Singapore. We order a slew of dishes including Peking Duck plus a whole lot of new dishes we’ve never tried before which I hope comes out quickly as I am very hungry. I am relieved with they wheel the duck out.

I always love it when they carve it at the table (although I know this would horrify my vegan mother in law who could not believe that they would do such a thing) and they show the duck off to us before slicing off the skin with a cleaver and placing them in 12 pancakes with the requisite spring onion and cucumber.

Curiously I notice that there is still a lot of skin remaining on the duck after it is carved and even though there are 7 of us, they don’t give us 14 pancakes. I wonder where the rest of the skin goes? It never seems to turn up in the second course and it’s a suspicion of mine that they use the skin for other dishes. I’d love to know whether this is true or not!

The pancakes have a little too much meat in them for my taste and the pieces are smaller than I’d like. For me, I love big discs of glossy, crispy skin and it’s a good sign when the sauce and oil run out of the pancake. My ideal version is not for the faint hearted or diet conscious.

The sang choi bau course arrives and they plate it into the lettuce cups. It’s nice and crunchy with the water chestnuts although we have to ask for the Hoi Sin sauce as it is bland without it.

The rest of the dishes arrive in quick succession. The pork ribs in champagne sauce ($18) are circled by orange slices and the sticky orange glazed champagne sauce is a lovely match to the deep fried ribs. It’s unusual and very moreish and a hit with the table.

Steamed egg whites, fried bean curd with assorted seafood and meat ($24) comes out next, with the bean curd sitting on the edges of the plate surrounding a melange of meats, seafood and egg whites. The scallops and prawns are plentiful and whilst the mixture is soothingly soft, it lacks punch or a distinct flavour.

The Spicy Fish fillets with Mermaid’s Tresses ($28) resemble the deep fried cornflour dipped salt and pepper fish but with spice and less intensity of flavour than the S&P variety. The spice comes in the form of some sliced bird’s eyes chili and the mermaid’s tresses are deep fried seaweed shreds. It’s alright but not particularly stunning.

The last dish, Four vegetables baked in creamy taro sauce ($21) comes out, the purply grey creamy taro mash coating the vegetables with some satisfying blistering on top. Scooping out the vegetables we are rewarded with large chunks of broccoli, whole mushrooms, asparagus and snow peas. It’s the most comforting of comforting Winter food and the buttery scent of the sauce beckons you to eat more than you really should.

At this stage we’re full but they bring out the fruit-sliced watermelon and rockmelon as well as a large tureen of sweet red bean and black sticky rice soup. It’s only the most robust of us that can finish a whole bowl of the sticky, sweet and delicious soup. Completely full, we rest for a little and then get up to leave whilst the men continue to debate who got the closest “parking spot”.

Marigold Regal

Levels 4 & 5
683-689 George Street, Haymarket Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9281-3388

Parking from 10am-6pm:
0-1 hour - $2.80
1-2 hours - $7.20
2-3 hours - $11.60 3-4 hours - $16.00
4-5 hours - $20.40
Over 5 hours - $30.00
Free parking for dinner guests (otherwise my husband noted that parking is $50 an hour so don’t make the mistake of parking there unless you are eating!)
Lunch (yum cha)

Sometimes, when you’re having the laziest of a lazy 4 day weekend, all you can manage to travel is Chinatown for a loadup of Chinese dumplings. Shanghai Night in Ashfield is my husband’s favourite place to eat, probably in the whole of Sydney but we just couldn’t muster up the energy to drive there so it was to Chinese Noodle Restaurant in Chinatown, half an hour closer, that we went. Its an unusual setup, all geared to get maximum table turnover in a tiny but crowded space. There are plenty of people outside waiting for a table and you order from the menu while waiting outside and when your table is ready, so is your meal, or at least most of the dishes you have ordered. None of this wasting 10 minutes precious table space umming and ahhing over what you want. Its strictly eat and go but unlike Shanghai Night, the service is pretty friendly.

We order the Juicy pork buns (like the Shanghai night mini pork buns) $8 for 10; a half serve of 5 pan fried pork buns $4; Pork and seafood steamed dumplings, 16 for $8; Fragrant Spiced noodles $8; Braised Eggplant and Potato $9.80 and Mushroom and chinese vegetables $8.80. Prices are a dollar or two higher than Shanghai Night which is understandable given that its in the city. Like Uighur and Northern Chinese restaurants, there are grapevines stretching out across the ceilings and wall tapestries.

I have to duck off to the ladies while my husband and the Assman wait for our table outside. I have to be escorted there-they don’t give you the keys, they take you there. When I return a few minutes later, they’re already seated and we already have two dishes on the table.

Braised eggplant and potato $9.80

The braised eggplant and potato is full and flavoursome-the eggplant is crispy on the outside and soft inside and coated in a delicious spicy garlic sauce. The potato is similar to roast potato chunks in a chinese sauce.

Mushrooms and chinese vegetables $8.80

The mushrooms with chinese vegetables by comparison is more low key. Not bad by any means but following such a full flavoured dish does not do the mildly flavoured dish any good.

Juicy pork buns, 10 for $8

Our Juicy pork buns come in two steamer baskets with 5 dumplings in each-which is one serving we are told. They’re juicy and very full of liquid but they’re not particularly gingery like Shanghai night’s ones which we prefer. Still its a generous serve of 10 for our $8

Pork and seafood steamed dumplings, 16 for $8

My husband loves the pork and seafood steamed dumplings, the less glamorous, dumpy cousin to the showy mini pork buns. The dumplings are a little bigger than Shanghai night’s and the filling has a distinctly different taste although I wouldn’t have necessarily proclaimed it to be seafood. It doesn’t matter what I think of these though, my husband is fiercely loyal to these and devours every one except for the one I try. Yes luvvies, that’s 15 dumplings as well as his share in other dishes.

Pan fried pork buns, 5 for $4

I try the mini fried pork buns, 5 large upturned golden bottomed wheat flour dumplings with thick chewy skins and pork inside. They’re decent but I admit here that I prefer Shanghai Night’s version better.

Fragrant spiced noodles $8

Lastly I try the fragrant spiced noodles. These are a huge disappointment flavour wise and are not really fragrant, unless you count the scent of oil, soy sauce and chili flakes abundantly scattered on top. The thick, endlessly long noodles are rather fun to play with though and hooking them with your chopsticks and trying to get them into your small bowl is quite a challenge. When Assman tries to hook his in from a great height, we see the staff watching him to see whether he will make it in and of course he doesn’t as they break halfway and they laugh good naturedly. There is no meat in this dish, just a lot of chinese greens so he makes a quick meal of it and all that is left is a soup with 1/2cms of oil floating at the top and a lot of chili flakes.

We watch the noodles being made from the square window into the frantically ordered kitchen and watch them rhythmically loop the handmade noodles into a bundle before plunging them into the boiling water. Dinner and a show indeed!

Chinese Noodle Restaurant

Shop TG7, 8 Quay Street Haymarket NSW 2000
(Entrance from Thomas Street, next to Burlington Centre)

On our visit to Bourke Street Bakery a few weeks back, we drove past The Book Kitchen, a cafe spilling over with patrons inside and out. It looked intriguing and there’s nothing more enticing than a busy cafe so we made a mental note to come back. Looking a their website featuring organic and bio dynamic produce (http://www.thebookkitchen.com.au/) we knew just who we would take here -my husband’s vegetarian, health loving family. So after some tandem bike riding in Centennial Park, appetites well and truly worked up, we descended. In some minor miracle, parking in Surry Hills was not a nightmare and we found two spots right outside The Book Kitchen. Inside we stake out our spot on one side of the large square communal table and order. It appears that everyone likes the sound of the same dishes so we all agree to share dishes, such is our curiosity.

We order our drinks and settle back to choose from the amazing variety of books-mostly food related with some design books thrown in for good measure. I feel like I’ve come home to my dream library and I’m picking up book after book. I’ve got Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations, my husband has a design book on Industrial Interiors, A&D have a book solely devoted to potatoes including some incredible and bizzare looking Peruvian ones and Anneli is looking for her favourite cookbook -the I Hate to Cook Book.

Mixed berry frappe $5

Our drinks arrive first and the Mixed berry frappe ($5) with Berries, apple juice and lemon sorbet is refreshingly good, especially for a sweltering day like this. Its not too sweet courtesy of the lemon sorbet but still resonant with antioxidant berries.

Sunshine shake $5

The dairy free Sunshine shake ($5) with rockmelon, honey, orange juice is delicious-its very creamy and fruity so should sate any lactose intolerant people and fool their food demons! We barely notice the time that it takes for our food to arrive, from reading reviews, its reported to be very slow but the food arrives before we know it thanks to our reading entertainment-a clever trick to keep the hungry boys occupied.

Avocado, sour toast, Persian feta, poached egg, rocket, and lemon infused olive oil 14

I try the Avocado, sour toast, Persian feta, poached egg, rocket, and lemon infused olive oil ($14) and I am in raptures. The sourdough toast is lacey and the lemon infused olive oil gives it a piquant lift. The persian feta (surely stuff that food fantasies are made of) is gorgeously rich with the crusty lemon scented sourdough and the dreamily soft poached egg and avocado. Even though I’m not even remotely qualified to be a vegetarian, I could happily order this again without feeling as if I’m missing out.

Homemade brioche, Bio dynamic scrambled eggs, salmon gravlax $16

On a high, next I try the Homemade brioche, Bio dynamic scrambled eggs, salmon gravlax ($16). The Salmon gravlax is almost like it has been left out in the heat for too long. I try a little but not too much as it doesn’t smell quite right to me. I usually love gravlax so I can only put it down to this. The biodynamic scrambled eggs need a smattering of the fine pink salt flakes provided and are fairly buttery although any goodness in these is offset against the home made broiche which is bizarrely like rice bread not resembling in the remotest way the sweet pillowy brioche loaves that one is used to at all. I find this a tad disappointing and the crumbly rice bread texture does not do it any favours.

Crispy duck salad, roast peaches, pink peppercorn, and a red wine vinaigrette $16

What is much better is the Crispy duck salad, roast peaches, pink peppercorn, and a red wine vinaigrette ($16) which has a duck confit drumstick and several smaller pieces of duck torn throughout the salad. The baby salad leaves, roast peaches and mild red wine vinaigrette are lovely background players for the delicious crispy duck.

Poached Petuna ocean trout, baby tatsoi, kipfler potatoes, olives, poached egg, herbs, olive oil $16

As a Petuna trout lover, I didn’t realise that Poached Petuna ocean trout, baby tatsoi, kipfler potatoes, olives, poached egg, herbs, olive oil ($16) was actually a salad so when it arrives, the trout in small pieces atop baby spinach leaves, crushed kipflers and a poached egg I’m a little disappointed that I don’t have an elegant fillet of trout. I am consoled in the taste however where the delicate poached fish pieces are never overwhelmed by the other ingredients with the delicious poached egg yolk bursting free and giving the salad an unctuous, creamy dressing.

Pork and fennel sausages $4.50

We ordered a side order of Pork and fennel sausages ($4.50) as this seems to be the popular sausage combination and whilst we get two rather long impressive sausages, the filling only had the faintest trace of fennel with it mostly being a rather plain pork inner. There were also large lumps of fat inside which I wanted to spit out but couldn’t do so decorously so gulp, I reluctantly swallowed them.

Ricotta hot cakes, caramelized banana, roast rhubarb and honey $14

We’ve saved the most interesting til last, the Ricotta hot cakes, caramelized banana, roast rhubarb and honey ($14). I’ve had Bill’s hotcakes, both in his cafe as well as made at home and they’re good. What I’m interested in is whether they are using the same recipe here. I dig in and the hot cakes (two of them) are quite different, not as light or fluffy as Bill’s but very good. The ricotta is actually on top and I presume also in the hotcakes but I would guess inside to a lesser extent than at Bill’s. It also has a slight doughnutty taste here, of which I am in Homer Simpson fashion, very enamoured of. The caramelised banana, sticky sweet rhubarb, honey and ricotta combined with the thick hot cakes are delectable. Even though I am full, I want more. Comparing this to Bill’s, I would definitely prefer these although at Bill’s you do get three hot cakes (for $16.60).

We’re in no hurry to leave with our stomach’s full and the shelves of books to read. We’re not hurried with the bill, our waitress being the very friendly and lovely sort so we’re just happy to relax and read more and feed our minds now that our stomaches have been well fed. The boys are for once happy to linger and eager to come back at another time which just shows, the way to a man’s heart is not just through his stomach, but also through his mind.

The Book Kitchen

255 Devonshire Street Surry Hills Sydney 2010 (between Crown St and Bourke St)
Tel: +61 (02) 9310 1003
Fax: +61 (02) 9310 1085
Open 7 days until late
http://www.thebookkitchen.com.au/