How much do I love you Dear Reader? Should you ever doubt my devotion to you, think of our visit to Tsukiji fish markets, the largest  food market in the world, covering 2,100 square metres in the heart of the Tokyo. A visit that requires you to get up at a horrendously early hour and take the first train of the day, when most Tokyoites are still asleep on their futons in their tatami covered rooms. Even though I lived here a few years ago, I never even thought of coming here so early on my days off, after all what use is a day off if you cannot sleep in. So despite wanting to satisfy my curiosity, I never made it here until now. My husband is chomping at the bit to go here.

Sea Urchin

Squid

As it’s early, the trains are a little less frequent. We normally wait between 1-3 minutes for a train but at this hour we wait 10 minutes (yes the Tokyo Subway system could teach State Rail in Sydney a thing or two). We exit from Exit 1 and make our way down the main street and essentially follow all of the “gaijin” or foreigners who have also woken up early to have a look a the markets. It is said that the Japanese don’t bother paying a casual visit to Tsukiji but that it has always had an allure for non Japanese.

We pass some shops selling ramen, sushi and sashimi to reward those that have risen so early. We resist, as we’re flying out this morning and only have a short amount of time to check things out. The market is divided into three areas, a front area selling produce related to seafood and cooking like utensils and other foods, the middleman area where you or I could buy fish and the back area, a wholesaling area where we keep our distance. There are a few unspoken courtesy rules to Tsukiji:

• Do not use flash photography

• Do not touch the fish

• Do not go into the wholesale/auction area (there is plenty to see in the Middleman’s market)

• Get out of the way!

The last point is for your own safety as well. There are small buggies taking fish to and from stalls at breakneck speed coming at you from all directions and they probably would run you down if you don’t get out of the way.

This is also no place for your best clothes or shoes. Whilst the smell of it is much fresher than Sydney’s Fish markets (whose smell can be overpowering) the freshness of the fish and the conditions mean that there is mostly just the smell of the sea, they do dump water and ice at every turn and you may find your feet splashed often if you don’t watch it (and you’re often trying to dodge the buggies).

Two huge tuna, tails lopped off

Tuna is definitely the prize catch as we see several large tuna, tails lopped off, being carted around. People take the tuna by hand using reverse wheelbarrows whereas smaller fish in sytrofoam go by mechanical cart.

Fat, fresh Scallops

Crab meat

Prices can be a steal, we see a dozen fresh fat plump scallops Y1300 (about $13-$14AU), and crab meat in three different colours.

Octopus

Man choosing and buying octopus from Middleman’s markets

There are fat octopus, still wriggling fish and all sorts of mysterious items from the sea including gigantic scallop type items.

Wholesale Auction area

Auctions in progress

The auction area is more serious, with men in caps standing around inspecting the fish looking contemplative and holding their chins. By 9am all of the action is wrapped up and the fisherman pack up their trucks.

Buyers contemplate their catches during auction

We leave, without trying some of the famous Daiwa sushi as we need to get to the airport. We’re still wistful, there’s something so frantic and energetic about Tsukiji that my husband declares that he wants to come back on our 1 day lay day on the way home. Despite the start time, I wholly agree.

Tsukiji Market

Near Tsukiji station. Best reached by subway (Hibiya line). Directly near Tsukijishijo station although this train line has less connections.

http://www.tsukiji-market.or.jp/tukiji_e.htm

View out of Gordon Ramsay Plane Food

I have some rather awesome friends I must say. Ones that share in my love of food and understand when I whip out a camera during a meal without sighing loudly or complaining. One of these friends is the self named “Carbon Debit”, owing the amount of time she spends in the skies traveling and working towards her pilot’s license. So when she went to Gordon Ramsay’s Plane Food restaurant at London’s Heathrow Airport T5 we were all interested to see what she had to say. It’s no secret that Australia is Gordon Ramsay obsessed, which will only be spurred on by his Sydney appearance at the Good Food and Wine Show (where an ebayer sold two tickets and a copy of his book for $350!).

So without further ado, here is what my friend had to say about Gordon Ramsay’s Plane Food.

In one word - lovely!!!

I wasn’t really that hungry because I had a rather large plate of salad for lunch before I left for Heathrow, at around 1pm. I got to Plane Food at around 4:15pm. But I had to have something there, or it would have defeated the object of going to Plane Food.

Their menu was displayed well before the entrance (which is down a corridor) so it was easy to decide whether I could find something I wanted to try despite not being hungry, or not, without feeling bad about looking and walking off.

I spotted a crab and miso salad with purple shiso which sounded rather light and lovely. They also offered a starter size and a main size. Ideal to have a starter sized one under the circumstance. The area is quite spacious and airy, and it is sort of on a ‘balcony’. It’s hard to describe exactly what it’s like, but you can see the floor below you, if you sit nearest to the window, as well as the tarmac area and BA hangars. Tables are not too crammed in, although not so sparse either. The lines are ‘clean’ and there is no chintz in sight. It’s a very pleasant andrelaxing but at the same time not excessively casual atmosphere.

So I walked up to the entrance and was greeted by a bright, friendly but not overpowering girl who showed me to the table. She asked me if I wanted to sit near the window, which I said yes. She helped me put my carry on out of the way as well. She told me that the special was duck in orange sauce. Under a normal circumstance I would definitely have that (perhaps as well as the crab miso salad!), but I was just not hungry enough. Dammit. I shouldn’t have had the salad for lunch.

Although I already had a look at the menu, I did have a bit more look out ofcuriosity. It all looked pretty good. A waiter promptly came up to ask me what I wanted to drink, and I asked about juices. He knew what they had (often not the case in restaurants!), and I ordered a glass of cranberry juice which arrived very promptly.

Crab miso salad with soya beans, cucumber and purple shiso was duly ordered (everything was very efficient there) and I only needed to look out of the window onto the passing BA aeroplanes for a very short time before it arrived.

Crab and Miso salad £9.50

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Somehow, defying your typical odds, my husband and I have managed to create ourselves a rather wonderful wedding anniversary weekend. It seems the trick is to have it on Mardi Gras parade day and you’ll get a restaurant that is usually busy, completely to yourselves. SeLah (Hebrew for “pause”and pronounced say-lah) sits on busy bus lined Loftus street in Circular Quay, a red and dark wood toned room with an open kitchen on one side. Its 7.30pm and apparently the theatre crowd has dispersed leaving an empty restaurant for us. I’ve mentioned it is our anniversary when we booked and we get congratulations from the waitstaff as we are being seated.

Most of the menu is seen on the website so I’ve already decided what I want and my husband is happy for me to order. We start with the Crab tortellini with sweet corn puree, chervil, tomato & eschalot salsa ($17), seared scallops & chinese pork with baby herbs & young coconut salad ($17). For mains we order the ocean trout with prawn ravioli, asian mushroom consommé & green mango salad ($30) and the Roast spatchcock with oregano, french lentils, confit garlic & fresh peas ($30). There aren’t any specials of the day and we opt to choose dessert later if we have room.

Seared scallops & chinese pork with baby herbs & young coconut salad $17

One thing about being the only couple in an empty restaurant is that whilst the atmosphere is lacking a buzz, you will not lack for service or wait very long for your food. And we don’t as our entrees arrive fairly quickly. They’re not lacking in wow or aromatherapy factor and have us digging in eagerly after the necessary photo taking. I try the scallops first. They’re sitting on a bed of young coconut salad which is an interesting ingredient that I’ve not often tried in salads and it resembles squid in texture. The chili and herbs complement the fat juicy seared scallops (I get very disappointed if scallops are sliced in half or thin) and the thinly sliced disc of chinese pork is rich in star anise and 5 spice.

Crab tortellini with sweet corn puree, chervil, tomato & eschalot salsa $17

I see my husband reluctantly passing me his plate-he has been busy nodding his head and making food enjoying gestures. He warns me that its good and I get the feeling that should I not like it, the plate will quickly come back to his waiting mouth in a split second. The crab tortellini is similar to a dim sim in shape and taste and opening it, it appears like a crab and pork mix much like a dim sim. The corn puree and accompanying salsa are gorgeously rich and a little tart at the same time. There’s no chance to me giving this back to him.

Roast spatchcock with oregano, french lentils, confit garlic & fresh peas $30

The entrees are so good, we have to ask why its so empty and they tell us that its usually fully booked but Mardi Gras has ensured that the bulk of Sydney has moved to Oxford St. Its not long again before our mains arrive and the roast spatchcock pieces are crispy and perfectly seasoned, sitting on top of a pool of a cab sav type sauce, puy lentils, peas and dutch carrots. The sauce is a good, if a touch salty for the dish and I enjoy dipping the spatchcock lightly in the sauce but the peas and lentils are almost too salty as they’re sitting in the sauce.

Ocean trout with prawn ravioli, asian mushroom consommé & green mango salad $30

I try the ocean trout with prawn ravioli next. Again the dish is asian influenced with the ravioli in a won ton pastry skin and is filled with prawns and topped with enoki and oyster mushrooms, a spear of asparagus, some chili and herbs in a shallow pool of consommé. The trout is tasty, fresh and well cooked and the green mango salad on top adds colour but is fairly light so that the contribution is more for the look than for the flavour. My husband’s favourite part is the prawn ravioli which is no surprise whereas mine is the trout.

Baked belgian chocolate fondant, chocolate ice cream, praline & orange cigar $13

We decide to share a dessert and whilst the fruit based desserts sound delectable, I am in the mood for chocolate. And something that Gordon Ramsay says can be difficult to make is the chocolate fondant. His kitchen makes 2 per customer in case of an upset and as I’ve tried unsuccessfully to make Nigella’s molten chocolate babycakes twice many years ago I’m leaving it to the experts as I’ve banned that recipe from darkening my kitchen again.

It comes out on a long rectangular plate, the fondant in the centre flanked by chocolate ice cream on one side and poached oranges and a cigar biscuit on another. I take to the fondant with a spoon and the molten chocolate oozes out appealingly. It tastes lovely, as a chocolatey fondant should and is incredibly rich. Respite from the headiness of the fondant is given by the two perfectly chosen accompaniments. The sweet spice poached oranges are scented with star anise and are refreshing whilst the icing sugar dusted cigar is crisp and buttery. The chocolate ice cream is rich and milk chocolatey and sit in place on a bed on crunchy praline shards. I’m impressed that the accompaniments are so well made and not just a decoration or afterthought.

My husband’s Hot chocolate ($4) arrives, multi hued in a tall glass and he’s happy with his selection. I take a sip and its good although at this point, I’m a little chocolate-d out to really appreciate it.

Full to the brim we retire to our 38th floor room at the Sydney Hilton, courtesy of the lovely people at Marie Claire magazine. I have to admit, I loved the complimentary pillow menu (you can order any or all of the 5 different types of pillow) and the Magic button on the telephone that assures us that nothing is ever too much trouble including my atypical requests of a cable tv movie guide (they didn’t have one so they printed 10 x A3 pages from the internet) and more Crabtree & Evelyn toiletries. We are in heaven and fall asleep while Oxford Street parties.

SeLah

12 Loftus Street Circular Quay
Monday to Friday
Lunch: 12:00-3:00pm
Monday to Saturday
Dinner: from 5:30pm
http://www.selah.com.au/

Payment: Cash, American Express (2.5% surcharge), Mastercard, Visa, Bankcard, Diners Club (3.5% surcharge)

In the middle of nowhere really, sits a Japanese Ramen restaurant that if you happen to be driving past during lunchtime or dinnertime, you may find a queue of young Japanese people outside waiting for a table. We’d often wonder what was with this place as we drove past perplexed at the eager hordes standing outside. Apparently the only place in Sydney that serves real, Tokyo style ramen, Ryo’s noodles marches to the beat of its own taiko drummer. The tables are shared, you help yourself to water, they don’t take bookings, its cash only, there’s no takeaway menu to be had, yet it still works beautifully.

Tonight is our second visit and I have only one thing on my mind: Miso Bolognaise which I first read about on Grab Your Fork. It was the dish I ordered on my last visit and hoggingly kept to myself abandoning all pretense of sharing and breaking the sacred plate swapping routine with my husband. He wasn’t bothered, he was in love with the Ramen with prawn balls in a tangy pork stock soup. On the last visit, we retired to our separate corners of the table huddled protectively over our respective plate and devoured them like we hadn’t eaten in days.

However tonight, we’re on better behaviour as we have guests, Miss America and Queen Viv. Its 7.45pm and already there’s a small queue outside. As they do not take bookings, we have no choice but to join them and the owner lets us know that we may have a 30 minute wait. Luckily the food gods are looking favourably upon us and they seat our table of 4 within 5 minutes. Seated at the table towards the back we have a good view of the restaurant and when I look to my left I see some autographs from various Japanese sporting celebrities (I had to ask, I would be the last to know sporting celebrities, Japanese or not) but also a familiar looking signature, that of Iron Chef Hiroyuki Sakai who has a lovely abstract signature/drawing and who visited Ryo’s on the 15th of April 2005. We discuss this with the owner who says that he often gets Chinese politicians and celebrities but he largely has no idea who they are, preferring the sportspeople (his pride and joy being the signature of a Japanese kickboxer).

We ask him what’s good, and he suggests combining items number 2 (Ramen Noodles in a Soy Sauce Pork Soup $10) and 3 (Ramen Noodles in a Spicy hot Pork Soup $10) in a special order. Sounds good to me. We also order Tokyo style ramen ($9.50), Miso Bolognaise ($11), spicy deep fried chicken wings (3 for $4), rice ball with roast pork ($3.50, only 10 of these are made per day!) and, with Queen Viv’s urging of “Craaaaaab!”, the soft shell crab ($5).

A scant 5 minutes later and our large steaming bowls of noodles with stiff nori sheet sails arrive to a grateful and hungry mob. We are sharing tonight and have two bowls of the Combination 2&3 ramen and we dig into the noodles, depositing long noodles into our smaller bowls with spoonfuls of the scarlet tinged soup. The thin slices of BBQ Pork floating on top are soft and delicious with a ring of fat around one edge. The soup is fantastic, earthy and rich, full of the marrow from pork bones and slightly spicy. The noodles as always, are toothsome perfection, with the absolute correct texture.

The Tokyo Ramen has slices of BBQ pork on top too but the stock is a soy sauce based one and its lighter and less hearty but still flavoursome. The soy sauce boiled eggs are appropriated by an appreciated Miss America and my husband who adore them. I’m too busy with my favourite dish, the Miso Bolognaise.

I’ve never seen this dish at any other places and it deserves a special trip just to have this. Even if you’re not a huge fan of miso soup like me, this is gorgeously rich, the miso giving it the sauce a smoky mystery and not that overpowering saltiness that miso soup verges into. Miss America loves it but feels that she couldn’t eat a lot of it as its so rich. I disagree knowing full well that I ate a whole bowl of it to myself.

Our smaller dishes arrive as we’re slurping our noodles appreciatively. The soft shell crab is a whole small soft shell crab beautifully deep fried to a crisp. As I find with all crabs, it looks slightly peeved at us and I wait until Queen Viv pulls it apart before eating it.

The spicy chicken wings are good and there’s a resounding earth shattering crunch as we bite into them and a slightly spiciness. However the rest of the table seems more absorbed in the noodles to pay any attention to these.

The rice ball filled with Roast pork is still one of my favourites. Nothing flash or showy, its comforting snack food with deliciously roasted pork shards and sesame seeds sctattered throughout, not just in the centre. Its hard to portion up into 4 so everyone just helps themselves to a little bit in favour of the ramen so I take the rest of this delicious rice triangle.

Leaning back, patting our stomachs contentedly we marvel that for once, we haven’t over-ordered. Then spying the 6 people waiting inside and 5 outside, we make a quick exit, stage left.

Ryo’s Noodles

125 Falcon St
Crows Nest 2065 NSW
Phone: +61 (02) 9955 0225
Thu-Tue noon-2.30pm, 5pm-9.30pm
Cash only
No Bookings