Alvin Quah

A little blog I wrote for Caesarstone Australia. Knowledge of bio-sustainability, treatment of livestock, the great genetic modification debate and trendy pop-up restaurants have all revolutionised how we perceive our food. For the average stay-at-home diners, there is also a demand on tasty tucker. Thanks to cooking programmes, everyone is a critic. Everything we serve on […]

Ah dinner parties; the food prep, the table set up, the matching wines and the food nit-pickers. Judi describes her wicked ways around the fussy eaters. My father calls us part of the chattering classes. He thinks our lives consist of endless dinner parties brimming with erudite guests. He imagines pretentious conversations about kitchen renovations […]

Tucked underneath The Hilton hotel is Sydney’s iconic Marble Bar. This chic den boasts two vintage oversized mahogany bars, fourteen original Edwardian paintings, elaborate plaster ceiling and a whole lot of marble. In the month of October, Marble Bar is relaunching with sophisticated food, beverage and entertainment. The vibe is reminiscent of a speakeasy and […]

Curnonsky, the Prince of Gastronomy (1872-1956), once described good cooking as c’est quand les choses ont le goût de ce qu’elles sont that is, when things taste of what they are. Born Maurice Edmond Sailland, Curnonsky delineated the hierarchy of French cuisine into four distinct classes: la haute cuisine, la cuisine bourgeoise, la cuisine régionale, […]

The combination of crisp autumn mornings, leaves turning colour and your colleagues grumpy from whatever they are giving up for lent can only mean it is time for Easter. To me, it is a time to indulge in some hot cross buns. The hot cross buns have a rich history. It is thought that it […]

When I was given the opportunity to spend a weekend at Mollymook and stay at Bannisters, I couldn’t say no. I was there to help them promote their “#myseafoodmyway” competition. For the month of April, the team at Bannisters has teamed up with Sydney Fish Market to run a social media competition on the best […]

Sexy, seductive and French, that pretty much described my Tuesday evening. There’s nothing wrong with a tipple, especially when it is French. Grey Goose commandeered La Boulangerie for a 3-day pop up and I was invited to their opening night. As you enter the iconic Yellow building in Potts Point, you are greeted with a […]

When I was invited to high tea at the Shangri-La, Sydney, I couldn’t say no. To sweeten the deal (pun intended), it was high tea by pastry chef Anna Polyviou. Anna and I met a while ago through social media. Our mutual affinity for each other was fuelled by the fact that I have a […]

I was in Barcelona and I was being the proverbial tourist. Factor in the Asian and the foodie, I was a walking cliché. While I didn’t have the token backpack, visor or camera strapped around my neck, my 7pm dinner reservation in most restaurants was a clear indication that I wasn’t local. Here, you eat, […]

With the proliferation of high end French restaurants, it is nice to know there are small offerings of casual dining that provide quality food with a more relaxed attitude. Nestled in the basement between King and York streets in the CBD is the Parisian-style bistro, Le Pub, which offers just that – honest French meals […]