Love and Riots

Aw love (and hormones) It is a grand thing no?

This pic taken during the Vancouver riots has made my day today- hope it does yours too!

The Dip @ Good God

So I've been quiet lately for two main reasons:

1. I've been lazy

2. I haven't been excited enough about Sydney eats to blog about them

Until now! Good God, that cool bar/danceteria in Liverpool st, you know the one that hosts hip hop karaoke and throws fun parties for cool cats and all round funky people? well its just about to open its brand new kitchen The Dip, making the place 100 times more fun to be at!

More fun? Crazy right but its true. The Dip headed by Sydney DJ Levins and Sydney Foodie Bianca is serving up seriously delicious grub with their take on American diner and BBQ treats.

We are talking about pulled pork sandwiches, salsa fries, grilled corn, beans and slaw and a stack more good time food.

And for me as non pork eater, The Dip's kosher hot dogs are just the greatest.

The Dip opens tonight! I'd say get in quick to make a reservation, this place is going to be pretty busy for a while.

The Dip @ Good God
55 Liverpool St

Weds & Thurs 5pm-11pm
Fri & Sat 5pm-Midnight
email: do@thedip.com.au



*pics from thedip.com.au

Funk It Up About Nothin'- Platform Hip Hop Festival

It's hard to get hip hop theatre right, it's either emcees who are trying to act or actors who are trying to rap - sometimes it can be all a bit too uncomfortable to be good.

Funk It Up About Nothin' an urban twist on Shakespeare's Much ado about nothing isn't one of those uncomfortable hip hop shows. Created by Chicago's Q Brothers, this slick urban take on one of the most performed Shakespeare plays is clever, fast and yep-funky.

Tight rhymes, a great set, a good looking cast and a story that doesn't deviate from its original had its opening night audience in a head bopping frenzy.

Kids, grand parents, hip hop heads and 'Bard-o-holics' were all throwing their hands in the air in appreciation. The cast was congratulated for their efforts with a standing ovation, a rare sight in Sydney Theatre audiences.

The show is touring Australia for the first time after a successful run internationally. Playing at CarriageWorks as a part of Platform 4 Hip Hop Festival, Funk it up shouldn't be missed.

If you like your entertainment quick and sharp (the whole show is less than 80 minutes) or if you'd just like to see an old tale mashed up, than Funk it Up about Nothin' is for you. 



Funk It Up about Nothin'
March 17-26
CarriageWorks

The Duke Bistro Darlinghurst

I am not a hipster.I've never been one of the cool kids and I've never been one of the uncool kids who are so uncool they're really cool either. 

Irony has never been a strong point, I like pop music (I know all the words to Katy Perry's California Girls- on purpose) I can't wear flannel and I can't use four square either- me as a hipster= fail.

So when I started hearing about the Duke Bistro from all my(verified) Hipster sources, I was a little intimidated.

"The chefs are so hot right now" they all said with all the knowing of the "in" crowd.

Hot indeed they are, working the pots and pans at the Duke Bistro is Thomas Lim ex-Tetsuya's and  Mitch Orr 2010 Young Chef of the Year and a list of other cool young talented peeps.

Surprisingly for me though the restaurant, which is above the Flinders Hotel in Darlinghurst, wasn't bursting at the seams with trendy folk. The clientele was a mish mash of friends, work dinners, family tables, young couples. Not one overt advertising agency bred Hipster in sight. Hoorah.

The menu certainly reflects the talent in the kitchen. Fresh, unaffected and original.

First up we went for the fried chicken wings, coleslaw milk and hot sauce. $10

No more KFC for me, these wings were unreal. Crunchy, light and so moorish.

Next up the beautifully presented Egg, Seasonal Mushroom, Almonds $15 

Ooh there is nothing better then a gooey poach egg bursting all over you plate. And this certainly delivers all the running, goey crunchy, mushroomy wickedness I like.

Our waitress stops to apologise and check with us, "Tonight the Tomato Strawberry Burratla Shiso comes with regular mozzarella, is that ok?"

Um yes we think so!

If it wasn't suppose to taste as unreal as it did we weren't going to tell anyone to change it.

The crumbed lamb belly, heirloom carots and caraway was good. But to be honest a little fatty for me. The vegies were delicious but the lamb was a little too much. But I was getting full.

 

At this point Sim and I were experiencing such food pleasure, we didn't notice that my camera was blinking and had run of battery.

So there is no evidence of how we demolished our desserts unfortunately.

We ordered three as we couldn't decide on two:

Knickerbocker Glory ($12): Oh wow this dessert was sensational, I was worried because I know the tradition British dessert of the same name is ice cream and smashed meringue- not my favourite.

But Duke's version is not as Nana as a bit of Meringue smashed is some ice cream. The Meringue is of the beetroot persuasion, the ice cream is of panacotta. And hiding down below under all that sweet goodness is mange puree. Win

Peaches and Cream ($12): For a girl who usually isn't meringue's biggest fan. I may as well of swam in it at Duke.

The dessert is by far my favourite, poached pears smothered in Italian Meringue with bits of caramel pop corn tasting chunks. Unreal! And I didn't want to share.

and finally Banana White Chocolate, Curry and Coconut ($12). Yes we did order it because it sounded funny. And yep it tasted funny too. Funny interesting, not funny bad. Would I get it again, probably not, but I am glad I got to try a banana with a Keen's curry kick.

Go to Duke Bistro and try it for yourself, your stomach will feel all full, hip and cool.

Duke Bistro
Phone. 02 9332 3180
65 Flinders St. Darlinghurst
Sydney, NSW 2010

Faheem Fast Food: A curry huff

I've almost eaten at Faheem Fast Food twice.

The first time, I ordered take way and when I got home my Aloo Matar (vegetarian curry of peas, potato and tomatoes) had a hair in it and I suddenly wasn't hungry anymore.

After that experience, I wasn't actually going to head back to give Faheem's another shot. But I'd read some really great reviews and the sign out the front says its Sydney's best tandoori and I thought maybe my Aloo Hair was just an unfortunate accident.

It was 9.30pm when we arrived and the Faheem's was pumping full of people, which is always a great sign at a restaurant right?

Considering the sign out the front says, "Sydney's Best Tandoori" The Chief and I settled on trying the Tandoori Chicken.

We also ordered the Okra Lamb ($13.00), Naan ($2.00) and to compensate for last time, I choose to order the Aloo Matar ($11.00)

Once ordered the Tandoori Chicken came out fast and hot! And by hot I mean do mean "can I have some extra yogurt my mouth is on fire hot."

It was good, but because it was only an entree serving, there was only a piece each for The Chief and I, so when we demolished our share we were hungry for the rest of our dishes to arrive.

So we waited

Took some photos

Checked where our order was (on its way apparently)

Drank some super sweet soft drink

Waited

Got cranky

And when I went in to check on our order the second time, the guys behind the counter looked sheepish. Apparently our order was on the floor and they'd only just realised.

"Its coming in two mins max" they promised.

He wasn't making our food

But it was around 11pm and we'd be there for an hour and a half. No apology no offer to comp us, nothing. I was more than a little miffed and not to mention hungry.


We paid for our Tandoori and four soft drinks and left in an unsatisfied and hungry huff.

That's a 0-2 for Faheem's and I don't think I'll be heading back. Such a shame because I've heard they do really great food, its just that I've never had any of it.


Faheem Fast Food 194-196 Enmore Rd, Enmore, NSW 2042

East London West Sydney

When the Chief and I moved from Richmond (the posh west side of the district line) to Barking (not the posh east side of the district line)in London, our friends grimaced.

Why we didn't choose to live in Putney or Hammersmith or even Earl's Court like the rest of the Aussies in London baffled some.

Home sweet Barking

We moved to East London initially for one reason- it was cheap and we were kind of broke at the time. But once we got to Barking the reasons for staying only grew.

1. Jerk Chicken- I am obsessed with eating it and we could get it everywhere

2. Barber shops- I loved hanging out in them, it sounds weird but I really liked all the local (sometimes Polish, sometimes Bangladeshi)mostly Jamaican barber shops. Because the Chief and I were really the only Australian/Eurasian/Fijians around we got to know everyone and it was always so friendly and fun. A huge bonus for us hanging at the barber shop too was all the hairstyles we got to try out. I tried zigzag cornrows/extensions/bleaching/wigs and weaves. We soul gloed (or "texturised) the Chief's fro once, and I also convinced him that he'd look good with some "Craig Davids" (he still hasn't forgiven me)

3. Westham United: We became massive fans and only lived five minutes away from Westham's home ground Upton Park. Although I am not a huge soccer/football fan, I did like the swearing really loudly with a bunch of strangers aspect of going to watch soccer/football. A huge highlight was walking down the famous Green St singing "Bubbles" and chanting "East! East! East! Laaandann".

4. Cockney Rhyming Slang: I always got it Pete Tong when trying to get it Barry White but Geezers never gave a crispy duck, so it was fine. Innnit *

5. Being so close to Essex: Essex gets a bad rap, but I only have love for East Enders. Ms Mash, my bestie is "proper east ender love" and I wouldn't say anything bad about Essex around Ms Mash or she'll rip your extensions out and stab you with a gel nail if she ever sees you at Faces or the Sugar Hut.

Of course it wasn't always so great in the East, there were moments that were really hairy but East London was always full of life and noise, markets and hair shops, geezers and gangsters.

The mix of cultures, religions and customs was such a great addition to living in London which I don't think I would of got if I had stayed in the West with all the other Aussies. 

So when I heard East London West Sydney a hip hop theatre piece was playing the Sydney Festival, It was a given that I would have to see it. 

Ms P, Mystery and I headed to Carriage Works to see what promised to be a huge mash up of music, multimedia and hip hop theatre.

Western Sydney and East London share a lot of the same social stigmas and battle the same sorts of stereotypes.  East London West Sydney bring together leading emcees and urban poets from both cities in this slick hip hop theatre piece in an attempt to the smash myths and debunk the stigmas associated with both places.

Directed and produced by London based, internationally renowned theatre practitioner and spoken word artist Jonzi D, the small cast of six bring to life stories from these parallel cities. 

Artists, BrothaBlack, Sarah Sayeed, MC Trey, Rima Najm and Maxwell Golden use a mash up of hip hop, dance, poetry and music to explore themes of racism, drugs, cultural identity and religion in this fast pace performance.

 

ELWS Cast and Crew

The cast is young and rash and the stories their own. Initially devising the piece over the Internet the cast and crew reworked the piece ready for the festival in just under three weeks.

East London West Sydney, is fast and dangerous theatre, challenging, entertaining and will have you want to bust out a flow too by the end of it.

For me, it  made me appreciate and miss East London. (and hungry for jerk Chicken. )

East London West Sydney plays as a part of the Sydney Festival until Sunday January 30. Buy your tickets here

*I always got it wrong when I tried to get it right. But people didn't give a f**K. Good, isn't it.

Everyone deserves a Susan: Annie Leibovitz: A Photograher's Life @ The MCA

I expected to see glamorous Vanity Fair covers at the Annie Leibovitz: A Photographers life exhibit at the MCA.

I was completely prepared to ogle pictures of gorgeous gowns and pretty boys and pregnant celebrities- I didn't expect to ball my eyes out.

Not that there wasn't any said photographs, there were plenty and yes the pictures were often beautiful, excessive and dramatic.

But it wasn't the Demis, Brads, Leos, Kates or Johnnys that really fascinated me.

It was pictures of a woman called Susan which drew my attention away from the glitter and famous naked bellies.

The exhibition covers 15 years of Leibovitz career from 1990-2005, images of Susan were interspersed throughout the exhibition- with very little and sometimes no explanation from Leibovitz.

The photos of Susan were so personal and raw, I scoured the exhibition looking just for them. It was apparent to me that she was someone very special and I was convinced that she was the love Leibovitz life.

Pictures of Susan's cancer prognosis, her treatment and finally her death were dotted between pictures of famed portraits of celebrities, family and also Leibovitz's pregnancies. I found the hanging and order of the photograph's odd and sometimes confronting. Perhaps like in life itself, insensitive in a way that it (life) must and always goes on. 

I have since learned that the Susan in the photograph's was indeed the great love of Leibovitz's life and also a renowned author, activist and intellectual herself.

When pressed to explain her relationship with Susan, Leibovitz once said: "Call us 'lovers'. I like 'lovers.' You know, 'lovers' sounds romantic. I mean, I want to be perfectly clear. I love Susan."

See Annie Leibovitz: A Photographer's Life 1990-2005 for all those images that you know and to see images that you don't but understand.

Showing at the MCA until March 27 2011

A Short and Sweet decade

A pair of gay penguins, a set of Dorris Day and Kyle Sandilands stalkers, a prostitute, a scorned lover, plenty of Mum issues, pokies and a call centre.

Where else can you get all this fun? (No not a family BBQ) Short and Sweet of course, the world's most entertaining, dramatic, camp, hysterical, lovely,10 minute play festival in the world.



With its humble beginnings in Newtown 10 years ago, Short and Sweet has now become the biggest festival of its kind and is held annually from Rockhampton to Delhi.

I've been to a few Short and Sweets over the years and went again last week for round two of the Top 110 and it certainly didn't disappoint.

My favourite play, "The Real Story" a gut wrenching piece about of Mother and Son's fraught relationship took top honours and will go on to compete in the Gala Final on March 11 & 12 at NIDA.

The Real Story: Winner of Week two

The other play that I loved, "Call of the Wilde" a story about two fairy (gay) penguins hatching an egg together in the Central Park Zoo was voted People's Choice.

Call of the Wilde: People's choice

For me what's so great about 10 minute theatre and Short and Sweet is that there isn't any boring bits. Ever. You are either laughing, crying, squinting or shifting awkwardly in your seat which is a pretty successful day at the theatre I'd say.

Short and Sweet is on every weekend until March 12, be quick to secure your tickets, Week 3 is almost sold out!

Click here to get your tickets for Short and Sweet at Newtown Theatre (Playing until February 27)

Click here to get your tickets for Short and Sweet at NIDA (From February 8- 26)

My name in lights- The Sydney Festival

In November I wrote about artist John Baldessari's Your Name in Lights project for the Sydney Festival.

I opened my email this morning and was informed that my name will be screened for 15 glittering seconds on the wall of the Australian Museum on Sunday at the wonderful time of  6.47.40am. 

Will I get up to see it? Probably, but if I don't want to drag my butt out of bed on Sunday morning I can watch my 15 seconds of fame on a web cam on the festival site here
There is still time for you to register to get your name in lights, click here.

Fingers crossed your name appears at a more reasonable time than mine.

Happy Festival everyone!