Dumplings with the men in blue in the land of Down Under

If you are an ardent fan of the ‘Men in Blue’ and find yourself in the land of ‘Down Under’ in the next few weeks trying to follow their prospects in the World Cup and a connoisseur of all things tasty, you are in for a real treat. Every word of what Gary, George and Matt of Masterchef Australia-fame tell us on the show is true, read on to find out more. 

The freshness of the greens and other vegetables is phenomenal. Even in the most unassuming little towns, one can expect to get a healthy and crunchy salad. The reverence with which they treat their meats and seafood is also exceptional. A chef will happily talk about a particular farm from where he sourced his beef or lamb. Or he will point you to the ocean right in front of you and tell you the day's special seafood was caught there that morning. The adventurous at heart should definitely try getting their hands on a Kangaroo steak, Crocodile sausage or some Emu meat.

Stalls in Queen Victoria Market, Melbourne

Melbourne is a melting pot of many cultures and cuisines. Asian cuisines such as Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Taiwanese and Vietnamese restaurants vie for your attention on the busy streets of Melbourne. For a dim sum lunch of steaming heavenly dumplings try the Crystal Jade restaurant or the Shark's Fin Inn on Little Bourke Street. For cocktails and Vietnamese hawker-style food, head to Rice Paper Scissors on Lierpool Street. And for the globally-trending Peruvian cuisine, head to Pastuso, down the ACDC lane. A Peruvian dinner of seafood Ceviches, Quinoa salad and pit-roasted meats will definitely hit the right spot. The bustling Queen Victoria Market (QVM) is a great place to spend a morning browsing through the various produce. Outside food is allowed into the Melbourne Cricket Ground and one can stock up a fine picnic basket at QVM before heading to a cricket match.If you are feeling homesick and craving for some Indian food, head to Chilli India in Melbourne Central for good dosas and piping hot Hyderabadi Biriyani.

Dim sums galore, the tiny treats that stole my heart...

The vibrant restaurant and bar scene in Sydney is a testament to the claim that it is the food capital of Australia. A dim sum lunch at the Banquet dining hall of Marigold restaurant by Hay Market or a Greek inspired dinner by the chef's table at The Apollo restaurant in Potts Point will not leave you disappointed. Dinner by the window at the Sydney Cafe is also a fitting way to take in the Harbour views and the city lights around Opera House. Despite sounding touristy, a glass of Champagne at the Opera Bar in Opera House is a great way to kick start a fun evening with family and friends. A live band and a breath-taking view of the Harbour Bridge adds to the experience. 

For a taste of Masterchef Australia dishes head to Adriano Zumbo's store in Balmain, Sydney and bite into one of the 40 different macaroon flavours. Alternately, make a beeline to one of the six stores of celebrated gelato chef Nick Palumbo's Gelato Messina to taste his cool creations. Kylie Kwong's restaurant, Billy Kwong at Potts Point comes highly recommened for an evening out with drinks and dinner. And for a fine dining experience, make a reservation at Sepia - Restaurant of the year 2015, run by award-winning chef Martin Benn who set a pressure test in Masterchef Australia season # 6.

Although an expensive affair, the dining scene in Australia is second to none. The presence of such diverse cuisines and the freshness of the produce is worth giving your taste buds a whirlwind treat while watching the Men in Blue stomp the opposition.

TASTE PARADISE, SINGAPORE

I am a huge fan of Dim Sum. From the first time I visited a Dim Sum restaurant in Chicago (Three Happiness) in 2001, I have been a devotee of Dim Sum. I'll not miss a single opportunity to dine at a Dim Sum restaurant while traveling. In India, the best Dim Sum I have had so far is at The Zen restaurant in Leela Palace, Bengaluru.

Before my trip to Singapore in December I did extensive research online to locate some good Dim Sum restaurants. I came across an interesting blog (www.ladyironchef.com) and it had an impressive list of Dim Sum restaurants in Singapore along with reviews. Among the top 3 Dim Sum restaurants was Taste Paradise at the Ion on Orchard road. Since I was staying very close to Orchard road, I made a mental note to check out this restaurant while in Singapore.

During my visit to Singapore I was at the Ion one day without any concrete plans for lunch. I decided to give the Taste Paradise a try. When I arrived at the restaurant I was told that I had to wait for about an hour for a table. In spite of having two hungry children along with me, we managed to wait an hour for the table. After an hour's wait we were led into a labyrinth of rooms that were all elegantly filled with dining tables.

Once seated, the service was very quick and an array of Dim Sums arrived at our table in less than 10 minutes. There were 2 small menus with a variety of Dim Sums. One thing I noticed in most of the chinese restaurants in Singapore is that Pork belly and BBQ pork runs out very quickly. It'll be wise to reserve these items on the phone while making a reservation if you are very particular about trying them out. We were one of the last tables to be seated and hence some of the pork delicacies were not available.



Hand rolled Spring rolls with Bacon and spring onion. It was recommended to us by the waitress and she said it was very popular among the kids visiting the restaurants. My children truly enjoyed the spring rolls which were served along with some mayonnaise.



Steamed prawn dumpling. This is one of my favorite Dim Sums. All you taste in this Dim Sum is the prawn. It is a very simple dumpling of just prawns encased in a thin wrapper and steamed. With a bit of soy sauce, it truly is a delectable dish.



BBQ pork with a Portuguese sauce. When we asked for Pork belly we were told that they had sold out and there was no more available. Instead of the Pork belly this was recommended to us and it did not disappoint us.



Steamed Scallop and chive dumplings. This is another one of my favorites. I love the subtle flavor of chives along with fresh seafood.



According to the ladyironchef, the BBQ pork buns at the Taste Paradise were one of the best in Singapore. These were definitely the largest and the juiciest I have ever had.



Steamed pork ribs with black beans and chillies. I never fail to order this particular Dim Sum since pork, black beans and chillies are a great combination and they never let me down.



Sui Mai. It is a lovely and simple dumpling of pork and prawn topped with flying fish roe on top. No Dim Sum menu is complete without Sui Mai in it. It really is difficult to get this dumpling wrong, so it is a must-order in any Dim Sum restaurant.



And finally, Shanghai-style pork dumpling. This is was my least favorite of all the Dim Sums I had at Taste Paradise.

Our lunch was delicious and the service was very efficient. We were left with no room for dessert so we never ordered any of the sweet Dim Sums. It was well worth the wait to get a table at the Taste Paradise. We tried to go back the following day for another go at Dim Sum at the Taste Paradise but they were fully booked and couldn't accommodate us. So do remember to make a reservation for a Dim Sum Lunch at Taste Paradise since they seem to be a popular place and are fully reserved, most of the time.

Taste Paradise Ion Orchard
2 Orchard Turn
#04-07 ION Orchard
Tel: +65 6509 9660