Last weekend, the weather here in Melbourne decided to do its best to keep people at home. Drizzly rain and wind. Undeterred, we met up with a few friends and ventured upto King St, where there are more than a few restaurants popping up.

Amongst them, Taste of Malaysia beckoned with its bright red sign, a few doors down from the corner of Lonsdale St. Not yet having found a Malaysian restaurant we’d recommend to being on-par with real Malaysian food from a Malaysian mamak (despite obvious currency differences), we decided to give it a go.

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Lately, the quality of city yum cha seems to be a bit lacking, so last Sunday we ventured out to the suburbs with John & Robert for a decent feed.

We’d booked a table at Tai Pan in Doncaster for their morning session. As we got there on time right on 11, everything was already in full swing. As soon as we were seated, we were being offered goodies off a trolley - before our tea had even arrived!

Due to the design of the restaurant, the main eating area at Tai Pan is raised - which is the best spot to get a seat if you can, as the trolleys don’t go downstairs to the small eating area, so down there you rely on waitresses with hand platters walking around.

Even though we were on time, the main area was filling up fast. About 10 minutes later, the place was full.

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No trip to Sydney would be complete without sampling the local yum-cha on offer, so on Sunday we headed to Marigold Citymark with two of Louis’ friends.

Having very limited internet access I was unable to check up to see the general reviews on Marigold, but judging from the crowds packing into the lifts, it seemed to be quite a popular place.

We squeezed in with everyone else and alighted at the 4th floor, but evidently the 5th floor is the main restaurant level.

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Building on our successful dining experience at The Rocks last night, we decided we’d head down there again to find out what other hidden gems we could find.

I finished work later than usual, so I freshened up at the hotel, and then we walked down George St again. We hadn’t ventured far when I spied a small sign above a doorway, simply titled ‘Sailor’s Thai‘.

As I looked through the window, it seemed quite busy - which is always a good sign - and despite the single long bench type seating, the interior looked cosy and inviting. We decided to give it a try.

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A different view outside a different window, although the weather is very similar. Hello from Sydney, where i’ll be working for the next week.

The day was busy, and the time passed quickly. After asking a few co-workers about a restaurant they’d recommend, I decided that tonight we’d try out Nakashima Japanese Restaurant, at The Rocks.

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On Saturday we went to Shark Fin House with two friends, Jin and Kian.

I rang up at 10am, expecting them to be booked out, but they had some room available for their late (1.30) session.

The only trouble with having yum-cha on a Saturday is finding a park. Most parks are 1 hour limit, and you normally need at least 1 1/2 hours to have a nice relaxed yum-cha. We were lucky and found a 2 hour park at the top end of Exhibition St, and filled the $3.50-per-hour meter with coins.

We got to Shark Fin on time, and joined the queue in the (cramped) foyer. Then, once the lift arrived back at ground, we were told to go to L2. So we crammed in the lift with everyone else.

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Recently, we took a trip to Sydney and I insisted on taking Louis to this restaurant my friends took me to last time I visited - Ichiban Boshi.

Situated nextdoor to Kinokuniya in The Galeries Victoria (opposite the massive Queen Victoria Building), Ichiban Boshi commands an exceptionally brisk trade. In peak times, you take a number, and wait. And listen carefully for your number to be called, which can take anything upto half an hour - but it’s worth the wait.

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At work, our team had its monthly Luncheon yesterday. Instead of going somewhere for the usual Chicken Parmagiana or Steak and Chips, someone suggested we should try an Indian restaurant for a change. Especially considering half our team are Indian.

The place recommended to us was Jaipur Curry Bar, a narrow fronted place at the top of Bourke St, opposite the Hard Rock Cafe. It’s easy to spot though, with the brightly coloured beads dangling in the window - and the other two curry places right beside it.

We had a booking for 12:15, and were told to be prompt. Two of the guys went ahead early, to secure our seats.

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Once again, we set out in search of a decent place to have dinner. Tonight, we visited Golden Orchids, who proclaim to have been the first Malaysian restaurant in Melbourne.

This two-storey eatery, open since 1973, boasts three claims to fame: Its ’signature dish’, the Malaysian Chilli Prawns, its range of Malaysian Curries, and its Satays.

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On Saturday I didn’t feel like cooking dinner, so I rang John & Robert to see if they wanted to eat out somewhere with us. I decided we’d go somewhere a bit different, and I had Nyala African Restaurant in mind.

I rang and attempted to book, but was told they were already booked out - but if I rang back in half an hour, he’d confirm some bookings to see if he had any cancellations. Wow, Nyala’s certainly become busier than when I last visited, which was a couple of years ago. I rang back, and we were in luck, so I booked us in for 7.30.

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