Wanderlusting: Sydney
Come for the family (and unbelievable seafood). Stay for the hikes (and the TimTams).
Hello! It’s been a minute since I published on Substack. Sorry for my radio silence! These last few months derailed me with an unusual amount of travel, work, and the final stretch of my book deadline. But I’ve been thinking of you, and I’m getting back on track! I’m excited to bring you up to speed on where I’ve been, what I’ve been doing, and share a special travel guide to one of my favorite cities in the world. To welcome you back, this week’s Wanderlusting guide is free; I’ll be posting much more regularly, so please subscribe if you’d like to see more posts like this one!
First, some good news:
Top Chef Season 23 was nominated for 4 TV Academy Primetime Emmys (Outstanding Reality Competition, Host, Directing, and Casting)! It’s a huge accomplishment after 20 (!) years of working on this show, and due in no small part to the incredible cast and crew who made our Carolinas season happen. I am super proud of us!
If you’re an Emmy’s voter, thank you! Let’s keep the momentum up for the final voting round, so we can keep doing what we do best! The Emmys air on NBC on Sept 14 at 8pm ET. Wish us luck!
Also, a reminder that my new book, Guesting, is available for pre-order here! I know we’re still in the middle of summer, and because I’m not a monster, I won’t pull the whole “the holiday season will be here before you know it!” shtick. But! You’re probably going to get invited to a birthday, housewarming, or dinner party sometime soon, and this book is a surefire way to leave a good impression, or may even cement your status as an MVG (Most Valuable Guest).
Now, onto the wanderlust of it all — to Sydney!
While so many of my travels are for work, this last trip to Australia in June was all about family.
A little context: In the 1960s, my father immigrated from South Africa to Canada, where he met my mom and settled down with her to raise my brothers and me. His entire family stayed behind, and it wasn’t until his parents passed away in the 90s that my aunts, uncles and cousins decided it was time to go too.
Following a big migration of other South Africans at that time, they all moved to Sydney. As a result, I have two uncles, two aunts, and four first cousins there. Those cousins have had 10 children between them, and now a fourth generation of our family has been introduced, with the birth of sweet baby Alfie.
Because they’re all on the other side of the world, I very rarely get to see them. So, when my (now 89-year-old!) father announced that he was up for the trip, and it just so happened to fall two weeks after my birthday, my older brother Eric and I knew we had to join him.
This was my third time there, and every visit I fall a little more in love with it. I didn’t do as much exploring on this trip as I would have elsewhere, but with so many family members to see it was the perfect trip in every way.
We had ample outdoor adventures in the early-winter weather, which there means 68°F and sunny. We spent a day exploring the Blue Mountains and visiting an Australian wildlife center; we shared big, rowdy long-table meals with at times over 25 Simmons’s, and snuck in a few great museum stops. We took long walks on the beach and ran along the coastal trails near Bondi Beach, where most of my family is based. It’s a little corner of the city I’ve come to know well, with its picture-perfect views of the water and lovely shops all around.
Without further ado, here’s a highlight reel of everything I ate, did, saw, and bought in Sydney, in the hopes that it’ll inspire you to make the journey yourself (or at the very least, make for some decent armchair travel).
The Menu
Breakfast
I stay right up the street from this location, and it’s always my first stop when I land. I order poached eggs with greens and a side of toast with butter and Vegemite, my ideal Ozzie breakfast.
The loveliest bookstore and coffee shop combo. They have a massive selection of second-hand books, and serve great oatmeal with seasonal fruit, avocado, toast, and coffee. I went there almost every morning for a good flat white and a quiet start to my day.
Located just north of Bondi Beach, this all-day café has gotten a little touristy since opening in the 80s, but the flat white cannot be beat. My dad loves their açai bowl, and I’m obsessed with their scrambled eggs, which are soft and delicious.
Lunch
I’ve been wanting to go to Mimi‘s for years, and on this trip, I finally got my chance. Lunch is best for taking in the ocean views and enjoying the best of local Australian ingredients. Everyone says to get the Toro crumpets, and they’re not wrong, but my personal faves were the roast Murray cod with Avgolomeno sauce, plus a rustic spanakopita pie stuffed with fresh greens and a dollop of sheep’s milk yogurt. Also, they have the best chips (fries!)
This mind-blowing fish market opened just this year, and I’m so glad I got to see it in action. It’s a soaring architectural wonder that looks like a wave rising out of the South Pacific. Inside, you’ll find sprawling counters with every kind of fish and seafood on offer. Think: oysters, spiny lobsters, and over 20 (as far as I counted…) sizes and types of prawns. We gorged ourselves on fresh oysters by the dozen and large sea prawns cooked to order, which you can top with a list of different sauces. FWIW, we landed on garlic, ginger, and scallion, which couldn’t have been more delicious. Even though my dad is a vegan, he splurges on fish once in a while and ordered salmon, which you had to order by the kilo. Somehow, he finished it all by himself!
A classic institution for a reason. The swimming pool by the sea underneath it makes for the perfect photograph, and the views from the dining room upstairs are unmatched. The food is great too, if you’re looking for simple pastas, and well-prepared vegetables or seafood. It’s the ideal spot to linger with a bottle of rosé and catch up (ie gossip) with my cousins.
Dinner
This cozy Italian trattoria with a boisterous and vibey dining room is exactly what we were looking for, and the menu had something for everyone. We ordered fresh pasta and lots of antipasti, including beautiful baby artichokes, white anchovies with fruity olive oil and fresh bread, and slow-roasted tomatoes and peppers. But the best bite may have been my Neapolitan ice cream sandwich for dessert.
Right in the heart of Sydney, this new, modern Asian restaurant has a cool industrial interior design and a creative menu. They’ve quickly become known for their Fish Fillet Bao, a cheeky play on the McDonald’s fillet o’ fish sandwich, topped with salmon roe. I went with my cousins after a play at the beautiful new Lyric Theater nearby, and we weren’t disappointed.
Perfect for dining out with a big group, get ready to order plenty of mezzes, roast chicken, big salads, and spreads for the table. Everything is easy and fresh. The main draw is dining at a table nestled into the greenery of the gardens, as well as the intertwined greenhouses covered in flowers. There’s also a lovely bakery on the premises.
(Must-Try Bonus Rec) Gelato Messina: I go multiple times every visit and always get the Hokey Pokey as it’s a flavor I love that doesn’t exist in the US (per below list of things I bring home).
The Leftovers
I think the sign of a great trip is the size of the a list of spots you leave with that you can’t wait to try on your next visit, because you didn’t have time to explore it all. In Sydney, they include (in no particular order):
The Itinerary
In between meals, drinks, and long overdue conversations, we made our way through a few museums that I’d highly recommend to anyone making a trip to the city. Head to the Art Gallery of New South Wales to see the latest winners of the Archibald prize, Australia’s most prestigious award for portraiture. At the Museum of Contemporary Art, we marveled over the Tony Albert: Not A Souvenir exhibit, which showcases his striking, thought-provoking collection of reclaimed and reimagined souvenirs and collectibles depicting Indigenous Australian culture, presented in the most powerful way.
There’s also (obviously) plenty of outdoor adventures to be had, at all levels of ability. The Sydney Botanic Gardens are ideal for meandering and admiring the local flora and fauna, and the Hermitage Foreshore Walk, a largely hidden and glorious little hike, offers incredible views through secret coves and trails right in the city. A short drive south, I highly recommend visiting Featherdale Wildlife Park to learn about the countless unique and unusual animals and birds native to Australia – from koalas and wallabies to Tasmanian devils, echidnas, cassowaries, cockatoos, and dozens of other marsupials I’d never even heard of. And, if you have the time, you must visit the Blue Mountains about two hours south of Sydney. It’s worth the day trip, if only to hop on the tram that takes you above the treetops.
Receipts
Unsurprisingly, my favorite souvenirs are edible. A taste of what I brought home:
Timtams (dark chocolate and caramel are my fave)
Arnott’s Peppermint slices
Cadbury chocolates
Hokey Pokey chocolate bars (an Australian favorite, with bits of honeycomb)
Wallabies rugby jersey for Kole
White Fox sweatshirt for Dahlia
Licorice (black only, the others don’t count)
Vegemite (don’t knock it till you’ve slathered it on toast with melted butter)
Real Manuka honey
If you’ve been to Sydney recently or have any must-try spots to add to my list (especially restaurants), I’d love to know in the comments below!
Next up: A Deep Summer recipe I can’t stop making!
Bill's! I love that spot!
I wish you guys would do a season of Top Chef in Australia! There is so much diversity in cuisine and ingredients there, as well as many talented chefs.