A Turtle Stranger

Panama House

A few weeks back it was my birthday, and there’s nothing that young females living in Sydney love more than a good boozy brunch to celebrate their birthdays. Most people will know the basic ones you can go to (The Winery, Darlo Country Club, etc.) but my sisters messaged me asking if I wanted to go to Panama House for my bday, which is one I hadn’t heard of. My main thought about this place is that they should be much more popular and well-known then they are. With a view of Bondi Beach and the blue ocean that accompanies it, and a $30 bottomless menu covering food, tea and coffee this place has everything you need for a great morning. For the price of $50, you can also add on bottomless drinks for 2 hours including mimosas and bellinis.

Even though it was winter, I was grateful for the outside seats, as the patio area has the view and a much better vibe on a sunny day, and with heaters and blankets provided, the winter chill wasn’t too bad.

Panama House’s focus is on Latin American food, which isn’t exactly synonymous with brunch, which might be why it hasn’t kicked off yet. The bottomless menu had 7 courses which you had to work through before you could start ordering more. You had enchiladas, croquettes, and then the more exotic dishes like chilli baked beans with a fried egg on top. The food was delicious, albeit a little unusual for a brunch, and definitely had a kick to it to warm you up in the winter weather.

The catch with the bottomless menu (because you know there always is a catch with something like this) is that the food is extremely slow coming out. We hadn’t had breakfast before going and had an 11 o’clock sitting so we were definitely hungry by the time we got there, and after we arrived we waited twenty minutes for the first dish, which is fine. The next dish, however, took another 40 minutes to come out and when it did, it was a very small dish. By this time, there was some definite ‘hanger’ rippling throughout the group. One can only assume that this is done to limit how much time at the end you have to order more rounds off the menu. Luckily, by the time you got through all the dishes, you were pretty full anyway so we only ordered one more round of one dish, but the slow start at the beginning was frustrating.

The good thing about a place like this with bottomless offerings, is that they didn’t make everyone opt into everything. Only two of us decided to go for bottomless drinks, whilst the rest opted out and that was fine. The service of drinks was great too, in that we just got given a bottle of champagne and juice and could serve ourselves, and the refills on these was very quick too. So if your aim was to go and get super drunk at a brunch, that was very do-able here!

All in all, it was a pretty good experience, although their food service could have been quicker, and they didn’t do split bills.

I give Panama House in Bondi 8 out of 10 for a boozy weekend brunch!

Pizza Autentico

One thing that has always made me a little sad in Australia is our lack of all-you-can-eat experiences. One of the great things about places like the UK and the Canada is their all-you-can-eat Indian and sushi respectively. Well finally, all my prayers have been answered and Australia, and in particular, Sydney, has finally started jumping on the all-you-can-eat and drink meal deals. My boyfriend and I have noticed heaps of these deals popping up recently, and when we saw one for $50 all you can eat pizza and pasta and all you can drink wine and beer, we knew we had to try, even if it was on a week night.

Enter Pizza Autentico. I don’t think this is a new deal for Pizza Autentico, because they seemed to have themselves set up well already, maybe it’s finally just something we are hearing about some more.

Pizza Autentico is a tiny little establishment in the heart of Surry Hills. Unless you went looking for it, you probably would never stumble across it. If you’re in a small group, you get put on the communal table on the ground floor, a big slab of granite which can seat probably around 20 people. There is a waitress that walks around with various bowls and plates of pizza and pasta, offering you some with each lap and then you simply say yes I want to try, or no I will skip this one out (you never say no) and they give you some to try. As for the drinks, I was drinking red wine which was brought out to me in a big carafe, and my boyfriend was well stocked with beer the whole night.

The reason I like this deal is that they don’t limit you to just one type of meal in the hopes that you will get bored and stop eating, I don’t think we saw the same meal twice in the whole 2 hours we were there. To be fair, the majority of the meals brought around were pizza but you had a wide range from your classic Margarita to your sausage and potato. You could taste the freshness of the dough and ingredients though, so I wasn’t complaining about all the pizza.

The pastas were the real winners though. I am salivating right now just thinking about their four cheese gnocchi. Eating that gnocchi was like biting into little pillows soaked in cheese. It was certainly rich, which is why a small amount was perfect, but the taste was sensational. My other favourite was a chilli penne, with just the right amount of kick, balanced with a tomato sauce.

Often with all you can eat deals, the staff do their best to make your life difficult, or to slow your orders, which don’t get me wrong, it makes sense, but it is rather annoying as a customer. Not at Pizza Autentico. Here, the staff were friendly, helpful, and making sure you were always topped up with food and drinks. They even come and do the courtesy call to let you know when your time is up.

All in all, I cannot recommend this place enough. I think it is potentially my favourite place in all of Sydney, and my boyfriend and I have made the pledge that all our celebrations and nice dinners will be there from now on. If you live in Sydney this place is an absolute must.

I give Pizza Autentico 5 out of 5 stars, I can’t see how anything could top that!

Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow

Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend is the type of book that is targeted at a young teens market, but is accessible and enjoyable for everyone, no matter what your age is. It came as a recommendation from a friend who told me about how great the storyline was and how the story pulled you in.

Sure, it wasn’t the most intellectual of books but the story was vibrant and fun, and reminiscent of the Harry Potter world. A girl with a sad upbringing gets brought into this magical world she can only ever dream of, where she has a mentor/ parent figure who is hard to get a hold of, is renowned and respected within their society, and who speaks in riddles and only fills her in on half of the story. Whilst the story line might be slightly similar to Harry Potter, the world that is created is very unique, and the writing easily creates vivid images in the readers mind.

I was tearing through this book, getting through it in about a week with ease. It was something that wasn’t hard reading so even if you were a little tired you were still drawn in, but at the same time you didn’t want to put it down once you started. Reading this book was an escape from the boring adult world, bringing you into a world of imagination and fun, and without ever getting too serious.

This book is a series, and I can’t wait to keep going with the next one. I wonder if (like in Harry Potter) the stories will continue to take a dark and twisted turn. I can see the opportunity for it to do so but will need to see which way the author chooses to go with it.

I give this book 4 and a half stars out of 5, no matter what your age is!

The Place on Dalhousie

If you grew up and went to high school in Australia, it’s likely you might have heard of Melina Marchetta. One of her earliest books ‘Looking for Alibrandi’ is an Australian coming of age story, so naturally you are normally forced to study it in English. Normally, any book you have to read in English is automatically ruined by the fact that you had to study it in depth and go over it again and again, but luckily Marchetta’s stories draw you in so much that (for me anyway) I was immune to it and to this day that is still one of my favourite stories (in movie or book form).

I have read most of Marchetta’s books over the years, and her stories are normally pretty high up on my list of favourites. Another of her stories ‘Tell the truth, shame the devil’ is probably my second favourite book of all time, but a review of that book is for another time. Throughout some of her books, there has been some recurring characters, and each book explores another person from that group in depth. ‘The Place on Dalhousie’ is the third in this series, exploring the life of Jimmy Hailler and Rosie Gennaro.

The way Marchetta tells stories is by peppering the story with little seemingly insignificant details which all wrap together in the end to show the inevitability and magic of fate and how some people are just magnetically drawn to each other, despite their directions in life. I won’t say much more about the story, because one of the best things about this story is how the relationships and various sub plots slowly play out and tie together.

Instead, I will just say that this might not be the best of Marchetta’s stories, although I must admit she has set the bar pretty high with some of her previous books. She does however, make the characters so familiar to the reader, that it felt as though I could walk down the street and run into any of them, it might help that I do live in the area where her story is based though.

The characters are all raw, and have faults and at times can be extremely frustrating, but at the end of the day, you’re still invested in their story and their happiness, which to me is the sign of a winning story.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars, but if you’re looking for Marchetta’s best work, I would recommend one of her others (‘Looking for Alibrandi’, ‘On the Jellicoe Road’ or ‘Tell the Truth, Shame the Devil’).

The Cursed Child

This is one that is a little out of the ordinary for me, a Play review. I guess, it is also a book review, but fresh in my mind is the play as I went to Melbourne on the weekend to watch it.

The next saga from JK Rowling’s Harry Potter universe. I read the screenplay as a book years ago, and I remember after reading it, feeling really underwhelmed. the story didn’t hook me, and none of the characters were that great. Even Harry, Hermione and Ron were not the heroes I always thought they were. I had to remind myself that it wasn’t intended to be a book and that’s why it didn’t grab me, and I must admit after watching the play, I was right.

Don’t get me wrong, the storyline still had a lot of flaws and it certainly isn’t as great or as well thought out as the original Harry Potter storyline, but (and without being too corny) this play is absolutely ‘magical‘. There is no other way to put it, th way this play unfolds in front of you is pure magic. The special effects, the music, the set changes, every single thing is so detailed and mindblowing. Without giving too much of the actual story away (#keepthesecrets), seeing some of your old favourite characters back on screen, as well as some new faces was an experience that I will never forget.

And it is an experience! It is really a whole day affair to do it all. You have to essentially sit through two whole plays with a two and a half hour break in the middle and in some slower scenes during the play you can feel as though they are deliberately drawing it out in an attempt to make more money. It’s a big time commitment (and a very expensive one), but at the end of the day it is a one in a lifetime experience and worth every dollar and minute of my time.

I am not sure what this play is like overseas as well, but all I can say is that having it at Princess Theatre only made it better, because that theatre is one of the most beautiful buildings I have seen in Australia. It made you feel as though you were transported to London, and in the thick of the Wizarding world.

I would recommend this play to anyone and everyone, even if you’re not a Harry Potter fan, or even a fan of plays. I defy anyone to go to that play and not have your mind blown. It is absolutely unreal, and JK Rowling has managed to deliver another key piece of the magical world she created.

Seven Ancient Wonders

I must admit, now it’s got to winter time my reading has really slowed down. It doesn’t make sense because winter is the best time to be cosied up inside reading, but instead I have just been sleepy and lazy and avoided it. Today though I wasn’t feeling well so had the day off work, and decided to smash through the book I have been trying to finish for at least 5 weeks now, Seven Ancient Wonders by Matthew Reilly. I read another of Matthew Reilly’s books earlier this year (The Tournament) and loved the way the story pulled me in, using historical facts and myths to do so, and I was told repeatedly that this was the next book to look into.

I must admit, in the first few chapters, it did not pull me in as much as The Tournament did. It could be because I wasn’t motivated to read, or maybe it was just a little too detail heavy in the beginning. The places Reilly is trying to portray in his books are hard to imagine as they are places I have never and will probably never experience. There are diagrams to help, but to try and imagine the spectacular settings he is trying to portray requires a lot of imagination and concentrated thought. It’s worth putting that thought in though, because one of the reasons this book is so great is the mystery around all of these places. Similar to Da Vinci Code (in the sense that it is using historical landmarks and religious myth to create a mystery), it builds a world that maybe could exist, or does exist, but noone would ever really know.

The characters were interesting, and at first it was confusing trying to remember who was who and where they were from because of the various nicknames, but you can always remember the key characters, and you find yourself rooting for the team as a whole, being that they are the underdogs.

I liked the Indiana Jones vibe of this book, of traps and adventures through ancient ruins, and I think this book would make a breathtaking movie, I only hope someone wants to make that. Overall I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Turia Pitt

It seems only fitting to kick off a new category of writing with the person who inspired me to start it, Turia Pitt.

I have just finished Turia Pitt’s second book, ‘Unmasked’. Reading it is an experience, it’s like attending a self-help seminar or working with a life coach. Turia shares her story, which if you’re unfamiliar with it then please keep on reading, and the whole time, it makes the reader feel like they should be doing more, pushing more, achieving more, and forever working on new goals. When I started to get towards the end of the book, I got myself in a panic, thinking, I don’t have any goals, there’s nothing I really want to achieve. What am I doing with my life?! It was at that point I realised I had to sit down, and work through what I want to achieve out of this world.

I jumped into a hot shower, the place where all of life’s problems can be solved, and I had a think. At first I thought, I want to own my own house one day- that’s a good goal, before realising that was such a superficial goal, and one that if I really thought about it, I didn’t want to achieve anyway.

Then it hit me, the goal I have always wanted to achieve since I was a young girl, I want to write a book. It seems outlandish and far-fetched, but I want to write one; even if noone ever reads it. From here, I started thinking about what I could do to start towards this goal, and I realised that I needed to write more, and an area that I really want to write about is inspirational women. Since joining the professional work force a couple of years ago, I have really been seeking out the inspiration and guidance of women who have achieved great things with their life, and so I want to be able to share the people who have had a profound impact on me with the world. Some may be people you have heard of, others maybe not. The thing in common will be that they will all be inspirational.

Which brings me back to Turia. Since she was the one who prompted my kick into action with this, it is only fair that she be the first topic. So I bring to you, a short introduction into the wonderful life of Turia Pitt (as described in her book).

Turia Pitt is basically a household name now in Australia. Say her name and people will normally be able to tell you a few basic things about her. At her core, Turia is a fighter and a pusher, someone who stubbornly goes against the norm and forges her own path, and she has been this person since before the life changing moment when she got stuck in a bushfire. She was caught in a bushfire whilst trying to complete an ultramarathon (a 100km run) so I think that tells you everything you need to know about the person she has always been. She has always loved challenges and hard work, and seems to enjoy the challenges that most of us feel exhausted even thinking about.

The truly inspirational part about Turia isn;t how she has fought her way back to great health, or gone on to complete two Ironmans when she was told she might never walk again, but it’s that throughout all that she has been through, she has retained her compassion and her care for others, and her biggest goals these days all seem to be about the happiness of others; by raising money for charity, by working with others to achieve their dreams, or even just by organising trips where people can go and challenge themselves with her.

Whilst reading Turia’s book, one thing that struck me is that I thought, if I knew Turia before the fire, I wonder if we would have been friends. That intense personality and competitive nature would probably have put me off, and I am not sure that I would have gotten along with her, but I realised throughout the book that the tough exterior doesn’t mean she doesn’t have compassion, and care and a fun loving nature too.

Turia has accomplished more than most people ever will, and she has done it after her life was changed forever. She is an inspiration to anyone who has been told they can’t achieve something, or even just anyone who is feeling a little lost and not sure what they can achieve. Her story has given me a kick up the butt when I really needed it, and for that I will be grateful.

I hope that Turia is just the first out of a long list of inspirational women that I hope to share with you, and I hope that Turia’s story gives you a kick on the butt to start achieving your goals, just like it did for me!

Flying Fajita Sistas

This one has been on the list of places to go for a while, and all it took was winning a bet against my boyfriend for him to take me there, which is a shame because this place is gold, and now that I know how good it is, it is dangerously close to where I live!

They do daily deals in the menu, and on a Thursday when we were there it is 2 for 1 drinks, as long as they are the exact same drink. This is a fantastic deal, especially when the drinks are already decently priced to begin with. I would definitely love to go back with some of my gal pals and make use of that deal and the cocktails, but sadly my boyfriend could not be convinced about the cocktails so a local beer on tap it was for us.

It’s not a huge menu but there is everything you need on it. Dips, starters and decently priced mains, that’s all I need in my life. We got the Queso Fundido to share, which was the first time my boyfriend had queso. He wasn’t a fan of the Jalapenos (he doesn’t handle spice very well) but loved the chorizo addition. The corn chips were fresh, and I can only assume homemade, and even without the dip were delicious and perfectly salty

We followed up with a Chimichanga each, which is not the most common mexican meal in Australia. We normally have our burritos plain, not deep fried. What I really appreciated is that the Vegetarian option was Jackfruit, and not just a vegetable medley. Jackfruit isn’t the easiest ingredient to whip up, but it is delicious, and gives you a much more meaty texture. I (obviously) got the Jackfruit whilst my boyfriend got the beef brisket. We both devoured ours in minutes, but the star of the dish was the toppings, the charred tomato salsa balanced out by sour cream and cheese was the best part, and the part I had to leave until the end so it was my very last mouthful. When you hear deep-fried burrito, you hear oil and batter and something that makes you feel disgusting after you were finished eating, but this was so well done it wasn’t the case at all. All the flavours stood on their own and didn’t need to be doused in oil and fat.

Sadly, we didn’t get to try out anything on the dessert menu, as my boyfriend’t nut allergy normally interferes with that, but I know that I am going to be going back soon so I wasn’t too worried about that.

I give Flying Fajita Sistas 5 out of 5, I will be back there digging in again soon!

Gallon

I am lucky enough to live in a suburb of Sydney that is full of bars and restaurants, and sadly I am not making enough money to let me treat myself on going out to all of them as often as I would like. One of these bars that I wish I could go to more is Gallon. I have now only been for my second time, and both times I vowed I would go back again.

Gallon has the vibe of an Italian wine bar. It is where you go when you want to be a little bit fancy without being over the top. You can share some tapas, order some nice wines, and sit in either the beautiful courtyard, or inside with the dimmed lights and cosy vibes.

They do delicious pizzas, salads and other little bits and pieces, and there is a lof of Halloumi on the menu, so really, what more do you need? My friend and I shared the Natalia pizza and the Mex Chicken Salad. Normally when you get a salad at a place like this, it’s very basic, small and very unsatisfying, but a nice side. At Gallon though, the salad was moreish, delicious, filling and huge. I would have been happy with just salad for dinner, and we all know ‘You don’t make friends with salad’. Luckily, the pizza was also delicious. It was a very basic pizza, with very few ingredients, but you couldn’t tell with the flavour explosion it provided. It was light and not oily, and with the fresh cherry tomatoes and balsamic vinegar, very refreshing.

We also grabbed some wines- there wasn’t a huge menu there but enough choice for someone like me. I want to go back and also check out their Spritz menu because they looked affordable and delicious.

I am already in the process of convincing my boyfriend to take me there again next week, because I love how simple, easy, but delicious it is here. Another nice little thing they do, is its small enough that they remember who has ordered what, and so there are no numbers of anything handed out. It gives it a really nice personal touch,

I give Gallon 4.5 out of 5 stars.

The People in the Trees

Hanya Yanagihara won my heart in her book ‘A Little Life’ which I read last year. That book deserves its own review, because it is one of the best books I have ever read, but recently she released her next book; ‘The People in the Trees’. It was on my list of books to read for a while, and so I was so excited to get stuck in, expecting the same magic as ‘A Little Life’. Maybe that was an unfair assumption to make, because it is a completely different vibe of the book. I started reading it though and thought that this entire storyline was made up because it was so far fetched, and certainly parts of the story are made up (the immortal humans living on a Pacific Island is the main part) but the book was actually based on Daniel Carleton Gajdusek, which I wish I knew before I started, because that does make the story more interesting.

On first impressions, this book is a veryyyyyy slow narration about a Scientist’s journey into an untouched island community, discovering its medical mysteries, the fall of that community due to Western intervention, and then the adoption of these children into the Scientist’s family. Without giving much more away, the book delves into the psyche of Gajdusek throughout the whole experience, although I am unsure whether this is his actual thoughts, or just what Yanagihara expects them to be.

Without knowing that this is based on a true person, this is just a very tedious, long book, that I had to force myself to keep reading. I think at one point I got a little hooked but about 20 pages later I was bored again. Similar to ‘A Little Life’ there is so much detail in the stories, that it really draws out the story and you feel like you’re not getting anywhere despite having read pages and pages. The difference with its predecessor, though, is that you aren’t invested in the characters. You don’t feel warmly towards any of the characters, or want to see things turn out well for them. Instead you just follow the story of the villain, even though there are attempts to humanise them.

Hanya is a beautiful writer, and she can paint a wonderful picture, but without exploring characters that you’re actually invested or interested in, her writing is just a little too slow for my liking. Again, I wish I knew it was based on a real person to begin with but I don’t even think this would have been enough to make me more invested.

I give this book a 3 out of 5, and I hope that her next book hits the mark just like ‘A Little Life’ did.