NEW CATS JOIN CAPTAIN COOK FLEET

SeaLink Travel Group unveiled their new twin passenger catamarans, “MV Blackwattle Bay” and “MV Cockle Bay” at a christening ceremony in Darling Harbour recently.

Business Events Sydney Chief Executive, Lyn Lewis-Smith officially launched the vessels in the traditional maritime way, breaking a champagne bottle across the bow. Ms Lewis-Smith said “Congratulations to BESydney’s partner, Captain Cook Cruises on a dedicated Sydney ferry route for conference delegates. I am honoured to take part in the launch of the two new vessels that will make our city even more accessible for visitors and locals alike.”

Christening Blessing

The two catamarans, which were designed in Sydney by Incat Crowther and built in Tasmania by Richardson Devine Marine, are the first of their kind to join the Captain Cook Cruises Sydney Harbour fleet. These12 meter boats have the capacity to carry 60 passengers and with their innovative design and light weight, are highly maneuverable. They are low wash and like the rest of the fleet are fuel efficient, eco-friendly and equipped with the latest technologies to reduce their carbon footprint.

Jeff Ellison, Lyn Lewis-Smith & Anthony Haworth

According to Managing Director, SeaLink Travel Group, Jeff Ellison “At a time when Sydney’s road congestion is creating significant challenges for both government and commuters, “MV Blackwattle Bay” and “MV Cockle Bay” will offer a welcome solution, opening new inner city routes and offering regular high speed travel to commuters. These twin boats will also operate services for Captain Cook’s Hop On Hop Off, White Bay ferry service and act as a regular transport service for conference delegates to the new International Convention Centre, providing them with easy access between Darling Harbour and Circular Quay.”

Sandra Tiltman.  Photos: John Pond/SeaLink

A TASTE OF THE MEDITERRANEAN COMES TO SYDNEY

Café del Mar is a welcome addition to Sydney’s diverse dining scene. Staying true to a heritage that began in 1980 on the Isle of Ibiza, this Spanish inspired restaurant is the perfect place for a relaxed lunch or an elegant dinner. Brand Ambassador and Celebrity Chef, Miguel Maestre, brings the Spanish flavour to life.

Suckling Pig

Located on the Rooftop Terrace at Cockle Bay Wharf, Café del Mar’s idyllic position provides diners with sweeping views over Darling Harbour.

The large outdoor deck running along the length of the building is perfect for drinks and snacks any time of the day, but sitting there on the comfy banquettes watching the sunset is pretty hard to beat. Why not try one of the six different Sangria Pitchers on offer.

The spacious interior allows for tables to be placed with room to spare, so conversations are not overheard. There is also a lounge bar area and a private dining room for groups. The open kitchen down one side gives diners the opportunity to watch the chefs in action, pure theatre.

The day we visited for lunch, I was impressed with the large list of cocktails and the extensive wine list, but I was happy to find a good selection of wines available by the glass.

For entrée we shared the chilli salt & pepper squid, black ink and finger lime aioli plus the flash fried dusted baby prawns with jalapeno mayonnaise. Both were delicious, but my favourite was the squid.

Angus Rib Eye

My main course of suckling pig, cavolo nero and Pedro Ximenez jus did not disappoint and the portion size was very generous. My companion chose the dry aged pasture fed Angus rib eye with caramelised eschallots and Béarnaise sauce. Sides of steamed broccolini and roast garlic mash were ordered as extras.

We found the food, service and the ambience made for an excellent combination and we both said we would definitely be back.

A special Corporate Lunch Menu offering a choice of three entrees and mains was also available.

Café del Mar is also a great place for functions. OpenMonday to Saturday noon to midnight and on Sunday noon until 10 pm.

Sandra Tiltman    Photos: John Pond

NEW WINTER CHOCOLATE MENU

Chocaholics all over Sydney will be converging on Darling Harbour’s San Churro Harbourside to try their new chocolate themed winter menu. Full of items that are perfect for sharing and guaranteed to satisfy winter chocolate cravings, this new menu even offers a Cinnamon Breakfast Churro, in answer to the Spanish tradition of eating churros for breakfast.

 Nothing beats wrapping cold hands around a mug of steaming hot chocolate. San Churro’s new range of El Grande Spanish Hot Chocolates are made to a traditional Spanish recipe and are the ultimate indulgence. The 17 different hot chocolates are rich, thick and served with a choice of toppings. I tried the crushed malt balls, but the chocolate biscuit crumble and the marshmallows looked very tempting.

Winter is the time for comfort foods and the Chocolate Volcano is worth making the trip just to try one. This fabulous rich chocolate fondant pudding comes complete with a gooey chocolate lava centre and to tempt you even further, it’s served warm with a side of vanilla ice cream.

Even in winter, you can still enjoy an ice cream sundae. Their Cookies and Cream Sundae with white chocolate ice cream, hot chocolate fudge, milk chocolate, crushed chocolate biscuits and chewy pieces of macaron meringue is one that will put temptation in front of you.

There’s a large selection of boxed chocolates and cakes on display to take home for later, plus a range of mugs. San Churro also has their own Hot Chocolate Mix, complete with instructions printed on the back, so you can make a perfect drink at home.

Sandra Tiltman    Photos: John Pond  

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ASIAN FOOD – SYDNEY HAS IT ALL

Sandra Tiltman with Lord Mayor Clover Moore & The Hon. George Souris, MP Minister for Tourism

Eating great Asian food with all the variations of flavours, no longer means a trip overseas.  Sydney now has an enormous range of restaurants and take-aways covering every price bracket, offering cuisine from China, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Cambodia, Taiwan, Indonesia, Thailand and the regions within those countries.  Sydney food lovers are spoilt for choice.

Almost any Asian food item is now available in Sydney at specialty Asian supermarkets and small shops.  Even many of the mainstream supermarkets have large Asian sections offering a wide range of products.

At Sydney Town Hall on Wednesday evening, Lord Mayor Clover Moore launched Asia On Your Doorstep, a special initiative designed to celebrate the fabulous feast of flavours on our doorstep during Sydney Good Food Month.

The Lord Mayor commented the Festival gave Sydneysiders the opportunity to visit one of the city’s most popular cultural precincts and to taste their way through Asia without leaving the city.  “People will be able to see some of Chinatown’s best chefs at work and try out some of their offerings” said the Lord Mayor.

The annual City of Sydney backed Festival runs until 31 October and helps diners discover the secrets of top chefs and also enjoy some of Chinatown’s signature dishes.

A Festival highlight is the one night only ‘Little Eat Street’ night markets which will be held in Little Hay Street on Friday, 25 October, where more than a dozen restaurants will bring their best street food and snacks to Haymarket.

Students from the City of Sydney’s inaugural International Student Leadership and Ambassador program will act as Festival Ambassadors, helping businesses in Chinatown, Thai-town (Campbell Street), Korea-town (Pitt Street) get involved in the event.

MC Lee Lin Chin of SBS with Adam Liaw

Adam Liaw, MasterChef Australia winner and SBS TV chef, will demonstrate some of his favourite dishes at lunchtime from 10-13 October at Market City. He will also judge an Asian cooking competition between TAFE students, with the winner taking home a $1,000 prize.

More than 70 restaurants across Haymarket will create signature dishes for the Festival, using their five favourite and most interesting ingredients, all for $10-$20.

By enjoying a meal at a restaurant participating in Asia On Your Doorstep, diners will be able to enter a competition to win a trip to Thailand.

Another foodie event currently underway is the Macau Food Festival in Feast Restaurant at Sydney’s Sheraton on the Park, running until 20 October.

The lunch and dinner buffet features a selection of new dishes, along with Macau food specialities of Macanese curry prawns, Caldo Verde (a Portuguese potato based soup), a casserole of bacalhau (cod), and Minchi (mince topped with a fried egg), plus the traditional Serradura and Macau egg tarts for dessert.

As part of the Macau Festival, family friendly events will be held in Darling Harbour’s Tumbalong Park over the weekend of 19-20 October.

Sandra Tiltman  Photos:  John Pond.

MACAU FOOD FESTIVAL

Macau Tourism’s Mike Smith with Sandra Tiltman

The Macau Government Tourist Office recently launched the Macau Food Festival in Feast Restaurant at Sydney’s Sheraton on the Park.

Macanese cuisine is a mixture of Chinese, Portuguese, Indian, African and Malay that has evolved over 500 years of Portuguese history in the tiny Asian centre.

This is the second successive year the Food Festival has been held at the hotel and will showcase a selection of new dishes, along with Macau food specialities including Galinha A Portuguesa and Macanese Curry Prawns, which will be featured at Feast Restaurant’s famous daily buffet, both during lunch and dinner, plus all the usual favourites and seafood found at this outstanding buffet.

The Macau Food Festival will be available at Sheraton on the Park until 20 October.

As part of the Macau Festival, family friendly events will be held in Darling Harbour’s Tumbalong Park over the weekend of 19-20 October.

Sandra Tiltman   Photo:  John Pond

VIKINGS LAND AT DARLING HARBOUR

Teresia Fors, Managing Director Australia & New Zealand of Viking River Cruises showed off her Swedish national dress at the recent launch of the Australian National Maritime Museum’s exhibition “Vikings – Beyond the Legend” at Sydney’s Darling Harbour. Teresia said her grandmother wove the fabric, her mother did the embroidery and her great-grandmother made the blouse, truly a family effort.

Sandra Tiltman with Teresia Fors

Swedish food and even bottles of Viking Beer enhanced the Viking mood throughout the evening.

An exciting highlight was the “invasion” by Vikings holding flaming torches, followed by a swordfight, as Vikings watched to cheer on the victor.  The loser was carried away on a stretcher, after which the exhibition was declared open. The Vikings provided a guard of honour as guests entered the Museum to view the exhibition.

Viking Cruises is a major partner of the exhibition, showing at the Museum for a limited time.  Direct from Sweden, the variety of treasures on display reveal how the Vikings lived, going beyond the myth of Vikings as ferocious plunderers in horned helmets.

Amongst the artefacts that have never been seen in Australia before are Viking swords from 700-1100AD, bronze and silver jewellery, statuettes of Norse gods, gold and silver pendants as well as an eight metre replica of a Viking boat plus a restored reconstruction of a 9^th century ship.

Sandra Tiltman            Photos:  John Pond

 

MORE NEW SHIPS FOR VIKING RIVER CRUISES

River cruising is the fastest growing segment of the travel industry and due to its popularity, Viking River Cruises recently announced they will be increasing their original order of twelve Viking Longships by an additional two vessels and will next year launch fourteen new Longships

This increased order reflects Viking’s position as the world’s leading river cruise line and by the end of 2014, they will have introduced a total of thirty new ships over a three year period, making this the most rapid fleet expansion program the cruise industry has ever seen. Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking Cruises said “We are working hard to match supply with demand and with these new builds, we have the best designed, newest and most extensive offer of ships on the rivers, more than double all our competitors combined.”

River cruising has grown at an average annual rate of approximately nine percent over the last few years and in March this year, Viking set a world record with the inauguration and simultaneous christening ceremony in Amsterdam of ten new Longships for the 2013 sailing season.

Offering modern design and comfortable amenities, plus their exceptional standard and variety of food, Viking Longships give passengers an unforgettable experience which ensures a high rate of return passengers. A revolutionary all-weather indoor/outdoor Aquavit Terrace is a new feature that reinvents the onboard lounge experience by bringing the panoramic outdoor river scenery indoors with retractable floor to ceiling glass doors and allows passengers to enjoy the views and dine al fresco

Viking Longships layout allows for two Explorer Suites and seven two-room Veranda Suites with full size veranda in the living room and French balcony in the bedroom. The 39 Veranda Staterooms have full size verandas and there are 22 French Balcony Staterooms.  All Longships have sustainability upgrades such as onboard solar panels and organic herb gardens.  The energy efficient hybrid engines reduce vibrations, giving a very smooth ride.

Since Viking’s 1997 inception, their fleet has grown to 35 river vessels, cruising along the rivers of Europe, Russia, Ukraine, China and Southeast Asia. Featuring included shore excursions and on board cultural enrichment, excellent dining choices with included wine, it is easy to see why river cruising with Viking attracts passengers.

One of Viking’s most popular river cruises is the fifteen day Grand European Tour from Amsterdam to Budapest or return along the Rhine, Main and Danube Rivers. This cruise offers a variety of sights, from Holland’s windmills and tulip fields to Germany’s fairytale castles and the picturesque vineyards of Austria’s Wachau Valley.

Viking Cruises is a major partner of the Australian National Maritime Museum’s upcoming exhibition “Vikings – Beyond the Legend” commencing on 19 September for a limited time.  Located at Sydney’s Darling Harbour, this exhibition, direct from Sweden, will display a variety of treasures and reveal how the Vikings lived, going beyond the myth of Vikings as ferocious plunderers in horned helmets.

Amongst the artefacts that have never been seen in Australia are Viking swords from 700-1100AD, bronze and silver jewellery, statuettes of Norse gods, gold and silver pendants as well as an eight metre replica of a Viking boat plus a restored reconstruction of a 9^th century ship.     Sandra Tiltman