A reflection on my childhood years - what my upbringing in Canberra was like, and how attitudes towards Chinese people impacted my sense of identity and relationship with my Cantonese heritage

See the illustration I liked so much that I decided to recreate it IRL.

It’s all happening at Devon Cafe

And no, it’s not MSG.

Thought you knew how to eat chocolate, didn’t you?

Iron Knob Street and Cumming Place. Yes, they really do exist.

Seeing Anason’s Burak Cebi in action, effortlessly breezing around the restaurant’s buzzing dining space, laughing and joking with diners, and looking after his team - it's easy to assume that Burak is a career hospitality professional. However, he’s anything but.

It may be a new restaurant, but many of The Meat & Wine Co's mainstays remain, such as the use of heritage dining elements, and a familiar selection of contemporary dishes with a touch of South African flavours.

This Haymarket site’s been many things - from the former poultry section of Paddy’s Markets to a fire-ravaged warehouse. Now, it’s home to a temple of dumplings and buns.

It might be a green papaya's throw away from another four Thai restaurants dishing up pad thai and choo chee curries, but there are some standout dishes at this local favourite on Willoughby Road that make it worth a visit.

With a name that translates to ‘good food’, Strathfield’s OG Ho Jiak might not win any points for humility, but it certainly delivers in the food department.

Having been open since 1993, North Sydney’s Rengaya was the first authentic Japanese BBQ restaurant to open in Australia, and has since been an iconic destination for meat and seafood lovers alike.

If you’ve eaten your way along Dotonbori, Osaka’s pedestrian-only thoroughfare for street food, you’ll want to reminisce at Osaka Bar with its impressive renditions of takoyaki, kushikatsu and okonomiyaki.

Waiter (heartily): “Bonsoir!”

Me: “Uh, hello.”

Yeah, this is going to be good.

A simple, fresh and impressive starter to kick off any Christmas lunch. Hopefully, it'll also make up for the undies and socks you bought everyone as gifts.

“So what kind of food do you like?” Yes, you’re in luck - you've got front row seats to a real live first date. And for the rest of your meal, it's impossible not to have your ears pricked for questions around work, travel, play and family; let alone keep an intelligible, flowing conversation going with your poor dining partner.

A visit to the Oiden 'bowl bar' - a Japanese self-serve restaurant where you fill up your tray with whatever takes your fancy - brings back fond memories of my favourite uni cafeteria in Copenhagen.

A hidden Elizabeth Bay restaurant where the ‘chef’s table’ experience doesn’t set you back a paycheck or involve a flaming onion volcano.

On any given night, it’s not uncommon to see queues forming outside Chef’s Gallery… and for good reason. [Images only]

If you’re going to be hungover, you may as well do it in the company of comforting Taiwanese food at Mother Chu’s.