• Blog
  • About
  • The Trip
  • Selfish Guides
  • Best Of

The Selfish Years

~ Over 200 cities, 42 countries, 6 continents and counting.

The Selfish Years

Tag Archives: Sydney

Finishing Sydney with a Bang at the Park Hyatt

15 Monday Jul 2013

Posted by misterselfish in Accommodations, Australia, Hyatt, Oceania, Sydney, Travel Hacking

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Oceania, Park Hyatt Sydney, Selfish Year, Selfish Years, Sydney, Travel Hacking

Mrs. Selfish and I visited Sydney a total of three times during our Selfish Year of travels, since Sydney is the major airport in the Oceania region. During our first stay, we stayed with family in the Manly area. For our second stay, we rented a flat downtown – in the seedy red light district.

Our third and final stay was different, however. Having booked us flights to Cairns to dive the Great Barrier Reef I was having a heck of a time finding a flight that would connect us through Sydney in time to catch our flight to Tasmania.

Finally giving up, I decided we’d have to spend one more night in Sydney. And we’d have to do it in style.

At the Park Hyatt Sydney.

Aw yeah.

Continue reading →

  • Tweet
  • More
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Email

Like this:

Like Loading...

Random Yummy Bites in Sydney

14 Sunday Jul 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Australia, Food & Drinks, Oceania, Sydney

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Australia, Bankstown, Food & Drinks, Gelato, Malay, Mamak, Messina, Oceania, Pho, Pho An, Restauran An, Sydney

Looking back on our time in Sydney, I will remember all of the good food fondly. This post is dedicated to some of our more yummy bites in Sydney.

Mamak for Mouthwatering Malay Food

Mr. Selfish and I started queuing up for Mamak (15 Goulburn Street, Haymarke) around 4:55pm. The restaurant opens at 5pm, and the line was already around the block. It was worth the wait though because the food is authentic and delicious.

Malay 01Malay 06

Mamak is known for its fresh roti and satay. We tried the plain roti canai ($5.50), the murtabak, which is roti filled with spicy chicken or lamb, cabbage, egg, and onions ($11.50), and the beef satay, which is served with a sweet and spicy peanut sauce (1/2 dozen for $9.00). Everything was delicious but the standout dish was the plain roti canai. It was freshly made, crispy on the outside, and fluffy on the inside.

Malay 07Malay 13Malay 12

Continue reading →

  • Tweet
  • More
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Email

Like this:

Like Loading...

Having Fun at the Museums in Sydney

13 Saturday Jul 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Australia, Oceania, Sydney

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Art Gallery of New South Wales, Art Gallery of NSW, Australia, Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Oceania, Selfish Year, Selfish Years, Sydney

During our stay in Sydney, Mr. Selfish and I visited two museums – the Art Gallery of New South Wales (NSW) and the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia. While we enjoyed ourselves at both museums, the reason for our enjoyment differed between the two museums.

The Art Gallery of NSW

The Art Gallery of NSW is located in Sydney’s central business district. The Art Gallery has four different levels with each level having a very eclectic collection. Mr. Selfish and I truly enjoyed viewing all of the different collections here.

Sydney 714Sydney 727

Continue reading →

  • Tweet
  • More
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Email

Like this:

Like Loading...

Searching for the Best Aussie Pie in Sydney

12 Friday Jul 2013

Posted by misterselfish in Australia, Food & Drinks, Oceania, Searching for the Best . . ., Sydney

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Aussie Pies, Bourke Street Bakery, Harry's Cafe on Wheels, Oceania, Pie Face, Selfish Year, Selfish Years, Sydney

One of the true Aussie specialty foods, Aussie Pies are like miniature chicken pot pies – a little bit of joy that fits in the palm of your hand. Aussie Pies come in a ton of varieties, though the most common types we encountered were Steak & Pepper, Chicken & Leeks, and Steak & Kidneys. You can find them at pretty much any bakery, pub, or grocery store. So good.

After our first encounter with an Aussie Pie Mrs. Selfish and I were hooked, so we set out to find the Best Aussie Pie in Sydney.

The Old Timer: Harry’s Café on Wheels

Our first introduction to Aussie Pies, Harry’s Café on Wheels is a mainstay in Sydney, having been in the city since 1945. Mrs. Selfish and I decided to try the Tiger, which is beef pie with mash & mushy peas.

The Tiger had excellent flavor, with the beef flavor blending sublimely with the gravy, mash and mushy peas. More mountain of food then hand-sized pie, I was surprised at how well the pie’s crust stood up to the gravy and peas – maintaining its crunch through the course of the (albeit short) meal.

VERDICT: Decadent & delicious, the Tiger was loaded with flavor – and mash & peas. We later tried the curry variation, which was excellent as well, but for a starter pie I would try their classic Tiger.

SCORE: 9.5

Continue reading →

  • Tweet
  • More
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Email

Like this:

Like Loading...

The Unbelievably Blue, Blue Mountains

11 Thursday Jul 2013

Posted by misterselfish in Australia, Oceania, Sydney

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Blue Mountains, Katoomba, Oceania, Selfish Year, Selfish Years, Sydney, Three Sisters, Wentworth Falls

After spending two weeks in Sydney, we were slowly but surely running out of city activities. With that in mind, Mrs. Selfish and I started researching quick day trips – something that would take less than 2 hours to drive to, given the limited sunlight during Australia’s winter season.

The Blue Mountains quickly rose to the top of the list. Only a 1.5 hour drive from the center of the city, the blue mountains are quite literally blue from a distance thanks to some freaky optical illusion.

We did a quick search for rentals, and managed to snag a medium-sized car from Budget for ~$35 a day. We left at 9am, and around 10 we hit the information center, where we grabbed a map.

The biggest local attraction is the Three Sisters, a geographic formation that local legends claim is three sisters turned into stone by their overprotective father. Unfortunately he died before we could turn them back.

Fortunately for the local tourism business in Katoomba, the three sisters is a crowd pleaser. The information center repeatedly tried to sell us on Scenic World, a tourist trap that boasts “free parking” and a $35 ride to and from the plateau to the valley via a glass-bottom gondola.

The Three Sisters are pretty, but be prepared for crowds!

Continue reading →

  • Tweet
  • More
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Email

Like this:

Like Loading...

Brew Pub Battle: 4 Pines v. Lord Nelson

10 Wednesday Jul 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Australia, Food & Drinks, Oceania, Sydney

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

4 Pines, Australia, Brew Pub, Food & Drinks, Four Pines, Lord Nelson, Manly, Oceania, Selfish Year, Selfish Years, Sydney, The Rocks

Mr. Selfish and I are so glad to once again be in a country with a brew pub culture. At first, we were a bit skeptical as to the microbreweries in Sydney but were quickly won over by two brew pubs – 4 Pines and the Lord Nelson Pub.

The 4 Pines in Manly

During our first nine days in Sydney, we stayed at my cousin’s apartment in Manly. In order to get to Manly from Sydney city center, you have to take the Manly ferry, which takes around 30 minutes and costs $5.80 per single trip. Although taking an hour trip and paying $11.60 to go to a brew pub seems a bit much, 4 Pines (29/43-45 E Esplanade, Manly) is worth the trip, especially on a day with a beautiful sunset.

Sydney 01Sydney 02Sydney 03

Continue reading →

  • Tweet
  • More
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Email

Like this:

Like Loading...

The Manliest Walk in Sydney

09 Tuesday Jul 2013

Posted by misterselfish in Australia, Oceania, Sydney

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Manly, Oceania, Selfish Year, Selfish Years, Sydney

Manly is a quiet suburb on the outskirts of Sydney, ideal for surfing, swimming, and long walks on the beach.  Since Mrs. Selfish and I don’t really do any of those things, we decided to make the most of Manly and try the famed Manly Walk.

The walk is roughly 11 kilometers in length if you go to Shelly Beach then Spit Bridge, and can easily take the better part of a day.  It’s also home to some of the more beautiful sights in Manly.

The manly walk starts from where you pick up the ferry and heads through Shelly Beach before looping back.

The cliffs past Shelly Beach were quite epic.  Shortly after the path hit the ruins of an old fort.

Continue reading →

  • Tweet
  • More
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Email

Like this:

Like Loading...

Chomping Down in Surry Hills

08 Monday Jul 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Australia, Food & Drinks, Oceania, Sydney

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Australia, Bills, Breakfast, Cafe Sopra, Food & Drinks, Italian, Oceania, Pub, Selfish Year, Selfish Years, Surry Hills, Sydney, The Carrington, Waterloo

Mr. Selfish and I suffered serious sticker shock upon our arrival in Sydney. We found the food prices to be quite high. I saw a plain glazed donut in the mall that cost $3. Yeah, one donut. On the bright side, the quality of the food is consistently better than average. Even when we ate at a random establishment (sans any research), we were typically content with the food quality.

Bills for Yummy Breakfast

Although we didn’t spend much time in the Surry Hills area, Mr. Selfish and I did manage to eat at some nice restaurants. First, we found the breakfast at Bills (359 Crown Street) to be rather tasty.

Surry - Bills 03Surry - Bills 05Surry - Bills 02Surry - Bills 01

The highlight of the meal was the ricotta hotcakes that came with banana and honeycomb butter ($19.50). The hotcakes melt in your mouth and the honeycomb butter adds a delightful texture. We also enjoyed the scrambled organic eggs ($14.50), which were the creamiest scrambled eggs I’ve ever tasted.

Continue reading →

  • Tweet
  • More
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Email

Like this:

Like Loading...

Sydney’s CBD: Taking Afternoon Tea, the State Theatre, and St. Mary’s Cathedral

07 Sunday Jul 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Australia, Food & Drinks, Oceania, Sydney

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Afternoon Tea, Australia, Before Midnight, CBD, Central Business District, Oceania, Queen Victoria Building, QVB, Selfish Year, Selfish Years, St. Mary's Cathedral, State Theatre, Sydney, Tea Room

Mr. Selfish and I were delighted to return to an English speaking country, particularly a former British colony. We immediately decided that we would go for afternoon tea and reacquaint ourselves with scones and clotted cream. Based on our Aussie friend’s recommendation, we decided to try the Tea Room at the Queen Victoria Building (QVB) in Sydney’s Central Business District (CBD).

CBD 01CBD 02CBD 06CBD 03

Continue reading →

  • Tweet
  • More
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Email

Like this:

Like Loading...

Searching for the Best Burger in Sydney

06 Saturday Jul 2013

Posted by misterselfish in Australia, Food & Drinks, Oceania, Searching for the Best . . ., Sydney

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Australia, Burgerlicious, Grill'd, Hurricane Grill, Oceania, Searching for the Best Burger in Sydney, Selfish Year, Selfish Years, Sydney

As soon as Mrs. Selfish and I hit the ground in Australia, we immediately started a search for Australia’s unique cheap eats. Surprisingly, this turned out to be southeastern Asian food. Apparently, Australia doesn’t have much in the way of a native food culture, there were some exceptions, however – pies and burgers.

The real kicker, however, is that food in Sydney is expensive. $3 for a donut expensive, or $5 for a chicken sandwich from McDonald’s expensive, or $20 for a sandwich from your local hipster joint expensive. The plus side is that pretty much anywhere you eat in Sydney is good. I’m half convinced you could walk down the street blindfolded and find a good meal – just be prepared to bring a load of cash.

With that in mind, Mrs. Selfish and I decided to find some of Sydney’s best “cheap eats,” starting with burgers.

Burgerlicious – the chain restaurant

Our first stop on the burger tour was Burgerlicious, located near Sydney’s Chinatown. We were expecting a cute sit down place, but the vibe was definitely more of a late-night post-drinking fast food joint. We later found out it was a local chain.

We ordered the “Jalapeso” as a meal for $14.90, which was filled with grilled onions, bacon, lettuce, avocado, jalapeno relish, and salsa. Since it was a meal it also came with chips, and a beverage.

The flavor combination was interesting, but it was an otherwise standard burger. The bun was a little soggy, and the lettuce was slightly wilted. The fries were more “chip” style, which usually means they are bigger and blander than the french fry style of fry.

We also ordered the “Parezian,” for $10 which had onions, mushrooms, camembert cheese, mustard, salad mix, sour cream, and tomato relish.

Where the “Jalapeso” was different, the “Parezian” was just disappointing, and slightly dry.

VERDICT: While on the cheaper side of burgers in Sydney, Burgerlicious was definitely not worth the money. While some of the concepts were interesting, the execution was a little lackluster.

SCORE: 6.5

Continue reading →

  • Tweet
  • More
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Email

Like this:

Like Loading...

The Magnificent Beach Infrastructure in Sydney

05 Friday Jul 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Australia, Oceania, Sydney

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Australia, Beach Infrastructure, Bondi, Bondi Beach, Bronte, Bronte Beach, Oceania, Selfish Year, Selfish Years, Sydney

Mr. Selfish and I were particularly surprised at the serious amounts of beach infrastructure in Sydney. Not only is a sizeable chunk of the population into water sports, but Sydney has the infrastructure to support it. As far as I could tell, each beach has its own “Surf Life Saving Club,” a salt water pool, and tons of paved walkways for scenic beach strolls.

We enjoyed the walk from Bondi beach to Bronte beach. We took this stroll during our first day in Sydney. Although we were quite jetlagged, we couldn’t fail to appreciate how beautiful it was.

Sydney 01Sydney 02Sydney 03Sydney 04Sydney 05

Continue reading →

  • Tweet
  • More
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Email

Like this:

Like Loading...

Enjoying the Views of the Opera House in Sydney

04 Thursday Jul 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Australia, Oceania, Sydney

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Australia, Harbour Bridge, Lady Macquarie's Chair, Oceania, Opera House, Royal Botanic Gardens, Selfish Year, Selfish Years, Sydney

During our first day in Sydney, Mr. Selfish and I enjoyed perfect weather and were delighted to see the infamous Opera House. I found the Opera House to be quite lovely and feel that the numerous photos and film footage I’ve seen of it did not it justice. It is something else to see it with your own eyes and experience how the light dances off of the “shells.”

Sydney 01Sydney 02Sydney 03Sydney 04

Continue reading →

  • Tweet
  • More
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Email

Like this:

Like Loading...

Who’s Selfish?

Mr. and Mrs. Selfish are an obsessively organized couple who sold all their junk to travel abroad for a year. Now settled in San Francisco, they have since visited over 200 cities in 44 countries over 6 continents. This site chronicles their travels.

Looking for something?

Current Location

Next Location

Subscribe to our RSS Feed!

  • RSS - Posts

Recent Posts

  • Heading back to Japan for one more Selfish Trip!
  • Our Earning and Burning in 2015
  • Traveling with an Infant Means Less International Travel for Now
  • Where to Spot Geishas in Kyoto
  • Keeping it Short and Suite at the Park Hyatt Tokyo

Archives

  • August 2016
  • January 2016
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • March 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • May 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012

Categories

  • Accommodations
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Athens
  • Australia
  • Bali
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Best Of
  • Bosnia
  • Busan
  • California
  • Cambodia
  • China
  • Club Carson
  • Croatia
  • Cross Country
  • Disney
  • Dublin
  • Dubrovnik
  • Edinburgh
  • Europe
  • Flashback
  • Florida
  • Food & Drinks
  • France
  • French Polynesia
  • Fukuoka
  • Game of Thrones
  • General
  • Germany
  • Greece
  • Gyeongju
  • Hilton
  • Hong Kong
  • Hyatt
  • IHG
  • Infant Travel
  • Ireland
  • Istanbul
  • Istanbul
  • Japan
  • Kanazawa
  • Kyoto
  • Lake District
  • Living Abroad
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Madrid
  • Malaysia
  • Marriott
  • Melbourne
  • Morocco
  • Mykonos
  • Naxos
  • New York City
  • New Zealand
  • News
  • North America
  • Northern Ireland
  • Northern Ireland
  • Oceania
  • Okinawa
  • Orlando
  • Paris
  • Philippines
  • Portugal
  • Queenstown
  • Rant
  • San Francisco
  • San Francisco
  • Santorini
  • Searching for the Best . . .
  • Seoul
  • Shanghai
  • Singapore
  • South America
  • South Korea
  • Spain
  • Split
  • Starwood
  • Sydney
  • Taiwan
  • Tanzania
  • Tasmania
  • Thailand
  • The Maldives
  • Tokyo
  • Tons of Pictures
  • Travel Hacking
  • Uncategorized
  • United Kingdom
  • United States
  • Vienna
  • Vietnam
  • Virginia
  • Zadar
  • Zurich

Blog at WordPress.com.

  • Follow Following
    • The Selfish Years
    • Join 205 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • The Selfish Years
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
%d bloggers like this: