NYC Fashion Week + Food = Fun Times!

So having been in NYC for two fashion weeks, I cannot stress how much fun and alive the city becomes (well, admittedly the city is pretty awesome and bustling anyway but there is a certain air about it when all the fashionistas come out to play). Whilst it may at times be a trip down struggle street trying to find a cab during fashion week (not ideal when you are weighed down with bags from a shopping spree) there are a lot of fun things that you can do to partake in the fashion week festivities.

This year my sister managed to score a reservation at a Fashion Week Afternoon Tea at the Mandarin Oriental's Lobby Lounge - needless to say it was a lot of fun and once again an absolutely incredible experience (and I know I keep saying that about everything NYC related, so I apologise and will try to think of another way to describe it).

The Mandarin Oriental is so plush and nice, that by the end of the afternoon I was tempted to max out my credit cards just so I could stay.

The Lobby Lounge is located on the 35th floor and has AMAZING views of South-West Central Park and Columbus Circle.

Food-wise this is the BEST afternoon tea I have ever been to, ever! Sydney High Teas do not even compare. The service was brilliant, the waitstaff were super friendly and accomodating - and like many restuarants throughout the USA they actually ask you if you have dietary requirements/allergies upon your arrival, which is music to the ears of a vegetarian (me) and a sufferer of an insane amount of allergies (my sister).

Then as if the service isn't enough to make you feel all VIP-like, the food is simply amazing. To start as with all high/afternoon teas there were a selection of savory sandwiches. They were good but I can't say I remember all that much about them as I got distracted by the arrival of the Lobby Lounge's signature ginger scones.

The scones are infused with a hint of ginger and then accompanied by the kitchen's signature ginger marmalade. I was worried that it may be too overpowering but the two combined to create a very delicate flavour.

And then the sweets arrived...

I have only one word to describe it all...YUM!! Unfortunately, as is the case with afternoon teas you tend to get full really quickly. The portions are all deceptively small and you think you'll be able to eat it all but alas that is not the case. Thankfully, in the US of A, restaurants around the country pack up your left over food so that you can take it home with you (hurrah!). I only wish they still did that here in Australia.

The sweets were so adorable and were all fashion themed...

Diane von Furstenberg Biscuits.

Hot Coco Chanel - a delectable chocolate mousse.

This was a plain old strawberry and vanilla cake. I don't recall it being fashion house inspired.

Jimmy Choo Caramel Tart.

Apple Brown Betsey Johnson - an apple crumble/tart of sorts.

Donna Karat Cake (aka Carrot Cake).

My only regret about the afternoon tea was not selecting a black tea to accompany and counteract all the sugar being consumed. Instead I decided to be adventurous and try a herbal tea (herbal teas are generally outside of my comfort zone so I don't know what possessed me).

I selected a Mountain Berry tea which was a beautiful, rich, berry red colour and tasted like bubblegum. The tea itself was nice but because it had a mild sweetness to it, it wasn't the best accompaniment to such sweet food. Even so, the fashion week afternoon tea was by far the best food experience I had in NYC and was a nice way to be a part of a NYC Fashion Week festivities.

Tulips, Parades and the Elephant Boy.

Just got home from a wonderful day out with the family. We decided to go for a bit of a drive down to Bowral for lunch, and it just so happens that the locals were in the midst of celebrating their annual Tulip Time Festival.

For lunch we stopped in at the Elephant Boy Cafe. The cafe has a quirky decor, filled with all sorts of odds and ends, and shelves lined with old books.

The food is (for the most part) really good. I opted for the Vegetable Lasagna was supremely tasty with it's fusion of Indian and Italian flavours - while it had a traditional bechemel sauce it was spiced with a lovely pancha masala.

My dad and sister tried the Fish Cakes (made from Salmon and Potato), which is a dish Elephant Boy is quite popular for. I, of course, could not resist and stole a bite from their plates and decided that they were indeed absolutely delicious.

Because I had trouble deciding what to order my mum decided to get the Sweet Potato Tart so that we could share and I could have both the lasagna and tart. It too was spiced with some uniquely Indian flavour and with the accompanying Mango Chutney was incredibly tasty.

After lunch we decided to go for a bit of a wander around the main street and check out all the stores we like to visit whenever we head to Bowral. Despite the fact that I'm in the middle of a mission to save money for a holiday I couldn't help myself and had to buy something. I opted for a little bar of Herbal Clothing Protector. I figured it was practical, protecting my clothes from potential moth infestations, and so it justified the spend.

Then my sister and I went into one of the many antique stores. There is simply so much character and history behind each piece, I love it!

While we were out on our little wander we noticed the street was beginning to fill up with locals, and it was then that we discovered that today was in fact the main day of the Tulip Festival, and because they were celebrating it's 50th year there was going to be a parade through town. The parade itself was pretty standard, showcasing the organisations and things that make the Southern Highlands unique.

Following the parade there was going to be wheelbarrow races and lantern parades but we decided it was time for a break from festival-watching and decided to grab some coffee and cake instead. We usually head to the Bowral Cafe and Patisserie, but having enjoyed our earlier meal at Elephant Boy we decided to head back there. Sadly, this second visit was a bit of a let down. We ordered our coffees, as well as a slice of Carrot Cake and a slice of Pear and Almond cake to share. When they arrived we were shocked to discover that there was in fact mould on the Pear and Almond cake. This put a major dampener on our afternoon.

Despite the mould debacle the coffees were in fact really good, living up to the claim on the door that they have "the best coffee in town". Predictably I ordered a Chai Latte, and not only was it perfectly made it came in a little bowl, which I thought was pretty neat - even if it did present a slight challenge when it came to drinking it.

All in all it was pretty great day :)

Good News!

I have just been informed of some wonderful news that has literally made my week.

It seems Starbucks Australia has FINALLY brought out Earl Grey Tea Lattes. I cannot describe how happy this makes me. I literally lived on the stuff during my time in NYC. Since returning to Sydney I've been settling for the Starbucks English Breakfast Tea Latte, which sadly just does not quite live up to the greatness of the Earl Grey one.

Here's hoping it tastes similar to those that I consumed during my time overseas. I'm not expecting it to be exactly the same because there simply is no comparison to sitting inside a Starbucks cafe (in one of the greatest cities in the world!), sipping an Earl Grey Tea Latte and watching the snow fall outside. Bliss.

Monday.

Today has been a fairly great day. It began with an exciting morning, which saw the arrival of our beautiful new fridge and oven (to replace our deceased fridge and currently dying oven).

Then I caught up with my lovely friend R (not to be confused with previously mentioned cousin R) and we hit up one of my regular haunts - the T2 Cafe. Today I had the Madagascan Vanilla tea. This is a delicious black tea blend that is flavoured (and scented) with a delicate hint of vanilla. In addition to their wonderful selection of teas, T2 seems to have expanded the range of food items offered in their cafe, and they now have a tasty Organic Pear and Raspberry Loaf (and for those with particular dietary requirements, it is also gluten free!).

The day was traveling well and after bidding farewell to R I tried my luck in tending to some University business at the Student Office. Big Mistake #1. The lines were unbelievably long and the staff really unhelpful (there is a major communication issue!).

After what seemed like an eternity I emerged from the Student Office, and another genius thought struck me. I decided to head to the bookstore and pick up my textbooks. Big Mistake #2. With all my books rounded up I was faced with a major dilemma, together they weigh several kilograms and with an umbrella in hand getting them to the car seemed near impossible.

Here is my stack of books (which have added fuel to my existent dislike for textbooks of all shapes and sizes).

I may have won the battle against the books this time, having successfully got them home, but now I'm faced with a far greater problem - getting them to and from classes. Wish me luck!

Chai Tea

I took a break from blogging over the weekend. My right arm and hand were out of action thanks to my pierced finger and the pain inducing tetanus shot. The good news is I can now kind of lift my arm up again without severe pangs of pain.

To make myself feel better while recovering I drank a lot of Chai Tea.

When made right I find this drink infinitely comforting (and tasty). I think back to the years when I refused to even try Chai and wonder how I survived. I might add that I've grown up in a culture where tea is not your average cup of black tea (for example, an English Breakfast or Earl Grey blend) but in fact one that is incredibly aromatic and infused with a rich spice-blend of sorts.

These days I'm particular about the balance between the spices, and especially hate it when the cinnamon is overpowering. Unfortunately, this was the case at the new cafe I tried at Sydney's 'Mid-City Centre'. I was baffled as to how the delicate Chai Tea blend available from T2 could be brewed (or rather massacred) to smell and taste so disgusting, but alas it was :(

After giving my throat what I deemed a sufficient break to recover from the burning sensation induced by that fateful cup of tea, I treated myself to one of my favourite versions of the Chai. The Max Brenner White Chocolate Chai. The chocolate in this wonderful concoction takes Chai tea to another level of greatness that I previously thought impossible.

Chocolate AND Chai. What more could you want?