Detours. A French expat’s insider's guide to exclusive food, chocolate and travel experiences in Sydney, Australia.

Make them Green with Envy!

Hi peeps! As you know, Mytinerary is a proud partner of Sydney Design 2010. Two weeks jam-packed with fabulous design events, exhibitions, crafts markets, talks and tours: we're super excited!

I Ran the Wrong Way, in Surry Hills (images Alina Gozin'a)

So if you're looking for something fun and inspiring, join one of our signature 'Green with Envy' walking tours in Sydney’s most vibrant design precincts; and get inspired by innovative designers and store owners who follow sustainable principles. 

Discover irresistible homeware, ceramics, stationery, textiles, accessories and jewellery from Australia and overseas, all produced with impeccable green credentials.

Bird Textiles Emporium, Surry Hills (images Paul H. Kelly and Fran Flynn)

Retailers and artists responsible for this green wave of gorgeous design will discuss their passion for quality items and sustainable design, as well as giving you tips on green living. It’s much easier than you think! Appreciate the best items on offer – they’re exclusive, exquisite and eco-friendly.

The three-hour walking tour is limited to 10 per group, and bookings are essential.

Shelf / Life, Surry Hills

When: 10am-1pm, Tuesday to Saturday, from 31 July to 14 August 2010.

Where: Mostly around Surry Hills and Paddington (itineraries may vary from day to day; where required, transport will be provided at no extra cost)

How much: $119 per person (includes tour, morning coffee, gorgeous gift bag, map and a mini ‘Green with Envy’ Sydney guide)

To make a booking, visit our events page (or copy http://greenwithenvy-sydneydesign.eventbrite.com/ in your browser). You can also make a booking by phone (1300 951 138) or email ([email protected]). Our online payment options include include MasterCard, Visa and PayPal. Alternatively, we can also email you our bank details if you prefer to make an Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT). That's easy, just contact us at [email protected].

10 things you'll love about my Ultimate Sydney Chocolate Tour

Explore the world of “haut-chocolate” and join me on an exclusive luxury journey to discover Sydney’s hidden chocolate gems. 

Now let me warn you, my friend, this is not your usual tour, so be prepared for a gourmet experience like no other. Here are some of things that make the Mytinerary 'Ultimate Sydney Chocolate Tour' and 'Round-the-World Chocolate Tour' stand out:

1. Discover Sydney like you've never seen before, as we reveal some of Sydney's hidden gems and best kept secrets. Travel in style to some of our most iconic precincts - from The Rocks to Kirribilli and Darlinghurst - and soak in their vibrant village atmosphere.

2. Your private guide and passionate foodie - aka 'moi' - has the local knowledge and insider access to bring you an authentic, unforgettable cultural experience.

3. Treat yourself to a truly indulgent experience - and the only luxury gourmet experience of its kind in Sydney. We've taken the headache out of planning so sit back, relax, forget the hustle and bustle of everyday life and let the good times roll.

4. The Ultimate Sydney Chocolate Tour is not "just" about food... It's also an enriching cultural journey which takes you from Mexico to Sydney by way of Paris, Brussels, Edinburgh and even the Philippines. And we're talking music, art and business along the way!

5. Discover rare and exquisite flavours. Taste a sumptuous selection of artisan chocolate ganaches, truffles, pralines and macarons. Enjoy some of Sydney's creamiest, most decadent hot chocolates. 

6. Just to get you salivating, some of the edible gems you taste on the day include milk chocolate and passionfruit macarons, dark chocolates with Filipino lime, banana and salted caramel truffles, dark hot chocolate with rose and black pepper, milk chocolate bars with pinenuts and sea-salt caramel, single-origin dark chocolate from Madagascar and the Caribbeans, water ganache with Thai basil - and so much more. 

7. Interact with some of the most passionate, generous, creative and talented chocolate artisans you've ever met. 

8. Learn about the chocolate-making process and fascinating world of 'single origin' chocolates, the 'creme de la creme' of chocolates.

9. Get credits in your karma bank thanks to generous social initiatives, so you can feast on chocolate guilt-free!

10. Gorgeous gift certificates are available. So now's the best time to spoil yourself and your loved ones with a Christmas, birthday or anniversary gift idea that stands out. Just contact us on [email protected] to organise.

To make a booking on one of the next chocolate tours, call 1300 951 138 or visit our event page.

We're here to help so don't hesitate to contact us for more information. You can also see what others had to say about this tour (really yummy photos too!). 

So tell me, what would be your ultimate chocolate extravagance? What if I gave you Aladdin's magic lamp for a day, what kind of chocolate would you ask for?

Chocolate with good karma in Sydney, Darlinghurst

Welcome to Boon Chocolates, a boutique chocolate salon in the heart of Sydney's vibrant Darlinghurst - and one of my chocolate Holy Grails in town! 

Imagine a place where chocolates are genuine works of art.

A place where the ganaches, truffles and pralines compete with the finest from France and Belgium.

A place where East meets West on your tastebuds, celebrating the chocolatier's unique cultural background.

A place where you can chat contemporary art, jazz, opera and food science with the owner while flipping through rare art books and sipping out-of-this-world hot chocolate.

A place where eating good chocolate will also give you good karma points by helping fund micro-loans projects in the Philippines...

 

 

Now there's so much I could tell you about Boon and passionate owners Alex and Fanny Chan that I'll need to write a series of posts just on their chocolates! If you love chocolate, I strongly encourage you to join one of our Ultimate Chocolate Artisans Tours or 'Round-the-World' Chocolate tours, you won't be disappointed!

In the meantime, there's a specific part of their story I wanted to share with you, because I find these two generous souls particularly inspiring...

In addition to treating customers with delicious chocolates, Alex and Fanny are also giving back to the community by working with non-for-profit organisation Opportunity Australia International. Boon donates a percentage of their corporate sales to Opportunity's Trust Bank program in the Philippines (where they're originally from), providing women living in poverty with micro-loans to help them start a small business and work their way out of poverty.

 

 

 

 

"These small loans made available to entrepreneurial women in the Philippines are the best gift we can give back to the country who has given us so much," Alex and Fanny explain.

So tell me dear reader, if you had access to an unlimited stash of chocolate and could change the world one chocolate at a time, what would you do? To start with, I think I'd supply some of Boon's delicious chocolates to UN negotiation rooms - might help soften some of the die-hard negotiators involved in the world's trickiest conflicts!

Boon Chocolates:

251 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst NSW 2010.

Ph: 02 9356 8876. www.boonchocolates.com.au 

Frock Stars: inside Australia's Fashion Week

Fashion Week  - aka RAFW, or Rosemount Australian Fashion Week - is upon us, my friends!

Get into the mood by visiting "Frock Stars", a fabulous new exhibition at Sydney's PowerHouse Museum.

The exhibition takes you behind the scenes to Australian Fashion Week. Experience the shows, the set and the scene. Relax in the VIP lounge, watch footage from past and present collections, see some of the best outfits from the past 15 years, plus exclusive interviews with designers, models and industry insiders!

From backstage to front row, "Frock Stars" takes a look at the complex organisation behind the staging of this major event and the roles and experiences of selected people working inside Australian Fashion Week; from buyers, media and models to designers, volunteers and producers. Explore the creative process of putting together a collection, in a recreation of the studio of fashion designer Nicola Finetti.

A centrepiece in the exhibition is a catwalk showcasing fifteen key Australian Fashion Week outfits drawn from the first shows from 1996 to the present.

Now in its 15th year, Rosemount Australian Fashion Week is an annual presentation of spring/summer collection shows by established and emerging designers from Australia and the Asia-Pacific. The event is now recognised globally as the 5th stop on the international fashion week circuit alongside London, Paris, Milan and New York.

PowerHouse Museum, 500 Harris Street, Ultimo. www.powerhousemuseum.com

Free with Museum admission

$25 family, $10 adult, $6 concession, $5 child / student , free for Powerhouse members 

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Drawing Sydney from memory

Earlier this week I had the privilege of watching UK artist Stephen Wiltshire draw Sydney live at Customs House - wow, talk about amazing talent... It was just mesmerising to see him sitting there absorbed in the drawing, bringing our iconic Harbour to life, with a smile on his face and iPod in his ears. 

UK-based Stephen Wiltshire is an artist who draws and paints detailed cityscapes. He has a particular talent for drawing lifelike, accurate representations of cities from memory, sometimes after having only observed them briefly. His award-winning work is popular all over the world and is held in a number of important art collections.

Stephen's unique gift was discovered when, as a child, he was diagnosed as autistic. It soon become apparent that he communicated with the world through the language of drawing: first animals, then London buses, and finally buildings. So far, he has completed large-scale panoramic memory drawings of London, New York, Rome, Madrid, Dubai, Jerusalem, Frankfurst, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Sydney.

To support Stephen's awareness campaign and help raise funds for Autism Spectrum Australia, you can buy your own limited-edition print of his Sydney drawing (A3, A2 and A1 formats available, from $82). You'd also be doing your walls a big favour my friend!

For more info on Stephen's portfolio and how to purchase your own print, visit www.stephenwiltshire.co.uk/sydney.

 

New dates added - Mytinerary's deluxe chocolate tours in Sydney

You know what, there's no right or wrong time to enjoy chocolate, so even though Easter is actually behind us, we can still treat ourselves to good chocolate every now and then!! 

Following the launch of Mytinerary's artisan chocolate tours for the Easter long weekend, I've had requests for more tours so I've added more dates in June, July and August - what's not to love about a decadent hot chocolate in winter?!

Visit our event page to see our calendar and make bookings! Tours are available in French as well.

Bridget Cooks up a storm: introducing breakfast degustation

That's the beauty of Twitter and social media. You get to meet with amazing people. In real life I mean, I'm not talking about your virtual meetings, "chatroulette" and the likes.

The beautiful Bridget Davis AKA The Internet Chef

A little while ago, I got to meet the incredibly inspiring @iconic88 at one of the North Sydney Coffee Mornings. If you've never heard of @iconic88 AKA Internet's Chief Happiness Officer before, I urge you to follow him on Twitter this very minute, it's like having your own Dalai-Lama application on your computer; and if you have already heard of him, then join us tonight for a very special event in Sydney, as @iconic88 will finally reveal his true identity and tell us about his sources of inspiration and amazing life journey. 

Anyway, the day I met with @iconic88, I also met his partner in crime - and in life - the lovely @Bridget_cooks. Bridget Davis AKA The Internet Chef is an world-class chef from New Zealand, now based in Sydney. She was the head chef for Bill Granger in his famous Sydney institution Bill's, and has cooked alongside some of the best chefs in the world, including Australia's #1 chef Testuya Wakuda.

Once a month or so, @Bridget_cooks and @iconic88 invite a couple of their Twitter friends and opinion leaders and treat them to a fantastic morning of food and networking in the Electrolux Australia state-of-the-art induction kitchen in Mascot. 

Earlier this month I had the pleasure to be invited to one of these very special breakfasts along with other Twitter regulars @CarmR, @IggyPintado, @KerryPintado, @paulwallbank and SBS_food. And Oh My God, were we in for a treat... Bridget cooked up a storm and treated us to the most delicious six-course degustation breakfast!

On the menu? Organic scrambled eggs on toast, with caviar and avocado oil from New Zealand (one of Bridget's tips is to use a spoonful of creamed corn and sugar in your scrambled eggs).

Ocean trout confit with black truffle oil, fennel, capers and avocado tatin.

Shallow-fried goat cheese with honey, on crumpets

Introducing Mytinerary's deluxe chocolate tours in Sydney!

Hungry for off-the-beaten track foodie experiences to spice up your weekend? Chocoholics, rejoice! 

Join me on one of Mytinerary's brand-new chocolate tours, showcasing some of Sydney's most talented chocolate artisans. Just visit our events page to make a booking.

The half-day tours will include visits to four different chocolate hotspots, complimentary chocolate tastings, a meet & greet with the artisans and a light lunch (or late afternoon nibbles) with a glass of wine and chocolate treat.

As a Parisian born and bred, I’ve been addicted to (good) chocolate for as long as I can remember. The Carrie Bradshaw’s of the world love their Manolo’s, Louboutin’s and Jimmy Choo’s – I worship Pierre Hermé, Ladurée and Valrhona!

When I first arrived to Sydney almost four years ago, I was a bit concerned about the quality of chocolate I’d be finding here. Well. little did I expect what I found! There are some truly amazing chocolate artisans in Sydney and New South Wales, and I wanted to share with like-minded foodies some of the city’s lesser-known chocolate secrets - hence these exciting chocolate tours.

The small-group tours will give participants a unique insight into each artisan’s philosophy, product range and diverse culinary background. Watch out for Sydney's new generation of chocolatier extraordinaires!

To make a booking, just visit our event page.

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Price: $199 per person for ½ day tour including morning coffee, chocolate tastings, meet & greet with the chocolatiers, transportation and light lunch (or late afternoon nibbles) with a glass of wine and chocolate treat. All tours depart from and finish at a central Sydney CBD location.

Dates and times: Thursday 1 April (10am-2pm), Friday 2 April (2pm-6pm), Saturday 3 April (10am-2pm), Saturday 10 April (9:30am-1:30pm), Saturday 10 April (2:30pm to 6:30pm), Saturday 8 May (10am-2pm), Saturday 15 May (10am-2pm), Saturday 3 July (10am-2pm), Saturday 10 July (10am-2pm), Saturday 17 July (10am-2pm), Saturday 24 July (10am-2pm).

Special offer: book for 2 and receive a complimentary box of gourmet chocolates handmade by one of Sydney’s most revered chocolatiers.

Booking essential (limited numbers). Call 1300 951 138 or email [email protected] for more information.

Looking forward to having you on the tours and chatting ganache, single origin and praline!!

Pop-up dinner: 'Edible Immigration Tales' in Sydney

They had me at "edible". When I read that email about a series of pop-up dinners exploring the culinary history of immigration to Australia, I knew I had to go. Well, if I managed to secure a seat, that is. A couple of days of anxious waiting later, here I am in a private apartment in Sydney's Eastern suburbs, mingling with eleven other like-minded (lucky) foodies. 

As I'm sipping the excellent rum cocktail I was offered on arrival (rum was the drink of choice for the first settlers and was even used as a currency in the early days of the colony), British food & design duo Rachel Khoo and Francesca Unsworth tell us about the concept behind tonight's menu.  

"We wanted to explore the influence of the various waves of immigrants that have shaped Australia's culinary landscape, from the early days of the penal colony to the gold rush and arrival of the first Asian immigrants," Rachel explains.

The lovely Rachel tells us about tonight's menu. Each guest is asked to read out loud a little note explaining the why's and how's of each dish.

Rum cocktail | Sneak peek into the kitchen

The six-course dinner starts with a bush-tucker inspired mise-en-bouche, followed by a lovely kingfish carpaccio served in a seashell (fish was a staple item in the Aboriginal and early settler's diets). Then we're served Malaysian squid satay and the most exquisite cups of tea, with hand-made tea bags containing an aromatic mix of herbs and spices, and a skewer of marinated crocodile (the dish is as tasty as it is beautiful - very Alice in Wonderland-ish). 

The last savoury dishes include a bushbride's ration pudding with Granny Smith pickle and a hand-made pie with caramelised mushroom puree to die for. 

Hand-made savoury infusion with crocodile skewer | Lemon and lager frozen cocktail

 

Day 1 of my new life

Wow - so this is it! Today is actually the very first day of my new life. Feel like a born-again Christian saying this, well, except I'm a born-again entrepreneur instead. 

After 10 years working in the PR industry for pretty big companies, I've finally decided to make the big jump. As of today, I'm officially my own boss as I start working full-time on my boutique walking tours & personalised itineraries business, Mytinerary. 

The pressure's on, talk about a pretty scary new year's resolution!

I have to say, I kind of freaked out before Christmas when it dawned on me that I was getting my last paycheck - and entering the realm of "Oh-my-God-how-will-I-manage-to-pay-the-rent-next-month-and-afford-this-oh-so-cute-Marc-Jacobs-dress?" BUT. I'm also super excited. I'm really passionate about this new adventure and can't wait to get started. 

I can't wait to share with you what I love most about Sydney, my adopted hometown. Its inspiring people, vibrant food & wine scene, gazillion beaches, 600+ suburbs and super talented creative community.

Come and join me on a walk across town... and wish me luck - or "Merde", as we say in French!!