Sydney’s in for a major storm tonight. A short time ago I took this photo from the train while crossing Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Fiddlers at Kelly’s
’Pong and I are having dinner at Kelly’s on King, and voilá, there are musicians at our table. It almost makes up for the free Wi-Fi running out at 7pm and having to roll our our Internet connectivity via my phone (which also took the picture).
It’s worth eating at Kelly’s on King now
Yesterday’s experimental lunch at Kelly’s on King, the Irish theme pub at 285 King Street, Newtown, was a success.
Previously, Kelly’s got their food from Cafe C next door. Recent renovations added their own kitchen, so I figured it was worth a try.
“I’d better start thinking like a backpacker then,” snarked the Snarky Platypus. And yes, like most pretend-Irish pubs, late at night Kelly’s is full of loud, drunken arseholes. Avoid. But during the day it’s quiet, perfect for a cleansing ale and watching the world. A newspaper and conversation pub, if you like.
We had a perfectly adequate chicken penne (pictured) and a “Portuguese” chicken with rocket, sun-dried tomatoes and a few well-made potato wedges — the latter a not-too-fattening serving size. Great presentation.
The wine list is minimal — only four whites, for example. An Irish pub is about beer and whiskey. However with two decent sauvignon blancs that’s acceptable.
The Platypus and I have added Kelly’s on King to our regular rotation.
Sydney from the MLC Centre
One of the things I like about visiting my client in the MLC Centre — apart from them being nice people who pay their bills on time — is enjoying this magnificent view over the Sydney CBD and Hyde Park.
Unreliable Bangkok 5: Polite
One of the most important differences between Bangkok and Sydney is that Bangkok isn’t full of arseholes. I’ve already mentioned that Skytrain security staff are helpful. Unlike CityRail’s. But it goes way beyond that…
In virtually every bar in Bangkok, you don’t pay for your drinks up front. You sit, you order your drinks, they go on your tab, you consume, you enjoy the company of your friends. And when you’re ready to leave, then you get the bill. In virtually every Australian bar, though, you pay for your drinks in cash at the time of serving, thank you very much.
In other words, Australian pubs operate under the assumption that you’re the kind of arsehole who’d leave without paying.
Last-minute Christmas gift
If there’s still some last-minute Christmas gifts to sort out, my friends at Lazy Tulip might be able to help (if you’re in Sydney). Flowers, potted plants, chocolates, fruit baskets, wine, champagne and spirits and more, delivered on Christmas Eve or even on Christmas Day.