TASTE after TASTE

TASTE after TASTE A taste of our life, after our life at Taste. We hope you’ll keep coming back for more.

HELLO POSSUMS!The mention of Dame Edna in last weeks “lamington” post, brought on a story & a photo worth sharing. Gary ...
19/07/2026

HELLO POSSUMS!

The mention of Dame Edna in last weeks “lamington” post, brought on a story & a photo worth sharing.

Gary has had the great pleasure of working alongside Nina at the Cashmere Lounge. They made an immediate connection. Through humour. A slightly wicked & naughty sense of humour!

This is hardly surprising, as Nina is the daughter of the extremely talented Jacob Rajan, of Indian Ink Theatre Company fame. A sense of humour runs in this family.

Being of a much younger generation than Gary, Nina had never heard of one of the famous Australian comedy stars from his generation, Dame Edna Everage. He was delighted to introduce Nina to her via YouTube.

Nina enjoyed the slightly wicked, naughty & rather risqué banter that Dame Edna was famous for - & probably wouldn’t get away with today! He knew she would.

On Gary’s birthday earlier this year, birthday wishes along with this photo from Nina arrived. He’d shared it with her when it was taken last Christmas. A photo of us both with family & friends, at the Four Seasons Resort in Koh Samui. Only this one from Nina included a surprise guest! You don’t have to look too closely to spot who.

Yes. We did have a lunchtime drink that day, but we certainly don’t remember meeting this “multi-media-megastar”, let alone posing with her for a photo!! We’d certainly have remembered that.

Here’s to the tech savvy younger generation & their online wizardry. And their sense of humour. And no, we don’t see any family resemblance!

This photo will always bring a smile to our dial. Thanks Nina Rajan.

Gary & David. 👬🧡

LAMINGTONS. Who said lamingtons had to be chocolate or raspberry?! And did they originate in New Zealand or Australia?!T...
12/07/2026

LAMINGTONS.

Who said lamingtons had to be chocolate or raspberry?! And did they originate in New Zealand or Australia?!

These ones are most definitely Australian. The perfectly darling wee bite sized beauties formed part of the afternoon tea selection at our Sydney hotel lounge.

Lemon, raspberry, mango or lime. It was a difficult choice. What could one do but try one of each. They were bite sized after all!

These “jewel” toned little delights were all delicious. Just as lovely as they looked. And a colourful change from the usual.

Just as colourful as the famous Australian “multi-media-megastar”, Dame Edna Everage. It’s widely known that lamingtons were a favourite of hers. She claimed they were an Australian creation. She served them often to guests at her Moonee Ponds mansion.

Her glamorous image even featured on the packaging for a lamington flavoured Australian frozen ice cream treat, known as a “Glamington”.

We wonder which colour lamington she would have chosen from this selection, although she would probably have preferred a lavender coloured one, to match the natural colour of her hair!

Gary & David. 👬🧡

COFFEE BREAK. We enjoyed a coffee break last week at the glamorous new Grill Americano in Sydney. David has had hundreds...
05/07/2026

COFFEE BREAK.

We enjoyed a coffee break last week at the glamorous new Grill Americano in Sydney.

David has had hundreds of coffee breaks here before. In a previous life. When he worked for Qantas.

Grill Americano occupies the building that was the Qantas Sydney head office - back in the day. It’s somewhere that he visited often on training courses.

Nowadays, the long curved, banana shaped space - or perhaps that’s boomerang shaped! - has had a heap of money thrown at it, to turn it into a stunning “big city” restaurant with plenty of wow factor.

Black gloss wall paneling & ceilings, polished black & white terrazzo floors, navy leather & velvet upholstered banquettes, silver studded navy leather chairs, navy velvet drapes, white linen “cafe” curtains, dark wooden tables set with white linen napkins, shiny silver cutlery & sparkling glassware, white monogrammed china, silver drinks trays, water jugs & ice buckets, classic silver wall sconces with navy shades, a curving row of huge circular modern chandeliers, a long curving illuminated white marble bar with navy leather stools, “to die for” waiters service bureaus, massive statement florals & what seemed like hundreds of staff, all smartly dressed in white jackets.

There were hundreds of professionals there too, enjoying a flash business lunch. No doubt the food was as stunning as the surroundings. We couldn’t comment. It was a bit early for us to eat. We were in holiday mode & just there for a coffee break. And to take it all in!

A wee trip down memory lane. David enjoyed seeing his “old office” & was pleased to report the coffee was a little better than the “instant” from his coffee breaks - back in the day!

Gary & David. 👬🧡

IT’S GOOD TO BE BACK. Ahhh. Hello Sydney. It’s good to be back in one of our favourite cities. It’s also good to be back...
28/06/2026

IT’S GOOD TO BE BACK.

Ahhh. Hello Sydney. It’s good to be back in one of our favourite cities.

It’s also good to be back at one of our favourite Hotels. The Four Seasons Sydney.

There’s nothing brash & flashy here. No. It’s not stark, quirky, hip or groovy. A bit like us!! But it is sedate, gracious, stylish & welcoming. Understated, low key luxury. We’re far more comfortable with that.

Tasteful (if small) rooms. Magnificent Executive Club. Great location. Spectacular harbour & city views. Fantastic service. A perfect base for a few days of “R&R”.

Even though it’s been a while, they still recognise our previous brand loyalty by way of an upgrade to a full harbour view room. After a tiny bit of persuasion! Sydney Harbour Bridge to Sydney Opera House. How good is that?!

There’s a lot to be said for the “familiar”. Feeling pampered & relaxed already. Ahhh!

Gary & David. 👬🧡

PS. Photo borrowed.

MAC-CAULI CHEESE. Macaroni cheese. Cauliflower cheese. Both are family favourites in most households. How about combinin...
21/06/2026

MAC-CAULI CHEESE.

Macaroni cheese. Cauliflower cheese. Both are family favourites in most households.

How about combining the two into one dish? Why not! Best of both worlds.

Make your usual macaroni cheese dish, ensuring there’s plenty of sauce. Add to this some blanched cauliflower florets. Put into a large ovenproof dish.

In a separate bowl, toss some coarse breadcrumbs with some oil or melted butter, extra grated cheese & fresh herbs. We used chives & thyme from the garden.

Sprinkle this evenly over the cheesy mixture. The large dish will ensure there’s plenty of the crispy topping once baked. That textural contrast of smooth cheese sauce & crisp crumbs really makes this dish special.

This can be served as a side dish with a meal, or enjoyed as we did, as a light Sunday night tea with a simple salad on the side.

Mac-cauli cheese. The family will love it. Plus the kids won’t even know there’s vegetables hidden in it.

Gary & David. 👬🧡
PS. Stay tuned. Next week we’ll come to you live from Sydney!

A SHOUT OUT TO BRUSSELS SPROUTS. It’s that time of the year. How about some Brussels Sprouts?!Wait. Don’t run away. If y...
14/06/2026

A SHOUT OUT TO BRUSSELS SPROUTS.

It’s that time of the year. How about some Brussels Sprouts?!

Wait. Don’t run away. If you cook them the way we do, all memories of those bitter, khaki vegetables from your childhood will be erased.

Instead of cooking them “to death” whole, we separate the leaves. This means they cook much quicker, resulting in a much brighter colour & livelier flavour.

Cut each sprout in half “lengthwise’ through the stem. Then make a “v” cut to remove the hard core & “pluck” the leaves. It takes a bit of time, but the result is worth it.

In a pot, put a generous k**b of butter & a splash of water. Add the separated leaves & put on a tight fitting lid.

Put on the element & let the leaves “butter-steam”. It only takes a few minutes to soften the leaves. They will still be a lovely bright green, just like in the photo. Toss with sea salt & black pepper. Ready to serve.

This results in a completely different vegetable to what you might have been used to & may mean you become a Brussels Sprouts convert.

That’s our shout out to Brussels Sprouts. How about you give them a try. Over & out.

Gary & David. 👬🧡

PS. This cooking method works equally well with thinly sliced cabbage too.

ONE DOWN, ONE TO GO. Last night, between serving diners at the Cashmere Lounge, we witnessed the remarkable removal of o...
11/06/2026

ONE DOWN, ONE TO GO.

Last night, between serving diners at the Cashmere Lounge, we witnessed the remarkable removal of one of the carriages from the weekend train accident.

What an amazing operation!

This will all be repeated again tonight, with the remaining carriage being removed.

Gary & David. 👬🧡

A ROAST WITHOUT ROASTIES. When you think of a roast, you automatically think of both roast meat & roast vegetables. But ...
07/06/2026

A ROAST WITHOUT ROASTIES.

When you think of a roast, you automatically think of both roast meat & roast vegetables.

But that needn’t be the case. A roast without roasties is still a roast.

We had exactly that recently. We roasted a plain chicken. We don’t like those flavoured ones. They taste so fake. Once cooked, we let it rest while making a chicken gravy. Vital. A roast without gravy isn’t a roast.

We boiled some potatoes & made a smooth, buttery mash. Nothing is nicer than mash & gravy. Colonel Sanders was onto something there!

Then we made a salad to serve separately on a side plate. Salad & gravy isn’t such a good combo! Baby cos, grapes, persimmon, parmesan, chives & a honey mustard dressing.

A roast without roasties. It’s still the most delicious roast dinner.

Gary & David. 👬🧡

EMERGENCY 🚨 Our diners at the CASHMERE LOUNGE got more than they were expecting last night. A serious train derailment j...
07/06/2026

EMERGENCY 🚨

Our diners at the CASHMERE LOUNGE got more than they were expecting last night.

A serious train derailment just on the city side of the Khandallah Station brought every emergency vehicle to Cashmere Ave.

The restaurant full of people, had front row seats to the emergency responders doing what they do so well. Quite a distressing scene to witness!

Our job was to keep the customers calm, safe, warm & informed, providing food & drinks while they waited for the road to reopen so they could get home. The show must go on!

Our thoughts are with all those affected by such a rare & serious incident right here in our neighbourhood.

Gary & David. 🚒🚨🚑🚨

KING’S BIRTHDAY. It’s official. Today’s the day we celebrate the King’s Birthday. What better excuse is there to have a ...
31/05/2026

KING’S BIRTHDAY.

It’s official. Today’s the day we celebrate the King’s Birthday.

What better excuse is there to have a day off work & eat cake?!

Just put a candle in it, make a wish & have a right royal Monday.

Gary & David. 👬🧡

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Khandallah
Wellington
6035

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