There's something awfully satisfying about the "passionfruit picked from the vine" dessert at Lotus on Wulugul Walk, Sydney's happening Barangaroo food precinct. Maybe it's because it cleanses the palate after digging into dumplings and Asian dishes with a native Australian touch. Perhaps it's the aesthetically pleasing, shimmering sphere that arrives at the table, or the joy that comes from smashing it open to reveal smooth passionfruit ice-cream and a slightly salted vanilla marshmallow. Whatever it is, we're sold.
Just in case you'd run out of excuses to roast Donald Trump, you can now buy disposable Select by Trump coffee pods. They're available in five varieties on Amazon, each named after one of his real estate holdings (for example the Resort french vanilla, or perhaps the Skyscraper dark roast). The Amazon reviews alone are worth a read. selectbytrump.com
After spending the last couple of years on cocktail menus in New York (think Batard, Lafayette and even The Metropolitan Museum of Art), VDKA 6100 has landed in Oz. Vodka is usually made from fermented grains or grapes, but this triple-distilled newcomer is fermented in Reporoa, New Zealand, with fresh whey and hand-cultivated yeast. It's incredibly smooth – no trace of that mentholated burn – and lusciously coats the mouth in a similar way to milk. vdka6100.com
Also known as perilla, these pretty leaves found in Asian cooking can pimp just about any plate. The flavour is more pungent than bitter; some say it tastes a little like mint, basil and anise combined. Either way, it's unique. Shred it on salads, serve it with sashimi or tartare, fold it into rice paper rolls and serve it to cut through fatty meats, like pork. Available in fresh bunches from Asian grocers and markets.
Gin and tonic enthusiast? Stop buying sugary supermarket tonic and give sin-ko-nah tonic syrup in soda water a whirl. The recipe dates back to the 1820s and is infused with cinchona bark, a natural source of quinine (the stuff that gives tonic its particular, bitter flavour). Sin-ko-nah is also mixed with local citrus and juniper berries for extra zing. See sinkonah.com for Victorian stockists or buy online from tonicsyrup.com.
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