so this past weekend i ventured out for the 1st of what i hope turns into a once every couple of weeks activity of picking a dining 'hot spot' from the sydeney morning herald's good living section to go out and see another side of this inspiring city.
this week after little debate vietnamese came up, and we decided upon red lantern in the trendy but still hip restaurant mecca that is surry hills.
so lets dig in.
red lantern's atmosphere is awesome. oddly enough the whole exterior covered patio (where biff and i sat) was candle lit highlighted by, you guessed it red lanterns. we were hungry and had already spent the better part of an hour an half at his place catching up so formalities were at a minimum and the desire for viet beers were at a premium. what we ended up with was the crisp and malty flavors of 333 a beer hailing from saigon. tasty stuff and its bite helped to accent a lot of the acidic and spicy flavors that would ensue.
for entree (note: over here they call appetizers entrees and what we amercans would call entrees they call mains. maybe i should start a column on 'how to really speak australian: a professional students quest to learn a familiar but still foreign language', alas that will have to wait) we ordered:
goi con little rice paper rolls stuffed with yamba prawns, pork, vermicelli, chives, perilla leaves, with a hoison sauce along side bo tai chanh which is leamon cured sirloin (raw meat cooked in the acid of lemon juice to make it tender as) served with a pile of bean shoots, saw leaf, basil, rice paddy herb, peanuts, and a fish sauce and chili sauce/dressing to go along with.
for mains we got the special kid goat hot pot which simply was tenderly roast goat served in a delicious broth studded with like 3 different types of asian mushrooms (i would try and say i knew them, but i had a couple 333 beers and lets face it i would be bullshitting), cabbage, and served with fresh lemon juice and white pepper to add a metallic and acidic flavor which worked - eat more goat. for our second main course we settled on the thit heo mam ruoc which was a very clean and simple dish of braised pork neck, shrimp paste, lemongrass, and chili. man oh man i could come close to eating a couple of kilos (2.2 lbs per kilo) worth of this. it was tender as could be since it was braised perfectly and i was very surprised to find that the powerful flavor of the shrimp paste only helped accent and really highlight the beautiful flavor of the undesirable cut of pork.
the experience was awesome. it inspired me to eat more in sydney. it helped solidify my obsession/addiction with all foods asian. and more importantly it offered me an awesome time to catch up with a good friend, share some food, and talk about life together.
where to next ...
4/13/2008
monday's mandatory music (pt 2)
well its official, i have a reoccurring blog column. i love it. it forces me to stick to my guns and to hit you all over the head with some very very good music.
so in reality you should of spent all of last week listening to my morning jacket's album 'Z' and scratching yourself furiously through out the weekend mumbling to yourself, 'whats steve going to write about on monday?!?!'
if thats not the case then you should go see a professional for some help, there might be something wrong with you.
so if you live in reality here you go. this weeks MonManMu column features an album and a band for that matter that has helped formed the way our generation perceives rock and roll. today i want to talk to you about pearl jam and their 1998 platinum release, 'live on two legs'.
'live on two legs' was recorded during pearl jam's 2008 summer tour and acts as the quintessential album that provides an intimate insight into the inner workings of an energy efficient live performance by this ground shaking rock band. in other words there is pearl jam and then there is live pearl jam, and thanks to 'live on two legs' we all get to experience live pearl jam for 15 bucks.
the opening seconds of the album begin with the roar of the crowd synchronized with the opening cords of 'corduroy' which is simply a welcoming vocal warm up for eddie vedder who continues to passionately serenade the listener through rocking versions of 'given to fly' and 'hail hail'.
following the vedder heavy emotional opening the band enters into an eerie version of the single, 'daughter' off of their album 'vs.' complete with a haunting lyrical allusion to neil young's 'rocking in the free world' towards the end of the track. almost perfectly fitting comes the duo of the tranquil and loved filled 'untitled' flowing into (represented in the jam world by a simple ->) the fist pumping fury and anguish that fills 'many fast cars'.
with the album having gain a tremendous amount of steam at this point, the band reveals its roots in the ripped jeans, flannel pattern shirts, and long hair head banging of the grundge rock movement with 'go', 'red mosquito', and my personal favorite off of their album 'ten'; 'even flow'.
then the climax of the album takes place in 4 out of the 5 next tracks.
it is almost like eddie vedder and the rest of the band invite the listener to crawl in, curl up, and get comfortably warmed in their musical blanket (personal note: these 4 tracks have actually gotten me through some difficult times - yeah a.) i am that sappy and b.) these songs are that good).
the set kicks off with 'off he goes' a tune about separation, lost friendships, longing, and connection. the vivid pictures painted in 'off he goes' are followed by the introspective track called 'nothingman'. the pain and heartache in this tune is made so clear through the vulnerability of vedder's voice. filling out the monumental set is the song who vedder has openly dedicated to, "the asshole who married my mother": 'better man'.
the set is completed however with the powerfully emotional track, 'black' (link to the lyrics ... read them) where eddie vedder lets his heart hang out there for everyone to see - showing how the combination of raw grundge, passion, and emotion coupled with the heavy guitar rifts and rock and roll drumming at its finest make pearl jam a definitive band and 'live on two legs' a mandatory cd.
Untitled
i got a car, i've got some gas
oh let's get out of here
get out of here fast
everyone's confused
so i stay in my room
if i go i dont want
to go alone
i hope you get this message
or you're not home
i could be there in
10 minutes or so
i got my things
we make it up as we go along
with you i could never be alone
never be alone
MFC
sliding... out of reverse into drive, this
wheel will be turning right, then straight
off in the sunset she'll ride
she can... remember a time denied, stood by
side of the road, spilled like wine, now
she's out on her own and line high
there's no leaving here
ask, I'm an ear
she's disappeared
they said... timing was everything, made him
want to be everywhere, there's a
lot to be said for nowhere
there's no leaving here
ask, I'm an ear
we've disappeared
there's no leaving here
ask, I'm an ear
fuck it, we'll disappear
so in reality you should of spent all of last week listening to my morning jacket's album 'Z' and scratching yourself furiously through out the weekend mumbling to yourself, 'whats steve going to write about on monday?!?!'
if thats not the case then you should go see a professional for some help, there might be something wrong with you.
so if you live in reality here you go. this weeks MonManMu column features an album and a band for that matter that has helped formed the way our generation perceives rock and roll. today i want to talk to you about pearl jam and their 1998 platinum release, 'live on two legs'.
'live on two legs' was recorded during pearl jam's 2008 summer tour and acts as the quintessential album that provides an intimate insight into the inner workings of an energy efficient live performance by this ground shaking rock band. in other words there is pearl jam and then there is live pearl jam, and thanks to 'live on two legs' we all get to experience live pearl jam for 15 bucks.
the opening seconds of the album begin with the roar of the crowd synchronized with the opening cords of 'corduroy' which is simply a welcoming vocal warm up for eddie vedder who continues to passionately serenade the listener through rocking versions of 'given to fly' and 'hail hail'.
following the vedder heavy emotional opening the band enters into an eerie version of the single, 'daughter' off of their album 'vs.' complete with a haunting lyrical allusion to neil young's 'rocking in the free world' towards the end of the track. almost perfectly fitting comes the duo of the tranquil and loved filled 'untitled' flowing into (represented in the jam world by a simple ->) the fist pumping fury and anguish that fills 'many fast cars'.
with the album having gain a tremendous amount of steam at this point, the band reveals its roots in the ripped jeans, flannel pattern shirts, and long hair head banging of the grundge rock movement with 'go', 'red mosquito', and my personal favorite off of their album 'ten'; 'even flow'.
then the climax of the album takes place in 4 out of the 5 next tracks.
it is almost like eddie vedder and the rest of the band invite the listener to crawl in, curl up, and get comfortably warmed in their musical blanket (personal note: these 4 tracks have actually gotten me through some difficult times - yeah a.) i am that sappy and b.) these songs are that good). the set kicks off with 'off he goes' a tune about separation, lost friendships, longing, and connection. the vivid pictures painted in 'off he goes' are followed by the introspective track called 'nothingman'. the pain and heartache in this tune is made so clear through the vulnerability of vedder's voice. filling out the monumental set is the song who vedder has openly dedicated to, "the asshole who married my mother": 'better man'.
the set is completed however with the powerfully emotional track, 'black' (link to the lyrics ... read them) where eddie vedder lets his heart hang out there for everyone to see - showing how the combination of raw grundge, passion, and emotion coupled with the heavy guitar rifts and rock and roll drumming at its finest make pearl jam a definitive band and 'live on two legs' a mandatory cd.
Untitled
i got a car, i've got some gas
oh let's get out of here
get out of here fast
everyone's confused
so i stay in my room
if i go i dont want
to go alone
i hope you get this message
or you're not home
i could be there in
10 minutes or so
i got my things
we make it up as we go along
with you i could never be alone
never be alone
MFC
sliding... out of reverse into drive, this
wheel will be turning right, then straight
off in the sunset she'll ride
she can... remember a time denied, stood by
side of the road, spilled like wine, now
she's out on her own and line high
there's no leaving here
ask, I'm an ear
she's disappeared
they said... timing was everything, made him
want to be everywhere, there's a
lot to be said for nowhere
there's no leaving here
ask, I'm an ear
we've disappeared
there's no leaving here
ask, I'm an ear
fuck it, we'll disappear
4/12/2008
im thankful ...
... that its still football season.
and im in no way referring to the 'off season' with the upcoming draft or free agency acquisitions in th nfl, i am talking about the other passion of mine behind the redskins, none other than the sydney swans.
the swans are the local aussie rules football (afl) football team that has won my heart over ever since their breathtaking 1 point loss in the 2006 grand final.
the 'swannies' as i have affectionately dubbed them have started a strong 3-1 this season, domintating the much hated west coast eagles last night, but its not goal kicking highlights, amazing footwork, or meter high jumps that i want to steer you towards. rather i want to show you a video from last nights game that really shows you the 'grit', the 'true blue aussie', and the sheer 'badassness' of aussie rules football.
ladies and gentlemen: i give you mr barry hall (henschke, hamilton, and jb this is for you guys)
and im in no way referring to the 'off season' with the upcoming draft or free agency acquisitions in th nfl, i am talking about the other passion of mine behind the redskins, none other than the sydney swans.
the swans are the local aussie rules football (afl) football team that has won my heart over ever since their breathtaking 1 point loss in the 2006 grand final.
the 'swannies' as i have affectionately dubbed them have started a strong 3-1 this season, domintating the much hated west coast eagles last night, but its not goal kicking highlights, amazing footwork, or meter high jumps that i want to steer you towards. rather i want to show you a video from last nights game that really shows you the 'grit', the 'true blue aussie', and the sheer 'badassness' of aussie rules football.
ladies and gentlemen: i give you mr barry hall (henschke, hamilton, and jb this is for you guys)
4/11/2008
a job???
to help support my caffeine habit and to detract from my self imposed vision of being a worthless professional student who protests against the protesters, wears sweater vests, and tries to woo you co-eds - actually its more like scare them away ;) - i have joined the working world. i have obtained a 'casual' job (how to speak australian: casual job = part time job) . i am the new 'food prep man' at the local coffee shop.
so if you are in the area an looking for some toasted banana bread, a thai beef salad wrap, or a quiche loraine ... i got your hook up.
so if you are in the area an looking for some toasted banana bread, a thai beef salad wrap, or a quiche loraine ... i got your hook up.
4/06/2008
monday's mandatory music
so i think what i'm going to do for all of you (well more for me, because i love thinking about music, searching through hundreds of youtube videos, and reading album reviews)is start a monday column where i give a little blurb on an album that i think is essential in my music collection and therefore should be essential for yours. yeah i think that highly of myself ;)
so to kick it off i want to present to all of you My Morning Jacket's 2005 smash hit entitled 'Z'.
'Z' was the 1st 'MMJ' cd that i bought back in early 2006. 2006 was a phenomenal musical year for me. it was my coming of age year. the groovy sounds of jam bands had become my staple and had developed into an almost exhausted resource. around the same time that i purchased 'Z', i purchased another album that helped in my personal music evolution (i wont give away the title or the band since it too will probably make the MonManMu column) and together these albums lifted off my proverbial jam band blinders and revealed the seemingly endless musical horizon a head of me.
there is a hypnotic element to the sounds of My Morning Jacket. this element shines through immediately in the opening track, 'wordless chorus'. its here that you are introduced to the band and their unique innovative style of rock and roll (call it what you'd like - to me its bread and butter rock n roll). the album continues and you start understanding the reggae influences the track 'off the record'. its a hybrid blend of beats and guitar that only they can pull off. for the harder rockers out there i would point you to 'anytime' and 'what a wonderful man' where the band presents the listener with a beauty infused edgey guitar heavy style.
but the one truly unique element of 'Z', and MMJ for that matter,
that permeates through out the entire record is the voice of the bands front man, Jim James. his vocal range is unbelievable from a haunting growl to a the airy loftiness of a high pitched harmony, this man has got it all. dont believe me? give 'into the woods' or 'gideon' (youtube video below) a listen and then disagree. if that is not enough for you then i would recommend the bob dylan cover, 'going to acapulco', from the movie I'm Not There.
regardless if you run out and buy 'Z', or download it immediately, or not - that doesnt matter. the important thing is that you listen to new music. constantly.
this is an amazing clip from the Letterman show featuring MMJ and the Boston Symphony!
Gideon. What Have You Told Us At All?
Make A Sound, Come Down Off The Wall.
Religion - Should Appeal To The Hearts Of The Young.
Who Are You? What Have You Become?
You Animal. Come On.
What Does This Remind You Of?
Truly. Truly We Have Become.
Hated And Feared For Something We Don't Want.
Listen. Listen. Most Of Us Believe That This Is Wrong.
You Animal. Come On. What Does This Remind You Of?
What Does This Remind You Of?
Animal. Come On.
so to kick it off i want to present to all of you My Morning Jacket's 2005 smash hit entitled 'Z'.
'Z' was the 1st 'MMJ' cd that i bought back in early 2006. 2006 was a phenomenal musical year for me. it was my coming of age year. the groovy sounds of jam bands had become my staple and had developed into an almost exhausted resource. around the same time that i purchased 'Z', i purchased another album that helped in my personal music evolution (i wont give away the title or the band since it too will probably make the MonManMu column) and together these albums lifted off my proverbial jam band blinders and revealed the seemingly endless musical horizon a head of me.
there is a hypnotic element to the sounds of My Morning Jacket. this element shines through immediately in the opening track, 'wordless chorus'. its here that you are introduced to the band and their unique innovative style of rock and roll (call it what you'd like - to me its bread and butter rock n roll). the album continues and you start understanding the reggae influences the track 'off the record'. its a hybrid blend of beats and guitar that only they can pull off. for the harder rockers out there i would point you to 'anytime' and 'what a wonderful man' where the band presents the listener with a beauty infused edgey guitar heavy style.
but the one truly unique element of 'Z', and MMJ for that matter,
that permeates through out the entire record is the voice of the bands front man, Jim James. his vocal range is unbelievable from a haunting growl to a the airy loftiness of a high pitched harmony, this man has got it all. dont believe me? give 'into the woods' or 'gideon' (youtube video below) a listen and then disagree. if that is not enough for you then i would recommend the bob dylan cover, 'going to acapulco', from the movie I'm Not There.regardless if you run out and buy 'Z', or download it immediately, or not - that doesnt matter. the important thing is that you listen to new music. constantly.
this is an amazing clip from the Letterman show featuring MMJ and the Boston Symphony!
Gideon. What Have You Told Us At All?
Make A Sound, Come Down Off The Wall.
Religion - Should Appeal To The Hearts Of The Young.
Who Are You? What Have You Become?
You Animal. Come On.
What Does This Remind You Of?
Truly. Truly We Have Become.
Hated And Feared For Something We Don't Want.
Listen. Listen. Most Of Us Believe That This Is Wrong.
You Animal. Come On. What Does This Remind You Of?
What Does This Remind You Of?
Animal. Come On.
4/05/2008
mlk
started marshall frady's 'mlk:a life' earlier in the week. im really into it. not my 1st mlk bio, but its a fascinating view into the life of a truly amazing man. a man who was human like you and me. a man who had issues with his father, a man who was emotional as a kid, and a man who had serious prejudices. this man however decided to tackle his inner turmoil. to tap into a super natural love in order to rise above what others had accepted and to instill integrity in other humans. 100% an exceptional american
4/03/2008
the good times are killing me ...
here we go*:
last night was the culmination of my fall music bender here in sydney and the setting could not of been scripted any better. i had to run through campus after my international security class to meet up with 'glush' (note: this is glush's 1st blog appearance, but he will be a reoccurring character on here so get to know him). i was weaving through packs of students trying to hand me communist newspapers, get me to protest, or take a pamphlet on how america has ruined the world. i was on cloud 9 after getting my 1st project back in class and receiving my 1st 'd' - d for distinction baby - so i burst through the packs of socialist yelling, 'out of my way hippies!'
made record time getting across campus, meeting 'glush', hopping in a cab, and jetting across town
all the while speeding to modest mouse at luna park. now you could not of picked a more bizzare place to have a concert, but it seemed fitting that a trend setter and genre shattering band like modest mouse would perform under a ferris wheel behind harbor bridge amongst a carousel, funny mirrors, and clown paintings everywhere.
now i am not a huge modest mouse fan by any means at all. i wouldnt say that they ever have cracked my top 10 favorite bands list, but i have had good news for people who love bad news and we were dead before the ship even sank on 'ivan' the ipod for a while and i have always been surrounded by much more serious modest mouse fans through out college and even pretty recently, all of whom had legit music tastes, so i knew i was in for an awesome time!
i didnt know it was going to be as much fun as it was. wouldnt be able to do it justice being a novice compared to all
the 'mouseheads' that were there last night, but i am going to give it a crack anyway.
it was a very 'we were dead' heavy show which made it possible for me to get down with the get down. the band came out firing and they welcomed sydney with an epic version of 'dashboard' that made me think i was on the phone for a second but in reality got the whole place straight up dancing. the place got grooving during a funky version of 'we got everything'. and as a side note - when the band says they've got everything down to a science they mean it! there were more instrument changes, more musical shifts, and more energy passed between members then i have ever witnessed. then something interesting happened when the band played 'fire it up' - i felt like and it smelled like i was back in greensboro, nc and it was 2003 and it phish's welcome back tour closer. i have never seen so many aussies 'fire it up' like that before. hillarious. the flow of the concert kept going and was perfect down to a science. further highlights were the crowd sing-a-long during 'float on' and a personal favorite of mine, 'the good times are killing me'
then came the encore. i went into the show looking to hear just one song and they didnt play it during the show, so i was hanging on for 'spitting venom' as an encore only to be disappointed at the 1st 2 encores but then almost hit the roof when that 1st note of 'spitting venom' dropped. i would suggest this song for anyone looking to get into the band or to see what modest mouse is all about. its a band in 8 minutes and 29 seconds. i was smiling, headbanging, jumping, sweating, high fiving everyone around me ... and i was tame by the crowd standards!
'spitting venom' was the prefect finish to a most extra-un-ordinary concert experience, and the perfect end to the 3 best concert weeks of my life.
its over. game over!
*my 1st attempt at a follow up piece to my '2/3rds of the way there' story from last week.
last night was the culmination of my fall music bender here in sydney and the setting could not of been scripted any better. i had to run through campus after my international security class to meet up with 'glush' (note: this is glush's 1st blog appearance, but he will be a reoccurring character on here so get to know him). i was weaving through packs of students trying to hand me communist newspapers, get me to protest, or take a pamphlet on how america has ruined the world. i was on cloud 9 after getting my 1st project back in class and receiving my 1st 'd' - d for distinction baby - so i burst through the packs of socialist yelling, 'out of my way hippies!'
made record time getting across campus, meeting 'glush', hopping in a cab, and jetting across town
all the while speeding to modest mouse at luna park. now you could not of picked a more bizzare place to have a concert, but it seemed fitting that a trend setter and genre shattering band like modest mouse would perform under a ferris wheel behind harbor bridge amongst a carousel, funny mirrors, and clown paintings everywhere. now i am not a huge modest mouse fan by any means at all. i wouldnt say that they ever have cracked my top 10 favorite bands list, but i have had good news for people who love bad news and we were dead before the ship even sank on 'ivan' the ipod for a while and i have always been surrounded by much more serious modest mouse fans through out college and even pretty recently, all of whom had legit music tastes, so i knew i was in for an awesome time!
i didnt know it was going to be as much fun as it was. wouldnt be able to do it justice being a novice compared to all
the 'mouseheads' that were there last night, but i am going to give it a crack anyway. it was a very 'we were dead' heavy show which made it possible for me to get down with the get down. the band came out firing and they welcomed sydney with an epic version of 'dashboard' that made me think i was on the phone for a second but in reality got the whole place straight up dancing. the place got grooving during a funky version of 'we got everything'. and as a side note - when the band says they've got everything down to a science they mean it! there were more instrument changes, more musical shifts, and more energy passed between members then i have ever witnessed. then something interesting happened when the band played 'fire it up' - i felt like and it smelled like i was back in greensboro, nc and it was 2003 and it phish's welcome back tour closer. i have never seen so many aussies 'fire it up' like that before. hillarious. the flow of the concert kept going and was perfect down to a science. further highlights were the crowd sing-a-long during 'float on' and a personal favorite of mine, 'the good times are killing me'
then came the encore. i went into the show looking to hear just one song and they didnt play it during the show, so i was hanging on for 'spitting venom' as an encore only to be disappointed at the 1st 2 encores but then almost hit the roof when that 1st note of 'spitting venom' dropped. i would suggest this song for anyone looking to get into the band or to see what modest mouse is all about. its a band in 8 minutes and 29 seconds. i was smiling, headbanging, jumping, sweating, high fiving everyone around me ... and i was tame by the crowd standards!
'spitting venom' was the prefect finish to a most extra-un-ordinary concert experience, and the perfect end to the 3 best concert weeks of my life.
its over. game over!
*my 1st attempt at a follow up piece to my '2/3rds of the way there' story from last week.
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