Get a Taste of the Lifestyle of the Rich and Famous in Bali

Twenty eight seconds is all it takes to make a lasting

impression. If you judged Bali by Kuta you would

probably never go back. No doubt that Bintang- singlet clad Australian hoons yelling profanity stumbling around Kuta’s filthy side walks hardly offers a welcoming cry. Yet, while our compadre yobbos still abound, a sophisticated and opulent Bali is emerging for the more discerning crowd. Bali has become a fashionable tourist destination that offers a taste of the lifestyle of the rich and famous on a shoestring budget. It’s one of the world’s best kept secrets.

Restaurants in Bali are a foodie haven. The influx of European expats mixed with the existing local cuisine provides the best local and fusion cuisine that rivals anywhere in the world. You eat better French food here than you do in Paris. Head to über chic Seminyak, Ubud or any of the glamorous hotels like the St. Regis, Bulgari, Legian or Ayana and have your tastebuds tantalised.

We began our culinary adventure based on advice from our friend Ketut, a local business man who owns a chain of wellbeing spas (also big business in Bali) and a self-confessed food snob. If you’re looking for a fantasy wellness experience head to Ketut’s Wellbeing Spa in Seminyak and have the full treatment including spiritual healing. The spa's interior looks like the inside of Bilbo Baggins hobbit house in Lord of the Rings and is truly a mystical experience from beginning to end (wellbeingspabali.com).

Our first fine dining experience began at Hu’ u in Seminyak (huubali.com). One thing you must know about Bali is that dining out is best done at sunset and into the early evening. Magic is created by the millions of candles that light up up the luxurious eating establishments all over the island.

Hu’u is named after a magical toll off Sumbawa, known by surfers for some of the best waves in the world. Hu’u is set on a 20,000 square foot area of sprawling “eden”, complete with 14 meter lap pool, and expansive wooden lounge decks. You cannot begin dinner in Bali without sampling one of the delicious cocktails every restaurant offers for no more than 120,000 rupiah ($13). I had a lychee blast – a frozen pyramid of tangy lime, fresh ginger with the delicate fragrance of lychee muddled with apple mint. It was sensational.

For entrées, we ordered seared scallops with tom yum risotto. The scallops were plump, chargrilled perfectly and partnered perfectly with the tangy flavour of the tom yum risotto. For mains we ordered a 400g Waygu T-bone and a grain-fed Australian veal chop. Both dishes came with sides of truffled mash potato, grilled mixed mushrooms and a leafy green salad. Hearty and fresh, both dishes packed great flavours. The T-bone was disappointingly chewy making the veal chop the clear winner of the evening.

Overall, desserts in Bali are not done all that well.

At Hu’u we ordered a chef’s tasting

plate – it came with an underwhelming selection of sorbet, chocolate brownie, carrot and banana cake. The plate was visually spectacular but tasted like it had come straight out of a packet. Overall, Hu’u was a visually stunning dining experience, with some great food moments and definitely worth a visit. 3.5 out of 5.

Bali is peppered with a number of sensational beachside hot spots. I had already been ‘wowed’ by La Lucciola in Seminyak last time I visited and was keen to find a similar gem.

Chez Gado-Gado is a traditional style Balinese open air restaurant right on the beach front. The moment you enter the impressive foyer you are transported to a romantic fairyland on paradise island.

The menu at Chez Gado-Gado is international with some traditional Balinese favourites. We began with chilled foie-gras and a salad of goat’s cheese, candied walnuts, arugula and beets. The home baked red rice rolls were a welcome addition to our entrées. For mains we had seared lamb rump with wilted spinach and potato gratin and a roast duck breast with baked prunes and truffled mash. Both dishes were delicious. The skin on the duck was crispy, the inside melted like butter in our mouths.

For dessert we ordered the free form black forest cake. Each element of the dessert was served individually on a long white serving dish. This confused, lack lustre dessert was a disappointing finale to an otherwise sensational meal. Overall, Chez Gado-Gado gets a 3.5 out of 5

Joining the ranks of Bali’s finest is a new Turkish restaurant guaranteed to delight – Tulip (tulipbali.com). Tulip’s chef Fahri Karatas comes with quite the pedigree, former Executive Chef at the Hilton Istanbul who has cooked for prime ministers, royalty and celebs. Tulip is a stylish, modern looking restaurant with tables set up to overlook the restaurant's very own rice paddy – a must have for any restaurant of high standing in Bali. Our host Dani, a Romanian expat welcomed us into the restaurant and explained the history of the restaurant and how to best order from the extensive menu.

To begin, we ordered one of the fresh mango daiquiris which at 50,000 rupiah a pop ($6AUD) was a treacherously boozy path we ventured down. Sweet and pulpy the daiquiris are the best I have ever had. We couldn’t just stop at one. The daiquiris were accompanied by a basket of fresh hot Turkish bread and oven baked pide. We then sampled a platter of cold Turkish mezes which included stuffed, baked zucchini, hummus, muamurra (baked red capsicum, walnut and garlic) and muttabal (roasted eggplant, yoghurt and tahini) amongst other dishes. Cold and delicious all the mezes were nothing short of more-ish.

For mains we ordered Tulip’s signature 7-hour braised lamb shoulder and marinated, herbed lamb cutlets. Served with simple mashed potatoes and roasted tomatoes, the lamb was so tender is fell off our forks. It was sublime.

For dessert we could not resist the home-made profiteroles filled with crème patisserie and smothered in melted dark chocolate.Food at Tulip was scrumptious and at a fraction of the cost of other high end restaurants in the area. Our only critique was the selection of dinner music – a Japanese father and daughter-looking team who squealed operatic arias through the loud speakers and gave us migraines. We’d go for Turkish tunes and hot belly dancers any day. We gave Tulip a 4 out of 5 rating.

Like a phoenix rising from the bomb debris, Bali has emerged from a marred reputation to become an affordable holiday destination of platinum quality. It’s survival of the fittest here, so if restauranteurs want to stay around the pressure is on to take food to new epicurean heights. Bali, in my opinion, is leading the way gastronomically to world class standards .

Other great restaurant discoveries include Sarong for South-East Asian fare (sarongbali.com) Sardine for great fish and seafood (sardinebali.com) and Métis for fabulous French cuisine – try their famous fresh seared foie-gras served with toasted brioche and warm, stewed morello cherries (metisbali.com). You can also sample some of Asia’s finest at Mozaic in Ubud (mozaic-bali.com). Mozaic has been awarded the prize of being one of the top fifty restaurants in Asia. It is a beautiful restaurant, with meticulous attention to detail, good food but be prepared for your wallet to take a hammering – I’m not sure with all the choices of fabulous restaurants in Bali it was worth the trek nor the money.

Wear Your Favourite Pearl Necklace to 1907

Pearls are the epitome of haute couture and timeless elegance. One of my all-time dressed-to-seduce outfits is the quintessential little black dress, fishnet stockings, killer heels and a strand of milky white pearls thrown around my neck. A splash of red lipstick and you are guaranteed a very pleasurable evening.

Pearls have long been associated with sensuality. Google “pearl necklace” and you would be amazed at the exhaustive list of inventive ways pearls are used to enhance sexual arousal and take play time to a whole new level.

I was looking for a restaurant to go with my sexy hunk and don my pearl-inspired get-up to see if I could strike it lucky. But let’s face it, there aren’t too many glamorous Perth eateries to wear your favourite jewels to.

After spending the last eight years in Canada, I can’t tell you how many times I have shed a tear for the lack of truly elegant, Hollywood chic restaurants in this town. Don’t get me wrong, I love Perth but it has yet to raise the bar to the level of cities like New York, Montreal, Paris and Rome….until now..

Tucked away in alley off Queen Street is a treasure that made me feel like we had discovered the royal crown. Think old world 1920’s glamour with a contemporary twist and you have entered 1907. From hand-made chandeliers, to luxurious chairs and booths, mosaic bathrooms, renowned American photographer Murray Garrett’s beautiful black and white photographs adorning the walls, coupled with a massive Italian stallion to greet you on arrival, 1907 is a truly spectacular restaurant.

Not surprising 1907 enlisted the assistance of leading designer, Gabbi McAullay to travel the world to source artisan tradesmen and suppliers to transform this 100 year old rag trade factory into a truly stunning dining room that rivals any in New York, Milan or Paris.

The menu was equally as timeless. For entreé we shared the roast quail breast and braised leg with corn pureé pancetta & quince sandwich and the duck foie gras gateau with fig vincotto glaze, caramelized hazelnuts and pickled walnuts. The flavour and textures of both dishes equalled their visual chef d’oeuvre. The creaminess of the foie gras against the sweetness of the fig vincotto glaze and the nutty flavour and crunchy texture of the nuts sent me into palate overload and left me begging for more. I am still tasting it in my mouth one week later.

For mains, my dude who reeks of cool ordered the roasted rack of organic lamb, lamb shank ragout caramelized shallots, red mustard mash and bread sauce while I had the rack of rabbit, braised leg, pan fried rabbit and pistachio sausage with sauce Jacqueline and baby vegetables. The lamb was the star of the mains and was cooked to pink perfection. My rabbit was delicious but overpowered in flavour by the rabbit sausage which was

intense but subdued by the carrot pureé in the Jacqueline sauce.

Dessert was a side show to the entrée and main dishes. We had the 1907 Chocolate plate of cold bitter chocolate and cherry fondant with white chocolate ice cream and nougat. It was nothing to write home about after the tough acts it followed.

Food presentation at 1907 is breathtaking, flavours are immortal but portion sizes and the price of dishes really leaves a bitter aftertaste to the overall experience. Service was also mediocre and slow. The ambiance however is timelessly elegant and chic. This is a great place for a really special dinner to get in the mood for love – as long as you don’t mind leaving hungry and with a huge dent in your wallet.

I for one loved the fact that I got the chance to really dress up and wear my favourite pearl necklace. My man loved it too.

Passion Rating:★★★★★

Food:★★★★
Service:★★
Ambiance:★★★★★
Overall:★★★★

Get in touch with nature at The Byrneleigh Hotel

It is deliciously risqué to going skinny dipping with your beloved. I don’t know about you but the feeling of jumping into the water completely naked gives me an adrenalin rush and makes me feel like a bit of a rebel. There’s something so invigorating about being completely naked and at one with nature.

That's kind of how I felt when I walked into The Byrneleigh Hotel in Nedlands. The décor is a sleek throwback to the seventies with high, wooden cathedral ceilings, loads of windows and forested wallpaper. Bathed in natural light, the glistening juxtaposition of cherry wood- coloured floors and ceilings against the leafy green “faux” forest made me feel as if I was entering a funky tree-house decked out with a retro twist. Tables are separated by strategically placed dividing walls made up entirely of pot plants that almost reach the ceiling. It was almost as if I was standing in a forest clearing.

I went to the Byrneleigh for dinner with a quirky English friend of mine with a wicked sense of humour to talk about how to spice up her sex life. I was hoping the location would inspire her to get in touch with her essence.

We decided to go straight for mains despite a very tempting “Grazing” starter menu of nibbles such as butternut pumpkin and fetta arancini or the crispy fried pork pieces with sticky chilli BBQ sauce. We could not go past the Dirty Granny cider-braised pork belly with apple and saffron confit, brown butter and almond broccoli or the porcini linguini with wild mushroom, truffle white wine creme and swiss chard.

The pork belly was swathed in a golden glow and perfectly cooked. Crispy on the outside and buttery on the inside the flesh was tender and melted in our mouths. The taste of the apple and saffron confit provided a tart contrast to the salty meat. The accompanying broccoli was a flavourless and withering accompaniment to the dish. The porcini linguini was flavoursome but would have been taken to greater heights had the pasta been home-made. It too was lacking in star-power despite it’s good looking entrance. What was impressive was the presentation of these dishes on a black, rectangular terracotta tablet. It really enhanced our feeling of being on an outdoor adventure and gave a feeling of eating our meals on a wooden plank. We loved it.

Dessert won the prize for the evening. We shared a gooey chocolate brownie with double chocolate ice-cream and candy orange and jaffas. A simple, whimsical and creative dish that made us giggle with guilty pleasure.

Overall we thoroughly enjoyed our dinner at The Byrneleigh. It wasn’t the best tasting meal, nor was the service particularly memorable but the stunning setting, the creative flair in the menu and the element of fantasy in the dining experience made it a fun evening. Most importantly my saucy British girlfriend was inspired to get back into nature and get busy in new ways.

Passion Rating:★★★★★

Food:★★★☆☆

Service:★★☆☆☆

Ambiance:★★★★★

Overall:★★★☆☆

If you don’t feel like going for dinner, The Byrneleigh is a great setting for it’s version of High Tea – a Garden Tea. It’s on Saturdays and Sundays and is the perfect setting for a gaggle of girly-girls to gossip and reconnect over bubbles and decadent petite treats. Take a look at the menu:

- Scones with chef’s raspberry chilli jam & cream- Caramel slice- Lemon meringue- Pumpkin scroll puff pastry- Baby bagels with cream cheese, chive & smoked salmon- Baby bagels with caramelised fig & brie- Baby bagels open faced chicken caesar- Baby bagels with roast beef, horseradish cream & roquette- Selection of Twinings tea

Leave Your Heels on in Brisbane

If you asked most men what one of their top three sexual fantasies is after threesomes and doing it in exotic locations, they’d tell you that they dig a chick wearing sexy outfits and who leaves her heels on during sex. High heels have actually been shown to improve a women’s sex life as well. High heels make you look taller, force your back to arch, push your bosom forward and accentuate the buttocks. Looking at the studies that have actually been conducted regarding the benefits to men who indulge in making these daydreams a reality what you find out is that they are able to reach orgasm more quickly. I’m not sure whether that’s a good or a bad thing.

Brisbane is not well known in the culinary circles as a fantasy land for fabulous food. If anything when I told people that I was about to spend a few days there, I was offered condolences and told to pack my uggboots. With a reputation as Australia’s feral capital city with little to offer I was determined to have a mind-blowing gastronomic experience that would challenge all the sceptics.

I enlisted the support of a gaggle of gorgeous single friends to come with me on my adventure. First stop – Euro Brasserie for a pre-dinner drink, followed by dinner at E’cco. The Euro is a chic European inspired brasserie that reeks of cool. With a laser cut metal entrance screen inset with green and pink glass, you feel as if you are walking through a portal to another land bathed in a cosmic orange glow. We were served by a really slick bar chic who just happened to have made Brisbane her home after jetting in from her home town of Bermuda to follow a hot local dude she had met. It is amazing how far we are prepared to go for love! She served us a Dirty Martini and Manhattan to die for. Not surprising The Euro has just nabbed the top award for Brisbane’s best drinking hole.

With our heads still buzzing from our potent cocktails, our gaggle headed off to dinner at E’cco. E’cco has quite an illustrious history been owned and operated by Philip Johnsen, a kiwi born food glitterati who has been reknowned as one of Australia’s most lauded foodie imports. This prized locale has won the Remy Martin Cognac/Australian Gourmet Traveller Restaurant of the Year award. We couldn’t wait to find out whether it would actually deliver. Housed in a century old former tea warehouse on the fringe of Brisbane’s central business district, E’cco has a bold and bright look with plenty of glass, salsa-red and aubergine-purple walls, polished Masonite floor, plain wood tables and chairs.

The menu was so impressive we decided to order a selection of dishes and share them. For entrées, we ordered duck liver parfait, beetroot jam, duck prosciutto,frisée & candied walnuts; seared scallops, celeriac purée, chorizo, apple, shaved fennel & saffron dressing and grilled quail, roast pear, parsnip, rocket & green peppercorn sauce. The dishes were all sublime. My favourite was the rich and creamy duck liver parfait. Spread on house-made tartines, the parfait melted in my mouth and was perfectly complemented by the sweetness of the beetroot jam and the crunch of the toasted walnuts. By far the best duck liver parfait I have ever had in Australia.

For mains we shared a selection of moroccan-spiced lamb rump, carrot purée, cavolo nero, persian fetta & olives; grain-fed angus beef, brussels sprouts, bacon, king brown mushrooms & mustard cream and a luxurious dish of fennel & chilli spiced pork belly, caramelised apple purée & pomegranate jus. The sheer flavours of these dishes sent us all into an erotic tail-spin and we all closed our eyes to fully savour the sensory overload.

For dessert, our palate was brought to a heady climax as we devoured a perfect pear tarte tatin, pecan crumble, honey & thyme ice cream and sticky date pudding, butterscotch sauce &

ginger custard.

After such an awe inspiring food experience one thing is for sure, Brisbane’s food scene has gone through a major evolution. I am hard pressed to fault the quality of the food we experienced, the stellar service and the super stylish ambience of Brisbane’s bars and eateries. Leave your ugg boots at home, in Brisbane it’s all about glamming it up and keeping your heels on for a great night out!

Passion Rating★★★★★
Food:★★★★★
Service:★★★★★
Ambiance:★★★★★
Overall:★★★★★