TRIVIA: What is the capital of Australia?
If you answered Sydney, well, congrats. You are as "himbo/bimbo" as I am.
Although you are hardly to blame.
Voted as the World's Best City and World's Most Reputable City in 2015, it can come as a surprise to many that Sydney is not the capital of Australia. Host to many major events and festivals, a vibrant cafe scene and "an urban wonder full of glamour and natural charm", it would be difficult to think that Sydney is not the capital of Australia.
After spending about a week in Melbourne, we flew over to Sydney, where we experienced one of the world's liveliest city in one of their coldest winter in 26 years. Yes, "lucky" us.
Here are 11 Interesting things to Do and Eat in Sydney:
1. Visit Taronga Zoo
With a 4.5 stars rating on Trip Advisor and clinching the best tourist attraction award for 3 years in a row, we HAD TO make a visit to Taronga Zoo. And mainly because we didn't get to see much wildlife back in Melbourne.
Before starting your tour in the zoo, do get a copy of the zoo's map from the zoo volunteers standing around the entrance. The map is incredibly useful in planning your way around this humongous zoo that spans 21 hectares.
It takes about four hours to fully explore Taronga Zoo, which might be a tad taxing on your legs. Planning your trails in Taronga is therefore of utmost importance for the sake of your legs.
One of the "must-see" animal in Australia has gotta be the Kangaroo. Other than seeing it on Pokemon, I have never seen a Kangaroo in my whole life.
"The 'Kangaroo' pokemon"
I was also pretty amped up about having a "Joey-ception" photo with those little wallabies and kangaroos as I am a Joey myself.
A photo posted by Joey Ching How (@evilbean) on
Besides the adorable wallabies and joeys, there were also some animals that are uncommon in other parts of the world, like this Tasmanian Devil:
How about a close encounter with this snake?
Childhood fairytale comes to life with these 3 little pigs!
I love this photo which I managed to take amongst dozens of other people. The expression of the seal is priceless! Totally "meme-worthy".
"Wot?"
Taronga Zoo has lots of huge green spaces that are really scenic and rejuvenating. These spaces are also perfect for your #ootd shots. You never know, a free-roaming animal might just photobomb your photo and make that shot even more precious!
TIP: One of the MUST-DO in Taronga Zoo is definitely the Free-Flight Bird Show that happens at 12:00 PM and 3:00 PM.
Overlooking the beautiful Sydney harbour, I felt that this show was one of the rare few that really connected me with nature.
I shan't spoil much about the show, but do stay till the end, where a flock of birds take flight beautifully against the harbour backdrop.
Simply breathtaking.
2. Take the Hop On Hop Off Harbour Cruise
A rather inexpensive way to fully enjoy the sights and sounds of the Sydney Harbour area is the Hop On Hop Off (HOHO) cruise. As its name implies, you can hop on and hop off at any of the 7 destinations. Once you are done with, say, Taronga Zoo, you can hop onto the next ferry and alight at Darling Harbour. It's one price for the entire day, so try to take full advantage of it by exploring as many of the stopovers as you can!
Riding the entire harbour takes about 2 hours, and that entire time will give you lots of gorgeous photo opportunities:
3. Behind the Scenes Tour at Sydney Fish Market
Most travel blogs will recommend you to visit Sydney Fish Market (SFM). Indeed, it is one of the places where you can get the freshest sashimi and oysters in Sydney.
However, you are reading TalkingEvilbean.com, and that means no ordinary, run-off-the-mill recommendations. "Upsize" your SFM tour with an elusive BEHIND THE SCENES TOUR.
Not only would you get to know where all your seafood comes from, the tour would also take you behind the scenes to explore all facets of the market and its operations - including the auction floor.
The behind-the-scenes tour begins behind this glass door.
As photography & videography is not permitted on the auction floor, I can only describe my experience of the tour in words.
It was enlightening. I got to witness how the fish auction works, and how physically draining it is to work on the auction floor. The workers have to carry and transfer crates of fishes manually by hand, and each boxes must have weigh a ton. The whole buying floor was abuzz with energy - from the buyers cheering on their successful auctions to the flurry of fresh seafood unloading in the market.
Our friendly tour guide (who looks a bit like Jack Black) was extremely knowledgeable, educating us on the different fish species around the world - what they feed on, how they move in the ocean etc. The tour opened up my eyes on the vast variety of seafood in the world.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this tour to anyone that likes learning, that are curious and always in fascination about their seafood.
Besides, as the tour begins at 6:40 AM and ends around 8:30 AM, you would be one of the earliest people at the SFM, effectively avoiding the throngs of tour groups that will arrive later in the morning!
"Zero crowds. Having the SFM all to yourself!"
For more information about the Behind the Scenes tour, visit their website here.
After the tour, it was time for us to run amok in the market to pick out our breakfast!
"This was so good omg"
"Cheese Lobster - Best breakfast food EVER"
TIP: Opt for the al-fresco seats outside SFM for a breathtaking morning view of the harbour!
Truly one of my best breakfast ever.
4. Food Battle with Seagulls
You might have heard these scary tales from your friends who have been to Sydney.
"PROTECT your food/ice-cream, or the seagulls might eat them!"
It's true. If you are taking your food outside in the open area, be battle-ready. You might be engaged in a scary and vicious food-tug-o-war with the seagulls at anytime.
Touted as "the dining companions that no one wants", these seagulls can become rather aggressive in trying to steal food out of your hands/plates.
It can be quite daunting to see a flock of seagulls perched menacingly on the benches, staring at you while you are having that piece of salmon sashimi. One of the tip that I've got is that they wouldn't attack you as long as it seems to them that you are eating your food. The moment you lean back, when your hands are off your food, or it seems to them that your food is unguarded, they WILL ATTACK.
In fact, while we were dining al-fresco, we witnessed the seagulls flocking to the leftovers AS SOON AS THE PEOPLE STOOD UP. There were screams everywhere, chaos ensued, and I chuckled a little (IT WAS FUNNY, REALLY) when I saw some of the ladies flailing their arms wildly in the air.
Don't leave your food unguarded, don't feed them, and you might just escape a battle with the seagulls. Might.
5. Look Out for Mannequins with Versace Underwear
This had me in tears!
Of course, if this sort of thing doesn't amuse you, you can always skip this pointer.
6. Hurricane's Grill Ribs
Touted as one of the best ribs in Sydney, Hurricane's Grill is known to serve a pretty mean plate of sleek, marinated ribs, and the carnivorous Evilbean couldn't wait to lay his lips on those meat.
Full Pork Ribs (AUD $49)
Gloriously marinated with their BBQ sauce, this can evoke a lot of reactions when it is served to your table. Ranging from "that's huge" to "how do we finish this?", this was a pretty sight to behold.
I have had better ribs when I was in Bali. But in terms of the "wow" factor, Hurricane Grill at Darling Harbour swept me away with its sheer size. Plus, their service was pretty good when we went on that day. I mean, they kept calling us "Darlings", how can we not love them? 
Hurricane Grill @ Darling Harbour
Shops 433-436, Level 2, Harbourside Shopping Centre
2-10 Darling Drive, Darling Harbour
Tel: +61 2 9211 2210
Opening Hours:
Mon - Fri: 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM (Lunch)
Mon - Fri: 5:00 PM – till Late (Dinner)
Sat, Sun & PH: 12:00 PM – till late
Mon - Fri: 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM (Lunch)
Mon - Fri: 5:00 PM – till Late (Dinner)
Sat, Sun & PH: 12:00 PM – till late
7. Largest Lindor Pick & Mix Range
Located at Darling Harbour, Cockle Bay Wharf, is a Lindt Chocolate Cafe that serves, well, Lindor Chocolates. LOTS of Lindor Chocolates.
The second way was slightly more interesting. You can get a gift box from them, and you could try to fit in as many chocolates as you can into the box! You pay based on the box that you chose, and not on the weight. Therefore, it can be quite hilarious (or frustrating) as you strategise the precise placements of the chocolates in the box, all in the hope of just cramming that extra 1 or 2 more chocolates into your gift box. And then experiencing that silly joy when you see that your gift box is all filled up to the brim.
Yeap, we (greedy) humans are weird.
8. Cafe Hopping
Of course, how can you not cafe-hop in Sydney, the city with one of the most vibrant cafe scene?
Here are three cafes which I think are a MUST-GO:
i. BlackStar Pastry
On the list on almost every Sydney travel blogs, Blackstar Pastry is one of the cafes which you HAVE TO VISIT. Widely known for its Strawberry Watermelon cake, every single person I know that has been to Blackstar reminisce about this cake, recounting animatedly the refreshing flavours of the watermelon.
Strawberry Watermelon Cake (AUD $7.50)
A photo posted by Joey Ching How (@evilbean) on
Besides their pastries offering, there is also a shop beside that sells quirky toys, fashion books and intricate utensils - a perfect place to spend all your AUD on.
Although the cafe closes at 5:00 PM, try to be there early. I have heard that their cakes are usually sold out by late afternoon!
Blackstar Pastry @ Newtown
277 Australia St,
Newtown NSW 2042, Australia
Tel: +61 2 9557 8656
Opening Hours:
Daily: 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM
ii. Cafe Cre Asion
Tucked away in a hidden alley, Cafe Cre Asion is famous for its matcha offerings, especially their signature Green Tea Chocolate Fondant, which is said to sell out literally like hot cakes.
Green Tea Chocolate Fondant (AUD $8.50)
Matcha Green Tea Latte (AUD $5)
We continued our matcha streak with this Matcha Green Tea Latte, which was heavenly. It was like the nectar of Matcha God.
House Made Chai Latte ($4)
Chai latte is an acquired taste. I remember the very first time I ordered a Chai latte, I spit out my drink and thought it was a really disgusting drink. "Who puts cinnamon and spices in their milk?" I complained.
Fast forward few years later, and I am sipping chai lattes everywhere I go. Well, if you are familiar with the flavours of Chai Latte, then you DEFINITELY HAVE TO TRY Cre Ation's version. I thought this was one of the BEST CHAI LATTE I have ever drink in my life. Smooth, creamy and yet light, their housemade Chai Latte was extremely satisfying. It was so good, I had to order another one to-go!
House Baked Mixed Grain Sourdough with Butter (AUD $7)
This might look humble, but it was so delicious. The sourdough bread was served warm, which provided a fuzzy feeling in the cold winter morning. The crust was toasted crispy and the bread was soft and fluffy. Sometimes, the simplest food can be the most satisfying.
Except for the fact that the cafe is probably built for Ant-man, with its small chairs and low tables, everything else was wonderful - the food, the drinks and the service. The cafe can probably sit less than 10 people, so do take note if you are travelling in a large group. Do come early!
Cafe Cre Asion
21 Alberta St,
Sydney NSW 2000, Australia
Tel: +61 2 8021 1629
Opening Hours:
Mon – Fri: 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Sat: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Closed on Sundays and Mondays
iii. Aqua S
Perhaps the most popular cafe in Sydney, Aqua S sells "instagram-worthy" soft-serve, which helped them to gain international fame quickly. Take note cafe owners, because this is the power of Instagram.
There was a very long queue outside their shop even though it was near their closing hours.
To keep things fresh for regulars, Aqua S updates their menu with new flavours every 2 weeks. The only constant is their sea salt flavour. Do drop by Aqua S to jazz up your Instagram gallery, that is, if you are an avid Instagram user.
Aqua S @ Sydney CBD
Shop 27, 501 George Street Regent Place,
Sydney NSW 2000
Tel: +61 2 8668 5957
Opening Hours:
Daily: 12:00 PM - 10:00 PM
(Last order at 9:45PM)
9. Market Hopping
Besides cafe hopping, "market hopping" is also another interesting thing to do in Sydney.
A quick wikipedia search shows that there are about 52 markets in the city and suburbs! I went to 3 of them on our "Market Hopping Saturday".
- Paddington Market (Saturdays from 10:00 AM)
"SUPERMINION!"
After we were done in Paddington, we hopped into a taxi for our next market destination - Glebe Markets.
- Glebe Markets (Saturdays from 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM)
" Gamely posing for me when Wonderwoman saw me taking photos! 
"
"There were also performances at the open field where indie bands performed their own songs or jugglers strutting their stuff.
- Market City (Daily from 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM)
If you are those that need to get A LOT of souvenirs back whenever you travel, Market City will be your one-stop solution.
Pro Tip: Do not get your souvenirs at the top floor of the shopping mall. Get them at the basement!
10. Best Udon at Mappen Noodle Bar
I am not particularly fond of udon, as they are usually too mild for my taste. However, my perception of udon was thrown out of the window when I had my first Bukkake (no, not THAT kind of bukkake
)Located at the George Street, this place is relatively unknown (or less blogged about). However, I was amazed at the constant stream of people that came and queue for their semi-dry udon!
Bukkake Ontama Mentaiko Soba Udon (Large: AUD $7.90)
A photo posted by Joey Ching How (@evilbean) on
If you have been following me on Instagram, you would know that it is quite rare for me to give a #4.5evilbeans rating. THAT IS HOW GOOD THEIR UDON WAS. Mark this down in your itinerary, you HAVE TO TRY BUKKAKE at least once in your life!
Mappen Noodle Bar (CBD)
Shop 11, 537-551 George St,
Sydney NSW 2000
Tel: +61 2 9283 5525
Opening Hours:
Daily: 11:30 AM - 10:00 PM
11. Sydney Festivals - The Rocks Aroma Festival 2015
We were extremely lucky to have caught the The Rocks Aroma Festival on our very last few hours in Sydney, because it is my most memorable experience in Sydney.
In its 18th year, the festival is an annual celebration of the coffee culture in Sydney. As an avid coffee lover myself, I couldn't believe my luck when we chance upon the brochure and saw that the event day was on July 26th, which was my last day in Sydney!
Held at The Rocks, the streets were filled with more than 50 coffee and gourmet food stallholders and food trucks.
"Yeap, Chai latte fascinates me"
Besides food, The Rocks also had a section that sells handicrafts and original artworks. It is always enchanting to watch talented people do their thing, crafting and molding nothing into something.
If you love freshly baked pastries, you HAVE TO drop by this cafe.
The Tea Cosy
33 George Street
The Rocks 2000
Tel: +61 2 9247 4955
Opening Hours:
Mon: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Wed to Fri: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Sat and Sun: 9.30 AM – 5:00 PM
Closed on Tuesdays
Eventually, we decided to look up to the sky after 5 minutes and this was what we saw:
I presume it's gonna spell out <3 Stella?
And then, it was finally time for the "main event" of the Aroma Festival - DRINK ALL THE COFFEES!
Throngs of people queued up under the hot sun, in hope of grabbing a few cups of their favourite blends at a fraction of the normal price. SOME LATTES WERE GOING AT ONLY $2! In Singapore, I have to pay almost $6 - 7 dollars for a cup!
"Front: Coffee Mojito. Back: New Orleans"
Out of all the five, I thoroughly enjoyed the last 2 that we got from Black Drum Roasters: The Coffee Mojito and New Orleans. Dubbed the "Summer Coffee", these 2 were so, so good!
The Coffee Mojito was very refreshing, made even more so with that squeeze of lime and mint leaves. The New Orleans, which was a cold brew with chicory, raw sugar syrup and topped with pouring cream, was aromatic, refreshing and creamy. PLEASE, SOMEONE BRING THEM TO SINGAPORE?
Still, I have to count my blessings for being able to witness and to participate in such an event in Sydney. It was an eye-opening experience, and being able to indulge in the festive and carnival mood with thousands of other coffee-fanatics would be something I will remember for life.
Overall, I enjoyed myself in Sydney. If you are used to living in a metropolitan city, you would enjoy the sights and lifestyle in Sydney as well......
As long as you get used to Australians calling you "mate".
)
I have multiple "Evilbean" personalities. Meet EatingEvilbean, Traevilbean, Lifebean and Rantingbean. They are all pleased to meet you.
