Schnitzel lunch at Wynyard Station - The Occidental Hotel, Sydney

I rolled up for lunch to an old favourite, The Occidental Hotel or as the locals call it, 'The Oxy'. I needed a quick feed for lunch and the menu, although not extensive, was very cheap and what would normally be expected from an establishment with a front bar, colourful patterned carpet, and tiles up the walls.

This is the menu as seen on the street and on the table:

And the meal. Whilst it wasn't he best I have ever had, the meal was pretty hearty and for $12 I couldn't complain. Also the beer was very cheap so for under $20 I got a quick fix and I was on my way. Until next time Oxy!

St Leonards, Victoria - Where every day is a Sunday

On the weekend (over Anzac Day) I ventured down to St Leonards in Victoria which is about 30kms from Geelong sitting on Port Philip Bay.

I was only there for one night and I went back to Melbourne on the Friday. But I got a chance to look around.

It's a cute little seaside village with a nice outlook back to Melbourne.With only a population of 2,000 people there are still a few decent cafes and restaurants in the main street along with a supermarket and liquor store. But it is noticeably quiet even on a long weekend. No wonder it is a popular spot for Melbournians.

The Main Street of St Leonards:

I ended up staying at the pub, the St Leonards Hotel and it was pretty good. Besides being one of the few options in St Leonards, having food and booze under the bed always appeals to me... but check out the view!! It must have one of the best beer gardens in this part of Australia.

The rooms were good and had lcd tv's and comfy beds. What you would call the higher end for pub stay accommodation, but obviously this area relies heavily on the tourism trade and needs to offer something nice for those quiet periods outside peak season.

Last photos - the pub food:

All in all a pleasant trip. I will return.

Back to Vietnam: I Love Pho, Crows Nest

I went to Vietnam a few months ago. I did like the food and the people and everything about the country except, once I got back I found it to be so expensive in Sydney it was almost as if I felt like I was being ripped off.

I recall being in Hanoi and being served Pho and a beer for around about a buck! The beer (fresh beer) was pretty average and I must admit I didn't feel great afterwards but the beer was probably made with water from that big lake they have there.

Anyway, I felt like eating pho again as it is a  cold night in Sydney.

We had a bit of a feed tonight at a local restaurant in Crows Nest called I Love Pho. We started with a bit of bun xao for entree (about $12), after that we had Pho Tai ($12.50), which was pretty good. It's now almost 3 month since I got back, but I give it an 8/10. The chilli was delicious and the beer was cold so I can't complain. The few times I have gone out for pho in Sydney since I got back

Also, on a side note, I always recall the stock being really cloudy when it came out and it wasn't in this time around... You could almost see the noodles ;). The 333 beer was $7 (getting beaten up on price again) but it was cold and just what I needed on a Tuesday night.

Check it out here http://ilovepho.com.au/ or at 47 Willoughby Rd, Crows Nest.

Some photos: