I hadn’t thought of that

I treated my friend Claudia to a free feed last night at the opening of a new restaurant at The Star Sydney called Rumble.

Rumble mixes modern Asian dishes with a spice-infused cocktail menu. It celebrates the four classic flavours that permeate Southeast Asian culinary culture – sweet, salty, spicy, and sour.

The restaurant’s decor was very cool – I loved the green tiles and plants and mahjong tiles lining the bar.

The menu takes inspiration from both the dishes served street-side during Head Chef Benjamin Tan’s childhood in Penang and his experience in modern kitchens across Asia.

“Unlike the hawker-style street eats many associate with Southeast Asian restaurants, Rumble is all about blending the traditional with the contemporary; paying homage to authentic flavours with fresh seasonal Australian produce and elevated, modern techniques,” Tan said.

I had been invited along to the restaurant in my capacity as a booze news reporter and Claudia was my plus one.

We slurped delicious cocktails and ate the most fabulous oysters and scallops and BBQ Pork Belly Bao and rice paper rolls filled with fresh lobster and topped with salmon roe and Black Pepper Wagyu Fried Rice and other delights, before finishing with Coconut Pannacotta.

Nom nom nom.

As is my way, I managed to give the chef the full rundown on how Penang was the very first place I visited outside of Australia.

I told him what a wonderful shock it was to land on the Malaysian island in the middle of a festival, as people danced and beat drums in the streets.

I was introduced to the most incredible food while I was there, including trying Chicken Capitan curry for the first time, replete with a chook feather still sticking out of a thigh.

The Rumble chef looked a bit bewildered as I rattled on.

I also interrogated Claudia for property tips. She is an absolute property investment star and has bought the most amazing places over the years.

Claudia’s brain constantly whirrs like mine, so she was a bit scary with some of her tips. She had very firm views on why I shouldn’t buy a penthouse on the 22nd floor of a building … such as how I would die if there was a fire because fire brigade’s ladders don’t go up that high.

I had not thought about that.

Perhaps I will stick to ground-floor apartments.

As we wandered back across Pyrmont Bridge to our respective homes, we marvelled at what it must feel like to not think about anything at all.

Apparently beta blockers can help with that.

Having a constant myriad of thoughts is a bit exhausting.

I missing my dips in the sea, they are the closest I get to having a quiet brain.

The sense of peace brings me to tears because it feels so lovely.

No time for swims at the moment. There are kitchen drawers to clean out, apartments to be inspected and old mattress recycling services to be booked.

That’s my weekend … hope yours is more relaxed than mine. Have a good one!

Song of the day: Talking Heads “Psycho killer”