Hominy Bakery, Katoomba 08-2015

A zomato rating of 4.9?? Wow this must be some serious sourdough. How could I not go and see what it was all about? My all time favourite sourdough still remains from the seafood chowder at Boudin in San Francisco. Canberra's Autolyse does an excellent version too, but I still prefer something stronger and tangy-er.

I only purchased a pumpkin sourdough from Hominy. In retrospect I probably should've bought an extra loaf and even a croissant to make use of my being all the way in the mountains. This became more apparent after I tried the sourdough. The pumpkin sourdough is soft in native form, and is completely enhanced with a firm crust and springy texture with light toasting. It could use a little more tang but is still excellent. I'm a bit unclear where the pumpkin part comes in - I assume it has juice added to the dough mix to add more flavour and colour?

Who knows. It's damn good.

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Sanwiye Korean Cafe, Katoomba 08-2015

Oddly enough, when researching the Blue Mountains, the fine dining places didn't appeal that much to me. I think Ashcroft had a decent sounding menu (but in the end couldn't get a walk-in table on a Saturday), Darley has accolades (but is expensive) and Silk's wasn't all that interesting (other than the lamb brain and sweetbread entree). After rejection from Ashcroft and no availability at Pins on Lurline (with its udon and Italian menu), resignation hit and the car was directed toward Sanwiye.

I would never have really considered a Korean restaurant in the Blue Mountains, as this reminded me of the token Chinese restaurants you find in small rural towns all over the world, with the standard dishes and sauces and MSG (much like I expect the South Park City Wok restaurant represents). However Sanwiye had good ratings, there didn't seem to be many other options, and the other ones were probably already full.

I've had the cinnamon drink sujeonggwa at Bistro K before and so eagerly ordered it again. It was extremely potent in cinnamon. Perhaps a little too much.

- Mandu (crispy lightly fried half-moon dumplings) $10 - nicely fried dumplings with thin fillings and a soy to add extra flavour;
- Duk-bokki (rice cake & vegetables in sweet & spicy sauce) $16 - an excellent textured gooey set of rice cakes in a mild chilli sauce;
- Spicy Seafood Noodle Soup (prawn, calamari, fish cake, carrot, capsicum, onion, sliced cabbage, mushroom) $13 - beautiful broth with (what may have been instant noodle) ramen cooked to retain spring, some average pieces of seafood (very small prawns, but I suppose you don't expect much for the price up in the mountains) but an excellent warming soup that tastes exactly how a Korean/Chinese noodle broth should. They asked if I wanted spicy and I said yes, but it wasn't too much.

Other than what was tried, the platesized pancakes looked like a good bet also.

Overall the prices are reasonable, the food is good quality and it appeared to be a family run place (Australian male and a Korean female heading the show). Well worth supporting. If you are dining for 2, I'd try to call and book the little table at the front which affords more privacy and a view of beautiful lighting and flowers.

The Yellow Deli, Katoomba 08-2015

On a cold raining afternoon, the incredible amounts of fog and mist prevented any kind of sight-seeing or outdoor activity. All that really leaves is exploring nearby Leura and finding food around Katoomba. I made my way to Hominy Bakery for the reputed sourdough and after a brief dalliance with the menu of a nearby Mexican restaurant, I ended up finding a gem at The Yellow Deli.

The place reminds me of something like an ski lodge with wooden furnishings, a fireplace, a slight hipster-marijuana vibe and a waitress wearing a cool retro American type dress. It's got something for everybody.

- Mate $3.0 - apparently it's a kind of tea that is turned into a coffee-type latte drink. It's a little odd but not necessary bad;
- Green chai latte (with almond milk) $4.5 - a sweet smooth drink that helped keep warm on a cold raining afternoon;
- Bowl of Pumpkin Soup (served with artisan bread) $10 - outstanding smooth blended soup with a mild pumpkin flavour but deep warm satisfaction;
- Bowl of hearty kettle cooked Beef Chili (served with artisan bread) $10 - the Deli's staple meat soup is chilli with minced beef chunks. Very good indeed.

The breads served with each soup were fantastically soft and delicious. The delicate homemade butter served with it was fantastic. The mate was not charged after they asked and I said it was unusual. Even though I was happy to (since I ordered it), the waitress wouldn't. Definitely worth the tip.

The menu isn't all that extensive (most of the rest of it is burgers or sandwiches) but the overall setting, staff caring and fireplace warmth make it an excellent and recommended stop in Katoomba.

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