SYDNEY - Biota Dining - A 2 Chef Hats Award Restaurant in BOWRAL rural town

Lora's Dress is from Australian Designer - Alannah Hill / Silver Salvatore Ferragamo Clutch Bag

SYDNEY - Biota Dining - A 2 Chef Hats Award Restaurant - Approximately 1.5-2 hours drive away from Sydney in the rural town of Bowral, lies a hidden gem where food is always intricately prepared for selective guests. Especially if you enjoy taking long drives away from the city, this restaurant is worth a visit! Biota Dining has been awarded numerous awards such as the Regional Restaurant of 2014 and most importantly 2 Chef Hats Award for its fine cuisine. The restaurant prides itself for only using the freshest ingredients all sourced locally and regionally.The word "Biota" is a noun and has the meaning "Animals and Plant Life of a particular region".

BIOTA DINING

Address: 18 Kangaloon Road, NSW 2576

Website: www.biotadining.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/biotadining‎

Biota Dining experiences focuses on supporting local farmers and growers. They even have their own onsite automated glasshouse which grows over 40 varieties of seed imported from France, Netherlands and local suppliers to supply constant seasonal of harvest of cresses, shoots, and seedlings used for gastronomic practice daily. The menu consists of gastronomic dishes featuring the freshest seasonal produce that titillate your senses and taste buds to leave a memorable dining experience. This restaurant provides Molecular Dining at its finest in a fascinating open kitchen. Highly inspirational and impressive!

Guests were invited to choose from an option of either Three, Five or Nine courses for a unique gastronomic journey. I chose FIVE as I thought it was a decent choice. Service was impeccable and the attentive staff with warm smiles will keep your glasses filled at all times and serve food promptly. All food dishes were interestingly presented and I enjoyed a fruit mocktail :) Homemade whole wheat sourdough bread was served warm in a Biota Cloth Bag and the light smoked cultured butter was served on a black rock with a knife cut through it. Very quirky and interesting!

The FIVE course dinner - Reasonably priced at AUD98 & AUD154 with matching wines, was pretty filling. I enjoyed the first dish - Scampi with Smoked Roe, Charcoal, Purslane as I am a seafood lover. The charcoal was crunchy and it went really well with the Scampi. The second dish was Cooked curds with egg yolk, rye and chickpea which tasted marvellous! The third dish was Lamb breast with dried lactose, fresh and cooked oats which was cooked in perfection. The lamb simply melts in my mouth. The fourth dish was Duck with pine, cauliflower, pear and white raisins was an interesting combination  where the duck tasted sweet and yummy. Lastly, the dessert was heavenly and my utmost favorite. It was Stonefruit Sorbet with Rose meringue, peach gel and mums roses. Overall, I enjoyed my dinner and I highly recommend this restaurant to those who appreciate interesting degustation menu where every dish looks intriguing and divine. It's an art to savor every dish very S-L-O-W-L-Y!

My favorite dessert - Stonefruit Sorbet with rose meringue, peach gel and mums roses

The interior of Biota Dining restaurant was very clean, modern and contemporary. There was also a huge screen TV which shows how the culinary chefs put together each dish in an intricate manner. The open kitchen concept shows how Chef James Viles and his amazing team put together each dish using tweezers with much concentration like a surgeon to his operating patient. After each dish is ready, a soft clap will be a signal to wait staff to serve the dish fresh to guests at the dining table.

After a memorable dining experience, it was time to head home to feed my baby Snowy bunny! I think Snowy is growing up pretty fast as his appetite has increased significantly. I am thankful that Snowy is an intelligent bunny who goes to the bathroom to do his business despite having the freedom to roam about freely in the entire house. Snowy love cuddles and is very friendly. I love Snowy very much :)

I must say the great thing about living in Sydney, Australia is that there are so many new places to explore outside Sydney city and I enjoy taking long drives out to explore new restaurants, beaches and cafes. Talk about living life to the fullest! Thank God for blessing me with a beautiful life :)

Click the link below to read more about my bunny SNOWY!

http://www.sgsisters.com/search/label/Snowy

♥ Lora Christelle Lim ♥

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Snowy - My Mini-Lop Bunny Growing Up Fat & Fluffy :)

Snowy - My Mini-Lop Bunny Growing Up Fat & Fluffy - Snowy has been increasing in size and growing up bigger day by day. I guess I have been feeding it well with sufficient rabbit pellets, oat hay and fresh green vegetables that include mint leaves, bok choy, beans etc. Sometimes I also feed Snowy small portions of carrots, bananas, pears and pineapple as they contain high levels of sugar.

I also realized that Snowy sleeps with his eyes closed and he usually sleeps more in the day. When he sleeps, he curls up like a "Fur Ball" and looks super cute! He is extremely active at night, trying to climb all over the place and following me around the house closely.

When Snowy smells something fishy, he stands up to sniff the air as a sign of inquisitiveness. It's amazing how long he can stand on his feet. Almost like a human!

The first time I saw Snowy lying down flat on the ground, I panicked and started asking everyone what I should do! I thought Snowy was sick or not feeling well, but after searching online for answers, I found out that bunnies only lie down flat on the ground when they feel extremely safe and comfortable. Snowy lies down in absolute bliss and relaxation! Snowy has big ears and he reminds me of Dumbo the Elephant :)

I have also been a really lucky "Bunnymama" as Snowy responds to his name. Whenever I call out "Snowy", he would listen and run towards me. He also enjoys being petted on his head and neck. Sometimes, he also licks me as a sign of love and affection. Snowy is a friendly and lovely bunny and is never aggressive. He does not bite me and loves to sit near me to enjoy my company beside him.

Litter Training - Just yesterday, the most amazing improvement is that Snowy runs to the toilet to poop and pee automatically despite the fact that he is allowed to roam freely around the house. I did not toilet train him and was surprised to see that he is able to make the right decisions himself. I have not even bought a litter tray. It makes cleaning up much easier and I think Snowy is naturally intelligent :) I really love Snowy as he has brought me great joy and happiness in a nondescript way.

If you are considering getting a pet, a bunny is highly recommended as they are timid, docile and loving creatures. They are not noisy and are easy to manage too! I'm one super happy Bunny owner :)

More information about how to keep a bunny can be found at these websites below:

1. House Rabbit Society - http://rabbit.org/
2. RSPCA, New South Wales - http://www.rspcansw.org.au/learn/pocket-pets/rabbits
3. My House Rabbit - http://www.myhouserabbit.com/behavior.php

A bunny does not make much noises and communicates based on their unique behavior. Based on the numerous Bunny Behavior explained, Snowy has showed Binkying and The Bunny 500. Snowy has been sprinting in fast speeds around the house in extreme excitement especially whenever I open his bag of food to feed it. It's such a delight to see Snowy being happy as it makes me happy too! A more detailed explanation can be found here http://www.myhouserabbit.com/tip_noises.php

Binkying

People unfamiliar to pet rabbits may not know that bunnies have a very dramatic way of expressing excitement and joy. They dance! Leaping in the air, contorting and twisting their bodies, and kicking their feet out, binkying rabbits are quite the spectacle. Sometimes rabbits lead up to a binky by taking a running start. Other times, a binky is a sudden burst to the side. What's really fun is when the binkies occur in succession, creating a grand acrobatic display. I'll submit that anyone who thinks rabbits are dull has not seen a bunny in the act of binkying

The Bunny 500

When rabbits zip around the room in a blur, they're performing Bunny 500s. Their bursts of speed are sometimes accompanied by fantastic binkies and demonstrate extreme excitement. Expect a Bunny 500 whenever you're about to give your bunny a treat.

Click here to read more about SNOWY http://www.sgsisters.com/2014/02/sydney-snowy-my-mini-lop-bunny-who-is.html

Recent photos taken with Snowy after a fantastic dinner at BIOTA DINING :)

♥ Lora Christelle Lim ♥

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SYDNEY - Snowy my Mini--Lop Bunny who is just 9 Weeks old

SNOWY - My Mini-Lop Bunny

SYDNEY - Snowy my Mini--Lop Bunny who is just 9 Weeks old - As most of you know I love pets and animals but I am only able to buy a small pet to keep as I live in a tiny apartment in Sydney City. I miss Prince Royale in Singapore but unfortunately keeping a dog is unsuitable for me at this point in time so I decided to buy a bunny/rabbit. After searching on Gumtree, I found a Champion Rabbit Breeder and drove all the way to her house to take a look at her bunnies.

The Rabbit breeder was a young teenager who kept 3 little bunnies in a play pen outside her home in a beautiful garden. Before deciding which bunny to buy, I spent more than 2 hours trying to bond with the bunnies and carrying them one by one. After carrying Snowy, I chose him because he was the friendliest and did not struggle when I carried it. After paying AUD30, I took Snowy back home and I was filled with happiness and excitement as it was my very first time keeping a pet bunny.

Honestly I am inexperienced but I spent many hours doing research online and asking friends who have pet bunnies for advice and guidance. I have been messaging Jasmin Tay back in Singapore as she loves bunnies. Ittah and Stacey have been giving me advice on Facebook without asking. Thanks to everyone who has been helping me along the way. I appreciate all your help :) I read online that grass is good for rabbit's digestion so I brought Snowy to Hyde Park for a walk and let it roam freely on the grass. It was hilarious as I ended up chasing Snowy around the garden to the amusement of bystanders and people having picnics.

I must confess that keeping a bunny is not easy as it poos a lot. I spend many hours each day cleaning up the mess it creates. Now I know how much patience one needs to keep a pet bunny. But despite the difficulties, I have no regrets as I really love Snowy. Snowy loves being pat on his head and body. It enjoys the massage I give and even falls asleep whenever I stroke him. I'm one happy "Bunnymama"!

PS: Don't say my Bunny's red eyes are evil... Snowy is really far from evil. He's simply ADORABLE!

♥ Lora Christelle Lim ♥

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