Jack Style Thai Restaurant

While in Bowral for Tulip Time, we did not encounter the problem of thinking of what to have for lunch. For some reason, we selected the first place we drove past and we did not regret our selection.

Situated on a conspicuous corner in town is Jack Style Thai Restaurant. Open every day for lunch and dinner, they also offer take away and home delivery services. A short walk from the train station, they also have a wide selection of wine, beer and spirits.

I liked their interior decor, as they tried their best to make it as authentically Thai as they could with the colourful paper umbrellas and wood carvings:

I wonder if they imported the cutlery and porcelain, as well:

And like every other Thai eatery, they would have a vase of flowers on each table. In this case, they used fresh orchids:

They had soothing Buddhist chants playing softly in the background, as well. So, it was thumbs up for ambience.

Their menu was typical of Thai places and we did not complain about their pricing. Waiters were dressed in traditional garments and service was polite. We ordered two dishes, which were served very promptly. The ginger beef was served first:

We were expecting more ginger with a little kick of spiciness to it but instead, it was on the sweet side. Perhaps they put too much sugar this time around. Otherwise, the texture of the beef was to our liking and there were plenty of thinly sliced bamboo shoot to chew on.

The coriander tofu was much better:

We absolutely loved it. Well, I for sure loved it, as I am a tofu-lover. The sauce was sweet, sour and spicy all mixed into one and with the fragrance of the coriander, it was just what we needed on a wet afternoon. This dish - recommended!

To get there from Sydney, you could take a train on the Southern Highlands line and get off at Bowral Station. Walk up Station Street towards the side with more shops. The restaurant is to the left of where the roundabout is. If you are driving, there is plenty of street parking and here is their address to punch into your GPS:

Shop 1-2, Lot 3, Corner Boolwey & Station Street, Bowral, NSW 2576

If you would like to make a booking beforehand, you could reach them at +61 2 4862 1905 (telephone) or +61 2 4862 1916 (fax).

50 Golden Years of Tulip Time 2010

While our friends made plans to head to Canberra for the Floriade, my dearest housemate and I made plans to visit a place we have never set foot on - Bowral. Situated halfway between Sydney and Canberra, Bowral is the largest town in the Southern Highlands and is believed to be the birthplace of Mary Poppins:

You must be wondering what is there to do and see in a place like Bowral. Well, heaps but for this particular trip, we girls wanted to see the tulips. Yes, tulips. Why not head to Canberra, I hear you ask? Hm, there is no harm in visiting a different place, right? And besides, we head to Canberra every year. I am sure Canberra does not miss our presence. Haha...

We rented a small car from Avis, which we collected from their Croydon office. I like the guy who served us - very friendly and helpful. They gave us a brand new Toyota Corolla and if I had the money, wah, I would be getting myself one!

And when they say new, they mean new:

We had this bad feeling as we neared our destination. The skies were grey and threatening to pour and sure enough, the Heavens opened up as we drove into town, as if welcoming us. We drove around in circles, to admire the beautifully manicured gardens of almost every house there in hopes of the rain clearing. We even drove out of town into an area that gave an 'Emily Bronte/ Jane Austen' feel.

When the rain cleared slightly, we decided that we had waited enough and parked the car. We walked across to Corbett Gardens, where the annual Tulip Time Festival was held. After paying an $8 entrance fee (housemate paid less because she had her student card with her... ish ish ish), the first thought that crossed my mind was that the festival is no where near as big as the Floriade. However, they had very pretty blooms. What a pity the weather was not cooperating, as my pictures would have turned out much nicer if it was bright and sunny! Okay, I am going to stop yapping now and let the pictures speak for themselves so, enjoy!

Housemate was so observant! She pointed these out to me. Can you see the figure '50'?

And what do you know? Ryde City Concert Band came all the way to play here!

Housemate went crazy with the cherry blossom trees in bloom. I particularly liked the one with a cafe under its canopy:

Oh, have you seen the inside of a tulip?

Despite the rain, we still got to see what we wanted to see. All good, all good.