B’s coupon was a set menu with pretty nice variety of dishes and choices.

Tuna Tartar

This was just a starter, but the fresh tuna was mixed in with the right amount of creamy mayonnaise, buttery avocado and the salty pops from the roe really had us hankering for more (and it wasn’t just because we were hungry hehe).

Fried Gyoza

Given the choice between steamed and fried – fried goodness always wins, hands down; this is most certainly the case for the plate of gyoza. Some places don’t fry them long enough and so you miss out on that lovely crispy bottom, but these were fried just perfect – moist on the inside and well-seasoned.

Salmon Tataki

The salmon was very lightly seared, so it was pretty much like sashimi (not that I’m complaining, I love salmon sashimi!). I wasn’t sure if the sauce was just soy or a soy-vinegar mixture, but it accompanied the salmon wonderfully.

Assorted Tempura

The tempura batter was quite light and crispy; I liked that it wasn’t too oily either.

Sushi and Sashimi

Both sashimi and sushi were fresh as can be. It was a pity that there was an odd number of sushi, but after some tough negotiations, we came away with the pieces we wanted hehe.

Chicken Katsu

B opted for the chicken katsu, which scrumptiously succulent and crispy and came with a bowl of deliciously steaming miso soup (perfect for that cold, wet day) and rice.

Grilled Salmon

My grilled salmon also came with rice and miso soup. I thought the fish was well cooked (medium rare, just how I like it) and so perfectly seasoned that I hardly felt the need for any sauce.

Green Tea and Vanilla Ice Cream

We were a little relieved that dessert rolled around, as by this stage, we found ourselves surprisingly full. The green tea ice cream wasn’t “gritty” (for lack of a better term) like some past green tea ice creams I’ve had and was quite smooth; you can hardly go wrong with vanilla (and only then, I think, if you really tried).

There’s a few Wasabi restaurants around the town: there’s Wasabi Bistro on Stanley, Wasabi Bar and Bistro located in Kings Cross and Wasabi Bistro in Surry Hills. So best make sure everyone knows which one you’re dining at! Hehe. B and I dined at Wasabi Bistro in Surry Hills, which had a pretty casual, yet trendy atmosphere. The service was great: attentive, but not overbearing. The food was fresh and top-notch – we really couldn’t fault with anything.

Wasabi Bistro
Shop 6B-8, 417-431 Bourke St
Surry Hills, NSW, 2010
Ph: (02) 9357 2076
Web: http://www.wasabibistro.com.au/

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Post tags: Dessert, poultry, Seafood

Once settled in our trendy surrounds, we sipped on some pretty nice cocktails as we waited for the first dish to arrive (you must try the MeiWei!); mindful of my light-weightedness and empty stomach, I sipped carefully and hoped I hadn’t turned beet red just yet.

Steamed Pork Wontons with Chilli Oil Dressing

My slight anxiousness of the wontons being a bit too spicy for me was surprisingly unfounded. Sure there was a kick, but it was quite mild and made me feel like I’ve actually increased my chilli tolerance somewhat. That is until S gave me a look when she said “what chilli?” Haha bother.

In any case the wontons packed a punch in flavour – pork was seasoned and steamed perfectly and it left me wanting more.

Pickled Cucumber Salad

I was curious to see what the pickled cucumber salad entailed and was fascinated to see the dish. This is only sounds weird out of context (I hope), but I love black fungus; even as a child I couldn’t get enough of the stuff. I adore its texture: slightly crunchy, but soft and I thought it went rather well with the crisp cucumber bits, topped off with a refreshing tanginess from the dressing.

Braised Beef on Sesame Leaf

The braised beef on sesame leaf was wonderfully tender; the combination of a bright, sweet sauce and fresh herbs really made for a delicious mouthful.

Calamari Salad with Fresh Herbs

The calamari had that perfect soft, chewiness you come to expect and want. The crisp radish and slight crunch of the black fungus added a nice contrasting touch, while the herbs brought a bright and refreshing aspect to the dish.

Deep Fried Tofu with Caramelised Tomato

The deep fried tofu was quite different to what we expected: yellow, slightly wrinkly looking cubes, but what we got were white, crispy tofu. I thought it was a little strange, but to be honest, I was quite delighted in its crunchiness.

The caramelised tomato added a lovely sweetness to the tofu; I discovered that A didn’t care much for tomatoes, studiously avoiding tofu with tomatoes draped all over it – this meant more of that sweet goodness for me, I mean the rest of us… Most excellent.

Crispy Chilli Chicken

S was highly anticipating the crispy chilli chicken, but was a bit disappointed to find that it wasn’t quite as crispy as she (or we) expected. The thick sauce was quite flavoursome and only had a slightly stronger spicy kick to it than the other dishes, while most of the chicken bits were scrumptiously succulent and cooked perfectly (a couple of the bigger pieces seemed a little bit on the raw side).

Caramelised Beef with Fresh Fennel and Radish

This had to be one of the star dishes of the night: the caramelised beef was absolutely divine in flavour and texture. It was slightly sweet, juicy and oh so tender (it was so tender that it seemed to break apart from the lightest touch) while the pomegranate seeds added a nice tart accent to the sweetness of the beef. It was definitely no surprise to us that it was gone within minutes, though much to our sadness.

An iceberg lettuce salad with a tangy dressing was served as a side dish and we tucked into the main dishes with what seemed like a never-ending supply of fluffy jasmine rice (we must have gone through at least two large bowlfuls!).

Peach Sorbet, Apple Cider Sorbet and Peach & Jasmine Tart

S decided to order the sorbets for her dessert. The apple cider sorbet was refreshing, but the peach sorbet blew our minds. It had such an incredible, intense peach flavour, but it didn’t overwhelm the taste buds and lingered hauntingly once it all had gone.

R and I ordered the peach and jasmine tart, which was perfectly heavenly. The tart wasn’t too dense, but rather buttery and flaky; while at first bite sweetness from the peach flood your mouth, a light jasmine flavour comes after quite steathily and quietly that one might miss if they weren’t looking for it.

Combining the peach sorbet with the tart was epic.

Chocolate Truffle and Watermelon Jelly

A ordered the richly dense and decadent chocolate truffles, which she found delicious and generously shared it with the rest of the table.

As we sipped our teas, we nibbled on some watermelon jelly. The flavour was quite strong and we felt it didn’t quite compare to our wonderful desserts.

Busy Chefs at Bar H

Bar H is a cozy, trendy restaurant tucked away on the corner of Campbell and Foster St. The wait staff are lovely and so attentive; the service was quite efficient – we didn’t have to wait long between our dishes at all.

I’ve been dreaming of that caramelised beef and the desserts for a while now, I think it’s time that I wrangle F in for a visit. Hehe

Bar H
50 Campbell St
Surry Hills, NSW, 2000
Ph: (02) 9280 1980
Web: http://www.barhsurryhills.com/

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Post tags: beef, Dessert

BLACK by ezard

BLACK by ezard is nestled in the heart of the newly renovated The Star, with floor to ceiling windows that let in all of the late summer sun. It’s a welcome change from the cosy dimly lit restaurants that Sydney seems so fond of lately.(...)
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We’ve been floating around a few ideas on where to go for this momentous occasion and in the end we’ve decided on Gastro Park, nestled away in Potts Point where Grant King (formerly of Pier restaurant) has made his new home. Newly two hatted for the SMH Good Food Guide 2012, it’s the new kid of the block that’s clearly here to impress.

Decor at Gastro Park

(...)
Read the rest of Gastro Park, Potts Point (1,505 words)

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Seeing how nice out it was (especially being cooped up in an office all day long), we decided to walk across the Pyrmont Bridge… but not before we (rather, more so F) decided that we should have a pre-dinner dessert from Lindt. After all, he reasoned, it’s been a while since we’ve had macarons AND it’s along the way – though I suspect any old excuse would have done, not that I’m complaining! Haha

Lindt Macarons

I chose an apple and cinnamon macaron, which had a subtle apple flavour but enough to strongly reminded me of apple pie. Meanwhile, F had a banana and chocolate macaron that had a more distinctive flavour – there’s absolutely no mistaking the banana! I couldn’t really decide on which one I liked better, but F had a clear favourite in the banana and chocolate macaron.

Mmm Italian Beer

The coupon came with a free beverage each; F opted for a light and wheat-y Italian beer while I settled for a plain ol’ coke.

Garlic Prawns, Greek Salad and Garlic Bread

The garlic prawns surprisingly came with a healthy serving of napolitana sauce, usually it’s just olive oil, but I think I can get use to having sauce with my garlic prawns. The prawns themselves were perfectly cooked and well-seasoned.

The garlic bread was quite buttery and crunchy (just the way we like it); although it was a bit light on the garlic side it was rather perfect in mopping up the garlic prawn sauce. Yum!

Our eyes almost popped out when we saw just how generous the serving size was for the Greek salad. It was decent as salad goes: fresh, flavoursome and crisp – can’t ask much more than that.

Beef Tortellini

The beef tortilleni boscaiola was made fresh that very day (you could tell!) and I loved that there was so much mushroom! The serving size was again of gigantic proportions and F had to help me to finish it. I also really loved how saucy and creamy it was. Mmm, really wishing I had some right now…

The Darling Special Pizza

The Darling special pizza boasts having oven roasted capsicum, mushrooms, oven baked potato, Spanish red onion, goat fetta cheese, chilli, cabanossi, corn fed chicken, mozzarella cheese, tomato and herbs. Hectic, no? Despite having so many delicious ingredients, the one that really cinched it for us was the oven-baked potato. The last time I had potato on my pizza was at Belmonte’s (easily the one of the best pizza places I’ve been to) and that was way too long ago, so I was pretty excited.

F felt like a bit of spice that day and we asked if it was possible to have half chilli and half non-chilli. Our waiter assured us that it was possible and while most of it was on one side, there were a few rouge flakes that caused all sorts of havoc to my mouth. F thought I was being a sissy (yet again) until he had some… Hah I say!!

But I digress.

The pizza wasn’t soggy and had generous amounts of topping layered with oozing cheese, but there were no potatoes!! I felt a bit let down; perhaps the chef had forgotten it? I don’t know what happened to the potatoes, but it was quite delicious still (though of course, it probably would have been AWESOME with potatoes haha).

Try as we might, and despite F being a blackhole for food, there were leftovers that the wait staff was more than happy to box up for us to take away. My brother ended up eating it all, spiciness and all, and asked where I had gotten it (only to be a bit disgruntled to find that it was from some place in the city).

Strawberry and Blueberry Cheesecakes

We couldn’t possibly fit any more in, so we asked our waitress if we could have half the dessert serving they normally have. Eyes as big as saucers, she asked, “but why would you?” We tried to explain just how full we were, but she waved us off saying, “but you must have dessert!!”. It was all I could do to refrain from meekly replying, “Yes’m”.

Dessert was a blueberry cheesecake (for me) and strawberry cheesecake for F. It was quite creamy with a lovely crumbly biscuit base… and definitely wasn’t a half serving size! My goodness the slices were quite substantial – though it fits in with what seems to be a generous serving size policy they have going.

The Darling Pizzeria is a small, casual diner tucked away between a kebab shop and Oscar’s with an adjoining take away shop front. I thought it was weird at first, but it makes sense to cater for those late night revellers, being so close to the casino and Darling Harbour. The wait staff are quite friendly and cheerful, as well as being unfailingly polite. We found out that they do free delivery of their delicious food to anywhere in the CBD – our waiter candidly mentioned that their biggest customers are from people in hotels. Interesting! I think I’ll be keeping their menu pamphlet in my handbag… just in case.

The Darling Pizzeria
90 Union Street
Pyrmont, NSW, 2009
Web: http://www.thedarlingpizza.com.au/the_darling_pizzeria
Ph: (02)9566 2661

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The last couple of weeks has been one of the most amazingly intense experiences that I have ever experienced. Thanks to Fouad, I was fortunate enough to be involved in a couple of Secret Dinners for the Crave International Food Festival. This will be a relatively long post summarising the highs and lows of my journey, so sit back, relax and enjoy.(...)
Read the rest of Secret Dinners: My Experience, Crave Sydney 2011 (1,890 words)

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Needless to say that I was pretty excited when September rolled around and we finally got to go to Emmilou (so much so I think I came a bit over-dressed! Haha).

Welcome Cocktail and Beerage

I had forgotten that we would receive a welcome cocktail upon arrival until our waiter asked us if we wanted it now nor wait til the rest of our table arrived. I looked at F, who looked at little bit desperate after a long day’s work, and asked if we could have it now while we waited for R and S to arrive.

We learnt that each night the bartender would create something new – whatever he felt like on the night. Tonight, he made a very drunkable concoction of cherry liquor, aperol and Cointreau with berry coulis and cranberry. When the girls arrived, they were surprised I was drinking before dinner but quickly understood why (even though S made a face and said she couldn’t taste the alcohol. “That’s why it’s drunkable, S!” I gently admonished, taking a sip).

Guacamole with Grilled Sourdough Bread and Marinated Green and Black Manzanillo Olives

The delightfully refreshing guacamole with a hint of spiciness (which only seemed to affect me, bah) and the slightly salty olives were a great way to start dinner.

The timing was perfect, as just as we were finished with them, our additional special boards came out.

Higado del Pato - Duck Liver Parfait with Walnuts ($13)

The duck liver pate was smooth, wonderfully creamy and quite rounded when paired with the walnut. The toasted ciabattas were a little overly crunchy, but tasted so good with the pate.

Though I did wish there was more bread to the pate-bread ratio; hate letting good food go to waste and not being able to finish it because it’s just too intense to eat on its own. Sigh.

Calabacines Tempranos - Stuffed Zucchini Flowers with Truffle Honey ($21)

I don’t know what it is about zucchini flowers stuffed with cheese that just makes F and I light up. These zucchini flowers were stuffed with a creamy goat’s cheese that had a hint of sharpness and were laid on a bed of semi-dried tomatoes. Visually, it made my heart beat a little faster and made me mmm’ed as its flavour ran rampant on the tongue.

Slow-Cooked Trout with Tequila Jelly and Scallop with Grilled Pear and Peas

When the duo of trout and scallop came out, we all ooh’ed in appreciation. It looked so pretty! I felt bad for R, who waited patiently for me to finish taking photos, while F and S (who knew better than to sit in front of me) were happily munching away.

As scallops are my favourite, I decided to leave that to last and went for the smoked trout first. While the toasted bread was again a little on the crusty side, the trout was perfectly smoked and the tequila jelly added a surprising sweetness. It was all gone in several mouthfuls, which was bitter-sweet as I wanted more, but this meant I could finally eat my scallop.

When I came to scoop the scallop onto my plate, I hesitated and looked around to see how the others managed to get it on their plate. I noticed that S and R managed to get it onto their plates with no issues, while F was waiting for me. Uncertain, I slid my knife underneath, stabled it as best as I could with my fork on top and… it toppled over onto my plate. Everyone burst out laughing while I looked on with slight dismay. “Let’s see if you can do it then!” I challenged F, not being competitive at the slightest. He managed to successfully transfer it over to his plate, keeping it upright, and with such smug easiness too!

The scallop had a pretty decent sear and I loved how the pear brought out the sweetness, while the mushy peas added a very subtly heartiness to the morsel. I tried to draw it out for as long as I could, cutting the scallop into quarters then halving them again as I ate, but sadly it still went too quickly!

King Crab and Potato Croquettas with Whole Grain Mustard Vinaigrette

It’s really starting to hammer in why S love Emmilou so much now. The dishes have such a visual impact that you can’t help but admire it for a second before devouring its deliciousness.

While I couldn’t really taste the crab (which I’m putting down to the croquetta being surprisingly spicy), I loved the how soft the potatoes were without being mushy juxtaposed with the crunchiness of the crumbed shell. Meanwhile, the dab of whole grain mustard seeds added a bit of a different sort of spicy kick to the croquetta and the aioli rounded out the flavours quite harmoniously.

Jamon Serrano with Fennel and Garlic Salami

Damn but I do love me some jamon! Both the jamon and salami had strong hearty flavours and soft texture, which is quite in contrast with the crusty, almost-bland-in-comparison bread. I remember thinking that this dish wouldn’t go amiss at a picnic! I can imagine casually wolfing these down on a sunny, serene day lazing about with friends in the park.

It was rather surprising, but we were starting to feel a little full at this stage. As our waiter was clearing our table from empty plates, he asked us if we wanted to wait for a bit for the pork belly or keep rolling along. We all unhesitatingly responded with “bring it on”.

16-Hour Free Range Berkshire Pork Belly with Spring Peas and Kipfler Potatoes

It took a while for the pork belly to come out and we wondered how long it would have taken if we asked for it to come out later, but all was forgiven when we tasted the dish.

Holy moly it was incredibly succulent and soft. The pork belly had the perfect amount of crispiness to it and fattiness too. The mushy peas was refreshing to the heaviness of the pork and denseness of the superbly crunchy kipfler potatoes (I need to know how to make these!! They were way too scrumptious).

Half way through my portion of the pork, I became a little overwhelmed with food. Perhaps it was the heaviness of the dish, but I struggled to finish the last couple of mouthfuls. R gave up the ghost and asked us if we wanted to finish her portion. F hesitated a bit, but after haggling that he’d have three-quarters of it and she have the rest, he was happily munching on the last bits of pork belly.

There was a very brief moment of insanity where we contemplated not having desserts because we were so full, but thankfully that passed and as a compromise, thought we’d at least moderate it to two desserts and not four.

Churros with Warm Chocolate Sauce ($15)

Remembering the delicious churros with chocolate sauce I had a long time ago, I jumped at ordering it with F heartily endorsing my choice. It was just as good as I had remembered, perhaps even better, with its super crunchiness and thick, sinfully decadent dark chocolate sauce. You know when something’s good when you find yourself licking the remnants off your fingers.

Chocolate Tarte with Beetroot ($14)

The girls chose this for two things: chocolate and beetroot; it seemed so strange and had to be tried out.

For the most part, it did seem much like a very dense and moist chocolate cake, but on the odd occasion there were pieces of sweet beetroot – it was kind of a lucky dip! The beetroot ice cream was pretty interesting, where the beetroot flavour was quite subtle. I thought the gooey chocolate sauce topping really gave the cake that extra oomph from decent to quite scrumptious.

Emmilou

Emmilou is such a laid-back place with a very eclectic choice of music (much to my delight). I loved the casual, yet bold decor (all that red and gold!) and the food looked amazing without being fussy – best thing was: it tasted just as good as it looked.

It was so easy to see why S loves this place so much; this was her fourth time at Emmilou this year! And I wouldn’t be surprised if I come back here for another catch up with friends.

Emmilou
413 Bourke St
Surry Hills, NSW, 2010
Ph: 02 9360 6991
Web: http://www.emmilou.com.au/

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Post tags: Dessert, pork, Seafood

It’s been a while since G and I last caught up and a couple of minutes of chatting on the snowfields didn’t quite cut it (especially since I spent most of that time goading him to do a jump despite the fact that he insisted he doesn’t normally do jumps and would go splat). We usually take turns deciding where to go and it was his choice this time, but realising that this would be the perfect opportunity to try out Cotton Duck, I kind of bulldozed him into coming here (though to be fair, he wasn’t too fussed in the first place – thank goodness).

Mini Bread Rolls

As our waiter whisked our menus away after taking our orders, a plate of wonderfully warm and crusty mini bread rolls arrived. What I thought was toasted black sesame seeds was actually something more akin to anise seeds with its sweet liquorice taste flavouring the bread. I normally don’t like liquorice, but the bread mellowed out the strong flavour and it was actually pretty good with the creamy butter.

Babaganoush with Sweet Potato Crisps

We weren’t expecting an appetizer, but we weren’t going to say no to something that looked rather interesting. I don’t know what was in that babaganoush, but it was freaking delicious! On top of that, the sweet potato crisps had a most satisfying crunch. We couldn’t get enough of it and was rather sad when it was all gone. That and it just whet our appetites for our forth-coming dishes.

Surf, Turf & Air - Seared Kangaroo, School Prawns and Crispy Duck Skin ($20)

I was quite excited about the twist on the ol’ surf and turf dish and it’s been a while since I’ve had kangaroo. My friend has said that kangaroo is kind of hard to cook, as it has a tendency to become tough quite easily. Not a chance with this seared kangaroo though – it was divinely succulent and perfectly seasoned. The crispy duck skin was… well, quite crispy and there is a moment of sinful fattiness when bitten into – though it was best eaten with the kangaroo or prawn.

The sweet prawns were cooked just right and I don’t know if we were suppose to eat the crispy shrimps (or at least that’s what I thought they were) whole, but I did it in one happy crunchy mouthful without thinking. I noticed that G wasn’t eating his share of the shrimps and nudged them over to his side of the plate. He looked at it warily, “I’m not sure how you’re suppose to eat that – do you eat it all? In one go?” I shrugged and grin. “Dunno, I just ate it like this *om nom nom nom*.”

What we also really enjoyed was the wide streak of hoi sin sauce smeared across the plate like asphalt. We would dab, swirl and scrape it off with the meat, adding a lovely salty-sweetness to the overall dish and tied together all of the components.

Pressed Pork - Rillette of Milandura farms Pork with Black Caviar Lentils, Root Vegetable Confit and Fresh Bay Leaf sauce ($19)

I have to admit, the pressed pork doesn’t look like much – in fact, I was a bit amused at the cube of pork presented, but I knew that all was not as it seemed from past experiences. Once I broke open the crumbed shell, I couldn’t help but grin as if I had found treasure. Technically, I did find treasure, as the pork was oh-so-amazingly soft and juicy and the deep-fried crumbed shell added a great crunchy texture to the dish. While the root vegetable confit and black caviar lentils were quite flavoursome, the pork was definitely the star.

Wild Rabbit Braised with Trotter, Pearl Barley, Scallop Cream, Gathered Greens and Organic Radish ($32)

Moving onto our mains, G ordered the rabbit and we were rather impressed when it came out. The rabbit was different to the other rabbits I’ve had – then again, I’ve never had medium-rare seared rabbit and I would hope that it would not be the last time. It was insanely tender and I was glad that G’s first taste of rabbit was of this.

The broth was hearty without being overly heavy and the pearl barley was just scrumptious with the salty scallop cream and subtly sweet vegetables. With all the components in one mouthful, we both couldn’t help but moan in appreciation.

Pan Roasted King Salmon with Pea Puree, Peas, Potato Crumbs and Tartare Garnish ($36)

I thought at first the white dollop was mash and gleefully dug into it. The sharp, tangy flavour and its lack of density made me pause and for a split second I thought puzzledly, “Tartare sauce?” A quick re-taste confirmed that it was indeed tartare sauce – well not sauce, rather a fluffy, creamy dollop. “G, you have to taste this,” I pointed at the dollop with my fork. “Awesome mash potatoes, huh?” he teased as he took a little swipe at it. It’s funny how you can precisely pinpoint the moment an awesome flavour just hits someone. I think it’s the closed eyes, the moan of appreciation (yet again), quickly followed by something akin to: “Damn that’s good!”

The salmon, as with everything else, was perfection and I simply adored the pea components (then again, I also have a great love for peas) and the super crispy potatoes. Everything just went so well together… whenever we saw the dish pass us by to other tables, we both sighed a little.

We were rather full by this stage and G was adamant that he could only fit in one shared dessert. I was a bit deflated at this, but agreed to it anyway. G rolled his eyes and groaned, “Fine… we’ll have two desserts. God squishies, you’re going to be the death of me.” I may have squealed a little, but I shall neither confirm or deny that.

Chocolate Fondant with Blood Orange and Caramel ($15)

As I went to dig a sizeable chunk out of the chocolate fondant I hoped that I would be met with some gooey, oozing chocolate. When the fondant broke apart, I couldn’t help but grin in happiness. The oozing chocolate sauce was just about perfect and tasted like heaven.

The blood orange jelly had a lovely sharp tang and the caramel a slight saltiness that paired well with the decadence of the chocolate.

Fragomammella - Goats Cheese Pannacotta, Strawberry Cream, Meringue and Baby Mint ($15)

While I was in ecstasy over the chocolate fondant, G was busy falling in love with the pannacotta. He’s not one for super sweet desserts and I commented that it bordered on being a savoury dish than a dessert. “That is the reason that I love it,” he countered.

I’m not sure why I was rather amazed at just how much the pannacotta tasted like goat’s cheese. It was like eating goat’s cheese that was lighter and less dense, but still had the full round flavour and creaminess.

The sweetness from the meringue and strawberry helped it from becoming a bit too overwhelmingly savoury.

Petite Fours - Caramel Cupcakes

To finish off with our tea and coffee, we were presented with caramel cupcakes: bit-sized goodness that was topped with a passionfruit dollop.

Inside Cotton Duck

I’m so glad to have been finally able to come to Cotton Duck; it was definitely well worth the wait. From the moment G and I stepped in to when we left (at a very much later time), the service was fantastic – the wait staff was attentive and friendly.

The dishes we had were pretty amazing in freshness, flavour and execution of concept. G and I thoroughly enjoyed our time at Cotton Duck, but then again when you have great company with great food it’s not surprising that you would – I think it would be very hard not to.

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Post tags: Dessert, pork, Seafood

Tucked away on level four of the new Westfield complex, the name Cara&Co glows enticingly from behind a shop window of seductive mannequins. Stepping inside I suddenly feel as though I’m walking through a museum of gorgeous clothes and furniture, even knowing that the restaurant is tucked away at the end of the store, P still whispers to me asking if I know where we’re going.

Restaurant Cara&Co

It’s the glowing tiles on the floor as well as the projected screens of models strutting across the catwalk that let me know we’re in the right place. On a Wednesday night the restaurant is empty apart from a few tables, and with a quick smile the waiter has us seated and poring through the menus.

(...)
Read the rest of Restaurant Cara&Co, Westfields, Sydney CBD (1,114 words)

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It was a bit of an aimless search until a friend mentioned a cafe that doubled as a games parlour. That definitely piqued our interest and we trooped off to Norita.

Desserts!

Getting our dessert fix, we ordered Green Tea Eskimo ($8.90), Asian Fantasy ($9.90), Nut Crazy ($9.90) and Blueberry Double Baked Cheese Cake ($5.50).

D was a bit disappointed to see that the blueberry cheesecake didn’t come with the mounds of fruit as depicted in the menu (I’m starting to think that most of the time the desserts from Asian places never look like the one in the picture).

The desserts were okay, decent but not fantastic, but then again I guess we weren’t really here for the dessert (though it was a bonus) seeing that we got quite distracted with the games menu and the games themselves.

Tumblin' Monkeys and Pick-Up-Sticks

Simple and quick games like Tumblin’ Monkeys and Pick-Up-Sticks (there’s also UNO!) are about $1 per game, per person. Because we had such a big group, we had to split up to play a couple of the games we had chosen.

While one side was quiet (with the occasional muttering of adding up points) playing Scrabble, the other half went through quite loud games of Tumblin’ Monkeys, Pick-Up-Sticks and several rounds of Jenga. Did you know that you could only use one hand playing Jenga? We didn’t until we actually read the rules – oops. We quickly found out why the other people playing Jenga had such short games (as opposed to our long ass game), though playing with two hands was also quite interesting – some people are quite devious in removing those blocks!

Scrabble, Jenga and Taboo

The longer or more strategic games like Scrabble, Life and Risk are about $2.50 per person, per game.

I personally think you can’t go past Pictionary or Taboo to cater for a large group – it’s so much fun, what with the noise and the good-natured, energetic arguments discussions on whether so-and-so broke the rules by doing/say such a thing. (In the end, Rock Paper Scissors is the ultimate mediator for such an impasse discussion.)

We played Taboo this time around because no one really wanted to draw. I was rather grateful, as I’m a horrible drawer: once I had “croissant” and everyone thought it was a piece of cheese or a crescent moon – needless to say no one won that round. Not everyone knew how to play Taboo, but a couple of the newbies turned out to be a lot better than the seasoned players!

Norita

I love the concept of Norita, with its late hours and noise tolerance – no matter how loud we got, we weren’t shooshed at all! I recently came back with a long-time friend; he was sceptical but keenly curious when I suggested we come here to relax and chat after dinner (and like everyone else, he wondered what sleazy place the stairs were taking him to).

We ended up playing Scrabble – he knew how obsessed I am with Words with Friends and wanted to see how good I actually am. It was kind of funny because we started off playing quite languidly, chatting between our turns, until I realised that our conversation was sliding to a decidedly one-sided manner as he progressively became more and more monosyllabic. I stopped talking just to see what he’d do (in mid-sentence even) and he didn’t even realise!

“I thought this game was a side thing while we chatted,” I teased with grin.

“You. Are. Not. Going. To. Win,” he gritted out, determination radiated from him and I bemusedly quieted down.

Much to his disgust, I won.

My friend quite liked the idea of Norita as well and mused that he should bring his friends here to check it out. Whatever the reason for coming to Norita (we spied a couple falling asleep on the couch, snuggled up to each other), you can be sure to leave with great memories.

Norita
Level 2, 77 Liverpool Street
Sydney, NSW, 2000
Ph: (02) 9267 3753
Web: http://www.norita.com.au/

© squishies for eatshowandtell, 2011. | Permalink | 10 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Dessert, games

Describing themselves as the Kimchi Crew, Seoul of Sydney is an eclectic group of young chefs who all have one thing in common, a passion for Korean food. Between the lot of them they’ve managed to work in pretty much every single restaurant around Sydney (Bilson’s, China Doll, Flying Fish, Glass Brasserie to name a few). They’re headed up up by Peter Jo who used to manage a restaurant owned by his parents, you may have heard of Madang?

The gorgeous Bar H

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Read the rest of Koreaculum 101, Seoul of Sydney, Bar H (1,829 words)

© Minh for eatshowandtell, 2011. | Permalink | 9 comments | Add to del.icio.us
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Justin North

The first thing I realise when we arrive at the Chef’s Table in Becasse is that the table really is set in the middle of the action. We’re set a mere meter away from the induction stove tops and have front row seats for the plating station where the man himself, Justin North is putting the final touches on some dishes before sending them out.

It’s my second time dining at Becasse, but thanks to an invitation from Tourism New Zealand it’s the first time I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Justin North and my first experience of dining in the heart of a working restaurant kitchen.

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Read the rest of Becasse Chef’s Table, Sydney CBD (1,791 words)

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Orto Trading decorations

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Read the rest of Orto Trading Co., Surry Hills (718 words)

© Minh for eatshowandtell, 2011. | Permalink | 10 comments | Add to del.icio.us
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He received a coupon deal where at the Swissotel’s Crossroads Bar you can have high tea for two with a glass of champagne for $40. Yes… $40 for two, where normally it would have been $49 per person. I’m not sure why he passed around to his (male) friends – predictably they teased F a little and remarked that only girls love this sort of thing. Poor F… it ended up just us two going, but he was excited nonetheless.

The high tea at Crossroads is a bit different to your usual high tea…

High Tea Buffet

Instead of the wait staff bringing pots of ordered tea to the table, followed by a 3-tiered cake stand filled with delicious goodies, high tea at the Crossroads bar consists of making your own tea (choices are as varied, but of the usual fare) or coffee and taking your fill at what I’d like to think as something akin to the Mad Hatter’s table.

Chocolate Brownies and Orange Scones

It is a glorious spread of delicious-looking sweets, pastries and of course a bowlful of scones between giant bowls of cream and strawberry conserve.

As much as I wanted to dig into the scrumptious morsels laid out on the long table, I couldn’t go past convention to have something savoury first.

Sandwich Platter

Mindful of all the delectable desserts I must sample later on, I ate as many different sandwich pieces as I dared.

I thought it was kind of funny when we approached the platter, F gasped, “They even cut the crusts off!” I love eating bread crusts, but there are times where crustless sandwiches are just better.

The sandwiches were well-made and put together; the more people arrived, the more decimated the platter got. However, the staff efficiently and quickly brought out fresh platters, which was a good thing, as F kept going back for the curried devil egg sandwiches.

I remember last time I was here, they had mini quiches and was surprised to find that they weren’t there any more. F discovered that the hot quiches were tucked away in a corner and they were massive this time. Sometimes bigger is better – these were so fluffy and more flavoursome than the ones they use to have.

Fruit Meringue and Profiteroles

Finally we got down to the business of smashing sampling the desserts.

The fruit meringue had a dollop of whipped cream under the fruit, adding a creaminess to a sweet bite. Profiteroles are one of F’s weaknesses and so I took it on good authority when he said they were quite delicious – the pastry didn’t seem stale and the custard was fresh.

Fruit Tart

I love fruit tarts, though sometimes find that some bakeries over do the glazing to keep the fruit together and on top, leaving a thick jelly coating. The fruit tarts here are delicately glazed; I took one bite and quite a bit of the custard and fruit relocated to the other side of the tart. F teased me to take it easy, but when he took a bite, it also relocated quite suddenly. So while the fruit tart is delicate and elegant to look at, it’s actually quite inelegant to eat! It didn’t stop it being scrumptious with its buttery and crumbly shortbread base, fresh custard filling and fresh fruit topping.

Rocky Road, Passionfruit Something and More Cakes

I know some of my friends don’t like rocky roads because they are quintessentially super sweet – I love it for this exact reason. Also because of the squishy softness of the marshmallow bits. I love how pistachios were added to the rocky road; they really gave the delicious bit-sized pieces an extra oomph.

We weren’t too sure what was in the cup, but it seemed like it was a passionfruit-laced French cream and my goodness was it divine! The cream was so smooth and fluffy and the white chocolate enhanced the natural sweetness of the fruit.

The passionfruit slice wasn’t too bad – being creamy and tart, but the chocolate fudge mousse, as gloriously dark chocolate-y as it was, was the dessert that did me in. It was fluffy with a thin spongy base, but my goodness was incredibly rich.

Cake and Creme Caramel

As you can expect by this stage, I was brimming full of tea and an immense amount of desserts… and I still haven’t tried everything yet; this is despite F and I sharing most of the desserts.

So we didn’t end up trying the cake on the left, and we shared the creme caramel (which was okay – I think it needed more caramel sauce).

Chocolate Fountain, Macarons and Jelly Cups

There were two types of macarons: dark chocolate ganache and pistachios-dark chocolate; both were quite good, if a little inconsistent in shape.

I really wanted to eat chocolate-dipped fruit and sweets, kind of like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, but the thought of eating more sweet things make me blanch. Determined not to miss out on any more desserts, I took one of the jelly cups home (much to F’s embarrassment and dismay). Not that he didn’t gain from it – he “accidentally” ate it when I forgot it at his place… so sneaky!

Stuart the Pianist

While we scoffed daintily nibbled at our sandwiches and bite-sized desserts and sipped our tea, tinkling strains of soothing piano music weaved a wonderfully relaxing atmosphere. Stuart, the pianist responsible for our repose state of mind, plays beautifully and would take on requests if he knows the pieces. I don’t remember having a pianist lull us last time I was here, so I thought it was a really great addition to a high tea session.

High tea at the Crossroads Bar in the Swissotel is on Level 8 between the hours of 2pm and 4pm. Last time I was here, it felt like it was more about the quantity than quality, but this time I was very pleasantly surprised at how delicious most things were (definitely more hits than misses).

It is not like your traditional high tea experience, but if you’re up for a buffet of the usual components of high tea, then you’re in for a treat.

Crossroads Bar, Swissotel
Level 8, 68 Market Street
Sydney, NSW 2000
Ph: (02) 9238 8888
Web: http://www.swissotel.com/EN/Destinations/Australia/Swissotel+Sydney/HOTEL+HOME/Gallery/Dining/Crossroads+Bar.htm

© squishies for eatshowandtell, 2011. | Permalink | 16 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Dessert

Named for the dastardly Dip featured in ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit‘, this Dip features a hell of a lot of old school American goodness in the form of Hot Dogs, Tacos, Burgers and some damn fine beer. Tucked away in GOODGOD Small Club, with the magic of Andrew Levins and Bianca Khalil working behind the scenes it’s a welcome late-night addition to the Sydney scene.

I know why I’m here. I’ve been stalking Lev’s Dawg for a few weeks now, a tweet here and a teasing mention of it there on the menu means I have eyes for nothing else, even though that Pulled Pork sandwich is tempting! Sydney’s going through a Hot Dog love fest at the moment, but for now Lev’s Dawg reigns supreme in my opinion.

Lev's Dawg - Smoked kosher hot dog w/ chipotle mayo, fresh tomato salsa, grilled yellow peppers and american mustard on a steamed bun $12

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Read the rest of The Dip, GOODGOD Small Club, Chinatown (617 words)

© Minh for eatshowandtell, 2011. | Permalink | 17 comments | Add to del.icio.us
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Walk upstairs to the bar

Ms G’s opened  to a lot of hype. Everyone was excited about Dan Hong’s next project following the success of Lotus, this time partnering up with Jowett Yu. We all saw what they could churn out at Lotus. Dan, He’s a young chef who is in tune with culinary trends around the world (if you follow his Twitter, he goes around the world searching for inspiration) but also a guy who treks out to Cabramatta for a bowl of noodles in a hole in a wall joint which I’ve been frequenting for 20 odd years since I was a kid.

This blog post is long overdue, we’ve been to Ms G’s a few times since it has opened but we just never got around to writing about it. My memory might be a bit hazy when it comes to describing the dishes and the menu might’ve even changed since our visit. However, just enjoy looking at the photos taken by Minh and get a feel of what Ms G’s is capable of churning out.

Cocktails

Cocktails are served in bubble tea cups, with the wrapping and all. Its a nice and quirky touch, definitely gets people talking and for us, brings back memories of university at UTS where we use to frequent Easyway at least once a day. Subsequent blood tests ruled us all out with diabetes.(...)
Read the rest of Ms G’s, Potts Point (810 words)

© Howard for eatshowandtell, 2011. | Permalink | 15 comments | Add to del.icio.us
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I’ve never had authentic Mexican food in my life, but I know there’s Tequila and $5 tacos on the menu prompting a midweek visit with some of my favourite people.

El Loco Interior

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Read the rest of El Loco, Surry Hills (931 words)

© Minh for eatshowandtell, 2011. | Permalink | 15 comments | Add to del.icio.us
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Wasted promises a dinner collaboration designed to make you think about what’s on your plate, and deliberately uses ingredients often discarded as part of the cooking process. There’s a tantalising email sent out a few days later, teasing us with dishes promising Nettle, bugs, and Intercostal. I’ve no idea what to expect but it’s been a long time since I’ve seen so curious about a dinner.

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Read the rest of Wasted Pop-Up, Darlinghurst (1,285 words)

© Minh for eatshowandtell, 2011. | Permalink | 16 comments | Add to del.icio.us
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How was it possible that I had never tried this Hainan Chicken before? Obviously this was a fault that needed to be rectified immediately, and by immediately I mean that I wandered by Eating World Foodcourt 3 months later solely by chance and decided to stop in. And you know what? Howie was right, this is the best Hainan Chicken in Sydney.

Half Roasted Chicken Meal $18.80

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Read the rest of Singapore Shiok, Eating World Foodcourt, Chinatown Sydney (487 words)

© Minh for eatshowandtell, 2011. | Permalink | 16 comments | Add to del.icio.us
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Where the wild things are

I have to admit, I was one of those kids who loved to sneak around in the dark after my bedtime. With a torch as my trusty aide I would wander the hallways before getting busted by my mum and sent promptly to bed! So when I heard about the Jurassic Lounge from Astroboy I knew it was only a matter of time before I popped by for a visit, but it just so happened to be with a few other people I knew. (...)
Read the rest of Jurassic Lounge, Australian Museum, Sydney CBD (440 words)

© Minh for eatshowandtell, 2011. | Permalink | 8 comments | Add to del.icio.us
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