eatshowandtell » Dinner

Different Drummer, Glebe

squishies — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:00:54 +0000

Our friends, O and A, made the momentous decision to emigrate to France and said adieu to Sydney earlier this year. With their tickets bought and most things packed into boxes, the only thing left they had to do was to throw a party (of course)!

They adore Different Drummers for the cocktails, delicious food and cozy atmosphere, so it was a natural choice to make when picking a venue for their farewell.

Cocktails were 2 for 1 when I got there (happy hour is from 6 to 7.30pm, I think), but as F was still making his way to the bar, I asked if he wanted me to get him a drink. A re-sounding “yes” (as if I had to even ask! Haha) saw me return to our reserved area on the rooftop with a tray full of alcoholic beverages, which made me look like I tipple a little too much for my own good.

I was glad when he finally arrived… we could finally order some food! Without hesitation, we chose the large tapas selection ($60), wherein we got to choose 6 dishes from the tapas menu.

Warm Turkish Bread with Trio of Tapenades

The tapenades consisted of baba ganoush, black olive and sun-dried tomato dips. I found the sweet-tinged sun-dried tomato dip a tad spicy, but my favourite had to be the baba ganoush. Meanwhile, F equally liked them all and pretty much wiped the plate clean with the very warm and toasty Turkish bread.

Steamed Asparagus Spears wrapped in Prosciutto and topped with Fresh Parmesan Shards and Bearnaise Sauce

I must admit it: I adore asparagus – not as much as potatoes, mind you, but it’s right up there with broccoli and mushrooms. This just meant I could not not order this dish after seeing it on the menu.

And it most certainly did not disappoint.

The sweet asparagus were fairly bursting with juice and every single spear was steamed to perfection. I would have happily eaten the asparagus on its own, but I loved how the salty prosciutto, creamy Bearnaise sauce, and sharp parmesan were the most scrumptious of accompaniments – I must bug F to make all our asparagus side dishes this way.

Jamon Serrano and Manchego Cheese Croquettes with a Dijon Aioli

The croquettes looked so adorably chubby that I couldn’t wait to eat them. Crisp on the outside, not at all oily, and had an amazingly soft filling that packed a punch of flavour.

Eat it on its own or with the tangy, creamy Djion aioli sauce – either way, you really can’t go wrong.

Haloumi Skewers with Semi Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Kalamata Olives, Thyme Oil and Lemon

I don’t think you can ever go wrong with Haloumi cheese (squeak, squeak!) and this beautifully presented dish was not just a feast for the eyes.

Each skewer was well-balanced and wasn’t overly salty as one might expect. Maybe it had something to do with the squeeze of lemon, adding a little acidity to the dish.

Beef Sliders with Wood Smoked Tomato and Gherkin Relish, Vintage Cheddar on Brioche Buns

These sliders were most probably the cutest, yet most phallic, tiny cheeseburgers I’ve ever had. Simple as they may be, these sliders packed some serious flavour. The pattie wasn’t dry and was well-seasoned; the ratio of smoky tomatoes, tangy relish, smooth cheddar, and bun were just right too.

The tiny french fries reminded me of those french fries chips you get, only better and not as overtly salty.

I think we should have ordered a 2nd plate haha.

Pan Fried Potatoes with Garlic Aioli

Being potato fans, we couldn’t let this dish go by us. The potatoes were wonderfully fried – crispy with a soft center – and the garlic aioli sauce was amazing with it.

Rooftop @ Different Drummer

I quite like Different Drummer’s coziness – I think it’s longer than it is wide! There’s about 3 floors with a couple of different ways to get there, which made it feel like some sort of crazy maze (in a good way!).

It does get quite busy and you can only order drinks and food from the ground floor bar, so there can be a bit of jostling to get where you need to go. The staff are super friendly and very efficient, but what was really surprising was the food served.

I’ll be honest: being a bar, I expected it to serve typical bar food, but they had a pretty large selection of Spanish tapas! Add to that, the dishes we ordered were well presented and most importantly, very delicious. No wonder O and A kept coming back! Haha… I think another visit is definitely required.

Different Drummer
185 Glebe Point Rd
Glebe, NSW, 2037
Ph: (02) 9552 3406
Web: http://www.differentdrummer.com.au/

Wasabi Bistro, Surry Hills

squishies — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:59:41 +0000

One of the last dinners I had in 2011 (I’m sorry, last post from last year – I swear!!) was at Wasabi Bistro. I haven’t had a proper catch up with B for what felt like an age, so when she suggested dinner one night I jumped at the chance.

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/

Albee’s Kitchen, Cabramatta

Howard — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 23:34:26 +0000

When it comes to Malaysian food options in Sydney, there are probably only a handful of restaurants that come to mind. Mamak, is probably the go-to place for most people with its affordable and consistently tasty offerings. There is also Petaling Street which has recently popped up, though it offers a slightly different offering to that of Mamak.

A friend of mine has been telling me for years that Mamak “isn’t that good lah”. He insists that Albee’s Kitchen is his go-to for Malaysian food, but in fairness it serves up slightly different dishes with more of a Malaysian-Chinese take on things. I’ve always wanted to visit Albee’s, but I don’t get myself to Campsie all that often.

Teh tarik

(...)
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Bar H, Surry Hills

squishies — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 14:30:34 +0000

It was one of those mildly wet, slightly miserable days last year when we met up for dinner at Bar H.

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/

The Everest Kitchen, Marrickville

squishies — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 13:00:39 +0000

A little while ago last year, a friend organised a small catch up over a Nepalese dinner. It was the two things I couldn’t say no to; it was regrettably a long time since I had seen them and from my last Nepalese dinner, I knew it was going to be tasty. To sweeten the deal, the dinner was a two-for-one voucher with a set menu.

Mixed Entree Platter

(...)
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Mexican Pool Party

squishies — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 13:44:37 +0000

I’ve come to realise that Linda is the Queen of Themed Parties… and I’m startled to find that I’m really warming up to this dressing up business! I definitely moan less about having to think of a costume now – especially when I heard about what Linda’s got planned for our Easter break (already!).

Anywho, so ~~this year~~ last year’s theme was Mexican and oh boy, were there a lot of dodgy looking moustaches around (fake and real). Anticipating a hot summer (*snorts*), we bought a slightly dodgy-looking above-ground pool and so we had a Mexican Pool Party! We of course had to have Mexican food (albeit made with an Asian spin on it) and lots of booze to go with. Whoo!

Guacamole, Salsa, Pulled Pork... makes Tacos!!

First up were tacos. Unfortunately, the guacamole and salsa were made first and being the pigs we are, we “accidentally” ate most of it before the rest of the taco bits were done. Howie made a commendable attempt in curbing our enthusiasm for the guacamole and salsa, but we could not be denied – they were just too good! Things quickly went downhill when Minh arrived with some Doritos. Good thing there were heaps of the utterly amazing pulled pork and had lots to spare despite our constant nibbling.(...)
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BLACK by ezard, The Star, Pyrmont

Minh — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 02:00:29 +0000

Every time I ponder the world of vegetarianism I know that facing a lifetime without eating meat again would be pretty much impossible for me. So it’s the promise of steak and marrow that draws us to BLACK by ezard (capitilisation theirs, not mine), the latest lovechild of Teage Ezard also known for restaurants such as Gingerboy and ezard in Melbourne.

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.(...)
Read the rest of BLACK by ezard, The Star, Pyrmont (1,171 words)

Moo Gourmet Burgers, Manly

squishies — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 14:13:58 +0000

I think it’s no secret that I adore the burgers at Moo Gourmet Burgers, so much so that I would brave awful wet weather and horrible traffic just for a taste. And getting lost.

Well, just a little lost (I walked into the restaurant next door and got a few curious stares) and felt a little silly when I finally noticed the (numerous) signs indicating where Moo was. Going through a narrow passageway and onto the second floor took me to Moo’s newest joint.

Moo Views

Moo at Manly is cozy, has two floors, really neat finishing touches and a balcony with a sweet beach view from the third floor (or rather Moo’s second floor); I love the rustic furniture (made from recycled materials by Bare Nature).

Chunky Hot Chips with Home-Made Sauces

I’ve never successfully finished the awesome chunky chips with my burger, which is really such a pity because they’re really quite awesome: the crispy shell giving way to the fluffy potato on the inside, never oily and always moist. So awesome I’ve used it twice in that sentence! A few of us have been to Moo before and so know to treat those chips with caution – must leave room for the burgers!

The chips came with four of Moo’s most popular sauces (and with good cause too): aioli, mayonnaise, chilli jam and tomato relish. The aioli was hands down the table’s favourite.

Wagyu Beef Burger

I always have a hard time trying to choose which burger to eat when I come to Moo, while F seems to gravitate to the Wagyu Beef Burger quite often and it’s really not hard to see why.

All the components of the burger, from the juicy Angus Pure pattie to the creamy Tasmanian brie and caramelised onions, harmonised so completely together that I totally forgot that we were going to be served a second burger and practically finished it.

Delicious Moo-verages

Do you find that once you find something you really really like, you latch onto it and order it all the time? The Mooteaser is my go-to Mooshake, but it was nice to try something different this time around.

The Beach Blonde, with its Crunchie bits and caramel and chocolate syrup, was as delicious as I remembered (though not as good as the Mooteaser hehe). We also got to try the traditional vanilla malted milkshake that is the foundation of all Mooshakes. It’s not surprising that the “base” is also delicious, simple and full of flavour, and I can see just how easily it can carry all the fancy trappings of the other shakes Moo has on offer.

I never really thought about getting a cocktail from Moo before but after having the Cow in Mud (as in, happy as a “pig in mud”… get it? hehe) I think I might be switching from the Mooteaser after this! The fantastic cocktail is the perfect blend of Frangelico, Baileys, chocolate sauce and Tim Tams (which I think is the secret weapon that makes the drink go from “yummm” to “kapow!”)… bother, I really would love one right now.

Moo has expanded their beer range to include the Moo Brew Pale Ale – a boutique beer made at the Moorilla Estate, Tasmania. I love the shape of the bottle (I don’t know why, there’s something about it that’s rather pleasing) and the light floral taste is quite nice.

Kangaroo Burger

The Kangaroo burger is a new addition to the Moo gourmet burger range. The succulent kangaroo pattie has a mixture of sage and garlic and wonderfully accompanied by caramelised onions, beetroot relish (to die for), fresh tomato and rocket, topped off with their home-made mayonnaise. Bliss. The burger comes in the usual sour dough bun, as well as a gluten free bun.

I could not, for the life of me, finish the burger so I was glad that I had cut (maybe “butcher” would be a better word) it in half. Our waitress kindly packed our leftovers in takeaway boxes and seeing my coworker lives right next door to Moo (so lucky!!), I popped over with a little present, which he absolutely loved.

Mookies and Ginger Ale

I have to confess, I’ve never tried Moo’s desserts as we’ve always been so full after the burgers, but I think we have to make room for dessert next time we come here for their Black & White “Mookies” (Moo cookies!). These mind-blowing cookies are made from scratch, daily, and we were served ones straight from the oven. Seriously, these are mind-blowingly awesome with its melted white and dark chocolate chunks, crunchy edge and doughy middle. Absolutely yumsters.

Moo Sign

Moo, it seems, has been going from strength to strength – churning out packed full of flavour burgers and now conquering desserts too! Their new place in Manly is so well placed to pop in for a take away burger and enjoy (perhaps rather messily) right on the beach. Something I have a feeling I’ll be doing this summer… then going back for a Mookie and sneak in some ice cream from Ben and Jerry’s nearby. Oh! It’d be a perfect day, I just know it – with such deliciousness how could it not?!

Eat Show and Tell dined as a guest at Moo Gourmet Burgers.

Moo Gourmet Burgers, Manly
Levels 2 & 3, 33 South Steyne (btwn Wentworth St & The Corso)
Manly, NSW, 2095
Ph: (02) 9976 0948
Web: http://www.moogourmetburgers.com.au/

Gastro Park, Potts Point

Minh — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 13:33:25 +0000

There’s always a reason to celebrate, but it’s especially so on this particular week as we’re celebrating the birthday of my eating partner in crime, Astroboy. She’s made various appearances on the blog in the past few years and here’s a secret we’ve never revealed, she was actually the sixth member of es&t before being booted out of the team for not actually writing anything (lol).

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

(...)
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The Darling Pizzeria, Pyrmont

squishies — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 14:00:46 +0000

I had a mean hankering for some pasta and it seemed like providence that there was an Italian deal available at the same time that F managed to snap up.

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

Secret Dinners: My Experience, Crave Sydney 2011

linda — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 23:43:35 +0000

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)

Crave 2011: Alice in Culinary Land, Waterloo

squishies — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 15:27:41 +0000

There’s so many great things going on during this year’s Crave International Food Festival, but a pop up dinner that caught my eye was the Alice in Culinary Land event; it was touted to be a “[crazy], topsy-turvy dinner party”. My interest fully piqued, I set out to recruit a party, but only managed to secure a trio.

We didn’t start the night off very auspiciously either. D and F had met up for a drink somewhere nearby our meeting point, but despite our constant contact as to my whereabouts (I drove up into the city from work) they weren’t there when I arrived! “What is this?! Where are they!!!” I thought rather grumpily. Anxious about getting there on time for parking and securing a good spot at a table, as well as being super hungry (mum always tries to feed me whenever I get grumpy), I grumbled some more when they came rushing to the car apologising for their tardiness.

Of course the grumpiness didn’t last – who could possibly stay in a bad mood when a potentially awesome dinner is nearing? That and I can never stay grouchy for long – it takes waaaaaay too much effort to maintain – besides which, D is just too sweet and F too silly for it to really stick around.

Going down the rabbit hole...

Curiouser and curiouser… said the signs, as we walked up three levels to the dinner. Our sense of excitement grew as we got closer to our destination and whatever our expectations were before tonight were blown out of the water as we rounded the corner and saw the set up.

Inside Wonderland

Alice in Culinary Land was held at Studio Neon and I absolutely adore the decor they came up with. The mish-mash, hodge-podge of different styles of cutlery, crockery and chairs instantly made gave the distinct feeling that we were going to be in for one heck of a dinner.

Table Decorations

Noting the limited light sources, I made a beeline for the candelabra with the most candles. I loved the dribbly bits on the candelabra itself – it just gave off a really cool old-fashioned vibe – though I half-wished that the slim and smooth tapered candles were just as dribbly to go with the look; the tiny roses in teapots just too cute!

Fellow Wonderlandians

It was advised that dressing up is encouraged and remembering fondly of my friend’s hen’s party, where she was Alice and our Wonderland costumes were so awesome that random people asked to take photos with us (biggest compliment one could give a person in a costume really), I excitedly asked F and D if we were going to dress up for this. I was a bit disappointed to hear that they reckon people wouldn’t turn up in costume and so we shouldn’t really bother. Despite this, I thought I’d at least wear the cat’s ears as some sort of (lame) effort. As it turned out, I totally forgot to bring it with me when I rushed out of the house in the morning! So terrible!! I was kicking myself when I realised, but even more so when I saw the rest of the attendees.

They looked so good that even F and D were kicking themselves! Though at least D somewhat vaguely looked like an Alice. Sigh.

Beetroot and Wasabi Macaron

First up was a Beetroot and Wasabi macaron laid out with an “Eat Me” card. F wanted to eat it straight away, while I thought perhaps we were suppose to eat it when the dinner officially starts. F argued that it says “Eat Me”, which clearly is an invitation and should be complied with. Eventually I gave in, as I noticed the other patrons munching on the macaron with curious expressions.

I thought it was a lovely colour even if we couldn’t taste the beetroot, but we could definitely taste the wasabi. It was a delicate balance between sweet and savoury, where the savoury wasabi flavour wasn’t overpowering, but it did heft its weight around and finished off with a roundhouse kick to the nasal passages.

Mmm... Cake

Just as I had spied rows of cake that a kitchen staff was prepping, F nudged me and pointed at the cakes with his chin. Making a face, I made my way over and gazed at the cakes with appreciation.

It did vaguely occur to me that cake wasn’t actually on the menu and while it would be cool to have a reverse-course dinner (i.e. dessert first and finishing off with an entree) it didn’t quite ring true.

Red Capsicum, Smoked Trout, Dill and Cream Fraiche Sourdough "Eat Me" Sandwich

Though we had our suspicions, seeing that the “cake” was really sourdough bread lavishly covered with creme fraiche (and not loads of icing) was just too much fun. As the dining experience is a communal one, we were instructed to slice the loaf so that everyone could have a piece (or two); it worked out that the rest of our dinner would be shared between five. Our wait staff breezily mentioned that the flowers on top are edible before gliding off to serve the rest of table.

The smoked trout was excellent – perfect amount of smokiness and moistness – and was lightly sweetened by the tasty red capsicum. I don’t know how they did it, but there was the perfect amount of cream with each mouthful, where the amount of pickles were just right to balance out the creaminess. I loved how generously thick the layers of sourdough bread was and felt surprisingly (surprising that I was surprised!) full afterwards.

I quietly hoped I would have enough room for the rest of the dinner.

"Drink Me" Hare Tea

As our wait staff cleared the table for the next course, they also served us Hare Tea in gorgeous teapots, which was simply a rabbit consomme. The consomme was quite light yet flavoursome and when drunk with a mouthful of the creamy wild mushrooms or hearty zucchini flower salad, it added a certain delicious depth.

Wild Mushrooms Salad with Zucchini Flower, Dutch Carrot, Watercress, Candied Walnut and Buckwheat

The mushrooms were wonderfully buttery and they were cooked just so; I loved the different varieties they had!

The zucchini flower salad was such a powerful combination of naturally sweet flavours that was balanced with the earthiness of the mushrooms and a light heartiness from the buckwheat. The textures were quite the thing too, from crunchy zucchini flower stems and Dutch carrots to the chewiness of the buckwheat. Having a generous number of zucchini flowers just topped off the dish for F and I, as we both adore zucchini flowers.

D quite liked the flavours of the zucchini flower salad, but she said she found the texture of the buckwheat rather challenging to eat. Interesting! I think she mentioned that she’s not really a big fan of grains, so perhaps that’s the reason why she didn’t warm to the salad as much as F and I did.

Confit Duck, Fennel Panna Cotta, and Goat's Curd and Fresh Peaches with Smoked Ham

While I was waiting for my drink to be poured at the bar, I enthused how much I was loving the dinner and the bartender beamed. “The duck is up next… and it is really so good,” she promised. Excited for this insider’s goss, I hurried back to our spot and relayed the information. We impatiently waited for it to be served and thankfully it wasn’t long til it was brought out.

The generous serve of duck looked just as good as advertised and we couldn’t wait to tear into it. Well, we kind of had to wait, as our waitress explained the dishes and that we should consume the duck with the fennel panna cotta. Fennel panna cotta?! You read right! It’s such a bizarre combination that we found it hard to get our head around it. We tried the dish as advised and oh my goodness… the explosion of flavours that didn’t seem to really go together actually did.

The duck was perfectly seasoned and cooked to utmost fall-off-the-bone perfection, while the panna cotta was incredibly creamy and light. Somehow the two managed to amalgamate into a totally different flavour that’s precariously, yet perfectly, balanced between salty, sweet and creamy. The fennel panna cotta were dusted with dark chocolate crumbs which added a sweet-bitterness into the mix, while the wine-poached beetroot added a lovely zest.

Our side dish was goat’s curd with sweet peaches and smoked ham. This was a lot more challenging to eat, as the curd was quite strong and its sharp tang could get overwhelming. It was tempered, however, with the sweetness of the peaches and a round heartiness from the smoked ham.

Queen of Hearts Chilli Chocolate Cream with Strawberry Sauce

Dinner was wrapped up with the Queen of Hearts chilli chocolate cream dessert layered on top with a wicked strawberry sauce. I’ve been loving the dishes our meal have been served on and this shallow, cauldron-like dish (made from cast iron to boot, no doubt) was no exception.

The chef warned us that it does have a bit of a kick, but it should be manageable. I hesitantly nibbled at a small dollop of chocolate cream and sauce and found the kick actually bearable. Heartened, I scooped up a really big mouthful and … tears sprang up, cheeks flushed and coughing ensued. Holy crap it was SPICY!! Even our newly found Korean friend whom we had been sharing our dinner with struggled to finish the dessert. Ha! F thought I was being a sissy, but no… it was really spicy! I cannot get over just how much punch it had. It was an odd (yet deadly) punch, as in most cases it would be my mouth and lips burning – this spiciness was more like pepper and the heat seemed be localised to the back of the throat.

We spent a good while debating on whether it was the chocolate cream that was spicy or the sauce… or both! We concluded that it was the chocolate that was spicy, where some of the spiciness had infused slightly with the sauce.

“Why are you still eating it!? Stop it!” F scolded (rather futilely I thought), as he saw me eating another mouthful and immediately going for my cool glass of Coke. “It’s so yummy – I can’t help it!” I moaned, feeling slightly tortured. If I was an anime character, I would have definitely looked like this: (T_T)

Alice in Culinary Land

The Alice in Culinary Land pop-up dinner was held during the Crave International Food Festival 2011 and it was an experience that will stay with me for a very long time.

The atmosphere and food were just astounding; the wait staff incredibly friendly and cheerful. At $145 with 4 wine glasses, beer and/or non-alcoholic beverage I thought the dinner really was worth it. The organisers of this dinner set out to create a challenging, yet approachable menu. I thought they did a remarkable job combining unexpected and seemingly unsuited flavours together and for me, it was not only approachable, but definitely most edible and amazingly delicious.

Studio Neon
Level 3, 136 Raglan St
Waterloo, NSW, 2017
Web: http://www.studioneon.com.au/
Ph: 0404 555 098

Twelve Spices, Canley Heights

squishies — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 14:42:40 +0000

It’s been a while since I’ve been back to Twelves Spices, and there was a time when driving past that I was afraid they had closed for good. Happily, it reopened and looked quite snazzy to boot with its new makeover.

Turns out there was a management change and now it’s back to the original family who had first opened Twelve Spices. It also turns out that F is friends with the new (old) owners! Both Suchada and Jay are old snowboarding buddies of his and they inherited the restaurant from their parents. I thought that was kind of cool – I don’t think I know a lot of people who’s continued on in their family business (I know quite a few have helped the family business out, but not exactly taken over).

Determined to blog about the new Twelve Spices, I gently herded some friends and F towards the restaurant for a catch up dinner whilst mentally rubbing my hands together in glee. Though in hindsight, I think E was a lot more gleeful than I was – she rattled off dishes from the top of her head that she’s had here and wanted to eat again.

Overwhelmed by choice, it took us a while to figure out what to order and what to cut out; even when we were ordering, there were some indecision over the options of the dishes (“wait guys… chicken or prawns??”). In contrast to our length deliberation, the time it took our dishes to come out was super quick.

Twelve Spices' Fried Rice ($15.90)

The Twelve Spices’ fried rice was a hit with the table; F declared that he could easily polish it off in one sitting and between you and me, I think he was a bit disappointed to share the dish. The flavours were just more than your average fried rice – it was like… fried rice on a flavour high. Perhaps what gave the dish that elusive “oomph” was the sharp tang of lemongrass cutting through the heartiness of fried egg, king prawns and rice.

Tum Mak Hoong - Lao Papaya Salad ($8.80)

I know better than to eat a Lao Papaya Salad… call me chicken, but I know that salad could possibly be the hottest salad on earth besides Larb (which almost rendered my taste buds unconscious for a good while).

It must have been good because there were none left by the end of dinner! Hehe.

Goong Dip - Raw Prawn Salad ($14.90)

I’ve never had a raw prawn salad before and was intensely curious of what it would be like, and of course taste like. Such was my curiosity that I would not be deterred from the menu’s description of the dish to have a chilli and lime dressing (I know from experience that if Thais use the word “chilli” in it, it would be indubitably spicy despite ordering the mildest option).

The prawns were fresh and did not leave a fishy taste at all; texturally, it wasn’t gummy – firm but yielded easily to a bite. But, as it turns out, that was all I managed to taste before the chilli ran rampant and I had to reach for my glass of water with teary eyes. I eyed the salad glumly for the rest of the night, wanting to eat more but not willing to brave the burn.

Ox Tongue ($8.80)

This is one of the dishes that D, F and I have been hanging out for – we all adore this dish and had to order two (both of which ended up in front of the boys). D found it amusing that no matter how often we had to tetris-like move the dishes around, the ox tongue would always somehow end up in front of F. Funnily enough, there was always an ox tongue dish in front of D too… haha, but I wasn’t going to complain – it was in perfect reach for me.

The ox tongue was as awesome as I remembered: perfectly seasoned, succulent, firm but not chewy and just overall delicious. (Something I would never had thought I’d describe ox tongue 3 years ago prior to this blog!).

Choo Chee Curry with Chicken ($10.90)

Unsure with which curry to go with, Jay suggested the awesome Choo Chee curry. We chose chicken to go with it, as we already had a prawn dish, but Jay and Suchada hesitated at our choice. “You know, it tastes awesome with prawns – goes better with it. If it doesn’t taste awesome… it’s because there’s no prawns!” Suchada candidly warned.

I don’t think I’ve had Choo Chee curry before, but it won’t be my last (despite it being “mild”, it was quite spicy for me). Choo Chee curry is made with a spicy curry paste of galangal, kaffir lime, garlic, lemongrass and long red chillies (explains the spiciness, no?); it contains eggplant, capsicum and bamboo shoots. The creamy coconut milk and sharpness from the kaffir lime and lemongrass were well-balanced and while it was quite flavoursome with chicken, I think next time I’ll try it with prawns to see just how awesome it can be (so long as someone helps me to finish it! Haha).

Fruit Shakes ($4.50)

Maybe I’m biased, but I think Twelve Spices’ fruit shakes are just the bomb – they aren’t overly sweet nor overly icy. My jackfruit, lychee and watermelon fruit shake was a blessing in slaking the raging heat from the spicy mouthfuls I had consumed. I love the fact that there’s no limit to the combinations you can order, but your choices are dependent on what is in season of course.

Yum Pu Nim - Soft Shell Crab ($17.90)

I’ve come to realise that there’s a lot of ways to do soft shell crab and I particularly like Twelve Spices’ version, as it’s super crunchy and yet still retain soft and juicy crab meat. The batter was well-seasoned and flavourful without being too salty. F, to my surprise, isn’t a big fan of soft shell crab, but he really enjoyed this dish. The soft shell crab was served with a refreshing green apple and green mango salad that was topped with the round flavours of cashew nuts. Yum.

Nam Khao - Rice Ball Salad ($9.90)

As it turns out, with the dizzying array of dishes on the table, I must have mistook the rice ball salad for the fried rice and so I didn’t try any of it (yeah, I don’t know how I managed that)! F tells me that while the sour pork was scrumptious, it was a bit too zesty from the lemongrass for him. It bothers me that I missed out on trying this dish and now I must go back to Twelve Spices to try it… for completeness of course!

Crispy Chilli Basil Crocodile ($17.90)

Crocodile, we were warned, is a bit on the tough side; with delight, I actually found it to be just slightly firm, definitely not tough, and fried to perfection. It was crispy as stated, despite being drenched in sauce, and once again, the meat inside was juicy and plentiful. I found it to be one of my favourite dishes of the night, coming back for more scrumptious crunchy pieces of crocodile with the occasional munches on the deep fried basil; perfect with some sticky rice.

Tom-Kha ($11.90)

Tom Yum soup is a challenge for me to eat, as it is quite spicy, but Tom Kha (another dish recommended by Jay) is a soup I’ll gladly order again. The mild chicken coconut milk soup is flavoured with galangal, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves, which are lovely, tangy accompaniments to the coconut milk – cutting through its richness. I think my friends let me wallow in its mildness; they pursued spicier dishes while I happily finished most of the dish. Again, perfect with sticky rice.

Twelve Spices

Twelve Spices changes in management and menu, complete with refurbishment, is no doubt a change for the better. Suchada, Jay and their team serve up great and delicious dishes with a smile and an attentiveness that is not overbearing.

While I quite liked the old Twelve Spices, I love the new Twelve Spices (biasness aside). I’m glad it’s so close to home because I can’t wait to go back to make the hard decision of ordering something I love or trying something new. Heck, I most probably will be stopping by later today for some take away Thai goodness.

Twelve Spices
197 St Johns Road
Canley Heights, NSW, 2166
Ph: (02) 9609 6212

Emmilou, Surry Hills

squishies — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 14:40:23 +0000

It was in the middle of ~~snowboarding season~~ winter when S sent me a coupon for Emmilou with a hearty endorsement that every time she’s been it’s been fab and that we should go. I, of course, couldn’t pass up such an offer and thought it’d be a nice break amidst the crazy weekends (there is sometimes too much of a good thing after all). Sadly, they were all booked out in August until the beginning of September. Talk about being popular!

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/

Cotton Duck, Surry Hills

squishies — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 14:00:19 +0000

When I heard that Jared Ingersoll of Dank Street Depot was going to open up another restaurant I knew that I had to try his new project out. Of course, life being life, I didn’t manage to dine at Cotton Duck until recently.

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.

Four In Hand Bar, Paddington

Minh — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 14:00:30 +0000

My knowledge of Sydney geography is shocking. Despite the fact that I’ve lived in Sydney my entire life, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that anything north of the Harbour Bridge, and east of Moore park is an absolute mystery to me.

In the end, all it took was the promise of a Sunday Roast to drag me out east to Four In Hand Bar (that and the promise of a lift) for a lazy Sunday dinner. Jokes aside, I’m honestly 100% lost when our winding trip takes us to a stop outside the unassuming Four In Hand restaurant. There’s a moment of consideration as we toss between the Bar and the Restaurant, but for tonight it’s the promise of the Sunday Roast that sends us into the Bar.

Salted Cod & Chorizo Croquettes $12

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Restaurant Cara&Co, Westfields, Sydney CBD

Minh — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 14:00:03 +0000

Restaurants seem to be popping up around Sydney at an exponential rate these days, but when I hear about restaurant Cara&Co from two sources in one day I’ve suddenly got a dinner date with P to check out this high-end experiment of fine fashion and food.

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.

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Universal Restaurant, Darlinghurst

Minh — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 14:22:23 +0000

There are restaurants that I’ve had bookmarked for years to go to, but somehow the timing has never quite worked out. Almost 2 years after I first read Squishies post on Universal I finally got to experience the glory that is Christine Mansfield’s desserts.

Universal Restaurant Menu

My eating partner in crime is Astroboy, making another rare appearance. It’s taken us months to get our act together only to be simultaneously taken down by illness the exact week we made our booking. Undeterred we finally found ourselves standing outside of Universal on a Thursday night and the only thing that went through my head was, “Damn that wall is orange.” Except I don’t think I used the word damn.

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Kingsleys Steak & Crabhouse, Woolloomooloo

squishies — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 14:00:41 +0000

A very long time ago, Minh’s savoury broccoli and cheese muffin won her a $150 voucher at Kingsley’s Crab and Steak House… it was some time last year, really (but it feels like an age!). Despite our enthusiasm of going to Kingsley whenever either of us brought the voucher up, nothing actually eventuated. But there is nothing like a looming expiry date to really get things going and despite the terrible weather and even worse traffic, we eventually were sitting in Kingsley perusing the menu.

Charcuterie Plate - Jamon Iberico, Nduja Salami, Ham Hock and Pistachio Terrine ($22.50)

Who could resist from ordering Jamon Iberico? We couldn’t! The super thin slices of cured meat were deliciously salty, slightly chewy and went wonderfully with the crisp bread sticks and mild-flavoured olives (my favourite kind, I realised).

The terrine on its own had such a strong meaty flavour that it made me hesitate with over-indulging in it. However, when it was eaten with the bread stick, the meaty flavour wasn’t so overwhelming. The crunchy, sweet carrots and slight nuttiness from the pistachios also helped to break up the overly meatiness of the terrine.

Burrata Mozzarella Salad with Grilled Ciabatta, Tomato Basil ($22.90)

I think I have a weakness for soft, creamy cheese, while Minh I think has a weakness for burrata in general. So when we saw this on the menu, there wasn’t much discussion besides gasping: “They’ve got burrata!!!” and that was that (poor Dung just had to go along with the two cheese-crazed foodies).

The salad was generously doused with a 25-year old balsamic vinegar, which added a wonderfully rich sweet-sour flavour, but the obvious star of the dish was the burrata.

It was gloriously creamy and super soft; its subtle flavour didn’t seem to be overpowered by the balsamic, rather it was enhanced by the vinegar and juicy tomatoes. Meanwhile, the crusty ciabatta was the perfect foundation to go with the slight tang of tomatoes and creamy, smooth burrata.

Best cheese salad I’ve ever had.

Alaskan King Crab Legs (600g, $64.90)

We were so fixated on having crab that we barely gave a thought to anything else, so when it came out I think we just about managed to withhold cackles of delight as we converged onto the legs.

I’m a claw girl myself, as the relative amount of effort required to extract the meat is a lot less than any other part (for a lot more too), but I gotta say, these legs were damn fine: they were utterly juicy and so sweet! With a dash of zesty lemon juice and a dollop of tangy (yet creamy) mayonnaise, these legs were easily the best chilled crab I’ve had. They were also surprisingly meaty.

Spiky!

The only downside to such succulent crab meat were the spikes on the legs – they were downright lethal! Peppered amongst our mmm’s of appreciation were sounds of quiet “ow”s. Those little moments of pain was worth it though.

Rib-Eye (Scotch Fillet) - 120-Day Grain-Fed, Riverine Premium Beef, Marble Score +2 (350g, $39.90)

We couldn’t go past having a chunk of meaty beef goodness – though just between you and me, we were contemplating a steak each… okay, maybe it was just me planning to have my own steak.

We chose garlic butter as the accompanying condiment (at $2.90 per condiment or sauce), but in hindsight, I’m not sure if we made the right choice. Perhaps by the time we got around to eating the steak, it had cooled a bit too much and so the glob of butter just kind of sat there instead of melting into a gooey puddle of deliciousness. Other than that little gripe I had, the condiment was quite nice, but the steak I did quite adore.

The scotch fillet was scrumptiously fatty and had an almost melt-in-your-mouth succulence to it. Being perfectly seasoned, I fancy that it didn’t really need the condiment at all.

Roast Cone Bay Barramundi with Broccoli, Baby Capers, Chilli ($32.90)

To be honest, with the options available, I was also tossing up between a steak and a fish – as I automatically seem to think fish to be healthier than steak, but steak… well… it’s just tastier, ain’t it? Luckily for me, the girls wanted to try both and surely between us three we would be able to finish both mains (and indeed we did haha).

The barramundi was well cooked and seasoned with a scrumptiously crispy skin. I love broccoli and it’s a vegetable that I don’t see often at fancy-ish restaurants (I guess it’s too mundane), so I was quite pleased to see it here (they also went so well together!). I was surprised that there was no heat to the chilli, but it added a subtle sweetness to the dish.

Sides

Looking back, we might have overdone it with the sides, but at the time it didn’t seem like it! The Young Greens with Walnut and Shiraz Dressing sounded pretty delicious, but I think we were a bit disappointed with it. While it was good, it wasn’t as great as we thought it would be.

Meanwhile the Roast Eggplant with Persian Fetta and Chilli Jam was as scrumptious as it sounded. As we didn’t have dedicated plates to eat from, we used the mains plates and the eggplant salad bowl instead (actually we didn’t think of asking for spare plates). Minh and Dung were a bit disappointed that there were barely any chilli jam at all on their portion of the salad, but we quickly worked that most of it was left in the salad bowl… which I was eating from. Go figure that the one that’s least chilli tolerant got all the chilli! It was pretty spicy too, infecting everything that it touched. By the end of our mains course, my lips were bright red and felt like it was on fire. It was worth it though. Nom nom nom.

Minh was pretty excited when the Roasted Bone Marrow came out, but all we could taste was garlic butter. Though there was a richness and depth behind the flavour that normally isn’t present in just butter.

The Mashed Potato was absolutely divine. F and I can make a mean mashed potato, but this was really, really good. It wasn’t the fluffy kind; it was slightly dense with a creaminess that was to die for.

Toffee Roasted Pear with Budgi Werri Prunes & Anglaise ($13.50)

The roasted pear was little crisper than we expected (I guess we were thinking more of the poached softness), but all was forgiven when we discovered that hidden inside its hollow core was a big fat sweet prune swimming in decadent, warm dark chocolate sauce. The warm Anglaise sauce was the perfect counterpoint to the chocolate and rounded off the dessert nicely.

Sticky Date & Walnut Pudding with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream ($13.90)

As delicious as the roasted pear was, it came a far second to the sticky date and walnut pudding. I’m not the biggest fan of sticky date pudding and I always seem find something else more enticing on the dessert menu, but I was so glad that we had ordered it – despite the fact we were aiming to order something the table next to us had that looked pretty epic and this wasn’t it.

While the icy cold vanilla bean ice cream was pretty good and the chocolate date and walnut cake moist and quite scrumptious, it was the sweet, warm toffee sauce that tied everything together in an explosion of gooey, rich mouthful that made this dessert absolutely divine. We practically inhaled the dessert.

Kingsley

Kingsley is situated on Cowper Wharf, right next to Otto. Its interior is almost warehouse-like, but with a warmness that just seems to welcome you with open arms.

For the most part, we loved the dishes here and if there’s any dish we’d come back for, it would definitely be that fantastic sticky date and walnut pudding.

Kingsleys Steak & Crabhouse
10/6 Cowper Wharf Rd
Woolloomooloo, NSW, 2011
Ph: 1300 546 475
Web: http://www.kingsleys.com.au/

Koreaculum 101, Seoul of Sydney, Bar H

Minh — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 14:00:23 +0000

There’s nothing that I love better on a Friday night than going to Korean restaurants for some KFC (Korean Fried Chicken!), beer, kimchi and great times with friends. When Teresa gave me the heads up about a new Korean crew setting up shop in Sydney, I immediately put on my stalker cap to find out as much as I could about Seoul of Sydney and what I saw only made me want to find out more.

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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