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

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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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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

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Post tags: Dessert, poultry, 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

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.

(...)
Read the rest of Universal Restaurant, Darlinghurst (1,391 words)

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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/

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Post tags: beef, Dessert, Seafood

Orto Trading decorations

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

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Catalina has been on our radar for a terribly long time – we even had booked it once, only to find out later that we had double booked that day and had to cancel the dinner (boo) – so we were pretty excited to finally dine here.

Bread and Butter

While we were enjoying the sourdough bread with lashings of the creamy butter, our first course arrived but one of the dishes seemed… a little different. As our waiter disseminated the duck egg on a bed of fried whitebait, we looked a little puzzled at each other then puzzledly at the dish. We were sure we had ordered something else, but its presence made us doubt otherwise.

F hesitatingly told our waiter that he had ordered the pickled beetroot salad, not the whitebait and our waiter froze with a look of mortification. It turned out that our waiter got another table’s order mixed up with ours and swiftly rectified the situation with profuse apologies.

Citrus and Sugar Cured Kingfish with Horseradish and Pomegranate Dressing

I don’t think I’ve had sugar-cured anything and it was interesting to note the differences from being smoke-cured or salt-cured. The kingfish was quite soft and a little drier than we were used to or had expected, but I found I quite liked the light sweet after-taste.

The sweetness was brought out a little more by the dry sweetness from the pomegranate. While F wasn’t sure of the dryness of the kingfish, but he quite liked the little pops the pomegranate made.

Pickled Baby Beetroot and Goat Cheese Tart with Seeded Mustard, Caramelised Onion and Wild Rocket

When we got the whitebait dish by mistake, F was half-tempted to roll with the mix-up. However, on seeing and tasting the pickled beetroot tart, he was immensely glad that he decided not to.

The tart was definitely the better dish of the two with its super flaky and buttery pastry base, creamy and slightly sharp goat’s cheese, sweet caramelised onions and bright pickled baby beetroot. Despite the butteriness from the pastry and creaminess from the goat’s cheese and walnuts, it was quite light. F thought the pickled beetroot sauce was a thoughtful reiteration of the main components of the dish, where he couldn’t help but mopped it up with the pastry.

Pan Fried Snapper Fillet with Potato and Garlic Mash; Lemon Caper Butter

The snapper was well-cooked and well-seasoned with a pretty nice crispy underside; I quite liked how the accompanied creamy sauce was tempered by sharp tang of dill and capers. We might have been biased, but we loooooved the potato mash – so much so that F thought it may have outshone the fish.

Char-Grilled Riverine Beef Tenderloin, with Olive Potato Gnocchi, sauteed Mushroom and Red Wine Jus

The tenderloin was amazingly juicy, succulent and melt-in-your-mouth tender. I loved the charred cross-hatching – F thought it was pretty standard, but I thought it was the little details that really add up to a great dish. We both however equally adored the soft-pillowed, packed-full-of-flavour gnocchi, where F used them to soaked up all of the tenderloin juices and I unsuccessfully tried to ration them for each bite – it was just too delicious to be sensible! I also really liked the added earthiness and different textures that the mushrooms brought to the dish. Definitely a favourite of the night.

Mixed Salad Leaves, Tomato and Cucumber

The main course came with a lightly dressed salad. I have to be honest, I didn’t eat much of it besides a few cherry tomatoes and cucumber (I seem to have an aversion with eating lettuce in public – I think it makes me feel like a cow haha), but from what I had it was pretty refreshing – a nice break from all that meat.

Classic Lemon Tart with Mascarpone

The lemon tart was wonderfully sharp and tangy, tempered by the thick and creamy mascarpone. For extra zing, I scooped up some of the passionfruit sauce on the plate to go with a mouthful of tart. Yum.

I love my tart base to be light and buttery, so I thought this tart was perfect. F likes his bases thicker and more shortbread-like (which I made a face at when he told me), but he still thought it was a pretty good dish overall.

Honeycomb Parfait with Chocolate Brownie and Caramel

I didn’t realise that the honeycomb parfait would be ice cream, so it made for an utterly awesome surprise when I found out. I loved the dark chocolate brownie as the thin base – its slight bitterness was a nice point of contrast to the creamy honeycomb and sweet caramel on top. But what I thought made this dessert so special was the salted caramel decorating the plate.

I know some friends who abhor salty, sweet things because it’s just “too weird” or “not right”, but I love the strangeness of it all. The salted caramel just seemed to add another dimension to the dish; a complexity to an otherwise pretty simple-looking dessert.

Petit Fours with Coffee and Tea

I can never help but feel slightly disappointed if we only get one thing as the petit fours, but I found out quite quickly that I was fuller than I realised. So I guess it was a good thing we only got one to go with our (my) earl grey tea and piccolo (F’s).

Catalina

Catalina is situated on the busy New South Head Road overlooking the bay, but it being a dark and rainy night, the view was pretty dark and obscured (I did get to see a few seagulls get buffeted by the wind though). However, I can imagine just how glorious it would have looked during a lunch service on a bright sunny day – all that water sparkling from the sunshine would set one at ease I think.

While some dishes were stronger than others, I thought the food was quite excellent overall. The service was top-notch with the wait staff being very attentive without making you feel watched or harried. Catalina is definitely on our must-return-to list.

Catalina
Lyne Park
Rose Bay, NSW, 2029
Ph: (02) 9371 0555
Web: http://catalinarosebay.com.au/

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

Greenhouse by Joost is an ecologically friendly pop-up restaurant concept which has landed on the shores of Sydney. It’s a completely waste free restaurant with a menu revolving around whole foods and the availability of local produce, with all of the menu staples such as bread, butter and even tonic water all made on site. The waste generated throughout the day is then composted and used in the rooftop garden which of course has been created out of re-purposed liquid bins.

It’s not surprising to see then that the concept continues well through the structural design of the restaurant itself, with all of the building materials being recyclable, straw insulation and walls made of Magnesium Oxide designed to keep in carbon! The concept is hanging around Sydney until the end of March and with a no-booking policy in place and tables full, it’s a few rooftop drinks and an hour wait in the queue before we’re shown to our table.

Pizza $15

Our stomaches have been boosted by pre-drinks up on the roof while waiting, and while some of us are rather pink-faced, some are still full from a pre dinner snack, two have randomly bumped into us, and I’m more than ready for the meal to begin. Once our orders are in the food begins arriving fast and furious.

Listed simply enough as ‘Pizza‘ our first course arrives in a scramble of chaos as we quickly rearrange cutlery and cups to make room for the boards of food. It’s gotten dark enough that a torchlight from a convenient mobile phone is our life saver but soon we’re biting down on piping hot slices of pizza. It’s as small as it looks, but the base has a satisfying crunch to it with oozing strings of cheese dangling from each slice.

Fried spiced cauliflower $9

Helen only has eyes for the Fried Spiced Cauliflower, presented very practically in a cone of newspaper propped up inside a jar. They’re fried almost to a crisp and it’s only a few moments before I succumb to temptation, simply eating the spicy heads of cauliflower with my fingers just like it’s popcorn.

Wood roasted baby carrots, beetroots, pistachio $16

The wood roasted baby carrots come out in a messy array of colour, carrots, beets and pistachios all tossed about in an artful smear of cream cheese. Charred to a sweet caramel aftertaste, each bite is a hit of texture and sweetness that has me wishing for just a few more beets in the mix.

Chorizo, fried bread, roasted peppers, egg $17

I’m a sucker for anything in a jar, but what really has my heart is the sight of the quivering poached egg (sorry, too many romance novels lately!). A mixture of egg yolk, croutons, sweet peppers all topped off with a slice of salty chorizo has us eating directly out of the jar before passing it around. It’s hard to go wrong with Chorizo and it’s easily my favourite dish of the night.

Wagu beef gerello, romesco, baby leeks $25

The Wagu beef is served up with a light sear and pre-sliced. Our eco-friendly knives are made of wood and after a short fight as I attempt to halve a slice, I give it all up and simply eat the slice in one bite. Unfortunately the meat is a little tough, and it’s a bit of a chew to get through each of the slices and the romesco accompaniment although colourful, doesn’t quite add up to its promise.

Seared mullet, mixed tomato salad $26

I think I can feel my eyes gleaming as the Seared Mullet arrives at the table on a huge triangular slab, it’s a crispy vision of crunchy skin and gleaming tomatoes. Presented skin side up, the fish lives up to its crispy promise and is a satisfying salty crunch to the bite, crunchy skin, flaking flesh and sweet tomato finishing off in a perfect bite.

Oh the romance

With the warm weather and picturesque location, Greenhouse has arrived in Sydney with perfect timing. The restaurant is still pumping when we stand up to leave and the queues for a table snaking out through the door. Although the restaurant has a no booking policy the staff are happy to put you on a list and will call you when your table is ready while you watch the sunset from the rooftop bar.

The crowds on the night mean that our service tonight is a little slow and more than a little chaotic, but the food is a great showing of our local produce, and proof that a waste free restaurant is capable of delivering on its promise of good food.

Greenhouse by Joost is in Sydney until the 28th March, 2011

Greenhouse by Joost

Campbells Cove, just at the end of the Rocks

Open 7 days per week for breakfast, lunch, dinner & drinks.
Monday – Saturday, 9am – Midnight
Sundays 10am – 10pm

Web: http://greenhousebyjoost.com/

© Minh for eatshowandtell, 2011. | Permalink | 12 comments | Add to del.icio.us
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Diners arriving by sea plane

If you like, you can also arrive and depart by sea plane to complete the all round experience.

Fresh warm sourdough w/ french butter

I look forward to the bread at every restaurant. A piece of warm and crusty bread with room temperature butter is always a good start, just like here at Berowra. The butter was, well, insanely good. Lightly salted, it makes you want to eat this everyday for breakfast and not have to worry about cholesterol levels.

Chilled vichyssoise, Oscietra and salmon caviars, beignets of Hawkesbury oysters

This entree seems to stay on the menu all the time, I’ve seen it in other blog posts over the years. I’m saving myself from re-describing this dish, squishies sums it up quite well in her previous post:

The meaty oyster, that raw would normally have me make a face and endeavour to swallow as quickly as possible, was utterly delicious in its crispy outer shell. Some oyster purists might be horrified to see deep fried oysters, insisting that oysters must be consumed raw, but I’ve discovered that I quite liked them like this. However, the chilled vichyssoise I think outshone the oysters, if barely (both components were so good!). There was something about its smooth creaminess hiding minute crunchy bits of croutons and caviar (bestowing tiny bursts of saltiness into the mix) that just appealed to our taste buds. What I thought was rather astounding about the vichyssoise was just how light it was despite being rather creamy.

I wouldn’t call myself an oyster fan, but this dish could swing me over.

Murray cod, sweet green peas, samphire, lemon mrytle

Moist and tender on the inside with a subtle crisp on it’s exterior. The sweetness of the green peas and the slight tartness of the lemon myrtle give the dish a slight edge to it.

Roast local quail breast, langoustine croustillant, spinach-fennel puree

Sometimes the more simple dishes are the highlights, this is a good example which allowed me to fully appreciate the local quail breast. So bloody tender and moist, I hate using the description but it is exactly what it is.

Squab baked in terracotta clay, foi gras cromesquis, mixed wood mushrooms, sauteed potato gnocchi

This a dish which has to be shared between two people. Since Linda is now pescatarian, I had to finish this all by myself. The squab is baked in terracotta clay which they bring out halfway during the cooking process for me to break with some sort of hammer, a bit gimmicky in my opinion but I guess it was nice to see how my dish was being cooked. Based purely on the description, this was the dish I was looking forward to the most. Did it live up to expectations? Not for me.  The squab was a tad too gamey for me, but that is just a matter of personal taste. I found the gnocchi to be a bit ‘heavy’ when eaten with the rest of the dish components. On the flip side, I really enjoyed the mixed wood mushrooms and foi gras cromesquis on their own.

Razor clams, spaghettini, hand picked local mud crab, chilli & lemon beurre noisette

The last time I had razor clams was in Hong Kong, where they were covered with fried garlic and chilli. A few thousand kilometres away in Berowra it’s not quite the same dish, but it tastes just as good if not better. Once again, this is quite a simple dish. Al dente cooked pasta, fresh and plump pieces of razor clam and generous pieces mud crab and a creamy chilli and lemon buerre noisette to tie everything together.

Seared venison carpaccio, braised bell peppers, pickled shallots

This dish was originally meant to be kangaroo venison but unfortunately that was not available on the day. Not to worry, as I was quite pleased that venison was the substitute, one of my favourite types of meat. The presentation was gorgeous, I loved the different colours and textures popping out at me like a three dimensional puzzle. The venison was lightly seared, just enough for it to stay amazingly tender. The pickled shallots and braised bell peppers packed quite a lot of flavour, taking out any gamey taste from the venison.

Dessert variation plate

After all these courses we were quite stuffed, but dessert was still to come. We opted for the dessert sampler which I unfortunately did not get all the names of the desserts. Take my word for it, it’s worth holding off some stomach space for it. In a nut shell, Berowra Waters Inn was a unique dining experience. I really liked the use of local and native ingredients as well. At $150 for 5 courses the price is a bit steep, but in return you get some very high quality food and a unique dining experience where you take a boat to the restaurant which looks out onto the water. Would I come back? Based on price, probably not. But if I was looking for a place to give guests an alternate dining experience, Berowra Waters Inn would be on my shortlist for sure. Another plus is discovering fresh farm produce on the side of the road, we spotted a few farmers selling their produce for significantly reduced prices.

The fresh road side farm produce

Mangoes - $9 a box

Watermelon, nectarines, peaches, mangoes ... you name it.

Berowra Waters Inn

Pick up by private ferry Public Wharves (east and west) Berowra Waters NSW 2082 web: http://www.berowrawatersinn.com

© Howard for eatshowandtell, 2011. | Permalink | 14 comments | Add to del.icio.us
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There’s quite a pedigree behind Duke Bistro, we’ve got Thomas Lim (of Tetsuya fame) and Mitch Orr (2010 Young Chef of the Year and also ex-Sepia) working their magic in the kitchen. The restaurant itself is a sexy fusion of Asian Vintage design and the service is among the friendliest I’ve encountered for a while, but really it’s one thing in particular that’s pulling me here tonight.

Buratta. Oh yeh.

Duke Bistro

(...)
Read the rest of Duke Bistro, Darlinghurst (989 words)

© Minh for eatshowandtell, 2010. | Permalink | 18 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: favourites

There’s a feeling of decadence that comes over me as the doors of the elevator opens, it’s rather easy to be impressed by the lavish furnishings of Glass Brasserie. The interior design of the restaurant is all concentrated around showcasing the impressive wine collection, while providing small intimate areas for the diners. Not an easy task in a space where the ceiling is easily 30 meters high, but the combination of dim and concentrated lighting as well as the contrast of timber and glass creates an almost comfortable atmosphere.

Glass Brassiere Interior

The first thing that catches my eye is the multi-storied racks of wine behind the bar, fit-out in a sedate timber finish they tower up behind the bar for a good 20-30m with wine bottles gently lit from behind all the way up to the ceiling (top left image). Somewhat doubtfully I ask if the bottles are for show and am reassured that it is indeed a real wine rack, staff members are hooked up to safety harnesses and winched up the stacks to retrieve bottles.

I’m not surprised that I’m so enamoured of the interior decorating, Glass Brasserie shares the same designer (Tony Chi) as Zeta Bar, one of the most gorgeous bars I’ve had the fun of photographing.

The diners awaiting their meal

It’s a relaxed atmosphere tonight, the guests are mingling around the tables sipping on glasses of Cloudy Bay Blanc de Blancs, it’s a light bubbly concoction which is easily going to my head. Cloudy Bay Winemaker Sarah Burton is the guest of honour tonight, a small snafu with the microphone system has our table tapping all of our wine glasses in unison to get the attention of all the diners tonight. Sarah is a nervous but passionate speaker, her pride in her wines is clear as she speaks introducing each of the wines we’ll be tasting tonight.

Salmon Gravlax, Dill crème fraiche, beetroot, egg dressing & melba toast

Our entrée is a beautiful array of orange, yellow and red scattered about the plate. The salmon is sliced almost thin enough to become translucent and paired with the sweet squares of beetroot and savory creme fraiche is a refreshing start to the start. The melba toast is a strange condiment on the plate, the toasted slices are a little too crunchy making them awkward to eat with the salmon and I end up abandoning them on the side of my plate.

Paired Wine: 2008 Cloudy Bay Pinot Gris – The style is best described as a true expression of the variety with aromas of pear and mandarin, abundant flavour and texture, and a touch of residual sweetness.

Tempura Spencer Gulf Prawns, Thai style salad, tamarind dressing

I adore anything with a Tamarind flavour and have seeing the Prawns on the menu it’s easily my most easily anticipated dish for the night. The prawns arrive in a beautifully arranged haystack of greens and prawn, all encompassed by a ring of sauce, the batter is done to perfection and is lightly crunchy while taking away none of the delicate flavour of the prawns.

Paired wine: 2006 Cloudy Bay Gewurztraminer – A distinctive style, first made in 1997 from a trial block planted at Cloudy Bay to assess the suitability of various clones of gewurztraminer in Marlborough. Cloudy Bay Gewurztraminer is aluscious, textural wine made from very ripe, hand harvested grapesgrown at the Mustang Vineyard in the Brancott Valley.

Roasted Duck Breast With Honey & Lavender, Peas

Our meal progresses by moving onto the red meats, it’s been a relatively light meal so far but the Roasted Duck breast is enough to put a sigh of satisfaction into anyone. The generously portioned slices of duck are cooked to a perfect texture, easily coming apart at the touch of a butter knife and is presented simply enough with Peas in a honey sweetened sauce. It’s proof that a dish can be placed out with only a few condiments and still be memorable.

Paired wine: 2008 Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir -  Cropped at very low levels from prime Marlborough vineyard sites, Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir is rich in regional fruit character. Typically it has an intensely varietal palate that reveals layers of dark red fruits, savoury dried herbs, charry oak and silky tannins.

Petit tarte tatin

Surprisingly, by the end of the Duck dish my stomach is ready to call it quits for the night but the arrival of the Tarte Tatin lays those plans to rest. Our plates with the naked Tatin are placed on our table only to be smothered in a rich creamy sauce which smothers the entire dish, ice-cream and all. It is at its heart, a decadent apple pie and on this chilly winter night is exactly what I’ve been craving.

Paired wine: Cloudy Bay Late Harvest Riesling -  A limited release wine first made in 1989 and since only in the vintages when optimum conditions prevail. Sapped almost dry bythe botrytis fungus, individual bunches are selected and hand-picked from bare canes in late autumn. The style is lusciously sweet and fruity with a crisp natural acidity that balances the sweetness and gives the palate length and freshness on the finish.

The view from within the glass

We’re left to finish off the night with tea or coffee as well as petit fours. It’s been an interesting night of food and conversation, with topics whirling from Masterchef to the travesty that is the Twilight series. The diners despite being strangers at the beginning of the night have warmed to one another after a few glasses of wine and even as I’m leaving there are still tables of diners chatting away.

Eat Show & Tell dined as a guest of Hilton Hotel.

Glass Brasserie
Level 2, 488 George St
Ph: (02) 9265 6068
Web: http://www.glassbrasserie.com.au/

© Minh for eatshowandtell, 2010. | Permalink | 6 comments | Add to del.icio.us
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When we finally booked it, we asked them what was good to order (or to avoid) and their advice wasn’t as much of advice as more raving about how good the dishes were and how full they got: “We had the five course degustation and oh man, we were so full… and then the desserts came out! We were expecting small dishes, but there were four full-sized ones! We practically died… but man, it was just soooo good!” … and so on and so forth.

Both did warn us that the marina car park was a little hard to find in the dark, but since we were going during the day, it should be easy as pie to get to.

Berowra Waters Public Wharf

Excited and a little nervous, we set out two hours before our booking time and arrived at the marina area with 30 minutes to spare. We were advised to call the restaurant to send the private ferry out, but we didn’t really need to, as the ferry makes quite frequent trips to and from the public wharf to the restaurant (this may be a different story for dinner reservations).

On the Hawkesbury

Although it was short trip from the wharf to Berowra Waters Inn, riding on the small ferry in the gently sunny afternoon on sparkling water really set the mood for a quiet and lovely lunch.

The menu has a range of light to heavy dishes to choose from, followed by some cheese and desserts. We opted for the 6 course degustation at $175 (the 5 course is $150) and, as you can choose your dishes, found that we could order everything on the menu bar one dish (which I felt slightly embarrassed in saying, “May we have everything except for the quail dish please?” Such gluttony!).

Cured Ocean Trout, Aubergine, Toasted Tortilla

We were surprised with a pre-lunch dish / amuse bouche as we were working out what to order. The cured salmon was delicately salty, which paired nicely with the eggplant underneath, and the toasted tortilla added a really nice crunchy texture to the delectable morsel.

Sour Dough Roll with Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar, Monteith's Golden Ale (?)

While we waited for our light dishes to arrive, we chatted over some crusty sour dough roll and I think I’ve finally mastered dipping the bread into the oil to get to the balsamic! I normally end up with oily, soggy bread and precious little balsamic, but I’ve discovered that with a decisive dip into the oil will guarantee balsamic goodness on your bread.

White Asparagus, Green Asparagus, Slow Poached Organic Egg Yolk, Fresh Black Winter Truffle From Manjimup

The first thing I noticed was that the egg yolk wasn’t runny; rather it seemed to be on the verge of being runny and solid at the same time, which I thought was pretty impressive. The juicy asparaguses were perfectly cooked, adding a slight sweetness to the dish, tempered by the saltiness of the truffle underneath. I was amazed at how simple the dish was and be so rich in flavour.

Chilled Vichyssoise, Oscietra and Salmon Caviars, Beignets of Hawkesbury Oysters

I didn’t realise that the oysters would be deep-fried! But I guess now I know what to expect when I see beignets hehe. I’ve noticed that whenever an oyster dish is presented to us, I’d wait til F eats his then ask: “Should I swallow or chew?” His answer this time was a resounding “chew”.

The meaty oyster, that raw would normally have me make a face and endeavour to swallow as quickly as possible, was utterly delicious in its crispy outer shell. Some oyster purists might be horrified to see deep fried oysters, insisting that oysters must be consumed raw, but I’ve discovered that I quite liked them like this.

However, the chilled vichyssoise I think outshone the oysters, if barely (both components were so good!). There was something about its smooth creaminess hiding minute crunchy bits of croutons and caviar (bestowing tiny bursts of saltiness into the mix) that just appealed to our taste buds. What I thought was rather astounding about the vichyssoise was just how light it was despite being rather creamy.

Buffalo Mozzarella, Espelette Pepper, Potato Gnocchi, Wild Mushrooms, Sage Butter

A while ago, Minh told me that she used to dislike gnocchi, but after an awesome gnocchi dish she was converted. I remained unconvinced that gnocchi could be nothing more than some weird, soft, chewy, boofy pasta… well, that is, until now. I still haven’t figured out what about it made me realise that gnocchi could actually be very good. Perhaps it’s something to do with its softness that isn’t too soft, retaining a slight firmness but isn’t al dente, or perhaps it had the right amount of chewiness without feeling like I was eating some overripe, soggy chewing gum. All I know is that this dish made a convert out of me.

I loved the robust earthiness that the wild mushrooms brought to the dish and the accompanying tastily stringy mozzarella. There was the vaguest hint of heat to the dish, but if I barely registered it I doubt anyone else would have noticed it.

Murray Cod Fillet, Cauliflower, Leeks, Pickled Salsify, Salted Walnuts

The perfectly cooked cod was well-seasoned and we were delighted to find that the skin was utterly to crispy perfection. I loved how well the tangy pickled salsify and salted walnuts combined together and with the fish; a flavour combination I don’t think I would have ever thought would fit so well in a million years.

By this dish, we were amazed by how simple-seeming the dishes have been and still have so many different flavours so harmoniously balanced and different textures being played against/with each other.

Grilled Sea Scallops, Roasted Smoked Eel, Alsace Bacon, Celeriac, Pear

It’s no secret that we both adore scallops and are always looking for the perfect grilled or seared ones. During our time with es&t, we’ve been to a few places where we believe we’ve had scallop perfection and this would be one of them. The scallop was succulent, tender, juicy, well-seasoned and had a little crispness on its surface. The pear and celeriac brought out its sweetness while the smoked eel and bacon added a heartiness and robustness to the dish. Honestly, it was absolutely pure heaven on a plate.

Butter-Poached Western Australian Marron, Fermented Garlic, Sweet Green Peas

We didn’t know what a marron was and though we found out it was a crayfish via Google, we weren’t expecting it to come out looking so cute and curled up! I almost felt bad eating it and equally felt as bad for loving its juicy meatiness.

The marron was delicious with either or both of the two sauces: the creamy-coloured sauce that was akin to a tangy hollandaise and the dark-coloured one that was an intensely sweet garlic (which I guess was the fermented garlic?). The little dumpling-like parcel of semi-mushed green peas was a surprising but lovely addition to the plate.

Pumpkin Soup with Amaretti

When the little tea cup arrived at our table, I slightly panicked, thinking, “Oh crap! I don’t think we ordered this!” My panic subdued when our waiter introduced the dish as a pre-main course, compliments from the kitchen.

The pumpkin soup was thick, full of flavour and smooth. It was so simple, but it was intensely satisfying and also seemed to cocoon me in its flavour and warmth. Again, the chefs at Berowra has taken something rather simple and have made it extraordinary.

Grilled Wagyu Sirloin, Braised Cheek, Sauteed Sweetbread, Jerusalem Artichoke, Deep Fried Aioli

While the wagyu sirloin was scrumptiously seasoned and well-grilled, it was the braised, slow-cooked wagyu cheek that had us in gastronomic bliss. Wonderfully tender, yet still succulent and I was surprised it stayed on my fork as it practically fell apart at a touch.

I found the sweetbread a bit challenging to eat and though I tried, and though I like the flavour, I can’t seem to get over just how soft and (for me) odd the texture is. I surrendered my half to F, much to his delight.

We both wondered how one would fry aioli, now we know and it paired quite well with the meats in the dish.

Lamb Shank, Steamed Bone Marrow Dumpling, Spinach, Roast Shallot Jus

I was a bit worried about the bone marrow dumpling, thinking that it was a dumpling with bone marrow inside – something I’ve had before and also struggled to appreciate. However, all was for naught as it would seem that they incorporated the marrow into the “dumpling” (which was wrapped around the shank).

The utterly tender lamb itself was gorgeously cooked and seasoned, without a hint of that lamb-y after taste; the accompanying onion in two ways (whole and as a puree) added a deliciously sweet tone to the dish.

St Agur Blue Cows Milk Cheese, Tallegio Washed Rind, Holy Goat 'La Luna', Ossau Iraty Sheeps Milk Cheese, Raw Milk 'Alpage' Cheese

Our waitress offered us a variety of crackers and bread to go with the cheese and on sensing our indecision, she hastened to add, “You could also have a couple of each.” Bless… and so we did, having a couple slices of olive bread, fruit loaf, wheat crackers, water crackers and oat crackers. She recommended that the oat crackers went very well with the blue and tallegio cheeses, not doubting her word, but we were pleasantly surprised at just how well they went with it. Before she whisked away, she added that if we would like more crackers we only need to let her know (which I guess is a given, but it was nice to hear, as we’re always short and for some reason never ask for more).

Going from left to right, we have the blue cheese, which was actually quite mild for a blue though still had a bit of a punch to it, and was paired with a lightly sweet poached pear. The tallegio was creamy and strong in flavour and was accompanied with a black cherry conserve. We’ve had the Holy Goat before and it was interesting to see that it was also paired with a fig (though this time a fresh one) and blanched almonds. The Ossau Iraty was quite smooth and rather mild (with a hint of a sharpness) and went quite well with the poached apple and beetroot oil. Finally, we have the Alpage cheese, the mildest of them all, paired with quince paste.

I’m always surprised at how much cheese restaurants serve you on a tasting platter; invariably, I end up feeling guilty for not being able to finish them. This time was different: we managed to finish both of our cheese platters (amazingly), much to our waitress’ delight. I’m not sure how we did it, but I’m sure F had a lot to do with it.

Citron Custard, Caramel Mousse, Pop Rocks, Almond Tuille

Our pre-dessert was the lovely citron custard topped with a light, surprisingly not-so-sweet caramel mousse and pop rocks. I love pop rocks (I totally reckon it appeals to the kid in me that lurks too close to the surface) and when our waitress mentioned pop rocks, I unthinkingly echoed her (loudly and rather too enthusiastically): “Pop rocks!!!” I think I embarrassed F and our waitress, but they continued on as if I didn’t say anything (thank goodness). Although I wanted more of this delightful pre-dessert (me = pig, yes I know), I thought it was actually spot on with its serving size – not too much to make one feel sick of it nor too little to make one feel like one’s missing out.

Raspberry Soufflé, Raspberry-Mascarpone Sorbet, Chantilly Cream; Braised Pineapple, Coconut Mousse, Semolina Dumplings, Aged Rum Syrup; Dark Amadei Chocolate Tart, Strawberries, Yoghurt Cream; Quince Tarte Tatin, Calvados Ice Cream

My friend wasn’t kidding about the size of the dessert platter! I was a bit concerned that we wouldn’t be able to polish off the platter, but somehow we managed to eat everything (well almost, only we left behind half a semolina dumpling) and managed to impress our waitress again (with our gluttony no doubt haha).

The raspberry soufflé was so airy and light, yet infused with so much flavour, and I thought the raspberry-mascarpone sorbet was a divine accomplice. The braised pineapple was better than expected (and a lot juicier) and I loved its sweetness tempered by the lighter-than-air coconut mousse. The quince tarte tatin was super flaky and sticky from its thick glaze, where its calvados ice cream helped cut through the heavy sweetness. We were advised that the chocolate tart should be left til last as it is quite rich – and boy, was it decadently rich. The richness of the tart was helped by the strawberries, sorbet and yoghurt cream (yes all three), though even with all that, it was a bit too much for F to handle and I happily finished off the rest.

'You can have as many as you want.'

The service has been pretty constant and it felt like we didn’t have to wait for long between courses, so we were glad for the relatively long reprieve between our dessert course and the petit fours with tea.

When our waitress came out with the petit fours tray and saying, “Which one would you like? You can have as many as you want.” My eyes bulged and my sensibility fought with my already burgeoning and utterly greedy stomach to answer. “One of each?” she persisted after a short silence. I could only manage to nod and emit a small “yes please”.

Basil and Lime Macaron, Dark Chocolate Truffle with Amaretti, Peach Jube, Lemongrass and White Chocolate

My favourite out of the petit fours was the soft and gently sweet peach jube, while F adored the lemongrass with white chocolate.

F needed to go to the bathroom, but didn’t want to miss the chance of ordering another round of petit fours. He made me promise that if he went, I would order the jube and white chocolate for him. I duly promised and almost broke it when our waitress came to take away our plate, thinking that we were done. Hastily, I asked if we could have some more (rather embarrassedly), but she was happy to comply.

Travel by Seaplane... Posh!

I read on the website that you could travel to Berowra Waters Inn by seaplane. Seaplane! I didn’t think we should see that happening, but much to our surprise, we did and the customers were ferried to and from the plane with that flat looking boat to the right of the wharf.

Berowra Waters Inn

Sadly, it was time to go, but all good things must come to an end, no? We left feeling utterly content and satisfied with our lunch and gently sighed as the ferry pulled away from the restaurant.

The food was fantastic and we loved its bright, bold flavours, while the service was perfect. Our main waitress was the most sweetest waitress we’ve had the pleasure of having and I was meaning to tell her how much we appreciated the attention (and with a smile too!), but I was too shy and missed my chance.

We would be hard-pressed to pick our favourite dishes, as they all were so very strong in their own way, and I realise now why we got such vague answers from our friends; it is indeed too hard to say what’s good, as they all are.

Sigh. Pretty sunset

While the location of Berowra Waters Inn might be out of the way for some, the experience, the fabulous food and the view is definitely worth it. Especially for sights like this to farewell you on your way home.

Berowra Waters Inn
Via East or West Public Wharves
Berowra Waters, NSW, 2082
Ph: (02) 9456 1027
Web: http://www.berowrawatersinn.com/

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Post tags: beef, Dessert, favourites, Seafood, vegetarian

Like many girls I suspect, I’ve dipped my toe into the wine world slowly starting from cloying sweet dessert wines to the tamer Reislings but have always avoided the more ‘Adult’ Chardonnay associating it with the overtly heavy tasting white wines my parents were always drinking. I’m happy to say that the selection of wines presented with dinner have put me opened the Chardonnay door just that little bit more for me.

Left: Seppelt Salinger Pinot Noir Chardonnay 2006, Right: Anna Pooley

Anna Pooley is our hostess tonight and she’s clearly passionate about wines. It’s interesting hearing her talk about wines coming in and out of fashion, with the Chardonnay peak occurring back in the 90′s and how just like fashion IT’S BACK! Things start off easily enough with a flute of bubbly, the carbonate makes my nose tickle but it’s subtle enough for me to enjoy its lightness.(...)
Read the rest of Celebration of Chardonnay, Park Hyatt (822 words)

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Coming from the west, we took Parramatta Road and then Anzac Parade. Let me tell you, that’s not the best way to get to Centennial Park on a Saturday afternoon. We most probably got stuck in traffic for about 45 minutes, where poor Howie was waiting for us, at Taste, all that time.

Dish 1

Restaurant Balzac - Crispy Wagyu Beef with Wild Mushroom and Truffle Foam (10 Crowns)

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Read the rest of Taste of Sydney Festival, Centennial Park (1,481 words)

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Post tags: beef, Dessert, pork, Seafood

The Tomislav signage is so subtle that we don’t realise we’ve been staring at the restaurant for at least 2 minutes while waiting for the lights to change. Stepping inside I take a moment to appreciate the decor of the natural red and orange painting adorning the wall which offsets the almost industrial like look of the rest of the restaurant. There’s a surprisingly great fantastic of the iconic Coke sign as well as the Harbour Bridge and I’m briefly envious of the diners seated on the balcony tables, however a quick gust of wind quickly resolves me of this envy.

Tomislav Interior

There are 4 of us at the table tonight and ordering dinner is simple affair with 4-5 dishes offered for each of the 3 suggested courses, between us I’m relatively certain that we’re managed to order about 80% of the menu! Our waiter is a champion and takes it all in stride handling the order like a pro.

Tomislav Martinovic

The restaurant is actually much smaller than I had thought it would be, a full side of the interior is taken up by the bar and open kitchen and our seats give us a fantastic view of the chefs as they put on the final touches to each of the dishes. I love having the opportunity to see Tomislav Martinovic work, he has a swift hand when cooking and it’s almost gruffly that he calls out, ‘Service!’ upon completing each dish.

(...)
Read the rest of Tomislav, Darlinghurst (1,420 words)

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]]> http://www.eatshowandtell.com/2010/03/17/tomislav-darlinghurst/feed/ 11 -33.875671 151.221344-33.875671151.221344 http://www.eatshowandtell.com/2010/02/23/watersedge-walsh-bay/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=watersedge-walsh-bay http://www.eatshowandtell.com/2010/02/23/watersedge-walsh-bay/#comments Mon, 22 Feb 2010 14:03:56 +0000 Howard http://www.eatshowandtell.com/?p=5459 As I move into my mid 20′s, I’m finding that I am attending more and more weddings. I would of thought that the Gen Y’s would be slowing down with settling down and getting married, but it seems like some things never change over time.

Recently I had the privilege of attending the wedding of a very close family friend of mine. They had the ceremony at the beautiful Balmoral beach and were fortunate for the rain to hold off. If you recall the recent rain we had in Sydney, their wedding fell smack back in the middle of it. Lucky for them, mother nature heard their prayers and decided to stop raining between 1 and 4pm.

Funnily enough, it started raining again from 6pm onwards for the next few days which did wonders for our garden at home. But now we have so much stuff which has bloomed such as rosemary, chives, basil and kaffir lime which we don’t know what do with!

Their wedding reception was held at Watersedge in Walsh Bay. The view here is spectacular, it overlooks the beautiful harbour as well as the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Like all weddings though, I always look forward to the food. The weddings I usually goto are held at a Chinese restaurant with a ten course banquet menu, so it was interesting to see what Watersedge had to offer.

'Truffles of the sea' - Sydney rock oyster, smoked salmon, prawn and crab

The name ‘truffles of the sea’ makes it sound more exotic than it is. It’s a simple plate of fresh seafood with a bit of sauce on the side. A light kick start to the nights proceedings.

Pappardelle a la Burina Ribbon pasta al dente w veal, tomato, onion, white wine, herb and Parmesan

I had the pappardelle and I was glad that it was cooked al dente. Taste wise it lacked a bit of punch, but then again I enjoy having my pasta with a simple sauce. One thing that was lacking was the veal, with only a few pieces to prod at. In saying that, catering for 100 odd guests means consistency is often a hit and a miss.

Fillet of cod

I tried some of my Dad’s dish and we both agreed it was extremely overcooked, with the fish being too dry. I tried my mum’s and found the same thing. It was quite disappointing considering it wasn’t all that bad of a dish. But we all know that you can’t save an overcooked fish.

I missed the name of this dish, but I am pretty sure it was a roast veal. On the menu at the wedding it described it as being served medium well, but it was on the verge of well done. The inconsistency of how steak is cooked amazes me, but in their defense when they have 100 odd diners to cook for some things can be a hit and a miss, especially cooking steak. The sauce was amazing though, it really gave the dry steak a bit of life.

Old time favourite bitter chocolate mousse, citrus fruit

Dessert was more of a success, with the chocolate mousse being extremely light and creamy. It’s the kind of dessert which is a win-win addition to any menu.

Pineapple coconut pannacotta w red berries in Grand Marnier and pistachio biscotti

My favourite dish of the night was this pannacotta. The tang of the pannacotta and berries was balanced well with the crunchy pistachio biscotti.

While I wasn’t all that impressed with the food on the night, it didn’t really matter because the night was all about the celebration of a very special day. It was interesting hearing all the speeches, there are always a few funny stories to tell at the expense of the groom. As they enter the next chapter in their lives, one quote from the groom captured me the most. He said that most people say that the wedding is the happiest moment of their lives, he disagreed and said it was the beginning of many happy moments as husband and wife and he was glad to have the people that mattered the most around him to celebrate.

Watersedge Restaurant

11 Hickson Rd
The Rocks NSW 2000
(02) 9247 4927
web : http://www.watersedge.com.au

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]]> http://www.eatshowandtell.com/2010/02/23/watersedge-walsh-bay/feed/ 9 -33.855734 151.208836-33.855734151.208836 http://www.eatshowandtell.com/2010/01/17/glebe-point-diner-glebe/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=glebe-point-diner-glebe http://www.eatshowandtell.com/2010/01/17/glebe-point-diner-glebe/#comments Sun, 17 Jan 2010 13:55:20 +0000 Minh http://www.eatshowandtell.com/?p=4896 Glebe Point Diner has been on my radar for a while now, they were voted by Time Out Sydney readers as the People’s Choice, but conversely lost a hat in the 2010 Good Food Guide. It’s hard these days to know which source to trust and as always I decide to let my stomach do the deciding. I’m not sure what took me so long to make it out to Glebe Point Diner, but trust me I’ll be back soon enough.

You’d think it would be easy, but choosing a restaurant to eat at on a Friday night is surprisingly difficult. On this Friday our only certainty was that there would be three of us, and that we definitely did not want to eat Japanese! Forgoing our usual Surry Hills and Chinatown haunts we decide to go a little further out of the city and visit Glebe Point Diner, located at the far end of Glebe Point Rd far enough out of the city that the majority of the surrounding buildings are all residential.

Glebe Point Diner - Interior

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Read the rest of Glebe Point Diner, Glebe (1,151 words)

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]]> http://www.eatshowandtell.com/2010/01/17/glebe-point-diner-glebe/feed/ 17 -33.874657 151.183305-33.874657151.183305 http://www.eatshowandtell.com/2010/01/13/dinner-danks-st-depot/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=dinner-danks-st-depot http://www.eatshowandtell.com/2010/01/13/dinner-danks-st-depot/#comments Tue, 12 Jan 2010 22:30:18 +0000 teresa http://www.eatshowandtell.com/?p=4766 Something light for dinner?

In the recent past, Danks St Depot was my favourite sunday brunch haunt (note: the creamed eggs are to-die-for) but due to my recent desire to save and just plain ole laziness, I’ve had to cut this luxury out of my life. We’ve posted about Danks St twice before: For the early dinner’s club and of course, for brunch. This place is a personal favourite of mine and after a recent Christmas dinner here, I decide to make a second return.

At $50 for 3 courses at one of Sydney’s finest slow cooking inspired restaurants, Danks St Depot encapsulates value, quality and taste in all 3 of the courses (there is also the a-la-carte option if 3 courses is too much). On my last visit, I felt lucky to be living in Sydney. A place to taste the fine & fresh produce of our country as well as dishes inspired by our laid back & carefree culture. I thought it was the perfect place to introduce my overseas guest, D, to a place not only showing off our simple yet tasty Australian cuisine, but also our culture and lifestyles.

Table setting

The Starters (@$18)

After a long day of sightseeing in humid weather, salad was the popular choice for both of us.

Tattoo from Sydney Aquarium

Panzenella Salad with red roasted bell peppers (otherwise known as capsicum), bread pieces, ox-heart tomato & basil, dressed with tomato dressing.

Funny enough, I was flipping through the Danks St Depot cook book and found this salad in there (so I’m using references to the ingredients in the recipe). My dining companion found this salad to be more an “acquired taste” type dish. The dressing had a strong salty flavour to it (perhaps from the anchovies that’s used in the dressing). The sourdough pieces was covered soaked in the tomato dressing. According to the recipe, it is explained that stale bread is used. This explains the toughness of biting through each bread piece! The salad had an anchovy-cheesey type flavour, but it must be my liking for anchovies which helped me devour each bite & lick all the sauce… (yum!).

Local Peaches and Apricots roasted with Pancetta, Chilli and Thyme served with Rocket and Parmesan chunks

This was a warm salad which allowed the sweetness of the fruits to become infused with the pancetta and rocket. The pancetta was not too salty & the hint of sweetness balanced out the flavours. The peach and apricots were nicely roasted, enough to become mushy when consumed. (Yes I ate the pancetta. Did I mention that my new years resolution was to become an “occasional” omnivore? ) D found this dish to be the most memorable dish he would have that evening. He mentions the smoky flavor of the roasted fruit plus the strong-flavored (goat’s?) cheese was a perfect match and a great way to start the dining course.

Mains (@$25)

Lamb leg with Confit Mushrooms, Dried Cherry Tomatoes and Salsa Verde

The lamb leg was a nice cut of meat cooked to exactly D’s specifications. However, he felt the lamb fillet was like a steak fillet, but just gamier. The sauce tasted so much nicer after mixing the mint & caper topping in with the lamb sauce. The tomatoes were very sweet (and surprised my foreign friend. His introduction to organic tomatoes. It brought out the real sweetness to how tomatoes should taste like.) The mushrooms were a little flavourless but its bland-ness was welcomed since the other ingredients had quite a strong taste. Although there was a positive praise for this dish, D mentions he would pass on ordering it a second time, possibly trying out other main dishes.

Asparagus risotto with Woodside goats cheese curd & extra asparagus

In the past, I haven’t been a huge fan of goats cheese due to the usual reason: too strong. However, I’ve had the goats curd from Woodside a few times recently and found it strange that the flavour was not as strong as what I envisioned goats’ cheese to taste like. It is relatively light but you can still taste the goats cheese flavours. This dish gave you the option to take a small bit of the cheese with each bite or mix it into the risotto. My style of consuming this dish was to ration the “tiny, dainty spoonfuls of goat’s cheese” for each mouthful whilst D preferred the “mix it into your oatmeal” style (D believed my style was far more inferior than his style. “Think of the time one saves with the oatmeal method”, he explains), but we did agree that the flavours matched so well. It was worth ordering on any trip to Danks St (In fact, I had the same risotto on my last Danks St dinner visit).

Dessert (@$12.50)

The waitress took to laughing a bit as D took advantage of the $3 cup/$5 bowl warm beverage up sell and ordered the long black bowl earning this “smart” shopper the equivalent to 3 cups of strong coffee in one, some funny looks from staff and most importantly, a wicked caffeine buzz.

Hot Liquid Centered Chocolate Fondant served with caramelised Strawberries and Whipped Cream

If you asked me what dessert I wanted, I would reply “anything chocolate”. If this is also your answer, you’d love this dessert. As we dug into the fondant, the warm liquidity chocolate slowly oozed out and mixed with the strawberry sauce. This lightened the sweetness of the oozing chocolate. The chocolate fondant was dark, rich and moist. I found it was one of those desserts where you pick up your spoon to eat it, and you don’t put your spoon down, until you’ve finished. Licking helped us towards the end, to savour the flavour.

Pain Perdu - Warm Bread and Butter Pudding served with Vanilla Anglaise and poached Rhubarb

I had this dessert for the early dinner’s club. It was a memorable experience. Drenching the bread and butter pudding into the vanilla anglaise soaked up extra flavours. There’s a hint of chocolate and something fruity (maybe orange rind??). My favourite was the toffee top. It gave the dessert a nice crunch, but wasn’t too sweet to overpower any other flavours. During this course, I made a comment about rhubard: “Don’t you think rhubarb tastes like celery, but its sweet?” – Does anyone else believe in this too because I certainly do! I LOVE cooked celery. The rhubarb was a little sweet to my liking. I guess it didn’t help by being drenched with the vanilla anglaise.

I love daylight savings

I’ve always had a positive experience at Danks St Depot, however during the busier times, the service is sometimes not as attentive as they should be, but the knowledge of how sweet the waitresses are, the attentiveness is not necessary.
The head chef of Dank St. Depot (Jared Ingersoll) believes in slow-cooking, and I being of the philosophy of slow-eating felt a natural draw to come and eat here. So, if you do too, perhaps check this place out for breakfast, lunch, dinner… or all 3. And @$50 for 3 courses per person, it’s a steal!

Danks Street Depot
1/2 Danks Street (Cnr Young St),
Waterloo, NSW 2017
Web: http://www.danksstreetdepot.com.au/

Breakfast & Lunch: Monday to Sunday
Dinner: Thursday to Saturday

© teresa for eatshowandtell, 2010. | Permalink | 15 comments | Add to del.icio.us
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