Food, booze and shoes

Some place: Wilbur's Place

2012-01-30T08:00:00.186+11:00

I was looking forward to Wilbur's Place given the well-known golden touch of the guys behind Sydney's much-loved Bourke Street Bakery. Wilbur's Place is their first restaurant venture in the pedestrian-only Llankelly Place in Potts Point.

The concept is quick, simple eats at extremely reasonable prices, while take-away is also encouraged throughout the day. And, conscious of trying not to cannibalise their own businesses, they have maintained minimal crossover between the bakeries and the restaurant.

For example, you won't find any sausage rolls or pies at Wilbur's Place, and nor will you find toasted brioche ice cream sandwiches at Bourke Street Bakery.

Duck liver parfait, pickled fennel and toast from Wilbur's Place, Llankelly Place, Potts Point

It's no surprise to receive complimentary bread with olive oil given the restaurant's heritage, with the white sourdough baked especially for Wilbur's Place.

Adding to the carbohydrate intake, we ordered the duck liver parfait with toast from the more entreé-like beginning of the short but tempting menu.

It was a tile of the most buttery liver parfait I've ever had the pleasure of tasting, and actually spread like soft butter on the thin sourdough toasts, while the pile of wincingly tart pickled fennel cut through the richness and then some.

Warm salad of porchetta, walnuts, apple, endive, fennel, croutons and red wine dressing

The warm porchetta salad reads like a dream and I'd adore it for lunch every day. The thin, domino-sized pork slices - spiced, roasted and interleaved with layers of fat - are a delight to find and eat with whole roasted walnuts and thin, torn sourdough croutons.

The roasted fennel, all charred and caramelly, adds depth while the most perfect red wine dressing finishes the salad with a flourish. It's a salad that will definitely satisfy a healthy appetite.

Duck leg, lentils, witlof, plum chutney and vino cotto

The mains aren't huge, thankfully, as the entreés and complimentary bread are plenty to handle already. The duck leg, with its crispy skin coat and stripped-back drumstick, is one of the richer mains, matched well with the punchy vin cotto dressing and sweetness from the plum chutney and blood plum segments.

I adore puy lentils in any case, but especially when they're a little al dente as in this case and particularly with a gorgeously cooked leg of duck that's full of salty, fatty flavour.

Twice cooked spiced 1/2 spatchcock, chickpea salad, labna, herbs
with a capsicum and red onion jam

Keeping with the poultry theme for the mains, the deep-fried half spatchcock smelt irresistable, as most fried chicken does, and is served with a trio of sauces/sides. The white yoghurt cheese of labna was surprisingly the best 'sauce' for the spatchcock, being creamy and just that little bit tangy.

The red sauce is much like a capsicum romesco sauce while the yellow mush of chickpeas is a new take on hommous, with whole leaves of parsley and mint mixed through for a fresh burst of flavour.

Outdoor dining in Llankelly Place at Wilbur's Place

While there were some interesting desserts on offer that we skipped for fear of bursting stomachs, Wilbur's Place is currently BYO as they await their liquor license. Once that's in place, they'll be serving one artisanal beer and one each of red and white wine to accompany their succinct menu.

Also, they're cash only at this point (the nearest ATM is a convenience store on Darlinghurst Road, I found) but two courses for two came in at less than $65, which is incredibly reasonable for the quality of food and the area. I only wish there were some place like Wilbur's Place in the CBD for a terrific and humble meals on the cheap.

World Class Australia 2012 semi finals rock the boat

2012-01-25T08:13:00.285+11:00

Blue skies on a Sunday afternoon were a promising start to the Diageo Reserve World Class Australia semi finals; part of a global competition to find the "World Class Bartender of the Year".

Bartenders representing 44 countries will compete in the global competition. In the meantime, from more than 130 entrants Australia wide, the national semi finalists were whittled down to nine: three bartenders per category of drinks of Gentleman's Cocktail, Punch and Seasonal Cocktail.

World Class Australia 2012 semi finals aboard the Sydney Glass Island

Boarding the Sydney Glass Island, nine bartenders were set up around the first floor, while the sundeck on top offered fresh air, sunshine and non-alcoholic drinks. A boat turned out to be the perfect venue as one couldn't tell if people were drunkenly stumbling or if the boat was just rocking over small waves in the harbour.

Attendees received 'little black books'; passports with information on each bartender and their competing cocktail, as well as classy voting cards to be used once all nine cocktails were sampled. Determining a winner was going to be fun, although there was a judging panel ensuring it wasn't all just a popularity contest.

World Class Australia 2012 semi finals crowd

Each bartender served their cocktails fresh and shared their drinks philosophies. It was great to see the cocktails getting as much care and attention as they would in a proper cocktail bar, as samples were all fastidiously garnished and presented, despite the plastic glassware.

Each drink featured Tanqueray No. Ten Gin, Ketel One Vodka or Singleton of Glen Ord 12 Single Malt Whisky.

Dockers Union Punch by Sarah Miller (I know a place, Melbourne)

Sarah Miller's Dockers Union Punch was the only cocktail in the (floating) room to feature the Singleton of Glen Ord; and as a non-whisky lover, it was strange that this was the first cocktail I grabbed.

It must have been the summery presentation of the punch, with apple and other fruit juices as well as heavier spice notes and Creole bitters. Served on ice it was, surprisingly, very drinkable in the summer heat with just a wisp of whisky-ness.

The Continental by Philip Gandevia (Eau de Vie/The Roosevelt, Sydney)

We moved onto a Gentleman's Cocktail with Philip Gandevia's dramatic, liquid nitrogen assisted theatrics; his cocktail featuring vodka, orange vodka, gin, dry vermouth and "tea smoked orange and celery bitters".

Philip Gandevia pulls out some cocktail theatrics

Essentially a martini with more bite, Dr Phil blazes the drink in silver goblets with the aid of the liquid nitrogen. No ice also means no dilution, making this Gentleman's Cocktail a seriously hard hitting one but with the headstrong flavour of celery making its presence known.

US 10 by Fred Siggins (The Kodiak Club, Fitzroy)

Moving completely out of order to a Seasonal Cocktail, Fred Siggins' beer cocktail was served out of brown beer bottles, as is done at his Fitzroy bar. Alongside Mexican style barbequed corn with cheese and mayonnaise, this cocktail was to represent American summer.

US 10 served with Mexican style barbequed corn

And summer it was. I don't know if the fruitiness (definite passionfruit notes) came from the American Pale Ale or the gin, but I simply adored the genius and refreshing sweetness of my very first beer cocktail.

Grilled prawns

Canapés were part of the event; however, this was one of the best catered (in terms of quantity) events I've come across. Perhaps related to the rather sizeable amount of drinking everyone on board was expected to partake in, there was no chasing of the large platters of food required.

The grilled prawn skewers were one of the best ones; well marinated and grilled, I may have had more than a couple of these.

Rice paper rolls

Fish cocktails with dill tartare sauce

Collier's Sundown Cooler

We moved swiftly back to Punch for the next drink, arriving at Perryn Collier's Esky, keg and self-labelled bottles. Another drink served by the (green) beer bottle, this carbonated punch was a sweetie featuring gin, vodka, dry vermouth and pink grapefruit juice.

Collier's Sundown Cooler by Perryn Collier (The Laneway, Brisbane)

The sugar hit came from very noticeable ginger cordial and a home made pineapple syrup from fruit which had been marinated in the cocktail concoction, then barbequed for a caramelised surface before being blitzed. If that's not effort, I don't know what is.

Collier's Sundowner Cooler served with pineapple on the side

Served over ice with a dainty mint sprig, this was definitely a libation for sunny days on the top deck of a boat. Drinking snacks of sweet dehydrated and glacé pineapple was supposed to extend the pineapple connection I suppose, but I generally prefer savoury snacks with sweet drinks.

Anita Strother (Malt Dining, Brisbane)

Dorothea Mackellar's poem "My Country" was the inspiration for Anita Strother's citrusy gin Seasonal Cocktail, with the piece de resistance of Aperol and pink grapefruit foam. I love a sunburnt country, where the cocktails are refreshing, pink, girly and fun.

Western Expression by Thiago Santos (The Loft, Sydney)

Points for most creative would have to go to Thiago Santos and his artists' palette of cocktail flavours. Starting with a base of gin, elderflower cordial and lemon juice, the idea behind this Punch is that each drinker can 'paint' their own flavours into their drink, then top it off with sparkling camomile tea.

The puree/paint options were red strawberry and Campari, green cucumber or blue grapefruit and Blue Curaçao.

Thiago Santos adds more blue 'paint' to the palette

Using thick paintbrushes that took me straight back to high school art classes, I added a few helpings of green 'paint' to my drink, stirring in the cucumber puree for what turned out to be quite the zingy drink.

Sydney Calling by Colin Perillo (Zeta Bar, Sydney)

Having only arrived in Australia three months ago, Colin Perillo's tugging of the patriotic heartstrings was certainly working, as was his double shake for his Sydney-inspired Gentleman's Cocktail.

Wattle leaves and 'Pure Harmony' lavender leaves

Using Australian wattle and lavender leaves to subtly infuse vodka, this drink balanced maraschino liqueur with grapefruit juice, and was definitely one of the more interesting flavours of the bunch.

Our Little Secret by Adam Smith (Press Club, Brisbane)

There was a bit of a rush at the end as everyone tried to get in their last of the cocktail tastings - I mean, I couldn't vote until I'd tasted them all.

Adam Smith provided a complex combination of peach tea, rosemary, agave and grapefruit mixed with gin, a bespoke "Little Ten Liquor" and Lillet Blanc. The rosemary was a surprising, warm ingredient in the drink

Breakfast in Bed by Jason Williams (The Loft, Sydney)

There was an lot of noise and cheering from Jason Williams' corner throughout the day and I was looking forward to discovering the reason. His gin and vodka cocktail included fruit marmalade, spiced bitters, supposedly a white chocolate liqueur and dandelion tea.

I missed most of the delicate flavours (orange and cucumber too) in what was possibly a rushed drink as the countdown loomed, but the end result was sadly unbalanced.

World Class Australia 2012 semi finals awards

We all adjourned upstairs to the windy but thankfully sunny deck as the results were collated along with the judges' votes. It was a chance to rehydrate with water and soft drinks, and actually take in some of the scenery we'd been cruising past for a couple hours already.

(Left to right) Fred Siggins, Perryn Collier and Philip Gandevia

And the winners: in the Gentleman's Cocktail category - Philip Gandevia. In the Punch category - Perryn Collier. And in the Seasonal Cocktail category - Fred Siggins.

I heard that the Seasonal Cocktail category was very closely contested, but the semi finals produced three finalists for the next round; where one national winner will head to Rio for the global competition, which by all accounts, is no holiday.

World Class Australia 2012 semi finalists

Perryn Collier (The Laneway, Brisbane)

The national finals will be held later in the year with a winter theme, as opposed to the summer oriented semi finals. Best of luck to all the finalists! See more photos here at my Facebook page.

Food, booze and shoes attended the World Class Australia 2012 semi finals courtesy of Diageo Reserve World Class and Behind Bars.

Year of the Dragon - Happy Lunar New Year

2012-01-22T08:08:00.078+11:00

Draon display at Chinese New Year Markets, Belmore Park, Central

It's time to celebrate New Year again - the Lunar calender's first day of the 2012 Year of the Dragon is tomorrow and as always, the City of Sydney has festivities galore throughout the city.

Over this (somewhat wet) weekend, the Chinese New Year Markets are being held in Belmore Park between Central Station and Chinatown, from 11am to 10pm. Food stalls are particularly abundant, in addition to performances on the main stage and other market stalls.

Alvin Quah (right) and Joanna Savill (left) in the Chinese New Year AYAM Kitchen

Regular cooking demonstrations in the AYAM Kitchen feature the likes of Adam Liaw and Alvin Quah from MasterChef, whipping up traditional and modern takes on Chinese New Year foods. Here Alvin mentioned snapper, which probably tends on the less traditional side.

Chinese New Year Markets main entertainment stage

Even in the wet and soggy conditions yesterday, the main stage drew crowds to watch performances celebrating the New Year and various cultures. The Chinese Youth League dragon dance was particularly lively, and presumably much more difficult than it appears.

Dragon boat formation as part of the dragon dance

They dealt with the limited stage space fairly well, but truly entertained the crowds with a unique dragon boat formation as part of the dance.

Chinese Youth League dragon dance team

Chinese fan dancers

Chinese fan dancers - love the enthusiam of these ladies

Medibank red packet tree

Medibank red packet game

The Medibank stall played on the theme of luck and prosperity with the chance to win prizes on its red packet tree by selecting a single packet, as well as being a pretty and festive sight.

The Medibank stall is certainly popular

St.George Bank Happy Dragon game

On games and winning, St.George Bank also had a stall in the Laughing Clowns sideshow game fashion; the clowns replaced by their mascot dragon. I couldn't resist an attempt to win a soft dragon toy, resplendent in traditional Chinese garb, but made away with a plastic golden dragon money box instead.

There are plenty of options for food (the large Sichuan food stall looked interesting) and lots to celebrate, so head on down to Belmore Park for the last day of the Chinese New Year Markets - more details here.

In the Black (by Ezard)

2012-01-19T08:38:00.000+11:00

I’ve been to The Star as many times in the last six months as I have been in my entire life before the multi-million dollar renovations at the casino, which has attracted a wealth of magnetically attractive operators.

Black by Ezard is fairly removed from Teage Ezard’s Asian-leaning Melbourne establishments: it's a glitzy and expansive steak house looking out to Pyrmont Bay, where the high rollers feed before dropping said rolls of cash.

The fitout is pretty amazing, incorporating a stunning wine cellar in full view of anyone passing the casino’s front entrance and a classy bar area where serious cocktails are had. It was particularly difficult to resist the bar food menu while perched at the bar perusing the cocktail list ahead of a dinner reservation.

Wagyu sliders at Black Bar, The Star, Pyrmont

The wagyu sliders would have to be the best burger of the year. Not to mention it’s the only burger/slider I’ve had so far this year, but its juiciness and richness surpasses any burgers I might have had last year too.

Just one bite through the buttery mini brioche bun, the flavours of rich, melty cheese and ridiculously juicy wagyu beef pattie meld and party on the palate. Pickles join the affair at the peak, and it starts all over again at the next bite.

Dripping all over my hands as I sipped a Charlie Chaplin (my new favourite cocktail with apricot brandy, sloe gin and lemon), I didn’t want the slider to end; the combination of tastes and textures was just naughtily divine.

Chicken wing

Somewhat less impressive than the sliders was the chicken wing dish consisting of three drumettes, pickled celery and an airy blue cheese dip. This take on buffalo wings, on top of the sliders, gives the bar menu a distinctly American feel.

The chicken was saucily spicy, a little salty with the blue cheese, and the softened celery an interesting twist. It was possibly not the best dish with the Bobby Burns cocktail of Pig’s Nose Scotch whisky, sweet vermouth and Benedictine.

Brioche, butter and black volcanic salt flakes at Black by Ezard, The Star, Pyrmont

Come dinner reservation time, our drinks were taken to our window table overlooking Pyrmont Bay. The main part of the dining room is surprisingly expansive and open, with the open kitchen behind, and more intimate banquette seats heading towards the bathrooms.

It’s easy to draw comparisons to another city steak house, but I try not to, especially as the glossy brioche loaf arrives with a pat of butter and black volcanic salt flakes apparently from Hawaii. The richness of the brioche doesn’t need any more butter, but my excuse is that it helps the salt flakes stick.

Perusing the iPad wine list, there’s incredible variety in wines by the bottle and somewhat less so by the glass. I selected my glass of Malbec without advice, but it turned out to be a fabulous match to the steaks.

Organic farm egg, potato cream, truffles, iberico ham, herb salad

The organic egg dish is the priciest entrée on the menu, topped with shaved black truffles that don’t really fill the air or palate with its expected aroma. The nest of potato hides the slow cooked, runny yolked egg, with a bowerbird-like collection of goodies on top.

The foamy potato cream and strip of iberico ham laid aside add a little more substance, but I think you have to be a real egg lover to be enthralled by this dish.

Prawns butter poached, wood grilled watermelon, corn salad

The prawn entrée turns out to be a beautiful construction with three large prawns, watermelon, corn kernels and a puree and what I think could be corn bread, thinly sliced radish and herbs.

The flavours were fairly subdued but all the components matched well enough, particularly when smothered in the creamy corn puree. I enjoyed the varied textures, especially the vibrantly red and juicy watermelon strips.

One thing I noticed about the Black by Ezard menu is that provenance of ingredients is not highlighted, so I’m not sure where my prawns were from, nor from where the steaks are sourced. I wonder if it’s just a Sydney restaurant trend, but it might be nice to know where my cow comes from.

Flat iron, grain fed wagyu, MBS 9+, 200g

I thought I would be accustomed to the presentation of meat, alone, on a large white plate by now but it still makes me laugh every time. The perfect portion of the flat iron steak is kind of tender with an impressively rich mouthfeel at every chew, and more so with truffle butter as a sauce.

I wonder if this small-ish cut, cooked medium-rare, still receives the sous vide treatment which all Black by Ezard steaks apparently do, which is more than justifiable on the man-sized steak that I ordered.

Rib eye, dry aged grass fed angus, 400g

I felt a little Flinstonian with my rib eye on the bone, hence the lighter, ‘healthier’ choice of Argentinean chimichurri as a sauce.

A few edge parts of the steak were a little tough and more medium than my requested medium-rare, but the main game was satisfyingly juicy and meaty – my preference over the luxurious creaminess of high marble-scored wagyu beef.

There was a nice level of spice in the chimichurri to keep the 400 grams of beef interesting, but despite my valiant attempt, I conceded defeat many, many, many minutes into the game, when I couldn’t take another mouthful of cold steak.

Cos, chorizo, piquillo pepper, heirloom carrot

Given the protein-heavy meal, a salad came highly recommended as a side dish although we elected the cos lettuce salad with chorizo based primarily on the latter protein.

The salad ended up being a bit of a surprise in that chorizo wasn't easy to find; the finely diced sausage barely registering its presence in sight or taste.

More abundant were thin rounds of what I thought were radish, but the white-inner, purple-outer root vegetable turned out to be heirloom carrot. With our meaty mains, the light dressing on the crunchy cos lettuce was most appreciated.

Parsnip fritters, coconut, turmeric caramel

I would never have thought to order the parsnip fritters as a side, if not for a staff recommendation. Deep brown quenelles of soft parsnip and coconut were sweetened by a caramel spiced with turmeric and topped with dried slivers of red chilli/capsicum. It was probably good enough to be served as an entrée itself.

There was no room for dessert after, essentially, three substantial savoury courses. The Black by Ezard experience was much like what I would imagine dining in a Las Vegas casino would be: decent food, slick service, lots of action and for The Star, a very good bet.

You're invited... to a World Class cocktail event

2012-01-18T10:03:00.103+11:00

On a boat. In Sydney harbour. This Sunday afternoon. That's right, this Sunday 22 January, nine of the country's top bartenders will be shaking and stirring up a few drinks as they compete in the first World Class 2012 semi final; a cocktail competition where bartenders angle for the crown of Australia's best bartender.

Image courtesy of World Class organisers

With cocktails to feature Tanqueray No. TEN, Ketel One Vodka and The Singleton of Glen Ord, attendees not only get to taste the competitors' best efforts, they also get to vote for their favourite drinks and bartenders in three different judging categories:

Gentleman Cocktail
with competitors Jason Williams from The Loft, Sydney; Collin Perillo from Zeta, Sydney; and Phil Gandevia from Eau de Vie, Sydney.

Punch
with competitors Thiago Santos from The Loft, Sydney; Sarah Miller from I know a place, Melbourne; and Perryn Collier from The Laneway, Brisbane.

Seasonal Cocktail
with competitors Adam Smith from Press Club, Brisbane; Anita Strother from Malt Dining, Brisbane; and Fred Siggins from Kodiak Club, Melbourne.

The entry ticket gets you on the 3-hour cruise on Sydney Glass Island, tasting and voting on your favourite cocktails ahead of the June finals, as well as canapes and non-alcoholic refreshments for mostly RSA reasons, I presume. See more details and get your tickets here.

The cruise/semi finals/party starts with Sydney Glass Island pick-up at Campbells Cove (near Quay Restaurant and the Park Hyatt) at 2.45pm on Sunday 22 January. Semi finalists will be chosen after the appropriate three hours of drinking - and showmanship, I'm sure. May the best drink win!

No fakes: Sydney's own Petaling Street

2012-01-16T08:01:00.085+11:00

I'm not sure why I given the recommendation to go to Petaling Street when I was in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia last year. For starters, I was feeling particularly ill on the day and by the end of the short-ish market walk through Petaling Street, the sight of another fake Jimmy Choo bag was going to make me physically sick.

But there are no fakes nor illnesses to worry about at Petaling Street on Sydney's George Street. Put off by a 11.30pm queue outside Mamak one night, we headed up to the new Malaysian contender which was on the quiet side of steady trade.


(Front to back) Hot teh tarik, iced teh tarik and Ribena with lemonade from Petaling Street, George Street, Haymarket

The restaurant is long and narrow like many Chinatown eateries, with seating all up the right side as you enter, passing the glassed kitchen to the other side. It seems all the tables are set for four people, so I'm not sure how larger groups cope.

The menu is significantly larger than that of the aforementioned long-queued Malaysian eatery. While I can't resist a teh tarik, even if it does taste like it has come from a packet, others can't resist the allure of Ribena cordial with lemonade in what I can only imagine is a liquid sugar hit.

Chicken laksa

We had decided to share mains across the group and I'm sure glad we did. The laksa was epically sized and the kitchen had no problems taking out an ingredient or changing the noodles to rice ones. I'm no laksa expert but I thought there was a good kick of heat in the thick and creamy coconut-heavy soup.

Hainanese chicken rice

Hainanese chicken rice is more my kind of dish; here served with delicately poached boneless chicken doused in a quite sweet soy sauce alongside sliced cucumber and finished with fresh coriander.

I didn't try the soup served with it, but was kind of wanting the mild chopped red chilli sauce or pickled green chillies which never came. Nonetheless, I thought the rice, flavoured with chicken stock and the bird's fat, was well done although there were comments about its sweetness.

Mi goreng

My attention was most firmly placed on the huge plate of mi goreng in front of me; a giant pile of Hokkien noodles in a rather spicily seasoned sauce with goodies at every grab of chopsticks. I remember fish cake, bean sprouts and other Asian vegetables, but the rest is mostly a spicy blur.

Late dining customers continued to take tables in the narrow restaurant as we left, so it appears the word is slowly getting out - there's a new Malaysian player in town and it ain't no fake.

Wildfire Fast Festival Feast: Dinner with a view

2012-01-12T08:01:00.056+11:00

After a huge Festival First Night last weekend, I’m back for more of Sydney Festival with the Fast Festival Feasts across a number of Sydney restaurants. One or two courses at $30 or $55 respectively at set times, with a glass of McGuigan ‘The Shortlist’ wine and a bottle of Tasmanian Rain water isn’t too shabby.

Tasmanian Rain sparkling mineral water at Wildfire, Overseas
Passenger Terminal, Circular Quay

Ahead of a show at the Sydney Opera House, options for the two-course deal in the vicinity are limited (Aria is only doing Fast Festival Feasts at lunch) so we find ourselves seated outdoors at Wildfire in the Overseas Passenger Terminal, facing the show venue.

It’s a curious dining location that I’ve rarely been privileged to, populated by couples dining alfresco and business dinners inside the restaurant, and many a passing, inquisitive tourist.

Booked in for the Fast Festival Feast, I was a little surprised that we weren’t offered the regular menu as well, should we have wanted extras like bread or sides with our meal. As part of the deal, we each get a glass of the McGuigan ‘The Shortlist’ Chardonnay and a bottle of Tasmanian Rain sparkling water.

Yellowfin tuna sashimi with smoked eel parfait, buttermilk ‘snow’,
dashi, cucumber and dill emulsion

I wasn’t aware that Wildfire has a rather modernist approach (they also have a churrasco menu, which frankly baffles me). The presentation of the entrée confirmed this with the presence of fairly flavour-free buttermilk “snow” atop the perfect ruby discs of raw tuna.

Thin rolled lengths of cucumber added to the subtle flavours, while the verdant dill emulsion and the caviar topped quenelle of creamy smoked eel parfait were highlighting flavour matches.

Kurobuta pork belly with spherical yoghurt, compressed watermelon,
liquorice, prosciutto and baby fennel

The pork belly main dish was very well sized and topped with a gloriously golden, bubbly layer of crackling. The block of meat wasn’t overly fatty and had great flavour, enhanced with the uber sweet rounds of watermelon and slivers of candied peel (possibly grapefruit), but not helped by the extremely sour grapefruit segments.

The spheres of natural yoghurt were much fun to play with and eventually burst, adding a sauce of sorts, albeit mostly flavourless against the salty shaved fennel. A strike of liquorice added to appearances, but didn’t do much for the sum of all parts in terms of overall flavour.

We ditched the eventually-quite-full restaurant and dessert menu in favour of a quick gelato before blazing back up the other side through the crowds to the Opera House, just in time for an 8.30pm performance. Thank you, Fast Festival Feast.

Sunshack Cider and lazy Sunday arvos

2012-01-08T11:46:00.000+11:00

There’s nothing wrong with a mid afternoon nap, especially in summer when a day at the beach or backyard barbeque can be positively exhausting; and particularly when alcoholic beverages are involved.

Sunshack Cider Apple for the Sunshack Cider launch at Clovelly Bowling Club, Clovelly

With the cider boom well and truly exploded in Sydney (and growing), the launch party for Sunshack Cider was going to be fun on every level: how could one complain about sipping cider, lounging about grassy knolls, a gourmet barbeque and a bit of lawn bowls?

Crowds enjoy the Sunshack Cider launch party

One doesn’t complain, especially when Sydney turns on a smokingly gorgeous day with a nice seaside breeze to cool it all down in Clovelly.

Sunshack Cider on tap for the launch party

Brewed and cold fermented in Mittagong in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Sunshack Cider started as two blokes brewing cider for their mates – who all thought it was pretty decent stuff and so said two blokes decided to take the plunge and go commercial.

Sunshack Cider is available in apple and pear varieties and is relatively dry compared to many others out there in the current market, especially some of the imported ciders. The less sweet characteristic means, for good or bad, you can drink it all day long and not get sick of cloying sweetness or indeed, a sugar high.

The Sunshack Cider shack

And so we did. At a makeshift bamboo bar replete with rattan roof and staffed by appropriately beachy boys, we downed cider by the red plastic cup full.

I initially thought I might alternate between the apple and the pear, but upon tasting the pear – with a stronger fruit flavour much more perceptible than the quite dry apple – I was a perry drinker for the rest of the day.

Apple bobbing

It wasn’t all just cider and perry through the afternoon; though that would have made for a fairly decent afternoon in itself. There was a speech or two, a deplorably daggy (intentionally satirical?) Sunshack Cider song, bobbing for apples and, given the venue, lawn bowls – by the sea, no less!

Lawn bowls

We missed the part with the proper rules and instructions of the game, but found our way onto the not lush but well manicured greens for a spot of barefoot bowls, if you could call it that.

I’m pretty sure more of my bowls ended up in next door’s ‘rink’ or in the back ditch than anywhere near the jack, but there was a decent attempt or three throughout the afternoon.

Sunshack apple cider for you; Sunshack perry for me...

I was much more successful at going to and fro, from bowling green to bar, drinking and ferrying ciders; which at 4.5% alcohol content, don’t hit straightaway but slowly turn any afternoon into a lazy one.

Fish and chips with pea mash

Thankfully the organisers had considered the eventual impact of an afternoon of cider-ing and provided a range of booze-absorbing canapés to nibble, while waiting for the main late lunch event.

Some very good battered fish with fat chips had the extra surprise of a line of pea mash - who would have thought that combination would work, but it does with lots of lemon squeezed over.

Prawn and coconut spring rolls

I had reservations about the prawn and coconut spring rolls, but these piping hot golden nuggets turned out to be surprisingly good. The firm prawns with a curried mix of coconut encased in crunchy spring roll pastry were rather inspired.

Those that missed out on canapés needn’t have worried about going hungry as later in the afternoon, the barbie was fired up by some professional help and a most delectable gourmet barbeque was to be had.

Pork belly on the barbeque

No burnt snags at this barbeque, but instead, marinated strips of pork belly on white rolls with fabulously summery salads as well as grilled skewers of vegetables and seafood.

White bread rolls

Grilled vegetable skewers

Rocket, orange, fennel, witlof salad

Potato salad

Lettuce and pear salad

Pork crackling

This is kind of a cheat's pork crackling but deliciously crunchy and naughty nonetheless. I can honestly say I took my fair share and only picked up one piece of crackling. But can you imagine that bowl and your favourite television show?

Clovelly Bowling Club

Aside from a slight breeze - which we effectively blamed for our bowls going in completely wrong directions - it was the perfect day for a barbeque and game of bowls by the sea.

Sunshack Cider: pear and apple 500ml bottles

We received some further samples of Sunshack Cider in the goodie bag for home (they'd organised a bus for guests heading back to Central station - it's all about responsible drinking, people).

The 500ml bottles are a little on the large side - at about the same alcohol content as a full strength beer, one bottle of cider constitutes 1.8 standard drinks, so be aware that something that tastes so good can still be reasonably boozy.

But lazy summer Sunday arvos and cider are just meant to be - as the Sunshack guys say, all you need is love and cider. See more photos from the launch party at my Facebook page here.

Food, booze and shoes attended the Sunshack Cider launch party as a guest of Sunshack Cider.

Duke Bistro - duke it out

2012-01-04T08:03:00.002+11:00

It's the new year and I, for one, am looking forward to new experiences, a bit more travel and perhaps a little more direction this year. And while last year was definitely a fun one for dining out, I'm a little cautious about this year - I mean, how many more new restaurants can Sydney sustain?

One that definitely seems to have some staying power is Duke Bistro; one of the original Sydney 'dude food' revolutionists, though I think the label underrates the skills of kitchen significantly.

Dirty Smoker and The Tsarina (back) at Duke Bistro, Flinders Street, Darlinghurst

We began the evening with cocktails and all I remember from my smoked olive cocktail, Dirty Smoker, is a strong, savoury smokiness with the hit of a clear spirit. It was more novelty and experimentation than taste, I think, especially the smoked black olives on the side.

Much easier to down was The Tsarina; a girly mix of raspberry vodka and citrus flavours, served in the same coupe glass.

Radish, dashi butter

While cocktails are always fun, it was the food at Duke Bistro that had me excited. Having heard nothing but good words and appreciative noises about the radish with dashi butter dish, this was the first cab off the rank, served with bread rolls.

What could be so interesting about some plain old radishes cooked in a flavoured butter, you wonder?

Radish, dashi butter, bread rolls

Oh, but for the all-round smack of umami savouriness from the dashi butter; salty and sweet but not at all fishy - you really could have thrown any vegetable into this butter and it would be sensational, but the tender radishes shined.

Serving the dish with bread rolls makes complete sense as when I finished my perfectly round bread roll, I contemplated getting a straw to slurp up the rest of the butter sauce - it is that good.

Grilled scampi

Never one to go past scampi on a menu, the arrival of one scampi, split in half, was a little surprising and pricey we then realised. The split scampi, grilled beneath some unmemorable creamy sauce, was but a bite or two and definitely left us wanting more.

Bonito, lardo, pumpkin, coffee

Of the more substantially sized meals, the pan fried bonito dish was presented stunningly over a drool of pumpkin puree. The coffee flavoured crumbs went well with the sweet flavours of the dish while the lardo was difficult to find.

My favourite aspect of the dish wasn't the finely cooked, golden hued fish but the accompanying balls of pumpkin and macadamia nuts; of which you could barely differentiate until you had it in your mouth.

Char siu pork neck, gai lan, garlic shoot

The other 'main' dish was a more generous serve of Chinese char siu style pork neck; a little pink and incredibly tender. These hunks of sweet surfaced pork were served with a green puree and some green stems; one of which must have been gai lan and the other of garlic shoots.

MakMak macarons

These small plates were surprisingly filling for two girls, though I wonder how the hearty male appetites fare here. So full were we that we had just one proper dessert and a selection of mini MakMak macarons between the two of us, including a fine strawberry flavoured one.

Milk, Milk, Milk

I was initially intrigued by this dessert name and even more so when it was described as a dessert of various milk components. There was the pool of dulce de leche caramel sauce framing browned milk meringues and a fabulous milk panna cotta that seemed sugar-free (and for this skim milk drinker, it tasted more like pure milk than I ever remember).

I suppose the chocolate crumbs added some necessary colour contrast but the Milk, Milk, Milk was just my kind of dessert: a simple yet fun concept, full of different textures.

There's a lot of competition in restaurant town, especially if 2011 was anything to go by. With its winning interiors (there really is a boar's head sitting on a bar stool at the bar), clever menu and hipster crowd; I'm positive that Duke Bistro isn't just a dude fad.

What a year, 2011

2011-12-31T07:25:00.008+11:00

This year has been an enormous year, and that's not just in regards to my stomach capacity. There have been more weddings and events than ever, new jobs and seemingly more work, and just a constant flow of activities that are keeping me well away from my bookshelf.

So now it's cheers to a great 2011 and fingers crossed for an even better 2012. Here are some of my standout eats and drinks from the year that was 2011.

Roti pisang in Muar, Malaysia

I got my roti fill when I was in Malaysia in the beginning of the year, ordering it at every chance. The frozen at-home packs unfortunately don't compare to the freshly made in texture nor price. This roti pisang in Penang was breakfast heaven.

Banh cuon in Hanoi, Vietnam

The food highlight in Hanoi, Vietnam was this freshly made banh cuon; straight from the hands of a teenage boy who looked like he'd been making rice noodles for years. I'll cherish the memory of sitting on plastic stools in a laneway, with scooters passing closely behind, eating the freshest banh cuon ever.

Piña colada nitro puff at Zeta Bar, Hilton Sydney, George Street, Sydney

Zeta Bar knows how to party, and head mixologist Grant Collins isn't afraid to experiment with liquid nitrogen - case in point these amazing piña colada nitro puffs at a tiki-themed event where guests were blowing boozey, coconut-y cold air out their noses.

Roasted lamb cutlet crusted with Massaman curry and lime leaf served with
cucumber and mint jelly at LL Wine and Dine, Llankelly Place, Kings Cross

Laneways are starting to take a greater hold on Sydney outings, and LL Wine and Dine impresses with food and drinks offerings. This tender-as lamb cutlet was made spectacular by its curry crumb and explosively-flavoured mint jelly.

Crispy fried Brussels sprouts with lentils and mint at Porteño,
Cleveland Street, Surry Hills

I discovered my love for Brussels sprouts after my first visit to Porteño. Along with the best-ever roast pork - seriously, the best - a side dish of deep fried Brussels sprout, lentils and mint dressed in vin cotto had me swooning. And lucky for us all, the recipe is easier than a Friday or Saturday night wait at the cavernous Surry Hills restaurant.

Spiced dark mousse with honeycomb and strawberry wafers at the Emirates Marquee,
Doncaster Day at Randwick Racecourse

The Spanish-themed Emirates Marquee on Doncaster Day, under cover from the rain, was an excellent day on with more food and celebrities than you could poke a stick at. The chocolate mousse with a chilli kick, honeycomb and dehydrated strawberry wafers was not just a beautiful construction but mind-blowing in flavour too.

Scampi aburi sushi from Kabuki Shoroku, Clarence Street, Sydney

Scampi is amazing at most any level but at Kabuki Shoroku, torched and topped with a line of spicy mayonnaise and tobiko flying fish row, this scampi nigiri was absolutely sensational as was the very traditional setting and service of the restaurant.

Espresso martini at Shirt Bar, Sussex Lane, Sydney

It seems 2011 was the year of the espresso martini and themed bars - and I'm happy both trends rolled around. The coffee cocktail at Shirt Bar is an exemplary version made with FAT Coffee, vanilla vodka and coffee liqueur with a propper steamed milk froth.

Glow On cocktail for Vivid Sydney from Sake Restaurant & Bar, The Rocks, Sydney

Festivals and food go hand in hand and this mulled plum wine and sake cocktail was the perfect partner for a chilly evening out for this year's Vivid Sydney festival. Brown sugar umeshu plum wine, cinnamon syrup, Montenegro liquor warmed and finished off with sake, this was a winter winner at Sake Restaurant & Bar.

Casareccia with roast eggplant, goat’s cheese, portobello mushrooms,
black olives from Café Sopra, Danks Street, Waterloo

This year casareccia has solidified its place as my favourite pasta variety. From specialty deli purchases to the gorgeous pasta at Cafe Sopra, I can't get enough of the mid-length s-scrolls that always seem perfectly al dente, even at home and especially with eggplant and cheese.

Ravioli of potato, mint and pecorino with burnt butter, sage and black truffle from
Pilu at Freshwater, Moore Road, Freshwater

As for a special occasion pasta dish, I can't go past the stunning potato, mint and pecorino culurzones at the beachside Pilu at Freshwater. The butter and black truffle sauce makes the fresh ravioli something truly luxurious and decadent.

Grilled mackerel with teriyaki sauce at Izakaya Fujiyama, Waterloo Street, Surry Hills

Fabulous drinking food and a good range of sake easily make Izakaya Fujiyama the best izakaya experience in the area (CBD included). This daily special of grilled mackerel is a must-have if it's on the menu - the fish is fresh and firm, and gets all caramelly with teriyaki sauce with amazing grill flavours.

Pan fried olive and parmesan sandwich from Gotham, Oxford Street, Darlinghurst

It was a genius who decided to put olives and cheese together in a sandwich; a pan fried sourdough one at that. Bar food has gone up a few notches at Gotham, where classy interiors and spacious seating arrangements guarantee good time spent with the bar food menu.

Nduja and goat's cheese with pizza wedges at Bruno's, Oxfoed Street, Darlinghurst

I like most salami; I love most nduja - the spicy salami that's more like a paste of cured pork. These footballs at Bruno's were perhaps the spiciest and the best I've had this year, matched with heat pain-reducing goat's cheese.

Chocolate marquise with caramel and salted hazelnuts at Margan Restaurant,
Milbrodale Road, Broke, Hunter Valley

I had a fabulous time racing around Hunter Valley this year, and it all ended with on a high note at Margan Restaurant in Broke. Dinner in the Barrel Room was an experience to remember and the rich chocolate dessert with roasted, salted hazelnut ended the race spectacularly.

Fried green curried prawn mousseline, drizzled with pickled plum sauce
at Chat Thai, Westfield Sydney

It appears as though CBD-folk are pretty satisfied with the new Westfield Sydney outlet of Chat Thai, if the queues are anything to go by. When you do get a table, be sure to grab a cocktail and the todt mun goong gaeng keaw - prawn wrapped in curried prawn mousse and deep fried with basil leaves.

Takoyaki class at Chef's Armoury, Botany Road, Rosebery

Believe it or not, one of the most fun and useful things I've learnt this year is how to make takoyaki octopus balls at Chef's Armoury. While it takes a while and can be a little tedious, I've already taught three other people how to make takoyaki, and I'm sure there will be more. And the cheese version is almost even better than the octopus one.

Otak otak from Chinta Ria... Mood for Love, Westfield Sydney

I had otak otak fish cake in its place of origin, Muar, Malaysia and I had otak otak at the newest Chinta Ria... Mood for Love. I liked both but I think the latter was better for texture and flavour, especially chilli. A price comparison, however, isn't really fair.

Jow's sweet and sour lamb ribs at Ms. G's, Victoria Street, Potts Point

It took me a while to get to Potts Point hot spot, Ms. G's, and I admit, I was a little skeptical. One bite into the sweet and sour lamb ribs and I'd jumped on the modern Asian, fusion, dude food bandwagon. The food was top notch, decent value and pretension free.

Moreton Bay bug sashimi at Sokyo, The Star, Pyrmont

Sokyo at the re-launched casino, The Star, opened to relatively little fanfare compared to some of its neighbours, other than boasting Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire as regulars for a good part of the year. I can see the mouthwatering Moreton Bay bug sashimi dish becoming a signature dish, with its cheeky Vegemite croutons flying the flag for Australia.

Ocean trout terrine with cornichons from Felix, Ash Street, Sydney

While ivy is no longer a regular hangout for me, I'd love to be a regular at Felix in the downstairs laneway. This French bistro excels in seafood: freshly shucked oysters from the seafood bar, the luxe lobster roll at lunch at the bar or this dill-heavy ocean trout terrine with cornichons to graze with cocktails.

Thank you for all your support and kind comments throughout the year - here's to plenty more Food, Booze and Shoes in 2012. I wish you a very Happy New Year!

A Flavour of Moscow comes to InterContinental Sydney

2011-12-28T08:09:00.086+11:00

My experience with Russia and all things Russian is pretty much limited to a Moscow Mule. Which is an appropriate introduction to 'A Flavour of Moscow'; a Russian experience at the InterContinental Sydney which is on now until 31 January 2012.

Cortile Lounge, InterContinental Sydney, Macquarie Street, Sydney

Celebrating the opening of InterContinental Moscow Tverskaya, the five-star InterContinental Sydney hotel is adding a taste of Russia to the lobby bar cocktail menu and the Cafe Opera buffet.

At the airy, light-filled Cortile Lounge on the ground floor, Russian-inspired vodka based cocktails feature alongside mojitos; with a two-for-one offer ($25) on cocktails from 5.00-7.00pm every day.

Moscow Mule at the Cortile Lounge

The refreshing Moscow Mule is packed with ice, a 'black' vodka, lime and ginger beer and is the ultimate summer cocktail, which makes the Russian connection a little contradictory.

Russian Mule

A close relative, the Russian Mule, comes from the same line of vodka, lime and ginger beer with the addition of mint leaves, and has a lot more flavour for it.

From Russia With Love cocktail

The third Russian inspired cocktail is more aptly a dessert cocktail, featuring vodka, Chambord, cranberry juice and cream. Not exactly pretty unstirred, this rich and saccharine-sweet drink was an unexpected winning flavour combination.

We headed up to Cafe Opera on Level 1 via the antiquated elevator that was as much fun to operate as the cocktails. The regular buffet option at Cafe Opera has been given 'A Flavour of Moscow' in addition to the seafood and hot roasts, with lunch starting from $55 per person and dinner from $65 per person.

Fresh seafood at the Cafe Opera buffet

Considering the buffet features daily-changing fresh seafood such as Sydney rock oysters, tiger prawns, New Zealand mussels and spanner crab, the price isn't too much to ask.

The Russian inspired buffet additions are inspired by the InterContinental Moscow Tverskaya’s executive chef Olev Chesnokov, and change daily with the buffet.

Cold food options

There's also an exciting, seafood-heavy array of cold salads with more dressings than I probably knew existed, as well as sushi and cured seafoods and meat.

For the 'A Flavour of Moscow' feature, separate to the rest of the buffet and aside the bread served with Pepe Saya cultured butter, there were interesting and uncommon foods spread across a deli set-up

Smoked sprats

The prettily arranged headless smoked sprats were much like sardines with a divine smokiness that added a sweetness to the oily fish.

Russian stuffed egg

The stuffed eggs were irresistably beautiful, with a creamy egg yolk mixture piped in to refill emptied boiled egg white sections. There wasn't really anything interesting taste-wise, but the gorgeous piping made up for that.

Moscow salami

While I've yet to meet a salami that I don't like, I struggle to really tell the difference between, for example, Hungarian or various Italian salami. So, I can say I liked this salami just as much as I like other salamis - which is plenty, and particularly with cornichons.

Russian cheese

We couldn't get an identifying name for this Russian cow's milk cheese, but it was unlike any other I've tried. As salty as a salty feta cheese, but with a texture almost like margarine, this holey cheese was lovely spread on fresh, crusty white bread.

My buffet plate with 'A Flavour of Moscow'

And with the addition of Russian pickles - tomato, gherkin, celery and squash, all wonderfully fragrant with dill - this was 'A Flavour of Moscow'.

There was nothing scarily alien to me about the Russian food experience here, although I was hanging out for some blinis (about the only Russian food item I previously knew).

Seafood salads and cured meats

Of the rest of the Cafe Opera menu, we happily went to and fro to collect the likes of smoked salmon and a scallop salad from the cold salad buffet; the latter consisting of scallops, minimal vegetable and dressing.

Fresh seafood

I may have been seen at the fresh seafood buffet several times in the night, but I can't be blamed. Blame the oysters or me wanting to try fresh spanner crab, which was as much work as normal crab but unfortunately didn't have the sea-sweet flavour of mud crab or even blue swimmer crabs.

Sydney rock oysters

But the oysters, oh the oysters. Pretty much the best I've had all year, these Sydney rocks had it all going on. Impeccably fresh, plump and so very creamy, even the occasional bit of shell didn't deter me from heading back for more.

While I usually like a red wine vinegar dressing on my natural oysters, these needed nothing at all but a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. These oysters and a glass of Kilikanoon Vouvray, and all was right in the world.

Scallop salad (left) and crab salad (right)

The sheer quality of the buffet was impressive as it's obviously quality over quantity. The crab salad, for example, was predominantly picked crab and not much else. The seafood was super fresh and the Pepa Saya butter probably topped it all off.

Roast turkey (back), lamb skewers (back right), baked sweet potato (front)
and baked ham (front left)

In time for the festive season, the carvery featured both roast turkey and baked ham - both of which were done very well, full of flavour and moisture and irresistable a few days before Christmas.

Dessert buffet

By the time dessert was on my mind, I think I'd eaten more than my fair share of oysters and turkey, and couldn't really fathom anything more than a mouthful or four of ice cream from a self-serve section.

The refrigerated dessert section looked like a sweet tooth's fantasy land, but for me it would have to be another visit's sweet ending. I was completely done, in my typical buffet style, and having had 'A Flavour of Moscow', would definitely be up for a visit to Russia to sample more of those pickles, smoked fish and vodka, of course.

Food, booze and shoes dined at the Cortile Lounge and Cafe Opera courtesy of InterContinental Sydney, with thanks to Starr Public Relations.

Available exclusively to InterContinental Sydney’s exclusive Club lounge guests, a complimentary menu of Russian vodkas and vodka-based cocktails will be served at twilight, accompanied by Russian canapés, such as Ukranian potato pancake, salmon kulebiaka and Crimean mussel pilaf. Guests can also enjoy a selection of Russian a la carte dishes while overlooking the harbour and Botanic Gardens.

Have yourself a merry little Christmas

2011-12-24T09:47:00.001+11:00

Gingerbread house display at Café Opera, InterContinental Sydney,
Macquarie Street, Sydney

So I haven’t had a chance to bake gingerbread this year (planning an elaborate Boxing Day barbeque doesn’t make Christmas easy, in hindsight).

But I’m sure any attempt of mine to make a gingerbread house would be nowhere near this version by students at Le Cordon Bleu, proudly displayed outside Café Opera on Level 1 of the InterContinental Sydney.

Gingerbread house with firewood and lights inside

Check out the detail: from the animated figurines, the windows and lights of the houses, the stacks of ‘firewood’, and my personal favourite, an inebriated guy slumped against the side of his house surrounded by empty bottles.

I spy... a croquembouche on the table in the gingerbread house!

Merry Christmas everyone – I hope your day is filled with loved ones, gorgeous food and plentiful booze (and remember to eat and drink responsibly!). Keep an eye out on my Christmas feasting on my Facebook page or on Twitter.

Sheep and their gingerbread barn and fence

Right at home at Encasa

2011-12-22T08:06:00.000+11:00

After a long stint away, you want to come home to what you know and love. New adventures and relationships can always be found, but for the lucky ones that have it, home is where the heart and soul are.

After a long absence from Encasa, it's amazing how easy it is just to slip comfortably back in to order a jug of sangria and the usuals on an as-always packed Friday night.

Ensalada con queso - salad with cheese from Encasa, Pitt Street, Haymarket

The salad with goat's cheese is the only way to go for a salad fix here. Sweet roasted red capsicum, black olives and mixed lettuce leaves provide a little early respite from what is always a protein- and carb-heavy meal at Encasa.

Patatas bravas - Fried potato with garlic mayonnaise and spicy tomato sauce

I remember in earlier days, the patatas bravas used to be served in the small, round terracotta tapas dishes. It's now grown to a small oval dish and no-one is complaining. It just means more crunchy, golden chunks of potato smothered in aioli and spicy tomato sauce for everyone.

Chorizo a la sidra - Spanish sausage poached in cider

This version of the spicy Spanish sausage is a little more subdued than the normal grilled version as it is cooked in cider, with some of the sweetness penetrating the big, salty slices of chorizo.

Mejillones a la Marinera - Black mussels in fresh tomato sauce with chilli and basil

The prettily arranged dish of mussels is not how I remember the dish from prior visits, but I guess it's been a while. The perfectly cooked molluscs are a silky, soft delight to eat, and are given a bit of a kick with the spicy tomato sauce that's made for mopping up with white bread rolls.

Gambas Sevillanas - King prawns in spicy tomato salsa

Bread rolls also come in very handy for the even spicier king prawns in a chilli spiked tomato sauce - sometimes painful but one of my favourite tapas at Encasa. The large, whole prawns are always cooked to perfection, and on this occasion, burningly hot in temperature too.

Champiñones al ajillo - Garlic mushrooms

There is no shortage of garlic or oil with the mushrooms - whole and chopped button mushrooms that are cooked ever so slightly so as to retain a fresh firmness.

To be honest, I've never even seen the dessert menu at Encasa - we generally stuff ourselves with the tapas. And as always, we were closer to rolling out of Encasa than walking out, but when it's something you know and love rather well, it's easy to feel right at home doing so.

Get tropical at The Island Bar, Cockatoo Island

2011-12-19T08:13:00.014+11:00

Cocktails at The Island Bar, Cockatoo Island, Sydney Harbour

Summer is officially here (if not necessarily weather wise) and The Island Bar on Cockatoo Island is into its summer season, opening seven days a week until February which is just perfect for the party and holiday season.

The Island Bar

Boasting a few changes and refinements since last year, The Island Bar appears to be flourishing with the increase of activity on Cockatoo Island, not to mention exclusive private parties. But never fear, the shipping containers and all manner of souvenir to the island's shipbuilding past remain.

Afro beats for entertainment for the First Day of Summer Party at The Island Bar

We couldn't complain really as a dark and cloudy morning turned into blue skies (albeit cool and windy) for the First Day of Summer Party to launch the summer season for The Island Bar. The water taxi to Cockatoo Island was quick and easy, although the ferry is a less bumpy option.

Sparkling wine - does it count as a launch party without bubbles?

Dark and Stormy cocktail

The bar staff have certainly got their cocktail work cut out, with 21 cocktails on the menu and a great deal of them available on launch night. On regular occasions, all cocktails can be bought by the glass or jug, making for excellent group drinking value or some pretty serious solo sessions.

Cold War Sgroppino cocktail

I'd tried and loved the Cold War Sgroppino before, and would happily drink this for the rest of summer. Vodka and lemon sorbet seem made for each other, and with a dash of Aperol and lemon juice, this cocktail is probably the most fun you can have in a wine glass.

Piña colada served in a young coconut

Speaking of fun, the very uniform young coconuts used to serve the piña colada should be the dictionary image of 'fun'. Lots of rum and pineapple mix with creamy coconut and ice, topped with a straw or two and a paper umbrella.

Kicking back on a deck chair with one of these particularly creamy drinks was probably as close as I'm getting to an island getaway this year.

Pizza oven incorporated into a shipping container

One of the aforementioned changes to The Island Bar is the expanded food menu, courtesy of a custom installed pizza oven - right into the side of a shipping container. The makeshift shipping container kitchen must be a logistical nightmare, but the high quality of pizzas they were pumping out makes it pretty impressive.

Prosciutto pizzettes

For starters, the kitchen pumped out tray after tray of mini pizzas, which seemed more like (fast cooling) baked miniature pizza bases with tomato sauce, topped with raw and uncooked toppings like here: rocket, prosciutto and a shaving of parmesan cheese.

Smoked salmon pizzettes

Other raw toppings included smoked salmon, rocket and Spanish onion. This was definitely the first smoked salmon 'pizza' I've ever had; though I suppose it was a little more like a canapé. And I certainly didn't expect smoked salmon to go with the pizza's tomato sauce, but it did surprisingly.

Roast capsicum pizzettes

More raw Spanish onion rings were to be found on the roast capsicum pizzette, which were all frankly going down a treat with the drinking crowd. However, there was more than just a little excitement when we discovered what was essentially an antipasti buffet (at the launch party only, I'm afraid).

Vegetable and cured meat antipasti selection

We were able to help ourselves to grilled eggplant and zucchini, roasted red capsicum, marinated artichoke and big, fat green olives. For carbs there were wedges of pizza bases and some puffed squares of dough, which were ideal with the salty cured meats.

The soft, yielding prosciutto was a crowd favourite though I adored the flavourful garlic and fennel salami just as much. There was a particularly high sodium chloride content in the capocollo of cured pork neck, while the bresaola had a distinct and stronger meatiness than its porky cousins.

While I could eat antipasti endlessly (and did refill at least once), it was hard to ignore the smells emanating from cardboard pizza boxes that were being ferried over from the shipping container kitchen.

Funghi pizza

Serious, serious pizza. And I probably should have expected no less from The Island Bar proprietor and star bartender, Marco Faraone.

On the cool night, the drinks-chilled crowds flocked to the warm food like moths to a light. The smells were intoxicating and I had to hold back every part of my being not to run off with an entire box.

The fresh-from-the-oven funghi pizza featuring mushrooms and ham definitely hit the spot with its thin base yet crisp edge. And yes, I did pick up all those fallen-off toppings, as I always tend to do - the best part, really.

Mango daiquiris at the bar

One of the great things about The Island Bar is that the staff know exactly what they're doing. The bartenders have the tropical flavours and fun of The Island Bar's cocktail list down pat, with one serious Mango Daiquiri.

It had the full hit of its rum contents while the ripe, in-season mango and ever-fun margarita glasses (even though plastic) make this a cup of summery joy.

Mango daiquiri in the upstairs Tropics Lounge

Above the working bar section in the stacked shipping container, the upstairs has been converted to a sleek area named the Tropics Lounge. Lots of white and nautical stripes, and seating that's easier to get out of than the deck chairs downstairs, make this a posher experience than the outside good times 'lawn'.

Nutella dessert pizza

And as I turned down one of the last rounds of piping hot pizza, another staff member came around with an irresistably sweet proposition: crispy pizza bases sandwiching generous amounts of Nutella.

While it's not something I'd generally eat with a sweet cocktail, it was straight back to school day lunches with one bite of the chocolate hazelnut goodness.

The Island Bar by night

With night falling and lighting up the residential shoreline one side and the city skyline the other, we'd settled comfortably into the Tropics Lounge with plenty to drink and a bit of a view too.

While a great night was had, I can definitely see the appeal of a daytime stint at The Island Bar, with no fear of missing the last boat/ferry back to Circular Quay. That and beautiful days on the astroturf with a cocktail jug and gorgeous, fresh pizza - indeed, let's get tropical.

Food, booze and shoes attended The Island Bar First Day of Summer Party with thanks to The Cru Media.

Mihana: Secret izakaya business

2011-12-16T08:26:00.092+11:00

On a quiet street in Crows Nest, the unassuming shopfront of Mihana Dining and Sake Bar hides a secret. Push past the traditional entrance into a long, dim dining room and it's obvious.

With high seats at the bar and group seating alongside, you know you've entered some secret Japanese izakaya, where slightly inebriated Japanese salarymen wouldn't at all look out of place.

Teapot at Mihana Dining and Sake Bar, Falcon Street, Crows Nest

It was eerily quiet inside the restaurant, apart from some ambient Japanese music while the formal service added to the overall feel that we'd just stepped in from the street into a rather large Tokyo bar.

Atop the bar were plates of Japanese home style dishes that are served as is onto smaller serves, but seeking a post drinking session bite, we looked to the menu of snacks and essentially drinking food. A bit of a shame really, given the impressive bar and selection of sake on offer.

Gyoza

Seated at the bar near the kitchen, we could hear the noises of sizzling as our food was prepared. The ever-polite staff seemed busy arranging tagged bottles in a cabinet; bottles of half drunken whiskies mostly, awaiting the return of their owners, safely behind glass doors.

The pork filled gyoza were a fine example of their kind; their long-ish, crisp-skinned bottoms and meaty innards disappearing before they'd had even a chance to cool down.

Chicken thigh yakitori

There is no better drinking food than yakitori grilled skewers, usually of meat. They're salty, smoky, protein-rich and all things that should be associated with boozing (even though we'd done ours earlier).

Chicken breast meat, while healthier, lacks the flavour of thigh meat for the very same reason. The fat, and sometimes 'red' flesh, of the thigh provides flavours and texture while the sweet and umami-full yakitori sauce finishes the job.

Chicken skin (back) and chicken wing (front) yakitori

My favourite yakitori would probably have to be chicken wings - it's got it all: skin, flesh and bone. And with golden and crisped salted skin like this, it's hard not to sink your teeth straight into these wings, however piping hot off the grill they are.

The more exotic, and almost pure fat, choice is the chicken skin. Threaded onto a skewer in concertina fashion, the simply salted skin is grilled to a fatty crisp and is just that in every bite: fatty and crispy. Definitely one for chicken skin lovers.

As we cleaned our last skewer, a small group of Japanese men had sat down at one of the tables. Straight away, a tagged bottle came out of the cabinet and cans of Japanese beer made their way to the table. There was laughter in their ruddy faces as they ordered some dishes from the bar top options. It was proper izakaya-style drinking and eating and it was no secret that the night was still young.

Another time; another place: drinks at Felix

2011-12-14T08:28:00.000+11:00

I don't know exactly why, but I feel like I'm on Mad Men when I'm at Felix. Perhaps it's the feeling of being in another time or place; or the many suits loudly chatting post work (though most are bankers rather than advertising execs, I think); or perhaps the classic cocktails.

Vesper cocktail at Felix, Ash Street, Sydney

I must admit that this was my first ever Vesper; a cocktail apparently made famous by none other than 007. Being a relatively new fan of martinis (very dry), this twist on the martini involves both Plymouth gin and Belvedere vodka, shaken with Lillet Blanc instead of vermouth and garnished with a lemon peel.

It's hard not to feel oh-so-sophisticated with this Vesper in hand (loved the glass detail too) though I think I'll need me a few more to really start appreciating it.

Felix Bloody Mary

Another classic done Felix style, the Bloody Mary looks pretty awesome on arrival. The salt flakes make for an impressive rim for the drink of celery-infused Belvedere vodka and a secretive "Felix Smokey Mary Mix", though I think some kind of smokey Tabasco sauce may be at play (last time, there were Tabasco sauce bottles on every dining table).

The big twist had to be the float of Galway Pipe Port, which I didn't really notice when it was mixed through, especially when the umami hit from the tomato juice is always a frontrunner on the palate.

Ocean trout terrine with cornichons

To nibble while imbibing, there isn't a bar menu as such, but we make do with the more nibbley types from the normal Felix dinner menu. A jellied ocean trout terrine is one of the more share friendly, served with a pile of snow pea sprouts, cornichons and a few of slices of toasted sourdough.

One bite of the terrine was all that was needed to have me raving: an ethereal, dill heavy slice with ocean trout flaked throughout. The balance of flavours was so spot on, it was pretty sad when I scooped up the last bit with my bread - though at least I know where to get more.

Cheese plate

The cheese plate came sadly with little explanation other than "a soft French cheese, a semi-soft sheep's Italian cheese, and a French blue cheese". The plate of cheeses alternated with dried muscatels, a dried date and a jammy paste of figs (or apricot - I forget).

There was also plenty of lavosh crackers and a chewy, raisin bread to accompany the cheeses which were polished off with ease between three-and-a-half of us. My favourite was the blue, surprisingly, since a soft, white rind is usually my preference.

The noise at the bar subsided as the suits gradually went home, but the gorgeous ambience of Felix remained. It seems just the right time and right place for this French incarnation to hit Ash Street for our drinking pleasure, and Mad Men or not, I'm glad it's here.

Baileys Hazelnut chocolate truffles - a ball of fun

2011-12-12T08:26:00.007+11:00

I used to have a ‘no drinking on Mondays’ rule that was mostly enforced for my liver’s welfare. The rule isn’t really necessary anymore but I’m not sure how alcohol in food would have been assessed by the rule.

On the one hand, the Burgandy in a boeuf bourgignon or the Pinot Grigio in a risotto will more often than not have the alcohol cooked out of the food given its lower-than-water boiling point of about 78 degrees Celcius; thus evaporating by the time you bring whatever stock to the boil.

On the other hand, there are the edibles with alcohol that isn’t cooked out. Hello, Baileys Hazelnut chocolate truffles.

Baileys Hazelnut chocolate truffles

Earlier this year, Baileys launched its latest flavour – hazelnut – joining the existing stable of mint chocolate, crème caramel and coffee flavours.

Baileys Irish Cream Hazelnut Flavour
Image courtesy of Porter Novelli

The hazelnut flavour is blended with the original Baileys ingredients of Irish whiskey and indeed, milk from Irish cows for a creamy liqueur of 17% alcohol content by volume.

According to Baileys, preservatives are not required as the alcohol preserves the cream, but that said, an opened bottle shouldn't be kept too long (this from personal experience).

Mise en place for Baileys Hazelnut chocolate truffles

While I could have just sipped the entire 1L bottle on ice (not in one go!), a recipe on the Baileys website had me intrigued enough to try my hand at truffles.

It was my first attempt as I’d heard stories about the fiddly, messy nature of making truffles – and they weren’t wrong.

‘Balls’ of chocolate ganache

The ingredients list reads like a heart attack on paper, but is simple enough. The ganache involves melting dark chocolate (recipe calls for chocolate of 66% cocoa solids) with butter, then whisking in thickened (double) cream and the Baileys – or in my case, Baileys Hazelnut.

Do something for about two hours while the ganache sets (tip: shallower containers seem to expedite this step); or do as I did – Google how to use a melon baller. This utensil has a little more technique to it than, say, an ice cream scoop, and as I found out, is not really designed for the soft stickiness of chocolate ganache as opposed to firmer, smoother melons and fruits.

Nonetheless, it’s apparently appropriate for at least portioning out consistent sized ganache balls, though I haven’t a clue as to how one is supposed to remove the ball from the baller. I resorted to a toothpick with an end result that was probably closer to a cube than a sphere.

Cocoa-dusted Baileys Hazelnut chocolate truffles

These went back in the fridge, but not before a little delicate shaping (with gloves, unless you want chocolate all over your hands) for a little while longer.

Being a little rushed for time, I skipped the chocolate dip step, which would have added a nice crisp shell of chocolate to the ganache ball as well as protecting it from heat or pressure a little better.

Mine went straight into the cocoa for a roll and came out looking not nearly as bad as I’d anticipated (baker’s trick: dust everything in cocoa or icing powder to hide the flaws). Back in the fridge until serving time, the truffles get a bit of a chance to firm up.

And the painstaking, fiddly end result? Not half bad. Dark chocolate is a must as it has adequate sweetness and a delightful slight bitterness to counteract the boozy hit of Baileys (of which the hazelnut flavour is sadly minimal), while the texture just melts in the mouth. I found the melon ball size perhaps a little on the large side, but can’t think of a good alternative.

I made these on a Saturday afternoon, but would say that they’re appropriate for any Monday – rule or not.

Food, booze and shoes received a sample of Baileys Irish Cream Hazelnut Flavour with thanks to Porter Novelli.

Barrio Chino: A Mexican in Chinatown

2011-12-08T08:28:00.131+11:00

I'd been hanging for a revisit to Barrio Chino (Spanish for Chinatown) ever since their launch party in August. Aside from Guzman Y Gomez, this was really my first taste of more authentic Mexican fare, albeit with some fusion; aptly located a few doors down from World Bar.

Gone are the days of corn chips covered thickly in melted cheese and sour cream - save that for a desperate pantry/fridge searching moment. Give me fresh, zingy flavours not laden with dairy and while we're at it, give me some decent tequila that doesn't remind me of my teenage days.

Tommy's Margarita pitcher from Barrio Chino, Bayswater Road, Kings Cross

Tommy's Margarita is the only one served by the jug, so it's the obvious choice for a group. And having met the creator of Tommy's Margarita last month makes it doubly awesome.

The jug, the first of many, comes with a wooden spoon to stop the ice coming out when pouring, and we're provided with half salt rimmed glases also filled with ice.

The margarita mix of El Jimador tequila, lime and agave syrup is fairly classic with with an excellent balance of sweet, sour, salt and that trademark tequila kick.

Ceviche with corn chips

Ordering food at Barrio Chino is super easy; one of everything would be ideal but if you've got a protein in mind, the tacos pretty much sort themselves out.

With the food comes a trio of chilli condiment sauces: one very mild and more lime than chilli; another spicier but manageable; and one that temporarily burns upon touch but doesn't last.

We started with the ceviche of white fish from the botanas snacks section of the menu, cooked and marinated in lime juice.

The Chinese style bowl must have been a play on the name, but the jumble of Spanish onion, avocado, coriander and the occasional bit of juicy mango was just good fun, especially with the house made corn chips. They're nothing like supermarket packet ones and have a real corn flavour about them.

Black bean taco

One of various tacos through the night, the vegetarian black bean taco is served with said protein, a grated white cheese, coriander and a mild red sauce.

All the tacos are served on soft, double layers of corn flour tacos, which essentially means two tacos per serve (with the amount of topping one one serve, you wouldn't be able to fold up the taco to eat).

One I didn't try at the launch and that was simply fabulous was the baja fish; a lightly battered finger of fish served with finely shredded raw cabbage and a creamy lime sauce. Simple but so very satisfying.

Roast corn tostada

But I think the real stars of Barrio Chino are their tostada offerings in the snacks menu. It's surprising, and a little embarrassing, that I can eat so many of these but they have it all: fresh ingredients; winning flavour combinations; varied texture and complete deliciousness.

The roasted corn version features corn kernels and avocado dressed in a mild chipotle mayonnaise, and takes only a few mouthfuls to crunch and devour the sweet and tart flavours.

Tuna tostada

The tuna tostada features a slice of raw tuna, sashimi style, with equally colourful dabs of avocado and chipotle mayonnaise. Another winning combination, though I think the tuna would benefit from being diced, to make it easier to eat it bites.

Pulled pork tostada

Last but not least, the pulled pork tostada is a little heavier than the first two, laden with saucy shreds of tender pork and juliennes of the jicama root vegetable. This is perfect food for sharing, with bottles of condiments flying all over the table with almost each bite.

Chicken Borracho torta

For the bigger appetites, the small-ish tacos may not look quite enough while 10 of them might hit the back pocket a little too hard. There are a couple of more filling options served on soft burger buns, like the chicken borracho.

The soft roll is filled with braised and pulled chicken, avocado, iceberg lettuce and chipotle sauce. While it's tasty, it has nothing on the flavour-packed tostadas and tacos - and sadly no amount of condiments will change that.

The back dining area in Barrio Chino is filled with stimulants such as the beautiful crowds, colourful decorations, loud music and open kitchen. The booths in the front are perfect for pre or post dinner drinking, while it looks hard to nab a seat at the long bar where all the margarita and tequila action happens.

Chinatown or not, I hope this fresh and zingy style of Mexican cuisine is here to stay because BarrioChino is just darn good.

Laotian, Burmese and an ice cream sandwich in Darlo

2011-12-06T08:38:00.000+11:00

Sitting waiting with a Bia 333, I had to check a few times that I was indeed sitting in a restaurant and not a nightclub. Yep, I was sitting near the front window at Pink Peppercorn on Oxford Street, not at a club across the road.

Yet another voucher needed using, although this was a restaurant I'd been meaning to visit for ages especially since there really aren't too many Laotian and Burmese retaurants around.

Steamed long grain jasmine and wild rice at Pink Peppercorn, Oxford Street, Darlinghurst

The yaw jeun spring rolls didn't last long enough for a picture, but I’ve always preferred more south-east Asian spring rolls to Chinese ones as they just seem to pop with more flavour and texture. These sublime “golden rolls” were filled with a bouncy mixture of chicken, crab and vermicelli noodles, seasoned with lots of garlic and dipped into sweet chilli sauce.

Rice servings at $5 each is a little on the pricey side of town, but I appreciated the effort that they put into pimping it up. The upturned cup shape held jasmine rice and long grains of black wild rice, which are firmer than normal white rice.

Ping gae – char grilled marinated lamb tenderloin on green vegetables,
mint and tamarind sauce

There was a sameness about the mains menu that made it difficult to choose among the many chicken, lamb, beef and seafood dishes. Mint, lemongrass and chilli were abundant menu ingredients, and it was tough trying to differentiate the dishes without the aid of images (OK, I sound like a child now).

We opted for three mains – the first a main of lamb tenderloin, which even could have been beef. Either way, it was cooked to medium and incredibly tender, soaking up the sweet juices of the tamarind sauce. The mint added an addictive zing to the green beans and Chinese cabbage, while the overall sweetness of the dish was a little unexpected.

Laab gai – pan fried chicken with lemongrass tossed with fresh herbs, red onion,
mild chilli, lime, roasted rice

I’m not sure we ordered the chicken laab, but it arrived at the table and we didn’t kick up a fuss as we weren’t sure which chicken dish we did order – there are several on the menu, and as mentioned, served with rather similar ingredients.

Juicy nuggets of chicken thigh featured with loads of mint and lemongrass, slivers of large red chilli which was still pretty spicy and Spanish onion. It was again on the sweet side and while decent, overall not a standout dish.

Khua goong pakthiam – Stir fried tiger prawns, pink peppercorns, garlic and green vegetables

That honour went to the stir fried prawn dish, featuring what I would have thought to be signature pink peppercorns. Peppery and garlicky, the tail-on prawns were cooked to a firm bounce; and were scattered among broccoli and snow peas, plenty of cracked black pepper and smashed pink peppercorns.

The latter were eye-openingly fragrant after their initial kick of heat, and added a great deal of character to the dish. Why they’re not used more extensively on the Pink Peppercorn menu is a mystery to me.

The loud atmosphere and pumping music at Pink Peppercorn was a lot to take after a hayfever-affected afternoon, so we thought we'd end without dessert. Little did I expect to be walking past Darlie Laundromatic on the way, let alone the sweet surprise to be found within.

Raspberry and ginger cordial with gin and soda (back) and mulberry cordial with vodka
and soda (front) from Darlie Laundromatic, Palmer Street, Darlinghurst

It was pretty busy for a weeknight, filled with local hipsters that looked like they were in for the long haul and didn't need to think about work tomorrow morning (I'm clearly just jealous).

It's impossible to bypass the home made cordials on the drinks menu - I mean, they're home made cordials. In delightful flavours like raspberry and ginger (and quite gingery too) and the special of the day, mulberry, which also featured vanilla quite heavily. Top it off with booze, soda and a novelty stirrer and what's not to love and order multiples of.

The long communal table in the front converted laundry room was pretty inviting and cosy, but we picked a seat under the clothesline, beneath tea towels that look like my aunty's souvenir collection.

Peanut butter and choc chip cookie ice cream sandwich

When I was at the bar getting my drink, it probably took me all of two seconds to notice the ice cream sandwich on the dessert menu. To my further delight, there's also a choice of cookie with which to sandwich some good ol' Streets Blue Ribbon vanilla ice cream.

I was pretty happy with my choice of peanut butter and choc chip, with discernable pockets of peanut butter amid the slightly chewy cookie and ice cream oozing out at every bite. It's by no means a neat dessert but one where you should be finished before the ice cream even starts to melt.

So there you have just a regular night in Darlinghurst, where the night takes you from clubbing to southeast Asia then into a laundry for cordial and an ice cream sandwich.

Whisky drinkers, get in to The Baxter Inn

2011-12-02T08:06:00.192+11:00

I hate to spoil surprises so I won't. But good luck finding The Baxter Inn; the new, keenly awaited CBD venture from the guys behind heart- and award-winning Darlinghurst bar, Shady Pines Saloon.

If and when you do find the security guard that gives you some vague hope that you're in the right place, and once you get past the confusion of descending fire stairs into a basement; take a breath and push back that door.

The wall of some whisky options at The Baxter Inn, Clarence Street, Sydney

You won't get the raucous liveliness of Shady Pines, but layout is very similar though substantially larger, with a long bar up one side lined with bar stools, a bit of standing space and then a fair number of round tables with chairs.

The poison of choice at The Baxter Inn is most definitely whisky, and the gold lettered board featuring approximately 200 varieties of whisky is only two-thirds of what's available. That's right, they have 300 whiskies on offer.

Complimentary pretzels

Having just opened this week, seats at the long bar were filled on Tuesday night with a post work crowd munching on complimentary pretzels rather than peanuts as per Shady Pines.

The hipster quotient is toned down in this suit-and-shirt-heavy area and rather than the laughably fun decor at the first venture, The Baxter Inn has a more refined look with walls decked out in vintage sports memorabilia and clippings, while blues music still plays over the clearly appreciative crowd.

And as per Shady Pines (last comparison, I promise), the service is second to none with iced water dispensed from gorgeous vessels from another era as soon as we're seated. I doubt you'll find more friendly and knowledgeable guys behind a bar than these; for whisky in particular.

South Side cocktail

Apart from the whisky menu board, The Baxter Inn alternate menu features a handful of classic cocktails, several pages of wines and I think just four beers on tap (including Hitachino Nest Espresso Stout - you can barely get the stuff by the bottle let alone on tap!). They've also got their whizz-bang juicers to offer the popular fresh juice and spirit mixes.

My South Side cocktail is served in an enamel mug filled to the rim with crushed ice, and is just the thing for sticky evenings and non-whisky drinkers. Gin, lime, sugar syrup and mint - simple, effective and not whisky.

Ardbeg Alligator on the rocks

For the whisky inclined, I'm not sure how you would pick from 300 choices, but the board is helpfully split by region with most labels offering a few ages - the priciest I spotted was some Laphroaig bottle at $40 a hit.

It blows the mind to think that anyone knows about the finer details of each and every whisky, but at a pick, we're casually informed that the Ardbeg Alligator variety of Islay scotch whisky is particularly peaty and smoky.

The Alligator refers to the state of the heavily charred white oak cask that the booze is aged within. Customers can have their whisky served however they please; in this case, with a hand-chipped block of ice.

Just some of the back shelf at The Baxter Inn

Sipping drinks at the bar lends itself well to staring at the unbelievably awe-inspiring back bar where two ladders are positioned to access those top shelves. The back bar itself is a featured talking point, but The Baxter Inn is definitely a conversational bar and not really designed for a quiet drink - you'll be chatting with the friendly faces behind the bar at the very least.

With their all booze and no food formula down pat, The Baxter Inn is noisily welcoming, warm and friendly, and pretty much heaven for whisky drinkers - now where was that entrance again?

Bistro Avoca: Randwick gets a little fresh

2011-11-30T07:58:00.003+11:00

While I was more familiar with the suburb of Randwick a decade ago, it’s nice to see it from fresh eyes today – though not a great deal seems to have changed. Good old Ritz is still there with all manner of restaurants lining The Spot crossroads, while the balls still roll at the ten pin bowling alley on the main road.

Bistro Avoca, Avoca Street, Randwick

Bistro Avoca is a relatively new addition to the strip of small restaurants on Avoca Street just past Randwick Junction. Moving into the suburban location in June this year, husband and wife team Barry Baker and Erin Fitzgerald are bringing fresh, modern Australian cuisine to the strip dominated by cheerful ethnic eats.

Inside Bistro Avoca

The cosy, intimate dining room oozes understated class; the wood on white look matches well with the seemingly posh, mature locals – families, groups and ladies who look like they socialise a lot.

It's more sophisticated than your average suburban restaurant, which is an intriguing niche that Randwick appears to have been dying for (I’m told Friday and Saturday nights get completely booked out).

The clever food menu begins with starters to share followed by entrées and mains, but it’s the wine menu that astonishes me. Wines by the glass are all under $8 while no bottle of wine exceeds $40 – prices quite unheard of. Plus the restaurant allows BYO wine from Tuesdays through to Thursdays.

Thai oyster shots with, fresh herbs and ginger, garlic, chilli, lemongrass & lime nam jim

Impressed with drinks – I have a flute of Barossa Valley Carrington Vintage Brut ($6.50) – we move straight on to oyster shots to start. In a shot glass with a tomato liquid, the plump oysters are topped with mint, coriander, fried shallots and the tops of celery sticks.

It wasn't a one throwback shooter, but the melee of flavours in the mildly spiced, Thai inspired shot reached a peak with the release of briney juices from the oyster. It wasn’t easy stopping at just one, especially those deliciously fresh oysters.

Salt & pepper squid with spring onions, chilli and lime

The salt and pepper squid is a crowd pleaser and could easily be shared among five as a starter. Gorgeously tender squid strips are coated in a golden, subtly spiced batter with fresh mild chilli and lime adding pizazz.

A heavier hand in seasoning could have made this the best S&P squid ever, but it still stands as the best value squid dish I’ve seen in a while ($8.50).

Blinis served warm with sliced smoked salmon, pickled Spanish onion and dill sour cream

I started to get more of an inkling of the very generous portions at Bistro Avoca when the first entrée of smoked salmon blinis arrived.

The long, rectangular plate was virtually covered in the bright orange smoked salmon, twisted over pikelet-sized blinis with cucumber slices, pickled Spanish onion in a fine dice and dill-spiked sour cream splodges.

Crisp fried pork belly, sweet chilli glaze, shoestring potatoes, watercress salad

And the size trend continued with the deep fried pork belly dish with perky watercress piled high over golden chunks of meat. The pork belly was crazy crunchy but also deliciously flavoured beneath the texture.

The raw vegetables alleviated some of the guilt in such a decadent entrée; though not so much the deep fried potato straws.

Twice cooked crisp duck leg with apple, radish and celery salad, candied walnuts

The duck entrée easily could have passed as a well-sized main meal. The golden brown whole leg had a delectable layer of crisp skin; presumably from a deep fry after an initial cooking.

The rich, moist flesh matched insanely well with the salad nest of Waldorf-esque sweet and tart green apple, radish, thinly cut celery and candied walnuts. Just all round lovely washed down with a most affordable glass of 2008 Vasse Felix Shiraz Cabernet ($7.50).

Seared sea scallops, cauliflower puree, bacon crumble and pesto oil

With the scallop entrée, it wasn’t so much a gigantic serving but monster-sized scallops with smears of cauliflower puree dabbed with bright green pesto oil.

The bacon crumble was a great textural addition atop each huge, bouncy mollusc and added flavour to the scallops which, while impressive in size, seemed to lack their usual natural sea-sweetness.

Medallions of beef, roast potato, sweet pumpkin puree, asparagus and
cracked pepper hollandaise

My main meal featured two rounds of beef sitting atop two same sized rounds of roast potato, further topped with rather breakfast-y asparagus and hollandaise sauce, ringed with jus and nubbins of asparagus stalks.

The pumpkin puree added sweetness to the overall dish while the tenderness of the beef was a real highlight, even though the stomach seemed to be reaching a capacity of sorts after just one of the medallions.

Lamb rump with colcannon, deep fried zucchini flowers and sugar snap peas

The lamb main almost looked like an entrée and main together on one plate, with a side too. The three stuffed and battered zucchini flowers could well have been an entrée at many other establishments, but here they garnished three thick slices of medium rare lamb.

And beneath, colcannon – mashed potato with bacon, cabbage and other bits – added more sustenance for the man-sized meal. I’m glad we decided to forgo orders of sides but we had to make room for dessert.

Dessert special: Lemon meringue with ice cream

The 'crazy prices' wine list returned to bring two ridiculously reasonably priced dessert wine options by the glass. It was getting way too easy to eat too much and drink too much, but with a dessert special of classic lemon meringue pie looking so good, it didn’t feel quite as bad.

Bistro Avoca tasting plate: coconut pannacotta, raspberry jelly and
dark chocolate mousse

Dessert tasting plates are generally good for hedging bets as there’s usually enough variety among the choices to please anyone. So I was a little surprised at the almost traffic light set of glasses that was the dessert tasting plate.

The chocolate mousse was by far the best: a big chocolate hit, airy as a cloud texture and a bit of crunch with the praline crumbs on top. The raspberry jelly was pleasant with the mousse, with real bits of raspberry heightening the experience.

(Clockwise from left) Coconut panna cotta, dessert wine and raspberry jelly

The coconut panna cotta, whichI had considered ordering singularly, was most decent except for the eye-wateringly sour layer of lime jelly across the top while the coconut biscotti was also a little confusing.

Vanilla and raspberry Bombe Alaska with rhubarb confit and praline

The winner of the dessert round had to be the Bombe Alaska. Glistening with torched peaks of shiny meringue similar to the lemon meringue, inside there was a thin base of cake and a duo of ice cream, including a pink raspberry one that tasted like happiness and jam.

The cooked rhubarb and praline bits added colour and interest to the overall plating, but ultimately were unneccessary. Just more of that raspberry ice cream would have kept me happy for days.

The restaurant was surprisingly not empty at a fairly late weeknight hour, with plenty of happy faces still dining on the, let's admit it, large servings of modern Australian food. And with such good value and interesting dishes to be had, Bistro Avoca is a welcome breath of freshness for Randwick.

Food, booze and shoes dined as a guest of Bistro Avoca with thanks to Charlotte Foot Public Relations.

Bill & Toni's just fine

2011-11-28T08:04:00.002+11:00

The death knell for fine dining has been sounding for quite some time. From unexpected three-hat restaurant closures to refreshed approaches to existing restaurant styles, fine diners are generally not the ones creating the most excitement among the masses.

On a well known street in Darlinghurst, restaurants come and go like the fashions turn. There are also some stayers on the 'Little Italy' of Stanley Street that baffle and then there are others, like Bill & Toni's, that are still going after more than 40 years of trade.

Orange cordial at Bill & Toni's Restaurant, Stanley Street, Darlinghurst

The upstairs restaurant of Bill & Toni's is shabby to say the least, but taking me right back to suburban Italian family restaurants where laminated picture menus feature alongside walls covered in postcards from Italy.

The outdoor balcony looks pretty as a picture, but we're distracted by the arrival of both water and orange cordial at the table. Complimentary orange cordial would have been an absolute treat for me some 20-odd years ago. Now, it's quaint and perhaps a tad unsophisticated, but we're not complaining on a balmy late evening.

There's even less complaint looking at the menu, where prices probably haven't changed in the last decade. A limited selection of pasta as a first dish starts at $10 (lasagna and marinara $12). Mains are all $16. Mains with a pasta side are $18, while a full main with a full pasta are $22. Enough said.

Penne bolognaise

The premise is fairly straightforward: a limited and simple menu; obviously contributing to keeping prices down. The penne bolognaise reminds me of high school lunches: a generous dollop of rich tomato sauce full of minced meat and just slightly over al dente pasta, and of course, parmesan cheese.

Lettuce salad on the side

With the mains comes a rather large stainless steel bowl of torn iceberg lettuce leaves, dressed in what seems like white vinegar. It does the job as a vegetable addition and not much more (even less than my local steakhouse).

Calves liver with onions

There's quite the selection of mains; and everything one would expect too. Calves liver with onion are just that; both grilled and served with a wedge of lemon and home style boiled carrot sticks and green beans. What the dish lacks in flavour it makes up for in quantity.

Scaloppine pizzaiola

Same goes for my main of the veal scaloppine, which would serve four in some restaurants. The tomato sauce had taken on a lot of the flavour from the black olives, while the veal was tender without being overly exciting. It was happy days mopping up the sauce with the basket full of complimentary white bread; fresh and perfectly fluffy for the job.

Indeed, the veal was even good the next day as the huge serving portions meant takeaway boxes were needed. Cheap, cheerful, and hearty servings; true to what it is and has been for the last 40 years, I think Bill & Toni's is just fine the way it is.

Well watered and educated on Cocktail Island

2011-11-24T08:35:00.369+11:00

Cockatoo Island was an absolute riot of activity this weekend just passed. With the one-weekend-only booze-fest Cocktail Island, the street art festival Outpost and the balmy weather for just hanging out at The Island Bar, there was every reason to join the masses waiting for a ferry at Wharf 4, Circular Quay.

Crowds enjoying Cocktail Island on Cockatoo Island, 20 November 2011

Part of the Outpost Project on Cockatoo Island

The Cocktail Island event was an uphill walk to the Upper Island part of Cockatoo Island, with masterclasses, tastings and exhibition stands housed in a couple of buildings in the Convict Precinct (apt, really).

Sufficiently warmed after the walk to the Upper Island, we headed straight to the exhibition hall where cocktails could be bought for anything from 3 to 10 Island Dollars (which equated to normal Aussie dollars) from a range of spirited stands and associated fun-loving bar hands.

Cocktail with St Germain, sparkling wine and lemon zest

Cocktails with Hendricks Gin

The West Winds Gin - Australian gin!

666 Vodka served with young coconut juice in a young coconut

Tasting Theatre: History and Future of the Margarita

Upstairs in the Tasting Theatre, we'd caught the start of the Patrón tequila session hosted by Gee David. With decent sized tastes of Patrón Silver and then margarita samples on offer, it was quite interesting to see the mixed views across the room. A few sniffs yielded woody and citrus flavours, as well as gasoline and "a party".

Sample of Patrón Silver (it's a shot sized, 30ml cup)

Sipping the Patrón Silver, we were instructed to hold it if the mouth a while to really suss out the flavours. Admittedly, I never did this in my youth though I guess I wasn't drinking Patrón either. There were flashes of familiarity but on the whole, it wasn't too negative an experience.

The shaken margarita was decidedly better, made with Patrón Citronge; the citrus flavoured tequila in place of Cointreau as per a traditional margarita.

Patrón tequila in the Tasting Theatre

It was an educational session where we learnt that the correct service of a margarita entails two questions: "On the rocks?" and "Salt rim?".

While these are standard for a Tommy's Margarita (more further down), apparently it's not for a traditional margarita which is most commonly served straight up with a half or full salt rim.

I also learnt that National Margarita Day occurs on 22 February every year - so chuck that one in next year's diary (note: buy 2012 diary).

Picnic area on Cocktail Island

Back outside, the wind had picked up but not so much as to disturb the happy pinickers making the most of the free Mount Franklin sparkling water and a place to sit. After the quick start to the day's drinking and with plenty more to go, food was on the mind somewhat with one stall offering burgers, pies and other fine drinking fare.

Free popcorn at Cocktail Island

I don't know who worked out that popcorn and cocktails are great friends, but they sure are. The balancing act of sweet drinks and salty snacks works a dream, and we scoffed the bag full of buttery popcorn in moments, just ahead of a provocatively named tour led by Jason Crawley, Creative Director of Mixxit.

Seven Drinks to Try Before You Die at Cocktail Island

Seven tastes of classic cocktails is fair enough; all within 30 minutes through dark passages into themed bar areas was a different matter. The first cocktail took the tour group back to the Prohibition years with The Greyhound made of Russian vodka and golden grapefruit juice on ice.

A little too easy to drink, the bitterness of the juice makes this an ideal pre eating drink. With a salt rim, and sometimes gin instead of vodka, the drink becomes a Salty Dog.

The Official Mixer's Manual - first published circa 1934

The Last Word cocktail is made with gin, maraschino liqueur, lime juice and green chartreuse, and it's from here that things got a little hazy. I recall thumbing through a rare cocktail book and then heading into the next tiki themed bar area and even Crawley mentioning that Australia's best tiki bar was in Perth.

I remember a Mai Tai creamy in flavour (Cruzer rum, lime juice, orgeat, triple sec and vanillar) before being lumped a with a full serve of The Blinker, consisting of Jim Beam Rye Whisky, golden grapefruit juice and grenadine.

Final themed bar of the Seven Drinks to Try Before You Die tour

All through the tour, Crawley was an endless fountain of knowledge, with so much infomation spurting out that my not-so-sober self still managed to retain a few.

In this last themed room, we sampled a Mint Julep which for me was sweet enough to hide the Maker's Mark bourbon, and a Blood & Sand with Scotch cherry liqueur, sweet vermouth and orange juice.

Jason Crawley, Creative Director at Mixxit

I'm pretty sure it had something to do with all the mixing of drinks and moving about different rooms/venues/eras but I was pretty happy all the cocktails despite being triple parked at the end when (keeping count?) there was still one drink to collect.

Cognac Punch - 1920s style

All cocktails we currently drink are essentially a form of punch with something added or removed. Called the "founding father" of all mixed drinks, it makes sense as punch dates as far back at 1576.

Cognac Punch (right) and Blood & Sand (left) cocktails

Our final drink of the tour was the Cognac Punch, ladled out from a boat by a 1920s styled server. I'm sure everyone who left the tour had at least two cups in hand and may have had a little trouble walking a straight line (or was it just me?). The moment seriously called for food and a pie later, we were ready for more.

ABSOLUT Flavour Akademi Master Class with Ben Davidson

The Master Class room was filled for the Absolut session and with a couple of bottles of vodka on each table, it looked like it was going to be a corker session. Kind of needing to sit, we instead headed back upstairs to the Tasting Theatre and found comfy seating and the Chivas Regal tasting.

Age Matters tasting session by Chivas Regal, Royal Salute and The Glenlivet

Five samples of Scotch whisky including one clear (unaged?) one that tasted of burning. It was a learning curve for me, but tasting older whiskies as we went along the burning eventually subsided and there were actual flavours to appreciate.

The Chivas Regal 18- and 21-year-old whiskies were getting pretty fine indeed, and rather warming as a light sprinkle of rain started outside.

"Slàinte mhòr" - a Gaelic toast to health

Most fun was probably learning a new toast, in Scottish Gaelic at that, especially as most in the room probably weren't entirely sober. With glasses raised, we shouted "Slàinte mhòr" (sounds like "slohn ja vor") as host James Buntin's father did before a tipple.

The day was getting long but there was no missing the final session in the Piazza Tasting room; a pretty old sandstone building yet an entirely appropriate room for tequila tasting.

Julio Bermejo - creator of Tommy's Margarita

Here, we were educated by two of the industries finest tequila minds: Julio Bermejo of Tommy's Mexican Restaurant and the World's Best Tequila Bar in San Francisco and Phil Bayly of Cafe Pacifico in Surry Hills.

Phil Bayly of Cafe Pacifico

There was plenty of talk about agave plants and its honey-like nectar, and getting what you pay for when it comes to tequila.

Bermejo is the Ambassador of Tequila to the US for the Mexican Government and, wait for it, the creator of Tommy's Margarita. He started serving this version of the margarita - with 100% agave tequila, agave nectar and lime juice sans an orange liqueur - at his father's restaurant Tommy's in the 1980s. Just don't forget to serve it on the rocks with a thick salt rim.

Julio Bermejo

Through the talk we sampled cakes baked with tequila; both quite dense cakes and the flourless chocolate one completely memorable; fudgey yet with flavours of tequila - in a good way. That was in between tasting 100% agave blanco tequila and then shaking up a Tommy's Margarita with Bayly and Bermejo as assistants. Too much fun is an understatement - but then again, it is tequila.

I honestly don't think I've had this much tequila since my teens and I must admit, my behaviour has improved vastly since those days. I didn't try to crash the after party at Island Bar, but rather sensibly joined the other Cocktail Islanders straggling onto the last ferry off Cockatoo Island.

The trip back to Circular Quay was definitely vocal, but I think showed that everyone, water bottles in hand, had a great day of drinking and learning about the cocktails on the island. See more photos of the day at my Facebook page.

Food, booze and shoes received media admission and Island Dollars for Cocktail Island courtesy of The Cru Media - thanks for keeping us well watered and educated.

Little northern Chinatown in Chatswood

2011-11-22T08:25:00.000+11:00

I had no idea that Chatswood had become a little mini northern Chinatown. Almost any Chinese outlet one would find in the city's Chinatown are in Chatswood, plus more with somewhat of a northern bent too - fitting really.

Indeed, there are two New Shanghai Chinese Restaurants in Chatswood in fairly close proximity, which in itself seems a little odd. The fact that they are located in two polar opposites of shopping centres - the luxe Chatswood Chase and not-so-swish Lemon Grove Shopping Centre - is even more strange.

Crab xiao long bao from New Shanghai, Lemon Grove Shopping Centre,
Victoria Street, Chatswood

We find ourselves at the somewhat 'lesser' of the two outlets one hot afternoon for a late lunch. Seated right beside the glass windows to the dumpling kitchen, we have prime view of xiao long bao soup dumplings being filled and pleated, as well as shallot pancake dough being weighed fastidiously and then rollled flat, encasing chopped green shallots.

Service is brusque, even for a Chinese restaurant, but it's not long before food fills the table. The crab xiao long bao have a detectable seafood taste but aren't really so different to the standard pork ones. The dumpling skins hold well and are hard to fault, while the soup is still the best part of the experience.

Pan fried pork dumplings

While an open kitchen encourages clean work areas, which I'm all for, it also means little restaurant tricks that are perhaps best left out of diners' view are, unfortunately, in full view.

I had my fingers tightly crossed that the plate of pan fried dumplings that emerged from the microwave were not headed towards my table. No such luck, and I tried as best I could to eat them without prejudice.

It may well have been all in my head but I struggled with the tough outer skins while taste- and heat-wise they were acceptable. A healthy dousing with both vinegar sauce and chilli oil helped but the overall enjoyment of the dumplings had been marred from the start.

Sichuan style sauce stir fried with pork mince and served with dry noodle

I often find myself deferring to the usual orders at northern Chinese restaurants - it's so hard to resist certain dumplings and for others, Sichuan style noodles with a spicy bean sauce and minced pork. This serving was not too spicy despite its imposing hue, assisted by the refreshing juliennes of cucumber.

Sichuan spicy pork noodles mixed

It's not such a pretty sight when mixed through and messy to eat too, as most good things are. The sauce-coated, just-cooked noodles become extremely slippery and dangerous for any white tops. Indeed, after the meal we even found sauce splatters on the glass of the kitchen window beside us.

Stir fried spinach with garlic

I'm always a little baffled with the price of straight vegetable dishes at casual Chinese eateries. I understand that a plate of spinach could well be three bunches worth, but at about double the price of a plate of dumplings, something doesn't quite add up.

In this instance, there definitely could have been many dollars worth of garlic in the dish as it was absolutely loaded with diced garlic amongst the tender spinach leaves and stems. A good dish for colds and vampire repelling.

Post lunch, walking around probably with a garlic cloud above, it looked like northern Chinatown has integrated seamlessly with Chatswood. The crowds at Asian dessert house Zen Q were proof, nestled into the Westfield at street level and doing brisk trade on the hot afternoon.

Mango shaved ice with fresh mango, mango jelly and mango ice cream from Zen Q,
Westfield Chatswood

The lengthy menu is abundant in options: ices, puddings, toppings, bread-oriented desserts and even something with tuna salad. The heat called for something cooling and the bowl of mango variations seemed to fit the bill.

The squishy eat-in seating, designed to fit as many bodies into the small space as possible, meant I was basically sitting on top of someone next to me as my mango dessert arrived. The sprinkles took me back to times of frozen party pies and sausage rolls, but at least the mango ice did its job in refreshing.

It wasn't overly sweet either while the mango ice cream was the most subtle of the lot. The small helping of fresh mango cubes was the best component while the slightly chewy mango jellies were fun but few and far between.

Fruit soup with ice cream

I have no idea what this is, let alone a name, but put nicely it looks like a mixed fruit soup. I have other, more graphic descriptions for what I think it looks like, but I've learnt that they're best left out. Fruit salad mixed with ice cream doesn't do it for me at the best of times, let alone in soup form.

We scoff and dash at Zen Q, but not before peering quzzically at couples and groups attacking loaves of bread dressed in everything from fruit to cream to more of those sprinkles. Bread with dessert is a fairly alien concept to me but being the the Chinatown of the north, perhaps next time I cross the Bridge I'll have to do as the Romans do.

Last day of Sculpture by the Sea 2011, Bondi

2011-11-20T07:45:00.050+11:00

One of the pieces at Sculpture by the Sea 2011, Tamarama Beach (to Bondi Beach)

Today is the last day for the 2011 exhibition of Sculpture by the Sea in Bondi. It's yet another great year so don't miss out if you have nothing better to do today.

This year I started at the Tamarama Beach end, finishing up at Bondi Beach. There were favourites aplenty, but here's a few to whet the cultured appetite.

It's your last chance to catch this fabulous, fun and free exhibition today - see the website for full details. See more photos on my Facebook page (and 'Like' me while you're there!).

Beef sausage on a roll with onions at Tamarama Beach

The Family Meal at Kika Tapas Bar, Tuesday nights

2011-11-18T08:41:00.352+11:00

Ever wondered what Ferran Adrià ate and fed staff at his restaurant, elBulli (which was ranked the San Pellegrino World's Best Restaurant five times in the period from 2002 to 2009)?

Adrià believes in an 'eat well, cook well' philosophy so every staff meal, or the family meal as it was known, consisted of three courses of nutritionally balanced, ordinary meals - no fancy ingredients and often very multicultural to reflect the elBulli staff mix.

When it was announced that elBulli was to close in mid 2011, Adrià and one of his head chefs collected all the recipes for the family meals into a book targeted at restaurants. But given the home cooked nature of the meals, it's now also a beautiful book for domestic home cooks.

The Family Meal: Home Cooking with Ferran Adrià
(Image courtesy of PEPR Publicity)

The Family Meal is not just a book of recipes but a book of meals. There are 31 three-course menus that combine starter, main and dessert recipes into a "sensible meal". If it's good enough for Adrià and co, it's good enough for me.

The book overflows with step-by-step images as well as a visual spread of all the necessary ingredients per meal and even a timeline to ensure all three recipes are made concurrently and to perfection.

Further, each recipe offers quantities to serve 2, 6, 20 or 75 hungry mouths; the latter of which was the daily challenge for elBulli staff dinner.

Pintxos by Kika Tapas Bar, Victoria Street, Darlinghurst

And in a most innovative book/restaurant promotion, Kika Tapas Bar in Darlinghurst is hosting The Family Meal every Tuesday night.

For $55, you can dine on a choice of two weekly changing set meals - each three courses - straight out of the book. It's probably now the closest experience you'll get to dining at elBulli.

Along with a bunch of bloggers, I was invited to sample The Family Meal, coinciding with the launch of a new menu at Kika Tapas Bar. We started with a shared dish of pintxos, featuring an oyster shooter, gorgeously tender grilled lamb with roasted garlic and butterbean puree, and some grilled cuttlefish.

Daily Sydney rock oysters in gazpacho

When I first saw this, I thought it was a layered soup of some sort; not realising an oyster was submerged within the thick, orangey gazpacho. It didn't all come out in the one shot but when I did get to the briney oyster, its fresh flavours were enhanced by the tomato soup to a glorious point of sweetness.

Saffron marinated cuttlefish cooked a la plancha, watermelon, mustardcress and lemon dressing

With my share of the juicy lamb gone in a mouthful, the orange-hued grilled cuttlefish with a slab of watermelon awaited. Seafood and fruit (lemon aside) is a dangerous area I think, and this pintxo did nothing to change my mind. The watermelon was particularly sweet; the taste slightly jarring against the saffron-indulged cuttlefish.

Gazpacho from The Family Meal book

To the meal proper, I chose the option that was Meal 21 in the book, starting with a very well executed gazpacho. Tomato and garlic dominated this chilled soup which was thickened with bread and served with croutons that were deep fried in extra virgin olive oil. A perfect summer starter.

Lime marinated fish from The Family Meal book

For the alternative set menu (Menu 9 in the book),they started with the biggest dish of semi-raw fish I've ever seen. By Japanese sashimi standards, this would be a group share plate - for 6. The lime marinated kingfish slicers were topped with onion, diced coriander and olive oil, and claimed victory over many a diner.

Black rice with cuttlefish from The Family Meal book

Although my main meal wasn't black as the menu indicated (the chef later explained that they had forgone recipe's optional squid ink due to its high price and lack of availability in Australia), it was a particularly generous serve that smelt sensationally hearty and drool-worthy.

The first mouthful was like a warm hug: all-encompassing and giving in its big flavours and depth. The perfectly seasoned, creamy-textured rice actually tasted of cuttlefish, and when I chanced upon the first square chunk of cuttlefish, it was a tender delight.

I think the trick to the richness and depth of flavour was the addition of a sofrito; a common Spanish base for cooking, consisting of tomato, garlic, oil and onion (this and other 'basic' sauces are also explained in detail in the book).

Osso bucco from The Family Meal book

The other main meal was a braise of osso bucco, cooked in a tomato and vegetable sauce in the oven for two hours. The generous servings of veal shank were lifted by a sprinkle of zingy gremolata (finely chopped parsley, garlic and orange and lemon zests), which I can't wait to try at home.

Bread with chocolate and olive oil from The Family Meal book

After my rice main, I could hardly believe that the carb-fest was to continue with dessert of chocolate covered thick cut bread. The twists in this were also the highlights: the salt flakes contrasted magically with the shaved dark chocolate while the olive oil added an interesting and discernable third taste element.

The alternative dessert was a take on the piña colada cocktail: simply pineapple blended with coconut milk and white rum. Dessert cocktail, indeed.

At the end of a very filling meal, it was fun to look up both meals in the book and see the exact steps that were taken to get the meal on the table. The recipes are set out storyboard style with a few methodical words at every photo step - it's fun even just to look at.

Gazpacho in The Family Meal book

Black rice with cuttlefish in The Family Meal book

Bread with chocolate and olive oil from The Family Meal book

Adrià seems to have worked out cooking for dummies, which suits me just fine, but for the kitchen-averse, Tuesday nights at Kika Tapas Bar is the place to be for The Family Meal, Ferran Adrià style.

Food, booze and shoes dined on The Family Meal at Kika Tapas Bar and received a copy of The Family Meal (published by Phaidon Press, RRP A$39.95) courtesy of PEPR Publicity.

Sokyo: Sydney meets Tokyo at The Star

2011-11-14T08:03:00.539+11:00

There's been a flurry of restaurant openings in recent months and by all accounts, they're game changers. New perspectives on how we view restaurants and eating out are refreshing, and the latest offering at The Star works to a similar theme of bringing a new point of view to Japanese dining.

You don't need to go through or even around the casino to get to Sokyo, which is set in The Star's new five-star hotel, The Darling, accessed via Union and Pyrmont Streets. Opened just over a week ago, the restaurant entrance features an expansive bar that faces the hotel lobby, greeting both diners and hotel stayers with an inviting Asian-styled space for tippling.

Dining area inside Sokyo, The Star / The Darling, Pyrmont

We started with drinks at the bar as a precursor to dinner and at our reservation time, we were led into the restaurant by one of the hostesses; passing an open cold kitchen where young head chef Chase Kojima presides over dishes heading out to the informal, texture-filled dining room. With years at Nobu restaurants around the world, Kojima most definitely puts an innovative twist on modern Japanese.

Although the restaurant is on street level, it's disguised well with rope designs obscuring views in or out, while my view is of the bright, staff filled kitchen where diners line one side in sushi bar style. The crowd itself is a mix of stylish young groups on a night out, post work corporates and somewhat older (probably) hotel patrons.

Dining areas in Sokyo

The dining room is buzzy, but not too loud, with the occasional odd song choice seeping into our laughter-filled table conversation (yep, we were probably that loud table that was having far too much fun at dinner).

High touch, attentive service started from the very beginning with the menu explained in fair detail. Sokyo's dishes are for sharing and to be followed in the order of the menu; that is, starting with sashimi, then tempura, grilled goodies from the robata section, mains, soup and salad, and finally nigiri and sushi rolls.

I'm fairly sure at every other Japanese restaurant I've ever been to, one starts with sashimi and sushi as the raw, cold start and then moves onto the more substantial cooked food, so I was keen to see how the meal would develop and progress.

Edamame

Between three people, we were advised to pick two dishes from each section, which we mostly followed. There is also an omakase option where upon guiding the waiter towards likes/dislikes and allergies, the kitchen sends out its own choices of dishes for the table.

We munched on a bowl of firm edamame sprinkled with salt flakes as we deliberated over the extensive menu, with several choices to be made at the turn of every page.

Thankfully we'd chosen sake first, a big flavoured, sweet and floral Ibaragi "Pride of the Village" Sudo no Honke, served cold, and which seemed to partner well with every dish we had. Serving size was a choice between a carafe and a full 1.8 litre bottle - I can't wait to order the latter one day.

Moreton Bay bug sashimi

There was no going past the Moreton Bay bug on the sashimi menu. The mayonnaise calligraphy of Japanese hiragana characters spelling out 'Sokyo' was pretty impressive but I was more blown away by the petite, creamy white pieces of raw bug.

With a velvety mouthfeel just like scampi sashimi, the flavour of the Moreton Bay bug is cleaner and less cloying, even with the mayonnaise which is dusted with shichimi chilli spice powder.

The finishing flourish of Vegemite croutons is much fun: the tiniest, crunchiest croutons you'll ever see; that taste heavily of butter and lightly of Vegemite, just the way I like my Vegemite toast.

Seared salmon sashimi

The seared salmon sashimi is a little more pedestrian than our first plate; with fanned slices of lightly seared salmon in a dressing of ssamjang Korean spice paste.

There was a refreshing tartness to the dressing, and I probably should have tried the salmon together with the green Japanese mountain peach, which was as cute as it was sweet and furry.

Baby capsicum relleno tempura

Tempura time found us with baby capsicums stuffed with king crab and feta cheese cooked tempura style, and then topped with a dice of tuna sashimi in a spicy mayonnaise and served with yuzu soy. We're definitely not in traditional Japanese land, Toto.

In the one mouthful, the yuzu hits first followed by the creamy dice of tuna and then through the tempura batter and sweet capsicum, the crab flesh slowly reveals itself in its full glory. The complex melange of flavours and textures in the baby capsicum relleno really works for it; if only I didn't have to share.

Cuttlefish tempura

The generous pile of lightly fried cuttlefish tempura was sprinkled with dried chilli and served with a ponzu dipping sauce. The chilli on the crisp batter had very little impact, if any at all, while the cuttlefish was tender and rather sweet, quite possibly naturally so.

Grilled baby corn

With the robata menu items was our first sighting of vegetables amid our seafood-oriented choices. Japanese food tends to have a subtle delicacy and this was anything but.

The spears of baby corn may have been subtle, but drenched and grilled in butter and soy, they were probably the most luxurious serving of corn ever. The sweet corn puree was almost unnecessary while the shichimi lifted the corn out of potential butter coma zone.

Grilled king prawn

This prawn must have been a monster given it produced three fairly decent sized pieces, and its texture wasn't too far off that of lobster.

I adored the salty, thin and crispy pancetta that was tightly wrapped around the prawn, which in turn encased a gathering of enoki mushrooms; all slightly infused with a char flavour from the binchotan Japanese white charcoal fired grill.

Lamb chop maple miso

We decided to go with just one main as at the time of ordering I was rattling off more dishes than I felt comfortable doing without seeming entirely gluttonous. And we needed space for dessert.

The lamb cutlets ended up being a good sharing choice with one cutlet each and soft, cooked baby eggplants beneath the meat. The tender lamb was cooked well although the sauce didn't quite live up to its maple miso name.

We spent a good few minutes intrigued in what was wrapped around the cutlet bone - it looked like a bandage or at least fabric, but were advised that it was Japanese gourd - edible but probably not enjoyably.

Bonito tataki nigiri

At the very beginning of the meal, the waiter pointed out our dishes for soy sauce and the dispenser at the table, and then proceeded to tell us it was not needed nor recommended for use.

The bonito nigiri was a slice of the fish on rice with shallots and some grated ginger, with sticks of pickled young ginger served alongside. Popped into my mouth in one go, the ginger and shallots were familiar flavours that worked in a new setting, but I confess I would have liked a drop or two of soy sauce however fresh the fish.

Ocean trout nigiri

A more convincing nigiri for sushi without soy sauce was the ocean trout, topped with marinated sweet kelp and a thin, clear jelly of the same (I think). Again in the one mouthful sans soy sauce, this was a little different as the jelly seemed to be sweetened and thus adding a new dimension to the sushi and gorgeous ocean trout.

Spicy tuna roll

The spicy tuna hosomaki thin sushi rolls featured jewel red tuna, juliennes of cucumber and a flavour-packed spicy mayonnaise that somehow infiltrated the entire roll - this definitely did not need soy sauce.

Sushi at the end of the meal means more of the subtle, lesser impact flavours at the finish when you're close to being satiated. As a lead on to dessert I think it makes some sense, but without dessert I think it means a plateauing end.

Green tea ice cream

Luckily, we were suitably enticed by the dessert menu which had a great range of Japanese inspired sweets. You can't go wrong with green tea ice cream - here, three small, strongly flavoured scoops served with red bean paste and what I think was crunchy puffed roasted rice.

Calpis cheesecake

The Calpis cheesecake was a more elaborate, deconstructed affair. The quenelle of Calpis flavoured cheesecake was subtle on both counts of Calpis and cheese, but the moussey texture had a refreshing appeal eaten with the crumble 'base'.

The blueberry compote contributed the big flavours while the tuile was a fruity work of wonder. I suppose the Calpis granita adds to the overall Calpis theme, though perhaps a heavier ice cream would work well given the cheesecake's lightness.

Goma Street

With the help of the waiter, I picked a winner with the playfully named 'Goma Street' (goma is Japanese for 'sesame'). I started with the melting ice cream which sat atop a biscuit-y crumble. The toasted sesame flavour was a highlight, with sesame overall seeming to match very well with chocolate. Two sheets of chocolate held a white chocolate mousse, sprinkled with smashed bits of black sesame candy that was dotted with white sesame seeds.

The dessert worked best with a bit of everything on the spoon, including the striking black paint stroke of sesame paste, for a mouthful of varying textures and harmonious flavours. The citrusy tones of the Mount Horrocks Cordon Cut Riesling (the only sticky by the glass) managed to cut through the dessert's sweetness rather well.

Sitting back chatting a while after dessert, we'd seen at least a couple of sittings in the restaurant over the duration of dinner but never felt rushed nor uncomfortable sitting there for a good few hours. The carafe of sake served 2.5 drinkers well after cocktails in the bar and though we easily could have gone another, it was nice to let the food really feature.

I really like that The Star is changing the dining game to have it feature almost as much as the gambling den. I like that Sokyo essentially has no physical connection to the casino and I like what Kojima is bringing through his take on Japanese. After all, a new perspective is as good as a holiday.

Disclosure: Food, booze and shoes is acquainted with staff at Sokyo.

Hinky Dinks, a dink a do...

2011-11-10T08:19:00.146+11:00

The revival of the old school - anything retro, beyond the 1980s, 'vintage' - makes me wonder what will be considered 'old school' in another 10 years' time. There doesn't seem to be anything in the 1990s that would be revived as fashionable or cool; though I guess we can only wait and see.

Complimentary spiced popcorn at Hinky Dinks, Darlinghurst Road, Darlinghurst

Hinky Dinks is a retro-styled bar that could pass as a 1950s milk bar but also serves killer cocktails and some pretty decent eats. It was created by the guys behind this blog about opening a small bar in Sydney - and they have obviously reached their goal. When they say small bar, they kind of mean it, so get there early if you plan to imbibe on a Friday or Saturday night.

Booths and more spaced out lounge seats dominate the cosy space, but the bar seats are where the action happens: from the shaking and garnishing to the refilling of complimentary paper cups of popcorn flavoured with a moreish herb and spice mix, which I could eat endlessly.

Madagascar Manhattan

There's a good variety of cocktails that could all easily become signatures of the bar, especially the deadly Zombie of which patrons are only allowed a maximum of two per night. It's responsible service with a liberal shots of fun at Hinky Dinks. One glance behind the bar and you know there's some impressive experience in those hands that shake up cocktails so efficiently.

The Madagascar Manhattan is an exotic twist on the heavy-hitting classic, featuring bourbon infused with vanilla (the Madagascan connection?) and citrus peel stirred with sweet vermouth, agave and chocolate bitters.

It was hard not to feel a little 'vintage' with the pretty crystal glassware, though the maraschino cherry and popcorn brought it back to somewhat more recent times.

Gin 'n' Jam

I hadn't quite expected such a frothy, girly drink when I ordered my Gin 'n' Jam, though I probably should have figured with the use of house made rose petal jam as an ingredient.

Here, Bombay Sapphire gin and Aperol were shaken with the mentioned jam, lemon, cranberry bitters and egg white for the blushingly gorgeous drink, garnished with a few rose petals. The bitter Aperol features prominently in this light cocktail that would be ideal pre-food.

Gypsy Blood

A cool, tall drink is the Gypsy Blood, just one of a few cocktail names at Hinky Dinks that would fit right in for a Halloween theme.

While it's of a red hue, there's nothing squeamish about the mix of Amaro, an Italian herbal liqueur, fresh lime, pineapple syrup, peach bitters and grapefruit soda. This was my second drink although I think it's probably best to start with the long drinks on ice ahead of those served up.

Pan fried olive and parmesan sandwich

Aside from cocktails, there's also a one-page wine list that traverses the sub $100 mark quite broadly and an interesting list of bar food with a menu designed by Laif Etournaud. It's then no wonder that I faced the temptation, again, of a pan fried olive and parmesan sandwich, which I first encountered at Gotham (where Etournaud also consulted on the menu).

Hinky Dinks' olive and parmesan toastie was a savoury delight, especially after the sugar of the cocktails. A salty black olive tapenade with salty melted cheese on crunchy grilled bread has to be as close to the perfect bar snack there is.

Fried squid with aioli

The squid was fried to a pale, soft texture although this was forgiven with the inspired addition of whole leaves of parsley and basil. The freshness from the herbs was an exhilarating twist on same-old fried squid, while the aioli added a welcome touch of richness.

The food we ordered came from the 'peckish' section of the menu and there are just three more substantial eats and a couple of desserts, so it's definitely more your drinking than eating kind of parlour.

The Darlinghurst crowd was definitely enjoying itself in one of the area's newest offerings although given the very limited space at Hinky Dinks, there were a fair few turned away or told to return later. The vibe is relaxed but stylish, matched well by the sophisticated drinks and service, the popcorn and also the huge bowl of complimentary mints at the bar. Hinky Dinks goes to show that good old fashioned fun never goes out of style.

Role playing at Monkey Magic

2011-11-08T08:05:00.000+11:00

I grew up watching, and indeed playing, Monkey or what we called ‘Monkey Magic’ – the Japanese TV series from the 1980s hilariously dubbed into English for our Australian ABC television viewing. The fight scenes were my favourite to watch, especially any which involved Monkey magically turning his tiny staff into a full sized one.

Role playing at home back in the day, I was lumped with being Sandy while my brothers took the roles of Monkey and Pigsy. We’d run around the house, up onto the couch or anything that would elevate us to simulate Monkey’s flying cloud. I miss those young, innocent days.

Go-Shu sake at Monkey Magic, Crown Street, Surry Hills

While I no longer identify with Sandy, it’s as we’re reliving more innocent times at a birthday dinner (late twenties – prime for the Monkey cult phenomenon) at Monkey Magic in Surry Hills. A large group means we’re allotted the set menu, which seems reasonably priced and covers a number of Japanese menu favourites.

The sake menu consists of four Japanese and one Australian brews. Requested warm to hopefully diffuse the effects of a cold, we start with the Aussie stuff, which is kind of drinkable.

Amuse bouche - Cauliflower soup with curry

I’m not sure what or who Monkey Magic is trying to be when an amuse bouche arrives. A creamy cauliflower soup sprinkled with curry says nothing of restaurant’s direction nor the modern, bare brick chic look with exposed ceilings, wooden floors and browns all round.

It also says little about the ability of the kitchen, though perhaps it was just my cold-affected tastebuds that found the amuse bouche more like a bland glass of cold cream that had cauliflower and curry powder waved over it.

Edamame with pink salt sprinkles

The edamame are a huge improvement on the earlier amusement, as well as the soy beans in general. These, sprinkled with pink salt flakes, have a firmness that is so pleasing against the common expectation of soggily-cooked edamame.

Shared between four-to-five people, the bowl of discards rises quickly against the ‘kampai’ of our little sake cups.

Assorted sashimi

The sashimi platter is portioned for three, featuring salmon, tuna, kingfish and a daikon-rolled salmon topped with salmon roe. The tuna wasn’t spectacular but the others faring reasonably better.

Soft shell crab roll

The inside-out roll of soft shell crab, serving four, is a winner, especially the end bits with battered and fried crab legs hanging out. With the rice rolled in tobiko flying fish roe and a spiced mayonnaise within the roll, it was fresh, full-flavoured and downright delicious.

Chilli soy cuttlefish with mizuna, bean sprout, coriander, white onion vinaigrette

This take on salt and pepper squid is most appreciated, given the rarity of cuttlefish on Sydney menus (though I did have a very good spiced version on the specials menu at Izakaya Fujiyama more recently than my last visit).

Cuttlefish is much like squid, but the flesh is thicker and in this instance, more tender and sea-sweet too. The white onion vinaigrette is an interesting addition to flavours while the vegetables add a necessary healthy aspect to the dish.

Chicken-prawn shu mai with fresh bamboo, water chestnut, ginerg, miso-mustard sauce
and lychee berry

The shu mai dumplings aren’t the prettiest sight. A little flop-sided and looking as if they were steamed within inches of their little dumpling lives, they weren’t revolutionary in the slightest but with a pleasant ginger fragrance. The miso mustard sauce was subdued while the sweet soy dipping sauce helped as much as it could have.

Pan seared ocean trout with green pea ragout, Asian green and black pepper sauce

There’s a choice of three mains as part of the set menu: ocean trout, pork belly or beef sirloin. There is little Japanese about any of the three mains – as they arrive, I could have been easily transported to any average, suburban restaurant trying for a modern Australian bent.

The fillet of ocean trout has pleasingly crisp skin and is well cooked with a rare centre, but is otherwise unexciting. The black pepper sauce is particularly pungent and probably much more appropriate paired with beef while the peas have me thinking about pies.

Slow cooked pork belly - soy braised pork belly, apple -lime puree, spicy kimchi, salad
of pickled vegetable

We all immediately note, with distress, that the pork arrives skinned; just a bare, pale layer of fat topping the well sized portion, covered in a rich brown soy sauce. Only then realising it was a braised pork belly, one still feels pretty cheated – as if someone had stolen the crackling off your pork.

The tender pork wasn’t too bad, with a rather traditional Western apple sauce contrasting with kimchi and Asian-style pickled vegetables.

Rangers Valley sirloin with confit cherry tomato, roasted white onion and 'goma' sesame sauce

The pre-cut sirloin probably looked the most promising of the lot, cooked to the requested medium-rare and mostly tender.

It was served with a single ‘confit’ cherry tomato, a small wedge of white onion and more of that pepper sauce, and wouldn’t have looked too out of place at a steakhouse or even local pub.

Salted caramel semifreddo with crunchy meringue, yuzu stewed apple

Desserts are not included in the set menu but we definitely had stomach space for a few selections. The salted caramel semifreddo was my pick of the lot, though I wasn’t expecting the slice to look so much like a Thai custard.

The creamy texture of the semifreddo could not sway me from thinking it tasted exactly like caramel YoGo from childhood. The pretty meringue which supported the semifreddo slice was the highlight with an impressively crunchy shell, and pleasant with the stewed apples.

Yuzu trifle with yuzu lady fingers, mango and raspberry

The yuzu trifle was a pretty construction of cream and subtle yuzu sponge fingers, with a lust-worthy dice of mango drizzled on top. Surprisingly light in texture and flavours, I think a bigger hit of yuzu was needed to justify the dessert’s name.

Our group didn’t get kicked out for another group event, as we were told to expect, but the dining room wasn’t entirely full for the Saturday night anyway. Modern Japanese in Surry Hills is a tough gig with the ultra luxe, high end of Toko up the road on Crown Street, and cheap and cheerful Sushi Suma on Cleveland Street.

But perhaps there is a middle ground – indeed, perhaps there is still a bit of room in our lives for Monkey Magic, jumping on couches and being innocent again.

Say cheese at Jamie’s Italian

2011-11-03T08:01:00.007+11:00

I’ve been lamenting the lack of decent pasta options in the city for so long I have to smile every time I pass the newly opened Jamie’s Italian on Pitt Street, where every morning and throughout the day fresh pasta comes magically out of two machines in the window. And not just the noodle-y stuff; frilly shells and rigatoni-esque shapes too.

Inside Jamie's Italian, Pitt Street, Sydney

After many months of anticipation, I was at dinner on the ground level of Jamie’s Italian with an after work Dal Zotto prosecco just the thing to start the evening. Even at an early 6.30pm Wednesday night, we had to have a drink in the bar while waiting before being seated, with queues out the door not much later.

Complimentary bread basket

A quick skim of the menu shows up traditional Italian at extremely reasonable prices: starting with bread and nibbles, antipasti, pasta in two serving sizes, mains and a wealth of side dishes.

I’m not sure it’s possible to not order the pasta, even if everyone starts with a complimentary bread basket with ciabatta and white and rye half slices from Brasserie Bread, rosemary focaccia, a bread stick and a thin, not-quite-as-crunchy-as-it-should-have-been carta di musica thin flatbread.

Creamy mozzarella

With such reasonable pricing, I was more than happy to go the whole three courses plus sides, not to mention the well-priced wine list with a good range under $60. The light and fruity Umani Ronchi Montepulciano D'Abruzzo was reasonably fruity and a good match to all the flavours throughout dinner.

The mozzarella cheese called to me and arrived as a simply torn ball of buffalo mozzarella with a new take on insalata caprese – same white, red and green colours but substituting non-spicy red chilli slivers for tomato and mint for basil.

The mint combined with lemon zest and olive oil really lifted the flavours of the dish while the chilli added interest to the subtly creamy and salty mozzarella, which could easily get boring being such a big serve.

Crispy squid

One of the hot antipasti dishes – and one of the only ones without cheese – was the deep fried squid, served almost tapas style in a terracotta dish with chilli, garlic, lemon and "really garlicky mayo".

The thin and still crunchy batter was a highlight, yet it was still outshone by the most garlicky and tangy mayonnaise/aioli I’ve ever had the pleasure of tasting. It was so good that once the just tender squid was finished, we continued dipping pieces of bread into the aioli.

Meat platter

On a per person order, the antipasti boards are ceremoniously placed atop two cans of tomato at the table – a bit gimmicky but cute enough to think it’s something Jamie Oliver might do at home.

Crunchy salad (left), bocconcini (middle) and pecorino with chilli jam (right)

The board features meat, cheese and vegetables, and would make an excellent drinking companion. The ‘Crunchy Salad’ is one of root vegetable slivers; beetroot most noticeably and heavily doused in olive oil.

The cheese is both a bocconcini ball with diced chilli and mint, and a thin slice of pecorino on flat bread with a puddle of chilli jam.

Cured meats and vegetables

There’s a scattering of two olives, a caper berry and a pickled green chilli over the feature meats which I believe are sourced from Quattro Stelle: a lush, melt-on-your-tongue San Daniele prosciutto, wagyu bresaola, fennel salami and capocollo that was declared the best of the lot.

Spaghetti bolognaise (entree size)

The meal started extremely promisingly and as the noise and crowds ramped-up, the attentive waitstaff were still smiley and on the ball amid the rather loud chart-topper pop music, which is an interesting choice. The pasta was the moment we were all awaiting for secondi; some entrée sized and some main sized.

I had expected the spaghetti bolognaise to deviate somewhat from the traditional and it was by no means classic to the Australian palate. Featuring house made al dente spaghetti with a pangrattato bread crumb topping and pecorino shavings, the sauce was inexplicably sweet and lacking a little in moisture. I’m sure Jamie Oliver would have fixed that with half a bottle of olive oil “to finish” but we didn’t.

Crab and squid ink risotto (entrée size)

Dramatic black risotto never fails to impress the eye while here the rice maintained a nice bit of bite. The flavours were fairly restrained though I didn’t try the spanner crab, and the dish was said to be fairly good overall. The entrée size risotto is so generous I’d be a little scared to see a main size.

Mushroom panzerotti (main size)

It’s so refreshing to see a filled pasta dish of reasonable price and decent serving size. Four ravioli are never going to fill anyone with a proper appetite, but this main size panzerotti quite huge – especially considering starters and sides.

The brown sauce of mushrooms was again on the sweet side while the filled "half moon" pasta shapes were simply perfect in texture and obviously freshly made. It was somewhat let down by seasoning (or lack thereof) despite grated pecorino on top, while the pangrattato added a fun crunch to every mouthful.

Bucatini carbonara (main size)

While I know a perfectly decent carbonara sauce is achievable at home, it’s always good to see the professionals do it too.

The hollow tubes of bucatini, or hollow spaghetti, virtually swim in the eggy sauce which is best described as an edible silk. Slinky, smooth, luxurious – this carbonara had it all going on, while the bucatini pasta was much fun to slurp up, elegantly and splash-free, of course.

Posh chips

One Jamie Oliver audience member couldn't resist the "posh chips" dressed with truffle oil and grated parmesan cheese. Hauntingly similar to some at a nearby shopping centre burger outlet, these were not chips of the crispy variety; more the chunky, skin-on variation that took on the posh flavours just as well.

Best humble green salad

Amongst all the cheese and carbs, I had to see some greenery, which arrived covered in cheese. I'm not sure where the "humble" part comes into play, but the mint and lemon buttermilk dressing seemed anything but.

A selection of crisp mixed leaves was actually rather rich and creamy, though still appreciated amid the carb-loading and boozing that was happening.

Bread, wine, starters, pasta main and sides were filling - no surprises there - but for once I wasn't going to leave without dessert. Perhaps it goes back to the affordability or that so many of Jamie Oliver's desserts in his books and television shows look extraordinarily tempting.

Brioche con gelato

I didn't expect mini burgers when I ordered the brioche con gelato dessert; even if they were very cute burgers. Warmed brioche bun halves held together gelato, a lemon marmalade and crushed pistachios, which all together had the very flavours of cassata.

The warmed buns meant the gelato melted quickly and messily, while the bun to gelato ratio swayed heavily towards the former which was a bit much to handle after the numerous courses.

Dessert special: Eton Mess

The evening's dessert special of Eton Mess was a pile of ingredients that each sounded better than the next. To start, the waiter wasn't kidding when he said chewy meringues, as they were the chewiest, teeth-sticking meringue pieces I've ever come across.

Creme fraiche, pistachios and raspberry jam rounded out the mess which was actually quite light, despite appearances. The worn look of the enamel dish was a cute touch although potentially worrying for some mothers.

Creamy panna cotta

The panna cotta was more creamy than wobbly, but luxuriously so. The berry compote played second fiddle very well to the vanilla bean speckled milk pudding, which had a perfect sweetness and texture. It disappeared in less than a minute but stayed on the mind for much longer than that.

The crowd had cleared in the later evening, though the kitchen still seemed to be pumping and having a bit of fun even. Music blared; those that were left were into their food or the pretty impressive fitout; and me - well, all that cheese and fresh pasta meant I just had to smile as I walked past those pasta machines in the window.

P.S. Minor gripe: when paying with a credit card, staff re-print and re-deliver your bill to add on a 0.8% merchant fee. The staff then process your credit card as they stand/squat next to you via mobile EFTPOS terminals and ask and wait as you input a tip amount, which is a little awkward. Would be nice to streamline this process.

Reality bites Sydney Food & Wine Fair

2011-10-31T11:25:00.001+11:00

It’s the end of another year for the Crave Sydney International Food Festival and the month of October is fatter and less cashed up for it. Unfortunately though, as the festival gets bigger and stronger every year, one of my favoured events – the Sydney Food & Wine Fair in Hyde Park – seems to be getting smaller and smaller.

It’s a real shame as it used to be one of the biggest days in the year for food and fundraising alike. With so many other events now for marketing to the masses or mini empires to run or indeed, financial troubles, perhaps restaurants just can’t spare the day, staff and 500 donated portions of food.

Sydney Food & Wine Fair, Hyde Park, Sydney

Nonetheless the mostly rain free, insanely humid day was pleasant, and well done to all those restaurants involved (see list at the bottom of this post). The noon mugginess meant it was impossible to walk by the James Squire stall and not stop in for the One Fifty Lashes Pale Ale – a relatively light drinking beer, subtle, fruity and just perfect for the day’s heat.

Confit Berkshire Black Pork belly, Chinese cabbage salad, citrus
sesame dressing from Restaurant Atelier

Drool-worthy smells were emanating from the nearby Restaurant Atelier stall where ever-popular confit pork belly was served with a refreshing and crunchy cabbage salad with touches of sesame oil. The pork was stunning, tender, not noticeably fatty and with a pleasurable slight crunch to the burnished skin.

Mushroom arancini and tomato arancini by Danny Russo at the Alfa One stand

The theme was Italian at the Alfa One stand where chef Danny Russo was pumping out squid and arancini skewers – both dishes cooked with the rice bran oil (every dish also came with a 500ml bottle of the oil).

I was pretty happy to have scored three of the mushroom arancini which were heady with earthy mushrooms and cheese, while the tomato one featured a subtle cheese that really paled in comparison to the former.

Pane Casereccio from Brasserie Bread

Passing by the Brasserie Bread stalls I spotted Matt Brock from the bread making class I was lucky enough to attend not long ago and stopped in for a chat. They had on offer festive-looking pane casereccio which I’m told is commonly eaten after big parties and gatherings in Italy where leftover bits, like olives or baked vegies, are baked into bread.

Thanks to Matt for the complimentary dish, it was such a pretty bread to eat with each mouthful yielding a different taste. Indeed there was almost more fillings than bread, and this was enjoyed very much with a glass of sauvignon blanc from the Giesen stall.

Ribs, lamb cutlet and potato salad from Outback Steakhouse

Most popular stall/dish of the day had to be the one at Outback Steakhouse. It was definitely the biggest dish going and the one I could smell a mile away, such was that magnetic aroma of ribs on the grill.

Presumably beef ribs for their Flinstones size, they were incredibly tender and doused in a barbeque sauce that was equally sweet and smokey (which some other places could really learn a thing or two from).

The charred lamb cutlet was also cooked nicely (medium-well is always safer at these types of settings) while the tangy potato salad rounded out the filling dish.

Cured ocean trout with tapioca pearls, salmon roe and microherbs from Selah

Most beautiful dish of the day had to be that at Selah, which also impressed at last year’s Fair. It was a gorgeous treasure trove of tapioca pearls and salmon roe with a hunk of jewel-hued cured ocean trout featuring beneath microherbs and bready bits.

And not only did it have looks to die for, the flavours and textures were spot on: the soft tapioca with pops of salty salmon roe, and the strong flavoured ocean trout having a party with the herbs and more subtle tapioca. Congratulations to Selah for yet another ‘wow’ dish.

Ice cream petit fours from Booza

With precious few vouchers left for desserts, it was great to see the Booza stall selling their wares for a mere voucher each. Recently making headlines for their new take on a traditional dessert (and residing in the same factory as Pepe Saya butter), these two balls of ice cream were each covered in Middle Eastern additions.

The pistachio praline was crunchy and rich with a burnt caramel toffee, while the halva had an interesting texture and sweet sesame flavours. And it’s hard not to adore the Persian fairy floss that was intensely nutty and just the perfect finishing tuft on the dessert.

Aside from a couple fat drops of rain that threatened, the skies remained clear and the entertainment pushed on, including an impressive cheerleading routine with flips, pyramids and all.

I’ve got my fingers crossed that the Aids Trust fundraiser will pick up next year: with peak interest in all things food and restaurants at the moment, I’m hoping the empires will consider participating in what is truly a fun, fantastic day out for a good cause.

Burgers from Boathouse on Blackwattle Bay

Participating stalls at this year’s Sydney Food & Wine Fair were: 1945, Alfa One, Alio, Allpress Espresso, Boathouse on Blackwattle Bay, Booza, Brasserie Bread, Brown Brothers, Brown Sugar, Café Sydney, Catalina Restaurant, Cracka Wines, Eat Fit Food, Exchange Café, Flying Fish Restaurant, Forsyth Tea and Coffee, Gastronomy, Giesen Wines, QVB Tea Rooms, Guillaume at Bennelong, Icebergs Dining Room and Bar, Jamaica Blue, Jimmy Liks, La Mint, Le Pelican, Lisa McGuigan Wines, Longrain, Malt Shovel Brewery, Mezzaluna Ristorante Italiano, Tom Kime Fish & Co, Negociants Australia, New Zealand Wine Growers, New Zealand Wine Online, Nilgiri’s, Outback Steakhouse, Packed Lunch, Red Ribbon Prizes, Restaurant Atelier, Ryde TAFE, Scarborough Wine Co, Selah, Stonewall Hotel, Tempus Two Wines and Yellowtail Wines.