Pull into King Street Wharf Festival - till Thursday

I can’t imagine anyone complaining about another Sydney food festival – after all, we have plenty of great food to celebrate. The latest is the King Street Wharf Festival, which launched on Friday and goes through to Thursday, 25 July 2013 along picturesque King Street Wharf.

Entertainers at King Street Wharf Festival, 19-25 July 2013, Sydney

The inaugural festival commenced over Friday and Saturday afternoons where the wharf itself hosted food stalls from restaurants along the water, with entertainment in the form of live music and dancers.

Steersons Steakhouse stall

Hot Potato band on the wharf

Saturday afternoon was a beautiful Sydney winter's day, perfect for strolling the wharf. A highlight was the infectious Hot Potato band which played jazzy covers as they strutted up and down the promenade, stopping for photos and impromptu serenades along the way.

Hot Potato band jam

Sauces and pastes on sale at The Malaya stall

There was a good selection of offerings across the spread-out stalls,with very reasonable pricing on some items.

I couldn't resist the spiced aromas around The Malaya's stall where they were also selling their own brand sauces, pastes and curry powder.

Chilli coconut prawns from The Malaya

The Malaya's chilli coconut prawns was a great lunch dish of perfectly cooked king prawns, served with steamed rice, pickled vegetables and plenty of creamy curry sauce and fresh coriander.

There was some fair kick in the full-flavoured and vibrant chilli and coconut sauce, tempered by the sticks of pickled cucumber and carrot which were also doused in the sauce.

Wharf Teppanyaki and Kobe Jones stalls

There was value to be had at Wharf Teppanyaki with yakitori and a grilled salmon offering. The chicken and onion thigh yakiitori skewer was sweetly tender while the beef, skewered with capsicum, had great flavour albeit a little on the chewy side.

Pepper salmon from Wharf Teppanyaki

The salmon fillet, served skin-on with the same scattering of lettuce leaves as the yakitori, was not so much flavoured of pepper as advertised. Nonetheless, the well grilled fish was well cooked with complementary flavour in  the salad dressing.

La Cita stall

Quesadilla from La Cita

We finished off at La Cita with a pretty epic serving of their quesadilla, although sour cream seemed to dominate the plate.

The cheese filled tortilla came topped with a simple dice of tomato and Spanish onion, a splodge of avocado and so much sour cream I felt like I should have taken it home for other purposes.

King Street Wharf restaurants

Casa di Nico stall

We unfortunately missed the cannoli from Vessel Italian & Bar which had closed up stall by the time we were ready for desserts.

If you’ve missed the outdoor festival component, don’t fret as the festival extends into special dining offers at the restaurants along King Street Wharf.

Deals include mussels and a drink at Bungalow 8 for $30; nine mezze items at Georges for $24; degustations at Kobe Jones or Wharf Teppanyaki for $75pp; and wine tasting and salsa during the festival at La Cita.

See the full program here. Participating restaurants include Bungalow 8, Cargo Bar and Lounge, Casa di Nico, Georges, The Hudson, I Thai, Kobe Jones, La Cita, The Loft, The Malaya, Nick’s, Steersons, Vessel and Wharf Teppanyaki.

Food, booze and shoes received food vouchers for King Street Wharf Festival with thanks to The PR Partnership.

Australia’s Longest Reserve Table by Jacob’s Creek

Being such the multicultural country, Australia and its people are rich with stories of provenance; whether you’ve come from a different country, state, town or even suburb to Sydney.

In celebration of Sydney’s rich cultural provenance story, Jacob’s Creek and celebrity chef Pete Evans are hosting Australia’s Longest Reserve Table on Saturday, 27 July 2013 featuring a long table of hundreds of guests – and you can be a part of it.

The lunch will take place in front of the Welcome Wall at the Australian National Maritime Museum in Pyrmont, which stands in honour of all those who have migrated from countries around the world to Australia. Sydney guests are invited to prepare and bring a dish that represents their culture and to share their provenance story with hundreds of other food and wine lovers.

Celebrity Chef Pete Evans and Jacob's Creek winemaker Steve Clarkson
(Image courtesy of Open Haus)

Ambassador for Jacob’s Creek Reserve – a premium range of Jacob’s Creek from Adelaide Hills, Barossa Valley and Coonawarra in South Australia – Pete Evans, said, "Australians love cooking and sharing their food with friends and family. The great thing about the dishes which we prepare is that they are often influenced by where we’re from and our cultural heritage. Every dish tells a story about the person who has prepared it."

Louis Cheng from Jacob’s Creek Reserve said, "Provenance defines who you are and where you come from and, similarly our Reserve wines convey the characteristics from the regions where they are grown – being from Barossa, Adelaide Hills and Coonawarra."

"We look forward to sharing our wine and our story at Australia’s Longest Reserve Table, as well as hearing from hundreds of others about how their heritage and culture have influenced their passion for food and wine."

Win a place for you and a friend at Australia’s Longest Reserve Table on Saturday, 27 July 2013!

Jacob’s Creek is giving three Food, Booze and Shoes readers the chance to win a place at Australia’s Longest Reserve Table with a friend. Lunch and matching wine (Jacob’s Creek Reserve, of course) will be provided by Jacob’s Creek.

Jacob’s Creek Reserve Table 
Where: Welcome Wall, Wharf 7, 58 Pirrama Road, Pyrmont
When: Saturday 27 July 2013, 12:00pm – 3:00pm

For your chance to win email foodboozeshoes@gmail.com with your full name and a contact phone number, and tell us in 25 words or less your favourite family dish and the story or history behind it.

Entries must be received by 10.00pm (AEST) on Tuesday, 24 July 2013. Three winners will be announced on Wednesday morning, 25 July 2013 and will be contacted with invites to the event. Note contact phone numbers will only be used for the purpose of contacting winners.

If you don’t win, you can still try for a place at Australia’s Longest Reserve Table and have the opportunity to share your provenance by bringing your favourite family dish to the event. Jacob’s Creek will provide the entrée, salads, desserts and Reserve wines from its South Australia wine regions to complement every dish. Entries are open here now until 25 July 2013.

Jacob’s Creek is one of Australia’s leading wine brands, offering quality contemporary Australian wine styles. The brand was first launched in 1976 and is named after a creek that runs through the renowned Barossa Valley wine region in South Australia.

Jacob’s Creek is made by Orlando Wines which was founded by Johann Gramp after he planted his first vines on the banks of Jacob’s Creek in 1847 and thus began a tradition of winemaking over 165 years ago.

So long, Sydney Monorail Farewell Tour

Sydney’s 25-year-old monorail – which snakes through the CBD, Darling Harbour, Pyrmont and Chinatown – is making its final rounds of the city on Sunday, 30 June 2013.

Sydney Monorail (Image courtesy of MTS Holding Company)

I went on the monorail once as a kid, awed and excited at travelling up so high above the streets and people. I’ve used it a couple times in more recent years as a shortcut to Pyrmont and just for the pure novelty factor.

Now, as the State Government’s monorail removal project looms, there’s just over two weeks left to create your own Sydney monorail memories.

Sydney Monorail - last journey on 28 June 2013

If you’re after a monorail experience more The Amazing Race than The Simpsons, the Monorail Farewell Tour is just the thing: part urban exploration, part scavenger hunt and part food and drink tour.

Starting tomorrow night and organised by walking tour group Two Feet & a Heartbeat and Sydney Urban Adventures (the local city tour arm of Intrepid), the Monorail Farewell Tour is a great group or team event opportunity to ride the monorail a few last times while completing challenges and trivia around the key attractions along the monorail route.

Sydney Monorail day pass

Armed with a monorail day pass, game card and select drinks and discount vouchers, the Monorail Farewell Tour is designed as an adventure for teams of ideally 3-5 people.

Landmarks like Kimber Lane to be discovered

From a CBD starting place, points are earned by visiting Sydney attractions, restaurants and bars, and other landmarks; Instagramming team photos; answering trivia questions and more around the seven stops of the monorail route.

Find gems like Dixon Wine Bar on the tour!

The challenge should span about two-and-a-half hours with a secret finishing location which is only revealed during one of the attraction stops on the route (no guarantees Phil Keoghan will be there though).

There are prizes to be won and announced at the final location, where hash-tagged Instagrammed photos will also be judged.

There’s also self-guided option for the non-competitive sorts among us, where you can explore the monorail route and attractions in your own time.

So long, farewell Sydney Monorail (Image courtesy of MTS Holding Company)

Monorail Farewell Tours will run from 6-9pm every night from Wednesday, 12 June 2013 through to Thursday, 28 June 2013. Tour tickets range from $30-45. See the website for more information and booking.

Food, booze and shoes previewed the Monorail Farewell Tour as a guest, with thanks to DEC Public Relations.

Last days of Vivid Sydney & Citibank Pop-up Bar by The Meat & Wine Co

Vivid Sydney 2013, Sydney Opera House

This year’s Vivid Sydney Festival has been the biggest one yet: the fifth annual celebration of lights, music and ideas that gets Sydneysiders out into the wintry nights – no easy feat. And you've got five more nights to catch it.

Vivid has expanded into Darling Harbour this year with the Vivid Aquatique lights and water show, in addition to its original Circular Quay and The Rocks home.

Vivid Aquatique in Darling Harbour

Vivid Aquatique

As part of Vivid’s expanded geography, Citibank has led the charge in Darling Harbour with a pop-up bar in Cockle Bay, nearby Meat & Wine Co. – a Citibank Dining Program restaurant.

The Citibank Pop-Up Bar is positioned for prime viewing of the new Vivid Aquatique festival addition, with seating, and wine and Aquatique showing every hour – it’s a great winter’s night out on the town.

Citibank Pop-Up Bar in Darling Harbour

On launch night I was invited by Citibank’s Marcus Marchant to check out the pop-up bar which is mostly under cover from rain with the expressway arching above.

Open and free to the over-18 public, the Citibank Pop-Up Bar features snacks like mini beef, steak or vegetarian burgers and haloumi skewers, as well as premium Australian wines.

Citibank Pop-Up Bar

Citibank cardholders also enjoy priority entry and a free glass of wine on arrival, in addition to their usual perk of a free bottle of wine every time they dine at Citibank Dining Program’s participating restaurants.

The open kitchen at Meat & Wine Co., Darling Harbour, Sydney

For a more filling evening, venture over to the lavishly-renovated Meat & Wine Co. that’s gotten a classy, modern steakhouse feel since the last time I visited.

The kitchen pass

In the downstairs section there’s now an open kitchen with sandstone tops as well as a snazzy, long private dining room where we were dining.

300g Monte Select rump steak and chips (grain-fed 120 days)

Given the venue I couldn’t go past a bit of meat with a glass of First Creek Shiraz, with the kitchen’s beefy char smells proving irresistible.

My rump steak was probably a tad over my requested medium-rare, but with great flavour in the meat and basting compensating for the chewier bits.

We had a selection of sauces shared at the table with the creamy garlic being my unexpected favourite. Meanwhile, the chips were perfection; thick cut, crunchily golden on the outside and perfectly fluffy and potato-ey within.

Lamb ribs and chips

The table filled with finger bowls and relatively classy black bibs for those who ordered beef or lamb ribs: an undoubtedly hands-on affair.

The smaller racks of lamb ribs, basted in a marinade of lemon, mustard and herbs, were tender, delicate things, and as seems always the case with lamb ribs, a little on the fatty side.

Side salad

Side salads are completely necessary with steak and chips, with the sprout, leaf and capsicum combination being completely polished off across the table.

Vanilla crème brulee

Winter desserts are an easy win, especially if they crackle or ooze. The crème brulee had a perfectly burnished toffee top, hiding smooth, vanilla-scented custard that left one wanting more.

Chocolate and pistachio fondant

The warm white chocolate and pistachio nougatine-topped chocolate fondant was my pleasure, alongside vanilla bean ice cream quite literally perched on a shortbread biscuit - one sure way to stop the ice cream from sliding all over the plate.

Chocolate and pistachio fondant insides

With one strike of the spoon, molten chocolate lava came pouring out – at which point I could probably have ended the meal happily. Although a tad floury, the warm fondant paired with ice cream was the ultimate end to a Vivid winter night – well, before another stint at the Citibank Pop-Up Bar for Vivid Aquatique, that is.

See more photos of Vivid Sydney Aquatique and Light Walk on my Facebook page.

Food, booze and shoes dined at The Meat & Wine Co as a guest of Citibank Australia, with thanks to Liquid Ideas.