Spring has sprung at The Rocks: Sake and The Cut

Spring has sprung with a vengeance after the woeful summer we've had in Sydney, and remembering what it's like to feel warm sun on bare skin is most definitely worth celebrating.

The Rocks restaurants Sake Restaurant and The Cut Bar and Grill are getting into the spirit with spring specials for the month of September.

Cherry Blossom Festival at Sake Restaurant, Argyle Street, The Rocks

Starting at Sake, the modern Japanese restaurant has taken inspiration from hanami cherry blossom viewing, which happens for a very short amount of time every year in the Japanese spring.

We celebrated Sake's Cherry Blossom Festival in the restaurant's gorgeous private dining room with what look like cherry blossoms growing from above.

Cherry blossom cocktail

There's a cocktail designed specifically for the month-long festival by Sake bar manager Wayne Shennen, and it's a sweet and cheeky flirt - just like spring.

Served with a shiso leaf-wrapped sakura 'Cherry Blossom' mochi rice cake filled with red bean, the cocktail has a foundation in Cloudy Bay Pelorus sparkling wine.

'Cherry blossoms' - lychee and maraschino cherries with elderflower liqueur

A DIY component is a shot glass of dehydrated lychee and maraschino cherry pieces with elderflower liqueur that drinkers add to their flute of sparkling for a visual and flavour treat.

Cherry blossom cocktail

After a few moments of pure fizz, the bubbles of the sparkling wine take hold of the dehydrated fruit pieces, floating them up and around in an enchanting dance that evokes cherry blossoms in a warm spring breeze.

It's utterly delightful to watch, and then of course drink - light and entirely appropriate for spring, with hints of sweetness and fruit that's hard to reach at the bottom of the flute.

Scallop ceviche

We were also treated to a couple of stunning dishes from the kitchen, including the most generous scallop ceviche imaginable.

Served with multicoloured cherry tomatoes and a zingy dressing of lime and chilli, there were at least half a dozen dreamy, thick, whole scallops beneath the mass of crispy bits, finely sliced Spanish onion and sweet potato cubes.

Duck breast with red miso sauce, shitake mushrooms, asparagus and baby leek

Next was a whole duck breast each, sliced thick and topped with golden skin, thin slivers of baby leeks and a squiggle of a potent red miso sauce that added bags of sweet umami flavour to the tender breast meat.

Fresh shitake mushrooms and frilled asparagus added to the 'spring on a plate' feel.

Sake - an Amabuki daiginjo (left) and Sake exclusive Kozaemon junmai ginjo

Matched with both dishes were chilled sake served from those glorious 1.8 litre bottles into wine glasses. The subtle floral notes of the Amabuki daiginjo (sake that has at least 50% of the rice grain milled away) partnered the zingy and chilli flavours of the scallop ceviche.

Meanwhile, a jumai ginjo (at least 40% of the rice grain is milled away) brewed exclusively for Sake Restaurant by Kozaemon had a bolder, dryness - which is my preference - that suited the rich duck meat.

From Sake, we walked the 10 steps or so down to The Cut Bar and Grill, and descended into the dark underground restaurant for their spring banquet.

Tasmanian spring lamb cutlet with sweetbread, lamb shank tortellini, asparagus,
mustard and tarragon

The Cut's spring lamb dish was a celebration of good ol' Aussie lamb; indeed, Tasmanian spring lamb. The thickest cutlet I've ever seen before my eyes was accompanied by two plump tortellini filled with a salty hit of pulled lamb shank.

The sweetbread, cooked till golden all over, was a highlight nugget on the plate while the vegetables provided a healthy balance to the soft, full-of-flavour lamb.

Served with the dish were a 2010 Ngeringa JE Assemblage Chardonnay Viogner and a 2003 Lark Hill Merlot that was a treat with the lamb.

Fried rosemary potato with prosciutto

There was plenty more goodness to be had in the side dishes, especially the whole smashed and fried rosemary potatoes strewn with strips of paper-thin prosciutto - just a sublime combination of fat and carbs that was worth every single kilojoule.

Cabbage salad with poached egg 

Healthier and still just as delicious was the salad of thinly shaved cabbages and kale, topped with a poached egg that oozed its velvety yolk all over the sherry vinaigrette dressed cabbage.

It was so satisfying that cabbage and its Brassica cousins of all types are quickly becoming my favourite vegetable family.

The Cut's signature cocktails

We moved to the bar for dessert and a taste of The Cut's signature cocktails, including the HenneCigar (not pictured) cigar-infused cognac and bourbon cocktail, as if poking fun at the old man stereotype.

I ended up with a rather pretty Zombie of sorts, all sweet and fruity with a floating half of passionfruit, hiding a myriad of liquors including rum. The bellini and cocktail with basil and pepper also got nods and swigs of approval.

Passionfruit and yoghurt ice cream brioche sandwich

Dessert, though we were getting to the point of barely managing, was a petite affair of a mini brioche bun sandwiching a fragrant passionfruit and yoghurt ice cream. I probably could have eaten that ice cream all night long, which matched well with the sweet, fruity cocktail.

I couldn't be happier to say so long and farewell winter for another year, and say 'Hello, come here, you,' to spring at Sake or The Cut this month. See more photos on my Facebook page.

Food, booze and shoes dined as a guest of Sake and The Cut, with thanks to The Cru Media and Lindy Thompson PR.

Sunshine after the rain at Taste of Sydney

It was three days of sunshine, some of it quite intense, after the Wednesday and Thursday rains that prevented the opening night of Taste of Sydney in Centennial Park. And what glorious sunshine it was that dried out the grounds and showed what a Sydney outdoor festival should be.

Taste of Sydney 2012, Centennial Park, Sydney

For the fourth year in a row, on Sunday I headed towards the white-tented city that smelt like a mouth-watering combination of char smoke and fat; appetite and plenty of dollars for Crowns (the currency of Taste) with me.

There were definitely more large stands in the middle of the park set-up, offering seating and respite from the hot sun, as well as the cute idea that was the Lilydale picnic area with entertainment from Argyle Bar.

Lengths of marshmallow at Patisse

There was also a noticeable concentration of stalls dishing out alcoholic and sweet products, and a sad lack of stalls offering cheese; something that was quite abundant in years past.

The Cho-mobile handing out loads of free Chobani Greek style yoghurt

Blood plum vanilla ripple ice pop by Pure Pops

The heat of the day called for an early icy refreshment, which we found in the 100% natural and colourful Pure Pops. The deep red of the blood plum, with a swirl of presumably vanilla ice cream towards the paddle pop stick, was refreshing yet pulpy like proper fruit.

Stretching ice cream by hand at the Booza stall

One of the most impressive sights of the day had to be the hand-stretched ice cream at the Booza stall. A labourious alternative to machine churning, this display was not actually how Booza make their petit fours and pots of ice cream, but showcased a dated art that creates ice cream of very unique texture.

Chalie & Co. stall

It wasn’t long after some nuts and za’atar tastings that we hit up the caravan/ truck-like outlet of Justin North’s Charlie & Co. While I think it was just an aesthetic style, it raises the prospect of a Charlie & Co. burger or hot dog truck of the likes we’ve never seen before.

The Dog - Mini artisan frankfurter chilli dog from Charlie & Co.

The hot dog blitzed the mini wagyu burger in the presentation stakes, so it was an easy choice. The chips were impressive – at least twice-cooked and crunchy yet still properly fluffy on the inside.

A well-bronzed hot dog bun encased a quality-tasting white meat sausage, all covered in a flurry of not-particularly-spicy chilli mix, green sauce and thin, patient zig-zags of American mustard.

Ketel One stand, hosted by Eau de Vie

We spied the Ketel One stand by the Eau de Vie team towards the back of the park set-up, decked out with shelves of bottles of Ketel One vodka and hints of the Eau de Vie aesthetic.

Yuzu Mule (left) and Bloody Mary (right) from Eau de Vie

With the slick Eau de Vie boys in action, the Yuzu Mule was my pick with the promise of a sour hit from yuzu curd along with honey, orange, ginger beer and of course, Ketel One vodka.

The Bloody Mary wasn't even on the menu and was oddly not as cold as it really should have been, but downed nonetheless.

Spencer gulf prawns, avocado, lime, chilli, royal black quinoa,
tomato, basil & coriander from Agape Restaurant

The Sustainability area of the festival had just a whiff of hippie-ness but in the case of the Sustainability Pop-Up restaurant on Sunday, Agape Restaurant smelt nothing but delicious.

With some seriously appetising and fresh looking dishes on offer, we went with the grilled Spencer Gulf prawns piled high with a salad of black quinoa grains, tomato, basil and alfalfa sprouts - a beautifully fresh plate that sang of summer.

Crispy pork belly, pickled daikon and chilli jam in a sweet roll by Longrain

Not far away, the Longrain bar was pumping tunes and cocktails to the happy masses. Definitely a contender for my favourite of the day was Martin Boetz's crispy pork bun, jam-packed with thick, succulent slices of pork with crackling. The picked vegetables were the ideal foil for the rich pork while there was also a taste of seafood in a light smearing of sauce.

Casareccia al ragu from A Tavola

I found my favourite pasta type at Eugenio Maiale's A Tavola: house made casareccia with a ragu of slow cooked veal, pork and chicken and dusted with parmesan cheese. The al dente pasta was ridiculously perfect for something served in a paper bowl in a park, but made even better with the red sauce of so much depth and sweet meatiness.

Miriam McLachlan of Sake Restaurant and Bar in the Sake Masterclass

It might have been just a touch early in our day to have been faced with  four tasting glasses of sake, but we took it in our stride as we meandered into one of the Gourmet Traveller Wine masterclasses.

It was only a few minutes into wine and sake sommelier Miriam McLachlan's talk before we were throwing around words like daiginjo (sake made from rice that's been milled down so a maximum of 50% of the grain remains) and junmai (sake made with only rice, water, yeast and koji mould; that is, without the addition of distilled alcohol).

Sake tasting glasses in the Sake Masterclass

My favourite was the Kozaemon Tokubetsu Jikagumi Origarimi which is an exclusive brew that captures the carbon dioxide from the first fermentation in the bottle.

The Kozaemon 3 Year Aged Sake is a trend-driven product that smelt like those smelly Chinese dried shitake mushrooms but tasted like a heavy chardonnay.

Prawns served with okra sambal by Flying Fish

There was a serious need for food after the unexpected generous serves of sake in the tastings. Having somewhat studied the restaurant menu before attending the festival, the prawns with okra sambal by Peter Kuruvita's Flying Fish was something I was very keen to have.

What we received was nothing like what I'd imagined, with plenty of prawn but very little okra. Indeed, I'm pretty sure I didn't manage to taste any okra in the prawn skewers I shared, though there was a enough of the orange, creamy coconut sauce for flavour.

Traditional charcoal BBQ lamb and veal kebab, smoked eggplant and
Chobani Greek yoghurt from Efendy

For the first time, Taste brought in an award for the best dish of the festival - and this was the winner, belonging to Somer Sivrioglu of Efendy. I was very keen on this version of an adana kebab, award or not, for the smoky charcoal cooked meat and soft-cooked eggplant.

And I could easily see why it was a winning dish: spicy, packed with flavours from the meat and smoke and contrasting well with the softening yoghurt and eggplant flavours.

Hiramasa kingfish ceviche from Sake Restaurant and Bar

Going to the complete other end of the food scale, Shaun Presland of Sake Restaurant and Bar's ceviche of raw kingfish slices, tomato, Spanish onion and chilli was a bowl of freshness, though it could have done with more lime juice and seasoning.

Prawn, capsicum, chilli, salsa verde pizza by Hugo's

Ever reliable pizza also made a show with at the Hugo's bar stand, and they were certainly the real deal too. The crunchy, thin bases held a generous topping of prawns, capsicum and a squiggle of salsa verde and came out fresh from the oven.

Pear cider (or perry) by Sunshack Cider

Sunshack Cider made an appearance among a surprising amount of stalls featuring cider; at least three hailing all the way from Sweden. Sunshack's pear cider is the most perfect drink on a hot and sweaty day, especially when you're watching a pig on a spit.

(Potentially disturbing image below).

Suckling pig on the spit by Four in Hand

The petrified gaze of the rotating suckling pig on the spit was almost enough to turn a few people off their pork. But Four in Hand's pig on the spit made for a great spectator sport, all the while sipping on cider and hoping that the chef slicing it might hand over a bit of crackling.

Roast suckling pig, coleslaw, onion ring and hot sauce by Four in Hand

Colin Fassnidge wasn't around but it wasn't hard to join the queue after watching the pig do a few loops. We were justly rewarded with a fair-sized plate of tender and moist meat, two crunchy and quite oily onion rings, and a strange kind of coleslaw that comprised two huge shavings of carrot.

Ragu di pollo affiumicato from Otto Ristorante

We thought we finished up with the savoury dishes on another pasta dish from Richard Ptacnik of Otto Ristorante. It was a very different ragu of smoked Lilydale chicken that had the unfortunate texture of tinned tuna, but the strong smoky flavours were actually quite impressive.

Lamb and eggplant mini burgers by the City Tattersalls Club stall

But it wasn't quite the end with the perennial free stuff on offer from the City Tattersalls Club stall. This time I managed a battered and fried prawn of some sort and a mini lamb burger, while their panna cotta certainly looked the goods, as did their cocktail samples.

Chouxmacas from Adriano Zumbo Patisserie

Dessert was no simple matter with the number of offerings from both the restaurants and the stalls. There was relatively little fanfare at Adriano Zumbo's first Taste stall, where the 'Chouxmaca' puffs proved too tempting.

The creamy filling in the choux puffs was a little lacking in the chocolate macaron shell topped one, while the pâté sable a choux would have been my favourite part of these miniature works of art.

Wild berry and chocolate flake Foxy Premium Frozen Yoghurt

Between three people, we also did the clever thing of sharing a tub of Foxy Premium Frozen Yoghurt, though there might have been a scoop of lemon cheesecake gelato later in the afternoon too.

With some cute branding and flavour names, the frozen yoghurt was a little on the icy side so that standard plastic spoons struggled, but the flavour was spot on.

Pepe Saya buttermilk and vanilla panna cotta with poached fruits from
The Montpellier Public House

The day was certainly getting on when we heard the call of "2 Crowns" for panna cotta as Matt Kemp's The Montpellier Publich House emptied its kitchen. Quite a fair crowd turned up for cheap desserts, which was a very sweet mix of unidentified poached fruit, burying some very fine vanilla panna cotta.

This was definitely the bargain of the day although I also bought my favourite Gingerbread Folk men and bunnies, free Chobani yoghurts, Sunshack Ciders, a selection of Huon salmon products, and spicy twiggy sticks from Jim's Jerky.

So it was heavy bags and stomachs that we left Taste of Sydney for another year; hot, sweaty and happy in the sunshine. See more pictures at my Facebook page (and Like me while you're there!).

Food, booze and shoes attended Taste of Sydney as a guest, with thanks to Stellar Concepts. All food and Crowns were paid for separately.

Umami - the fifth taste at Sake Restaurant and Bar

"Mmm, umami..." - you don't often hear someone say that like they would say, "Mmm, sweet..." or, "Mmm, salty...". But with thanks to Japanese chemist Kikunae Ikeda who first isolated the flavour, umami is pretty much recognised as the fifth flavour alongside sweet, sour, salty and bitter.

Umami is often translated as savouriness, and is the taste one gets from monosodium glutamate (MSG/flavour enhancer 621) but there are also glutamates found naturally in food. Tomatoes, mushrooms, parmesan cheese, soy sauce, and most meats and seafood are all known for their umami taste.

The Nightingale Song cocktail and canapes at Sake Restaurant and Bar,
Argyle Street, The Rocks

We're at one-hatted Sake Restaurant and Bar to sample the 'Umami Cocktail and Canape Menu' which is collaboratively designed by head sushi chef Shimpei Hatanake and bar manager Wayne Shennen.

These two guys apparently went back and forth through a lot of pain and tastings over many weeks to achieve two sets of cocktails and canapes that provide "a perfect balance of flavours", according to executive chef and MasterChef alumni, Shaun Presland.

Each component is intended to bring out the best of the other and enhance the overall experience, to the extent that Shennen calls the cocktails "subdued" so as to make room for the flavours of the food. Nonetheless, I simply adore the evocatively named 'The Nightingale Song' cocktail on its own.

The Nightingale Song cocktail

This is currently my top contender for cocktail of the year - it is that good. At the first sip, I was rushed with plums, or more correctly, the 'apricots' of umeshu and umeboshi pickled plum paste, Shennan tells us (later in the night I also learn from Hatanake that nori sheets are made of algae rather than seaweed).

The saltiness of the red, pickled plum sauce is nowhere to be tasted until the very bottom of the drink, where the red plum sediment rests, although I think it lends fantastic restraint to the Choya umeshu's sweetness.

The smell of pear from the Absolut vodka is prominent, but not on the palate, while the riesling adds body, and the lemon and bianco vermouth aids a dry, uncloying finish. I also adore these elegant cocktail glasses.

Yuzu snapper spoon

This prettier-than-Christmas morsel was a piece of raw snapper, wrapped around snow pea sprouts, shio kombu salted seaweed and topped with a glistening pile of tobiko flying fish roe.

The white flesh of the snapper sashimi was yieldingly soft and its subtle flavour makes it an ideal match for the yuzu and olive oil dressing (yuzu described as a mix between a grapefruit and an angry madarin, Shennan shares - and he's not wrong).

The fine dice of salted seaweed was a little lost on me, especially with tobiko to concentrate on, but the seaweed alone is apparently a great drinking snack.

Scallop ume spoon

Scallop sashimi is rarely bad, but here's it's excellent, in a completely stunning dressing of white soy, grape seed oil, lime and a touch of umeboshi.

Garnished with thinly chiffonaded shiso leaves and presented on translucent slices of cucumber, these added colour and another texture against which the sweet scallops really shined.

The Honey Dragon cocktail and canape

The second selection to sample was 'The Honey Dragon' cocktail and matched canape, which had me excited at the though of seared salmon but a little petrified at the sighting of whiskey in the cocktail.

The Honey Dragon cocktail

The honey came from Polish honey vodka while the hint of chilli came from chilli-infused Belvedere vodka - this drink was menacing from the start, despite the pretty petals and flowers floating atop.

The Islay single malt whiskey had its trademark (for me) smokey, burnt leather taste - but in a completely subtle and surprisingly drinkable way, while the chilli just tickled the back of the throat. I think the lemon juice and cinnamon syrup definitely helped, as too the pretty floating garnishes.

The cocktail also subtlely included shochu spirit; apparently now the drink of choice for Japan's females due to its low calorie content.

Seared salmon (or ocean trout?) belly

I overheard chef Hatanake discussing salmon and his preference for less fatty fish - such as ocean trout, which I believe this is. Especially the belly part being not quite so fatty nor fishy as salmon, I had no complaints about the switcheroo of the barely seared fish.

Seared salmon (or ocean trout?) belly with yuzu soy

Another dressing to fall in love with, this time soy and yuzu for dipping seared belly that I was increasingly uncertain had ever seen the heat of a flame.

I contemplated drinking the yuzu soy dressing but didn't - although thankfully as Presland, Hatanake and Shennen had organised other goodies for us, including steamed prawn dumplings, teriyaki burger balls and a "hand roll sushi party" (does that count as cooking?), as well as impromptu beer and sake tastings - see photos here at my Facebook page.

The 'Umami Cocktail and Canape Menu' is available at the Sake bar at $25 per combination.

Food, booze and shoes sampled the Umamai Cocktail and Canape Menu courtesy of Sake Restaurant and Bar, with thanks to Lindy Thompson PR (and Shaun Presland, Shimpei Hatanake and Wayne Shennen!).

Last day of Vivid Sydney 2011

Lighting the Sails, Sydney Opera House for Vivid Sydney 2011

Three layers, scarf, beanie and gloves tell me it's winter - and the bright lights colouring Circular Quay and The Rocks in Sydney tell me that Vivid Sydney is on show once again.

Ending on Monday 13 June, in its third year Vivid Sydney has quickly become an annual festival that Sydney-siders look forward to, regardless of freezing night time temperatures.

Lighting the Sails, Sydney Opera House by Superbien (France)

Lighting the Sails, Sydney Opera House by Superbien (France)

Lighting the Sails, Sydney Opera House by Superbien (France)

Until Monday night, Sake Restaurant & Bar and The Cut Bar & Grill at The Rocks each have a cocktail special dedicated to this year's Vivid Sydney - just the thing for pre or post light installation viewing.

Fire Dance cocktail at The Cut Bar & Grill, The Rocks, Sydney

The cosy inside of The Cut Bar & Grill is the perfect antidote for a cold night out light watching, and their Vivid Sydney cocktail special is a pleaser.

Featuring Belvedere Citrus, a dash of Aperol, elderflower syrup and maraschino cherry juice muddled with orange, this fiery-hued sweetie goes down a treat with its sweet citrus tones.

Warm marinated Kalamata, Ligurian and Sicilian olives with peppered grissini
from The Cut Bar & Grill

We were also treated to some seriously awesome brown and green olives; marinated in cardamom, coriander seeds and other spices, their warm service improving the already high quality produce. The very thin, very crunchy grissini also added flavour to each bite.

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

The cocktail special at one-hatted Japanese Sake Restaurant & Bar had a distinctly wintery and German influence. The Glow On cocktail is a twist on gluhwein, or mulled wine, as is popular in some of the colder parts of Europe.

The twist is the use of Kokuto brown sugar umeshu, or plum wine with cinnamon syrup and the Montenegro digestive liquor, warmed and finished off with Kozaemon Honjozo Yamahai sake.

Glow On cocktail

The warm drink is so perfect for winter, it's a wonder we haven't been drinking it for years. Garnished with an orange twist and half a vanilla bean on a pick, we're advised to stir the garnishes to release those flavours.

And when going in for the sip, beware the warmed alcoholic fumes from the sake. That's the first big flavour hit, followed by rich and warming cinnamon and finished off with the smooth taste of vanilla. A gorgeously warming drink which I hope stays on the winter drinks menu at Sake.

Edamame at Sake Restaurant & Bar

Here we were treated to salted edamame; the ultimate Japanese drinking snack. Well, the healthiest one anyway.

And here follows a picture post of what Vivid Sydney 2011 offers. Monday evening is your last chance to check it out.

The Light Wheel by Mark Hammer and Andre Kecskes
(New Zealand and Slovak Republic)

Ember by Joe Snell (Australia)

Cloud and blue sky suited performers

Illuminate by Daniel Mercer and Richard Neville of Many Lights (Australia)

Web of Light by Ben Baxter and Ruth McDermott (Australia)

Argyle Cut by Mark Dyson, 32 Hundred Lighting (Australia)

The Garrison by Kam Dahtt and Steve Furzey for
Sylvania Lighting Australasia (Australia)

Eye See You by Zymrite Hoxjaj (Germany)

Carnivalux by Andrew Daly and Katharine Fife (Australia)

Nothing Like the Sun by Hannah Groff and Jason Glenwright (Australia) 

Skyscraper Illuminati by Iain Reed, 32 Hundred Lighting (Australia)

Re-CYCLE! by CLOUSTON Associates (Australia)

Interactive Paint Projection by Spinifex Group (Australia)

Social Firefly by Jason McDermott, Liam Ryan and Frank Maguire, ARUP (Australia)

Fire Dance by Howard & Sons (Australia)

Fire Dance by Howard & Sons (Australia)

Fire Dance by Howard & Sons (Australia)

SpanThai

Mini Monet Cupcakes

Super size pan of meatballs by Wine Odyssey

Two very large pork gyoza

For more photos, go to my Facebook page album (and don't forget to Like me while you're there). Congrats to the organisers for another great year of Vivid Sydney. And get thee there tomorrow night if you haven't checked it out yet - you won't regret it.

Food, booze and shoes sampled the Vivid Sydney cocktail specials and nibbles courtesy of The Cut Bar & Grill and Sake Restaurant & Bar, with thanks to Lindy Thompson PR.