Paco's Pintxos pop-up at MoVida for Good Food Month

Paco's Pintxos pop-up at MoVida, 20 October 2013, Holt Street, Surry Hills

As Good Food Month comes to an end already, I was glad that I at least made the booking months ago for the Paco's Pintxos pop-up event at MoVida Sydney a couple Sundays ago.

The Paco's Pintxos crowd at MoVida, 

Immediately taken in by the promise of Basque pintxos - that is, yummy San Sebastian-style pub/bar food, almost always with a skewer through it - it was a good deal at $55 a head for four hours worth of pintxos at one of Sydney's finest, two-hatted Spanish sherry and tapas venues, as well as two alcoholic beverages.

The bar top, covered in pintxos

The venue was comfortably jam-packed for the one-off long lunch event, which may well have been testing ground for a permanent gig, as the MoVida group is currently looking for a second Sydney venue.

Pintxos

The pintxos concept is all about eating while you drink; helping yourself to tasty, alcohol-soaking morsels on a bar top while drinking and socialising, and then - in San Sebastian at least - paying for your eaten food by counting the number of toothpicsk or skewers you've left behind.

Smoked salmon, avocado, cornichon pintxos

At Paco's Pintxos however, it was an all-you-can-eat affair with two bar tops covered in platters of individually skewered tidbits, starting mostly with slices of bread topped with Spanish and other delicacies - and no menu listing.

Chicken and chilli pintxos

Indeed, I thought the Surry Hills venue worked exceptionally well as a pintxos bar with an additional bar set up at the far end of the restaurant and two areas for drinkers and diners to load up on pintxos.

MoVida owner and Executive Chef, Frank Camorra (in the fuzzy background

It was nice to see Frank Camorra, MoVida owner and executive chef, in the kitchen hustle and bustle as platter after platter came from the kitchen. There was no going hungry on dainty canapés here - this was going to be a pintxos feast.

Sardine, tomato and olive pintxos

Having had some simply amazing smoked sardines at MoVida Next Door in Melbourne last time, I made a beeline for the small, oily fish pintxos, paired most pleasantly with refreshingly sweet diced tomato on bread, skewered with a fat, meaty green olive.

Potato bocadillos

I got the carb-on-carb saffron-spiced potato mini roll unknowingly, but it was a great relief from the strongly salted pintxos like the olive and anchovy on a skewer with half a boiled quail's egg and pickled green guindilla chillies.

Lobster and Russian salad pintxos

I don't think I've ever refused lobster, especially not if it comes generously with a deposit of caviar on a creamy Russian salad.

Lobster and Russian salad pintxos

The lobster itself was cooked to perfection - firm but not overcooked - and enhanced by its fishy accompaniment, as too the carbohydrate ones.

Jamon and cheese bocadillos

I missed the jamon cured ham and cheese bocadillo mini bread rolls, which was a shame as that would have been a sandwich of two of my favourite things.

Morcilla and truffled eggs pintxos

I was happy to skip the dark slices of grilled morcilla blood sausage, positioned contrastingly with soft, fluffy truffled scrambled eggs on bread.

Tomato salmorejo

The subtle salmorejo chilled tomato and bread soup from Camorra's home town in Spain was a break from all the bread - well, in one form. The tiny cups of soup were topped with chopped egg white and served with a crunchy bread stick.

Potato tortilla

I couldn't go past the beautifully presented potato tortilla omelette, cut into wedges and speared with yet more green olives. The eggy tortilla seemed to also contain caramelised onion and was comfort food at its picnic best.

Cheese croquettes and white wine

There was a rush for the hot, cheesy croquettes which made for great friends with the sangria and cans of Moritz beer, as well as the quite acidic, young-tasting white wine or La Goya dry sherry.

Crumbed mussels

The golden crumbed mussels in the half shell were also in hot demand, though a little difficult to eat without a spoon. The panko crumbs hid quite the creamy: a diced mix of mussels and vegetables in a creamy sauce.

Octopus pintxos with potato puree

The hot grilled sections of octopus, impressively tender and full of caramelised herbaceous flavours, were served in a ceramic cup with a smooth potato puree in what seems to be a classic Mediterranean pairing.

Anchoa and sherry

To finish the savouries, trays of one of MoVida's signature tapas were brought around: the anchoa with a single fillet of super salty anchovy paired with a smoked tomato sorbet to try and balance the saltiness, all on a thin, crisp crouton.

Having had this tapa before in a less salty version, it was a bit to take in, but washed down well enough with the dry sherry.

There wasn't dessert as such - just little chocolate truffles, also on toothpicks - which was fine by me. I adore the concept of pintxos and if this is what Paco / MoVida want to do, I'm sure there's more than just a pop-up market for it.

Opera on Sydney Harbour: Carmen - A Spanish feast for the senses

From memory I've only been to the opera once before, at the Sydney Opera House, so its not surprising that my knowledge of the fine art is limited.

But even then, I've had two iconic arias stuck in my head since seeing Carmen in this year's Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour at Mrs Macquarie's Point; surprisingly, one tune that most people would actually know.

Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour: Carmen at Fleet Steps, Mrs. Macquarie's Point, Sydney

It's a night at the opera like no other - it's completely outdoors and the stage is indeed, in the harbour.

The Opera on Sydney Harbour is an Opera Australia initiative aiming to bring opera to a broader audience in a more accessible arena.

Indeed, there's nothing stuffy about having a stage sitting in shimmering Sydney Harbour at what looks like a precariously sloping angle, with ferries passing behind and the Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge just over yonder.

The setting for Carmen

For its second year running, Opera on Sydney Harbour is showing much-loved and passion-fuelled Carmen by French composer Georges Bizet, telling the love triangle story of passionate gypsy, a smitten soldier and a toreador bullfighter.

The stage from the Southern Terrace

Despite the looming dark clouds, there's an air of excitement all round the Fleet Steps area, which is completely taken over for the show.

My extended stroll through the Botanic Gardens sees me arrive at the red carpet a little flustered, but greeted by the varied array of dining options all by Fresh Catering.

Adina Garden Bar

As part of bringing the opera to the masses, Fresh Catering is again taking charge of the onsite food and beverage options, and goodness, are there options.

They've strived to cover any taste and any budget with an on-theme Spanish touch, and food outlets located conveniently in every direction and area.

Adina Garden Bar food offerings

Near the entry the Adina Garden Bar was serving spicy chorizo off the grill, simply in a roll with peppers, rocket and aioli.

Southern Terrace

At the elevated Southern Terrace I was drawn in by the smell of pastry from generously-sized empanadas and a selection of self-serve cold dishes and snacks like terrine, potato salad and antipasto plates.

Cold food options at the Southern Terrace

View from the Southern Terrace

Food offerings from the Sparkling Wine Bar

A number of Sparkling Wine Bars dotted around near the stage front had lush picnic style options including natural oysters, olives and chicken on brioche rolls.

The Northern Cantina

Hungry members of the audience would be found at the northern end of the area where a purpose-built three-storey structure housed three separate areas, all looking directly at Sydney's most famous view.

The Northern Cantina

There was plenty on at the Northern Cantina, ranging from bocadillo rolls and salads and plenty of dessert options to go with beers and wines.

There was also the upstairs Northern Terrace offering more substantial eats: a huge range of tapas-style share plates and a specialty paella station.

Platinum Lounge

But for real decadence it has to be the exclusive, ticket-only Platinum Lounge where we were treated to a three-course meal, cooked to order, with table service, matching Tyrrell's wines and that view.

The Platinum Lounge dining area

Confit salmon with a salad of broad beans, spiced almonds and horseradish creme with asparagus and flowers

There are a few options per course and the confit salmon caught my attention as a entreé, served with a colourful salad of baby beetroot, broad beans, asparagus, radish and crunchy spiced almonds.

Heirloom tomato salad with broad beans, spiced almonds and horseradish creme with asparagus and flowers

The vegetarian entreé was much the same, with halved heirloom tomatoes replacing the salmon.

Pyrenees lamb rump with potato catalana, roasted Brussels sprouts
with mojo sauce and shaved manchego cheese

To mains I couldn't pass up the lamb rump, served tenderly pink with a herb-green mojo sauce, while the accompaniments of roasted Brussels sprouts and scalloped roasted potatoes were executed perfectly.

Chocolate and orange tart with hazelnut praline

Dessert was no after-thought in the Platinum Lounge with three options to please any diner. The chocolate offering was a Jaffa-like chocolate and orange tart, served with hazelnut praline and decadent chocolate and orange mousse.

Seasonal fruit plate with kaffir lime syrup and orange sorbet

The healthy option was a seasonal fruit plate served with the tempting sounds of a kaffir lime syrup and blood orange sorbet.

Selection of Spanish cheese with quince, muscatel and crackers

The cheese plate got my pick, with segments of a particularly pungent blue cheese and a full-flavoured hard cheese amid the lavosh, crackers, bread stick, quince paste and dried muscatels.

The poncho-wearing audience

While we were squirelled away in the Platinum Lounge, the looming clouds had become showers but as an outdoor event, the show goes on unless it becomes dangerous for the performers or audience.

So, the hundreds in the crowd donned the sponsor's blue ponchos en masse and became a spectacle itself, watching and listening through the pitter-patter on the rather efficient plastic coverings.

Milijana Nikolic as Carmen (Photo by James Morgan)Image from a different night - courtesy of Opera Australia

James Clayton as toreador Escamillo (Photo by James Morgan)
Image from a different night - courtesy of Opera Australia

The night's show started in the rain and was called to a halt temporarily as the rain got heavy, but came back bravely to finish late but in full flourish, fireworks and all.

In spite of the rain, and in fact, maybe because of it, my second experience at the opera was an unforgettably enjoyable one - and I can't wait to see what Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour will be doing next year.

See more photos on my Facebook page. Carmen runs from 22 March to 12 April 2013 - more details of the show and dining packages here.

Food, booze and shoes attended Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour: Carmen as a guest of Opera Australia.

MoVida Sydney: Thanks for moving up

On various Melbourne visits in the past I’ve attempted to visit both MoVida in iconic, graffiti-ed Hosier Lane and MoVida Next Door multiple times – my walk-in attempts unsuccessful every time.

But then chef and owner Frank Camorra decided to move up to Sydney and bring us our very own MoVida, where bookings are available and walk-in seats for two at the bar were no issue on an early Tuesday evening.

Complimentary bread and olive oil from MoVida Sydney, Holt Street, Surry Hills

Seated at the bar, I was somewhat incredulous to be finally able to sample MoVida's menu littered with so many signature tapas. Complimentary house-made bread arrived with olive oil once we had ordered; the  bread quite dense but the salt sprinkled crust something else altogether – dark, and rustically thick and crunchy.

My first visit to MoVida also coincided with my first (and second) glass of sherry – a Spanish fortified wine that’s particularly dry in its non-dessert varieties but with some very interesting flavour notes.

I found the Delgado Zuleta ‘La Goya’ Manzanilla Sanlucar de Barrameda to be quite acidic while the Sanchez Romate Marismeno Fino Jerez was closer to a dry white wine with interesting depth and a lick of fortification at the end.

Anchoa – artisan Cantabrian anchovy with smoked tomato sorbet

Sherry was a fantastic partner to some of the flavour-packed tapas, starting with the anchoa – a single Cantabrian anchovy on a thin crisp, topped with baby capers and a quenelle of smoked tomato sorbet that took me right back to Barcelona and the tomato bread I had everywhere.

The anchovy with capers were quite salty so the waiter’s advice to spread the sorbet across the length of the small salted fish was certainly valuable.

Bocata de buey – air baguette, Rost Biff wagyu, Tocino de Cielo, pickled and black garlic

The beef "baguette" incited excitement, curiosity and involuntary salivation; it’s unlike anything I've tried before and utterly fun. Even at $8.50 a pop, I wanted more.

A piece of pink ‘Rost Biff’ wagyu beef was wrapped loosely around a long football shaped "baguette" that was completely hollow, essentially crisp bread.

The combination of the impossibly tender beef and crisp bread held together spectacularly: the beef didn't come away as a whole piece as chewy meat would; the bread didn't shatter into a million pieces upon bite. Meanwhile, the slightly sweet pickled garlic made beautiful, harmonious sense with the buttery beef.

Buñuelos de bacalao – salt cod fritters with Basque pil pil sauce

From the larger-sized racion section of the menu, the bacalao salt cod fritters were hot, golden balls of salted cod in a traditional olive oil based pil pil sauce.

Surprisingly subtle in both creaminess and saltiness, for me, the deep fried chilli slice garnishes completed each mouthful with a very restrained chilli kick.

Ensalada de tomates – heirloom tomato salad with avocado, pickled cauliflower
and tempura white anchovies

A vegetable side was a must as we were ordering meat from the parrilla grill part of the menu. While the temptation was to order and experience MoVida’s version of classic patatas bravas, I thought I’d go the healthier route with the tomato salad. Which came with tempura battered anchovies.

Pureed avocado played second fiddle to a colourful array of small heirloom tomatoes, while the pickled cauliflower was the perfect zingy lift to the not-so-salty anchovy which, on their own, had an air of 'fish and chips'.

Costillas – spicy pork ribs on charcoal

The pork ribs arrived a good while after we had polished off the salad, leaving us basically with a pile of meat and bones and no vegetable side as intended. Nonetheless, we dug into the rather pretty plate of smoky, dry rubbed ribs in the only way that seemed sensible: with our fingers.

Impressively tender, though not to the point where meat falls off the bone and barely resembles meat any longer, the spice rub delivered all the flavour in the ribs and some fairly serious heat.

The rose tinted Sanchez Romate ‘Don Jose’ Oloroso Jerez sherry was a surprisingly fitting match: its slightly sweet, fortified end notes just divine, holding up against the spice.

Flan – crème caramel served with Pestinos

There was definitely space for dessert on this occasion and there were plenty of tempters, including a cheese option.

The flan was a perfectly wobbly and creamy crème caramel (or crema Catalana more correctly) with a pool of caramel sauce. The cinnamon sugar coated pestinos biscuits added sweetness and texture to the well-made custard.

Tarta Santiago – almond fondant with fig leaf ice cream

Less common around these traps was the traditional tarta Santiago; a flourless cake of almond meal and eggs adorned with icing sugar stencilling out the motif of the Cross of Santiago.

The warm, barely cooked innards of the fondant were pure comfort and not overly sweet, cosying up nicely with the fig leaf ice cream which was decidedly leafy and furry in flavour, which is how my palate seems to perceive the taste of figs.

The bar at MoVida

At the end of the night, with a MoVida dining experience in my pocket, I was a happy little camper – although that could have been the sherry's contribution too.

While not all the dishes were mind-blowing like the bocata de buey, the overall experience was excellent with a buzzy atmosphere that just makes you want to stay and service that's mostly warm and enthusiastic (particularly with regard to my inexperience with sherry).

The move up to Sydney seems to fit MoVida and I impeccably.