Sydney Festival 2014: Sacrilege and Festival Village

If you were at The Domain on Saturday night, you'd be well aware that Sydney Festival is in full swing for 2014.

Thousands of people, all up and dancing to Hot Dub Time Machine and then soul queen Chaka Khan was a spectacular sight, but if you missed that, there's plenty of other free and ticketed options around town.

Sacrilege at Hyde Park for Sydney Festival 2014, 9-26 January

One very popular, free feature is the unmissable Sacrilege in Hyde Park north, in front of St Mary's Cathedral. It's a life-size replica of historic Stonehenge in bouncy, jumping castle style.

Sacrilege at Hyde Park

That's right, jump and bounce on Stonehenge, right in the middle of Sydney. Up to 100 people can bounce in each timed session, which are proving popular with all ages, especially on the weekend.

Sacrilege at Hyde Park

Sacrilege at Hyde Park

Sacrilege at Hyde Park

Lawn Library at Festival Village, Hyde Park

There's plenty more entertainment in Hyde Park's Festival Village, with food offerings from 12pm daily and bars opening from 4.30pm.

The City of Sydney has set up the Lawn Library, giving bookworms a unique outdoor, open-air library - no musty smells here.

Folk in a Box at Festival Village, Hyde Park

There's the "world's smallest music venue", Folk in a Box, where audiences of maximum two people enter a dark box to be serenaded by a live musician.

It's a bit strange but the box is covered in notes of thank you and praise for the musicians, and everyone comes out smiling.

Food trucks at Festival Village, Hyde Park

As for food and drink options, there's plenty on offer, though not without queues. There are a range of dedicated stalls and a few food trucks; Jafe Jaffles and Let's Do Yum Cha on Friday night.

Festival Village, Hyde Park

Food Society has the biggest food offerings with burgers and other bits, while the booze sponsors each have dedicated bars.

Woofys sausage sizzle cart

We thought we'd give gourmet sausage sizzle a whirl as I've not come across the Woofys cart before.

With four varieties on offer, each featuring a prime cut beef sausage, it was several steps up from the fundraising sausages and priced at $8 a serve.

The Corker (front) and Nacho Dog (back left) from Woofys

For starters, they were good quality beef sausages, cooked from raw, served on a soft white bun.

The Corker featured creamy cabbage slaw and crispy fried onions and tomato sauce, while the Nacho Dog had guacamole, sour cream, crushed cheesy corn chips and chilli sauce.

The Boss Dog from Woofys

While I couldn't quite pick a favourite, the Boss Dog was a definite winner with slices of tart pickles, sauerkraut, American mustard, tomato sauce and crisp fried onions.

Gelato Messina stall

For post-show dessert we couldn't go past Gelato Messina's fun, carnival-inspired sweet treats. There's actually quite an extensive menu including hot dogs with a chocolate ice cream sausage, Pluto Pups with ice cream centres and ice cream sundaes in fantastic Messina style.

Fairy floss at Gelato Messina

Samurai Fairy Ball from Gelato Messina

The child in me insisted on having the fairy floss dessert, called the Samurai Fairy Ball. The pink floss covers a chocolate-covered pop of light green yuzu sorbet in a sugar frenzy that's just out of this world.

Gelatoffee Apple from Gelato Messina

The Gelatoffee Apple also features an ice cream centre: a super fresh strawberry flavour on this occasion in a red toffee shell, gorgeously fun and slightly messy to eat.

The Spiegeltent entrance

We saw the amazing Amanda Palmer in the Spiegeltent on Friday night, who absolutely killed it with her solo cabaret show.

The Spiegeltent is one of my all-time favourite venues and I'm looking forward to seeing LIMBO there this week and then All That Fall, Othello: The Remix and Ockham's Razor after, and the whimsical Merchant's Store installation in Darling Harbour. I've got my Sydney Festival on!

See more Sydney Festival photos on my Facebook page.

Wildfire Fast Festival Feast: Dinner with a view

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.

Sometimes, it's all Smoke & Mirrors

After a quirky, smile-provoking, slightly sweat-raising hour or so in The Famous Spiegeltent at Hyde Park for Sydney Festival's Smoke & Mirrors, I'm involuntarily underwhelmed as I fight the comparison with last year's La Clique. I know it wasn't intended as a replacement, but for a show of the same genre in the same venue at the same festival - comparisons are going to happen. I did enjoy the show, but felt it lacked the finesse and magnetism of La Clique - despite having bunnies in common.

Ringmaster iOTA was unparalleled in his shape-shifting story-telling with a voice like an angel or demon - depending on who or what the occasion required. Todd McKenney's stripping (strapping?) tap dancer was totally on the ball; Queenie van de Zandt's bearded lady was captivating; the ThisSideUp acrobatic posers in retro moustaches were a crowd favourite; Chelsea McGuffin was elegant whether on the trapeze or being thrown around like a rag doll; and Timothy Woon impressed by turning white doves into big white ducks.

On that note, the dinner decision was directed out of vicinity, and Stanley Street seemed a close yet seldom visited strip. The walk from Hyde Park was filled with commentary and recollection - of Ira and stories that maybe needn't be repeated, of wandering and jumping bunnies. The dining destination decision was made quickly, for normal dinner time and well and truly gone.

On one of the corners of Stanley Street is Giardinetto Restaurant, appearing reasonably cute, well-priced and Italian. Unfortunately, the key word there is 'appearing' as it certainly looks the part and is reasonably filled with mid-sized groups.

Chicken pate from Giardinetto Restaurant,
Stanley Street, Darlinghurst

I've never been a big pate person - the texture of liver just gets me the wrong way. I've been told, however, that chicken pate would be considered the beginner's one and I admit that this one is fairly subtle and not bad. It comes with a jelly on top, a mixed leaf salad, two thin slices of gherkin, and what appears as a slice of lightly toasted sandwich bread (is it Helga's? I think so!) plus two extra batons of the bread. As Rove would have said: What the?!

Mussels special

The mussels looked a generous serve of the black shelled molluscs in a soup-y tomato-based sauce, and were quite pleasant by all accounts - the sauce soaked up by some more bread.

Salmon fillet

To mains, my salmon fillet was a colourful addition to the table with the array of vegetables quite appealing, if not awkwardly arranged. The sauce of oil and probably balsamic vinegar certainly wasn't visually appealing, but aided somewhat with the plainly steamed stems of cauliflower and broccoli, and single snow pea. Bones aside, the fish was cooked nicely if not a tad over and doing quite well with the dill and chat potato.

Penne bolognaise

The penne was certainly not one of the most attractive pasta dishes I've ever seen, including those from my very own kitchen. I always like to hide my mess with a bunch of rocket too. Although the penne diner had no complaints, it was also deemed as nothing special - though it did come from the specials menu.

Fillet steak Giardinetto

The fillet steak looked an absolute treat on arrival - thick and extremely well caramelised on the outside, balanced precariously on the familiar steamed cauliflower, snow pea and chat potato - despite the request for no potato. The jus looked rich and inviting, but when the steak turned out to be well done as opposed to a medium-rare, it was an utter disappointment that went back to whence it came.

Veal scallopini

Another main from the specials menu, the veal scallopini arrived with - surprise, surprise - steamed broccoli, cauliflower, snow pea and chat potatoes. I'm beginning to feel like I'm in a club bistro where you're lucky if the requisite side isn't out of a can, let alone different from dish to dish. The veal was declared tender and there were no complaints about the caper-dotted white sauce.

The disappointment on expectation killed the mood on desserts, not helped much by seeing a waitress procure Peter's vanilla ice-cream from the nearby convenience store. I have nothing against Peter's but have no inclination to pay restaurant prices for it.

A few requests and a few more minutes later, the bill came and was paid with haste. The homeward discussion (not before spying Luke Nguyen heading in the general direction of The Spiegeltent) was about the plethora of average, if not below, Italian restaurants compared to other cuisines, such as French. Perhaps Italian is just a bit easier to masquerade, while there seem to be many more in quantity as well. Either way, a restaurant that is more smoke and mirrors than good food does not a happy bunny make.

In the festival mood

With Sydney Festival in full swing, I feel bit festive and a bit excited, especially since I'd gotten my desired tickets earlier on in the game and needn't play with the early morning Martin Place queues for Tix for Nix. And then there's all the free events in The Domain - which are always much fun and did I mention free? I've already seen a large majority of the cast of Packed to the Rafters partying along to Al Green at First Night and I'm simply busting with anticipation for Paul McDermott's operatic debut in Candide - much fun, indeed.

Following an inspiring and uplifting performance by the Manganiyar Seduction, the barbeque out the front of the Seymour Theatre, while still fragrant of charcoal and chorizos, was not going to suffice. I mean, after the theatrics of the lights and curtains, the touching expressions of hands and eyes, and the feeling of being treated like kings and queens somewhere else in the world; a sausage on a roll wasn't going to cut it - gourmet or not.

The passionate voices, beating drums and whine of instruments unknown were still lolling about my mind during the short journey to Newtown. It's perhaps no wonder that we eagerly agreed on Kammadhenu - undeterred by their proclaimation of "Sydney's best curries" on the front door and remembering recommendations about their roti.

Beef kothu roti from Kammadhenu,
King Street, Newtown

It's too bad we hungrily ordered without in depth-analysis of the menu, but in hindsight, it worked out. The first sight of roti on the menu and we were ordered - but rather the Sri Lankan kothu roti, which in no way resembles roti canai I've sampled in the past. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, though - and as my dining partner pointed out, it was like a deconstructed super-roti featuring beef, shredded roti pieces, onion, coriander, chilli and numerous other vegetables; stir -fried and reconstructed into a mound of rather large proportion.

The 'medium' level of spicing was about the limits of chilli heat for me, but subdued rather nicely by the pieces of roti in the mix. In the end, the dish was a meal in itself and really looked like a chopped gathering of leftovers, but there's some irony in the way it all pulled together intriguingly and spicily.

Deep fried fish with chilli

I don't remember the name of the dish (fish p-something unpronounceable) but its golden fried facade evoked thoughts of fish fingers. Whether that's good or bad, it wasn't far off with the nearing dry fish fillet a little lacking in its chilli promise but nicely seasoned nonetheless.

Saag chicken

Sharing dishes in Asian cuisine is a given, although I sometimes feel some competition in ordering the better dish of the table. Not so much a case of dish envy, given everything is shared, but perhaps dish rivalry.

I ordered the saag chicken curry, expecting a distinctly green sauce of blended spinach. It arrives, instead, mostly an orangey brown with specks of green - which is unexpected let alone the heavy taste of cardamom. It's not too hot, but the hot temperature of the dish, combined with the chilli heat from the roti before tortures the tongue into ordering a few more bottles of water.

Rendang beef

The other main ordered was the rendang beef; a more expected fiery red hue. While the dish may look plain and unexcitable, this was a wow-dish from the first mouthful of sauce. Zingy and sweet with yielding cubes of beef and a flavour that speaks of hours and hours cooking and preparation, this was a magnetic dish where you go back for thirds and fourths, even when you're not sure your tongue is still attached/working or you're about to explode from satiety.

Garlic naan and butter naan

Along with basmati rice copious amounts of water, the chilli fight is well fought with puffy, fresh naan bread - in the garlic and butter versions here. Perfect for sopping up tasty sauces, but certainly scrummy enough on their own too. I like to think I'm reading into the personality of the naan or its chef when I see its blistery and burnt tandoor oven marks on the underside.

During the meal, we note that there's a decided lack of atmosphere in the restaurant; although admittedly, we'd just seen one of the most vibrant and exciting Rajasthani musical performances around, and its experience and memory were still playing in the mind. In fact, I think it still was days later when I'm still in the mood for all things spice, and even random Indian soft drinks I come across. Play on, Sydney Festival.

Reaching summits and expectations

Expectations are an odd creature from my perspective. Have them and be disappointed; don't have them and lack ambition; meet them and then what? I think it's because expectation leads to framing of thought so that whatever is then judged against expectation. And sometimes judgement just isn't necessary. However having expectations blown away (which, I might add, rarely happens) completely from left field - now that's good fun.

After a busy weekday that was a notch below scorching, I had a busy night lined up with dinner, drinks and a highly-anticipated performance as part of Sydney Festival. I found it hard to pass up the opportunity to dine finely for a bargain price as part of the Fast Festival Feast, so a fellow Festival-ite and I navigated our way through the jungle of suits at Ryan's Bar to the building elevators at Australia Square. We were climbing up to the Summit.

The night was still young, so much that blue skies and sunshine allowed for perfect city views. We were seated and initially facing the south with the sunset due to hit us mid-meal given the revolving nature of the restaurant. The revolving restaurant concept always seemed a bit of a gimmick to me: all cartoon, space station-like. I'm not sure where I got that impression from. It's also likely that the revolving may act as a distraction to the food, possibly even become the highlight over the food.

As a Summit first-timer I'll have to admit that the views and novelty won me over more than the food. And I don't think I was the only one, for when the Harbour Bridge appears in sight there's a noticeable lull in patron activity and conversation. And I also liked that the bathroom came to me perfectly timed as did the elevators when we were leaving.

But to food. The Fast Festival Feast consists of a set main, glass of wine and a little chocolate to finish. We ordered an additional side and started into the sourdough roll with butter and pink salt flakes. With news to catch up on and views to catch all round, it wasn't long before our meals made their way to our window facing table.

Fennel salt crusted Hiramasa kingfish with crisp white polenta and

basque piperade dressing from Summit, Sydney

The main meal wasn't my top pick from the lot of restaurants but the venue settled it for me. It was reasonable nonetheless and a pretty sight before I got my cutlery to it. The small fillet of roasted kingfish was topped with sweet, diced red and yellow capsicums. The fish was cooked well but not dry and went well with the olive tapenade which is hidden in the picture.

Below the fish was a pile of green beans split in half and a bit overcooked for my liking - definitely closer to tough than crisp. They sat on top of a cake of white polenta - crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside - that went well with the smear of the pureed tomato sauce. For the side I'm as predictable and addicted as ever.

Young rocket, cherry tomato and parmesan salad

A bowl full of the freshest rocket leaves in a cabernet vinegar dressing was lodgings for grilled and halved cherry tomatoes and shavings of parmesan cheese. I got a distinct taste of honey from some ingredient in the salad, probably the tomatoes, though I'm skeptical to think that it was a natural occurence.

Not being tempted by the dessert menu after the meal is further evidence that my days as a sweet tooth are over. I have such good childhood memories of Milky Way chocolates. By the end of the whole dinner we've come full circle and we once again look southward with a hazy, tri-coloured sky of sunset to the right. Perhaps this won't be a regular dining venue, but potentially a (relatively) more cost-friendly drinking venue?

Such an obedient line of Grey Geese at the bar

But the feature of the night is still to come. A hop, skip and good 15 minute walk away to Hyde Park for the one, the only, La Clique. On approach to the Festival Garden, it is indeed festive and enticing; a sophisticated 'run away with the circus' vibe almost. I've only heard good things about this performance and was trying desperately to keep expectations in check. A strong start with onsite bars and that unmissable drinking-out-of-doors atmosphere.

There's an air of excitedly relaxed anticipation about as we queue our way into the Famous Spiegeltent, wine and tickets in hand. There's a buzz inside with loud, circus music blaring over chatter and movement. We manage to squeeze into a booth, noting a bar or pub feel, and almost immediately spot Barry Humphries in the front row.

The seats fill up, the standing section seems to overflow, and we're all then transported into another world. It's definitely an eclectic gathering of talent, ranging from the localised comedy of Queen Elizabeth; 1920's styled tricks and antics to shock and awe; amazingly progressive puppetry and dance; a cheeky blue bunny; sisters that made me wish I had one (well, the trapeze act, not so much the other); and two extremely different men vying for my vote as favourite.

I can't stop giggling at the thought of the hilariously funny Carl-Einar Hackner, magician and musician extraordinaire. For me, he has created a few of those positive moments in life that you recall and involuntarily react to - whether it be a laugh, smile or something a little more mischievous.

He makes his entrance in a dowdy white suit, carrying a weathered plastic bag of tricks and illusions he pleasingly performs for the audience. This IKEA-residing Swede is awkwardly endearing - he is unjaded, very willing to please and talented beneath his guffawing facade. He made several appearances through the night (on the second or third time saying "Hi, I'm Carl-Einar Hackner. Still.") and I would have been happy to see even more of him, his Stevie Wonder impersonation, his 'bandana' trick and jaw-dropping harmonica melodies. The mere thought of him or one of his gags and I break into a grin whether I like it or not.

Saying that, the closing act of David O'Mer also provokes involuntary emotions. His bathtub acrobatics were easily the most impressive, sensual act and I think he held the full, undistracted attention of everyone in the Spiegeltent. Aside from those in the front row trying to shield themselves from his water sprays, that is. The pure strength and exquisite movement. The rubber duckie and scrub brush. Oh yeah, and that chiselled topless body and smouldering confident looks.

It's a tough competition but I think being doubled over in tears of laughter, Carl-Einar wins this one by a slim margin. Magic! La Clique wasn't quite what I had expected but boy, those expectations were blown well away.

Scotty the blue bunny outside the Spiegeltent, Hyde Park