Papi Chulo: Ferry to American BBQ, Manly style

While I've crossed the Harbour Bridge more times than I can count this year (usually I can count the annual trips on my fingers and toes), the Spit Bridge is still one I only see on rare occasions. And not even on my recent visit to Manly's Papi Chulo, which can be accessed idyllically via ferry from Circular Quay (though mind the Sunday summer queues if you’ve got a reservation).

One of the more recent additions to the Merivale portfolio, I finally got the chance and fellow willing ferry travellers together to visit the waterside venue (where way back, I’d once attended a Chinese banquet wedding reception!).

Oysters at Papi Chulo, Manly Wharf, Manly

The American-style barbeque offerings are well known at Papi Chulo, and the menu surprised with various Asian and South American influences rolled in too.

Looking picture perfect on ice in a metal dish, we started with well-sized Pacifics which were lovely and briney on their own with lemon, but improved significantly with the tart but well-balanced mignonette dressing featuring a fine dice of green apple.

Cravado cocktail (left) and Bloody Maria (right)

Drinks arrived during the oyster appreciation session, with the ice blended Cravado cocktail ideal for the humid day. Featuring loads of fresh mint, blitzed with ice, vodka, coconut water, lychees and lime, it reminded me of another venue's non-alcoholic slushie but ended up more watery than a proper, boozy cocktail.

The Bloody Maria was a winner though with its almost comical garnish of a large, fresh peeled prawn. The house tomato and spice mix was standout and definitely on the upper end of the spice heat scale; stirred well with tequila and mezcal and served in a huge glass with lots of ice.

Snowcrab, green mango, watermelon, herbs, peanuts, chilli lime dressing

As we were going for the signature Papi Chulo BBQ platter to share among three, we went easy on the starters and opted for the light snow crab salad, which turned out to be a delightful Thai or Vietnamese style shredded green mango salad.

With lashings of fresh mint and coriander, roasted peanuts and a bang-on chilli lime dressing, the snow crab flesh shone amid the subtly sweet green mango and chunks of bright red watermelon in the summer-perfect salad.

Papi Chulo BBQ platter

Our small round table could barely handle the main game (which is designed for 2-4 diners) amid the share plates and drinks. A large, metal dish held the varied BBQ meat platter of all the good stuff, starting with my favourite of Ranger’s Valley wagyu beef brisket, smoky and tenderly marbled with fat.

The also fatty Suffolk lamb ribs were super smoky, and we could have polished off well over the 150 gram serving. There were serious rows of fat in the free-range pork belly slices although the maple black pepper was a bit lost on me.

Last was the Kurobuta pulled pork shoulder and as much as I’m a bit over pulled pork, this particularly smoky rendition made for a superb sandwich in the soft bread roll with coleslaw.

The Vietnamese coleslaw comes as part of the BBQ platter – a crunchy red cabbage slaw that was a pleasingly mayo-free zone – and we added a side of curly fries: proper loops and tubes of curled, crunchy potato fries, best dipped into the BBQ sauce that accompanied the platter.

Berry sundae

We requested a birthday dessert to share, not really expecting the rough-and-tumble looking bowl of a berry sundae. With a vanilla-y ice cream showered with a mix of fresh raspberries and blackberries; freeze-dried raspberries and blueberries; minute crisp meringue drops and crumbled shortbread biscuits, it was actually quite a sophisticated take on an ice cream sundae.

Over the remnants of our Pachamama Riesling, we noticed the range of seating options and the more linger-friendly bar counter or booths. The middle aisle tables are fine for waiting out the next ferry though, which is how the rest of our lunch played out.

Thoroughly stuffed with BBQ and all the wonderful additions, it was a short roll to the ferry wharf and its Sunday queues. With soft waves and salty air in our hair, it was a day trip ferry well spent over in Manly.

Sakana Ya: An ode to fish

The humble fish is rarely as pleasing as when done well in a Japanese restaurant. Japanese cuisine certainly has a way with fish, whether it's cooked or raw, which makes it all the more tempting to order the entire menu at places like Sakana Ya in Crows Nest.

Table setting at Sakana Ya, Pacific Highway, Crows Nest

The dining room at Sakana Ya, which is Japanese for 'fish shop', is very elegantly Japanese despite its location on busy Pacific Highway in Crows Nest. Perhaps it's the softly tinkling music, the deferential service, or that unmistakeably Japanese smell of soy sauce and frying oil.

Tamagoyaki - sweet egg omelette

The menu at Sakana Ya is traditional in all the right ways, adding to the feeling that we might have been in some Tokyo restaurant. We started on warm tamago-yaki sweet omelette, carefully formed into blocks and grill-stamped with the restaurant's name in Japanese.

This was served with finely grated daikon white radish to which I like adding a touch of soy sauce for flavour, not that the omelette needed it.

Deep fried school prawns

Whole fried school prawns aren't necessarily traditional Japanese, but these relatively large schoolies simply fried to a crisp and served with lemon were satisfying enough, although there are much more interesting renditions of the dish around town.

Sashimi

For lunch mains at Sakana Ya, there are a range of set meals plus donburi rice bowls in two sizes, in addition to a la carte options.

The sashimi lunch set included a generous plate of thick-cut assorted raw tuna, salmon, kingfish, kingfish belly, snapper and I think flounder. The firmer white fish of snapper and flounder had more of a textural appeal rather than flavour, especially compared to the fairly standard salmon and tuna.

But it was the kingfish belly that was the revelation: a softer, deliciously creamier version of the relatively clean-tasting kingfish that was a first time but I certainly hope not the last.

Miso grilled sablefish

From the extensive fish selection, available on the menu in a variety of cooking styles, the waitress informed us that the sablefish was by far the most popular with the local, often Japanese clientele.

I'd never heard of sablefish before, but the firm-fleshed fish also goes by the name of black cod. That's right, miso grilled black cod in the most traditional Japanese style, without the fanfare and price tag that would accompany it at a more modern Japanese eatery.

The fillet of dark-skinned sablefish was beautifully done with fine and firm flaking flesh and sweet miso overtones. The juliennes of a crisp, pickled vegetable on the side and steamed rice were the perfect accompaniments for the utterly satisfying dish.

Sides: rice, pickles, salad and miso soup

With the sets come the all-encompassing, meal-making sides including salty-sour cucumber pickles, all wrinkly and green; leafy salad with a creamy dressing; miso soup and steamed white rice. We could each barely finish all our sides, which added lots of variety to the meal and bulked out what otherwise could have been very rich and luxurious lunch.

Sakana Ya is about as traditional as it gets. Don't let the location or small dining room deceive you, this is the real deal, Japanese ode to fish.

So cool, SoCal

When SoCal opened in Neutral Bay late last year, it was really one of the first all-out themed bars to hit the lower north shore. Decked out in a Southern Californian beach style with bearded and floral-shirted hipster staff at every turn, SoCal has certainly hit a chord with the themed-bar-starved locals, who flock to the upstairs and half outdoor bar and restaurant through the week and especially on weekends.

Cocktail samples at SoCal, Young Street, Neutral Bay

I'd been to SoCal once before for a quick margarita in warmer times, enjoying the casual outdoor terrace vibe amid some very dressy groups of girls. The venue's fitout and music does well in transporting people to another place, far away from the thoroughfare that is Military Road.

As does a fun cocktail list which we sampled parts of at a recent SoCal Social event. Misbehaving foams were the name of the game with a fun, flirty and citrusy orange-red tequila cocktail by bar manager Joe Worthington.

Crab and sopressatta tostadas

Given its proximity to Mexico, the Southern Californian theme sees a Mexican tinge through the menu including plenty of tequilas on the back bar and a unique Californian slant to the wine list.

The food started with a bang and a crunch with a board of tostadas delivered by chef Zac Smart himself. Crunchy chip circles were topped with a zingy, flavour-packed combination of two of my favourite things: crab flesh and sopressata salami. Rich yet moreish, this really was the ultimate tostada and a good sign of things to come.

Chicken sliders: marinated chicken breast with avocado and chorizo

Sliders make a menu appearance, along with fellow-everywhere buddies tacos and quesadillas, but these aren't your average mini burgers.

Maybe it's been a while between sliders for me but I loved the juicy chicken fillet with avocado on the little toasted burger bun although the chorizo didn't really register.

Frisco Pisco cocktail

The sliders were paired with the Frisco Pisco cocktail – a jalapeño chilli-infused Pisco shaken with egg white, elderflower liqueur, lime, sugar and muddled cucumber and perfectly garnished with a touch of cracked pepper.

Seared salmon with broccolini, chilli and coriander salsa verde

To the more substantial share plates, we had the delightfully seared salmon with broccolini, the crunchiest sweet potato crisps and a smashing chilli and coriander salsa verde.

It was perfection with the salmon just a little rare in the middle, and matched with Dry Creek Fume Blanc from California's Sonoma region.

Slow roasted lamb shoulder with faro, freekeh, quinoa and kale

Next was the slow roasted lamb shoulder - itself a very 'now' protein offering served on a superfood medley of old grains faro, freekah and quinoa with diced kale, topped with an enlightening gremolata of chopped parsley and citrus zest.

This was pretty much the ultimate new take on a rustic dish that fits right in with modern Australian cuisine and was paired with Bliss Pinot Noir.

Scotch fillet with chimmichurri

And if that wasn't enough red meat pleasure, our final shared savoury dish was a very rare scotch fillet steak, sliced to share, with tangy chimmichurri that could go well with really any protein though I would have been happy to have the steak on the grill a minute more.

Mushroom and bean salad

The steak was served with Dry Creek ‘Heritage’ Zinfandel, also from the Sonoma region, and a mushroom salad with plenty of beans and spinach.

Chocolate, pistachio and tequila brownies with chipotle cream

The night finished on a high of several kinds, especially the fudgey chocolate, pistachio and tequila brownies served with a squizz with chipotle cream. While I'm not a dessert person, if there's a sweet I can never resist at least tasting, it's a brownie.

Espresso martini

The decadent brownie was matched with an equally rich salted caramel espresso martini of Ketel One vodka, Galliano Ristretto, salted caramel and espresso (decaf on request for those who can't sleep after espresso martinis). Garnished with a crumble of honeycomb chocolate, this is definitely a great dessert cocktail with both a sugar and caffeine high.

The people behind SoCal (and Bondi Hardware and The Botanist) are spreading their brand of casual but fun cool all across Sydney and for Neutral Bay locals, it must be so cool to have SoCal in the neighbourhood.

Food, Booze & Shoes attended the SoCal Social as a guest, with thanks to Pendulum Communications.

The Oaks' Six States of Beer - WA beers and chocolate

Posted by Hendy

Craft beer has reached such a popular level in Australia that beer and food matching, beyond a pie, no longer sounds silly. But I was quite curious when I saw the beer and chocolate craft beer and food experience as part of The Oaks' Six States of Beer series.

Hosted by the Beer Diva Kirrily Waldhorn, the Six States of Beer events at The Oaks throughout the year traverse the country, pairing a selection of beers from one of six Australian states with a food theme for one-off food matching dinners with dishes curated by chef Danny Russo.

The third event of the year went west, pairing of five craft beers from Western Australia with the sweet and glorious chocolate. Chocolate and beer - two great essentials, but together?

Little Creatures Bright Ale served at WA Beer & Chocolate event at The Oaks Hotel, Military Rd, Neutral Bay

On arrival guests were offered a starter beer, so as to cleanse thy palates - for more beer. The Little Creatures Bright Ale was described as sunshine in a glass, or in this case in a bottle, which was quite rightly backed by the summery and floral notes.

The Bright Ale uses blended malts and hop flowers from US and New Zealand with its refreshing aromas which include pineapple and passionfruit.

Kirrily Waldhorn, the Beer Diva

The lovely Beer Diva Kirrily Waldhorn's beer knowledge is extensive and it was great to learn from her love for beer as she passionately described each beer in vivid detail.

Wagyu bresaola with beer pickled pine mushrooms, rocket and shaved dark chocolate

Following the starter beer, the first matched course featured dark chocolate shaved atop a bed of rocket with cured wagyu bresaola and beer pickled pine mushrooms.

The two-week cured bresaola provided saltiness to the dish while the pickled pine mushrooms had light, nutty flavours. The bitter-sweetness of the dark chocolate worked well with the bitter rocket, earthy mushrooms and salty bresaola, catering for almost all of the tongue's taste sensations. 

Feral Hop Hog beer

The pairing beer for the bresaola salad was the Feral Hop Hog American-style India Pale Ale, or IPA for short; one of my favourite types of beer.

The Feral Hop Hog embodied a strong citrusy aroma with a short bitter and dry finish. The strong flavours are derived from the heavy dose of American hops that are added during the boil and also through the fermentation stage.

The bitter finish of the IPA matched well with the bitterness of the dark chocolate atop the bresaola and the nuttiness of the mushrooms.

Matso's Mango Beer

The third beer to be introduced was the Matso's Mango beer. The last time I had a mango flavoured beer was at the Belgian Beer Cafe and remarkably, the Beer Diva noted that this particular mango beer is based on a classic Belgium blonde recipe in the fruit variation.

Founded in Broome by a German brewer, this Belgium blonde beer tasted like a golden ale with fruit and spicy characters. Brewed using a 100% natural mango blend, the beer had a fruity mango aroma and a sweet yet dry finish, making it quite the easy-drinking beer.

The Beer Diva introduced an interesting experiment on the night. We were told to hold our noses, shutting it from all aromas and to then sip the mango beer. Once we had a sip, we were told to release the hold on our noses. The effect, a parcel of cinnamon aroma rushing through the nose before all the other more evident flavours coming out on the palate.

Risotto with braised duck, cherry mostarda and bitter chocolate

The dish that paired with Matso's mango beer was a lovely winter-warming duck risotto, topped with bitter chocolate. This was a unique and interesting combination which at first glance was slightly off-putting.

The risotto was the kind of risotto you would want to have on a cold wintery night: warm and creamy with the arborio rice still slightly firm. The cherry mostarda gave the whole dish a citrusy touch on top of the slight bitterness from the chocolate in what turned out to be quite a clever dish.

Mini chocolate and bacon burger with stout spider

The second last pairing was a crazy, smoky dessert match. On the diner-styled plate was slider filled with a generous dollop of Nutella and crispy candied bacon - yes, you read right - alongside an ice cream spider made with stout. The matching beer was the heavily smoked Nail Brewing Rauch Smoke beer.

This was a particularly exciting pairing as all three elements were very unique and very different. The slider was excellent with the crisp, sweet-salty bacon so good that it was a star on its own. The extreme sweetness of the slider was brought to balance with the stout spider; a spin on the traditional sarsaparilla spider that was fizzy and fresh.

The heavy Nail Brewing Rauch Smoked beer features the rarely used German rauch malt; a pale malt smoked over beechwood that lends it an enticing smokiness alongside fresh hops and light chocolate characteristics. There was a also a smoky bacon note in the beer that connected the slider.

Nail Oatmeal Stout

To finish off the beer matched dinner were two bespoke beer and milk chocolate Adriano Zumbo macarons. The two Zumbarons were paired with the last beer of the night; the Nail Oatmeal Stout.

Taking inspiration from traditional British stouts, the Nail Oatmeal Stout was rather creamy, full of chocolate notes and a slight hint of coffee. 

Bespoke beer and milk chocolate Zumbarons from Adriano Zumbo

The macarons by Zumbo were made specially for the tasting event and were remarkable as expected: soft with a delicate crunch and not too sweet. I failed to find any hint of beer note in the macarons though the milk chocolate was certainly present.

Selection of beer including the Nail Brewing Rauch Smoked beer on the right

It's not just the beer talking but the whole night of beer and food matching was brilliant. There was a great selection of WA beers with surprising and delicately matched chocolate dishes in a night that really celebrated craft beers and their versatility.

The next Six States of Beer event on is Wednesday, 13 August 2014, showcasing NSW's best boutique beers paired with pork dishes.

Food, Booze & Shoes attended the Six States of Beer event at The Oaks as a guest, with thanks to Wasamedia.

A tale of Shanghai Stories 1938

Once upon a time there was a suburb over the bridge called Chatswood. All I knew of the suburb were two major shopping centres and a train station. Fast-forward about a decade and now Chatswood is an eating and shopping destination with a booming casual restaurant scene.

The newly-built Concourse at Chatswood comprises restaurants, a library, entertainment venue and open air space. And set over two levels at the Concourse is Shanghai Stories 1938 - a high-end venue from the group behind Taste of Shanghai, styled in the look and feel of the opulent 1930s in Shanghai.

Shredded pork Peking style with pancakes from Shanghai Stories 1938, The Concourse,
Victoria Avenue, Chatswood

Having had the previous pleasure of a yum cha style dumpling brunch at Shanghai Stories (dishes to order and offerings outside of the standard yum cha experience), we returned for dinner upstairs one night among the many Chinese family get-togethers.

In fact, most tables had at least five people with the large round tables holding joint families of ten and more. There are dumplings on offer in the evening too, but we stuck to a few mains from the lengthy, book-like photo menu.

Shredded pork Peking style

We started on a childhood favourite of shredded pork strips, served with the same thin, chewy pancakes you get with Peking duck.

Stir fried with leek in a dark, sweet and sticky sauce, the tender pork strips made for a most satisfying filling with cucumber within the loosely folded pancakes. I was glad we weren't sharing our pancakes between a table of ten.

Dan dan noodle soup

Probably not a typical dinner order, we tried the dan dan noodle soup which came in a large bowl, filled to the brim with a thick soup, thin rice noodles and baby bok choy, garnished with shallots.

While the noodles were fine, the nutty soup was deceptively bland - I would never have thought a soup of such colour could have been bland. Suffice to say, condiments were needed and added.

Ginger, soy and shallot steamed whole barramundi

To our feature main, we elected a whole steamed barramundi done in traditional Cantonese style: steamed with ginger, shallots and soy sauce.

The whole fish was a good size for three as a shared main, with fall-apart, smooth flesh beneath the silky-slimy steamed skin. The juices from the steamed fish mixed with soy sauce and slivers of ginger and shallot make a for a homely condiment with steamed white rice.

Sauteed green beans with minced pork

I tend to order a requisite vegetable dish with dinner although when they're flash-fried in oil like the green beans, I question how healthy the vegetable side becomes. In any case, the slightly overcooked green beans were sautéed with nubbins of pork mince in one of the tastier green vegetable options.

Whether it's for a dumpling brunch or dinner amongst the families, Shanghai Stories 1938 sure had us eating happily ever after.

The locals' Woodland Kitchen & Bar

Posted by Jan

Ideally, every suburb should have a reliable dining option that locals can just wander to for a good meal - something that's more than takeaway but not too fancy or difficult. Woodland Kitchen & Bar is Neutral Bay's newest dining addition and fits the bill perfectly.

Dining room at Woodland Kitchen & Bar, Grosvenor Street, Neutral Bay

Re-emerging from what used to be the northern outpost of Pony Dining, Woodland Kitchen & Bar is husband and wife duo Damien and Jenni Heads' first solo venture (you may remember Heads from such shows as Ready, Steady, Cook).

Chef Damien Heads

With a wealth of experience between them, they have created a modern Australian menu with a casual yet personal approach, most suitable for the sophisticated, well-serviced neighbourhood.

Being locals to the area, their approach is no-fuss, honest flavours and simple food. This comes through strongly in the menu that includes hot and cold seafood, steaks, share plates as well as a $10 children's menu.

Oyster shot, Bloody Mary

We started with sweet, briney Sydney Rock oysters from Wodongo Inlet in a shot glass of spicy Bloody Mary tomato mix. Never the prettiest starter, I found it tough to stop myself from having more than my fair share of the excellent oysters. 

Yellowfin tuna sashimi spring roll , soy bean sauce

Retrieved from the Pony Dining menu, the tuna sashimi spring roll is another example of why we love Sydney summers and seafood so much. The raw tuna encased with crisp spring roll pastry and served with edamame beans, whole and puréed into a sauce, was a casual and light option perfect for summer grazing. 

Grilled ciabatta, whipped fetta and marinated olives

A shared plate that could have been dinner alone for me featured a divine whipped fetta cheese, served with plenty of smoky, grilled ciabatta bread and a small selection of olives.

Sauteed calamari and chorizo

The very classic pairing of chorizo and calamari was complemented with a rich tomato sauce, white beans and grilled sourdough bread. The hint of sherry vinegar in the calamari sauce added a bit of tang to this tasty, tapas-style dish. 

Baked onion and goats cheese flan

Grilled asparagus and watercress were great additions to the baked onion and goat's cheese tart. The freshness and added crunch of the vegetables complemented the rich pastry and goat's cheese very well. 

200g grass fed eye fillet steak

From the mains the eye fillet steak was cooked medium-rare as requested with perfect cross-hatch grill marks, and was served with a red wine jus, roasted baby carrots and eschallots, and a salsa verde.

Lamb backstrap 

The tender lamb backstrap from the woodfire grill was served on a bed of hummus with smoky eggplant, tomatoes, quinoa and a salad of celery leaves, tarragon and chervil.

I wasn't sure what (everyone's favourite super-grain) quinoa would bring to the dish, but it tied the rest of the ingredients together quite unexpectedly and added a lovely texture to the salad and lamb. 

Potato gnocchi with roasted pumpkin, burnt butter and salted ricotta

Despite being quite full, I couldn't help but offer to help finish off the soft, melting potato gnocchi with sweeet roasted pumpkin cubes and salted ricotta slices. It would have been a sin to leave a single pillow of goodness behind. 

Tasmanian Salmon with pickled beetroot, orange, fetta and mint

Also from the woodfire grill, the large fillet of salmon was cooked perfectly with a nice addition of fetta cheese and mint, and orange segments and pickled beetroots that cut the richness of the salmon.

Sides of chips with roasted garlic aioli and a salad of rocket, pear, fennel and parmesan

Golden, thick cut chips with a roasted garlic aioli were a crowd-pleasing side along with a fresh salad of rocket leaves, pear, shaved fennel and parmesan cheese shared at the table.

Caramel and chocolate tart with fresh honeycomb and double cream

I'm glad I made room for dessert: a not-run-of-the-mill caramel and chocolate tart served with freshly-made honeycomb. There was a slight bitterness of golden syrup that was heated to just the right temperature before burning - the hallmark taste of a good home-made honeycomb that you just don't get in commercial honeycomb.

Woodland Kitchen & Bar's honest and uncomplicated approach to well-cooked food is what every neighbourhood bistro should have. I can just imagine myself as a local coming back again and again for, "my usual, please". If only every suburb could be so lucky.

Food, booze and shoes dined at Woodland Kitchen & Bar as a guest, with thanks to Agency G.