Good times collective #3

This year so far has been a bit of a blur and it's hard to believe we're well into the second half of the year. I heard someone mention Christmas yesterday too. It's been pretty crazy with weddings, kids parties and new jobs all making it a massive year already - with more to come I think.

Full rack of pork ribs with roast potato at Hurricane's Grill and Bar, Darling Harbour

I don't know how I became so deluded as to order a full rack of ribs at Hurricane's for a birthday dinner. I had neighbouring diners willing to share in the pork fest, but I was still pretty over the soft, tender pork flesh and increasingly cloying and sweet barbeque sauce baste by the end.

I won't be ordering a full rack again, unless at least one other pretty hungry person is sharing my main meal.

Steak and ribs with chips at Hurricane's Grill and Bar, Darling Harbour

Another meat-heavy option comes from the 'combo' section of the menu: here, a short cut sirloin steak (200g) with a half rack of pork ribs.

It's not the best steak in town, but Hurricane's is certainly good fun when you collect bowls of bones, and the table ends up looking like a prehistoric feasting ground with sated cavemen reclining in chairs around the table.

Kids table setting at a birthday party

I have fantastic memories of birthday parties as a kid: tonnes of food (including mini pies, sausage rolls, spring rolls, and loads and loads of cakes and sweet treats), all my school friends and family, party games, lolly bags and coloufully-wrapped presents.

Barbie birthday cake

I also remember having a scrumptious, pink Barbie cake much like the one above. What more could a little girl really want?

Teddy bear birthday cake

I also had shared birthday parties as a kid, so there would often be two lots of friends, two birthday cakes and sometimes even two types of take-home lolly bags.

Remnants of Ted - vanilla buttercake with chocolate frosting

I now see how much work went into it all, and am grateful for those responsible for the good times in my under-11-year-old days.

Cupcake decorating toppings

My earliest party game memory is 'Pin the Tail on the Donkey' but I also recall fabulous treasure hunts through a big backyard and black hands from newspaper-wrapped 'Pass the Parcel'.

But with the recent turn towards all things food and cooking, it's no surprise that a cupcake-decorating station was a complete and utter hit with the kiddies and parents alike.

Decorating cupcakes

Some of the younger kids headed straight for the jelly lollies, Smarties and mini marshmallows that were for decorating the pre-baked cupcakes, while some of the older kids frosted the cakes for the younger ones to throw into a bowl of hundreds and thousands. A good time had by all.

Half roast chicken with salads from Madam Char Char, Crown Street, Surry Hills

I'd never thought that takeaway roast chicken could go high end. Yes, organic, woodfired and all - but high end? Yet another voucher exposed me to Madam Char Char in Surry Hills, which has a sizeable eat-in area looking out to Crown Street and an impressive range of gourmet salads.

Free range Lilydale chickens are filled with a herb and spice stuffing, and roasted under a heady spice rub that bursts with cinnamon. The thigh is deliciously juicy while the breast is also tender and tasty.

From memory our selection of three salds includes exotic mixes like quinoa, roast eggplant, parsley, toasted nuts, mint and currents with a green tahini dressing; and pickled beetroot, chickpeas and pumpkin seeds with yoghurt dressing.

Roasted vegies (potato, pumpkin, sweet potato) from Madam Char Char

On the cooked vegies side, gorgeously roasted potato, pumpkin and sweet potato display a similar spicing as the roast chicken, with very strong cinnamon overtones. So good, the vegies were close to outshining the chicken.

Smoked bacon & maple syrup manhattan at Zeta Bar, Hilton Sydney

Grant Collins' extensive cocktail menu at the Hilton's Zeta Bar features something I just had to try one evening after a few too many drinks already. Not a bourbon drinker, I think I ordered the bacon and maple syrup manhattan more out of hunger than anything else.

Inspired by New York bar PDT's bacon-infused bourbon (via a fat washing method), Zeta's interpretation mixes smoky bacon-infused bourbon, maple syrup, cherry syrup, and sweet and dry vermouth. And best of all, it's garnished with a rasher of cooked bacon that I can nibble on while the bourbon eats my insides.

But it's not that bad. The cherry flavour does well in hiding the king-hit of the bourbon (and the maple syrup somewhat too), while excluding the garnish, there doesn't seem to be a strong bacon flavour. Nonetheless, it's certainly a drink to warm the senses; plus I know many people who would think that bacon improves just about everything.

Rambutan – a tropical escape

Sydney’s winter is nearing an end, although it may not feel like it just yet. With a few weeks till the official start of spring, I’m doing my very best to make it through.

I don’t like the cooler weather – the need for extra layers and woolly accessories; the inability to wear my Havvies and pretty dresses; the cravings for hearty, fat/carb-loaded food.

Tropical fish downstairs in the tiki lounge at Rambutan, Oxford Street, Paddington

Escaping to any tropical retreat – or indeed, anywhere warm – has been a constant in my mind for the last couple of months. I found temporary respite descending the stairs to Rambutan’s underground tiki bar, armed with a voucher and the usual scarf-coat-gloves combo.

Dr Phil’s Famous Flaming Rum Punch

If the illuminated tanks of tropical fish weren’t enough to send me on a tropical holiday, the tiki cocktails certainly were. Take the impossible-to-not-order ‘Dr Phil’s Famous Flaming Rum Punch’. Presumably named after the cocktail bartender now at Eau de Vie, this was one hell of a drink to watch come together.

Appleton VX rum features in the base drink, but the drama is all in the upturned lime half, which is filled with raw sugar and floated in the tiki glass. A splash of booze and a lick of fire later, the drink is flamin’ on fire – the sugar melting to a caramel that sweetens the punch.

When the blue flame sadly is no more, the remaining drink is a strong reminder that cocktails most certainly can be imbibed in the middle of winter – flames, tropical fish or not.

Coconut and kaffir lime daiquiri carnival

I opt for something a little more summery and fitting of the modern Thai food which we’re about to dine on. Kaffir lime is up there with my favourite scents, and the leaf floating atop this cloudy white cocktail fills the nostrils with the floral, citrusy aroma, although the flavour doesn’t quite reach the tastebuds.

It’s a sweet cocktail, if not a little too much for my tastes, with an overpowering, almost oily flavour of coconut; even over and above that of the usually strong taste of Sagatiba Pure Cachaça.

After a little defrosting in the tiki lounge, we head upstairs to the dining room, precariously balancing our cocktails all the while up. We’re seated at a small table for two aside the large communal table; the space significantly narrower and squishier than I remember from previous visits (although perhaps that’s just the snowman-shaped/dressed me talking).

Miang (betel leaf) with tea smoked trout and grilled chilli eggplant relish

To start, I can never go past the betel leaves, here opting for the smoked trout option. It usually takes me at least a couple of messy mouthfuls to eat the whole thing – but all the more to enjoy it for longer.

Each mouthful is jam-packed a flavour bomb of ingredients – the soft pieces of smoked trout are gorgeous while the eggplant is a bit lost beneath the good hint of chilli and overall sweetness.

Mussels with lemongrass, Thai basil and chilli

The entrée special of this particular evening was mussels – lightly cooked with lemongrass, Thai basil and quite a bit of chilli, it was my favourite of the night. I adored the mussels, which were just cooked and impossibly tender for the mollusc which can be notoriously chewy.

The chilli kick was perfect while some rice would have been good to eat with the sweet, chilli-spiked juices left at the bottom of the bowl. Another round of mussels would also have gone down well.

But it was time for mains, and ambitious ordering of two dishes plus fried rice and a steamed rice portion meant the small table was not going to handle it. Bring out the metal stand that elevated one of the mains above the bowl of rice for some strategic dish juggling.

Pla laht prik - hot, sweet and sour crispy whole barramundi with
bamboo shoot and kaffir lime leaf

I don’t often order whole fish in restaurants (is there anything more embarrassing than choking on a bone?), but was hoping the barramundi wouldn’t have too many small bones. Right I was, and some of the bones were even crisped up to a near edible state.

Lightly battered and fried, the fish was doused in the sauce that was more sweet than hot or sour. The crunchily fried kaffir lime leaves were pretty and added a subtle flavour, and the whole fish became a skeleton not too long into the mains.

Dry red curry, roasted pork belly with snake beans, grachi and holy basil

The pork belly was exactly what I imagined and what I was looking forward to – crackling-topped hunks of fatty pork, smeared with (again, rather sweet) red curry sauce and served with delightful snake beans and more crisped green herbs. This was fabulous with steamed rice and even pretty good the day after as leftovers.

Fried rice with gai lan, cherry tomato and chilli jam

The fried rice was actually nothing too special. There was egg and shallots as you’d expect, with a dollop of chilli jam served alongside for a sweet, chilli touch. This mostly headed into takeaway containers as we'd ordered rather overzealously.

We didn’t linger for desserts although service was efficient and very friendly all night. With the seriously squishy seating and narrow spaces between the tables, the feel inside Rambutan is unsurprisingly intimate although it can also get pretty noisy. They almost look like they have more room in the open kitchen.

Grabbing our takeaway containers, it’s a cold entry back to reality – where, sadly, tropical fish and tiki cocktails don’t float about. Where are you, spring?

Alio: An offer I couldn't refuse

Last month, or peak birthday season as I call it, I was sent an early birthday card from the marketing sorts at Alio; a modern Italian restaurant in the Redfern end of Surry Hills that I’d often passed but never entered despite intentions.

Offering me their seasonal degustation menu as a birthday present (complimentary with at least another full-paying diner), it was too good an offer to refuse. Blowing in from the wind, we find ourselves seated at the spacious but quiet bar for cocktails before the meal.

Hand made grissini from Alio, Baptist Street, Surry Hills

Known for a monthly changing degustation menu, Alio has a simple, relaxed feel that probably reflects its particular end of Surry Hills, if not its years of opening. In business for an admirable 10 years, Alio attracts several tables for two this blustery Wednesday evening, as well as a large family birthday.

With matching wines to our 10-course degustation, the first three courses arrived in a flurry following the rather celebratory Chrismont Brut Reserve Sparkling from Victoria’s King Valley.

Hand-made grissini could hardly be called a course, but it was served with a gorgeous, pillowy rosemary focaccia, marinated organic olives and some seriously good nubs of 40-month old Reggiano Parmigiano cheese that’s excitingly refined.

Potato and celeriac soup

Along with the first plate comes a teacup of potato and celeriac soup, which is surprisingly full-bodied, creamy – worth licking out the bottom of the cup.

Baked eggplant with buffalo mozzarella, basil and tomato salsa

The eggplant dish is an impressive improvement to a classic insalata caprese, entirely appropriate for the cooler weather. The thin, baked slice of eggplant was soft and creamy in texture with the skin baked to a crisp. It contrasted beautifully against the chewy stringiness of the melting mozzarella, which seemed to act as the feature protein.

Served with (I think) a 25-year-old balsamic vinegar, oil-doused tomato salsa, chives and baby basil leaves, we could definitely have gone another three of these each; so well-balanced and scrumptious they were.

The Mas Donis Rosat Montsant from Spain came with an explanation from the sommelier and matched exceedingly well; a deep pink rose of sweet floral top notes followed with a pleasantly dry finish.

Salmon gravlax with crostini and crème fraiche

The ‘pretty as a contemporary art picture’ salmon gravlax was dressed with zigzags of mustard dressing and a quenelle of crème fraiche. The piled-up salad consisted of snow pea sprouts, pickled cucumber and lots of dill – three flavours that partnered remarkably well with the raw salmon.

The deafeningly crunchy crostini was the perfect carrier for the thin, orange slices of fish, which had just a touch of fishiness towards the end of the dish, which was easy to ignore with more crème fraiche with each bite.

The crisp yet complex house white wine from Cheshunt, Victoria again matched well though arrived sans explanation or tasting notes (as did the rest of the wines for the evening).

Pan fried salami with wet polenta and herb butter

The next dish sounded unusual on the menu and indeed looked that way when it arrived too. Paper thin slices of spicy salami, pan fried to a crisp edge, were served atop a large dollop of polenta with crispy sage leaves.

While the subdued, grainy polenta offset the flavour-packed salami rounds, it felt a little like a collision of a side dish and an antipasti rather than a dish proper. This was served with a gorgeous Corte Giara Pinot Grigio from Venice.

Potato gnocchi with braised ox tail and parmesan

To the meaty end of the meal, we started on meltingly soft yet slightly weighty potato gnocchi with a hearty sauce of stewed ox tail. Luckily a small serve and freshened up with chopped parsley, this dish was downed with the sprightly, berry-noted Navarro Lopez Tempranillo Tierracalar from Spain.

Lamb shoulder, slow cooked for 12 hours, with pea mash

The final savoury dish immediately reminded me of a Harry’s Café de Wheels Tiger (that would have been the peas and gravy) and it wasn’t difficult to dive straight in. The pea mash swam in the rich, velvety gravy from the lamb shoulder, which was fall-apart tender and simply blissful.

This was served with my favourite matched wine of the night: the Little Demon Cabernet Merlot from South Australia’s McLaren Vale which held its own against the robust lamb dish.

Mandarin sorbet

Eight savoury dishes later, I wasn’t as stuffed as I thought I might be, thanks to the petite serving sizes. I also wasn’t anywhere nearing tipsy as less-than-half-glasses of the matched wines were served (albeit in normal-sized glasses).

There were to be two dessert wines; the first – a pretty, saccharine Stella Bella Pink Muscat from Western Australia’s Margaret River – served alongside the in-house made mandarin sorbet, which was spot on and reminded me a little of these mandarin jelly lollies I used to be addicted to.

Caramelised lemon tart with lemon ice cream

The final dessert was rather on the large side, if not one of the biggest dishes of the night. The lemon tart featured a caramelised, brûlée-like hardened top, tangy lemon curd and the shortest pastry I think I’ve ever had.

In all, it was a little pedestrian but was lifted by the creamy lemon ice cream. The lightly fizzy Grani di Sole Moscato di’Asti from Mombaruzzo, Italy was a fun note to end on – sweet enough to combat both the tart and ice cream.

So, ten courses, eight wines and 27 years down, it was a relatively quiet birthday celebration this year, centred on three dinners and a lunch, a fair bit of wine – and not to forget a voucher for some pretty new shoes. That’s a combined offer I certainly cannot refuse.