Brewtown, Newtown

Not actually late to the party this time. Just a huge backlog of stuff I need to do. That aforementioned party is the huge social media driven attention that Brewtown is currently experiencing. Keen to check it out for myself and always happening to be around Newtown, off we went to hipster town. 

If you haven't heard of them already, Brewtown is hot news right now. Avid followers line up outside keen for their freshly fried batches of cronuts, roasted coffee and other simple breakfast items.

Corned beef hash with garden peas, poached egg and parmesan crumbs 15

We start off with potato hash, corned beef and eggs. I'm always looking forward to perfectly poached eggs but they definitely need to up their egg game because they were incredibly over-cooked.

Beetroot cured ocean trout with goat's cheese, caper berries and baby beets 16.5

Next up is a fresh little garden of watercress, sweet baby beets, salty caper berries and dill with sweet ribbons of ocean trout and creamy mild goats cheese thrown around. 

Squid ink linguine, garlic chilli prawns, kale and parmesan 18.5

Health nuts rejoice as the usual affair of squid ink pasta, parmesan and prawns is twisted up with the addition of kale. We love the touch of chilli at the end which brightens up an otherwise plain-jane dish.  

Cinnamon Cronut 4.5

Chocolate Crumble Cronut 4.5

Raspberry Jam Cronut 4.5

First time ever with cronuts and they're pretty good... for a fad (I adore macarons by the way so a little ironic). I think I set the bar a bit high but you get what you expect: a flakey layered doughnut. They're nice and crisp with simple toppings; perfect way to finish.

The food's top notch, the coffee's roasted and brewed up stairs and they've almost single-handedly fed Sydney's obsession with pastry hybrid. Matched with bright-eyed service, it's easy to see that the whole hype around is totally justified.

Read More

Four In Hand, Paddington

And so flipping blogger decided to collapse on itself suddenly when I just finished this post and whatever I did to this post magically deleted itself. Starting from scratch at 2am in the morning while the adrenaline is still running. Not a good way to go. But I was keen to get this post out seeing as it's been a while since I actually went to Four In Hand. Which is brilliant mind you. The place where I had my first drink. And before that was a magnificent lamb shoulder. Ahhh the memories.

There's been a bit of remodelling done since the last time I've been here. The colour palette is the same; giant mirrors with their signature lamb shoulder written across it, the paintings and the stark black and white colour scheme but there's a certain cheeriness that the front house and comfortable seating arrangement injects into the mix. Naturally, we're never around Paddington so we opt for the decently priced 8 course chef's tasting menu for 135 dollars.

Butter is served in a cool marrow bone...

Oysters with Wakame

...and the oysters are brilliant with wilted wakame and arrive with shells covering the precious insides.

Amuse Bouche

An amuse of fish soup is wonderfully aromatic with touches of pungent citrus but it's rather one dimensional.

Crab Taco

However, crab taco sets the theme with a wonderfully imaginative mish mash of deep-fried pork skin, fennel and mayo with Alaskan king crab and we're instantly excited for what's the come.

Ham Hock Potatoes with House Bacon, Poached Scampi and Sea Herbs

I'm also not the most keen on anything pork related but this would make a solid argument on pro-pork. A deep salty broth, ridiculously tender scampi teamed up with super crispy pancetta and pork hock and baby new season potatoes cut right through with a scattering of foraged samphire and seaweed. Magic. 

Charred Lambs Tongue with Crisp Rib, Mint Jelly and Seared Cucumber

The smoky tongue and refreshing pickled cucumber and mint combo is almost as brilliant but the carnivore in me was crying out for a little more meat and a little less everything else.

Swede Soup with Pickled Seaweed and Mushrooms

Soups are a common thing here but I'm definitely not complaining. This one is a perfectly heartwarming thick swede soup with strewn mushrooms and wonderfully tart seaweed which cuts through all the richness.

Roast Chicken with Chicken Bread, Celeriac and Prunes

Usually one would bat an eye to anything reminiscent to a home cooked meal but Four In Hand nail their contemporary take on the Sunday roast chook. You get a marvelously tender breast, bread soaked up with chicken-y roasting juices, a rich little splodge of chicken liver parfait and little florets of broccoli to complete the dish.

Colcannon 10

Colcannon is like the decadent mashed potatoes you get at restaurants but Irished up with fennel, parsley and spring onions. It's rich enough that you'll want more but healthy enough that you won't feel bad doing so.

Milk Poached Veal with Braised Beef Brisket, Veal Tongue and Crisped Kale

Beef 3 ways is always very exciting to have served up to you. Backed up with crisp tempura-ed kale, shavings of wasabi like horseradish and dressed with its own juices, it's complete and comforting and very enjoyable.

We love the whole at the front table scrapping of their own rooftop honey. Not so much the left over wax that results from chewing it. 

Lemon Verbena Parfait with Vanilla Cucumber and Rooftop Honey

That aside, it's perfect, the aromatic verbena parfait with the cucumber oddly working, being neutral enough that it fits and adds to the deft lightness.

Licorice Poached Quince with Parsnip Ice-cream

Savoury vegetables in dessert continues with the last course but I don't quite get it this time. Salted crisps of parsnip, sugary quinces and licourice do work but I suffered from a little envy as a plate of 'chocolate and cornflakes' slides by our table and I craved a little something more normal.

Celebrity chef or not, Colin Fassnidge's Four In Hand hasn't missed a beat since the last time I've been here. For the newcomers, don't let the Fassnidge's whole nose-to-tail affair, which peeps out occasionally, intimidate you. Four In Hand, for the most part is wonderfully inventive and deeply comforting and yet refined and that's refreshing in a sea of pedantic nuanced fine diners. Straight bang in winter, there's no where else I'd rather be. 

Read More

My Tandoori Indian Restaurant, Green Valley

Wake up -> Uni -> Tutoring -> Gym -> Sleep -> Repeat is pretty much how I spend the first 4 days of every week doing. Going out to eat fancy schmancy? Ain't nobody got time for that. Well occasionally. But most days of the week there's hardly any time and I'm sure most of us can agree. Menulog comes to the rescue here with their convenient online food delivery service to anyone who has a inch for convenient food without going down the path of fast fast food.

It's quite easy really. I ordered it through their website, filtering it down to ones available by delivery through my suburb in 'Bonnyrigg Heights Take-Away Restaurants' and then finding the right cuisine for the night. Indian? Only a click away.

Read More