Quarter Twenty One (closed), CBD

It's long been since that when I first tried the famous Wagyu Burger and Peanut Brittle Banana Tart at Plan B that I had to one day eat at one of Justin North's actual restaurants. Relocation and price made that a bit difficult but Quarter 21 is a step towards the more affordable side especially after it joined Full Society as one of the restaurants you can get discounts at. My little secret. But first I want to ramble on about Avengers so skip to the 3rd paragraph if you're only after food.

Read More

El Loco, Surry Hills

"Secret" Taco. The name that's nearly infamous with all food bloggers familiar with the Surry Hills area. You really need a little loco in you to have a go. Okay I'm exaggerating but it certainly is for the slightly more adventurous. I've been here numerous times and I've tried basically every body part of every animal in existence from this place. Some days you might get something a little tame like lamb sweet breads, liver or crab, other days giblets and one day pigs uterus. For a guy who dislikes pig and who certainly doesn't eat uterus on a daily basis. Don't get me wrong, it was far from terrible. It had a sort of kidney/ livery texture and not much flavour but had I known, maybe I would of imagined something a whole lot more wacky. 

Read More

Sushi Ichiba, Japan

We all know Japan is the land of sushi, and some even think sushi is eaten every day and every night in Japan. Now hold that thought for a sec, yes they do eat sushi, but surprisingly infrequent as to what a Western mind may have assumed.

Read More

Tsu something something, Kagoshima, Japan

Finally. It's been a long long time since I've blogged here. Apologies to my fellow bloggers and readers of this blog. Basically I've been around and about in Asia for 2 months in Dec, Jan and Feb so I was having the time of my life while everyone here was cruising in boring old Australia (though of course not all is boring).

Well, this post is about an izakaya (sort of like a tapas bar) I visited in Kagoshima, Japan, a place known for the abundance of produce thanks to its coastal location and renowned shochu (a Japanese rice/potato wine). The name of the restaurant? Well...I sort of forgot. It starts with Tsu with a few unknown letters after that. Unfortunately, my photos didn't turn out very well because firstly, I was rushing to take a photo so I could eat, and secondly, because of how little light there was in the place, but I brightened it up though some pics are still blurry. Boo hoo.

We (that being my 5 member host family and I) settle down in this very old-fashioned-detective-like Japanese setting with small wooden tables for the mingling of friends and family who are just as close-knit.

Marinated black beans (kuroi mame), burdock root (gobo) and other mysterious pickled Japanese veges were on the house as part of the New Years celebration. These are some of the things you find in Osechi meals during the New Year. Burdock root is a favourite of mine simply because it's crunchy, with a texture quite resembling that of bamboo shoots, and I love that it's marinated with sesame seeds and slightly sweetened - a classic Japanese flavour.

Ume-shu (a very weak plum alcohol). It's refreshing and slightly sweet which really is compatible with a woman's palette. This ume-shu was one of the best I've had in Japan, other than my friend's grandma's 10 year-old homemade one which was ultimately the ultimate.



Shochu. This one is made from satsuma, a sweet potato Kagoshima is famous for with about 25-30% alcohol. Basically, shochu tastes like vodka, though a bit more evil and burny. We hardly drink shots in Japan so we mix this with water and ice. The cool thing was, the unfinished half bottle was tagged with a message from my host dad to his friend who lives in Kagoshima, and put up in display with several other tagged bottles (some were very old).



The usu. Salad. Wasn't anything out of the ordinary.



Now this is where I start talking. Sashimi - salmon, tuna, and the rest...I really can't remember. Regardless, this sashimi was so fresh and cool to the tongue, with a satisfying plunge of teeth into its marvelous grained flesh. Boy, this was good.



Cubed tuna with avocado topped with seaweed and soy-sauce based dressing. This salad was equally as divine and refreshing as the sashimi palette.



Korokke. Crumbed and deep-fried potato and other veges. Crispy with a very melty soft inside. I was never really that much of a fried food person, but after returning to Australia, I've been seeking for some good crisp, light and not too greasy stuff that matches to that of Japan's. And not surprisingly, I'm still carrying some holiday weight :s.



Stone pot kimchi rice top with melted cheese. Everything with cheese is just so damn good. The kimchi rice itself was decent but it was the cheese, the cheese that completed this meal.



Chicken fried rice. No idea how this tastes but I assume it was nice since my host brother gobbled it down like a monster.



Shirokuma. A specialty of Kagoshima. This shaved ice desert, literally meaning white bear or polar bear is chilly, milky sweet and tangy at times depending on the fruit topping. I like it, but I don't love it, probably because I'm not such a huge fan of icy stuff.

It was a night of weasiness and being tipsy (at least for me) with great fun and excessive chatting over the table with my lovely host family. This meal had been the best one I've had since a long time, and if I were to rate it, it would have been my second or third best meal that I had in Japan. And the price? Um, expensive...very expensive. I think the whole meal with drinks cost over 20000 yen (approx. 270AUD) but please note I didn't post up 3 other dishes as the photos were just bad and unidentifiable. Honestly, these photos don't do justice. Overall, for those who haven't been to an izakaya before, this is the general gist of it. Izakayas always have a great atmosphere for you to get chatting away with your family, friends or even long lost friends.

On a last note, I want to give myself a pat on the back for finally breaking out of my laziness to post this. Hopefully, I will post about my other food adventures in Japan soon :).

Read More

Bentley Restaurant and Bar, Surry Hills

Who knows what kind of Blumenthal wizz bangery lies behind the kitchens of Bentley? At least that's what I'm thinking when I walked into one of the rare restaurants in Sydney known for molecular gastronomy. I'm often fearful of this sub-strand of food. Sub-strand... sounds like it belongs more in a science book than a restaurant. Food should be food and there shouldn't be too much messing around with quality ingredients. But there is that element of whimsicality that just seems so exciting to pass up and hey, I'm willing to try anything.

Read More

est. Colonial Gastronomy, Wynyard

Bring in the heritage listed site, add a few decorated columns here and there, an elegant crystal chandelier or two, suit up the waiters, bring in white linen then get some candle and flower action going on and you have est. And they really know how to throw a special dinner. We came up through the elevator to be greeted by a fully dressed coloniser playing the drums. It seems to me from past experiences that est. is the penultimate in the traditional fine dining experience, along with the negatives and positives of that. 


I should really invest in a better camera soon but my trusted Olympus has never failed me... until that day because I forgot to charge it. So that was my fault. I thank A for my pictures tonight, without which, you would be currently looking at a boring bunch of words. Now it's a boring bunch of words with pictures! But i'd like to think that I write half decently right?

Damper

We started off with a warm very colonial damper which is denser than usual bread but still very delicious.

wallaby tail consommé, native pepper berry

In the description that came alone with this it said "The tail of the forest kangaroo in particular makes a soup which, both in richness and in flavour, is far superior to any ox-tail soup ever tasted"- Edward Abbott 1864. I couldn't agree more, it by far the best tasting consommé I've ever had. It had heady notes of slight gameyness, perfectly seasoned and was well balanced in flavour. The wallaby tails similarly were just as perfect; marvellously tender with the residual consommé heat finishing it off. Add in pepper berries, little baby turnips all prettily arranged and it would seem like the Australian Bear Grylls collided with a modern kitchen.

sydney cove shellfish

The oysters here were a real stand out. They say the bigger the better. I say good things come in small packages. These were fresh, salty, plump just as a proper oyster should be. It pains me seeing A just 'drink' the oyster because she loathes them, her loss. Clams were just as good, dressed in a tart sauce and echoed freshness again.  

collared sydney harbour whiting, stewed cabbage, savory

Afterwoods a 2nd course of whiting was presented to us. Honestly it was quite average. Yes, the simplicity is meant to be a reflection on the time period, however accuracy shouldn't come at the cost of flavour and excitement, especially at a high end restaurant.     

roast quail, melted butter sauce, warrigal greens

Everyone gets a whole quail to themselves! And who says you leave fine dining hungry. Quails on the other hand, were a little more exciting, mainly because I love anything with a beurre blanc; with the tartness offsetting the richness. I thought it was a pain having to take apart the quail and get between the bones being lazy and all. But no pain no gain and I thought the gain was quite a good trade off as the entire quail was terrifically well cooked to a medium and delicious.

Trust me, these seats filled up quick

Est. have mastered the whole table swoop. It's really quite a sight seeing 12 waiters come out at once and just place plates in front of ever diner at the same time. You won't see that anywhere else in Sydney. And it's the little things like that that make it special. For a table of 8, 8 waiters come out at once with dishes, then another 2 with accompaniments AT THE SAME TIME. 

rack of lamb and lamb sweetbreads, lily pilly jelly, stewed cucumbers, turnips

A generous serving of lamb is presented to us afterwoods, well cooked to a medium rare although it was quite tough and you really had to knife at the thing to eat it. The inclusion of lily pilly jelly was quite interesting. I found that you can basically find these growing anywhere, but you really have to cook it down to reduce the bitterness. Well... it tastes like Fountain steak sauce.

very good old fashioned boiled custard

When I was eating it then, I just kept thinking about how disappointing simple it was. Now that I reflect back, I realise how ignorant I was; it's the most perfect boiled custard I've ever had. The simplicity highlights how well done it is, yielding to the spoon, just set and literally dissolves on your tongue. It was exceptionally balanced in sweetness and flavour with just enough liqueur underneath to give it a little kick and the toasted almonds provided a welcomed nuttiness and bite.

cheese
quickes cheddar, stilton, rum biscuits

I'm usually not a big fan of Stilton, or any blue cheese for that matter. I tried making a pie once using Stilton as the base sauce and even a tad little bit is very punchy. Don't get me wrong, I love cheese in general: a camembert fondue, a little shaving of parmesan on scrambled eggs, gruyere on onion soup, it's just blue cheese I dislike. I found out the secret to enjoying it is to ADD FRUIT. Yes i'm aware, I'm very much a cheese noob. The cheddar and stilton goes beautifully with the biscuits and grapes which I otherwise would of not enjoyed. 

savoury entremets
Jerusalem artichokes, anchovy toasts, watercress, radishes

Wait what... Savoury after sweet? And here I was expecting petit fours. Well these are the Colonial days after all, not that I'll pretend to know anything about it. I really wish I had a do over again with this dish. Really, really, really. A told me that apparently you're meant to eat the artichokes with the pickled onions. Why did I not think of that. Come to think of it, the artichokes were quite bland but would of paired beautifully with the incredibly tart pickled onions. I've never been a fan of radishes but the anchovy toasts were the perfect way to finish off the evening.

A did opt for matching wines but being a wine novice, I felt a lot of the flavours detracted from the over flavours of the food. A very amusingly compared to the lemon z liqueur paired with the custard to detergent. I very much agreed, so much so that the even couple beside us also agreed. She did enjoy the james squire 'chancer' golden ale though heh heh. I remember.

The Colonial Gastronomy dinner is certainly interesting and I really enjoyed the night, but a lot of that est. finesse with everything is lost; from your multiple delicate flavours to intricately plated dishes, flowers and all have gone missing. I guess I was just expecting too much. It's certainly made me glad food has evolved into the 21st century. 



View Larger Map

Read More

District Dining (closed), Surry Hills

Seems like a lot of the restaurants these days have a bar on the side. It's a nice touch having daily specials scribbled on the mirror behind, watching the barkeep flip a cocktail or listening to the therapeutic sound steaming of steaming milk. 

I decided to take an old friend along to dinner and I was really intent on her trying a degustation. It's the must have experience for any Sydney foodie but unfortunately budgets can be quite limiting. I thought of Vini and their $50 regional dinner but they were booked out weeks in advanced and I hear Jamie's Italian can be quite the nightmare to get seats for. Fortunately being the planner I am, I have multiple backups and we were soon on our way to District. Sorry for the weird angles and everything, I'm still trying to learn how to use a camera.

District crispy chicken wings, chilli caramel 16

We started off with chicken wings. Yeah I know anyone can basically make chicken wings and these were pretty ordinary if not for the amazing caramel that came with it. Seriously forget bottled sweet chilli sauce, this chilli caramel was so good I could drink the stuff. It gets better when it starts slowly crystallizing and you get all these little crispy bits along with the aromats like ginger, lemongrass, chilli, sesame oil and other asian flavours. The lemon water on the side is a clear indicator you should use your hands to eat these, I mean how else would eat chicken wings?

Seared Scallops, cauliflower, chorizo, Pedro Ximénez 22

Cauliflower puree, pork and scallops are best friends. How could you go wrong with them? This was well executed and the scallops were cooked to perfection, seared on the outside and opaque in the middle.

Kingfish, wasabi snow, soy tapioca, radish

You get kingfish cooked two different ways, fried and seared. Personally I'm one for searing fish, it's basically two textures in one, your seared cooked outside and your fresh sashimi in the inside. Wasabi snow was pretty cool, hot and cold in the same mouthful and it really plays with your mind. That and a generous serving of big roe and you get a wicked dish. I usually loath the use of radishes in general because I find them overpowering but these were used sparingly enough that their flavour was very subtle.

Duck Confit, ras el hanout, carrot, orange, ginger 28

Duck was deliciously cooked, skin crisped up and all with a really warming blend of spices, although the meat could use a few more hours confiting to ensure it's more fall apart. Add carrots and a parsley oil and you have the perfect autumn dish.

Peanut Butter Parfait, chocolate cookie crumble, banana 14

Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, I love Peanut Butter. It's Peanuts and It's Buttery and that equals happiness and obesity. That was an unintentional rhyme, I swear. I see anything with these words and I immediately order away. Speaking of which I bought another 3 bags of Reeses so there goes my anti sugar diet. Anyway this was delightful because peanut butter and banana are the perfect match. The parfait was dense and smooth and bruleéing the tops of the bananas really adds a simple unique texture to bananas. The banana puree brings it all together and the cookie crumbs are really there for an extra texture.

Blueberry Eton Mess, blueberry sorbet 14

I've had a fascination lately with anything Eton Mess ever since Montpellier's version of it  (Refer to Montpellier Eton Mess). There something about a deconstructed meringue that really appeals to me. Blueberries were superfresh, sweet and soury and the meringue had just the right amount of sweetness but that quinelle of blueberry sorbet was really something else. Watery and sweet, yet distinctively blueberrily, it just lifts this to a whole new dimension.

Remove the white linen, throw in some wooden boards, plank floors, retro colours, abstract art, hard wooden chairs and a serve-it-your-own jug of water and basically any restaurant calls itself casual dining. The food certainly has that Assiette vibe. Despite the restaurant bistro fit out, the food doesn't really pull off the rustic look all that well. Give it a wooden board and it's still meticulously plated and the food can get quite busy at times. Nevertheless the food is delicious and well thought out and the produce is very fresh and seasonal. I'd happily come back here again in a heartbeat.

Read More

Taste of Sydney Food Festival, Centennial Park

When the annual food fest rolls around the corner, I can't help but get all excited. Free crap, stalls, food at a price cheaper than in the restaurants, no bookings, parklands. Yes please. Don't expect any lineup equivalent to Future, Stereosonic, Soundwave, Super K-pop fest etc though, instead, all the up and coming restaurants take the opportunity to showcase all their best plates, where the only weed in sight is the rare occasional shrub growing out of the otherwise unblemished lawn and your legs get sore rather than your ears getting sore. What both have in common though is alot and alot of alcohol. Alot.

Thursday rains threatened to ruin the day; my uni even had their football fields turn into a pool with ducks swimming and dogs paddling in it and all, I shit you not. We were on the news. But it turned out to be a gorgeous day, not a cloud in sight. Optimism does that. I rather ambitiously organised a group of 15 to turn up to the event but we ended up just splitting into groups and roaming the parklands seperately. A kind thank you to the wonderful Syl for providing me these photos. Had I the exact same camera, they wouldn't of even remotely turned out as good.

Kadayif Wrapped King Prawns, Walnut Capsicum Muhamara (Efendy) 

Traditional Charcoal BBQ Lamb and Veal Kebab, Smoked Eggplant and Chobani Greek Yoghurt (Efendy)

Pistachio Trio of Traditional Baklava, Dolma and Kadayif (Efendy)

Pan Fried Lamb Testicles with Almond Tarrator (Efendy)

Apparently these taste like fish balls but I didn't have the errr... balls to eat this so I wouldn't know.

Fried Hawkesbury School Prawns, Proscuitto and Rouille (Quarter 21) 

People sometimes get iffy about having prawns, shells and all. When I was young, I cut my lip once because some of them are really sharp and I was too lazy to remove the shells so I just ate the whole thing. Lesson learnt. Today, no makeshift blades left in this pot of goodness fortunately, but you still need to be careful. Rouille was delightful and with the smoky salty proscuitto makes a wicked combination.

FRITELLE A BACCALA, PATATE e TARTUFO (A tavola)
Salt Cod, Potato and Truffle Fritters with Tarragon Mayonaise

Give me this everyday and I'll be happy. Crisp on the outside and impossibly soft in the inside, the potato permeates with the slight flavours of earthy truffle making this a real winner.

Salmon Crudo, Baby Beetroot, Yoghurt, Olive Dust (Ormeggio at the Spit / Spiedo)

I really liked this. Brilliantly done combination with ingredients changed into interesting forms with an unparalleled clarity in flavours. Wasn't what I was expecting but still thoroughly enjoyed.

Gundoee Wagyu Sirloin, Slow Braised Brisket,
Honey Roasted Carrots, Royal Black Quinoa & Truffle Butter (Agapé Organic Restaurant and Bar)

Had this next but I ended up being dissappointed, especially from the asking price of 20 crowns. There's a lot going on in this one dish and everything worked so well together, carrots well cooked, braised rib deliciously fall apart and surprisingly the licquorice adds an welcome aniseedie, earthy dimension but the sirloin was overcooked to the point of medium well and you lose alot of that supposed meltingness that you would associate with wagyu. The truffle was disappointingly lost throughout all the flavours.

Ping Pong:
Lychees and Passionfruit Pulp are added to Erinstoff Vodka, Lychees and Fresh Lime Juice (Longrain Bar)

I abhor alcohol seriously. The smell, the taste. It bemuses me how some people could drink the stuff on a daily basis. I suppose one day I'll grow up to enjoy it. But not for now. Ping Pong however was delightful: fruity and sweet with lychees and passionfruits and only a little kick of vodka to remind you it's a cocktail and you're there to get giddy.

Slow Cooked and Caramelised Short Rib with Bone Marrow Persillade (Quarter 21)

Free Yoghurt! It was okay

We were offered both desserts at Montpellier for a 14 for 2 price saving us 8 crowns which was an absolute no brainer so we immediately took it.

Eton Mess (The Montpellier Public House)

Eton mess was simple, but as a classic should also be; it was also delicious. The right amount of sweetness from the meringue and chantilly really to showcases the quality of the strawberries.

Pepe Saya Buttermilk and Vanilla Panna Cotta with Poached Fruits (The Montpellier Public House)

The pannacotta was also a winner, melting and wobbly, dosed with a generous amount of vanilla seeds and again highlights the tart and sweetness of the berries and coullis. 

At the end of the day, it really is all about trying everything possible rather than making an effort to really think about the food itself. But it's good to have that opportunity to not need to think so hard and just eat things cause they're handed to you for free. More than excited to go back next year. Here's to me hoping that all the expensive restaurants sign up again so we get to try cheap food again. Some of the restaurants have dishes at their stands where the normal price would be 2 or 3 times more expensive. The food is admittedly good, though not great. If you want the restaurant experience, go to the restaurant. I think I'll be giving Montpellier a visit soon.

My tips:
1 Get there early so you don't have to fight for shady spots.

2 Plan your day out according to what events you want to attend beforehand

3 Know what you want to eat from the menu so you won't walk around aimlessly 

4 The 30 dollar entrance fee can be a bit criminal but look around and you'll find that there are deals around. We got our tickets on ticketek for 35 for 2 which was pretty awesome

5 THERE ARE MANY FREEBIES if you know where to look for them. And they're pretty decent as well. Crowns are overated when you can just raid store to store for yummy samples. But of course half the point is trying the restaurants at cheaper prices so do buy a few.



View Larger Map

Read More