Michael and Kyle's reception - The Loft, Sydney 23/10/10

Yesterday was a beautiful day! Not weather wise, weather wise we all looked like drowned rats! But we were stylish drowned rats. Yesterday I got to be present when two of my favourite boys pledged to spend the rest of their lives together and I was honoured to be there to share it with them.

As Mick is always the first to "like" my posts from this blog when I link them on Facebook I thought it was most fitting for me to write an entry about their reception and the fantastic food we had there! Good choices, boys!

After a very rainy ceremony in the Sydney Royal Botanical Gardens (and 45 mins or so of standing in the rain waiting for a cab) we finally found our way to The Loft were the boys had booked the reception. The menus were delivered on the same stationery that the invitations came on - a resourceful way to use the too many invites that someone over-ordered! Haha.

Tofu, Peanut, Fresh mint rice paper rolls with Vietnamese dipping sauce.

Very tasty. Just enough of the peanut and tofu make it flavoursome but without being too daunting for the non Tofu lover.

Roasted red capsicum, sheep's milk feta tartlet with pesto aioli

I love roasted capsicum and these had a bit of tang but were still delicate enough to match well the pesto aoili.

Salmon tartare tartlet, wasabi aoili, salmon roe and chive

I love both salmon and salmon roe so these were great! Some more cautious eaters shied away from them though! Which just meant we could eat theirs :)

Hoi Sin Peking duck crepe roll with Shallot

My favourite thing of the day! These were so so tasty, rivaling any I have had in the best Chinese restaurants in Sydney!

Seared sirloin and bearnaise on Rye Bread

The sirloin and bearnaise are always a great combination but the rye bread was probably a little thick for the amount of meat/sauce. Not unpleasant though.

White fish goujonettes in Lemon and Dill crumbs, chips, sauce gribiche and lemon

The perfect end to the reception food. Filling, delicious and they soaked up a teency bit of the large amount of alcohol we'd consumed.

I loved The Loft. The staff were friendly and attentive, the bar lines weren't too long and the food was delicious. They did everything they could to make sure the boys had a great night! And I hope they did! I know I did :)

Sticky Bar, Surry Hills, NSW

It's great to find unique venues that aren't overrun with crowds. And Sticky Bar is one of those. Relatively new, it is only open 3 nights per week and only to a select number of people. When you arrive at it's hidden away location, you need to text them to let you in. If they are full, then they just don't let you in! Haha! So it's best to get here early, or send someone to save a seat. Inside it's decor is a mismatch of tables and chairs. We sat at a very low table, with wooden seats scavenged from a kindergarten! It wasn't comfortable - but who cares?

Roast Veal with a glass of red wine for $15.

Amazing value, amazing food, amazing location. We are locked and loaded for another dinner there soon!

Garden Court @ Sofitel Wentworth, Sydney, NSW

I'd eaten at Garden Court before and found it a thoroughly frustrating exercise. But when I stayed at the Sofitel and found a "free glass of wine" voucher in my room - well, they had me at Merlot!

Amuse Bouche

Celery and capsicum gazpacho

Duck foie gras salad
Grilled pancetta, croutons, grapes, curly endives, grapefruit, hazelnut dressing

200g Tasmanian salmon steak
served with corn and cheese muffin and Béarnaise sauce

Again the meal was underwhelming. The highlight was the amuse bouche. The low point was the salmon. Overcooked. So much for me asking for "however the chef recommends it". Clearly the chef has no taste buds. Disappointing.

ARIA, Darling Harbour, NSW

So, I've been dying to go to ARIA forever. Forever and ever. And even though one had opened up in Brisbane I hadn't wanted to take away from the excitement of going to the original, by going there.

A colleague and friend, Zoe, was coming to Sydney and we decided that the time had come. We'd throw caution, and a giant wad of cash, to the wind and tart ourselves up and go to ARIA. On a Monday night, woohoo.

I couldn't bring myself to take photographs in ARIA, it felt too much like hallowed ground. A shrine to amazingly tasty morsels made by God aka Matt Moran. But we ate, and we ate and we drank and we ate! And we giggled wildly when Kerri-Anne Kennerley came in! B grade celebrity spotters, that we are!

Entree:


Kurobuta sweet pork belly with pickled watermelon and crackling

Zoe raved about the pork belly, particularly when paired with the watermelon.

Cured goose breast with chicken liver parfait, poached rhubarb, black pepper and ginger bread

My first taste of goose and it was fantastic. The chicken liver parfait was soft and sweet and the ginger bread was superb.


Mains:

roasted fillet and short rib of beef with celeriac puree, roasted onions and Bordelaise sauce

Pork, pork and more pork

Again I really need to write down the specials when I order them! I solemnly swear to do this from now on! Conversation kind of halted at this stage of the evening because we were so engrossed in what we were eating. My god the food was fabulous!

Sides:

Truffled potato mash

Matt Moran makes marvelous mash! There's a bit of alliteration to describe phenomenal mashed potato. I might have to go back just for another bowl of mash. That may be all I can afford!

Desserts:

Calvados ice cream with caramelised apple, almond crumble and apple sorbet

rich chocolate délice with chocolate sorbet

I think we both know we should have stopped short of dessert. But, how could we deny ourselves the amazing desserts. My apple dessert was the perfect warming dessert you could ever want, with apple sorbet just making it feel a little more summery.

I had to also taste the chocolate delice, which Zoe ordered but was far too full to finish. It was, for want of a better term, orgasmic. You could die happy after this dessert.

Then of course - petit fours! Just when you think you can fit in no more, you just HAVE to!

I would recommend ARIA to anyone who wants a fantastic meal and is happy to pay the $$ for it. We decided against the tasting menu, but I know for sure next time I go back I will do it for sure. After not eating for a day or two, and saving up!

My main complaint about Sydney restaurants thus far has been service. ARIA's service was excellent. Our waiters were friendly, attentive and helpful. With just the right mix of cheekiness too. The Wine Ninja waiter who was always right there to fill my glass when I finished was a favourite, as was the French waiter (who didn't look old enough to be allowed to fill our wine glasses) and his adorable pronunciation of carrots!!

So who wants to go to ARIA?

Altitude, Shangri-La Hotel, The Rocks

Hotel restaurants can be hit or miss. But when your hotel boasts a restaurant that has repeatedly earned One Chef's Hat... it is going to be a hit. And when they are offering 6 QFF points for every dollar spent there, well it would have been wrong not to go.

So on a night where I had no other commitments, and felt like heading upwards 36 floors, that is just where I went.

This'll learn me to not write stuff down - but I recall the amuse bouche being tasty!

Freshly shucked Sydney Rock Oysters with seaweed and cider sorbet

Roasted and braised suckling pig with apple, baby turnips and barley jus.

The sorbet that came with the oysters was a perfect accompaniment. I could have eaten a tub of the sorbet on its own too.

The braised suckling pig came with fried, sliced pigs ears. I love crackling and this was a suitable substitution.

Altitude do a fantastic degustation meal on Fridays and Saturdays but if you want to order solely from the a la carte - you'll need to go Monday to Thursday.

Georges Mediterranean Bar & Grill - Sydney, NSW 31/08/10

So when charged with the job of finding a place to take a group of colleagues for dinner, we settled on Georges at King St Wharf. It was a quiet night at Georges, which was great because it meant we didn't have to wait forever for food to arrive.

The group of 6 of us decided on some Mezedes and mains. I had the baby goat - my first goat experience. Fairly sure it won't be my last.

Spanakopita: Spinach & feta filo pastries

Spetsofai: Spiced Lamb Sausage with lima beans, capsicum & tomato

Grilled Queensland Calamari with lemon, parsley & olive oil

Chicken Souvlaki served with lemon & oregano dressing

Amelia Park Lamb Cutlets served with tzatziki & lemon

Slow Cooked Baby Goat with cicoria, caramelised shallot, lemon, olive & feta


Barramundi (I really need to start taking more notice of the specials)


Steamed Seasonal Greens with olive oil & lemon


Roast Sweet Potato with chestnuts & thyme

Fried Chat Potatoes with garlic, chilli & herbs

East Ocean - Haymarket, NSW 30/08/10

OK I will admit it's starting to look like I am obsessed with East Ocean. What can I say? The food is great!!! And Chinese is always a favourite, right?

The food was just as appealing this time and with a group of 4 we decided we'd try the Peking Duck! Oh the Peking Duck. Oh the Peking Duck Pancakes!