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!

Cafe Mix (Shangri La Hotel) - The Rocks, NSW 28/08/10

I spent most of today suffering from too too too too many wines while out with my friends last night at a Trivia night hosted by a drag queen! So today I slothed around the hotel and slept and watched TV. It was great. By the time dinner crept around I decided I didn't want to make any more effort than putting on some "going out" clothes and heading down to the hotel restaurant - Cafe Mix - for their Saturday night buffet. This post is going to be brief because let's be honest - a buffet is a buffet is a buffet. There are winners and there are losers. And this was the case.

The losers were the hot meals. Very Asian centric - but quite bland. The winners were the gorgeous fresh seafood and the dessert bar! Here are the desserts I demolished - with glee!

Sugarcane - Surry Hills, NSW 24/08/10

After a successful night of lovely food on Friday night Broni and I decided we should again venture out and taste some of what Sydney has to offer. This time it was her pick - Sugarcane. To be honest I hadn't heard of it but Broni found it in the Entertainment Book and suggested it - so off we went. I walked there from work and if I hadn't had the address programmed into my iPhone I probably would never have found it. It has a really understated storefront with frosted glass and minimal signage - which adds to its appeal. An intimate 50 seater, it was a fairly quiet night so the food and drink came quickly.

While we caught up on the gossip of the last few days over our first glass of wine the waiter suggested some Salt and Pepper Squid - and it was so good (as was the wine) that I completely forgot to photograph it. My bad! Broni reminded me when the mains came out.

Stir fried crispy soy duck with snow peas, shallot and black beans

Crispy skin chicken with blood plum sauce and shallot

Pork Belly
(apologies this isn't clearly listed on their website - I will update when I can!!)

Stir fried green vegetables.

It pains me to admit it but the pork belly was the loser of the night. The duck was sweet and perfectly cooked - and the "Crispy Chin Chicken" (it's hard to say right Broni??) was just like a super fancy Lemon Chicken and soooo tasty. Even the stir fried vegetables (which I was CRAVING) were so mouth-wateringly good!!

Sugarcane is totally a return-to venue and would be great for a small group dinner. Meals are perfect for sharing and there are so many great things to try on the menu. The staff were friendly and as I said - there was no delay in food arriving (or drinks being replenished).

Opera Bar - Sydney, NSW 22/08/10

What to do on a Sunday in Sydney with no plans? Apart from general sulkiness and homesickness that I had to combat quickly! Walk around town and find a quiet place to have a drink and read a book. The Opera Bar proved to be the perfect place. Who wouldn't want to sit in the sun right along Sydney Harbour and read a book with a nice cool beverage!

I spent about 2 hours in solitude, enjoying my book before my two knights-in-shining-armour turned up for lunch! Kyle and Mick are always a welcome addition to any dining experience. It was a perfect afternoon for a boozey lunch!

Opera Bar Tasting Plate (for 2)

tempura prawns with wasabi mayonnaise; smoked salmon cigars with roe & pickled cucumber; baked Woodside Charleston brie with sourdough; globe artichokes with caponata; parma ham & melon; roasted tomato soup with croutons; beef stroganoff pies

Antipasto Plate for 2

baked ricotta; cured meats; roasted capsicum; grissini

Salt & pepper squid, green papaya salad

The food was fantastic! (As was the booze!!) The tasting platter for 2 is probably not enough for 2 people as a meal but too much for 1 person! We did well sharing the 2 platters and the squid between the 3 of us. The food arrived quickly but the only downside of the meal was that it took them FOREVER to clear away all the plates. To be fair it was a really busy afternoon but it made it difficult to sit back and relax with so many dirty plates piled up around you. But we managed :)

Sydney Good Food Guide Finalists

The Sydney Morning Herald has announced its finalists for the Sydney Good Food Guide - so here they are - with a few new additions to the places I *NEED* to eat!

Restaurant of the Year

Rockpool

Est.

Marque

Quay

Bentley

Best New Restaurant

Ad Lib

Manly Pavilion

Ormeggio

Sake

Berta

Emperor's Puffs - Haymarket, NSW 21/08/10

Every now and then you find out about a food sensation that if you weren't in the know - you'd walk right past. And Emperor's Puffs is just that delicacy. Lucky for me I have Des to clue me in on the "Supreme Nutrions Snack" as their sign advertises. This delightfully light and fluffy doughy puff filled with custard is addictive. And at 4 for $1 - it is so possible to accidentally over indulge. But if you go to Chinatown and don't have one (or 12) more fool you!

East Ocean (YUM CHA) - Haymarket, NSW 21/08/10

Home of "Amazing Rice" also does Yum Cha! As any self respecting Chinese restaurant in a bustling Chinatown should! So with my East Ocean buddies (Des and Janelle) we added it our itinerary for a big day out of fun and frivolity. The food was as always fantastic. We were tucked away in a bit of a hard place for the trolleys of food to swing by us often but Easy Ocean allow you to order as well - which mean food comes to your table en masse. So be careful how much you order.

Yum Cha is so popular they have to bring the cooking outside the kitchen.

Steamed BBQ Pork Buns

Roast Duck

Pan Fried Pork Buns

Salt & Pepper King Prawns

Mango Pancakes!!!

Bistro Lilly - Sydney, NSW 20/08/10

I got a lovely surprise this week when I discovered an *old* school friend from Brisbane who has been living in Melbourne has recently moved to Sydney. Also being new to town she is excited to be trying out fancy and famous restaurants with me - so I have a partner in crime! Another one. We decided Friday was our first night out - and settled on Bistro Lilly. I'd read about it a few times and saw it listed on the Qantas Frequent Flyer points page - so of course my interest was piqued.
We decided on a very decadent Friday night degustation menu - with matching wines! And it was fantastic. I've never done the matching wines with a degustation before - it was so nice to have a new glass of wine to come by without ordering them. So here is our delicious meal and accompanying wines.

Amuse Bouche

For the life of me I cannot remember what it was (other than it had cauliflower in it)

Grandin Classique Brut
Loire Valley France

Pan-seared Canadian scallops, sweet corn puree, boudin noir
2008 Leeuwin Estate “Art Series” Riesling
Margaret River WA

Truffled Duck liver pate, dark cherry vinegar, red onion relish and baguette

2008 Innocent Bystander Pinot Noir
Yarra Valley Vic

Granita

120 day aged grain fed beef fillet with foie gras ravioli, sauteed spinach, shiraz
2006 Hartz Barn “General Store” Shiraz
Barossa Valley SA

Maple Creme Brulee with vanilla confit banana

Torbreck “The Bothie”
Barossa Valley SA

Bistro Lilly was quiet for what I would expect of a Friday night so the wait staff were very attentive. The ambiance was great - intimate but we weren't frowned upon for our animated (and occasionally loud) stories. The degustation menu was so reasonably priced at $69 - with matching wines for $36. $105 for a 5 courses and wine - Yes please!!

Rockpool Bar and Grill - Sydney, NSW 18/08/10

Last week I gave Neil Perry's Spice Temple a go. And it was great. Tonight on my way home from work in search of food I decided to see if I could get a table at another Neil Perry establishment Rockpool Bar & Grill. And I managed to get one.

Let me start by saying the restaurant itself is beautiful. Set in foyer level of an 1930 Art Deco building there is marble and dark wood everywhere. It's like being a part of a great black and white movie. I didn't feel too out of place as a solo diner - there seemed to be lots of groups of "work dinners" going on - so I think they probably empathised. The staff were attentive without being nagging and my waitress was very forthcoming with suggestions of the house specialties and wines she'd recently tasted - neither of which were the most expensive on the menu as sometimes happens.
Four Tastes of the Sea

Tuna, scampi, salmon and kingfish - each with individual condiments.

Wagyu topside - with bearnaise sauce.

Kipfler potatoes sauteed with Wagyu fat and Rosemary.

The Steak and potatoes defeated me. I am ashamed to admit but I could not get through it. The steak was so tender and flavourful and the potatoes were crisp but I could not eat it all. This is why you need to go to these restaurants with friends - so they can pick up your slack.

Rockpool Bar and Grill - I will be back - there is so much more on your menu I want to try. And your big brother Rockpool - I will get there too!