10 Courses to My Heart… A Review of Tetsuya’s Restaurant

One of the most amazing restaurants I have been to, for that it needed a video post…

Contact Details:

Tetsuya’s Sydney

529 Kent Street  

Sydney NSW 2000

Ph: 9267 2900

Website: http://www.tetsuyas.com/

 

Night Noodle Markets @ Crave SIFF

This weeks saw the kick off the Night Noodle Markets for Crave SIFF, despite the windy & sprinkling weather conditions Sydneysiders turned out in mass to enjoy a bountiful feast of Asian delights.

Image courtesy of The Vine

My two girlfriends and I meet at the fountain located in Hyde Park North, from there our food journey began, we started the night off with Pork Dumplings from Din Tai Fung, these dumplings are pure heaven and are a mouthful of ginger, soya, pork goodness. The dumplings are made on site at the festival so you know they are fresh.

After the dumplings came spring rolls and chicken dim sums from Dim Sum Station, these are your average spring rolls and chicken dim sum that you can get frozen from any Asian grocer, so these were a little disappointing after hand made dumplings.

We then moved onto Hokin Noodles, Pad Thai Noodles & Chicken Sticks from Thai Time Express, the noodles were average, they both tasted very plain with not a lot of effort put into them.

Our next stop on the journey was Mamak, were we were treated to the always amazing Roti with curry dipping sauce and chilli jam, if you have ever been to Mamak then you will understand how good the Roti actually is and being at a festival it was no different, the Roti was light and fluffy and just melted in your mouth.

Luck came in the form of a Chinese dragon, before we started our decent into dessert 1 serving of mini pancakes topped with chocolate and strawberries and another with maple syrup & cinnamon sugar  from Mini Pancakes, a gooey sugary hit.

We topped of dessert with coconut ice cream with palm seeds, sticky rice& peanuts as well as sticky rice with mango & coconut milk from Chat Thai Desserts, I loved these desserts as every time I eat them they remind me of my trip to Thailand, and they are nearly as good as the ones I had in Thailand, the only difference being the mango was much sweeter in Thailand.

By the end of our journey we were all so full that we could hardly walk, we over indulged in some of Sydney’s best Asian Restaurants and had an amazing time soaking up the festival atmosphere.

Contact Details:

Night Noodle Markets

Hyde Park North

October 10-14 and 17-21, 2011
5 – 9pm weeknights (free entry)

Website: http://cravesydney.com/content/night-noodle-markets/gjoc54

 

** due to camera failure on Friday I am unable to upload the images I took from the even **

Crave SIFF: BBQ Madness by Grab Your Fork

Great review of the Crave Food Festival in Sydney (see here). I am looking forward to attending this festival and can not wait for the Noodle Night Markets to start. The photo of the rare breed pulled pork rolls with beetroot slaw is making my mouth water and I want to bite the screen, well worth a read.

Bugs… A new source of protein

Recently there has been a lot of hype of bugs being an ultimate source of food, in a recent Sydney Morning Herald article, Jim O’Rourke points out that insects are “low in fat, low in cholesterol and high in minerals, with twice the protein of meat and fish.” But would you try them?

Image courtesy of Paul Esson

Are Bugs safe to eat?

The eating of bugs is called Entomophagy, and has been practiced in less developed countries such as Central and South America, Africa and Asia for many centenaries. In Asia the eating of insects is nothing new, with many hawkers having these critters on skewers deep-fried and coated in a soya marinade. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, humans consume over 1,400 species of insects. The UN also states that insects are “highly nutritious” with some dried varieties having twice the protein of “fresh raw meat and fish”.

The most common types of bugs consumed are: Crickets, grasshoppers, snails, tarantulas, termites, ants, scorpions, worms, cicadas, dragonflies, beetle grubs (such as mealworms), cockroaches, silkworms, wasps and bees. With butterflies and moths also being consumed, however it is recommended that you just don’t go into your garden and start munching on these critters, instead you should purchase them from reliable and trusted sources.

Commercial Advantages

Insects are a sustainable resource and have a high commercial value, the farming insects for food requires little space and is also more eco-friendly than farming traditional live stock such as cows and sheep, on top of this insect reproduce faster and the cost to start up a farm is considerably less. The added bonus of farming these insects is that it can provide income and job opportunities for rural and remote farmers.

Where can I get me some critters?

The only restaurant I know of in Sydney that serves bugs is Best Friend Chung Jin Dong Korean Restaurant, located 377 Pitt Street Sydney.

If you are still looking to get your bug fix then I would recommend ordering some crawly treats form  The Green Scorpion.

As for me, I will try anything once so I have added Best Friend Chung Jin Dong Korean Restaurant to the list of must try Restaurants, stay tuned for the review.

ad meliora El Capo

My Sister and I attended El Capo for lunch, after hearing good reviews about this Latin Street food restaurant, we were both really excited to try, maybe it was the built up expectation, maybe it was just an off day but El Capo just wasn’t what I was expecting.

Image by Basissa82

We started off with the Corn bread with home made butter, being a fan of southern corn bread I was really looking forward to this, but alas the corn bread of Latin food is nothing like the corn bread of the south, firstly there was little corn in the corn bread and secondly it had a very strong taste of Cardamom which took away from the actual taste of the bread.

Image by Basissa82

For mains we had the Sweet Port Neck, a slow braised pork neck that was soft and tender accompanied by sweet potato and guajillo sauce, quite tasty but a little dry.

Image by Basissa82

And the Bandeja Paisa which is a combo of rice, beans, pork belly, chorizo and fried egg. The beans and chorizo were the best part of this dish, the pork belly was overly fatty and the rice was tasteless, the whole dish needed a little salt to bring out the flavours.

Image by Basissa82

However the service was good and although I wasn’t wowed I wasn’t disappointed.

Contact Details:

El Capo
52 Waterloo St
Surry Hills 2010
Ph: 9699 2518
Website: http://elcapo.com.au/

Il Lago – What a Mistake!

I attended Il Lago, in Norwest Business Park, Baulkham Hills on Saturday night with a group of friends, my first impression of this restaurant was that it looked very nice with a beautiful view, however this is the nicest thing I can say about this restaurant.

Firstly we had to ask for menus to be brought to our table, we then ordered a cheese platter to share amongst the four of us, the cheeses we selected were quite nice however the proportion was only for two people. We then had to wait over an hour for our main meals to be served while a table that was seated after us received their mains before us. It wasn’t until we made a complaint that we were told our mains were nearly ready. At which point they informed us that we would receive complimentary desserts.

For mains we had selected the Red Wine Braised Beef Cheek with soft Storo polenta and baby lemon cress, a Beef Tenderloin with smoked eggplant and hazelnut puree, cavolo nero, rainberries and a Contadina Pizza. The Beef Cheeks were so tender that they feel apart in spite of this there was no flavor to the dish and a lot of salt was needed to make it somewhat enjoyable. The Pizza was soggy and the toppings slid off, the only meal that was to some extent pleasant was the Beef Tenderloins.

We then asked for a bottle of water and the dessert menus, this took over 10 minutes to arrive and only came out when we went in to get our own menus. The complimentary desserts arrived in a shot and tasted like watered down strawberry jam. The desserts we ordered were Tiramisu, a Manicotti and a Chocolate Budi, the desserts were average and would have to have been the best part of the meal.

All in all the service at Il Lago was disappointing and the food was poor for the prices they charge.

Rated: ☆

Contact Details:

Il Largo

Unit G01/8 Century Circuit

Norwest Business Park

Baulkham Hills 2153

Ph: 9634 2487

Website: http://illago.com.au

Chop Chop Chophouse

What is a Chophouse? A Chophouse has been defined as “a restaurant serving chops and steaks”^[1] and Chophouse Sydney does this and so much more. Located on Bligh St in the business district of Sydney’s CBD one would be surprised to see this amazing restaurant tucked behind Bligh Chambers. Once inside Chophouse you are exposed to a stunning combination of bare-bones structures, exposed light fixtures, distressed leather and reclaimed timber features.

Image by Basissa82

We started the night off with a few cocktails, and shared the Pork Scratchings and Prawn, Scallop & Tapioca Fritters from the Bar. Both of these starters sounded amazing however they did not live up to our expectations, the Pork Scratchings had no flavor and needed to be dipped into the vinegar which took away from the crunch of the scratchings. The fritters have an acquired taste to them, this could be the use of Tapioca that if you are not familiar with can be a little off putting. However the rest of the meal was nothing short of delicious. For mains we had the Dark Ale Marinated Wagyu Flank with a Wedge Salad, Sautéed Wild Mushroom Salad and the Crisp Ricotta filled Globe Artichokes. The Wagyu Flank was so tender you could cut it with a butter knife and the marinated that coated the flank was so tasty that there was no requirement for salt, pepper or a sauce. The dressing on the wedge salad was smooth and creamy yet not over powering and coated each piece of lettuce.

Image by Basissa82

For dessert we had the Pear & Vanilla Crumble served with a rhubarb crème brulee and the House Churned Ice-Cream ( Vanilla Bean, Chocolate Fudge and Peanut Butter & Jelly) served with hot chocolate sauce & honeycomb. The rhubarb crème brulee was delicate and smooth while the Pear & Vanilla crumble was like a warm comforting treat. The Peanut Butter & Jelly ice-cream tasted like you were biting into a PB&J sandwich, while the Chocolate Fudge tasted like the best chocolate cake you have ever had.

Chophouse is an amazing restaurant field with scrumptious mouthfuls of pure bliss, the service here is remarkable and the prices are well with in reason for an amazing meal.

Rated: ☆☆☆☆

Contact Details:

Chophouse
25 Bligh St
Sydney, NSW 2000
Ph: 1300 CHOP IT (1300 246 748)
Website: http://www.chophouse.com.au

The Royal Cricketers Arms

Image by Basissa82

The Royal Cricketers Arms established in 1880 is a quaint pub located in the outskirts of Prospect. When you walk up the cobble stone pathway you are greeted with a homely atmosphere and old world charm, inside it feels like you have be transported back in time with the warming glow of the fire and country Victorian furniture, the court yard reminds me of being in a county pub and is a great space for large gatherings.

Image by Basissa82

A group of us attended the RCA for fathers day and while the were many people to cater for the staff at the RCA were able to deliver all meals in a prompt and friendly manner. Entree are between $10-$15, Main Meals are priced between $18-$30 and dessert is around $12

For my main course I had the Rump Steak, this steak was cooked to perfection, each bite melted in my mouth, it was served with chips & salad (as per any good pub meal). My dad and sister had the beer batter Hake Fillet which looked amazing, there was also a breaded Chicken Brest and a Warm Chicken Brest Cesar Salad.

Image by Basissa82

All meals were cooked to perfection and arrived at the same time. While the food is your standard pub food what truly makes the RCA is the staff and the amosphere. Being at the RCA is like being in a country pub while taking a step back in time. If your ever in the area and you are after a good generously portioned meal then I would defiantly recommend that you check out the RCA.

Rated: ☆☆☆

Contact Details:

Royal Cricketers Arms
Reservoir Road
Prospect, NSW 2148
Ph: 02 9622 6498
Website: http://www.royalcricketersarms.com.au/

Why a Food Guide?

Image courtesy of healthydiet2

I love food, I love going out and trying new dishes, I love trying to work out how it was made and what ingredients were used and I especially love the memories created from a sitting down with friends and having a good meal, for me food has always been a passion.

After a long week at work I find nothing more relaxing then spending the weekend sharing a meal with family and friends. Eating is a social event; over a meal is where we catch up with all the little things that have been happening in our lives. We laugh, we joke, we cry, we critique, we engage in life. For me it a time to STOP and leave all the technology and everyday rut behind and focus on the people, objects and aromas that are surrounding me. And you know what’s even better about sharing a meal at a restaurant? There is no cleaning up!

So how do I share this passion with the world? How to I share these amazing restaurants, these incredible finds? Well with technology, in today’s world it is the largest form of word of mouth. So I have decided to blog about my restaurant experiences (good or bad). And for now I will focus just on my hometown of Sydney.

Sydney is an ever-changing culturally diverse major city located in Australia; in 2009 it was home to 177,000 people ^[1] who love their food. As such there are new and exciting restaurants opening every week. With all the choices at hand one could get completely lost! The aim of this blog is to help guide you through the maze of culinary delights that are on offer in Sydney, to share my experiences and hear some of yours, to converse about something that not only sustains life but also creates a life style.