« April 2004 | Main | June 2004 »
Once there was a very negative post here.
But I started this diary to celebrate food and have decided I won't waste time running down that which hardly qualifies. It turns out my mom was right when she said that if I haven't got anything good to say I really should stay silent.
Needless to say, if you are thinking of going to the aforementioned restaurant, email me and I'll hook you up with a scathing review and a list of alternatives.
With the weather getting progressively colder we were reminded that one of the tastiest (and decadent) ways to warm up is with a "suckao" at Max Brenner Chocolate on Oxford St.
The "suckao" is a special cup with a candle underneath and a strange metal straw/spoon that was designed for preparing and drinking thick hot chocolate made with real melted chocolate. Our favorite part is that because the chocolate is on the side, you get to decide how much (or little) you want to cram in at one time.
Next time we'll also save room for the "Berry Indulgement".
Here are a few factoids about chocolate:
What a sweet spot is Swell. This busy cafe just back from Avalon beach has a no-nonsense style and buzz of energy that is infectious. You feel welcomed by it's crisp white walls, neighbourly service, good coffee and forward, friendly food.
Selections like crunchy baguette stuffed generously with grilled chorizo, capsicum relish and peppery rocket or cornbread with smoked salmon, avacado and refreshing caper mayo stand out but you'd be unlikely to go wrong with anything on the short but tight menu.
Swell - Shop 3 74 Old Barrenjoey Rd. Avalon
Just recently I confessed that the Welcome Hotel is the home of my favorite pie however the excellent food found in the Welcome's bistro deserves it's own dedicated post.
It's a far cry from pub food but there is a warm and approachable quality about Fiona Healy's menu that makes it a real crowd pleaser for gourmet and punter alike.
My recent lunch (photos by 3 phone) saw generously stuffed Moreton Bay bug tortellini in a champagne butter sauce and a main of exceedingly tender rare roasted “Mandagerry Creek” venison. For dessert a warm tart of carmelized banana with vanilla bean ice cream did just the trick.
I have sampled from the menu here extensively over many trips and can always find something which satisfies both my mood and my taste buds. The quality and attention to detail also doesn't vary.
Rating: 14/20
The Welcome Hotel 91 Evans Street Rozelle
I woke up today dedicated to one solitary task, the construction of my ultimate grilled cheese sandwich. At its best a grilled cheese is a harmonious wonder. The toasted bread's ying to the soft flowing cheese's yang. Just 2 simple ingredients - an oozing fusion of crunch.
For this special grilled cheese I started with the cheese. Or specifically the wonderful cheese room at The Fine Food Store. Tempted by gorgeous blues and tugged at by soft subtle goat's, I stayed my course and selected a firm and heavenly imported Gruyere and a cloth-wrapped Pyengana cheddar. A great start.
For the bread, I could go nowhere else but Fuel Bakery. Breaking from tradition, I chose a loaf of multigrain fresh from the rack.
...scrapings of cheddar, gratings of gruyere, careful slicing of bread (none too thin or thick), melting of butter...
The result: Grilled cheesy perfection.
After all I have talked up Rise lately, driven by my own propaganda, we went for another visit last night and were not disappointed in the stunning 8 course omakase menu.
It's widely acknowledged that Rise's young chef Raita Noda is a creative talent but what impresses us so much is the restraint he uses in executing controlled flourishes of creativity rather than widely reaching with sloppy brush strokes. Oishi is in the detail. So well constructed, delicately balanced and graphically presented was each course that we hardly noticed that we were getting full until we were finished and satisfied.
Standout dishes were deep fried soft-shell crab tacos RISE style (as always), a breathtakingly subtle clear broth with deep fried fluffy scallop ball "shiratama" rice cake, the sashimi plate of Kingfish, Jewfish and oyster and Noda's Signature deep-fried agedashi tomato stuffed with foie-gras.
And now that the special Tues, Wed, Sun price of $35 for this menu has been extended through June, you have no excuse for missing out. Let us know if you need dining companions.
Rating: 15/20
Rise Restaurant 23 Craigend Street, Darlinghurst NSW 2010 Tel : 02 9357 1755
Herby Tomato Salad
The visual appeal of these tasty little treats is impossible to over-estimate.
Ingredients:
Big fat tomatoes (sliced into fairly fat slabs)
Goat's Cheese (chevre, enough to be generous)
At least 2 of the following (all would be even better):
Dill, Basil, Tarragon (extra yum), Green onion (sometimes corriander)
Pinches of salt, pepper
Lay out the slabs of tomato on a tray. Put a dollop of goat's cheese on each slice, flatten just slightly with a fork. Finely chop your herbs of choice and mix. Place on each tomato just enough herb mixture to cover the goat's cheese. Pleasingly pepper and slightly salt.
Dress by drizzle (gently now) with this supa-simple vinaigrette:
1 minced clove of garlic, 3 tbsp (good quality) olive oil, 2 tbsp (maybe more) red wine vinegar (or mirin or balsamic), 1 dollop of dijon or whole grain mustard, pinch of dried thyme. Mix all the above and chill for a few (as in 5) minutes.
Sydney Eats (aka Cheap Eats) reports the unfortunate news that after 10 years in Sydney, in 3 months or so, Il Baretto's Antonio Facchinetti is on his way back home to Italy, via Thailand.
"I need to change a little bit my life," Antonio told Sydney Eats. "I miss my country. I need something more challenging. I love it here in Australia. I love the simplicity of the food that I am doing here, but I miss learning. I want to go back to more traditional Italian food."
Catch his pasta-making mastery while you still can and discover why he has built a reputation as Sydney's best gnocchi maker.
Il Baretto - 496 Bourke St Surry Hills - no bookings. come early and come hungry.
It's not the healthiest habit but I love a great pie. I like Shakespeare's modern fusion pies, good old-fashioned Aussie meat pies, stuffy gourmet pies like those at the Upper Crust, I even love (on rare occasions) fighting off a Japanese tourist (or ten) for a (Hannah's made) curry tiger from Harry's Cafe de Wheels.
My favorite pie in Sydney, however, belongs to the Welcome Hotel in Rozelle. This simple huge and amazing beef and Murphy's pie is in a class by itself. The beef is stewed to melting tenderness in Murphy's stout and served in a large bowl topped with crisp buttery pastry. Unbeatable for a long winter's lunch on a Friday afternoon.
For a cheaper, (albeit smaller) pie on the go, I always recommend Shakespeare's. A note on Shakespeare's is that despite having more than a few locations, it is still a family run operation and it shows. The quality of ingredient is high and much attention seems to be paid to getting the recipes right. Even, the occasionally experimental "Pie of the Week" is almost always a winner. From the regular menu, I'd recommend the tandoori chicken (which is actually a bit more of a chicken curry) but is pleasingly plump with big chunks of chicken breast.
We were so happy to have found Fuel Bakery in it's hiding place, just off Paramatta Road in Camperdown (where it eases into Glebe).
Fuel Bakery is a commercial bakery which supplies many of the city's top restaurants with breathtaking baguette, magnificent multi-grain and superb sourdough (not to mention oneiric olive-loaf). Make no mistake, however, when I say commercial, I mean this is a bakery in a warehouse with racks of fresh baked product (not a pretty cafe/bakery where you might sit down for lunch with your mom).
Shopping for bread in this environment isn't for everyone but your adventurous nature will be rewarded with happy taste buds and or guests.
Fuel Bakery 19-21 Larkin Street Camperdown is open 3-9 Sunday - Friday if the roll up door isn't open just push open the frosted glass door and walk up.
