RESTAURANT: Sepia

There's an embarrassment of talent in the kitchen at Sepia at the moment. Headed by Martin Benn (ex head chef at Tetsuya's) and backed up by Daniel Puskas (who did amazing things at Oscillate Wildly) and the recent addition of Graeme McLaughlin (of the famous Fat Duck in England). It's fair to say that I've been wanting to go there for quite some time to see what future superstar chefs are turning out.

I've been trying to hold out for the degustation, but a combination of having difficulty finding someone to go with, the proximity of the restaurant to work (next door, basically) and the lack of a lunch date made their business lunch look pretty appetising.

It's a handsome looking restaurant, no doubt about that. It has a corporate look (is there such a thing? (yeah, shut up)) but that would mirror the majority of the crowd that would be attending (ie people like me).

They offer 2 courses for $55 or 3 courses for (I think) $75. 2 choices for each course.

I started with the salad nicoise. While waiting, one of the waiters (possibly the maitre'd (what is that?)) handed me a book to read if I wanted something to look at. A fantastic gesture. He was the star of my lunch, nailing every single interaction with me. Not everyone was as good, but the overall standard was good.

It arrived. It was fantastic. A good piece of tuna, cooked absolutely perfect. Great flavours on the plate. I really enjoyed it. Generous size for the first course of a lunchtime menu; sometimes they can be on the tiny side.

The odd flavour combinations were what I was really looking for at this place. The entree was fairly standard, but the main gave me a hint of the sort of stuff they were doing: sirloin with mushrooms and a lime sauce.

I enjoyed the dish, but it didn't wow me. I've had better steaks. I also found the lime sauce a little confusing. While it was essentially a jus flavoured with lime, my taste buds took a while to reconcile the slightly metallic flavour of steak blood and the earthiness of the mushrooms with the punch of the lime. Solid, but not outstanding.

Look, you can't expect too much from a business/express lunch. Restaurants are looking at putting out food that they can serve quickly for a reasonable price. What I got was a small taste of the full Sepia experience. I've already decided to return for the business lunch again and try the other dishes, and my lunch has only solidified my desire to go for dinner and have the full degustation experience. The wine bar also looks interesting, but the markups on some bottles look at the higher end of the spectrum.

RATING: Will return to [?]

Taro and Semolina Tart

I noticed some taro at the grocers and decided to pick it up, having had it many times in dessert form and fallen in love/lust.

I thought a pudding/tart sort of thing would be nice but couldn't find any recipes. I did a bit of freestyling and took a bit from some semolina pudding recipes I saw and came up with this. It was really easy and hugely tasty.

Ingredients:
- 2 cups of taro root, chopped into 1cmish squares
- 1 cup of caster sugar
- 3 T golden syrup
- 200ml cream
- 75g butter
- Pinch of cinnamon
- Some for of vanilla flavouring
- Roughly 1 C of semolina

Put the taro in a pot and fill with water so it's covered. Add the sugar and 2 tablespoons of the golden syrup. Cook on a medium heat until the taro is tender.

Preheat oven to 180c.

Once tender, add the cream, butter, cinnamon and vanilla. Mash the taro in the pot while it cooks. Add the semolina in gradually until the mixture becomes quite thick.

Add the mixture into a greased or lined springform tin or cake tin and drizzle the remaining 1T of golden syrup on top. Bake for around 20mins. You don't want it too browned.

Once that's done, turn the oven off and let the tart cool. Then transfer to the fridge and cook for another few hours until it's cold.

It doesn't look too appetising so I'd serve it with a coconut or vanilla bean icecream with some praline or caramel covered pistachios.

Friday, July 10

For dinner I went to Sydney 3-hat stalwart, Bilson's. It was my first visit to the restaurant and I was hugely excited, having drooled over the menu since securing our table.

It absolutely did no disappoint. Each course was brilliant, with a few masterpieces interspersed. The roasted partridge dish took my breath away. The assiette of chocolate was also a huge winner.

One of the courses was interesting. A wine was served in pitch-black, blind tasting glasses and we were instructed to try and guess. Served with this is what is essentially cheese on toast. I may be reading too much into it, but I liked the cheekiness of this dish. Some of us may claim to be gourmands, but when there's a test sitting in front of us, what do we really know? How much of our food and wine knowledge is nothing but hot air?

While the food left me completely satisfied, the whole experience was only heightened by the great atmosphere of the room, and the outstanding service we received.

It wasn't a cheap night by any stretch of the imagination, but a fantastic experience, one I hope to repeat sooner rather than later.

Tuesday, July 7

For dinner I went to Guru in Surry Hills. Previously known as Beluga (reviewed on this blog), the restaurant was closed down for a make-over and a new name. Guru is more strongly-focused on modern Indian food and has a more accessible menu than Beluga.

I'd loved Beluga on both of the visits I made there, so I was a little hesitant to see if the changes had taken anything away from it. The menu was certainly different, down from 7 courses to 4. The previous entrance was now an Indian takeaway shop.

But the things that haven't changed at Guru are the most important. The food was still exceptional and is still entirely unique. The value was outstanding (4 courses, plus 3 palate cleansers/appetisers for $48) and chef/owner Opel Khan's generosity an warmth still fills the room.

Highlight of the dinner was the deconstructed samosa.

Khan mentioned that in a week or so the restaurant will again be having a bit of a makeover. In comes some heavy-duty equipment from overseas for a new 10 course, circa $100 degustation. Out goes the a la carte menu. That's right, only a 4 course or 10 course degustation will be offered.

It should be fantastic and I'll definitely be going back in a few weeks to try the new menu.

Sunday, July 5

The Food and Wine Show was in town so I thought I'd head over to the Convention Centre and see if it was any good.

There was a huge array of stalls in the hall. Everything from pasta to sponges to salmon to cat food. And there was samples to try for everything (except for maybe the cat food). Wine was definitely well represented, with dozens of wineries having tasting booths.

Some of the stalls that caught my attention were the following:
- d'Arenberg had a huge range of wines to try (from their massive range).
- Appleton Rum was a big surprise with a great stall. I have no idea that aged rum could be so smooth and tasty.
- The $50 showbag was great value, especially since they gave me an extra one free. My fridge was packed with strange items the next day (and still is, really).

While I would have preferred some more food to eat and some better wineries doing tastings, it was still a good show and one I think I'll be attending in the future.

Saturday, July 4

Around 3 months ago I purchased a bottle of Dom Ruinart 96 on sale. I'd intended to save it for some sort of "special occasion" but had recently become frustrated that there was no foreseeable "special occasion". The bottle mocked me as it sat in the cupboard. I don't know if you've ever been mocked by a bottle of champagne before, but let me tell you that it's not a nice experience.

So I thought of excuses to drink it. They still didn't come, so I put it in the fridge yesterday and set my mind on drinking it today.

To aid in the drinking of it, I got some oysters and scallops from the shops.

I pan-fried the scallops (cleaned, with the roe off) in some butter, seasoned them, took them out and dressed them with some white wine vinegar, olive oil and lemon juice. I added some diced tomato for freshness. It wasn't one of my more memorable dishes, but it warmed me up for the oysters and champagne.



To the oysters I added some olive oil, lemon juice, white wine vinegar and a small amount of sugar.

I cracked the champagne. It reminds me a lot of Dom Perignon, taste wise. Technically it's very different. A medium bead and mousse. Nice aromas of vanilla, peach, lemon and blueberry. Peach and vanilla dominate the palate. It's really nice and floral. Great finish. Very smooth, lingers for ages.



At yesterday's lunch the topic of Ethiopian food had come up. It's a cuisine which I totally adore. Limited in scope, but containing some of the best dishes I've ever tasted. Needless to say, it put me in the mood for some Ethiopian, which I haven't cooked for a while.

Dinner had to be my favourite Ethiopian dish, a sort of stir fry of chicken thighs, capsicum, red onion, tomatoes, chilli, garlic, ginger and berbere, the greatest spice mix known to man.

Excellent.

Friday, July 3

For lunch we went to Merrylands for some Lebanese food and Al-Arzah. One of the guys in my team at work had recommended it, so a bunch of us headed over.

My favourite option at any Lebanese place is always the mixed grill. A delicious mix of smokey kebabs, delicious dips, salad and soft pita bread.

While it wasn't the best Lebanese I've had, it left us all feeling pretty satisfied and groggy for the remainder of the afternoon.


For dinner I went to Medusa's Greek Taverna in the city, on the corner of Kent and Market sts. I've been there once before and thought that it was probably the best Greek food in the city. Very generous portions, good value, great taste, good service. It's still not perfect Greek food, but it is great for what it is.

The mixed mezes plate is the best way to start, giving the table a selection of all of the entrees. For mains, I had the slow-baked lamb last time (and loved it), so this time I went for the exohiko arni, lamb backstrap with cheese and spinach in filo pastry. Very pleasing.

Dessert was an adventure. We were totally stuffed, but decided that sharing the dessert plate for two (between three of us) would be manageable. What came back from the kitchen was 4-5 desserts on the one plate. The table next to us looked like a Weight Watchers graduation party and looked completely aghast, yet amazed, at our food.

It was totally delicious (particularly when washed down with the port from Cyprus) and we left totally stuffed.

Lamb Saag Cheesecake

I was talking to a guy at work about cheesecakes. He said it was fairly amazing that I thought to put ANZAC biscuit dough inside a cheesecake. I told him that cheesecakes can pretty much contain anything. Even a vindaloo, he said? I said yes. Make it, he said.

I couldn't find any vindaloo on the day, so I made it with lamb saag.

It was... interesting...

ANZAC Biscuit, Wattle Seed and Macadamia Baked Cheesecake

This week at work we had an "Australiana" bake-off competition. If you couldn't guess by the name, we had to make a dish that best signified Australia. With around 250 people in my department, I saw it as a good opportunity to prove my cooking skills after talking up some of the more "extreme" items I've made (the 14 pie-pie, 16 choc cheesecake, 13 animal pizza, etc).

So I thought long and hard and came up with this.



Ingredients for the ANZAC Biscuits:
- 120g butter
- 2 tablespoons of golden syrup
- 1 tablespoon of hot water
- 1 teaspoon of baking soda
- 1 cup of rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 3/4 cup of plain flour
- 3/4 cup of sugar

Method:
- Mix the oats, flour, salt and sugar in a bowl.
- Melt the butter and golden syrup together in the microwave.
- Add the butter and syrup to the dry ingredients. Add the hot water and baking soda and it should start foaming.
- Mix ingredients together and set dough aside.

Ingredients for the cheesecake:
- 2 packs of cream cheese, softened
- 3 eggs
- 395g tin of sweetened condensed milk
- 1 tablespoon of toasted, ground wattle seeds
- 1 tablespoon of chopped macadamia nuts
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Method:
- Grease a medium sized springform tin. Press around half of the biscuit dough to the base. Bake in a 180 degree oven for around 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
- In a mixing bowl, mix the cream cheese until soft and smooth. Then add in the condensed milk, wattle seeds, macadamias and vanilla extract. Mix, but don't over mix. Lumps are fine at this stage.
- Add in the eggs one at a time, mixing after each egg.
- Pour the mixture into the tin. Tear off teaspoon sized pieces of the remaining biscuit dough and drop into the mixture.
- Tap the tin on the counter to remove air bubbles. Bake in an 180 degree oven for 45 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and leave for 30 minutes. Then refridgerate until cold.


I thought my team would easily win with that, but we lost to a chocolate cake in the shape of a koala that may or may not have come from packet cake mix. Although when it came time to eat the food, the cheesecake was the first thing to go out of everything.

Sometimes life isn't fair. For those times, you need to take comfort in a thick slice of cheesecake.

Asparagus, Pea, Garlic and Leek Risotto

As I mentioned in the previous post, I'm still trying to eat as little meat at home as possible.

I noticed in my cupboard this morning that I had some risotto that's been there for a few weeks, so I decided to make a fairly simple vegetable risotto with some seasonal ingredients.

The temperature has dropped a little in the past week, so I wanted to make something comforting and a little rich.

Ingredients:
- 1 leek, cup thinly
- 6 asparagus stalks, chopped with the wooden ends removed
- 1-2 cups of fresh peas (frozen will work if you can't get fresh)
- 6 cloves of garlic, blanched
- 2 cups of risotto rice
- 2 litres of vegetable stock
- A small amount of finely chopped herbs (I used thyme)
- A good amount of salt and pepper and a pinch of cayenne
- 100g of butter
- 2 tablespoons of mascarpone
- 1 cup of grated Parmesan or reggiano cheese

Method:
- In a large pot, start by cooking the leek and garlic in the butter until it softens and starts to get a bit of colour.
- Add the rice, peas and asparagus. Add the salt, pepper, cayenne and herbs and stir so everything is coated.
- Have another pot off to the side with your stock simmering away. Add a few ladles at a time and stir until the rice tastes close to done. Don't rush this step. Make sure the sauce is still very runny. You don't want it thick.
- Check the seasoning, you may need to add more.
- Add the grated cheese and mascarpone and stir. Let it sit for 1-2 minutes and it's done.

Serve with more grated cheese on top and maybe a dollop of mascarpone if you're feeling like going all out.

The Future of Food & Ethiopian Lentil Stew

I've just started reading Warren Belasco's book, 'Meals to Come: A History of the Future of Food'. In it, he looks at articles from the past that have attempted to "predict" what people will eat in the future.

One of the most striking parts of the book is constant references made to the "inefficiencies" of meat, particularly beef. The key to it being just how much in grain/feed protein is need to produce that kilogram of meat that we consume. The shame about it all is that we don't get told these things.

People choose between beef and chicken on a whim sometimes, not really having a preference. It would be nice if we were educated about things like this and we knew that there is a huge difference between choosing beef, chicken or vegetables.

Needless to say, it put me in the mood for vegetarian food. But not just any vegetarian food. If I was going to cure world hunger with one dish then it would have to be filling.

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Ingredients:
- 2 tins of diced tomatoes
- 2 litres of vegetable stock
- 2 cups of red lentils
- 4 cloves of garlic, crushed and diced
- Thumb sized piece of ginger, finely sliced
- 2 tablespoons of berbere (an Ethiopian spice mix, essential)
- 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
- 2 medium onions, sliced

Method:
- Saute the garlic, ginger, onion and berbere in a large pot.
- Add everything else to the pot and simmer on a low heat until the lentils and carrots are soft.

Serve over cous cous. Makes enough to feed the third world.

Spice Temple & Chinese Chicken and Beer Stew

I must admit, when I first heard that Neil Perry was planning to open a Chinese restaurant I really did fear the worst. I pictured everything from cheesy decor, exorbitant prices, tiny portions, lack of authenticity and a dull, "Westernised" menu. I was planning to avoid it.

But I caved in to the good reviews that came out and I went along. Before we were halfway through the banquet we had ordered, all of my fears had been proven wrong.

Spice Temple is, quite simply, a lovely experience.

One of the highlights of the 10 or so dishes in the banquet (and certainly the most theatrical) was the "Three shot chicken". The waitress brings a small gas stove to the table and sets a clay pot of chicken stew on top. Three shotglasses containing beer, chilli oil and soy are poured into the pot, depending on your tolerance for chilli. The dish is finished on the stove and spooned over rice. A brilliant taste that had me wanting more.

More information on Spice Temple can be found on the website located here.



- - - - - - - - - - - -

So today I decided to give it a shot. I didn't have much of a clue about what Perry used in that Three shot chicken and couldn't find a similar recipe on the net, so I had to experiment (and hope) a bit.



Ingredients:
- 2kg of chicken thigh fillets
- 6 cloves of garlic
- Around 8 spring onions
- 1.5 cups of soy sauce
- 1 cup of water
- 100ml chilli oil
- 2 cups of beer (I used Coopers Sparkling Ale, but any ale or draught should work fine)
- 1 thumb of ginger
- 2 carrots
- 1 tsp of sugar
- 2 tablespoons of cornflour

Method:
- Blanch the garlic twice in boiling water to remove the "rawness". This is done by adding the peeled cloves to a pot of boiling water for around 30 seconds, then removing the cloves, replacing the water, repeating the blanching, then removing the cloves and cooling with cold water.
- Trim the chicken thigh fillets of any unwanted parts and cut into pieces. Marinate in around 1/2 a cup of soy, a splash of beer, the garlic and 1 tablespoon of the cornflour.
- Peel and thinly slice the carrots and ginger. Finely slice the spring onions but leave the stalks fairly long, just trim off any bad stalks.
- Add some peanut and olive oil to a large pot and add the spring onions (NOT the stalks) and carrots. Cook briefly to soften. Add the chicken and stir so it seals.
- Add all of the remaining ingredients, except for the spring onion stems. Cook on a low simmer until the chicken and carrot are soft. Just before it's ready, add the spring onions.


I found out a short time ago that Perry's Three shot chicken actually used bean paste as the basis for the stew. But I was still pretty happy with how my version turned out.

Apologies for the poor quality photo. The photos I took before ravaging the bowl didn't turn out properly.

The 14-Pie Pie

A pie that has a filling of 14 pies of different flavours? Sure, why not?

RESTAURANT: Restaurant Assiette

Type: Modern Australian, French, European
Location: 48 Albion St, Surry Hills
Booking Required: Usually
http://www.restaurantassiette.com.au

It doesn't get mentioned much, but I get the feeling that Assiette is a favourite amongst those that have been there. And judging by the small number of tables and (from what I'm told) difficulty in getting a booking on the busier nights, those that enjoy the place aren't too keen to give the secret away.

But I never was any good at keeping secrets.

At $150 for the 10 course degustation with matching wines ($90 without), it's pretty good value for Sydney town. Even cheaper if you go at lunch I've heard. Highlight dishes were the duck with waltnuts and beetroot; salmon confit with beetroot sorbet; and the crispy skinned fish with an onion bahji. The food was steadily good throughout, not a lot of amazing moments but not too many faulters. Some great flavour combos being used.

Matching wine choices were a little out of left field and kept it interesting during the meal. Although there must have been a fair amount of it, because my dining companion and I entered into a fairly heated argument about whether or not a left-hander should expect the table to be set for a left-hander when the table is re-set during a degustation. One of us said "never, that is stupid", the other said "no you are stupid, the point is it should only happen when you are paying over $200 for a meal".

It was an argument that spilled over many days.

Service was great from one, patchy from the other. They need to make sure both of the waiters are on the same page. While one would explain the dish and the wine at length, the other just put it down on the table and rattled off a few ingredients.

For the price, I thought it was very good. If the menu changed significantly I'd go back in an instant. After all, the left-handed table setting issue is still yet to be resolved (please comment if you have an opinion on it).

RATING: Will return to.

Salad of pear, persian feta and soft-boiled quail eggs

WINE: BOLLINGER La Grande Annee 1999

Type: Champagne
Origin: France
Approx Cost: $180
http://www.bollinger.fr

I’ve had the 97 of this and enjoyed it quite a lot. The 99 is good but isn’t quite up to the same standard. As you would expect from Bollinger, a very well constructed wine with a good mousse and fine, persistent bead.

Still has that Bollinger taste to it. Plenty of toast and yeast flavours. The fruit is interesting. Caramelised lemon, orange and apple. A good mix of the fruit with the yeast. Very creamy.

This will improve with age, but I can’t see it blowing anyone away.

92%

EVENT: Element Bistro Degustation Night 3/5/08

Type: French
Location: 163 King St, Sydney
Booking Required: Usually
Cost: $85 for the food
http://www.elementbistro.com.au

Related Review

We went along to Element Bistro for what is hopefully the first of many monthly degustation nights, which will be held on the first Saturday of each month.

I was a little nervous about the whole night, since some of the dishes are a bit hit and miss on the normal menu. But that was just foolish. Each and every course was delicious and well thought out.

The first course was a cream of cauliflower soup with poached Barossa chicken, celery cress and Munster Gerome. It looked innocent enough, but this was a serious dish. Incredibly creamy, with big chunks of Barossa chicken and creamy Munster Gerome hiding beneath the surface, ready to pounce.

After such a rich start, the second dish was just what we were after. Heirloom tomato and a medallion of WA lobster with croutons and lemon mayonnaise. Very light, very refreshing. The palate got to settle down before the serious eating started. Very clean flavours. Not one of the best dishes of the night, but a dish that was essential to the enjoyment of the evening as a whole.

Following that was a crispy piece of barramundi served with braised savoy cabbage, pea puree and puy lentils. A classic combination of flavours and perfectly cooked. This is an exceptional dish. Up there with the duck confit as the best dishes I've had at Element. It was a dish that just works. I hope to see something similar on the regular menu.

Finally it came time to get heavy. It came time for a slow roasted beef fillet stuffed with bone marrow and spinach with a fondant potato and shavings of white summer truffle. Beautifully cooked meat with some excellent flavours complimenting it. I wasn't a fan of the white summer truffle, as they tend to taste a bit like cardboard compared to the black winter truffles, but the whole dish was very enjoyable.

I found it hard to contain my joy when I saw that the dessert would be a dark chocolate marquise with poached orange and pistachio crunch. Marquise is probably my favourite dessert and the matching flavours would be a perfect match to the richness of the dark chocolate. I wasn't disappointed. So rich and so satisfying. Even though I was full at this point, when I saw someone else at my table wasn't going to finish most of their marquise I had to eat it. It really was too good to waste. Also a great match for the bottle of de Bortoli Black Noble I brought along.

Finally we made it to the cheese platter. A great mix of blue cheese, ashed goat's cheese, Munster Gerome and the legendary Quick's Cheddar. This was served with lavosh, oatmeal bread, fruit bread and fig paste. We were all incredibly full at this point but couldn't let such wonderful cheeses go to waste.

All in all an excellent night. The food was delicious, the menu well thought out, portions generous (almost too generous) and service was as excellent as always. My only concern was that there were so few other diners there. This night needs to be supported because it would be a shame to see it go. French food this delicious and affordable is hard to find.

If the menu changes next month then I'll definitely be back. I hope that word gets around and a lot of other people also decide to pop in, because this is a night that needs to be enjoyed by as many people as possible.

50in2150: The End

I just can't do it anymore. Too many mediocre cafes. Too much bad food and mediocre coffee.

The 50in2150 Project is formally over.

50in2150: 6. Coffee House Cafe

Location: 81 George St, Parramatta
Price: $9.60 for a coffee and salad

Far out. This wasn't the best of experiences.

The coffee was okay, the staff weren't bad but the food was just not that good. My thai chicken salad consisted of colourless iceberg lettuce, floury tomatoes, red cabbage and sliced (wait for it) chicken schnitzel topped with bottled sweet chilli sauce.

I just can't get past that salad.

Rating:

Food - 4/10
Coffee - 3.5/6
Service - 1.5/3
Decor - 2/5
Bonus - 0/3

Total - 11 out of 27

50in2150: 5. MacQ Cafe

Location: 70 Macquarie St, Parramatta
Price: $11 for large pasta and coffee

One time I was walking past this place and a lady was coming at the diagonal, trying to get into this cafe. She was powering through. Rather than seeing me, who was walking with the normal flow of foot traffic, and slowing down she kept going. I stopped and let her through. She looked at me like I'd just asked if I can slap her.

I think I can understand it now. While it's not the most glamorous place, MacQ Cafe is definitely a place you'd look forward to if you're starving.

The food is nice (warm chicken ravioli with cream sauce hit the spot on a cold day), the coffee is solid (a little watery but good on the whole) and the service is great (staff are happy but relaxed and the older woman running things really takes charge).

The location isn't great (opposite an intersection and a small store) but the other ingredients are there for a pleasing lunch.

Rating:

Food - 7.5/10
Coffee - 4/6
Service - 2.5/3
Decor - 2/5
Bonus - 0/3

Total - 16 out of 27