RESTAURANT: House

It was one sentence in the SMH's Good Living liftout that sent my heart racing. Sujet Saenkham, one of the founding chefs of the legendary Spice I Am, was opening a new street food style Thai restaurant in Surry Hills. I emailed all of my friends, instantly receiving responses along the lines of "when are we going?" At the same time I was scouring the internet for any tidbit of information I could find, re-reading the only review I could find a good dozen times.

But my friends would have to wait. I was arranging a dinner with other people and we were wondering where to go. I mentioned House, and it was immediately agreed.

To say expectations were high on that first visit was an understatement. I was expecting it to be as good as Spice I Am, one of Sydney's best and most loved cheap eats.

But it didn't disappoint. There was a salted crab salad. Similar to a green papaya salad but with pieces of what appear to be uncooked soft shell crab, with the shell on. With a crunch, the taste of the sea explodes into your mouth. It's like being dumped by a wave at the beach; unexpected, salty, somewhat thrilling. This is followed up by the tangy, spicy, salty/sweet salad that returns balance before the next bite.

There was jaew bong, a pungent, extremely spicy paste made from fermented anchovies, shallots, garlic, chilli and a few other things. It's a taste I can't remember ever experiencing. It comes with some green beans, cucumbers, apple eggplant and bamboo shoots to alleviate the burn.

There were the chicken skewers. Similar to satay, but richer, a little more piquant.

There was the dried and then fried pork with the dipping sauce. Like eating the crunchy bits on your roast beef. And there was the soup, hiding huge chunks of galangal, ginger, chicken and other flavourings. While it was impossible to eat the chunks of roots, the flavour of the soup was outstanding.

There was the grilled chicken with a similar dipping sauce to the fried pork. Succulent and perfectly grilled. I'll never look at a Portuguese chicken the same way.

And then there was the BTS. It's not on the dessert menu, so they come over and explain it, almost too embarrassed to mention that it stands for Better Than Sex. The claim requires some investigation, but it certainly comes close. Pandang ice cream sits atop a huge cube of fried brioche and hides small slices of coconut flesh. Over the top is poured a palm sugar syrup and a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds. I don't know if this is authentic Thai, like the rest of the menu, but good lord it's a fantastic dessert. After the relentless heat of the chilli, the pandang ice cream soothes, while the toasted brioche, smothered in the palm sugar syrup, is one of those "so good I don't care how bad for me it is" things.

On the non-food side of things, at the moment House isn't as crowded as Spice I Am. It's less cramped in parts (as the restaurant is far bigger), and there are alcoholic drinks available, courtesy of the adjoining bar.


Not to let my friends miss the opportunity, we scheduled a visit a week later. Of course, I was only going because further research was required...

There were a couple of repeats from the last time--the grilled chicken, the jaew bong--but this time instead of the dried/fried pork, there was the dried/fried beef. A bit chewier, but still very moreish.

There was the mackerel paste that was similar to the jaew bong (but fishier, not as pleasingly pungent). Also missing the mark a little was the banana leaf curry. With so many intense dishes, the milder flavoured dishes just don't stack up as much. The duck larb suffers a similar fate.

But there's the discovery of the fermented sausage. There is also the deep fried fish with shallots, nuts and other things.

The normal green papaya salad is a little dull compared with the salted crab version, but the crispy anchovy version comes pretty close with the texture adding an element to the dish. The version with fermented noodles is also excellent.

Once again, the BTS follows. No one really has the room for dessert, but there are two of us that have had the BTS before, and we insist on it. We all have it, we all love it.

We leave stuffed, but pleased, endorphins surging through our body from the spice.


A few days later and an impromptu dinner. House is suggested and I don't argue. With around 50 items on the menu, there is still more to try.

There's the pork roll salad. Similar to the green papaya salad but with a processed pork meat similar to devon. Nice enough.

The fried/dried beef and pork has been done, but the grilled pork neck and marinated beef strips haven't. They're promptly ordered, along with the chicken skewers.

Again, the jaew bong is present. But this time it's so fiery it's almost unpalatable.

Again, we have no room. But, again, the BTS is to conclude the menu.



I'm loving House.

I'm loving that there are dishes here that I've never had before, and that I can't find anywhere else. Is it authentic? Is it a good interpretation of the classic dish? I don't know and I don't care.

I can't wait for summer when the courtyard calls my name with the promise of excellent Thai food and cold beers.

I avoided Spice I Am on occasions because if you didn't turn up at 6 you had to wait for a table, and even once you got in you were cramped and forced out as soon as you were finished.

House won't always be at such a comfortable level of patronage, but with food that won't please a lot of people (with conservative palates), I hold out hope that it will be there for a long time to come.

There's another jewel in the crown of Sydney Thai food.


RATING: Will constantly return to [?]

RESTAURANT: Berta

After much anticipation, the new creation from the team that brought us Vini has arrived. Berta is a somewhat hard-to-find, smallish winebar in the Surry Hills end of the city. Wines (Italian origin) are served by the bottle, glass and tasting glass, allowing you to drink in any which way you want. The menu appears to change regularly and is a little bit better than just your average bar snacks (bit a little bit, I mean a lot).

We get in fairly early to beat the rush and, being so spoilt for choice that we have no idea what wine or food to order, we opt for the banquet menu with matching wines. It's a great idea and takes us through 6 or 7 of the dishes on the menu, each matched with a tasting glass of wine. For around $60, the food is simple, great value, packed with flavour and accompanies the wine well.

The wines that were matched to the food were on the cheaper side of things and weren't that great, but that was to be expected for 6/7 glasses that cost around the $40 in total. So I think next time I'll instead opt for a bottle of something decent to accompany the food, and there wasn't a shortage of that on the wine list.

Service is warm and the room, while a tad noisy when full, is well designed. My one gripe is that the tables were too close together. I think there was 10cm between our table at the next, meaning it was only possible to get past to leave or go to the bathroom by making them shift their table over and brush past.

Next time I'm in the mood for some Italian wine and hearty food in a casual setting I'll be sure to head to Berta.


RATING: Will return to [?]

RESTAURANT: Thainabox

There are plenty of Thai restaurants in Parramatta, but this is one of the better for a simple meal. Select yout type of noodles, toppings and style of dish (Thai, Malay, etc) and they'll cook it up for you.

Quick, simple, tasty and well-priced. A good lunchtime destination.

RATING: Okay, will probably return to [?]

RESTAURANT: Miss Chu

It had started with a recommendation about some dumplings we needed to try which, as far as I'm concerned, is a great way to start anything.

Miss Chu is a Darlinghurst-based catering company serving up delicious sounding Asian (predominately Vietnamese) finger food. But every weekday, the kitchen opens up and operates as a hawker style cafe.

Oh, and it's pretty damn good.

Great balance of ingredients in the rice paper rolls, where some places go a bit too heavy on the bean sprouts. Steamed dim sum-style dumplings are fantastic, and melt in the mouth once you bite in. Spring rolls are also deliciously crisp. There are other items on the menu I can't wait to go back and sit on the milk crates and try, like peking duck pancakes, BBQ pork buns, vermicelli salads and pho.

This is quick, delicious eating. It's not a fancy restaurant and it's not a place to go if you want to linger over your food. It's the place to go if you find yourself nearby and in the mood for a quick (and tasty) bite.


RATING: Will return to [?]

BEER OF THE WEEK: Mikkeller - Beer Geek Brunch (Highland Edition)

New feature! Yay!

Each week I'm going to bring you a beer that requires particular attention. And then you're only allowed to drink that beer until I tell you what the next one is.

I've decided to start this segment off with one of my favourites of recent time:



This beer is nuts.

It's a 10.9% abv imperial oatmeal stout made with the infamous civet cat coffee (aka the world's most expensive coffee, aka coffee shat out by rodents), aged in whiskey barrels and retails for around $40.

Still reading?

For those that don't know Mikkeller's beers are some of the most extreme, loved, confusing, delicious beers in the world. Mikkeller is a gypsy brewer, meaning he travels the land and uses spare tanks from other brewers. The Beer Geek Brunch was brewed at the equally loved Nogne brewery in Norway (which just picked up the top award at the Australian International Beer Awards).

This beer is simply mind-blowing. It pours jet black and thick. Beautifully powerful nose. Dive right in and enjoy huge flavours of dark chocolate, coffee, roasted malt and scotch. The length on the palate is tremendous.

This is a beer for people that love their beers big and packed with flavour and those that want to appreciate a superb craft beer. It's a beer to sit with and savour for a long time.

RATING: 97%

WINE OF THE WEEK: Peter Lehmann Stonewell Shiraz 2004

Really solid wine. Retails for around $100.

The highlight is the balance. For me, the perfect amount of rich, juicy (yet still quite lively) fruit--blackberries, blueberries--with a little spice--pepper, clove, anise--and enough oak for structure. Nice length on the finish.

I rated it: 92%

RESTAURANT: Hooters

Full disclosure: I'm not the sort of person that would be caught dead in a place like this. But a work lunch would cause the fates of mine and Hooters Parramatta to collide on rainy afternoon.

And as the rain fell, this place would totally fuck with my head.

It's set out like a nicely appointed, American sports bar. Heaps of TVs playing sports, a bar, typically American bar food menu, wooden furniture as far as the eye can see, etc, etc, a pool table, etc. The difference between your typical American sports bar and Hooters is that one is designed to make men happy and comfortable, the other one is Hooters.

I'd seen everyone work themselves up about this place, preparing to do some epic ogling. I was picturing a scene in my head where everyone in the restaurant was just objectifying the women, treating them like shit.

But we get there and it's the women that are in total control. Sure, the guys have a look, probably even have a chat about how they rate each waitress. But the chat is hushed, and once they have the look there's nothing left to do.

It's probably the greatest business plan of all. Tempt guys in with the promise of a fleshy, sporty, manly paradise, deliver merely a glimpse of it, then charge them huge mark-ups on food and beer. $6.50 for the cheapest tap beer? $20 for a fairly basic burger? $50 for a rack of so-so ribs (hey, guys, lets make a joke about "full rack!")? Genius. Then also sell merchandise, perpetuate the manly story on the menu, serve slowly so they burn through the beers and snacks. But won't that objectify women if they wear skimpy clothing? Nope, you see the beauty is that the women are in total control. Guys will think they will be in control here, but they will be reduced to blubbering idiots. It's 3000 years of de-volution as soon as you walk through the door. But this time (in 1000 BC?) the women are in charge.

The food? Basic bar food with a decent markup (especially the beer). Not bad, but nothing to write home about. While I never would have taken the initiative to come here before, this did nothing to change that decision. That said, I now don't want to go there for entirely different reasons to those I had before.

RATING: Will probably not return to [?]

New Features

There are going to be some new features coming soon to the blog, which I hope you'll enjoy.

The aim of these features is an entirely selfless one: to add some structure and discipline to how I write this blog.

Rather than the current strategy of writing a little something whenever I feel like it, there will be 5 main columns/features:
- Wine of the week
- Beer of the week (I think they're pretty self explanatory)
- Restaurant review (hopefully 1 or so per week)
- Recipes (probably one every fortnight)
- Other articles (travel diaries, thoughts on the food scene, etc)

Should be fun.

(I give it 6 months before we're back to normal aka never posting)

RESTAURANT: Pendolino

I don't think I'd ever gone to the upper levels of the Strand arcade before. I didn't even know there was a third level. I also didn't know there was a decent Italian restaurant in the CBD. Truly a night of firsts.

Let me backtrack. I have grown to heavily dislike Italian food in Sydney. Too many overpriced meals, not enough simplicity. Perhaps the two are linked. Italian cuisine is blessed with a wealth of ingredients, a wealth of classic recipes and flavour combinations. Why is it so hard to do this, and do it simply?

Thankfully, things are changing in Sydney. An Italian revolution is happening. Pendolino is a part of that.

I dip the bread in the selection of olive oils and ponder what has been one of my toughest menu decisions of recent times. There is too much that I want to eat. My stomach is rumbling with delight at the mere thought of these dishes.

I start with a dish that I love and that I cook often. It's a take on an insalata caprese, that ultra-fresh combination of basil, ripe tomato and buffalo mozzarella. It's a dish that is so blindingly simple, yet so many restaurants have failed to execute it well. Pendolino gives me the best version I have ever tasted. Instead of the buffalo mozzarella we have some burrata (mozzarella with cream), we have some pieces of bread as croutons, some cress and it's all in a pool of what I think is burrata cream. It's classy, it's fresh, it's obscenely delicious.

I also have some of the air-dried wagyu carpaccio. It's quite nice, but the peccorino it's served with overpowers the subtleness of the beef a little. Still, a solid dish.

Main course time and shit gets real. Saffron risotto with slices of a pork and fennel (I think) salami. The dish is placed down and I wonder if they've forgotten to put something in the bowl. It looks sparse. I try it and realise that it has everything it needs. Possibly more. This is one of the best risottos I've ever had at a restaurant. Granted, most of them have been horrible, but Pendolino's version nails it. The texture is runny, but not soupy. The grains of rice have a sublime texture. Every single one is a joy to eat. The few slices of salami on top add another rich, aromatic layer. I savour every spoonful.

I almost don't want to risk getting dessert, in case it ruins the rest of the meal. But I'm greedy so I proceed. The campari poached pear tart. And I'm glad I risked it. Simple, but elegant. A great balance of sweet (the pear, some cream), savoury (a biscuit base) and sour/bitter (a slight hint of campari on the backpalate).

But as we wait for the bill it all kind of hits me. It's not a great restaurant, despite the food.

The service has been a little clumsy, for a start. They all try their hardest but it just doesn't quite work. The special is forgotten, the sommelier arrives at the wrong time, the staff speak loudly at the open kitchen, the olive oil is taken while bread is still there to be dipped (in our hand, no less), water isn't topped up fast enough. They're small things, but they add up. It all feels too complicated for the food.

And the prices. Yes, the ingredients are excellent and the food was superb, but entrees are $20-25 and mains are around $30-40. I don't see the value. The value that would keep me coming back over other new Italian restaurants popping up. It hasn't stopped the fashionable ladies out on the town for the night, but they've never been great judges of anything, really.

Like the pendulum swinging back and forth, I swing between love and slight disappointment with Pendolino. The food is superb, but the experience is unfulfilling. Maybe this isn't the Italian restaurant I'm waiting for? Maybe I need to wait a little longer for an Italian place that has food like this (maybe less refined) that has happy, laid-back staff and mains closer to $20. Maybe the noise and the darkness of the room is dragging me somewhere I don't want to go?

Will I be back? Probably. But when? I don't think I'll rush back. But that food! That menu! I think they have two options for where to take this place: drop prices by around $5 for the entress and mains, relax the staff, aim for smart casual. Or they could tighten up the service, introduce a tasting menu and aim for 2 hats.

RATING: Okay, may go back [?]

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.

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



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

50in2150: 4. Dane's

Location: 101 George St, Parramatta (I think)
Cost: $7.70 for a salad and coffee

I'd been warned that this place was pretty bad beforehand. But it wasn't really that bad really.

The food didn't look terribly exciting, but I opted for the Caesar salad and the usual coffee. The salad was okay, but a little plain. Egg, thinly sliced bacon (or was it ham? hard to tell) and lettuce with a nice dressing. A little disappointing because I like to see things like croutons and anchovies in my Caesars. But it hit the spot.

Coffee was okay. Not awful but I wouldn't go here again just for the coffee. Competently made but I don't think it was the best quality of beans.

Breezy location which I think would be good to sit in and have lunch on a nice day.

Service was relaxed, which is how I like cafe service.


Rating:

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

Total - 15.5 out of 27

50in2150: 3. Kanteena

Location: 18 Smith St, Parramatta
Cost: $9.50 for a turkish bread sandwich and coffee

The first time I walked past this place nearly every table was dirty. Plates, napkins and unfinished food sat all over the place.

It looked terrible, so I couldn't wait to go there for the 50in2150 project.

Turns out it's not so terrible. But not great either.

I arrived and headed to the counter, absolutely starving. I saw the salads and my appetite diminished somewhat. They didn't look great. I opted for a toasted chicken and avocado on turkish bread sandwich. It was packed with chicken and a good amount of avocado, which is great to see. But the chicken just wasn't right. It was like sliced chicken you'd get from the Coles deli or something.

The coffee was a better story. While it wasn't the best quality of beans, it was quite well made and was an enjoyable drink.

Service was good from some people, but a bit forgetful from others. The manager had a go at one of the staff in front of everyone so that wasn't great either.

The main thing I noticed about this place is that all of the single people come here. In the other places I've gone it was always a couple of people together, but when I visited Kanteena there were only 2 people dining together, around 10 other tables were taken by singles reading a paper.

Rating:

Food - 6/10
Coffee - 4.25/6
Service - 1.5/3
Decor - 2.5/5
Bonus - 0/3

Total - 14.25 out of 27

50in2150: 2. Di Pacci Espresso Bar

Location: Shop 2/130 George St, Parramatta
Cost: $9.50 for a wrap/roll/salad and medium coffee

Prior to starting the 50in2150 Project, Di Pacci was my regular cafe. Mostly because it was the only cafe nearby that looked decent and didn't scare me off upon first visit.

Di Pacci has good wraps, good rolls and passable salads. They also have a guy running the place that really takes control. He guards the register and all orders go through him. They also have a great little room near the counter full of couches and a huge screen TV.

The salads are a little underwhelming, but the wraps have always been solid.

Coffee is quite good. Nicely roasted but feels like it was made a little too quickly. The flavours aren't in harmony.

While it's still early days for the project, Di Pacci is going to be hard to beat.

Rating:

Food - 7/10
Coffee - 4/6
Service - 2/3
Decor - 4/5
Bonus - 1.5/3 (for the big TV and couches)

Total - 18.5 out of 27

RESTAURANT: Beluga Wine Bar

Type: Wine Bar, Modern Australian, European
Location: Shop 15, 425 Bourke St, Surry Hills
Booking Required: Usually
http://www.belugawinebar.com/

Owner/chef Opel Khan has had this place open for nearly three months now, and barely a word has been spoken about it. Yet. I wouldn’t be surprised to see big things happening in this funky Surry Hills eatery soon. But more on that later.

It looked like it was going to be a quiet night when we walked in. Only one other table was taken in the whole place. Sure it was early and a Tuesday, but I’m always suspicious of barren restaurants. But we were there so we took our seats like good children and requested the degustation with matching wine ($156).

The first dish, a sweet corn and tarragon cappuccino with white truffle, arrived. It sounded horribly pretentious, but tasted absolutely divine. The sweetness of the corn was beautifully restrained and the tarragon and truffle made it beautifully aromatic. And, as you’d imagine from something described as a cappuccino, terribly light.

It was a great way to start the night and alleviate our fears.

And then the serious food started. Tomato sorbet over what I think was an ox heart tomato confit and brioche. Wow. The sorbet brought the palate to life with the natural sweetness and herby flavours of the tomato. Hints of vinegar and pepper teased the tastebuds on the way through. A beautifully balanced dish, matched with a nice, bold sauvignon blanc.

Following that came a plate with two seared scallops sitting atop fanned out cauliflower puree and an avocado crème brulee. I wasn’t ready for this dish. Too good. Just TOO good. The scallops were good to perfection, the cauliflower puree was sweet and subtle and the avocado crème brulee was a revelation of subtlety and sweetness. On their own wonderful, together remarkable. Matched with a nice riesling. This really was the dish of the night, if not the year.

Next up was the soft shell crab with wild mushrooms and snapper chips, alongside a lovely riesling. A good dish, but after the scallops it wasn’t as spectacular. The snapper chips were nice, the mushrooms delicious and the soft shell crab sweet but a little underwhelming. Although the soft shell crab was really lifted by a great sauce.

The ravioli took me by surprise. I hadn’t looked that closely at the menu and wasn’t expecting it. A large, bulging raviolo sat on a plate with a thin covering of a buttery, creamy sauce. Inside the ravioli was a chunky and well flavoured mixture of seafood and herbs. While this was a very good dish in it’s own right, the pinot grigio it was matched with was a glorious compliment and lifted it even higher.

After all of that a break of tomato water was served to cleanse the palate for the final onslaught.

First up was the lobster crepe with a saffron and carrot emulsion on top a pea shoot salad. Now we’re talking. Beautiful combination of flavours here. Everything was doing its part. On my notes I’ve just written one word next to this dish: excellent.

While tis the season for white wine, I began to wonder where it was. Waiting for this next dish, our last of the savoury options. Thinly sliced wagyu beef sat atop button mushrooms and a nice jus. Probably the wine of the night, but one of the less impressive dishes. After so much innovation it was a little underwhelming to have just steak and mushrooms. Still, it all tasted excellent so I can’t complain.

Signalling the end of the savoury and heralding in the sweet was a melon ice with black olive granita. A good palate cleanser again, but there was just a little too much salt from the olives dominating the sweetness of the melon.

And then it was time to be blown away. The dessert platter arrived. Hazelnut gelato, strawberry caviar and a chocolate ganache with chick pea dust. The pink moscato it was served with was a little ho-hum but my god the food. The hazelnut gelato was luscious and creamy. Really well flavoured with restrained sweetness. The chocolate ganache was excellent on it’s own but the addition of the chick pea dust cut through some of the sweetest and added a nice nutty flavour. It reminded me a little of tofu chocolate. The strawberry caviar was a work of art. It perplexed me how strawberry could look like salmon roe. The waitress explained how it was made and I had no response. From memory the strawberry is made into a compote, then with an eyedropper a drop is added to hot water, which gives it the shape and texture of caviar. So it keeps its shape they had to carefully pick the little pearls out of the water.

Finally, the warm sangria is the last dish to hit the table. Sweet, aromatic, warm syrup with poached pears, ice cream and toasted pastry. It's a nice way to finish the night.

There really is something happening here. Khan pops out during service to speak to the diners and he really seems to be passionate about what he’s trying to create in the funky brown room. The menu is inventive, the food wonderful, the matching wines all Australian.

It’s almost too much for the setting. While it’s a sexy looking place, the wooden chairs and plain floor tiles don’t scream luxury. The service is friendly and open, not stuffy and formal. That’s what he’s trying to do, but with food so good it’s almost like a really hot person wearing average clothes. They could be so much more if they wanted to be.

But I’m glad the hot person decides to dress modestly. The prices are good for the food on offer and it’s a really inviting place. You want to go there for everything from an informal lunch to a celebratory dinner (if you have the cash). They don’t think of absolutely everything because they don’t try to.

I really do think that this place is going to be big. I hope it is. If the menu continues to evolve and some of the weaker dishes are improved then it really could be one of Sydney’s best.


RATING: Will return to

50in2150: 1. Cafe One 80

Location: 180 George St, Parramatta
Cost: Around $9.50 for a wrap and small coffee

And so this is where it all begins.

Feeling a little nervous about this whole project, I walk into Cafe One 80 and get to inspecting. There's not a lot to inspect really. It's a fairly standard cafe.

I look at their menu and nothing really jumps out. A lot of wraps and sandwiches. I see some odd looking wraps on display and point to one. I wasn't sure what it was.

It took me a good 4 bites to realise what the wrap was. It was either tuna or chicken, most likely chicken, sweet chilli sauce and koss lettuce. Nothing to write home about.

The coffee was nothing special either. A bit watery and gritty tasting. Not awful though.


Rating:

Food - 4.5/10
Coffee - 3/6
Service - 1/3
Decor - 3/5
Bonus - 0/3

Total - 11.5 out of 27

50in2150: The Rating System

All cafes in the 50in2150 project will be rated accordingly:

Food - out of 10
Coffee - out of 6 (I will order a long black everywhere to ensure consistency)
Decor/location - out of 5 (if it's a place you want to go to)
Service - out of 3
Extra marks - out of 3 (can be given if the place does something special, ie has a great speciality, good deals on certain days, etc)

Total Marks: Out of 27

ANNOUNCEMENT: The 50 in 2150 Project

Parramatta, postcode 2150, is a suburb over-run with cafes.

Everyone has their own favourite, which they won't hesitate to share with you. But there are so many choices, so closely packed together that vary rarely do people have the same favourite.

So in the interests of providing a public service and modern day exploring, I will eat at and review 50 different cafes in Parramatta.

There will be a special set of expanded criteria that will be used to evaluate these cafes, which will be revealed with the first review.

The important thing to know is that this is only cafes. No bakeries, restaurants, take-away shops or juice bars. Just cafes.

Will I do it? Will I get bored? Who knows...


The Rating System

The Reviews:
1. Cafe One 80 - 11.5
2. Di Pacci Espresso Bar - 18.5
3. Kanteena - 14.25
4. Dane's - 15.5

RECIPE: Asparagus Sauce

Ingredients:

• Approx 12 asparaguses (is that what you call them?)
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed with the back of a knife
• 3 French shallots, chopped finely
• 20g butter
• Salt and pepper to taste

This is a really simple sauce that looks awesome on a plate and goes great with things like pork, salmon, pasta.

Break the wooden bits off the asparagus, then cook them in some salted, boiling water until cooked. I like to save some of the spears for garnishing later.

Drain the asparagus, but keep the water.

In a pot cook down the shallots and garlic with the butter until they start to look translucent. Be careful not to burn the shallots or it will affect the taste of the sauce.

After the shallots and garlic are cooked, add seasoning to the mixture, then add the asparagus and some of the water. With a hand mixer, blend this until it turns into a runny liquid. Add more of the water that the asparagus was cooked in if it is still too thick.

Give it a taste. Sometimes it needs more seasoning or maybe even some more butter. If it's too strong then just add more of the cooking water.

It will come out a lovely vivid green colour. I served it with some wine baked pork and beans. So colourful, so easy, so fantastic.

RESTAURANT: Chonsiam

Type: Thai
Location: Campbell St, Sydney (between Pitt ST and Castlereagh St)
Booking Required: Not at this stage

Okay, so after deciding not to brave out the Spice I Am 45 minute wait we stumbled into this place, too purple to ignore.

The first that you notice after you get over the purple is that they have this awesome sofa seat sort of thing. It's really awesome and really sticks out. I think that's a fantastic thing for a "fun" restaurant to have. We had only been there 10 minutes before a group came in and said "bags the sofa!" rather excitedly.

We then found out that this was actually the opening night of the restaurant so, regrettably, around a third of the menu was unavailable. But that's okay.

We started with the BBQ chicken salad. An interesting mix of barbequed chicken, tomato, lettuce (or cabbage) and a few other things. It was an interesting dish, almost more Vietnamese in style. Not bad, but the combination of ingredients was lacking a little harmony for me, and the sauce hadn't fully penetrated the chicken. But I did like that you could taste the elements of the dish, rather than just the one dominating flavour that seems to happen at a lot of other Thai places.

Second to arrive was the jungle curry. I'm not normally a fan of this curry and this didn't convert me. I won't judge too harshly since it isn't in my tastes, but again the flavours didn't seem to harmonise enough. The beef was a bit tough as well.

The final, and most successful, dish was the beef nam tok (beef salad). Always a nice combination of beef, basil, onion and a few other ingredients in a citrusy sauce. It was damn spicy, but also quite nice.

Because this was opening night I won't criticise too heavily, but there are quite a lot of kinks that will need to be ironed out before I visit again in 2-3 weeks to see what the progress has been like.

RATING: Pending. See it for yourself and see what you think of this new Thai place.

RESTAURANT: La Ricetta

Type: Italian
Location: 143 Enmore Rd, Enmore
Booking Required: Usually
http://www.laricetta.com.au/

A tough place to pick really.

Really pleasant service on the floor. Good prices. Nice location.

But the food. The food left a bit to be desired.

Their take on the caprese was disappointing. It’s probably my favourite salad and I’m almost certain I can make a better version myself. Bocconcini is a tasteless cheese and over the top of standard tomatoes it doesn’t really inspire. The rucola was a better attempt.

A selection of bruschetta was good, but didn’t really have much of a punch.

The mains, again, were a bit hit and miss. While the crab and tomato risotto was well flavoured, it was also undercooked. The gnocchi was also nice, but a little overcooked. But that was probably more because of bias for simple flavouring on gnocchi.

Tiramisu-the yardstick for all good Italian places-was a nice end to the meal.

On a whole it was a good experience. While the food was only okay, the service and mood they created made up for it. I won’t jump to go there again, but I won’t hesitate for a second to give it another go.

RATING: Okay, may go back

RESTAURANT: Ice Cube

Type: Seafood
Location: Ground Floor, IMAX Theatre Complex, Darling Harbour
Booking Required: Usually
http://www.icecubeseafood.com.au/home.asp

Despite being directly below a massive concrete overpass, it’s the location that really makes this place worth dining at. If you get a seat near the front of the restaurant then you have a lovely breeze blowing in off the harbour and a fantastic opportunity to people watch.

Unfortunately, aside from some nice cocktails there wasn’t much else going for it when I visited. While it is a seafood restaurant, my salmon was kind of average. I’ve had better pieces, cooked better in a number of other places. While the mains seemed to lack something, the chocolate crème brulee really was delicious.

Service was a little hot and cold.

While this would be a good, casual “date” restaurant, for normal dining it just didn’t do enough for me. The quality didn’t match the price.

RATING: Okay, may go back

The Restaurant Rating System Explained

Let me break down how the restaurant rating system works on the site, since it's a bit different to the norm.

The idea behind this system is that a system based on scores/grades/stars isn't usually suitable for every day use. For example, a restaurant may be rated 15/20 but because it's fairly expensive or it's too formal, you may frequent a restaurant rated 10/20 more often.

Most rating systems will favour fine-dining restaurants like Tetsuya's or Quay, simply because they're supposed to have good food, service and atmosphere for the price. Surely an awesome tapas place--one that has above average tapas and an excellent atmosphere for a good price--should also rate highly? Sure, the service might not be as polished as at Tetsuya's, but what if it's great when you compare it to similar restaurants?

So our system rates the restaurant according to how well it competes with similar types of restaurants, how well it reaches what it's set out to achieve and how exciting it is to eat there. Take, for example, the review on this blog of now-defunct Omega. While the food was exceptional and it ticked a lot of other boxes, it was lacking in some areas when we visited. So the next time we were looking for a dinner of that style and that price-range, we looked elsewhere.

Compare that to the review of Chinatown staple, Chinese Noodle Restaurant. Right there is a place that makes you want to go back to over and over because, for the money you pay and the food you get, it's superior to similar places (at least in our minds).


Let me break down the different ratings:

Will constantly return to - For something to make you want to constantly return to it then it really needs to be doing something special. There must be a very clear distinction that this place is above it's peers. You will fight for this place and recommend it to everyone who will listen.

An expensive fine-dining place can still receive this rating but it doesn't mean that we have the cash to go there once a week. It means that when we have the appetite and budget for some fine-dining then this place will always be considered.

Will return to - Still a very strong rating. A restaurant at this grade will be consistently good. You will want to go back there, but it doesn't quite have that same level of excitement as much as a place in the higher category. You'll still come here every now and then (and enjoy it!) but it's in competition with many other enjoyable places and new places that you're keen to try.

Okay, may go back - While this is still a good restaurant, it does have flaws. You wouldn't go out of your way for this restaurant, you'll rarely consider it as a dining option and probably wouldn't recommend it to people. If you're nearby or if someone else suggests going there, you won't mind too much, but you won't be too excited by the prospect.

Will probably not return to - This is where it gets unfavourable. The flaws are at a point where you wouldn't go here, even if you were in the area. You would only go here if someone else suggested it and they weren't interested in your alternative suggestions. You probably only go here out of duty to someone.

Will never return to - They have either stuffed up massively or just aren't offering anything good to get this rating. To get this rating, it needs to be so bad that you just do not want to go back under any circumstances. Even if someone suggests this place or organises a meal there, you will resist as much as possible.



Happy reading.

RESTAURANT: El Bulli

Type: Spanish
Location: 501 Elizabeth St, Surry Hills
Booking Required: Usually

I’ve been here twice and, while there have been flaws, I’ve left pleased twice.

On the first visit on a warm afternoon we got a table near the bar, which had a nice cool breeze blowing through it. We worked out way through some good tapas dishes and imbibed the ubiquitous sangria.

The meat platter is excellent and got me into blood sausages periodically. Fried whitebait was also quite nice, as was the jamon with rockmelon. I don’t remember any of the other dishes on that visit falling short. Combined with pleasant service it really was a nice evening.

The second visit was a little less successful. A larger group of us sat out the back in the converted courtyard sort of room. And while it was a rather hot day, the heat was nearly uncomfortable in the room. Having sweat pour down my face while I dine isn’t the best way to spend a meal.

Again, good, solid dishes arrived one after the other. But the mussels, cooked in a chilli tomato sauce, were terrible. Just lacking a fresh taste. The majority of the bowl sat untouched.

But again, good service, good food and good sangria made a good night. While this didn’t topple Encasa as my favourite Spanish in Sydney, it has cemented a spot firmly in the top three.

RATING: Will Return To

WINE: DE BORTOLI Show Liqueur Muscat NV

Type: Muscat, Fortified
Origin: Riverina, NSW
Approx Cost: $20
http://www.debortoli.com.au/

Really nice for the price.

Golden amber colour with green tinges. Full bodied sweetness. Sultana flavours really dominate, with some richer caramel lingering in the background. Nice length.

90%

WINE: INNISKILLIN Ice Wine Vidal 2004

Type: Ice Wine
Origin: Canada
Approx Cost: $80 (375ml)
http://www.inniskillin.com/

I tried this wine 6 months ago and have only now gotten around to putting up the notes. Silly of me, because it really was a fantastic wine.

Before I put my notes up I just need to confess my love for ice wines. Yes they are expensive, but they are made in such inhospitable conditions. To make an ice wine you know that a lot of pain and effort and disappointment has gone into it. The finished product is a triumph over nature.

Deep apricot in colour. And it smells just so rich on the nose. Apricots, orange. And then the glorious taste. Apricots, caramelised citrus fruits, stone fruit. Really full bodied and full flavoured.

I can’t recommend trying ice wines enough. And if you want to try one of the better (but still easily available) ice wines then look no further than this.

94%

WINE: DOM PERIGNON Vintage 1999

Type: Champagne
Origin: France
Approx Cost: $250
http://www.domperignon.com

Dom is sexy. There’s just no doubt about it. This vintage comes in a sleek black box with silver outlines. Once you press the buttons on the base and lift the lid up it only gets sexier. That familiar bottle shape with the timeless logo.

Couldn’t wait.

There has been a lot of discussion about this vintage. Initially a lot of people said it wasn’t great, but lately the tide has been changing and positive reviews have been more forthcoming. Could it be a grower?

Pop the cork and the aroma just fills the air. It’s nothing short of extraordinary. Peach, honey, lemon and apricot swirl around before me.

It pours with a nice mid-gold with the slightest touch of green.

The mousse and bead are a work of art. Tiny, persistent and explosive. They help the aroma circulate even more.

Finally, the sip. It really is an explosion of that familiar Dom taste. The fragrant, fruity elegance that is just so unique to the brand. The peach, honey, lemon and apricot promised on the nose deliver and are joined by some more savoury flavours. A touch of spice, tobacco and a little pineapple. The bead is still furious and forces everything into every corner of your mouth.

It’s still really tight and shows good signs for the future. 5 or so more years will do it a lot of justice and give it time to settle.

I wouldn’t say it’s an outstanding vintage, but it really is quite nice and well worth the price.

95%

RESTAURANT: Newton’s Cucina

Type: Mexican
Location: 403 King St, Newtown
Booking Required: Sometimes

Good Mexican in Sydney seems to be impossible to find. I don’t know why, we seem to cover most other cultures pretty well. But no one has been able to get a great Mexican place going.

Newton’s Cucina is yet another name on a long list of mediocre Mexican places. It’s not that it’s bad. There’s just nothing special about it that makes me want to go back.

Upon arrival you get a complimentary shot of what seems to be tomato juice with Tabasco. Not a bad offering, but it would be nice if it was something that was a bit more cleansing to the palate.

Fajitas seem to be their speciality here. And while they’re okay, you get the feeling you can make something similar or better at home.

Big servings so even though it’s all a bit costly for what it is, you won’t be able to last 3 courses here. And, with the place like it is, I didn’t really feel like sticking around for much longer.

RATING: Will Probably Not Return To

RESTAURANT: Element Bistro

Type: French
Location: 163 King St, Sydney
Booking Required: At peak times

Sometimes as regular diners and amateur food critics, we all get carried away looking for the next big thing. We want to find that new tapas joint doing funky dishes, that modern oz place putting flavours together you could never imagine, that French/Japanese place fusing ingredients and styles in unforgettable ways. But sometimes it’s the simple things that surprise us. The home truths.

Because I don’t get a chance to eat out that often, when I do eat out I want to try something new, something I haven’t had before. It’s rare that a place pulls me back, especially if it’s a little costly. But Element Bistro manages to do that.

Pardon the pun, but it pulls all of the elements of dining together in a fantastic way.

It’s only a small place, tucked away basically under the sidewalk on busy King St. So you go in and see if they have a table. They usually do. You take your seat and you’re offered tap water, but of course sparkling or bottled if you so wish. It’s great to see a place that encourages tap water, rather than looks at you weird if you ask for it. And have a bread roll and some delicious butter while you’re at it – complimentary of course.

I find it an odd menu. Made up largely of classic French dishes, but with a tiny twist that makes everything look so appealing. It makes me want to order everything there. But, of course, I can’t.

A nice wine list too. Small, like the surroundings, but strong. Some really good choices on there. Excellently priced too. I’m sick of seeing the price list of wines and thinking “ambitious” straight away.

We settle on the kingfish carpaccio, marinated in citrus with pomegranate, and the baby beetroot salad to start. The carpaccio is beautifully flavoured and plays well with the pomegranate and other ingredients on the plate. The beetroot salad is just fantastic. Combined with soft, creamy feta, greens (tiredness and poor memory don’t help) and nuts (again) and just the slightest tang of balsamic, it all comes together perfectly. I use the remains of the bread to greedily mop of the juices that have stayed on the plate. On previous visits we have also enjoyed the textbook French onion soup (delicious) and richly delicious duck liver parfait.

Mains are where this place really succeeds. On my first visit I had one of the best pieces of corned beef I can remember and enjoyed the grill of the day. This visit was even more successful. The salmon was out of this world. The skin reaching it’s ultimate crispiness, covering the perfectly cooked flesh and that melted apart. This sat atop a bed of fennel and beside – interestingly - a colcannon of potato, bacon and shallot. While the colcannon was a little dull and oniony on it’s own, with the salmon it was fantastic. I tried this before my main arrived and nearly regretted my order. But when it did arrived – the duck confit with roasted potatoes, seared scallops and asparagus heart puree – all regrets totally disappeared. This dish was truly something else. There was not a grain of this duck that was not packed with flavour. Whether it was the subtle taste of the brine that gave it a nice salty punch or the fat that soaked up everything, it was all good. The jus it was served with only added to the experience. My only question, and it was such a small question, was the scallops. I didn’t really feel they added much to the dish. Fat, juicy scallops would have. But these ones were a little dry and were a little overpowered by the huge flavours going on elsewhere. But man, I didn’t care. I ate those scallops up and enjoyed them.

On our second visit the service was really called into question. For the most part it was fantastic. The waitress on the floor was utterly charming at all times, sharing jokes and sharing information about the dishes on offer. She even remembered that on his last visit, the person I was eating with felt a bit under the weather. That visit was a month ago and it was only the second time he had visited. When we arrived he immediately mentioned that the last time he was here the waitress was fantastic. We only saw more of that on this occasion. Even a stuff up – not bringing the correct main for me – was handled with genuine apology and bucketloads more charm. While this would have annoyed me at a place I didn’t like, I really couldn’t have cared less at Element.

The first time I ate here we were too full to have dessert. But this time we made sure we had enough room. We didn’t even need to see the dessert menu, with that trademark charm the waitress offered to make the selection herself for us if we trusted her. We were more than happy with this, and so it was. She even warned that what she had in mind would take a while, so she can think of something else if we were in a rush. It’s the small things like that which add up to a good dining experience.

The desserts selected, crème brulee and chocolate fondant with mint and lime granita arrived with matching wines (botrytis Semillon and muscat, respectively) and looked inviting. The crème brulee was quite good but lacked a bit of body to it. Not disappointing but not remarkable. The chocolate fondant, filled with rich chocolate sauce, was much more successful. The richness was beautiful contrasted with the refreshing granita, which stopped that sickly sweet feeling that plagues many rich chocolate dishes from creeping in.

The desserts are finished, the water glasses are filled again – just as they have been all night – and the bill comes. The price is good for what we’ve eaten, and my happiness doesn’t subside like it does at many other good restaurants.

Element really is doing something special with essentially basic things. Why this tiny place isn’t constantly booked out I have no idea, but I’m thankful for it. The food isn’t on the next level, but for the price it goes for, it really is something special. Not many places will make me want to go back and spend that sort of money. Not that it’s astronomic (of even “ambitious”), I’m just a bit poor.

So that’s why this place becomes only the fourth ever and only the first pricey place to get the following rating:

Rating: Will Constantly Return To

RESTAURANT: Faheem’s Fast Food

Type: Indian, Pakistani
Location: 196 Enmore Rd, Enmore
Booking Required: No bookings

God I love Faheem’s. It’s my local Indian take away and it’s one of the best Indian take-aways I’ve ever had. The food is a tad oily but for the price I am yet to see it matched elsewhere. The haleem curry with a kashmiri naan from here is hard to beat. Especially if you follow it up with some chicken tikka.

Yes the food is oily and no it’s nice an attractive place to eat, so get some take away, take it home, get plenty of naan to soak up the oil, crack a bottle and enjoy. And you know it won’t hurt your bank balance as well.

RATING: Will constantly return to

RESTAURANT: Arabella

Type: Lebanese
Location: 489 King St, Newtown
Booking Required: Sometimes
http://www.arabella.com.au/

Arabella is a bit of a so-so place. Nothing about it really grabs you. The food isn’t bad, but the rest is a bit average. The wine list is poor, the service can be a bit patchy, the televisions in the room really detract from the ambiance and they seem to really pack group bookings in. To the point where I don’t know how someone can physically fit in such a small seat.

It’s main strength is that it’s a no fuss place. If you’re in the area and want something that isn’t Thai then you can come here with a couple of friends, get a banquet (around $40) and know you’ll be well fed.

RATING: Okay, may go back

RESTAURANT: Sussex Thai

Type: Thai
Location: 321 Sussex St, Sydney
Booking Required: Sometimes
http://www.sussexthai.com.au/

Thai food has become so common in the Sydney landscape that it’s hard for a restaurant to really stick out and make you want to go back. Sussex Thai manages to do that.

They do it by offering good food, at a good price in a nice location with good service. Nothing is outstanding, but the total package is hard to fault.

The entrees are really quite delicious here and whenever I come I usually get a mix of those. The chicken in banana leaves has a fantastic flavour to it and is one that I’ll always order. The mains can be a little hit and miss though. Their curries are sublime and the garlic soft shell crab an absolute monster of a dish (they must have an entire bulb of garlic on it), but the scampi wasn’t great and the stir fried pork belly is nice but almost prohibitively spicy.

But whatever you do order, it’s never a terrible disappointment, and you know that the next dish will be better.

RATING: Will return to

RESTAURANT: Kura

Type: Japanese
Location: 76 Ultimo Rd, Haymarket
Booking Required: No bookings

There is something about this place that is just awesome. Really. The place is tiny. It only seats about 12 people and there are usually half a dozen chefs cramped into the impossibly small kitchen. I don’t know how they do it. I’ve seen bigger news stands in the city.

But in addition to defying the laws of physics, they also make some really good Japanese food for a great price. Really satisfying raman noodle soups, delicious takoyaki, Moorish fried salmon skin and great sashimi for the price.

Service is lightening quick, so don’t ponder over your choice for long. Just think of something and stick with it. Chances are you’ll like it. I’m yet to be disappointed with anything I’ve gotten there and I have it as one of my few trusted places for food.

Ignore the queue and get in the line if you’re after a quick, cheap bite in Haymarket. There may be places doing things better than Kura, but everything Kura does is consistently good and for a great price.

RATING: Will return to

EVENT: The Sydney Royal Wine Show

February 16, 2008
Sydney Showground, Sydney Olympic Park
Cost: $55 at the door ($50 pre-sale)
http://www.sydneyroyalshows.com.au/wdff/wine/index.html

Last year we had so much fun that we decided to go again for some serious tasting. And boy am I happy that we did return, because it was even better. Last year the entry price gave you the chance to try 18 medal winning wines, and as many non-medal winning wines as you wanted. This year you could try whatever you wanted and as much as you wanted. Last year the challenge was to allocate your tasting allowance on your favourite categories and those wines that interested you. This year, the hardest decision was what to try next.

After getting a few Aussies sparkling I’m yet to try out of the way (Houghton’s Pemberton sparkling was a good surprise) and moving through some other categories, I decided that it would be fun to put my effort towards my favourite categories. And so I did. From sweet white wines to muscats to ports to brandies, I tried everything sweet, fortified or late harvested that they had in that room. McWilliam’s took my award of the day for two utterly sublime wines in the Hanwood Tokay 2 and the Hanwood Grand Tawny.

Another improvement on last year was the introduction of the Trophey Room, where you could enter for a limited amount of time and try all of the wines that won trophies at the event. This gave everyone a chance to try everything they wanted and made sure there were no crowds around some areas.

Once again it was good to see what some of my favourite producers were awarded. I was really pleased to see that Banrock Station’s The Reserve sparkling wine picked up a very well deserved silver medal. Blue Pyrenees Estate were also well rewarded for some of their better wines.

Produce from the Royal Food Show was also impressive with a great selection of dips, meats, nougat and bread on offer.

This event is simply a must for anyone who takes their wine seriously and wants the opportunity to try a lot of the better wines coming out of this country all in the one room.

WINE: YARRA BURN Sparkling Pinot Noir Chardonnay Pinot Meunier 2005

Type: Sparkling
Origin: Yarra Valley, Victoria
Approx Cost: $25
http://www.yarraburn.com.au/

I’ve been neglecting this blog horribly lately, so I suppose a gesture of good will is in order. Yes, I will review a cheap sparkling wine. That will make you all happy. Yes.

It pours with a good mousse and has quite a fine bead.

It’s always a worry to see a cheaper sparkling wine have all three of the traditional grapes included. Almost as if it wasn’t a good wine with pinot noir and chardonnay so they scraped some pinot meuniere together and decided to add that in.

It smells average, with a bit of citrus and yeast fighting for dominance. And that’s pretty much it. Citrus and yeast on the palate with a bit of a toasty edge. But really not that impressive.

It’s not going to disappoint terribly for the price, but it won’t impress.

Welcome back.

82%

RESTAURANT: Chan’s Garden

Type: Chinese, Asian
Location: 78 Burwood Rd, Burwood
Booking Required: Sometimes

I went here months ago. So why not do a review now? Sure, okay.

Not a lot to write home about. It’s a fairly standard suburban Chinese joint. Bigger than the norm and nicely laid out.

The service was a little patchy, with dishes either taking too long to arrive or all arriving at once. But it was friendly throughout.

Most importantly, the food. Quite good, but lacking anything special. We had a pretty wide selection and nothing jumped out at me too much.

If I lived in Burwood I’d get takeaway from this place, but I can’t see myself going there to dine again. Especially with so many other interesting Asian places in Burwood begging to be tried. And I certainly haven't felt any pangs to return in the months since I first visited.

RATING: Will probably not return to

WINE: JACQUESSON Avize Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs 1996

Type: Champagne
Origin: France
Approx Cost: $140
http://www.champagnejacquesson.com/eng/index.htm

The NV from Jacquesson impressed me enough to go out and try this. Quite glad I did.

From the moment this is poured you can see it’s going to be creamy and full of honey-like flavours. But there is a lot more than meets the eye with this one. Along with the honey are some delicious fruits like lemon and peach, a bit of nut and a toasty edge.

It’s REALLY foamy at the moment, so it could use a few years to cellar, but then it is going to be a fantastic wine.

Beautiful finish. I was still tasting it for a long time after the last drop had gone.

93%

RECIPE: The 12 Animal Pizza

I'm trying to champion the cause of extreme cooking. We have slow food, where the aim is to cook and savour food slowly, and I think extreme food fills the niche where every item made is an affront to God and every bite consumed is a triumph of human spirit.

This has led to the 12 Cheese Pizza and the 16 Chocolate Cheesecake (can't be bothered linking them, sorry) and now... the 12 Animal Pizza



Ingredients:
- Pizza dough (recipe stolen from Not Quite Nigella)
- 12 animals (cow, pig, chicken, turkey, lamb, buffalo, duck, quail, crocodile, kangaroo, venison and poussin)
- Pizza sauce
- Cheese
- Some herbage (garlic, oregano)

Recipe:
Make a pizza from the above ingredients.

The key to getting a crispy base is to make your pizza on baking paper, then slide it onto a tray that has already been in the oven on a high heat (around 220).

RESTAURANT: Ramen Kan

Type: Japanese
Location: Level 1, 90 Hay St, Haymarket
Booking Required: Rarely.

I very nearly didn’t go here. Someone had recommended it to Calypso and we were totally stumped trying to find it. Surely it’s not accessed by this extremely dodgy looking freight lift?

It is.

But once we got out of the creepy lift and got into the restaurant all was well. It’s actually an extremely handsome restaurant for what is essentially a ramen joint. Nice floors, nice tables, a little rock garden sort of thing running through the restaurant, tiers. Nice.

We got into gyoza and their special ramen. All was very tasty. I wouldn’t say exceptional, but very solid and well priced. In a nice, comfortable, relaxed setting this all adds up to a good meal.

They also have a store in Bondi which is apparently better, and I’ve heard there is another store somewhere. No idea where.

RATING: Okay, may go back

RESTAURANT: India Times

Type: Indian
Location: Morts Road, Mortdale
Booking Required: Sometimes

Ah, the old local Indian joint. Many splendid take-aways and many delicious dine-ins have been had over the last few years here.

Sadly, moved away from there and haven’t had it for many months. Still, the memories live on.

Memories of perfectly spiced onion baji with cooling mint sauce, of one of the best butter chickens around, of the legendary dahl of the day, the sensational lamb saag and of the countless other curries that impressed.

The best Indian restaurant in the region that I’ve had, and definitely up there with some of the best in Sydney I’ve had.

RATING: Will return to