The Food Book

Xanthi, Sydney CBD

noreply@blogger.com (retrodaze) — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 11:00:00 +0000

The funny thing that I discovered about Xanthi is that you can have a completely different dining experience from your friends despite the fact that you are all sitting at the same table.

My experience was one of dining in a nice restaurant with a view of the open kitchen and other patrons. Every now and then, I could see flames shooting up from the pans while the chefs cooked in the background and admired the fabric draped from the ceiling which created a Moroccan tent atmosphere.

On the other hand, being seated opposite me meant that the view of my friends consisted of the glass windows of Westfield and the grey buildings across the road. No other patrons in their line of sight (because we were at table closest to the window) and no draped ceilings. When they told me that they didn't feel like they were in a restaurant, I turned around to check out their view and had to concede their point.

In the spirit of Greek dining, we ordered a bunch of dishes to share and left feeling absolutely stuffed. The service was very attentive and could not be flawed.

Vine dolmathes ($9.00)

Complimentary bread

Greek slaw salad

Fried School Prawns ($9.00)

Tossed in a honey, fish sauce, sesame seed and flaked almond dressing

You have to be careful when eating fried school prawns because the sharp bits will jab you in the mouth. Remember - chew slowly!

Seafood Saganaki ($35.00)

Prawns, mussels and calamari cooked in a fish tomato coriander sauce. Served with a currant and pistachio pilaf and melted kasseri cheese

Lamb skaras ($30.50)

Perama’s famous slow braised shoulder lean lamb with paprika, olive oil, garlic, then barbecued with a lemon, olive oil baste and served with baked oregano lemon potatoes and string beans

Caramel Baklava ice cream ($13.50)

Sliced layers of vanilla bean ice cream, caramel sauce and baklava

Choc nut kataifi roll ($14)

Choc and hazelnut filling wrapped in crisp kataifi pastry drizzled in spiced syrup and clotted cream

Out of these two desserts, the caramel baklava ice cream was definitely the winner. We found the choc nut kataifi roll to be dry with a dense filling that was extremely heavy on the nuts without enough moisture. It was a bit hard to swallow and we left most of this dessert untouched.

All in all, it was a pleasant meal but nothing had the wow-factor for me.

Menulog coupon code

noreply@blogger.com (retrodaze) — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 11:18:00 +0000

I have used the online home delivery site Menulog before and was impressed by the ease of ordering online from local takeaways that have signed up to the site. It is pretty simple - you type in your location and a list of places will come up that deliver to you. Then you select what you want from their menu, enter any coupon codes, check the delivery time and soon enough, the food arrives at your door. I used a coupon code for my first order too, I think I saved five dollars or something similar and that was great - made it a bargain meal! There are also reviews on the website so you can check out if a place is notoriously slow with delivery or any hit/miss dishes.

For those who haven't tried Menulog before, I just received an email with a voucher code for new users so here it is:

You can use it to get $10 off your order and in many cases you also get a first time customer discount of up to 30% off.

Be quick as the voucher is only valid till Monday 19th March 2012. It is also only valid on delivery orders and payment by credit card.

Voucher code is 74F4BB (enter end of checkout at www.menulog.com.au)

Hope that helps someone!

Umi Sushi + Udon, Darling Quarter

noreply@blogger.com (retrodaze) — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 10:29:00 +0000

Who remembers when the most exciting thing in Darling Quarter was Sega World? Now Sega World is long gone and there is a brand spanking new strip of eateries including a Guylian cafe, Janus cafe, Taste Baguette and an array of restuarants.

One of these new places is Umi Sushi and Udon, sister sushi train to Umi Kaiten-Zushi at Capitol Theatre. Umi Sushi + Udon has a nice set up where the train is located inside but there are also several large tables outside. You can choose to order off the menu or walk inside to take sushi off the train. The benefit of sitting outside is that you get to people-watch the hyperactive kids scrambling around like psychotic monkeys on the playground.

Pricing of the sushi plates range from $2.60 to $6.60. If you're ordering off the paper menu, you can't see how much the plates cost unless you ask the waitress because they are only shown as pictures (see menu below).

Other side of the menu (click to enlarge)

We ordered some plum umeshi (Japanese liqueur) to share and it arrived in a very cool jug. The crushed ice is in that little hole!

I felt like trying a few different things and noticed the 'Kids Bento Box' option which looked like a steal for $9.80. When the waitress came around, I asked if I could order one, half expecting to be rejected, but she didn't blink and just said 'sure, which one do you want?' Yay for kids options not being restricted to children!

Kids Bento Box A ($9.80)

Deep fried prawn and crab claw, Tuna and avocado roll, Japanese sweet omelette, jelly and sushi lolly, choice of apple or orange juice

The bento box turned out to be great value and I think most kids would be happy with it. Not to mention the extra novelty factor in having the nigri lolly! Also good to note that the juice comes in a glass so if you're an adult, you don't feel like a dork drinking from a popper.

Next up were a few plates of sushi which were delivered fairly promptly. It would be better if the menu had the names of the different sushi types rather than just pictures.

Grilled salmon ($3.00)

Beef tataki ($5.60)

Salmon roll ($5.60)

Hand roll ($4.60)

The surprise of the night came from the size of two salads ordered off the menu. I was extremely impressed when they arrived - each one was about the size of my head!

Mixed seafood salad with Japanese dressing ($11.80)

Salmon and avocado salad with sesame seed dressing ($10.80)

I wouldn't go out of my way to come back again because it's not the cheapest sushi train around. Having said that, there aren't many sushi trains in Sydney where you can sit outside and the salads were awfully good.

Etch (4), Sydney CBD

noreply@blogger.com (retrodaze) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 11:32:00 +0000

One thing that I must say about Etch is that I have been there as a regular customer and I have also been there while dining on vouchers and either way, the service is perfect. I think that counts for a lot, particularly over the past year where the popularity of daily deal/voucher sites has skyrocketed and a lot of people have been burned with poor service when trying to use their vouchers. So the first thing is - props to Etch.

On that note, this is yet another post about Etch and yes, you've guessed it - the second time that I have come here on a Travelzoo voucher! Did any of my readers also purchase this great value Travelzoo deal? It was a six-course degustation for two people, for the grand sum of $99. In addition to the six courses, you have an amuse bouche and a pre-dessert.

If you did happen to buy the voucher but not yet been - here is what you get! Or don't read any further in case you would prefer to be surprised :-)

The amuse bouche was in the form of a tiny cup of sweet corn velouté. Sweet yet savoury at the same time, it was a good start to the meal.

First course:

Local figs, Woodside goat curd

When I saw this course on the menu, I was slightly apprehensive because I have never been a big eater of figs. Yet when I took my first bite, I was converted. It was so smooth and went well with the creamy goat curd. The little parchments propped on top were some sort of sesame seed wafer that added a crunch to each bite. This was my favorite course.

Second course:

Salad of mango, crispy prawns, wasabi

This tasted nice but I couldn't help but wish there was just a bit more prawn on the plate....what you see on the photo is 1.5 prawns, crumbed and cut into thirds.

Third course:

Risotto Milanese, picked baby vegetables

Given that it was a cold rainy night, the risotto tasted like ultimate comfort food. Apologies in advance for my pedestrian tendencies but my only comment to my friend was that the sauce reminded me of Chicken Tonight's honey mustard sauce.

Fourth course:

Caramelized pork belly, smoked kohlrabi, pickled peaches and crispy pigs ear

My pork was quite salty so I made sure to have each bite with a bit of peach to cut through the salt. I confess, pigs ear is something that I do not like eating. I ate it because it was on my plate and I don't like to waste food but I was inwardly squirming at sensation of biting through the cartilage, even if it was deep fried. *shudders*

At the start of our meal, the kindly waiter inquired if we had any food allergies etc, and my friend requested an alternative to the pork.

Alternate fourth course:

Slow cooked egg

I looked on with delight as the egg burst and spilled all over the dish.

Fifth course:

Aromatic slow braised lamb shoulder, cauliflower, garlic spinach

This was probably the most substantive of all courses. I can't remember how many hours the lamb had been cooked for but it was very soft. Is anyone else getting bored of cauliflower puree? I feel like it has been around on so many menus that it became the new potato puree...but now I want the new cauliflower puree!

Pre dessert:

Fresh peach with peach jelly and vanilla chantilly cream

Sixth and final course:

Lemon parfait, pineapple, coconut salad, coriander

That cute little white ball is a meringue! And a very good meringue at that. I really enjoyed this dessert - the lemon flavour was subtle and not too acidic, in fact I think the passionfruit on top of the parfait overpowered any lemon taste.

If Etch does another voucher, I will definitely snap it up again!

Felix, Sydney CBD

noreply@blogger.com (retrodaze) — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 13:10:00 +0000

Another day, another Merivale restaurant! Felix has been around for a while and I finally had the chance to try it when it was a colleague's birthday and our team went out to celebrate for lunch.

Nestled in the Ash St laneway, the restaurant was packed when we went in. It was clear that this place is popular for a Friday corporate lunch and noise levels inside were very high.

I ordered a Bloody Mary to start off with. Do any of my readers enjoy Bloody Mary's? I only discovered them last year and they have really grown on me. If you haven't tried it before, I recommend giving it a go but it is an unusual taste - combining vodka, tomato juice, Tabasco sauce along with other ingredients - I always feel like I'm drinking a meal!

We decided to forgo entrees and jumped straight to the mains. The food came out incredibly fast which was noted and appreciated - they must be experienced in serving a busy CBD's worker's lunch!

Lamb pie, sautéed mushrooms and tarragon jus ($32)

The lamb pie came out piping hot. Shaped in a little dome, the pie may look a bit on the smaller side but my stomach was full after I finished it. I took pleasure in breaking open the pie and swirling the lamb inside with the tarragon jus as there wasn't really any sauce inside the pie itself,

Spatchcock with iceberg and lemon ($32)

Duck confit, red grapes, walnut, frisee and radicchio ($32)

I had a small taste of the duck confit and it was amazing. Crispy skinned duck with sweetness coming from the grapes and crunchy texture from the walnuts and leaves. I would like to order this next time!

Pan fried mulloway with cabbage salad and cucumber crème fraiche ($32)

Rocket, cucumber, feta and walnuts salad ($10)

We also had some french fries and veggies for sides.

All of the desserts sounded amazing and it was hard to decide what to get. To make it even harder, we had a perfect view of the open kitchen where the desserts were being prepared and all of them looked delectable. Between the five of us, we managed to try four different desserts.

Pavlova with peaches, strawberries and passionfruit ($16)

Lemon pudding with raspberries

Mango and lychee tartlet with coconut sorbet ($16)

Chocolate mousse, hazelnut milk granita and caramel

I had the mango and lychee tart - it was so good and pretty too. Fresh summer fruits on top of vanilla bean cream and a crumbly pastry shell. The coconut sorbet was refreshing and I liked the extra touch of shredded coconut.

So my first visit to Felix was a good one and I can see myself coming back another time to try more of their yummy food - or maybe just dessert!

Est - March into Merivale, Sydney CBD

noreply@blogger.com (retrodaze) — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 01:25:00 +0000

March into Merivale is a great opportunity to sample the Merivale restaurants without having to break your budget. I imagine that Est is one of the most popular choices during the March into Merivale promotion since it is a three hat restaurant.

A year ago, I went to Est during their Fast Festival Feast promotion and it was great. So I was more than happy to go to Est again this time around.

March into Merivale is on from 16 February - 5 April 2012, lunch (12pm - 8pm) or dinner (6pm - 8pm), Monday to Fridays. You can see the menus online, most of the restaurants offer one course and a glass of wine for $33.

When we made our booking at Est, we were told that we would have to vacate the table at 8pm. This was fine for us, it would be more than enough time to enjoy our main and glass of wine. However when they called to confirm the booking, we were told that we would have to leave the table at 7.30pm. I was slightly concerned because this left us with just an hour but I figured that they would bring out the food out quickly.

Much to my relief, there was nothing to worry about because the service was impeccable and our meal was not rushed at all. In fact, we ended up lingering until 8.15pm before we asked for the bill.

If you have not been to Est before, it is located on the first floor of the building where Establishment is. The lift opens into a hushed restaurant with elegant decor. Tall columns are dotted throughout the space, giving it a slightly Grecian feel.

We were given our March into Merivale menus and I was surprised to see that you could choose between having two courses for $55 or one course for $33, plus a glass of wine. The online menu only showed the one course option.

We both decided to indulge in the two courses and chose the same entree.

Salad of spanner crab, heart of palm, avocado, pink grapefruit, mint and lemon

The salad was tiny and devoured in a few bites but I enjoyed the clean flavour of grapefruit and lemon. I like any dish where crab has been hand picked for me out of the shell! For those who are curious, the other option for entree was fresh italian buffalo mozzarella with fresh peach, “iberico de bellota” jamon, golden endive.

For the main, you had a choice of pork, veal or mulloway.

Ginger glazed pork neck, compressed cucumber, pickled Chinese cabbage

I tasted the pork neck and it was delicious!!! The ginger glaze was subtle and the pork came apart easily. It also had a very, very slight charred flavour which I loved.

Prosciutto wrapped fillet of veal, polenta panisse, tomato, tomato, black olive, caper salsa

When I ordered the veal for my main, the waiter informed me that it comes out very pink. I assured him that this was no problem but I wondered whether there would be blood running over my plate. Turned out that the warning was for nought - although it was pink, there was not any 'blood' flavour and indeed, the veal melted in my mouth, it was that soft.

I am not usually a fan of polenta but the two polenta chips were so yummy! For all appearances, they looked like two firm potato chips and had the same crunchy coating but the soft polenta inside made all the difference.

There is still a lot of time to check out the March into Merivale promotion. Readers - have you been to any yet? Which one do you recommend trying?

Clipper Cafe, Glebe

noreply@blogger.com (retrodaze) — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 00:43:00 +0000

I always knew Clipper Cafe would be a good place for brunch. Don't ask me how I knew, I just knew. Whenever I was on a bus zooming along Glebe Point Road, I would see this cute little cafe and make a mental note to come back to try it.

So when the Chief and I made plans to have brunch at Cafe Giulia in Chippendale - only to be foiled upon arrival with a notice posted that it was closed for that one week - I jumped at the suggestion of Clipper Cafe.
The inside of the cafe was just as cute as I had imagined. Filled with little knick knacks placed high on shelves, a ceiling fan and even a bike pinned to the side of the wall. A long communal table with bench seats spanned along one side while the other side was taken up by more private high tables. We took a high table which was surprisingly comfortable to perch on.

Unfortunately for us, it was hot summer day and there was no air con. The air was humid and muggy inside the cafe and I soon lamented ordering a hot coffee instead of an icy drink. The Chief was smarter than me and ordered a juice.

There were a lot of yummy-sounding breakfast options on the menu and we deliberated heavily over what to order.

Baked eggplant ($12)

Baked eggplant with home-made Napoli sauce, breadcrumbs, spinach, feta and herb toast

I tasted a bit of The Chief's baked eggplant and the dish was comfort food at its height. She proclaimed that she thought she could make it at home and I didn't disagree with her.

I felt like eggs and luckily there was an abundance of these on the menu, cooked every which way.

Mushroom pesto eggs ($13)

Free range poached eggs served on Italian ciabatta bread with mushrooms, shaved parmesan cheese and pesto with a side of mixed leaves. I also added on prosciutto for an extra $3.

My poached eggs were done 'just right' and I took great pleasure in breaking them up with my fork and swirling it around with the mushrooms.

The staff were friendly and diligent in refilling our water jug, for which I was very grateful given the stifling heat.

It seems to be quite a popular cafe, I'm glad that I finally had the chance to try this cute place and will definitely return for more breakfast goodness!

Level 5 Westfield, Pitt St Mall, Sydney CBD

noreply@blogger.com (retrodaze) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 09:42:00 +0000

The new Westfield Sydney is about a 10-15 minute walk from my office. I'll admit that some days, the thought of walking there makes me sigh because I'm feeling too lazy. Then on other days, I think of the lovely options on offer at this food court compared to the mundane options surrounding my office and I pull on my walking shoes.

The prices are a bit steeper than your usual lunchtime food court offerings. You can easily spend $15 - $20 here and you'll find that there aren't as many options below $10. As such, I try not to come here too often but have still managed to sample most of the eateries located on Level 5. Here is a small selection of what I have tried...warning, this is a long post!

Reuben & Moore

Reuben & Moore has become well-known for its Reuben sandwiches. However it is not their Reuben sandwich which has won me over but instead, their Picania roast beef rump. The roast beef is lightly coated with a pepper rim, served with duck-fat potatoes and caramelised vegetables. Gravy? Absolutely. Their roasts are served in your choice of a roll (generally around $12.50) or on a plate with the sides shown above (generally about $16.50). This is not a lunch for the light-hearted.

Update: I ordered the Picania roast beef rump last Friday lunchtime and it was bad! I don't know if it was a newbie at the stove but the beef was cold, there was hardly any gravy, the potatoes had been overcooked and the pumpkin tasted like it had been drenched in salt. Unsure if I am willing to try it again - it was a disaster.

Reuben & Moore also serves cold cuts and sandwiches on the other side of their store. Shown above is the Alaskan King Crab open sandwich. It was okay - not amazing.

Charlie & Co. Burgers

The exterior of Charlie & Co reminds me of American burger joints. When it first opened, I was extremely eager to try their wagyu beef burger but it wasn't as good as I had imagined. The beef patty seemed quite plain and although large, didn't seem like it was worth the $16 price tag.

On the other hand, the parmesan and truffle fries ($8) are a tempting treat that I have returned for a couple of times since. As soon as you open the box of fries, the smell of truffle oil wafts up to tantalise your senses. The parmesan is scattered sparingly over the fries but I still recommend sharing these with someone so you don't end up scoffing down the whole serving and feeling incredibly guilty afterwards. Just sayin'.

Snag Stand

Continuing on with the American theme, we have the relatively new Snag Stand. Specialising in gourmet hot dogs, there is wide selection to choose from and the hot dogs are served in that ubiquitous American paper case - you know, the kind they eat hot dogs from at baseball games in the American movies!

I have only tried Snag Stand once and tasted the Pork & Fennel Italian sausage with caramelised onions and shaved parmesan on a toasted brioche roll. It was good, but I queried whether it was worth the $9.90 price tag. That afternoon, I was not particularly hungry yet I managed to eat the hot dog in about four bites. I guess you are paying for the premium sausage rather than quantity.

Hot chips from the Snag Stand are made from Tasmanian Russet potatos and in comparison to their pricer snag companion, these are a bargain at $3.90. They have a few different sauces to choose from (extra $1), including herb aioli and truffle aioli.

Din Tai Fung

Din Tai Fung is my failsafe option at this food court. I know that the xiao long baos are delicious and their soup noodles are too. Don't be daunted by the long queue - it moves quickly and like most places in the food court, they give you a buzzer to come back when your food is ready. Here's a tip - when waiting in line, grab an ordering card and pen to study the menu and fill out your order. When you get to the register, hand over the card and the cashier will repeat your order back to you to check.

Four xiao long baos will set you back $5.80 and it's easy to rack up a high bill. My favorite noodles are the Braised Beef Noodle Soup ($12.50) shown above - the noodles are silky smooth and the beef broth is always warming on a cold day.

Sushi Hon

Sushi Hon serves ready-made sushi and it also has a sushi train partially hidden from the rest of the food court. Some of their ready-made offerings are visually appealing like the box pictured above. However, I have found that there is nothing special about the ready-made sushi. If I feel like sushi, then I'm more likely to get it from another food court for a lower price.

Pie by Mick's Bakehouse

The first time that I went to Mick's Bakehouse, I didn't realise that half the pies on display are cold and for you to take home and heat up. It's the ones that are in the hot warmers that are to eaten in the food court!

The menu here is very simple - the pies cost about $6 and you can add on sides like mashed potato, gravy, mushy peas etc for an additional cost.

I tried the Lamb Shank pie and the Surf and Turf pie. No complaints but I wasn't bowled over either. My favorite lunchtime pie remains the Beef Pie from Central Baking Depot on Erskine Street.

Crust Gourmet Pizza Bar

To me, Crust Pizza is just normal pizza that is served on a nice plate with a fancy salad on the side. It's good for when you're in the mood for pizza.... that is all I have to say about it... it's a bit boring!

Cloudy Bay Fish Co.

Cloudy Bay Fish Co does a really good prawn cocktail salad. I know that the photo above is actually of another dish, but my recommendation is for the prawn salad (apologies for the lack of photo, it has always been gobbled up too quickly!)

Another thing I have noticed about Cloudy Bay Fish Co is that you may have to wait a bit longer for your dish compared to other places. One of my workmates always gets her lunch from this place, inevitably it is the salmon shown above and it takes forever to come out. I think it's because their kitchen is also pumping out meals for the dine-in customers sitting along the side of their bar. Just a word of warning if you're coming here during a weekday lunch hour - the dish shown above takes about 15 minutes to come out! Yes I timed.

Via del Corso

Via del Corso is in the middle of the food court and offers a variety of sweet treats including gelato, cakes, pastries, handmade chocolates and macarons.

The lemon meringue pie was a bit too acidic for my liking, my face screwed up with every bite.

Becasse Bakery

Mille Feuille ($7.90)

Vanilla Bean and Passionfruit Cheesecake ($6.95)

Another dessert option is the Becasse Bakery. Located near Quarter 21, the bakery showcases a range of breads, pastries and cakes.

The Mille Feuille was really good, one layer of light cream and the second layer of vanilla bean custard. It disappeared quickly as we gobbled it up. I would definitely get it again, it was that good.

The Vanilla Bean and Passionfruit cheesecake was lighter than it looked. There was a thin crumbly biscuit base at the bottom and a shiny passionfruit glaze over the top. I probably wouldn't get this again because there are too many other things to try at this bakery!

Glass Brasserie at Hilton, Sydney CBD

noreply@blogger.com (retrodaze) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:01:00 +0000

If you are a long-time reader of The Food Book, you would know that I am an avid fan of buffet breakfasts.

The next place to try on my list was the Hilton Sydney. On weekends, their buffet breakfast runs from 7.00am to 11.00am. I made a reservation online with Dimmi - incidentally, this was the first time that I tried Dimmi. It was pleasing to see that the booking went through without any problems at all! (I don't know why I felt skeptical about it in the first place - perhaps I feel like reservations are more definite when you speak with a human being over the phone. Sometimes I worry with online bookings that the reservation will be lost in cyberspace!)

The full buffet breakfast costs $42 and there was a promotion where you could have a glass of Chandon for an additional dollar. Who could resist this for a dollar? Certainly not me, nor my companion Rehactor. Two glasses please!

I was doubly pleased to see that we had a great table - right by the window overlooking George St and facing the QVB.

Being seated so close to the window meant that there was brilliant sunshine flooding our table. For those who have not been to the Glass Brasserie before, the dining area is divided by the placement of the wine racks and other furnishings into different sections. Our area was quite bright whereas other tables closer to the entrance were dimmer.

I was a fan of the natural sunlight - this created a great brunch atmosphere.

The restaurant was quite full and upon our arrival at 9.30am, most of the tables were filled.

The staff member who seated us was extremely friendly and after asking if we had been here before (the answer was no), she gave a quick rundown on where everything was. This was helpful because unlike some other buffet breakfasts, the food is spread out over two areas of the restaurant.

Along one side included:

the hot food section - bain maries filled with mushrooms with spinach, bacon, scrambled eggs, tomatoes, sausages, hash browns, french toast, little cups of baked eggs
asian breakfast foods - congee, fried rice, dimsums
cold meats and salads - ham, smoked salmon etc
cereals and milk (I ignored this part - I don't go to buffet breakfast to have something that comes from a box and takes two seconds to prepare at home ;) )
Fruit juices - apple, pineapple, mango, orange
Refrigerated yoghurts.

The other side consisted of fresh breads, muffins, pastries, toasts - these tables were fairly groaning under their weight of baked goods.

Compared to the Swissotel buffet breakfast, the Hilton breakfast definitely reigns supreme. There were so many little things and nice touches which not only impressed me but reminded me that this buffet breakfast is served in a top-notch restaurant.

For example, there was....

A variety of healthy juices in addition to the normal range of juices

Little shot glasses - wheatgrass shots, carrot shots...

Bottled Mount Franklin sparkling or still mineral water - help yourself

Tubs of Yalla yoghurt - flavours including Strawberry & Pomegrante, Guava, Banana, Cinnamon, Natural yoghurt, Low Fat yoghurt

Fresh muffins, jam donuts, pain au chocolats, fruit danishes

More fresh breads....

Fresh honey - the Swissotel brunch had this too, but I noticed that the Hilton had a better setup for actually getting the honey. It was a lot easier to scoop the dripping honey from the bottom of the plate shown below. At the Swissotel, they had this slanting contraption to catch the honey that dripped into tiny little pots - hard to get out!

Different types of honey on the right, varying in taste and texture

And I haven't even posted any photos of the hot food yet!

My first plate was a selection of items from the bain maries.

Baked egg in a cup, scrambled eggs, mushrooms with spinach, bacon, sausages, tomatoes and hash brown

I liked the mushrooms so much, I had to go back for some more in my second plate!

Mushrooms (again), hash brown (again), french toast and a Yakult! Yes they had Yakult! I haven't had a Yakult in years, it was great!

In terms of ordering omelettes and the like, there was a good system happening. A small paper order form was near the hot foods and a cheerful staff member stood duty to help you fill it out. There were options for different types of omelettes, eggs (poached, benedict etc), waffles, pancakes.....you could also specify on the form how you wanted your eggs to be cooked.

Once the form is filled out, you are given a number to bring back to your table and the food is brought back to you when cooked i.e. table service. I thought this was great! Something so simple, yet so efficient! At other places, you often have to hover around the cooking area, waiting for the chef to cook your items and then take it back to your table.

Our order number

The tableware was crisp and clean - everything felt new, from the glasses to the table settings. I ordered a pot of English breakfast tea.

When our ordered food arrived, we were a bit shocked because we didn't realise how much we had ordered. It is so easy to get carried away when it is a buffet and you have that handy little order form.

The pancakes were light and fluffy. The drizzle of blackberry and maple syrup on the side made it a deliciously sweet plate.

Waffles = yum. I have not had waffles in ages - who has time to make waffles at home these days? Who even has a waffle maker?

Eggs Benedict

Italian omelette

The Italian omelette had capsicum, onions and some other veggies folded inside the egg with slices of bocconcini on top. Unfortunately, by the time we finished the other dishes, this had gotten a bit cold and hard. Still quite tasty though.

By this stage, my stomach was quietly begging for mercy. As such, I made one last plate of sweets.

Pain au chocolate, watermelon, rockmelon and a carrot shot....

... and a cinnamon yoghurt!

Although the Hilton buffet breakfast is a bit pricier, the price different shows in the quality and variety of items that they have on offer. The service was impeccable and food was replenished regularly. We left feeling satisfied and almost a bit overwhelmed by how good everything was.

I would definitely revisit - and after such a great breakfast experience, I would like to see what the Glass Brasserie is like at lunch or dinner!

Nippon Club, Sydney CBD

noreply@blogger.com (retrodaze) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 11:33:00 +0000

The Japanese RSL Nippon Club is the type of place that you would walk past without a second glance. Unless someone had tipped you off that it was there, I doubt you would even notice it. It is an underground restaurant on Macquarie Street in Sydney's CBD - a street that is mainly populated by Sydney CBD workers and tourists on their way to the Botanical Gardens.

Once you notice the small door leading you downstairs, you have to sign into the club as a visitor if you're not a member. After you have signed into the club and walked into the restaurant, you may feel like you've entered a time-warp back a decade or two. The floors are carpeted, the walls are papered and there is a general air of run-downess and fading about the decor. Despite this, the service is attentive and polite and the food is nothing to sneeze at.

We started off with some hot green tea to warm us up because it had been raining heavily outside (typical Sydney fashion for this summer!). The tea cups for green tea were very girly with cute little white flowers against a green background. I ordered a diet coke and was charmed to see it served in a frosty glass mug with a slice of lemon.

The menu consists of your standard Japanese fare - no modern Japanese style pizzas here. I ordered the lunch set which is good value at $25.50. For the lunch set, you pick two dishes and also receive sides of salad, miso soup and rice.

Small salad

Miso soup

Medium size bowl of rice

I chose to have the Teriyaki Chicken and Sashimi as my two dishes.

The teriyaki chicken was cooked very well. The chicken had been sliced into small strips but was still moist. I also tasted a bit of my companion's tonkotsu pork and that was pretty yum too!

Buffet breakfast at Swissotel JPB Restaurant, Sydney CBD

noreply@blogger.com (retrodaze) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 10:43:00 +0000

I have always maintained that one of the best parts of being on holiday is enjoying a buffet breakfast. There is just something about having a spread of breakfast food before you, first thing in the morning that ensures you start your day off right. So when you haven't been on a holiday in a long time, one way to feel like you're on holidays is to get yourself to a buffet breakfast.

The buffet breakfast at JPB Restaurant in the Swissotel Sydney costs $35 per person or $25 if you are staying as a guest. As it so happened, we had booked a night at the hotel for fun so we were able to enjoy the discounted rate.

The buffet spread includes the usual juices, pastries, fruits, cereals and hot foods. There is also congee and a chef who will make you eggs or pancakes.

What I had:

Chicken sausage, veal sausage, tomatoes, scrambled eggs, mushrooms, hash brown and bacon

Two pancakes with watermelon, rockmelon, poached pears, butter, cream and honey

Omelette with everything - ham, mushrooms, capsicum, cheese, onion etc

To my readers: what is your favourite buffet breakfast in Sydney? I am hoping to try the Glass Brasserie at the Hilton next : - )

Jamie's Italian, Sydney CBD

noreply@blogger.com (retrodaze) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 05:17:00 +0000

In the time since Jamie's Italian opened in Sydney in late 2011, I have lost count of how many times I have been there. Hazarding a guess would put the count around seven or eight visits.

Before you start to think that I'm a crazy Jamie Oliver fan, let me explain. Jamie's Italian is about a two minute walk from my work - it is literally down the street. And when you are looking for somewhere to go for lunch everyday and there is good, reasonably priced food nearby - before you know it, you've tried half the menu and the waiters start to recognise you.

This is a post about one of my visits during a Friday lunchtime. Yes, you heard right - arguably the busiest lunch day of the week and we dared to venture to Jamie's which only takes bookings for more than six people?

The solution was to have an early lunch. Very early. Jamie's opens at 11.30am and we were there at 11.45am. Within 10 minutes after we arrived, the seats were filled and we could see a small line forming out the door. Of course we smiled at our good fortune and permanently hungry stomachs which meant we could eat lunch at a time when most people are still digesting breakfast.

For those who don't know, there is complimentary bread available. However, the waiters do not always offer it so be sure to ask if you feel like having some. It comes in a small tin with some olive oil and balsamic vingear.

We decided to start off with the salad of the day after our waitress declared that it was called the 'sexy' summer salad and waxed a spiel that would have made anyone salivate.

Special salad of the day ($14.00)

San Daniele prosciutto, buffalo mozzarella, peaches, rocket with olive oil and balsamic vinegar

The prosciutto was divine - so soft that it almost melted in the mouth and I loved tearing apart the small balls of mozzarella with a fork.

The fresh pasta at Jamie's is made in the front window and watching them make the pasta is a good way to pass time if you're stuck in line.

The pastas come in both entree and main size, with the main sizes about the $20 mark.

Mussel Linguine ($20.00)

Scappato (runaway) mussels with garlic, chili, anchovies, parsely, black olives and breadcrumbs

I like the mussel linguine here because they are generous with the mussels. There is the slightest kick from the chili and sweet cherry tomatos are found in the dish as well.

Lingurian fish stew ($27.00)

Responsibly sourced fish served with crunchy crostini, ripped herbs & wild garlic aioli

At the moment, the Lingurian fish stew is my favorite item on the menu. At $27, it is a bit pricy for your average lunch but it is chock filled with fresh seafood. The stew is not like a soup, rather it is a light broth that is filled with flavour and quite shallow on the curved plate. There are also two large pieces of bread, soggy after soaking up the stew and easily torn apart.

My favorite dessert here used to be the pannacotta. But after my last few experiences with dessert at Jamie's, I'm not sure if I have a favorite anymore. The first time that I tried the pannacotta, it was delicious. We shared it between three and I couldn't get enough of the smooth, creamy vanilla flavour. The next time I tried it, we shared it between two and both of us agreed that it was grainy, not smooth like the first time and also stuck to the bottom of the plate. The last time I tried it, we each ordered one and both of them were horribly grainy and gritty in the mouth. Yuck!

So this time, we chose to try the ice cream.

Three scoops of ice cream, served with your choice of any two of seasonal fruits, honeycomb, butterscotch sauce or nuts and seeds ($8.00)

There is no polite way to put this. This was the ugliest bowl of ice-cream I have ever had the misfortune of eating. The small tin sundae cup was no match for the ice cream which had been hazardly scooped in. There was sauce and fruit bits dripping off the side onto the table and I saw that the poor fingers of our waitress were also coated in the sauce.

Unsurprisingly, it did not look appetising and I knew my face was screwed up with distaste as I forced myself to pick up the spoon and try to get some out without causing more spillage.

It tasted ok but nothing special and I wouldn't order it again.

We finished off our meal with tea and coffee.

Flat white ($4.35)

English breakfast tea ($4.25)

Jamie's Italian is a fun place to go for a weekday lunch. The waiters are friendly, there is a buzzing vibe and the food is great (except for the desserts, which I'm not convinced on anymore). The only thing you need to do is carefully time your visit so that you don't have to wait in line. I've found that the best time to go for lunch is either before 12pm or after 1.30pm - and it is much easier to get a table for two than any other number.

deVine Food and Wine, Sydney CBD

noreply@blogger.com (retrodaze) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 11:54:00 +0000

I have walked past deVine Food and Wine many, many times and never even noticed it. Despite being on the busy intersection of Clarence and Market St, this cosy wine bar has a relatively unassuming brick façade which made me think that it was an ordinary pub.

Until one day, a friend took me there for a Friday night drink and I discovered that it was in fact, a very charming wine bar with a small restaurant in the back.

It was quite busy and we squeezed into two seats at the communal high counter table. This was far from being the best seat in the house as there was hardly any space for others to walk behind you to get to their own seats if your back was to the wall (as mine was) - but what can you do.

After ordering some wine, I was feeling peckish and ordered a favorite snack of mine - duck liver pâté .

It was an incredibly generous serving - that ball of pâté was easily the size of a large ice-cream scoop. Yum!

Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately, depending on how you look at it), my friend doesn't like pâté and I ate that ENTIRE ball - slathered over the crunchy thin slices of crouton that you can see in the background. At the end of the meal, I felt a bit grossed out that I had basically consumed the poor duck's entire liver and it was sitting in my stomach.

But that didn't stop me from wanting to go back again! What a great discovery and it's in such a convenient location too. I would recommend making a booking as deVine is quite popular and worth the effort to secure a coveted seat (i.e. not having to squish like we did ;)

Pho An, Bankstown

noreply@blogger.com (retrodaze) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 13:32:00 +0000

So Pho. So Good. The first time I saw Pho An's slogan, it cracked me up so hard. It's funny!

Pho An is located in the bustling suburb of Bankstown. Visitors to Bankstown will immediately notice how many Vietnamese restaurants there are, resulting in many choices to get your pho fix. It is testimony to Pho An's popularity that so many people choose to have their fix here.

Pho An only serves pho and beverages. That's right - you can't get your pork chop rice, vermicelli noodle salad, rice paper rolls or any other Vietnamese dishes here. Your choices are basically pho, pho or more pho. So don't come here if you're not in the mood for pho!

You don't even get a menu when you sit down because their basic menu is up on the walls. A speedy waiter will sit you down in the cafeteria style seating area and take your order with an electronic pad. Within minutes, your pho will come out.

At a cost of approximately $12 or so for a medium sized bowl of pho, it is (relatively) a fair bit pricier than the other Vietnamese places serving pho in Bankstown. Is it worth it?

Personally, Pho An doesn't do it for me. My tastebuds like their pho, there is nothing wrong with it but I don't experience that special zing which recruits countless diners to declare Pho An as serving the best pho out there.

I do think they have the best slogan though.

Bills, Surry Hills

noreply@blogger.com (retrodaze) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 08:24:00 +0000

How many times have you heard Bills being referred to as a "Sydney institution" for brunch?

Never?

Well you must be living under a rock. There is a 90% chance that Bills will be referred to in a foodie article about brunching in Sydney.

Okay, I made that statistic up but it seems like a fair estimate to me!

As with most places that receive such high praise, it is with good reason.

We ventured to Bills in Surry Hills one week when there had been a constant stream of wet weather in Sydney. Yet we were lucky on this day to enjoy a rare day of (cloudy) sunshine and readily soaked up the good atmosphere at Bills.

Due to its 'Sydney institution' status, Bills is very popular. They do not take bookings for brunch and we were lucky to nab the last table available upon arrival although I noted that about half an hour after we sat down, some more tables freed up so it seems like there is good traffic flow.

The one thing that hit me immediately upon sitting down was the warmth and glow of the sunshine coming through the windows. It streamed through the large windows on the side of the restaurant and everyone was basking in the light. This amazing light just made everything look so good! The furniture, the food, the people. A PERFECT brunch setting!
I started off with a Flat White.

Bills own organic coffee by Single Origin Roasters ($3.90)

Like all Single Origin coffees, it was very smooth and went down well.

As you may know, articles about Bills always seem to mention his signature ricotta hotcakes.

Ricotta hotcakes with fresh banana and honeycomb butter ($19.50)

What can I say? They are delicious. You receive three light and fluffy hotcakes with little pieces of ricotta buried in the batter. Banana and honey is a classic combination for breakfast and you just can't go wrong with these! Yum yum.

Bills' sweet corn fritters are another breakfast dish that is often cited in articles.

Sweet Corn Fritters with roast tomato, spinach and bacon ($18.50)

On this occasion, I found them to be a bit dry and wished for some sauce or extra tomatoes to cut through the fritter batter.

There was still a warm glow coming the windows when we finished our meal. As we paid and left, it felt like we were leaving Brunch-land and entering back into reality where somehow, the sunlight just wasn't as nice as it was inside Bills.

Adriano Zumbo Patissier, The Star

noreply@blogger.com (retrodaze) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 13:28:00 +0000

You know you have hit the big time when your name is in giant lights. And you are a pastry chef.

Seriously - is there another pastry chef who has their name in giant lights like this? The hot pink is amazing and those lightbulbs throw some major bling! Watch out Hollywood!

Adriano Zumbo's new store at the revamped Star City is extremely different from his venues in Rozelle. By comparison, the Rozelle venues appear almost traditional when you look at the fitout and design of his newest store - which many have said resembles a Willy Wonka factory.

Let's have a look at the creativity in this store. It reminds me of a scientist's factory!

The individual cakes on offer are displayed in big lamp-shaped jars at the front of the store.

Each cake is displayed with a small card indicating the components of the cake and the price:

When you go inside the store, the current macaron flavours are displayed in cute little glass alarm cases. There is also a mini self serve section for croissants, danishes etc. It was afternoon when we visited, so this might have contributed to the pastries looking a bit lacklustre as though they had been sitting there a while....I'm sure they would have still tasted delicious though :-)

I was saddened to see that the lychee macaron flavour was unavailable - I had already marked this flavour as one I wanted to try!

This store also has a different ordering system available. A staff member hovers around the store with a notepad, ready to take your order for macarons and cakes. After you have recited your order, they will pass the order to the kitchen. When your goods are ready, your name is called out to collect and pay at the cash register.

I restrained myself to a select number of goodies.

I chose three macarons - Lime & Mint Mojito, Sweet Corn with a hint of Mango and Watermelon & Orange ($2.50 each). My favorite out of these was the Lime & Mint Mojito. It was packed with flavour and did indeed taste like a Mojito!

I have always wanted to try Zumbo's famous V8 cake but unfortunately never had a chance to before they stopped producing it! So I was extraordinarily pleased to discover (thanks to a tip-off from Mobblees) that Zumbo was producing a Christmas version of the V8 cake.

Christmas V8 cake ($10)

8 layers -Cinnamon Creme Chantilly, Morello Cherry Jelly, Pain D'épices, Toasted Nougat Brulee, Vanilla Chiffon Cake, Vanilla Ganache, Pistachio Crunch and Pistachio Dacquoise

All I have to say is - wow. If you get a chance to try this cake, I highly recommend it!! Usually I'm not a fan of cherry in my desserts but the thin layer of cherry jelly worked well with the seven other layers in this cake. There was a variety of texture in every bite - crunchiness, smoothness, density - you can tell a lot of work has gone into designing this cake. The flavour was incredible too - you could taste some spice, vanilla, pistachio, nougat, cherry . It was so yummy!

Adriano Zumbo's new store at the Star is unlike any other patisserie that I have seen before. Props to him for daring to step outside the boundaries and also a big thanks for creating a store in the city!

District Dining, Surry Hills

noreply@blogger.com (retrodaze) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 10:34:00 +0000

District Dining is a new favourite restaurant that I discovered this year. In fact, I cannot believe that it took me this long to try it! Tucked away right next to Central Station opposite the Devonshire Street exit, it is unbelievably convenient to get to by public transport.

District Dining has one of those menus where there are at least ten different things that I want to try because everything just sounds so good! The first time we visited, I was bitterly disappointed to hear that the school prawns had sold out for the day. I stared at the waiter in disbelief before shaking myself back to reality and had a consolation prize of the crispy quail eggs with tarragon mayonnaise instead. They were nice, but they were no school prawns. On this same visit, I tried the steak tartare and mandarin brulee - it was delicious and enough to convince me to come back again.

During this second visit, I crossed my fingers and prayed to the food gods that the school prawns would be available.

This time, I started off with a crisp pear caprioska.

All District Dining cocktails are $17

It was refreshing and exactly what I needed on a Friday night.

After studying the menu for a long time (again, there were too many enticing options and there had been some seasonal menu changes since the last visit), we waved the waiter over. I ordered with baited breath and the waiter didn't blink an eye as he wrote down the order for school prawns. Phew!

Crispy school prawns with lime mayonnaise ($16)

District chicken wings with chili caramel ($12)

The crispy school prawns were amazing! So delicious. Each prawn was chomped down whole, with the head and body deep fried to a crunch. The bowl of prawns seemed bottomless, it was a generous serving size for the mere $16 paid. I especially liked the bigger prawns as they had the most prawn-y flavour.

The chicken wings were also yummy with the clear standout being the finger-licking chili caramel sauce.

Roasted spatchcock, succotash, lime sour cream and tortilla ($29)

When the spatchcock arrived at our table, I was surprised by how BIG it was! The spatchcock had been carved into quarters and seemed about the same size as a small chicken. I could only eat about half of this and handed over the rest to my dining companion.

Duck confit, sweet potato, pomegranate, ras el hanout ($27)

This photo doesn't really do the duck confit justice. It was crisp yet moist and the sweet potato added wonderful flavour to the dish. About half the size of the spatchcock.

There were only four dessert options on the menu but it was still so hard to choose!

Chocolate mousse, hazelnut brittle ice cream and hazelnut crumble ($14)

Cookie sandwich, coconut and chocolate, honeycomb parfait ($14)

In hindsight, we should have gone for the creme brulee because the two desserts that we did choose were very similar and ended up being a bit overly sweet.

In the week following this meal, I kept dreaming about the crispy school prawns and would begin salivating at the thought of them. District Dining has awakened the crispy school prawn monster in me!

Quarter Twenty One, Westfield Sydney

noreply@blogger.com (retrodaze) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 13:36:00 +0000

I really, really like the new Westfield Sydney. I can forgive the months of ugly construction that it took to build the shopping centre. But not because of the shops - instead, the charm of this Westfield comes from its food!

I have been slowly building up a post for the different things that I've tried in the food court.

In the meantime, please enjoy this post about a recent lunch at Quarter Twenty One - one of Justin North's restaurants conveniently located on the same level as the food court.

We arrived for a three-course Friday lunch, eager with anticipation to try this new place as none of us had been here before. Although the restaurant is right next to the food court, it is a different world once you step inside. The furnishings are plush and the noise levels inside are surprisingly quiet.

We started off with some bread and a dollop of light, airy butter.

Then we selected two entrees to share. It was difficult to pick just two because they all sounded so tempting!

Confit Petuna trout, bone marrow, broad bean persillade, leek & lemon pith puree ($26)

Tartare of beef with grilled toast, quail eggs & mustard ($12)

The plating of the Petuna trout reminds me of the plating style at Justin North's other restaurants. So pretty, with a splash of colour on the plate.

Beef tartare never used to interest me in the past but it now catches my eye on any menu. This rendition was simple and tasty. The gooey centre of the quail egg didn't fail to disappoint.

Our waiter was extremely helpful and assisted us in choosing our mains. Coincidentally, we each ended up with a main off the 'From the Oceans, Rivers & Lakes' portion of the menu! Clearly he did a good job talking up Quarter 21's seafood dishes.

Roast skate wing, scallop and crab, stuffed courgette flower, fennel, noilly prat ($38)

Steamed Cone Bay barramundi

The next picture is my main - I'll admit that it looks just like a bowl of foam with some prawns peeking out but don't let that fool you. Our waiter informed us that it is one of Quarter 21's most popular dishes - a light seafood broth that is filled with fresh seafood. Of course I had to choose it and I wasn't disappointed - I had to ask for a spoon so that I could sip the delicious broth!

By now our stomachs were stuffed but it isn't a meal unless there is dessert!

Granny smith apple mille feuille, tea soaked grapes and brown butter ice cream ($16)

Souffle du jour ($17)

I was intrigued by the description of 'tea soaked grapes' with the mille feuille but the reality was a let down. The taste of tea was a bit too subtle - they looked and tasted like prunes! The mille feuille looked very pretty on the plate but I would have preferred a more traditional one i.e. with some creamy custard sandwiched instead of just apples because it was a bit dry.

Quarter Twenty One seems like another success story for Justin North. The restaurant also offers cookery classes and sells a variety of products and cookbooks. What more could you ask for?

Cafe Cre Asion, Surry Hills

noreply@blogger.com (retrodaze) — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 11:13:00 +0000

While some may say that the macaron craze is over, the relatively new Cafe Cre Asion shows that it is still alive and kicking.

Located in a small street in Surry Hills, Cafe Cre Asion is a bit tricky to find but lazy people will be pleased to know that it is still a convenient five minute walk from Museum station and Liverpool Street.

Once you discover the tiny cafe, you will be rewarded with this glorious sight:

Isn't that amazing macaron storage? So pretty! Possibly the best macaron display I have seen in Sydney.

The cafe is absolutely tiny - the open kitchen takes up half of it and the other half is taken up by about ten miniature stools and tables.

The kitchen half

The stool half

I'm not sure how I feel about the teeny tiny stools. I felt a bit ridiculous trying to fit my bottom onto the chair and then trying to precariously place my coffee and sandwich on the table. I would have preferred bar stools lined up against the window facing outside! Then again, it's not my cafe so who am I to judge :-)

Flat white

My flat white had an adorable swirly heart on the top. I love coffee art!

Jamon serrano with Tasmanian gruyere on toasted sourdough

The jamon serrano with melted cheese was so wicked with its oozing cheese and oil marks on the napkin....naturally it had to taste amazing. My fingers became so oily while chowing it down but every bite was sooooo good.

Macarons ($2.70 each)

Flavours - black sesame, dear chris, green tea and jasmine

Unfortunately the macarons got squashed in my bag but they still tasted great! My favourite out of this lot was the jasmine, it was so sweet and fragrant. Must return to try some more flavours - and to have that delicious ham and cheese again!

Sushi Bar Hiro, Beverly Hills

noreply@blogger.com (retrodaze) — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 11:13:00 +0000

I want to share one of my favourite restaurants with you - Sushi Hiro.

Sushi Hiro is a small, cosy Japanese restaurant situated towards the station end of the Beverly Hills strip. The sushi chef prepares food behind a counter that takes up half the restaurant and the staff are usually quite friendly, if a bit slow. The food is delicious and very reasonably priced, with a range of salads, sushi, tempura etc. All the usual Japanese suspects!

Sushi and Sashimi combo ($19.30)

The sashimi is always fresh and generously portioned. In this combo, the salmon and kingfish sashimi are standouts for me.

Chasoba salad ($8.90)

Green tea noodle salad with home made soy dressing

The salads here are an absolute winner! I don't know what they put in their dressing but it is so yummy. This chasoba salad is one of my faves, as is their sashimi salad. The chasoba salad comes in a big bowl with veggies and an onion soy dressing. Highly recommended!

It's a good idea to make a booking on a Saturday night because it's quite popular with the locals. Worth it though, I've been coming here for years!

Sushi Hiro
498A King Georges Road
Beverly Hills 2209
Ph 9580 8219

ps. It's closed on Monday's.

Etch, Sydney CBD (3)

noreply@blogger.com (retrodaze) — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 05:26:00 +0000

Long time loyal readers of this blog will remember that Etch is one of my favourite restaurants. (You can read about previous visits here and here!)

So when a Travelzoo voucher popped up - a 3 course dinner for 2 people at the sum of $85, I quickly snapped one up and made a booking on the same day. The voucher was valid for lunch or dinner, Monday to Friday so I quickly made a coveted Friday night booking on the day of buying the voucher.

Upon arriving at Etch, I was pleased to see that it was the same as my last visit - dim lighting, cosy atmosphere and just general plushness in decor.

The Travelzoo voucher entitled you to pick from a selection of items taken from their normal menu. Considering that prices for mains are about $30+, this was really great value. I've put the normal price of the dishes with the photos below so you can get an idea of pricing (and therefore savings!)

We ordered some drinks to start (not included in voucher) - my cocktail was delicious! Somehow our drinks order got lost and after following up with the waiter, he apologised profusely and said that the drinks would be on the house. [Unfortunately when the bill came, we were charged for the drinks but since it had been a lovely meal, we didn't want to ruin the night by questioning the charge :-) ]

Entrees:

Confit Petuna trout, smoked scallop, radish and wasabi ($25)

One of the things I love about Etch and Justin North's restaurants generally is the presentation of the dishes. They are always so pretty.

Pea risotto with Swiss brown butter ($23)

We ordered a side of potatoes (not included in voucher)

Provencal potatoes, aged prosciutto and garlic mayonnaise ($9)

Not exactly the most attractive dish, but it sure was yummy. The flavouring of the potatoes reminded me of Kettle chips! Embarrassed to say that I ate almost all of the potatoes because my dining companion had a shrinking stomach.

Mains:

Chargrilled veal rump, Sarladaise potato with malt vinegar jus

Baked snapper, scallop and squid, cauliflower bhaji and curry emulsion

Desserts:

Brillat Savarin cheesecake with Champagne and mandarin sorbet ($16)

Caramel date tart, Earl Grey tea syrup and burnt butter ice cream ($16)

The desserts were amazing and possibly my favourite part of the meal.

By now we were stuffed but the voucher also included tea or coffee with petit fours.

English breakfast tea - served with a charming glass milk jug

Petit fours

The petit fours looked like offerings from the Etch lolly tray which I had not tried before. The peanut brittle was extremely yummy, as was the chocolate brownie like item next to it.

What a meal! What a voucher! I love dining on good vouchers - who can resist when you're saving money?

Cheeky Chocolate, North Strathfield

noreply@blogger.com (retrodaze) — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 11:36:00 +0000

When I heard that there was a new chocolate cafe where the menu had been designed by Adriano Zumbo, I knew I had to check it out.

Cheeky Chocolate is located on the busy George Street strip of North Strathfield. I was amazed to discover the number of restaurants here! They have converted the old Arnott's biscuit factory, renaming it the Bakehouse Quarter and filled it with a bowling alley, restaurants and supermarkets.

We visited Cheeky Chocolate shortly after it had its grand opening. It was a Saturday night and all of the tables were full so we waited about ten minutes for a table.

After we were seated, service was a bit haphazard and very rushed. The waiters were speed walking around, a bit disorganized and it wasn't the peaceful setting that I had been hoping for. We also felt a bit rushed to pay for the bill instead of lingering over our desserts.

We each ordered a tea to have with our desserts (when I ordered mine, the waitress questioned "Is that on the menu?" and I had to point it out to her! )

The teapots came out and we had to try flag down someone to bring out milk and sugar.

We decided to order three cakes from the enticing glass cabinet to share.

This mango one was my favourite!

This chocolate hazelnut dome came in second place.

And this raspberry meringue tart was last place - too acidic and the meringue was neither hard nor soft. Just kind of semi- crumbly.

So I wouldn't mind coming back to try more desserts - but maybe when the store is more settled and the waitstaff are more organized :)

Watergrill at Sydney Rowing Club, Abbotsford

noreply@blogger.com (retrodaze) — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 10:31:00 +0000

it was a beautiful Saturday afternoon and we found ourselves in the Haberfield/Abbotsfield area. My friend suggested that we visit the Rowing Club for a bite to eat, promising an amazing view. The sun was just beginning to set over the water, which meant that I couldn't get a good photo of the view without the glare off the water but true to my friend's word, it was a marvelous view.

I managed to snap one shot to the side of our table. You can surmise the rest of the atmosphere - relaxed outdoor dining where you can chill out and look across the boats and water.

For once, I wasn't feeling hungry and neither were my companions so we just ordered some nibblies to share.

Mezze plate of grilled haloumi, chorizo, marinated olives, hummus, babaganoush and turkish bread ($18.90)

The mezze plate was surprisingly good. The squeaky cheese had been fried to a golden brown and the chorizo was piping hot.

Bowl of chunky fries and aioli ($5.90)

The fries were a generous serving but a bit bland. Still, it's hard to complain when you're relaxing by the water and munching on fries!

Adriano Zumbo, Rozelle

noreply@blogger.com (retrodaze) — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 10:25:00 +0000

It's a Zumbo day, a Zumbo day!

It was finally time for my second visit to Zumbo ever. With my previous trip being back in 2009, I was not surprised to see that there had been some changes since then.

One such change was the closing of the old Zumbo cafe near the patisserie and the opening of a new cafe on Terry St in Rozelle.

Zumbo cafe on Terry St

The new location is great because there is ample parking in the surrounding residential streets. What I don't like about this cafe is the limited amount of seating. There are 9 coveted barstools in the cafe for dine-in's where you can perch to sip your coffee and eat your sweet treats. Oh - and you can peak into the kitchen...

And spot Zumbo!

Through a combination of miracles and a family leaving, we managed to score two seats at the window and shamelessly papped some shots of Zumbo with his crew in action. The kitchen is quite large and there are a lot of people bustling around, baking and stirring.

View inside from the barstool

We also have a direct view of pre-orders waiting to be picked up. I wonder who was the lucky recipient of these macarons?

We also noticed a lot of V8 cakes being picked up by people. (Side note: immediately after this visit, I proclaimed that I HAD TO HAVE a V8 cake for my upcoming birthday in November. Unfortunately, since this visit, the cake has disappeared from Zumbo's website! No longer able to be ordered! Whyyyyyyy...oh the agony of being so close to buying a V8 cake and gobbling it up on my birthday...now the dream has been destroyed into smithereens.)

First to be tried was the pear danish. Recently I discovered my love for a good pear danish - sweet slices of pear, nestled in rich creamy custard and placed in a bed of flaky pastry. I'm pleased to report that Zumbo's pear danish was delicious. Yum. The pastry flaked off and I was tempted to lick the sticky pear from my fingers.

Pear danish ($4.50) and a flat white

Despite the fact that it was 11am in the morning, we also tucked into Sugar Lips, a heavily sugared raspberry jam donut.

Sugar lips ($4.50)

There is no way that you could eat this without sugar smothering your lips. We cut it into half and somehow I ended up with half that was crammed with raspberry filling. It became a bit too tart for my liking and I had to scoop some of it out to avoid a permanent screwed up 'sourface' with every bite.

Of course we also had to get some takeaway treats!

Ultimate chocolate brownie ($5.00)

Macarons - coffee creme brulee, mandarin, salted butter popcorn and butterscotch caramel ($2.50 each).

I loved the little box that the macarons came in! So sturdy and cute. At the time of our visit, the Zumbo website was still displaying the Eurasian macaron flavours as being current in store so I was kind of hoping to try them instead. As it turns out, the macaron flavours had completely changed but but these ones were nice too.

After our little morning snack at the cafe, we decided to walk across to the patisserie on Darling Street....and pick up some more goodies.

Don the Pandan Man (bottom) and Enter the Dragon (top)

They were both delicious and looked too pretty to eat. Don the Pandan man contained all of my favourite flavours - coconut, pandan and rice pudding. I was in heaven.

Enter the Dragon consisted of toasted white chocolate mousse and peanut caramel, with some additional savoury flavours like coriander and chilli.

I really enjoyed my second visit to Zumbo and am already planning a third!

Lilianfels, Blue Mountains

noreply@blogger.com (retrodaze) — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 11:35:00 +0000

After lunch at Brown's Siding Café and a trip to Logan Brae orchard for some apple juice, we decided to finish off our Blue Mountains day with afternoon tea at Lilianfels.

Lilianfels is a resort and spa located near Echo Point and the Three Sisters.

The Lilianfels lounge was just as I had remembered. Lots of plush chairs, cushy furnishings and a pianist playing softly in the background.

Last time I was very impressed with their scones so naturally gravitated towards ordering the Devonshire tea again. Disappointed to see that the price has jumped to $19.50 now - still cheap by Sydney standards but last time it was only $15!

Scones with cream and raspberry jam

The scones were nice but I would have preferred strawberry jam instead of raspberry jam.

Assam tea served with the scones

It was a nice relaxing end to a great day! (Stomach was also bursting with fullness at this point)