When you enter the gorgeous British concocted setting, it is oh-so-dapper and swoons you with its dashing English charms. The White Hartin Neutral Bay is famously known for showcasing the best cocktails in the area, and it’s popularity is rising, encouraging a mass exodus from south of the bridge. Edible cocktails being the main attraction.
Ranked as #2 best bars in Sydney and recently dubbed the top honour of Best Small Bar of the Year in 2011, I was very intrigued to find out more. It offers an extensive boutique cocktail menu, fine wines, tapas and dining menu to boot.
What an absolutely stunning looking dish with its bright colours leaping out at me from the table. The taste of it was equally as appealing with the creamy saltiness of the garlic aioli fish sauce along the sweet tang of the white balsamic jelly.
I almost went for another one. I only curse the day I couldn’t have a faster metabolism.
breakfast mojito – serves 2
The breakfast mojito is your deconstructed version of your cuban cocktail. The breakfast drink crosses more into your high school science experiment.
You brush your teeth with the mojito toothpaste (and don’t forget your gums). Rinse any residual paste with the listerine mojito mouthwash and knock that bad boy right back. Nibble away at your candied mint leaf until it disintegrates, then take your syringe and shoot on up your dosage of rum. What an ingenious way to get wasted!
I have to admit the first time I had heard of A Tavola was at the Taste of Sydney Festival 2012. It was a great little intro. Hand made pasta, with a just like “mama used to make” ragu all wrapped in and around my plastic fork and nestled away in my little throw away container. Our brief encounter was enough to bring me back for a visit to sample more of what A Tavolahad to offer.
Red cabbage, raisins, dolce latte, walnuts, balsamic $16
To begin with, the red cabbage, raisins, walnuts with balsamic was filled with texture and bite. A simple yet pleasant way to start off the evening but I still felt it was missing something.
The half moon ravioli definitely had lift off. The decently portioned ravioli was filled with a positively plump centre of mushy peas and ricotta. Dressed with oregano and truffle pecorino it was lightly submersed in a burnt butter sauce. The creamy buttery perky pasta parcels was enough to break a girl’s heart, since we had only ordered this to share. Which wasn’t annoying at all, since I only had one!
Hand cut pappardelle pasta, slow braised beef, red wine, tomato, bay, sage $34
Our waitress had us wrapped around her little finger, she convinced that we all had to order their signature dish. She was so compelling! And she wasn’t mistaken. The rich flavours of the beef and ragu sauce were interwoven softly and tucked in and around the slippery pasta pappardelle ribbons. It really brought home the feel of Nona’s home made ragu especially when you went it for slurp. So comforting and so fulfilling, I will have to come back and say hello, once more.
Welcome to A Tavola, for some home made pasta dishes, just like how mama used to make.
If you ever find yourself whisked away to the Blue Mountains area, there is one place you absolutely must try, Leura Garage.
The used-to-be auto repair garage is a hidden gem serving up a varied menu across breakfast, lunch and dinner. In the morning they offer muffins and pastries all the way up to your antipasto, pasta and tapas for dinner. Tonight we tried their tapas menu which seems to be a hot favourite here, to sample a few of the items they had on offer.
lobster tail, grilled w lemon parsley butter $22
I was excited to be nibbling away at their lobster tail with lemon parsley butter but quickly we were off to a weak start. The lobster had too much fun in the sun. It was over cooked, disappointingly chewy and we could hardly tasty the lemon butter. It did have promise though.
baby pork ribs $15
These baby pork ribs were tender, sticky and sweet. Meat chunks that easily ripped itself from the bone to reveal fibrous meat layers. They ribs were adorned with thin slivers of (never had that before) smokey pancetta that had been sliced paper thin (even thinner), baked then grilled to create whisper thin sheets of pancetta that had that flakey melt away in your mouth texture.
They were definitely the highlight of the night. It’s a big call to make, but they were almost as good as the pork ribs at Hurricanes Grill! Or better. OH… hard to say. But good enough to commit to another hours drive to Leura. Oh I do love a good piece of swine!
saltbush lamb eggplant caviar, greek yoghurt and pickled onions $18
I always feel so bad when I am given the obligatory show and tell of the live crab before it goes under the knife. But then there’s the other part of me that says, “Well… it’s really the only way to eat crab. Can’t wait!”
Growing up, I used to enjoy the thrill of the kill. I would eagerly and hungrily keep my eye out on the most liveliest crab, where I would point out, “That one!” Now, I don’t even recognise myself anymore…
Before - live mud crab
And after - mud crab w ginger and shallot sauce $49.00 (Market Price)
Super Bowl is a personal favourite of mine. Food is always delicious, cheap and served to you in your traditional Hong Kong (Honkie) style eatery. You have communal seating with plastic chairs, food served and moving at warped speed while patrons are merrily burping and slurping away. Hong Kong, eat your heart out.
Here you can find mud crab w ginger and shallot sauce, a traditional Chinese favourite. The crab is sweet, fleshy and cooked to perfection. And the sauce is simply out of this world. It will have you double dipping and spooning for more.
Pipis w XO sauce - a must try $26.80 (Market Price)
There’s nothing like a bit of Indian food to comfort and hold you on a cold summers night! It was drizzling and cold out and I couldn’t help but ask for something spicy and for something saucy to warm me up from the inside.
Batter fried spinach combined with chickpeas, potatoes and topped with Yogurt tamarind sauce. $8.90
The yoghurt and tamarind sauce licks the fried spinach, chickpeas and potato pieces and is simply out of this world! I never knew vegetables could taste this good! The sauce is sweet, spicy and tangy whilst balancing the contrast of so many textures. There is a lot happening at once and you can’t tell what’s what, but that’s simply the best part. The guessing game.
Succulent baby lamb cutlets marinated in yoghurt, ginger and garlic with selected spices and broiled in tandoor $13.90
The next starter was a show stopper. Gracing us with its sizzling and searing presence, I couldn’t help but film the moments that ensued. The baby lamb cutlets were succulent and juicy flavoured with subtle spicy notes. Dipped with mint yoghurt and drizzled with lemon, simply gave it the perfect send off.
Butter Chicken $16.90
I had a bit of a teensy tiny sook that we didn’t get something spicier but I am a woman of compromise. I gave in to having the butter chicken and subsequently, with no regrets! It was a buttery, creamy and saucy delight. A delight I knew my hips were going to pay for later.
Apologies. This has been a long time waiting. I promise, I haven’t forgotten about you. Sometimes, things take over and get in the way of your food porn dreams. Including mine! Some boring and more important things required tending to. Nevertheless here I am, Momofuku and all.
Momofuku Seibo is not your typical establishment. It’s in your face and a robust up yours to the fine dining scene. Blasting Hip Hop, Grunge and Motown jams with an air of cool nonchalance mixed with the odd cuss from the chefs and staff. Who both, personally run table service to all guests. This is not for the everyone. After that wretched booking system, it seems that the million dollar question is. “Is it worth the hype?” It is does hold a $175 price tag and 2 hours later, I was bound to find out.
shiitake chips, nori, mochi and smoked potato with apple
The shiitake chips, nori and mochi had an interesting textural play on your japanese favourites. While the textures and reconstructions were quite playful I found there were nothing out of the ordinary in terms of the actual taste. Alternatively, the smoked potato with apple was definitely a knockout. The potato had these intense smokey tones and the encasing just crumbled under the slightest pressure when bitten. And when you think you have missed the apple and you’re ready to say ‘it’s over red rover’, the apple comes in right on the finish giving your palette a pleasant fruit tingle.
steamed pork belly bun, cucumber, hoisin and chilli sauce
The moment we had all been waiting for. The groping of the lengendary David Chang’s pork buns. David’s pork belly is lusciously fat and full of flavour, wrapped inside a baby bum soft bun with a drizzle of that sweet sweeeet… hoisin sauce. Think deconstructed duck pancake. Delicious? Why yes. But I couldn’t help but feel surprised that this was the signature dish. Bloggers and friends seem to unanimously unite and say that David’s pork buns are better in the NYC noodle house. Who am I to judge though? I have never been.
sea mullet, nectarine and szechuan pepper
I am sad to admit that I found this dish very bland. The szechuan pepper and nectarine oil simply did not do this beautiful slice of pink sea mullet justice. I found the sea mullet was over powered with the szechuan pepper while the nectarine flavours were difficult to trace. There were also deep fried fish scales scattered along this dish. I did not like this one bit.
The Art of Pasta is one of my favourite cook books. I am completely enamoured with it. It is a stunning collection of pasta and Italian recipes that is artistically captured and presented through an inspiring collaboration between Artist and Chef. Showcasing two craftsman at their best. Dishes are uniquely dressed with the original artworks of Luke Sciberras that were inspired and painted simultaneously while Lucio prepared the food on set. The book is so exquisitely beautiful, creative and just so… explicit that I have admittedly drawn inspiration for my food photography right from this book.
I discovered from the Sydney Morning Herald Grower’s Market (Pyrmont) facebook page, that the two authors Lucio Galletto owner and chef of 2 Chef’s Hat Lucio’s Restaurant and David Dale would be completing two food porn-y pasta demonstrations up on the Master Chef Stage followed by book signing. Right in front of everyone too, which is a bit naughty!!
Notorious for its comprehensive, rigid and utterly impossible online booking system. I thought I would complete a write up about my first hand experience and share with you some of my key learnings from it. So you could almost certainly secure a spot at the distinctively elusive Momofuku Seiōbo restaurant. Given the complexity, I think it deservedly requires its own blog post and rightfully so!
My experience was no easy feat. Oh no no… But practice makes perfect and with countless attempts later, I would hone my clicking and typing skills down to a ‘T”, which would eventually take me to see the bright lights of sweet success.
Courtesy of momofuku.com
I would ceremoniously log in everyday at 10:00, enter my details, hit ok, only to find crosses everywhere along the reservation table. Please note, this has been my third week running.
Finally, I found a green tick that was available for me to click on. Ding ding ding – Jack pot.
As part of January’s Sydney Festival 2012, the Festival launched in its 12th year running their annual event, Fast Festival Feasts.
Fast Festival Feasts offer either one of the following option at any of the following venues :
a one course and wine/bottled water for $30; or
two courses with wine AND bottled water for $55
I couldn’t resist the $55 offer and decided to surprise my girlfriend at Black by Ezard for her birthday. I had a feeling she wanted to come here anyway, we tend to think alike so I thought, “I want to go to which means surely she must too”.
Brioche with fresh butter and black volcano salt
We started with a loaf of piping hot brioche to share. We are not your typical fans of brioche, well… I personally find that it always sounds better than it actually tastes. Yet we both fell madly in love with it. The texture, taste and feel was a cross between a brioche and a croissant. Oh… croissants… Along with fresh a slather of butter and volcano ashen black salt, it tipped me right over the edge.
This would be my second visit to Pendolino and a long overdue one at that. After 3 years I still remember from my first visit the stand out dishes that I had longed for ever since. The oysters with a tomato vinaigrette that ruled my world, the beef carpaccio that was out of this world and the ravioli that was out of this planet. When Brazil challenged the very existence of incredible Italian food, I took him straight here to be taken to the moon and back. And to the moon and back he and I both went.
Assortment of olive oils
Complimentary bread
We commenced our night with an assortment of olive oils and fresh fluffy focaccia. We were presented with a fruity, lemon and orange olive oils to introduce us to their olive oil range.
Freshly Shucked Coffin Bay Pacific Oyster served with Salmon Pearls and Pendolino Tomato Vinaigrette $4.50 each
A self-confessed food porn addict with the desire to enable fellow foodies to unanimously indulge, rejoice and relish over food with sheer unadulterated and animated glory, foodies whom are guided vicariously through the lens and writings of a food fiend.
