Archive for the ‘Sydney – East’ Category

Catalina, Rose Bay – 3 course semi-set menu

Posted: February 9, 2014 in Hatted Restaurants, Modern Australian, Rose Bay, Seafood, Sydney - East
17

Awarded One Chef Hat, Catalina is perched along the edge of the water in Rose Bay. The venue offers sweeping panoramic views of the Sydney Harbour from an expansive open dining area containing an impressive indoor and outdoor space. You can watch sail boats, wind surfers, ferries and sea planes float on by. Its location means you can arrive in style, either by sea plane, boat or ferry making it no stranger to celebrities or wedding functions. Today I am here for a different kind of celebration, my girlfriend’s hens lunch, where we sat down to a sumptuous three course semi-set menu for $110 per person. This is the bride-to-be’s favourite dining spot and I can easily see why.

$110 semi-set menu also includes bread, chips, salad, coffee/tea and petit fours.

Prices quoted below are as they appear on the al la carte menu.

collage - fpn

(more…)

Stuffed Beaver, Bondi Beach

Posted: October 15, 2013 in American, Bondi, Brunch, Canadian, Cheap Eats, Hot Dogs, Mexican, Sydney - East
Tags: , , , , , , ,
10

The Stuffed Beaver is an interesting spot. It’s a Canadian inspired joint that dishes up a mixture of Canadian and a Tex-Mex type menu. I’m talking fries, tacos, dogs, burgers and nachos. It’s not 100% Canadian through and through but the staff and the owner are. They do serve the classic poutine which if you’re like me and have never tried this before, is a speciality junk food originating from Quebec, a true emulsion of French Canada. It’s fries served with gravy and cheese curds and it is as it sounds, evil and glorious. The venue has your typical sports bar vibe, great for a cheap eat and groups wanting to share. Everyday they have a dam special. Wing half day Wednesday is their most popular item and I can totally see why.

collage - fpn

(more…)

Swell Restaurant, Bronte Beach

Posted: May 21, 2013 in Breakfast, Bronte, Sydney - East
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
10

Swell Restaurant is said to be one of Matt Moran’s favourite breakfast spots. Coming highly recommended by the man himself, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to give it a whirl.

Set against the beautiful Bronte Beach, on a beautiful day it is the perfect spot to grab a decent breakfast or brunch, soak in the atmosphere without too much damage to the hip pocket. It is a popular spot, so best to book ahead and watch out for parking. It is either extortionate or a nightmare!

truffle poached eggs

We begin with the truffle poached eggs which arrive plump and pulsing at the middle. The dish has the indelible scent of truffles and is served with pieces of wafer thin prosciutto, adding a lovely crunch and saltiness to the creaminess of the yolk. The sourdough is as it should having texture and crunch – positively moorish.

(more…)

North Bondi Italian Food

Posted: November 13, 2011 in Italian, North Bondi, Sydney - East
Tags: , , , , , , ,
2

With a strict no booking policy, my entrance was greeted with a straightforward “it’s at least a 45 minute wait”, where I was forced to make a snap decision of “should I stay or should I go?” This already puts me offside but despite the wait ahead, we opt to stay.Luckily, we quickly find an alternative and seat ourselves out in the bar area where we dine with fellow bar go-ers. This clever manoeuvre cuts our 45 minute lead time to 10 minutes.IMG_0778

Blood orange campari

Blood orange campari $17

I had the obligatory blood orange campari cocktail and it seems as though everyone else has decided to do the same. It is, ‘oh so good’ and puts me in a very, VERY good mood. With all the will power I can muster, I decide against having a 3rd, 4th, 5th and a 6th one. At that price, I just couldn’t justify it.

Complimentary bread and olive oil

Complimentary bread and olive oil

The bread and olive oil was a nice way to start off our meal. However, our food took longer than it should have and with the hope of “we’ll save room for our main”, we consumed all the bread to tame our hunger pains.

Penne 'rigate' slow cooked lamb neck, shoulder ragu, pecorino sardo G_0781

Penne ‘rigate’ slow cooked lamb neck, shoulder ragu, pecorino sardo $28.60

(more…)