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Posts Tagged ‘Sydney restaurants’

Stressless Sunday Dinner, Ormeggio at the Spit, Mosman

Posted: April 19, 2014 in Italian, Modern Australian, Mosman, North Shore
Tags: 2 Hat Restaurant, Alex Pavoni, Best Italian Restaurant, best restaurants in Sydney, good food guide, Mosman Restaurants, Ormeggio at the Spit, Restaurants at the Spit, Stressless Sunday Dinner, sydney morning herald, Sydney restaurants, The Spit

Ormeggio at The Spit is located at D’Albora Marinas and enjoys stunning views of Middle Harbour and Pearl Bay. The restaurant is headed up by Executive Chef Alex Pavoni and serves up Italian food in a traditional way but with a contemporary twist. In the last two years, Ormeggio has claimed 2 hats by the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide in 2013 & 2014, and has been awarded the hatted honour since 2009.

From 6pm every Sunday, Ormeggio at the Spit hosts a Stressless Sunday Dinners where you can enjoy a 6 course degustation menu for $69 per person. The 6 menu items are taken from their al la carte menu and can change week in and week out. Thank you Chris, MAB vs Food blog for putting me on to it.

To start, the biodynamic veal tonnato (veal tartare) sets the scene with its magnificence and it is literally quite mind blowing. The veal pieces arrive with dried capers and dried anchovies. Something I have not had before giving it a brilliant crisp wafer crunch and saltiness to the velvety veal. The tuna mayo was deliciously intense and creamy with the shaved bottarga giving it a delectable oceanic touch.

Ucello, The Ivy, Sydney

Posted: October 29, 2013 in Italian, Lunch, Sydney CBD, Sydney City
Tags: David Lovett, Italian Restaurants, Ivy, Merivale Restaurants, Sydney restaurants, Uccello

Uccello is tucked away on Level 4 of the Ivy and overlooks the Ivy Pool, which I find weird as I have never really seen this with my very own eyes in broad daylight. Think Pacha. It’s a great spot if you are wanting to make the most of the great sunny weather and make use of a city slicking roof top pool. You can eat, eat, eat and let it all hang out. Minus the itsy bitsy teeny weeny.

Headed up by David Lovett, the menu promises an authentic Italian experience, with a less is more approach. It focusing on good quality produce and it shows. The seafood is incredibly fresh, the pasta is hand-made and flavours are subtle yet tasty enough to make each and every dish truly sing.

The highlight of meal, apart from eating all this gorgeous food was seeing Karl Stefanovic in the flesh. I have a massive man crush on him! You really have to love a man that can make you LOL in the morning when you have your cranky pants on and panda eyes are in full swing!

Stuffed Beaver, Bondi Beach

Posted: October 15, 2013 in American, Bondi, Brunch, Canadian, Cheap Eats, Hot Dogs, Mexican, Sydney - East
Tags: bondi beach, bondi restaurants, Cheap Eats, pictures of food, Restaurant Review, stuffed beaver, Sydney Food Blog, Sydney restaurants

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.

Foveaux Restaurant & Bar, Surry Hills

Posted: July 15, 2013 in Fine Dining, Fusion, Hatted Restaurants, Modern Australian, Surry Hills, Sydney City
Tags: bonito black sesame, broccoli, cuttlefish, Darrell Felstead, duck cheese & umeboshi, Food Blog, food porn nation, Foveaux Restaurant & Bar, Golden Trevally, mushroom milk, Oysters with cabernet sauvignon vinegar, pearls and eschallot, photos of food, pictures of food, puffed rice with pickled vegetable and elk, Restaurant Review, restaurants, Restaurants in Surry Hills, smoked duck, Surry Hills, surry hills restaurant, Sydney Food Blog, Sydney Restaurant, Sydney restaurants, venison leg

Darrell Felstead at Foveaux Restaurant (One Hat) puts forward a weird and wonderful menu to suit the adventurous diner. You have a nose to tail philosophy, a creative flair for reinvention and a pairing of unlikeliest of food types. Surely that should pique anyone’s interest? The menu challenges you conceptually and can be confronting if you’re not quite game. There’s the pepper nachos and sour cream ice cream which is said to quite popular or the duck cheese served with smoked duck and cuttlefish. What… is that all together? Or perhaps the veal tail is more to your taste? No matter where you turn, you can’t hide. It is not for the faint hearted and I like that. A lot.

With a Groupon voucher I was able to sample the menu at a reduced cost and for two people we received an entree and main for $59.

Prices quoted below are at al la carte prices.

Bathers’ Pavilion Cafe, Mosman

Posted: July 3, 2013 in Breakfast, Brunch, Cafe, French, Italian, Modern Australian, Mosman, North Shore
Tags: breakfast in Sydney, Food Blog, food porn, food porn nation, French Food, Italian food, Modern Australian, photos of food, pictures of food, Popular London Restaurants, Restaurant Review, restaurants, restaurants in sydney, Serge Dansereau, Sydney best breakfast spots., Sydney Food Blog, Sydney Restaurant, Sydney restaurants

The Bather’s Pavilion is separated into a restaurant and cafe, owned and operated by Serge Dansereau. There is also a kiosk to cater to those passing on by looking for a quick bite. (The kiosk is also very good). You can’t book at the cafe. Simply turn up and grab a seat.

The cafe does a great breakfast and an even better lunch. I would know, I am permanently stationed there for breakfast. The best pancakes in the world are being served right here. Fluffy and thick. Baked chorizo eggs and eggs benedict are bang on the money too. The venue also promises stunning views of Balmoral Beach. So gorgeous, you’ll be swept away and misplace yourself at a beach holiday resort. Amen.

Drink Better Wine, North Sydney

Posted: June 3, 2013 in American, Hot Dogs, Modern Australian, North Shore, Tapas, Wine Bar
Tags: best restaurants in Sydney, Bottle Shop, Buttermilk Chicken Wings, Drink Better Wine, food porn, food porn nation, Hot Dogs, Lower North Shore Restaurants, Miller Street, North Sydney, North Sydney Wine Cellars, photos of food, pictures of food, Restaurants in Lower North SHore, Sliders, Sydney Food Blog, Sydney Restaurant, Sydney restaurants, Truffle, Truffle Fries, Wine Cellars

Drink Better Wine was conceived so that a bottle shop could operate in the same space as a restaurant. Customers could eat their way through the menu, walk the aisles of the cellar, pick their wine and drink straight from the bottle without paying any corkage.

Since their conception, they have changed their pricing structure to match their online wine prices which is at a significantly reduced cost. To make up for the difference, they now charge a $10 corkage per bottle. I am told that even with the corkage the price still works out to be cheaper. Even so, the sound of not paying corkage versus paying corkage, will always have a better ring to it. Even if this means passing on the savings to the end consumer.

I’m not terribly phased though, good food and good wine awaits me and it will be cheaper too!

Zilver Restaurant, Haymarket – Peking Duck Banquet

Posted: May 30, 2013 in Chinatown, Chinese, Sydney City
Tags: Chinese food in Sydney, Chinese Restaurants, food porn, food porn nation, Groupon, Groupon Australia, online voucher, peking duck, Peking Duck Banquet, photos of food, pictures of food, Sydney Food Blog, Sydney Restaurant, Sydney restaurants, Yum Cha, Yum Cha in Sydney, Zilver Restaurant

Some say that Zilver is their ‘go to’ yum cha spot and that it is one of the better Chinese restaurants around. I haven’t really been there myself so I took advantage of one of the Groupon Vouchers on offer. $49 for 2 people for a 6 Course Peking Duck Banquet. Yippie-kai-aye!

I used to be a bit dubious about the online voucher experience. Over time, I’ve become more comfortable. Bloggers alike seem to swear by Groupon for being the best place to grab a food voucher for decent restaurants. For hatted restaurants too.

Convinced? I am.

Now, all I do is click, click, click. Buy, buy, buy… and if I can eat at the likes of Tokonoma, Foveaux & Blancharu, why the hell shouldn’t I?

(Posts to come).

Guillaume at Bennelong, Sydney Opera House

Posted: May 5, 2013 in Circular Quay, French, Hatted Restaurants, Modern Australian, Sydney City
Tags: best restaurants in Sydney, Best Steak in Sydney, Food Blog, food porn, food porn nation, Guillaume at Bennelong, Guillaume Brahimi, Sydney Food Blog, Sydney Hatted Restaurants, Sydney Morning Herald Two Chefs Hat, Sydney Opera House, Sydney Restaurant, Sydney restaurants, three chef hats, two chef hats

Guillaume Brahimi has announced on the 2 July 2013 that Guillaume at Bennelong will be shutting its doors by the end of 2013. Read here for further details.

Guillaume Brahimi has had a formidable career to date. Born in Paris, his star was on the rise taking on various roles at three michelin restaurants.

Moving to Australia, Guillaume earns a record breaking two chef hats within 6 months of opening his restaurant Pond. He is later invited to turn around Bilson’s at Circular Quay (now Quay) with no chef hats and 11/20 rating, remarkably taking Bilson’s to receive the coveted three chef hats.

In 2001, Guillaume is awarded the highly sought after contract to take over the restaurant at the Sydney Opera House. Within a year of its debut, it is recognised as one of the top 50 new restaurants in the world. The restaurant has a long list of accolades under its belt. Awarded year in and year out, it reaches the pinnacle (three chef hats) and today sits as a two chef hat restaurant with a 17/20 rating.

With his culinary prowess set against the backdrop of the most breathtaking views of our iconic foreshore. It is hard to believe that Guillaume at Bennelong is not on anyone’s hit list. This may be more the case than ever before, now that the space for the restaurant is up for tender with rumours that it may transform it into a cheap eats venue.

That said, I was able to pay Guillaume a visit for my birthday before any major overhaul thanks to my sister – agirlhastoeat.

Panzerotti Cafe, Sydney CBD

Posted: May 4, 2013 in Italian, Sydney CBD, Sydney City
Tags: Italian, Sydney CBD, Sydney Lunch Spots, Sydney restaurants

I’m a regular here and this is easily one of my favourite lunch spots around work. Every time I walk in I’m greeted with a, “Ciao bella” and if I’m lucky enough I will get a kiss on the cheek, breathing an Italian charm into the place. Even if I’m walking along the street and they spot me, it is still ciao bella time.

Serving up outstanding dishes with quality ingredients, everything is reasonable priced and well-portioned. I would go so much as to say that they serve the best Italian in the CBD. It is best to book or come in just at 12 to beat the lunch rush. Otherwise, get your food to go and they’ll knock off a couple of dollars. Somewhere between the $2-$4 dollar mark.

The lunch menu is organised by antipasto, panini, salads and pastas, where you can order your choice of pasta and sauce. The menu is waited on by super charged energizer bunny staff who hop, skin and leap around you efficiently. Their full-of-life personalities are so infectious that it can’t help but always seem to brighten up my day.

More often than not, I will order the linguine boscaiola ($16.50). It is the ultimate, served with pancetta, mushrooms, caramelised onions in a cream sauce. The use of pancetta and caramelised onion add another dimension to this favourite. The pancetta creates a lovely smokiness and chewiness while the caramelised onions carries a sweetness into this savoury dish.

The side of parmesan is served in a generous bowl, so you can sprinkle as much or as little as you like. Most places tend to serve you pittance and I think this tiny detail makes such a difference to the experience and taste of your meal, especially when the parmesan is of such a high quality.

Garlic bread ($5.50) is beautifully fragrant and crusty, it is the perfect contraption for dipping, especially into somebody else’s plate!

Linguine with peas, pancetta, garlic, chilli & truss tomatoes ($16.50) is not for the faint hearted. It packs a bit of a kick and is full of flavour with the chilli and garlic. Again, the sauce takes on a delicious smokiness with the use of pancetta. This is so stunning, it’s hard to think I am on my lunch break. Shouldn’t I be at a food court somewhere?

The Rook, CBD Sydney

Posted: April 20, 2013 in Lobster, Seafood, Sydney CBD, Sydney City
Tags: Burger and Lobster, food porn, food porn nation, keystone group, lobster, lobster roll, Sydney restaurants, The Rook

The Rook is the newest venture from the Keystone Group and is responsible for likes of The Loft, Cargo Bar & Bungalow 8. It is considered the latest Rooftop bar to hit Sydney. Well… ‘ish’. There is an open bit, some windows (some plastic-ky ones) and hopes to make the rooftop retractable.

It appears to be loosely based on London’s Burger and Lobster concept, where the menu is limited to burgers and lobsters. Word of mouth is that the food isn’t The Rook’s strong suit. Its a great place to have an after work drink, draws on a buzzy crowd, bangs out some good tunes but appears to fall short on the food front. Remaining positive, I am keen to find out for myself.

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The lobster roll ($25) comes positively jammed packed. The lobster filling includes additions of potato, corn, mayo, onion, jalapenos and bears a strong likeness to a potato salad. Unfortunately, it was under seasoned and missing a bit of punch. Yet the flavours were strong enough to overwhelm the delicate lobster.

Being one who likes to “eat with their eyes” I found that I would have also preferred the lobster in larger chunks. I really wanted to see the hero of dish and then, I wanted to be able to feel it when I tasted it.

Truffle fries quickly make for good munching. Yet the truffle flavour is lost on me very quickly and appears to be only lightly doused. They smell and taste delicious at first but unfortunately the wonderful aroma quickly subsides. The side of tomato salsa quickly comes to the rescue. It’s smokey, tangy, acidic and quite intense. Delicious as it may be it doesn’t quite make up for the absence of that beautiful truffle.