Taste of Sydney, March 09

Welcome back lovely reader of my recently neglected, but dearly loved food blog! In the next few weeks/months, I’ll be rampantly posting a huge backload of posts, in an effort to clear out a ballooning WIP folder, sync my computer with my little external hard drive (a trusty friend in the last few disjointed months) and basically make more time for my love of food/blogging. Well that’s the plan anyway:P

Well, to start, my recent interludes into Sydney have been fortunate enough to coincide with some fun food events, one being the Taste of Sydney festival. An outdoor festival held last month in the serene Centennial Park. Being lucky ticketholders of the Saturday night session, the girls and I were offered not only the gourmet delights of Sydney, but as a bonus (and for free I might add), we were was treated to a night of torrential rain, gale force winds and plastic ponchos. Mother Nature sure knows how to add some atmosphere.

So, after arriving at 5pm on the dot, the clouds descend and suddenly a storm in upon us. We dash to the nearest pavilion, finding a wine tasting class ready to begin – How Convenient! I generally prefer to eat before/while drinking but really, between a choice of first class wines and cold, soul drenching rain….it’s a pretty easy decision isn’t it?


Beautiful wines; I loved the tasting, Sindel loved finishing my spread, Madam Saucy loved the fact there was no spittle bucket and H perfected her wine musing look – all in all, a fun way to begin our night.

Berowra Waters Inn – Arancini of truffle risotto and buffalo mozzarella, spinach and fennel sauce

After the wine tasting we are 4 ravenous women - our plan of attack: Sharing is Caring. The rain has stopped and to start we head for a vegetarian option, so all of us can dive in. The arancini is piping hot, with a moreish centre, I wish it was bigger.

After this little nibble we meet up with Herr Mouttard, JJW and Snow White, who point us in the direction of Restaurant Balzac.

Restaurant Balzac – Wagyu Beef “Bourguignonne” with Truffle Cauliflower and Onion Rings

A fancy spring roll - a damn good fancy spring roll. The beef melted in my mouth (as expected) and the crunchy outer contrasted nicely with the cooling cauliflower cream.

Restaurant Balzac – Saddle of suckling pig with crackling and baby garden peas

I look up to notice our resident vegetarian looking hungry, next stop Danks St Depot. As we arrive, we’re greeted by Jared Ingersoll, who emerges to reassure us his food tastes as good as it looks.

Danks St Depot – Pastrami of Kingfish with Smoked Oysters and Cucumber and Apple Salad

Danks St Depot – Ham steamed in Hay served with buttered suedes

Danks St Depot - Poached Strawberries with a chocolate and hazelnut meringue with whipped cream

Suddenly, the urge for wine overcomes us, fortunately the girls at the Wyndham Estate stall are more than happy to oblige. We meander through the side stalls drinking wine, tasting cheese, sweets and olive oils among many other mouth watering treats.

At this point, I’m getting hungry again and can feel the Crowns (the festival’s currency) in my bag calling out to me. Next stop – Jonah’s at Whale Beach and Bécasse. Being men who love meat (let’s face it, most of them do…), JJW and Herr Mouttard are almost physically pushing us towards the Plan B Wagyu beef burger. We trek over to the stall and find a massive line waiting for said burger. Generally, we found the crowd and lines quite small in the festival, but this beef burger was pulling in a huge crowd, by far the most popular dish of the night.

Plan B – Gundooee Organic grass fed Wagyu Beef Burger

We waited patiently… and were rewarded with this awesome baby! Apologies for my amateur photo, this is a truly unflattering shot of a truly delicious burger. I found myself in my own little world, groaning with satisfaction as I was eating it and oddly, paranoid that someone would ask for a bite. If you have never experienced a foodgasm, I’m sure this will do it for you, (pending meat eating status).

Speaking of non-meat eaters, resourceful Sindel joined Herr Mouttard next door to grab some fish action.

Jonah's at Whale Beach - Sesame seared yellow fin tuna, crisp spring onion rings, red radish and watercress

Jonah’s at Whale Beach – Tempura ricotta filled zucchini flowers with basil pesto sauce

I grabbed a bite of these and again wished I had the courage to deep fry in my own kitchen.

On our way to grab some champagne (I’m a sucker for the bubbly at the moment), Madam Saucy and I were distracted by seafood.

Assiette – Sydney rock oysters with Vietnamese dressing, crispy shallots and baby coriander

Not sure where the alleged crispy shallots and coriander have gone but that didn’t stop us enjoying these slurpy little mouthfuls. We tried to save some for Sindel and H (Group motto had changed to Divide and Conquer by this point) but with no luck finding them we took it for the team and finished off the plate, it’s the thought that counts?

It’s time for dessert and with our few remaining Crowns, we find:

Lindt Café

Being the predictable chocoholic that he is, Herr Mouttard instinctively veered towards the Lindt stall to finish his night with this gooey concoction. The icecream was a bit melted by the time I’d gotten to it but still good nevertheless.

Jonah’s at Whale Beach – Vanilla Panna Cotta with lavender honey and fresh pomegranate

I know panna cotta is a cinch to make at home but I still gravitate towards it when I’m out. This wobbly baby really hit the spot that night, it was sweet yet light, and it’s provocative vanilla seed peak was a was fun to watch – until I ate it!

Mother Nature has incredible timing and as we polish off our last bites the rain returns with renewed vigour. Suddenly the only thing I can think about is how fat, cold and hard the raindrops are on my head and how grateful I am that I didn’t end up wearing that white top that seems to be on high rotation in my wardrobe at the moment. Turns out I go home in a white top of a completely different kind – an unbecoming white plastic poncho which renders me devoid of any womanly shape and is irritatingly much too long, but keeps me (somewhat) dry as I walk what seem to be miles, out to Oxford St to get a cab. That poncho providing man must have been everyone’s hero during the night. Now, if only someone would organise a food festival for me every weekend.

Wagaya, Haymarket

As Daisy Moo, ChocolateQueen and I walked into Wagaya, we were grateful we’d made a booking. Despite the early dinner (by our standards), the foyer was absolutely packed with people waiting for a seat, and as we approached the counter, a frustrated looking couple brushed past us, muttering about how they would never get fed… So, the place is in demand.

The restaurant has an attractive layout, with modern, sleek individual booths and high tech touch screens. The booths are a functional and fun idea, allowing some much appreciated privacy but I did notice that noise levels were still relatively high in the restaurant.

Our awaiting booth

The ordering system consists of simply a touch screen menu, where everything including water and the bill can be electronically requested. I admit, I have little patience for poor service and this system suits me well. The dishes are brought out remarkably quickly and the staffs themselves are polite and endearing, as only Japanese wait staff can be:) We were also provided with a laminated A3 menu as a paper menu.

Touch screen menu

We start the night with Takoyaki, a favourite of ChocolateQueen’s. I fell in love with these octopus dumplings while I was in Tokyo, where I was mesmerised by the way they were cooked, in spherical pans with impossibly long chopsticks.

Takoyaki

They are as you would expect, hot, with a crispy outer and that moreish centre.

To be honest, we were a little underwhelmed by the menu, considering the rave reviews and the large number of dishes on offer, and it took us a fair few glances at the menu to decide what we wanted. Nothing seemed to jump out at us that night…

Beef Tataki

Eel and cheese spring roll

Despite their name, the dominant flavour of the rolls was in fact mushroom. The rolls were piping hot (a good sign), and each bite yielded a large splash of mushroom flavoured juice. Warning HOT!!! Although the texture of the eel was obvious, it’s flavour was essentially masked by the overwhelming mushroom and none of us tasted or saw any hint of cheese.

Rainbow Sushi

An assortment of sushi, we opted for this over the Sushi Roulette simply to get a larger variety of flavours. Toppings included salmon, tuna, kingfish and prawn and avocado. The sushi were fresh and tasty, my favourite for the night being the sweet kingfish

Ox Tongue Nikomi

We’ve only ever had ox tongue at Japanese BBQ, so thought we would try this alternative. The tongue was quite meaty, sitting atop a tomato based, pasta like sauce. To the side was a dob of mayonnaise and the only way I can describe the vibe this dish emitted is Bolognaise meets Japan…

Salmon Sashimi

Something I feel compelled to mention is the presence of large chips on all but one of our serving plates; I’ve managed to hide most of them in the photos with repositioning. Not only was it unsightly, with huge white chips on our otherwise darker crockery, it’s also a health hazard, as microscopic, potentially harmful germs aggregate and grow in the exposed porous material. An unexpected annoyance in an otherwise flawless setting.

This place is ideally suited to larger groups, as the booths themselves are quite large, and to it’s credit, I never got the impression that we were being rushed (something I truly detest), even though the line was becoming longer as the night progressed, evolving into a mini mosh pit of hungry, hungry people.

If you haven’t been before, the immaculate surroundings, efficient service and novel ordering system make for a unique experience. I strongly recommend booking ahead to avoid the impossibly long cue.


View Larger Map

Wagaya
Lvl 1/ 78 Harbour St

Haymarket, NSW, 2000

Phone: (02) 9212 6068

Rosso Pomodoro Pizzeria, Balmain

While Dominos/Pizza Hut pizzas will always serve a purpose, I relish quality authentic takeaway pizza. Whilst enjoying a lazy Saturday afternoon at JJW and Snow White’s house, Herr Moutarde and I realised we’d have to forgo dinner out plans :) We were due for an appearance at a housewarming party and there was simply no time - we’d spent most of it with relaxed drinks and conversation, some trashy pay tv (cue Exiled) and a cute little puppy called Pippie. Being out of our own little area, we decided to grab some takeaway pizza from Rosso Pomodoro, a perfect solution which meant we could continue being our social selves AND fit a meal in:)

After placing our order we quickly drove to get pizza! And who was to be the pizza mule? Me. Gracefully (as only I know how), I darted through the fat rain droplets, avoided a giant puddle/pothole (or did I…), and ended up in the doorway of Rosso Pomodoro, where I was greeted with a hearty “Ciao Bella!” I have to say, whilst I was only in the premises for a relatively short period of time, I was very taken with the staff. They were cheery and warm, with dreamy Italian accents and an enthusiasm I rarely see when popping in for some takeway.

Our pizza’s were freshly cooked and ready to go:)

Diavola
Tomato, Italian mozzeralla, hot salami, capsicum

I’m usually apprehensive about the Diavola whenever I get pizza because many a time, I’ve been left numb in the mouth from excessively hot salami – before I even get full! But this one had been recommended strongly to us by Snow White and JJW, and for good reason, it’s delicious! The salami was fiery without being overpowering, while the capsicum was juicy and tender.

Funghi
Tomato, Italian mozzarella and fresh mushrooms

Gorgeous meaty mushrooms made for a satisfying vegetarian option. A fresh zing added by the scattered parsley on top.

Herr Moutarde is notoriously picky with his pizzas. Having enjoyed homestyle Italian pizzas for most of his life overseas, he’s still searching for the perfect pizza here in Sydney. He often laments at the thick doughey pizza bases, piled much too high with a myriad of mismatched toppings, which seem to be ubiquitous here, even in supposedly “authentic” pizzerias. Not this time. The bases were superbly thin and crispy (and not in the Dominos thin crust way) and the toppings were simple, fresh and minimal:) This coupled with some simple rules including - NO half & half, ONLY Italian mozzarellla and NO corkage if you dine in, and the big one - “NO ham & pineapple” was enough to coax the seal of approval from Herr Moutarde, the pizza purist.

We’re yet to eat in at this little gem in Balmain, but we’ve been told aside from the delicious pizza, they also do a fantastic antipasto plate. Will keep you posted on that one.

Rosso Pomodoro Pizzeria
Shop 90-91
24 Buchanan St
Balmain (White Bay)
Phone: (02) 9555 5924
http://www.rossopomodoro.com.au/

Adriano Zumbo Weekend

If you’re a reader of other Sydney food blogs you’ll realise this post is late(ish). 3 days may not be much in the real world, but it definitely is in the blogosphere lol.

I’ve just had a Balmain/bakery oriented weekend, starting with a breakfast on Saturday, which I’ll post later:), and a trip to Adriano Zumbo, followed on Sunday with…….Adriano Zumbo again, this time with fellow Sydney food bloggers.

SATURDAY

The new collection at Adriano Zumbo is aptly titled – “Please sir, can I have some more!” and is a spectacular array of mouth watering desserts. I hada quick looksee on Saturday morning to give myself a heads up (and also to satisfy a post breakfast sweet tooth lol). Sindel, Madam Saucy and I took quite a while trying to decide what we wanted.

What’s on offer

Mingled in with the newbies are some remnants from the previous collection, including the green Tuk Tuk Nothing.

Scrolling to the right…

I ID the Charles du Jour as a target for the foodblogger event, The intriguing baubles are enough to suck me in, I get a White Christmas/Wedding Cake vibe lol.

And right again…

I can see the successor to the Tuk Tuk Nothing, it’s pink (always a good sign with me), but has no description tag. I ask the lady behind the counter and she tells me she has no idea what it is either and is also waiting for a tag lol. The mystery!

I’ve been craving cheesecake for quite some time now, only to be greeted with old/dry looking cheesecake everywhere I turn. Awkward. But not here!!! I choose the Miss Marrple Cheesecake and carefully bring it home:)

Miss Marple Cheesecake
Orange cheesecake with orange strawberry compote, cream cheese crème legere with crepe and maple glaze.

Apologies but this is a (slightly) erroneous shot. For the “attention to detail” types out there, there are actually white chocolate slivers pieced on the ends like bookends, but I may have eaten them on the way home….

A gorgeous dessert - satisfied that craving quick smart.

Sindel chose the Chocolate Fondant, but we got to that before the camera could;)

Onto Sunday!

Firstly a big “Thank you!” to Reem for organising us:)

This is the first foodbloggers meet I’ve been to and I had a fabulous time. It’s great to be able to put faces to the names I’m so used to online. It’s a great crowd and quite a spectacle at times – cameras and desserts galore. Herr Moutarde graciously accompanied me and we had a decadent breakfast to start our Sunday:) Being me, I spent a fair bit time chatting which subsequently caused a drop in photo quality/quantity. This unfortunately means my snaps are incomplete for the entire collection. Not to worry! There were so many of us you’ll see pics all over the net!

Attendees:

Reem: I am obsessed with food
Helen: Grab Your Fork
Suze: Chocolatesuze
Karen: Citrus and Candy (my new designated camera buddy lol)
Lorraine: NotQuiteNigella
Richard: Herecomesthefood
The team from Eatshowandtell (Howard, Linda, Teresa)
Simon: Simon Food Favourites

Plus a few others that popped in as I was leaving and sadly did not get to meet. So, where do you put a gaggle of snap happy food bloggers?? In the nearby Adriano Zumbo Café Chocolat of course! This man is slowly but surely creating an empire. Luckily for the rest of us, Reem has managed to secure us a cosy little alcove in this place where we can rest, sample and photograph our desserts in peace:)

The Table

No doubt place to be: seating AND food:)

Charles du Jour
Tart pate sucree, vanilla ganache, vanilla crème Chantilly, vanilla water bursts, vanilla glacage.

Helen beat me to this beauty, and generously divided it up so we could have a bite, (foodbloggers are a generous breed). It really is as good as it looks.

Choccies!

Herr Moutarde and I couldn’t resist the mass of chocolates ordering counter. Guess who ate more?

PARIS – La Vie en Rose
Rose crème brulee, raspberry sorbet balls, fresh lychees, rose macarons served with a strawberry tapioca shake.

It became evident to me that the mass purchasing had led to the group with samples of nearly all available bakery treats. I graciously stepped forward to choose an offering from the café menu (my life is tough). The counter boy (Charles) at the bakery had recommended a dish with creamed rice and fruit salad, which sounded amazing but alas, I was told there was none left when I got back to the cafe:( I ended up choosing this beautiful concoction, named after one of my favourite cities. With scattered rose petals, it’s easily the prettiest thing in sight.

The studio

The sheer number of desserts led to a makeshift studio being set up at the nearby table, which was quickly swarmed by photohungry bloggers.

Past jobs
Kaffir lime and ginger pannacotta, black sticky rice pudding, exotic fruit jelly and palm sugar marscapone.


Framboise Millefeuille
Raspberry coulis and marscapone with caramelised puff pastry and biscuit jaconde.


Zumbo the Kid
Vegemite bavaroise, peanut butter crème legere, raspberry jelly, chocolate peanut glacage, peanut feullitine, flourless chocolate biscuit


Wheely Wildly Wendy
Fresh roasted peach in a tonka bean crème legere and sandwiched between two almond dacquoise disks and rolled in almond crumble.

Yum! I remember a few months ago, Daisy Moo and I split the green Tuk Tuk Nothing, much to her dismay - she’s not of a fan of coconut, which is beautifully laced through the green version of Zumbo’s wheel. I’ll be pestering her to share this with me next time we go;)

UZC
Biscuit macaron, sweet corn jelly, saffron bavaroise, vanilla brulee.

Another dessert I quite enjoyed was the rice pudding éclair that the lovely Suze brought along, a simple and lighter combination of rice pudding and cinnamon in an éclair form which I could easily have eaten all day. Sweet Karen brought along the cheesecake and Cassius, while Richard also gave me a bite of another café creation called It’s a Macaron and Not a Hamburger. Check out their blogs for photos:) So many things to try!!!!

The new collection will be available until the 22nd of May 2009, which gives us all plenty of time to try them all again, and again….and again:)

Adriano Zumbo Patissier
296 Darling St
Balmain, NSW, 2041

Open 7 days

Phone: (02) 9810 7318

Adriano Zumbo Café Chocolat
308 Darling St
Balmain, NSW, 2041
(inside Balmain Mall)

Open 7 days

Phone: (02) 9555 1199

Mamak, Haymarket

It’s a shame that quality Malaysian food is so underrepresented at the moment in the diverse world of Sydney food offerings. I fell in love with Malaysian food in …..Malaysia lol. When I was younger I did a 6 week stint travelling through Malaysia/Singapore and even now, I drool at the mention of the food we had there:) Yes, it was a culture shock – I had never before left Australia. Beverages served in sandwich bags with straws, eating on the roadside and a sad, sad tummy for the first two weeks were some of the many things that greeted my arrival into Malaysia… But soon after my tummy grew a spine, I was able to enjoy the tasty food that was on offer and as a result, I’m so appreciative of authentic Malaysian food when I find it in Sydney.

Living in the inner west, my closest Asian food hub is actually Chinatown and when it comes to Malaysian cuisine, my joint of choice is now Mamak.

Chocolate Queen, Daisy Moo, Herr Moutarde and I love this place for dinner but braving the line can be tough – sometimes we’re lucky (10min), but others we’re not (~45min):( I suggest getting there early or hoping you arrive at a changeover period. Otherwise get there at suppertime:)

Drinks (Teh Tarik, Milo Ais)

Teh Tarik is the traditional tea served with condensed milk, while the Milo Ais is iced milo:) Mamak is set up with open kitchen at the front that can be viewed from the street, so as we we wait in line, I usually watching the clever roti maker and also the drink maker – who “pulls” the Teh Tarik with far more patience than I would lol. Both drinks were delicious.

In case you are extra thirsty
Clockwise from top right: Teh Ais (Ice Tea), Limau Ais (Lime syrup with ice and water), The “O” Ais Limau (Ice tea with lime)

Nasi Lemak

The first time I had Nasi Lemak in Malaysia, it came packaged, wrapped up in a banana leaf and attached with string to a plastic spoon. The version here is also served with a little piece of a banana leaf, but not enough to act as complete packaging lol. Overall I was satisfied with this dish; it came with all required ingredients (coconut rice, fried anchovies, peanuts, cucumbers, sambal and the egg) but I must admit it was lacking in a little flavour, and I felt they were a bit stingy with the side ingredients, maybe they were running out?? They usually give out more, as witnessed by another Mamak encounter by the guys at HereComesTheFood. Not that it was a tragedy, we still enjoyed it:)

Chicken Satay

The satay usually takes a longer amount of time to get to you. The chicken is moist and tender, with a slightly smoky flavour. Nothing mind blowing here but delish nonetheless:) There’s also the option of getting beef satay, but we’ve not tried them. The sauce it’s served with is really quite good. I generally have satay in the Thai context, where I find it thick and creamy, with an overwhelming sense of peanuts. The sauce here however is a lighter concoction, a pleasant mixture of peanuts (of course lol), spice and touch of sweetness. I also have to say – the serving of said satay sauce is particularly generous:D

Satay Sauce

Rojak

One of the things I adore in Malaysian cuisine is the liberal use of peanuts, and with rojak, there is an abundance of this lovely sweet and tangy peanut sauce (not the same as the satay sauce however) – its’ sooo good! The Mamak version of this salad comprises of this other peanut sauce with fried tofu cubes, sliced cucumber and jicama, some prawn fritters and of course, half a boiled egg. It was delicious, with the combination of flavours and textures working together to produce a gorgeous dish I could have eaten All By Myself lol. In Malaysia we also had versions which included fruit like Mango and Pineapple.

Ayam Goreng (Fried Chicken)

We found no fault with these hot crispy pieces of chicken, they were fantastic. Firstly the pieces were Huge, not to mention piping hot. The chicken was tender and moist on the inside with the most crunchy, slightly spiced outer. I was quite impressed at how un-oily they were, deep fried and drained to perfection:)

Sambal Udang

I haven’t tried every single thing on the menu yet, but this is my favourite dish by far (so far). The sambal is simply gorgeous:) Warning however, it’s fiery, in that addictive/burning your mouth kind of way. It’s devilishly spicy, with a hint of lime and goes beautifully with the fresh meaty prawns.

Onto the Roti!

Roti Canai

Plain roti served with 2 curries and sambal:) Of the two curries, I prefer the milder one, which is sweeter (bottom right). The darker curry is much saltier with a hint of fish. The roti was delicious – crispy on the outside and light and airy inside.

Roti Planta

Daisy Moo’s favourite when we were overseas which means she now consistently orders it now lol, This roti is layered with “Planta”, which in Malaysia, is the dominant margarine brand, made by Unilever (who make our Flora). Unlike what it would sound like, the roti isn’t usually too greasy, I don’t think there’s actually that much of it in there, with the extra fat simply adding a touch to the mouthfeel and bit more flavour:) That being said, the last few times we’ve been there, it has been a little on the oilier side (shimmering oily…). I’m still trying to deduce which of the numerous roti makers is the heavy handed one…

Roti Telur

Herr Moutarde’s standard choice. We find this roti quite variable. Sometimes it’s much too dense, with an overpowering layer of thick egg, which I find not so satisfying, but at other times it’s lovely, with thin eggy layers interspersed with light layers of roti. The first time ChocolateQueen ordered this she was quite disappointed. Try your luck I guess?

Desserts!

Roti Tisu

The pretty dessert roti:D This roti is thin and crispy, with a layer of sugar syrup used to set it into it’s distinctive cone shape, served here with ice cream. Two words: Crunchy, Sweet. Interestingly they provide forks for this but I find these a bit ineffective lol.

Cendol

Cendol is a mixture of starchy, pandan flavoured noodles served with coconut milk and palm sugar syrup. At Mamak they serve this with shaved ice. The flavour was lovely; I really enjoy coconut flavoured desserts, and the sugar syrup was sticky and rich:)

We’ve only managed to have dessert here once (usually too full from dinner), and our enjoyment of the desserts with shaved ice was extremely hindered by the fact that most of the ice shavings were melted by the time they got to the table:( In this case, it made for a very watery cendol soon after serving as the remaining ice rapidly melted. Otherwise, as said before, the flavour is authentic and quite enjoyable.

Cendol Noodles

Ice Kacang

Another popular Malaysian dessert, which consists of various toppings laden atop condensed milk drenched shaved ice. The Mamak version has red beans, grass jelly cubes, a pink syrup and creamed corn.

Again, the same problem as the cendol – lack of ice shavings, excess water…flavour dilution…

Ice Kacang mix

So the desserts (apart from the dessert roti) may not be the best this place has to offer, but I think the rest of the menu more than makes up for it:)

If you haven’t tried Malaysian cuisine ever, Mamak is a great place to start. I’m a regular visitor and always leave a satisfied customer. I must add that the staff are great (not always the case in Chinatown) and the interior is comfortable and not too budget/cramped but beware – you will most likely face that queue to get in, but please, don’t be deterred:)

Mamak
15 Goulburn St
Haymarket, Sydney

Open 7 days

Lunch: 1130am to 3pm

Dinner: 530pm to late
Phone: (02) 9211 1668
http://www.mamak.com.au/index.html