Buggles and Squeak : reviews for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Review : Cara&Co Restaurant

2012-02-05T11:27:00.003+11:00

Shop 4001 Level 4

Westfield Sydney
188 Pitt Street
Sydney
+61 2 9226 9988
restaurant-syd@caraandco.com

Cara&Co restaurant has been on the Buggles and Squeak radar for a while now, so when our planned Australia Day lunch to Spice Temple did not eventuate, we figured this was as good a time as any to pop in to Cara&Co for a visit.

Upon entering the Cara&Co Concept Store we are immediately dazzled by its beauty & the amazing array of clothes, handbags, sunglasses (theo etc) and niche fragrances (think M.Micallef, G.Nejman).

Cara&Co aim to cater for all the senses, so as we make our way to the restaurant we certainly hope our sense of ‘taste’ will be well and truly engaged.
The restaurant flows on beautifully from the store, it is both warm & inviting and sleek & modern all at the same time. The tables are well spaced & generous.

Once seated, in a cosy corner booth, we are handed the menu to peruse.

We are immediately drawn to the Monday-Friday lunch special; two courses, plus a glass of wine for $45; or add dessert, coffee/tea and petit fours for an extra $15. 3 courses for $60. I don't know about you, but this screams bargain to me!

The arrival of the delicious potato bread roll accompanied by butter and salt, marks the beginning of our journey.

The first dish to arrive is Cauliflower BonBon with Herring roe and wasabi mayo. Not being a huge 'fish' fan I am concerned that the herring may be too overpowering; thankfully, I am proved incorrect. The cauilflower is rich and creamy with that very distinct cauliflower flavour, the roe does bring a mild fishyness to the dish, which is quickly counterbalanced by the slight heat of the wasabi mayo. A superb way to begin.

Next, Soy wasabi mayo with wild rice soil and horseradish crisp is also very good. Here again, the wasabi within the soy mayo is quite mild, the wild rice soil adds some nice, earthy texture; while the the horseradish crisp adds crunch along with a slight tickle of heat on the tongue.

Buggles' entree of Fish United (King fish ceviche, preparations of cucumber, dill, sushi gel) is very pretty. The cucumber arrives in grilled, mousse and ice cream forms and each 'preparation' is delicious. The dill oil is pure dill essence. As a complete dish it is fresh, intensely flavoured and a textural wonderland. Buggles LOVES it.

My Caesar in Disguise is stupendous. An intoxicating combination of green gazpacho, glazed chicken oyster, parmesan crisp, mustard ice cream, lettuce hearts and anchovies.
The gazpacho with its fresh, clean flavour cradles & envelopes the plump, juicy & abundant chicken oysters. The mustard ice cream cold, with a slight heat is divine. The dish as a whole is near flawless; one thing I would have liked, perhaps, is some candied bacon crumbs, just to add a little hint of sweetness and that all important bacon element.

For mains we have both decided on Beef Story (II). Fillet tartare, slowly cooked sirloin, glazed potato, lettuce, pickled tomato and béarnaise sauce 2012. Oh my good God....what an amazing dish. The tartare topped with a gooey (not oozy) quail's egg is perfection (although Buggles believes she's had better), the sirloin is cooked brilliantly and is so juicy & tender. The vegetable elements are all to die for; especially those pickled tomatoes! And for those wondering.... Bearnaise 2012? Well, it is a lighter, much less creamy version of this beloved sauce, that still retains all its spectacular flavour. A main course worthy of topping any "what would be your last meal" list!

The accompanying hand cut chips (with a wonderful house made tomato sauce) and Green salad, are both on the money.

Dessert time and Buggles has gone with Smurfs and Violets. This consists of an almond base topped with strawberry jelly and Belgian chocolate mousse, which is then topped again with a generous pour of rich, melted chocolate; accompanying this is a dish of fresh strawberries with a strawberry and violet mousse and a strawberry and vodka frappe. The strawberries are very fresh and have great flavour, as does the mousse. We aren't sure what the smurf refers to in the name... but who cares when it tastes this good!

My Nutty Lemon is a wonderous concoction of lemon curd and hazelnut. The hazelnut comes in crisp, sponge and roasted forms (painted silver & gold) and the dish also contains some white chocolate fruit balls, which are truly delicious. I enjoy this dessert so much.

And finally....coffee & petit fours. Made up of Tonka bean madeleine, raspberry/ dark chocolate fondant chocolates and caramel almond fudge topped with lemon curd; they are all very good. However, I am a little obsessed with the flavour of Tonka bean, so the madeleine is the standout for me.

The service from both our waitperson and the sommelier is friendly, well informed and relaxed.

So while it took us a while to get here, this is definitely a restaurant that just screams Buggles and Squeak. It is the food we love eating most and a return visit is not that far away.

Squeak

Review : Muse Dining

2012-01-25T18:41:00.001+11:00

1 Broke Road
Pokolbin 2320

02 4998 6777
muse@musedining.com.au

Restaurant Wed - Sat 6-10pm
Café Open 7 days 10am-5pm

On a recent trip to the Hunter Valley (for our beautiful niece's wedding), we decided to pay a visit to Muse Dining which resides within the Hungerford Hill Winery.

We are sitting down to lunch in the cafe, which is sleek & quite modern with a very relaxed feel.

Having scoffed a huge breakfast earlier, I am concerned that I will not be able to manage three courses, so Buggles & I opt to share a starter.

We begin with Prosciutto and Salami by Robert Marchetti, Binnorie marinated fetta, crusty bread.....this is a great start.
The salami is laced with fat & is rich and delicious, the proscuitto is equally good; while the lush, creamy and wonderfully salty feta just works so well with both. The bread is indeed crusty & abundant. Most enjoyable.

Buggles follows this with Crispy Skin Berkshire Pork Belly cauliflower puree, apple and mustard leaf salad, pomegranate dressing.
The pork is very well cooked, superbly tender & moist while retaining a most crispy skin. The cauliflower puree is thick & creamy, the apple and mustard leaf salad with its contrasting flavours is very successful; the pomegranate adds a tart note which is much appreciated. Buggles loves this.

My Fillet of beef with roasted butternut pumpkin, binnorie marinated feta, rosemary, tomato and chilli relish is fantastic. The beef is cooked perfectly medium rare; the tomato and chilli relish has a wonderful combination of sweetness with ever so slight heat and combines beautifully with the gorgeous feta.

The Desiree potato chips, sea salt with roasted garlic aioli are seriously the best chips we have eaten in a long time. Very crisp and salty on the outside but really fluffy inside, they are very moreish.

The Salad of mixed leaves, peach and macadamia nut is also spectacular, very fresh & light & much needed alongside all this richness.

Of course, as always, there is room for dessert.

Buggles is drawn to Strawberries and cream ice cream, broken chocolate torte, meringue, fresh strawberries. This dessert is visually very appealing & thankfully also delievers in the eating. The ice cream is rich and creamy with a lovely strawberry flavour. The broken chocolate torte is good and very chocolatety; the fresh strawberreries are delicious alongside the sweet meringue.

I go with Citrus Curd Tart, Italian Meringue coconut sorbet, pistachio crumbs. This absolutely delivers in terms of citrus tartness, it has a real 'bite' to it. The coconut sorbet & pistachio crumb combine speactularly & the Italian meringue is light, sweet & fluffy. Fantastic.

The service at Muse is very friendly and well informed which of course just adds to the experience.

We love visiting the Hunter Valley and are glad that there are restaurants/cafes of this calibre available. They make visiting just that much more enjoyable.

Squeak

Review : Paddington Arms Hotel

2012-01-11T18:29:00.000+11:00

384 Oxford Street
Paddington
NSW 2021

Phone: (02) 9360 9668
Fax: (02) 9361 0779
Email: bar@paddoarms.com

12pm-3pm; 6pm-late 7 Days

Don't you love it when a dining venue lives up to all that you hoped it would?
Nothing disappoints more (in Buggles and Squeak world anyway), than a restaurant that doesn't live up to expectation.
Thankfully, the restaurant at the Paddington Arms Hotel not only lives up to expectations, it exceeds them.
One could argue, how can they go wrong? Under the watchful eye of Colin Fassnidge and Neil Thompson, this is a venture that is bound to succeed.

We arrive early on a Tuesday evening and score one of the very roomy booths.

The fitout is fantastic.... well spaced tables/booths, loads of gorgeous timber and brickwork. The vibe is warm, comforting and relaxed. You immediately feel at home.

The menu, (which has much in common with the Four in Hand bar menu), is designed for those of us that revel in the joys of comfort food.

The grazing menu offers such delights as: roast bone marrow, spiced crab on toast, pea and ham soup, heirloom tomato salad with house curd.....to name but a few.

We kick things off with the Aged 18 month Prosciutto w/ grilled bread. The bread on its own is delicious enough; brushed with olive oil and beautifully char grilled it is very moreish, add to this the wonderful, slightly salty prosciutto (which is topped with capers) and you have a match made in heaven.

We follow this with the Shaved Fennel, Feta, Pea and Watermelon salad. The salad is light & fresh with a touch of feta saltiness. It is very good indeed.

For her main Buggles has gone with Roast Barramundi, peas, smoked bacon and parsley sauce.
Buggles loves this. The fish is cooked perfectly, with a very crispy skin and a wonderfully moist interior. The parsley sauce is rich and abundant as are the smoked bacon & sweet peas. A very succesful dish.

I can't ignore the Braised Beef Ribs with pickled cabbage salad and wedges. A dish that truly has my name written all over it. The beef literally falls of the bone, the meat is very moist & tender with a subtle barbeque flavour. It has just the right amount of deliciously, unctuous fat.
The slightly acidic, fresh and crunchy cabbage salad, is a wonderful foil for the rich meat. The wedges are crisp on the outside & lovely and fluffy within. A great dish: it is one of the best things I have ever eaten.

Even though we are both fairly stuffed at this stage, we soldier onto dessert.

Buggles has her eye on the Cherry Trifle (cherry jelly, sponge soaked in Chambord, custard, cream and fresh cherries), and it doesn't disappoint. It is rich, creamy and just a little bit boozy. What more can one ask of a trifle?

My Chocolate Delice with white chocolate granita & fresh berries is also very good. A rich, chocolate mousse like concoction, it really hits the spot and I finally accept defeat.

Service at Paddo Arms more than matches the food; our waiter is friendly, knowledgeable & very efficient, he made the evening that much more enjoyable.

We absolutely loved our dinner at the Paddo Arms and a return visit is guaranteed!

Squeak

Review: Agape Organic Restaurant & Bar

2012-01-10T09:56:00.021+11:00

1385 Botany Road
Botany (cnr Botany Rd & Bay St)

Tel: 8668 5777
e: agaperestaurant@me.com

Dinner: Tues - Sat from 6pm
Lunch: Fri-Sun 12pm - 3pm

Our last experience of a restaurant that attempted any form of 'organic' was a rather disastrous meal at Newtown's The Peasant's Feast many, many moons ago. It did not inspire us to give it another go! This is probably the reason we had not tried Agape Organic Restaurant & Bar before now. One evening though, Squeak suggested a spontaneous visit, so we headed out to Botany to see if they could erase all Peasant Feast memories (horrors?!) from the past.

When we arrive we are seated by a very friendly staff member, handed some menus and given some time to peruse the room and menu. The space is decorated in a way that, I'm sure, is to some people's tastes - it's just not ours. But the tables are nice and big, especially to cater for some of the tapas plates.

Apologies for appalling photos!!

We decide to kick it all off with a couple of drinks and some organic handmade spelt bread with olive oil. The bread is dense, and delicious with the olive oil (although I will admit to preferring butter with my bread).

We decide to share a couple of tapas plates and start with the Potato, leek and cheddar croquettes with a saffron aioli. I'm sure you recognise the key words in this dish - potato and cheddar! Can you go wrong? Not really. I do think I would have liked a little more kick in terms of flavour - perhaps more of a sharpness to the cheddar, but the aioli goes beautifully with them and they are tasty morsels to begin.

We also order the Grilled haloumi, vine leaves, beetroot and olive salad. This is absolutely delicious with some very distinctive and bold flavours. This is probably one of my favourite dishes of the evening.

Squeak decides to go out on a limb tonight and order some beef - specifically the Slow braised Gundooee Wagyu beef with honey roasted carrots, kale, barley, royal black quinoa and truffle butter. Quinoa is really a newish ingredient for us but it is surprisingly good and the beef is delicious. The honeyed carrots add a nice sweetness to balance the other flavours.

I order the Spice roasted Pork Scotch fillet with fennel, cabbage, apple, spring onions, royal red quinoa and sweet potato. The vegetable component is basically a coleslaw, but I happen to love coleslaw and it works very well with the delicious pork. The pork is moist and has good flavour.

Naturally we do require some hand cut chips to accompany the meal, and the accompanying home made tomato sauce is really good.

Dessert beckons and we are disappointed to see that on this particular evening the dessert menu is rather truncated compared to the one we spied online and is missing the very objects of our desire. With stiff upper lips, we trudge on and manage to find other things to satisfy the sweet craving to finalise the meal.

Squeak orders the Honey, Cinnamon and Vanilla brulee with almond biscotti.
She finds it rich and creamy as brulee should be. The honey and cinnamon flavours are certainly there, but do not overpower the dish. The almond biscotti are short, buttery, nutty and all round yummy.

I can rarely go past any dessert that mentions apple and butterscotch so cannot go past the Upside down apple and spelt cake, butterscotch and cinnamon icecream. It is true comfort food and even though it seems like it will be a heavy end to the meal, it really isn't.

We really enjoy our evening at Agape. Firstly because it was a spontaneous visit - and they are always good, but secondly because it manages to make us forget that it is organic and we just enjoy good (guilt free?) food.

Buggles

Review : The Montpellier Public House

2011-12-29T14:01:00.001+11:00

141 Belmore Road
Randwick NSW 2031

Tel: 61 2 9399 9660
e: enquiries@montpellierpublichouse.com.au

Public Bar – 7 days – Midday to Midnight

Dining Room – Tuesday to Sunday – from 6pm

I ended up losing count of the number of times we said we would book a dinner at Balzac. It seems everytime we planned to, something came up, until finally Balzac closed its doors.

Thankfully we didn't have to wait too long for Matthew Kemp to reopen the doors again, this time under the guise of The Montpellier Public House.

Having learnt our lesson, we decide a visit this time is very much in order.

The restaurant is split in two - the Public Bar & the Fine Dining Restaurant. Tonight we decide to dine downstairs in the Public Bar.
The room feels like a modern take on the English Pub. It is a perfect fusion of old & new with gorgeous sandstone walls & timber furniture. It is a very inviting, comfortable space.

Drinks ordered (a 'Little Creatures Bright Ale' for me and 'The Apple Thief Pink Lady Cider' for Buggles), we look over the very tempting menu.

We start things off with Crackling, Witlof & Watercress, the name says it all really...crunchy pork crackling served with the slightly bitter witlof, alongside the ever so acidic watercress, the combination is simply divine.

Yorky Puds with mustard are crisp & delicious, the combination of English & French mustards works really well with the puds and, as an added bonus, they really clear the sinus and nasal passages.
We prefer our Yorkies slightly more doughy, but these were very good nonetheless.

The Welsh Rarebit is one of the better ones we have had; very cheesy and, with a touch more worcestershire and mustard, it would be perfection.

Pickled Beets, Goats Curd, Orange & Walnuts is fresh and really lovely. The flavours work really well together; goats curd & beetroot really are a match made in heaven.

‘Jacobs Ladder’ of Beef, Sauce Gribiche & Onion Rings is a revelation. The rib meat is shredded, coated & fried and is spectacular; the Gribiche is slightly creamy with some tang to it & the onion rings are superb (not remotely oily).

We end all this, with some very thick cut chips accompanied by a too perfect Béarnaise.

And when I say end, of course I mean the end before dessert.

My Trifle is very good and unbelievably light. The combination of jelly, cream & white chocolate really hits the spot.

Buggles really enjoys her Chocolate Eclair stuffed with Malted Milk Ice Cream and Hot Chocolate. The Choux pastry is spot on, the ice cream creamy & rich as is the hot chocolate sauce.

A fantastic, very reasonably priced, meal along with very good service - who could ask for more? Certainly not us.

Montpellier does a roast every Sunday & this will be the reason for our next visit....can't wait.

Squeak

Review : Orto Trading Co (Breakfast)

2011-12-12T16:53:00.005+11:00

38 Waterloo Street

Surry Hills

0431 212 453
dine@ortotradingco.com.au

Dinner - Tuesday to Saturday nights from 6pm.
Brunch & Casual Lunch - Thursday to Sunday 8am to 3pm.

Buggles and Squeak have a favourite breakfast spot, Bar Mattino in Chippendale.
Bar Mattino is closed Saturdays, so we have always faced the dilemma of where to breakfast when those Saturday morning hunger pangs hit.

Fouratefive hit the spot for a while.... but seriously, who can be bothered queueing (no matter how good that toasted sandwich is!).

Well thankfully, Orto Trading Co has stepped up to the plate and is serving one of the best & most imaginative breakfasts in Sydney.

Arriving at a bit after 8am, we virtually have the restaurant to ourselves!!
We grab one of the outside tables, order coffee & peruse the extensive menu.

Last time we were here, I ordered Orto’s house made crumpets with passionfruit, lime curd,fresh strawberries and ricotta and Buggles ordered the Hot-smoked fillet of ocean trout with heirloom tomato bruchetta,fresh lime and a poached egg, both of which were unbelievably spectacular, so we are filled with high hopes as we sit down to breakfast again.

As a lover of all things potato, how can I not order Potato rosti stuffed with feta, served with mushrooms and sauteed spinach, topped with poached eggs and hollandaise? The rosti is golden fried, crisp & divine (one minor complaint would be, that on our last visit it perhaps contained a little more feta); however, the mushrooms are earthy, buttery and delicious, the eggs are beautifully poached and the hollandaise is rich and creamy with just the right amount of acidity. The side of smoked Berkshire bacon is also very, very good.
One can ask no more of a breakfast. It is a work of art.

Buggles goes with Boston baked beans served with maple glazed pearl onions,

pork belly and a poached egg. She too, is suitably impressed. The beans are well cooked in a lovely, rich tomato sauce; once again the egg is perfectly poached, while the pork belly is stupendous with its crisp, salty crackling. Buggles is well pleased.

Service at Orto is as good as the food. This restaurant is the complete package and we love it.

We seriously cannot wait to return.

Squeak

Review: momofuku seiōbo

2011-11-06T16:53:00.005+11:00

The Star
80 Pyrmont Street
Ground level
cnr Edward & Union Street
(Entrance opposite Adriano Zumbo's)

Dinner only from 7pm
Mon-Sat

Could we have been more excited to snare a booking at the hotly anticipated momofuku seiōbo? Excitement and fear (given David Chang's infamous dislike of bloggers) are all melded into one as we prepare for dinner.
Squeak's food idiosynchrosies discussed and confirmed by the restaurant the day before we are truly excited by the prospect of dinner at Chang's first restaurant venture outside NYC. This excitement probably accounts for the fact we unintentionally turn up half an hour early. This is despite the number of times we walk past the place, and all around the casino, until a friendly casino staff member directs us to the ultra chic and understated entrance to Momofuku.
All credit to the staff who do not bat an eyelid, seat us in the (what we thought) bizarrely empty restaurant and set us up with drinks.

It appears that all parties of 2 are seated on stools around the kitchen which really acts as a stage for the food drama to unfold. We have the best seats in the house as we observe the precison and care taken with the food.. it is all quite calming. Food allergies and preferences discussed....no menus required... we await the genius to come... almost prepared to be disappointed considering the amount of hype we've already willingly bought into.

The prologue commences with 'Snacks' encompassing shitake chips, nori puffs and very cute looking mochi 'lollipops'... well that is what they look like. The shitake chips are fully flavoured and the Nori is a tasty way to get started, but our first bite is courtesy of the Mochi and it is a revelation. The texture is unusual but the flavour on the coating is phenomenal.

Act One sees the arrival of the much talked about 'pork bun'.
(On a side note, it is quite funny to have a phenomenally talented chef such as Ben Greeno present your food to you, tell you what it is - with no embellishment whatsoever. It is simply a 'Pork Bun'.)
Well, this ain't no ordinary pork bun. This bun is so light, so soft and not in the least doughy. The pork belly is succulent and the cucumber and hoisin sauce give it freshness and fantastic flavour.

Squeak has a 'Shitake Bun' as she is a pork-free zone and she loves it also. Shitake prove to be a worthy alteration with their flavour and texture.

Act Two sees striped trumpeter with warrigal greens and furikake. The raw fish is delicately prepared and presents a new flavour for us. It has quite a unique flavour and one that I enjoy. The samphire is delicious with it. The dish is light and really fresh.

Act Three presents us with White asparagus, Marron and Szechuan Pepper. This dish is served with a lemon puree and spring onions. It is amazing. The marron is just cooked perfectly and the lemon puree along with the asparagus and spring onions, all as one complete mouthful, delicious. We also are not sure if we get a hint of peanut flavour with it. This is Squeak's first marron experience and she thinks she needs to do it more often if this is the result.

Act Four is the twist in the performance. Wagyu beef with radish, fermented black bean and a burnt watermelon oil.... what? Yes.. burnt watermelon oil. What a beautiful dish to behold (and see prepared), but what an amazing dish to experience.

While flavour wise this dish is amazing, with the beef almost taking on an ever so slight sweetness to it, what this dish provides texturally is really interesting. The slickness of the oil, the almost 'graininess' of the black bean, the softness of the meat and the crunch of the radish make this a textural revelation.

Act Five brings a new ingredient to me once again, this time in the form of eel. I have an irrational fear of eels, and have as such often avoided them on a menu. The smoked eel dashi with summer vegetables and eel brandade with apple puree is really good. The smokiness in the dashi is quite prominent and the eel is delicious. The apple puree is a nice contrast and there is an unusual apple powder atop the brandade that is almost 'sherbert like' on the tongue.

Squeak is presented with a Shitake dashi with summer vegetables and a potato brandade served with grated black truffle. She is in heaven with this dish and proclaims hers the winner! I cannot accept defeat, despite the intensity of that mushroom dashi, and declare mine equally as good.

We hit the halfway mark and proceed to Act Six of this food extravaganza! We have Queensland spanner crab with Yorkshire pudding. This is Squeak's favourite dish so far... she seems to have embraced eating crab, despite spending her entire life avoiding it. The crab is perfectly cooked and is incredibly soft and sweet. There is a nice little hit of heat with it and the yorkshire pudd... omg!

Act seven sees Ben Greeno (aka chef wonder!) present us with the simply said 'Slow cooked egg with brown butter and green tea'. It kind of looks a little bit like a mini pannacotta and I expect a yolk to come oozing out of its wobbly encasement. Not so.. the slow cookeed egg really turns out to be an incredibly delicate egg custard that is just set. It is so delicate and silky. It is beautiful.

Act eight is an interesting twist in this performance - hand torn pasta with goat cheese, chilli, crispy basil and mint. I think this is one of my favourite dishes of the night. The flavours are completely amazing. The pasta is beautifully cooked, and the goat cheese is more like a light puree or cream. The mint is a revelation in combination with the real hit of heat from the chilli. The crispy basil adds both flavour and texture. It is the tomatoes that are a flavour explosion in your mouth though. It's quite a feat to make such strong flavours all work so amazingly well in one bowl.

You would think by this stage... Act nine... we would be struggling.. but we aren't. Everything is perfectly sized so you can enjoy it all and not feel too weighed down. This act sees me served the cooked version of the earlier Striped Trumpeter fish with broccoli, horseradish and crsipy potato. The fish has a very delicate flavour, (more subtle in its cooked form than its raw, I feel) and this allows the beautiful flavour of the broccoli to come through. The crispy potato crumbs on top are excellent - as all potato is! This is also served with a little bowl of fish broth made from the heads and bones of the fish.

Squeak just cannot come to eating cooked fish (do not spend too long trying to figure her out!) so is served the same dish but with quail breast. The quail is beautifully seasoned, perfectly pink and tender and has a very crispy skin. She is a happy camper.

The next act proves very interesting as it is here that our dishes truly diverge. I am served the lamb neck with roasted daikon puree and pickled turnips, while Squeak (yep... can't do lamb either) receives a pigeon dish with mulberry, endive and onions. My lamb is lovely, but the star of this dish for me is the humble turnip. The combination of the meat, the sweetness of the jus, the smoothness of the daikon and the almost bitterness of the pickled turnips really make it a memorable mouthful. I enjoy it a lot.

The pigeon dish is a complete opposite. The meat is cooked quire rare but with a beautifully crisp and peppery skin. The thin layer of fat beneath the skin is, apparently, amazing! The sweet tartness of the mulberries and the bitter hit from the endive really make this a dish that has Squeak singing! No regrets from her whatsoever.

We are now at our eleventh course and this presents as a mound of finely grated beautifully salty Pecorino cheese camouflaging an intensely flavoured cider jelly, sweet sticky honey liquorice and with a crispy honey shard on top. Fantastic!
It is officially #2 on our 'Cheese course fave' list... yes we do create lists of such things! Bentley's playful take on 'Vegemite and Cheese' still retains its #1 spot!

Acts Twelve and Thirteen are the dessert portions of the meal and they are a really interesting take on the traditionally sweet element of the meal. First up is Wattle seed meringues with malt ice cream and crispy milk. What? Yes... crispy milk. And it is delicious. All of it is. It is dessert, and there is enough sweetness to remind you of that, but it is quite savoury too. It tastes unfamilar and familiar at once - but in a good way.. the textures are great.

The Miso Ice cream with pickled fruit, toasted rice, mochi and mustard is fantastic. Once again, it is not particularly sweet at all, bar the dried and pickled fruit and the miso flavour is certainly there in the ice cream. It is really delicious. It, too, is unfamiliar as a combination in a dessert, but strangely familiar with it being slightly reminiscent of rice pudding. We both enjoy it very much.

What a meal! How can it get any better? Well, I'll tell you how - by the denouement which is the presentation of the petit fours!

While Bilsons have (or had) their impressive Chocolate box, momofuku has a candied roasted piece of pork. I am salivating right now as I think about it. It probably is sweeter than the desserts in the stickiness of all the caramelisation on that beast. It comes with a swathe of sticky juices and is designed to eat with your fingers. I do not think I have, or ever will, eat a better piece of pork in my life. By the end of the meal the prospect of eating the fat layer on top was just too much for me, but I left it very regretfully.

I know you needed to see it again!

Squeak, who usually, absolutely, cannot go anywhere near pork, can not resist trying a little bit, and even she is amazed... but largely because she thinks the sweetness actually takes away the flavour of 'pig' - as she puts it!

Due to the pork-free zone situation Squeak finds herself presented with a slab of eggplant with a miso dressing and scallions. This dish is almost presented as a slap in the face for being so ridiculous as to not eat pork. It is quite bland and a bit of a letdown after the amazingness that has preceeded it - it is however really quite forgivable given the amazing accommodations already made... and let's face it.. she is ridiculous for not eating that sticky pork!

The evening is phenomenal. Squeak opts for the $95 beverage package which you can choose to accompany your meal. It is a mixture of wine, beer and sake to suit various courses. She absolutely loves all of it, particularly the beer and one of the 'super premium' sakes. I have a couple of glasses of vino and wash back many litres of a seemingly endless supply of sparkling water.

The vibe of the place is fantastic, the music selection is completely eclectic and suits the style of restaurant, the performance of the food preparation is mesmerising, and the service is professional and unpretentious.

Are we disappointed? Absolutely not!

Is the hype deserved? Absolutely.

momofuku seiōbo, we have a confession to make - we love you!

Buggles

Review : BLACK by Ezard

2011-11-01T11:36:00.001+11:00

Level G, Harbourside,

The Star,
80 Pyrmont Street
Pyrmont

Lunch: Fri 12pm - 3pm

Dinner: Tue - Sun 5.30pm - 11pm

Ever since we starting reading about the grand plans for Star City, we have been looking forward to its opening, hoping for a dining precinct similiar to Crown Casino in Melbourne. We certainly felt as though we were getting our wish, when we heard David Chang & Teage Ezard had jumped on board & were both opening restaurants at the newly named 'The Star'.

As soon as bookings opened for BLACK we secured a table for a Saturday night that seemed 'oh so far away'; so we counted down the weeks, then the days until our designated Saturday arrived.

We arrive at 'The Star' early (luckily), as we do two laps of the casino before we actually find the restaurant.

The restaurant's timber facade is warm & inviting, the room with its dark tones feels comfortable, with large well spaced tables, with most facing the wall of glass looking out onto the harbour.

We are lucky indeed to score a table right beside the window as we watch day, slowly turn to night.

We kick things off with a couple of cocktails, while we look over the extensive menu. It all looks fabulous & we have very high hopes.

With arrival of a tiny loaf of bread, unsalted butter & black salt we begin our journey. While we enjoy the bread with its lashings of creamy butter & sprinkling of salt, we both agree that the sweet brioche style bread, to us, is not as satisfying as a sourdough.

Our entrees arrive soon enough & Buggles begins with Prawns, ocean water poached, shellfish veloute, nashi pear, radish, coral sauce ($26). The prawns are big, meaty and spectacular, the accompanying salad is crunchy with a very zingy dressing. The dish has a good hit of citrus and is really fresh and delicious.

As I love both egg and potato, I really can't go past the Organic Farm Egg, potato cream, black truffles, iberico ham, herb salad ($34). The egg is encased in a cage of brik pastry, which is thin, crispy and almost dissolves in the mouth. The egg is cooked to perfection & has a wonderfully oozy yolk, it is so rich and creamy. The dish is very well seasoned and the iberico gives it a wonderful salty kick; but I have to admit I am not as blown away with this dish as I thought I would be. I would even go as far as to say I prefer Buggles' prawn dish....and I don't eat prawns!

Next we both go for steak, all steaks at BLACK are sous-vide and then finished on the grill.

Buggles goes with the Grain Fed Angus Scotch fillet ($65) 350g, with the addition of the lobster bearnaise. The steak is beautifully cooked and very well seasoned, however, there is no real flavour to the meat itself, maybe it is because we are used to eating grass fed beef, which to us seems to have a greater depth of flavour. This steak however, is very tender & enjoyable nonetheless. The sauce is quite understated for a bearnaise, but perhaps this is deliberate so as not to overwhelm the pieces of lobster throughout.

I order Rumpcap of Grain fed wagyu MBS 9+ ($75) 250g, and just because the steak itself isn't rich enough, I top it with truffle butter. My steak has great flavour, is tender & most delicious; the truffle butter is abundant & very good, but I would have loved just a tiny bit more truffle flavour to come through....a minor complaint though.

We order two sides to go along with our steaks. A salad of watercress, apple, celery, walnut, blue cheese; contains more lettuce than watercress & what cress there is seems to be mainly stalks. The apple is good and adds nice crunch, there are certainly not enough walnuts and the blue cheese is very understated.

The rosemary and salt handcut chips on the other hand are quite spectacular, if a little too oily at times....still we knock these off no problem.

Full to the brim we soldier on & order dessert.

Apple Pound Cake Calvados ice cream, walnut crumble, golden raisin syrup is the highlight of Buggles' meal. The cake is very moist and light, the apple really tart while the raisins are sweet and very plump having soaked up the golden syrup, they work incredibly well with the rich, creamy ice cream.

Lemon Curd Citrus shortbread, candied endive, liquorice, pink grapefruit has my name written all over it & it doesn't let me down. The generous mound of lush, citrusy curd sits atop a beautifully crumbly, buttery shortbread, which is to die for.
The candied endive is a real surprise & adds an almost bitter sweetness to the dish, which is complemented by the flecks of liqourice throughout. A truly wonderful end to the meal.

We find the service at BLACK to be hit & miss. Our main waitress seems, at best, disinterested, as she goes through the motions of asking about our dishes. The drinks waiters on the other hand, are very good & one in particular (who goes to great lengths to explain my Brooklyn Lager to me) is incredibly knowledgeable and generous with his time.

While we really enjoy our night at BLACK, we come away a little underwhelmed, it is not all we had hoped it would be, but perhaps these are early days and things will only get better.

Squeak

Review : Restaurant Atelier

2011-10-26T19:16:00.030+11:00

22 Glebe Point Road
Glebe

p: +61 2 9566 2112
e: eat@restaurantatelier.com.au

Dinner:
Tuesday - Saturday from 6pm

We last visited Restaurant Atelier not long after it moved from Newtown to Glebe, so a very long time ago.

As anyone who reads this blog knows, we are massive fans of Bar Mattino & think that Sebastian Tyson is one fine chef. So when he, and his equally knowledgeable wife, Sigrid, talk up a restaurant we know they are not giving us a bum steer. So on their recommendation we finally pay a return visit to Restaurant Atelier.

The restaurant resides in a cute sandstone cottage near the Parramatta Rd end of Glebe Point Rd.

Inside the restaurant is cosy & comfortable and we are seated in the front section right next to the fireplace.

You can choose to order the degustation menu ($85pp or $140pp with matching wines), or choose to go a la carte, as we do this evening.

We kick off with the Jamon Iberico Bellota 'J Martin' w Fleur de Sel Grissini. We love the Iberico; the dark red meat is marbled with fat & has a wonderful nutty flavour and the salty grissini are a great accompaniment.
As much as we love the Iberico, we think we prefer its 'cheaper' cousin the plain, old Serrano.

The meal proper gets off to a cracking start with an amuse bouche of Spicy tomato gazpacho with John Dory and a sweet corn salad. The mild spicing of the cool gazpacho is spot on. The corn still has some bite to it & texturally works very well with the delicate, sweet portions of the dory.

Following on for Buggles is Alaskan Snow Crab Salad, Twice-Cooked Parmesan Souffle, Crab Bisque Gel, Baby Fennel & Black Olive. The light, sweet crab is perfectly contrasted by the saltiness of both the souffle & the black olives. A really lovely dish.

My Kingfish Ceviche, Salad of Heirloom Tomatoes, Basil Gel, Greek Feta & a Tomato Sorbet is a harmonious blend of fresh, clean flavours. The tomatoes taste of tomato and they, along with the mild Kingfish, are enhanced by the droplets of basil gel and the salty mounds of creamy feta. Very enjoyable.

A main course of Honey & Szechuan Pepper-Roasted Grimauld Duckling Breast, Crisp Confit, Sweet & Sour Baby Radish, Turnips, Confit Carrot Puree, Wilted Puntarelle is fantastic. The duck breast is cooked perfectly and has a sticky exterior that gives off a mild, peppery heat. The crisp confit of leg meat is fatty and delicious. The carrot puree is also divine.

The Roasted Rump Cap of Wagyu Beef (MS7), Mushroom Custard, Shiitake Mushrooms, Black Bean, Garlic & Ginger Sauce presents perfectly medium rare. The meat has great flavour, is well seasoned, juicy and tender. The mushroom custard is creamy & earthy and I just love the salty black bean. Really love this dish.

A side of Darling Mills Farm Selection of Spring Salad Leaves w a Roasted Hazelnut & Confit Eschallot Dressing, is delicious in its simplicity.

We love a restaurant that provides a pre-dessert and Atelier does not disappoint.

Custard topped with a coconut sorbet and a generous smattering of 'pop rocks' is a fun & quite delicious lead up to dessert. The custard is rich & creamy, while the sorbet is pure coconut.

Buggles loves a souffle, but is often reluctant to order it (she has far too often, encountered the bland, overly eggy variety).
However, she feels she is in safe hands here, and Coconut & Chocolate Ganache Souffle w Cherry Sorbet, Maraschino Milkshake really does have her name written all over it.

The coconut souffle is very light & airy, while the milkshake is only slightly reminiscent of maraschino cherries. The raspberry sorbet is very sharp and very true to flavour; it works very well with the chocolate ganache at the base of the souffle.

My Tonka Bean Creme Brulee w Macerated Strawberry, Chocolate Jelly, Black Olive Syrup & Vanilla Ice Cream is spectacular. The tonka bean custard is silky smooth with a flavour not unlike vanilla, but somehow stronger & a little spicy. It is a flavour I really love. The chocolate jelly doesn't deliver much by way of chocolate flavour, it is more of a textural element; however, the Black Olive syrup is intense and its savoury saltiness is a nice contrast to the sweetness. A great dessert.

As much as we love the food, we equally love the service, which is well informed & friendly.
We are very glad to have made the return visit to Restaurant Atelier.

Squeak

Review : Orto Trading Co

2011-10-19T18:01:00.018+11:00

38 Waterloo Street
Surry Hills

0431 212 453
dine@ortotradingco.com.au

Dinner - Tuesday to Saturday nights from 6pm.

Brunch & Casual Lunch - Thursday to Sunday 8am to 3pm

Orto Trading Co is another spot we have been meaning to visit for positively ages; you know how it is though....too many restaurants, too little money!

Anyway, as we near the end of our short holiday, we decide the time is right to pop in for a quiet mid-week lunch.

The restaurant has ample indoor & outdoor seating, and despite the very cute British bulldog sitting at an outdoor table, we choose to sit inside.

The room is light & airy thanks to all the glass; it is a very comfortable space with large tables sporting cute, little floral arrangements that suit the overall theme of the restaurant.

We order our food and kick back with a couple of beers.

First to arrive is Long red chilli stuffed with herbed labna. Truly delicious. The creamy herbed labna is perfectly offset by the slight 'kick' of the chilli.
Next please.

Cauliflower fritters with a curried pear sauce are a thing of beauty. The fritters are not remotely oily, the cauliflower retains some 'bite' & the curry pear sauce is sweet, yet slighlty spicy. Totally moreish.

Tarte tatin with caramelised spring onion, goats cheese and a lemon sorrel and fennel salad is spectacular. The flavours are truly harmonious.... and never, & I mean NEVER, have I seen such caramelisation, so gooey and divine.

Glazed duck with mustard mandarins, radicchio and hazelnuts is another winner. Firstly, this is a very generous serve. The glazing is delicately sweet and the duck meat is cooked perfectly and falls from the bone with the gentlest of prods. Very good indeed.

Twice cooked yearling beef rib eye with horseradish, potato dumplings and a rich mushroom sauce.This is an interesting one. The rib eye seems to be sous vide first (I could well be wrong) & then finished on the grill. While this makes for a very tender piece of meat, it does give it an unusual texture, which I am not sure I am entirely happy with. The flavour is fantastic though. The mushroom sauce, while abundant, does not have a very strong flavour. The potato dumplings are sublime though and I could eat a truckload of these.

The accompanying watercress and blood orange salad is light, fresh and very summery.

To finish, dessert is a playful take on a 'Spring Garden'. Pound cake, jelly, chocolate soil, pineapple ribbons, lavender sherbet 'lollipop' & a pistachio 'ice-cream'. Beautiful to behold & easy to devour.

Service at Orto is incredibly friendly & relaxed and really adds to the enjoyment of the meal.
So while it may have taken us a while to get here, hopefully it won't take as long for us to return.

Squeak

Review : District Dining

2011-10-17T18:26:00.001+11:00

17 Randle Street, Surry Hills

Sydney, NSW 2010

(02) 9211 7798
info@districtdining.com.au

Monday Dinner 6 - 11pm

Tuesday-Thursday & Saturday
Lunch 12 - 3pm & Dinner 6 - 11pm
Friday, open all day 12 - 11pm
Sunday long lunch 12 - 5pm

Today finds us lunching with our two favourite girls…..H & A.

We are heading to District Dining, and as none of us have dined here before, we are all quite looking forward to the meal ahead.

We initially have a little trouble locating the restaurant, but soon spot the Mondrian inspired panel out the front.
The restaurant is larger than expected, and at this time of day still relatively empty.
Once seated, we order a bottle of 2010 Pike & Joyce ‘The Bleedings’ Rosé, and glance over the menu.
We decide to order a series of starters to share, followed by a main each.

Beef chimichanga, curry avocado
None of us have experienced 'chimichanga' before, and to be honest, once it arrives we are all a little underwhelmed. The flavour is quite mild & the real highlight is the lovely curry avocado.

District chicken wings, chilli caramel
The chicken wings however, do not disappoint. We are all very taken with the chilli caramel, alas, we realise too late, that most of it has sunk to the bottom of the bowl! The wings themselves could have a crisper skin, but on the whole....delicious.

Crispy quail eggs, tarragon mayonnaise
This is a real winner with me, I love the perfectly cooked, crumbed, tiny eggs with their runny yolk....once again though, it is the accompanying tarragon mayonnaise that is the winner.

Steak tartare, aioli, french fries, sourdough
This is the first time H & A are trying steak tartare, and they both seem to enjoy it, once they get over the whole 'raw meat' thing. This is certainly not the best rendition we have sampled (and we do miss the yolk on top), but it hits the spot nonetheless.

Share plates done, we move onto our mains.

Blackened king salmon, succotash, lime sour cream, crispy tortilla
Buggles absolutely loves this dish. The fish is moist & quite delicious with its blackened exterior. The succotash adds some nice texture & sweetness to the dish, while the crispy tortilla adds the crunch factor.

Braised beef cheek, celeriac mash, parsley, horseradish
This is quite disappointing. While cooked well & very tender, the cheek itself is quite bland and devoid of flavour. The horseradish is all but non existent, however the celeriac mash is rich, creamy & divine.

Lamb rump, carrot puree, cumin salt, olive salsa
'A' finds the lamb to be quite good, if ever so slightly overcooked. She is completely taken with its crust however, which is sublime & really takes the dish to another level.

Parmesan Gnocchi, broad beans, veal shoulder, pangrattato
'H' loves her gnocchi. The feather light pillows are fried (or baked) & have a lovely somewhat crisp exterior. The interior is beautifully lush & full of salty parmesan goodness. A truly spectacular dish.

We accompany our mains with Baby carrot salad, salted yoghurt, dukkah, almonds. Truly delicious. The thin ribbons of sweet carrot are complemented by the salted yoghurt and the crunch of the almonds, however we would have liked more dukkah.

Mains polished off, we move onto dessert.

Sticky date pudding, caramel sauce, whisky ice-cream
'A' is quite the 'Sticky Date' connoisseur, claiming that her father Borsie makes the best Sticky Date Pudding she has eaten. While the District Dining version does come close to Borsie's, it just seems to fall short. 'A' is still pretty impressed though.

Dark chocolate brownie, macadamia brittle, white chocolate ice-cream
'H' declares this to be a run of the mill brownie (on sampling, I have to agree), the white chocolate ice-cream is quite good though, as is the brittle. 'H' is a little disappointed.

Lemon cheesecake, blueberries, lemon curd ice-cream
Buggles goes with the cheesecake, and on arrival it looks amazing. The cheesecake itself is pleasant, but unremarkable, it is nowhere near lemony enough. The tangy lemon curd ice-cream on the other hand is a citrusy revelation! The sweet blueberries help to cut through the richness.

Mandarin brulee, cardamon, poached mandarin
My brulee is lovely & creamy with a strong mandarin flavour. The accompanying jar of poached mandarin is also spectacular.

While not every dish is a complete success the four of us certainly enjoy our lunch at District Dining and will not hesitate to return.

Squeak

P.S The cocktails are also pretty fantastic.

Review : The Abercrombie

2011-10-03T12:12:00.000+11:00

100 Broadway
Sydney 2000

9280 2178
info@theabercrombie.com.au
https://www.facebook.com/#!/abercrombiehotel?sk=info

Lunch and Dinner 7 days
So now we move from the sublime to the ridiculous.
After our light, fresh & incredibly delicious lunch at JOHNANDPETER Canteen, we decide to do a complete 180 and visit The Abercrombie.

Recently refurbed, The Abercrombie sits on the corner of Broadway and Abercrombie Street.

When we arrive at around 12.30pm, the pub is still pretty much empty & we grab ourselves a cute little booth.

As mentioned previously we do have a soft spot for American diner type food, and while the Abercrombie is not strictly 'diner', it certainly is of that ilk. The Abercrombie menu has Buggles and Squeak written all over it.

Maybe it is because it's a Saturday & there is footy on the telly, but as the pub starts to fill we notice that we are are the only females present. Surely it can't be the food? Doesn't this kind of deep fried deliciousness cross gender lines?

Mac n Cheese is a favourite food of ours (yes, even the dodgy Kraft variety), so when you take Mac n Cheese, roll it a ball, crumb & deep fry it, haven't you created something that is pure genius? Yes, indeed you have.

The crunchy balls of Macaroni with oozy cheese are comfort, stripped back to its purest form. They nourish the soul (if not the body).

The Hot Artichoke & Parmesan dip is also spectacular. The artichoke flavour is quite prominent & the salty parmesan works very well with it. It is demolished in seconds.

The Philly Cheesesteak with sliced beef, peppers, mayo and lashings of cheese is sumptuous. The steak is cooked very well & is tender & juicy, however it is served in 'chunks' rather than thin slices, which would be preferable.
This already impressive sandwich is served with a side of fries with gravy & mayo. Such generosity.

As our arteries scream for reprieve, our souls cry out for more.

What better way to finish this meal than a Deep fried Golden Gaytime.
Unbelievably, it is not remotely greasy, the batter is quite light & really quite scrumptious. I try to convince Buggles to order another.....she won't have it.

So while we may have knocked 10 years off our lives, we have to say this meal really was 'chicken soup' for our souls.

Squeak

Review : JOHNANDPETER Canteen

2011-10-02T14:05:00.000+11:00

245 Wilson Street Eveleigh 2015

canteen@johnandpeter.com

(02) 8571 9004
http://www.johnandpeter.com/

Mon - Tue: 12:00 - 15:00

Wed - Fri: 12:00 - 15:00; 18:00 - 22:00
Sat: 12:00 - 17:00; 18:00 - 22:00
Sun: 12:00 - 17:00

On this coolish, wet, blustery Spring day, we decide to head to Eveleigh & visit JOHNANDPETER Canteen for lunch.
Having missed the Canteen in its 'pop-up' form, we are certainly glad it has become a permanent fixture at Carriageworks.

On arrival our ears are bombarded with a cacophony of screams and wails. Having been blessed with NO children, we are blissfully unaware that Carriageworks is hosting the Sydney Children's Festival.
Undeterred however, we take a seat in the almost empty Canteen.

We love the look of the canteen...white (with a few splashes of black), stark & minimalist.

As is our wont, we kick things off with a glass of Prosecco each, while deciding what to order from the menu.
Everything sounds delicious, so choosing is really difficult.
We both love burrata....so the burrata with roast onion seems like a no brainer. Unfortunately, today, the kitchen is not happy with their burrata....such is life.

With the arrival of the Broadbean, ricotta and mint dish, all thoughts of the 'lost' burrata are banished. From the first mouthful we are captivated. This dish is fantastic. Perfectly cooked broadbeans; lush, creamy ricotta with just a hint of mint & lemon. This dish is so fresh & light and incredibly moreish.

The Globe artichoke with lemon mayo....simple, really; a perfectly cooked artichoke with a light and zingy lemon mayo. As the artichoke is huge, our only complaint would be....more mayo please.

The meaty, fresh & divine Swordfish is next up. There is slight saltiness from the olives which is counterbalanced by a wonderful hit of citrus and the crunch of red cabbage? Nothing stodgy here; just really good, fresh flavours.

The Beef with rocket & grana padano (I think) is also a standout. Lovely slices of medium rare beef, tumbled through peppery rocket topped with the slices of cheese. Brilliant in its simplicity.

We also knocked off some magnificent Polenta chips & some lovely Rosemary Focaccia.

Feeling positively brimming with health after our first two courses, we find it very easy to tackle dessert.

Strawberries, lime and mint are just that....beautifully, ripe & sweet sliced strawberries mixed through with mint, lime juice and palm sugar. So very, very good.

And finally, the Marsala cake with Stracciatella coffee ice cream. This ambiguous cake is sweet and then again, not; light, yet dense. It has the texture of a cake made from either almond meal or polenta. It is quite sublime. The ice cream is creamy, with a rich coffee flavour and chunks of chocolate.

The service is very efficient and while intially 'haughty', by the end of the meal, things had warmed up a little.

We leave feeling we have done our bodies a great service by dining on this light, fresh and unbelievably delicious food.

Squeak

Review : Etch

2011-09-29T19:11:00.001+10:00

62 Bridge Street,
Sydney 2000
9247 4777

info@etchdining.com

Monday to Friday 12pm - 3pm, 5pm - late

Saturday 5pm - late

It is holiday time again and there is no better way to spend a dreary, rainy, midweek day than leisurely lunching!

We last visited Etch not long after it had opened & even though we really enjoyed our meal, for some reason we have never made it back.

After an appointment in the CBD & with food on our minds, we decide to head to Etch to see what's cooking.

The restaurant is as cosy and inviting as we remember and we are really looking forward to the meal ahead.
Pinot Blancs & meals ordered, we excitedly await their arrival.

Caramelised Pork Belly, crispy prawn, pickled Granny Smith and cider vinaigrette is just what doctor ordered for Buggles.
I have to admit that even though I don't like pork, I am immediately jealous... this dish looks fabulous.
Buggles informs me that the crackling is beautifully crunchy, with just the right amount of fat beneath, the meat is moist, tender and divine. The crispy prawn component works really well with the pork as naturally do the pickled Granny Smith & cider vinaigrette.

Pea Risotto, Swiss Brown Butter is a truly inspired choice on my part. The risotto is cooked to perfection and still has some 'bite' to it. The peas add some lovely sweetness, which is tempered by the Swiss Brown Butter.

Buggles follows with Baked snapper, scallop and squid, cauliflower bhaji and curry emulsion. Buggles is going through a bit of a 'fish' phase lately. This baked snapper is moist, meaty and moreish. However, the thing that strikes Buggles most, is how perfectly cooked every component on the plate is. To quote, "everything is DE-LI-CIOUS!"

My Chargrilled Veal Rump, Sarladaise potato with malt vinegar jus is yet another winner. The serve is incredibly generous, with a mound of thick, moist, tender, juicy slices of medium rare veal. The potato is crunchy on the outside & has a subtle garlic flavour, it is all very good. The vinegar adds a gentle acidic note.

The accompanying side of fried brussels sprouts with smoked bacon is a revelation. This really is the way to eat brussel sprouts.

Brillat Savarin cheesecake with Champagne and mandarin sorbet appeals to Buggles immediately - mainly for the mere mention of mandarin. She is not disappointed with the creaminess of the deconstructed cheesecake element which is nicely set off by the sharp sweetness of the mandarin, jellies, sauce and sorbet. The buttery crumb is also delicious!

Market fruits, jubes, gels and sorbets, is the dessert that was 'Etched' into my memory after our first visit to Etch. On this second visit it doesn't disappoint.
On this occasion it is a combination of pineapple & pink grapefruit. All the varying components, be they jube, gel or sorbet, capture these two flavours perfectly. A very light & refreshing end to the meal.

Of course when I say end, I haven't included the petit fours.....Choc/Orange aero bar & Mixed Nut Brittle. Both are fantastic, but Buggles & I are both taken with the brittle, which has a honeycomb quality to it.

As if the great food isn't enough, the service at Etch is friendly & well informed.

A return visit soon is assured.

Squeak

Review : Four in Hand (Bar)

2011-09-28T09:09:00.002+10:00

150 Sutherland Street
Paddington 2021

02 9326 2254
bar@fourinhand.com.au

From Midday 7 days

The Four in Hand Bar menu has been on our hit list ever since we heard about their Sunday Roast.

Finally, on this lazy Sunday afternoon we decide to make the trip to Paddington and see what the bar has to offer.

Arriving at around 11.50am we can already see people milling about waiting for the pub to open....we are glad we got here early!
The doors open & we manage to claim a table by the window. Before long most of the tables are taken & the only seating available is around the bar. This is one popular spot.

The menu is quite extensive & really does contain something for everyone.

Orders are placed at the bar, so along with our food we order a couple of beers, sit back & relax.

First up for Buggles is the Pig's Tail with Celeriac Remoulade. Having sampled the pig's tail in the restaurant a while back, Buggles is really looking forward to it.

The presentation is quite different here. The tail (bone included), is crumbed & fried. The meat however is still pull apart tender & delicious. It is quite a generous serve for such a rich dish. The Celeriac Remoulade is fresh & crunchy with a very tasty dressing.

I love bone marrow so am instantly drawn to Roast Bone Marrow With Celeriac Remoulade and Grilled Bread. However, today at midday, I just don't think I am up for something quite so rich and indulgent.

Instead I opt for Aged 18 month Prosciutto (40g) With Sourdough Croutons. The sourdough croutons are to die for, they taste as though they have been dipped in olive oil & fried; they are perfect on their own...however, when wrapped in the lush prosciutto they are stupendous!

Much had been said about the Four's burger and Buggles feels she must give it a go.
She is not disappointed. The beef patty is thick, juicy and full of flavour....it really packs a punch. The grilled onions are fantastic as is the oozy cheese. She finds the accompanying chips good, but not great.

I love a Bavette...I find it to be a very flavoursome piece of meat. So the Wagyu Grade 6 Bavette with Chips and Café de Paris Butter, has my name written all over it. When it arrives it does not disappoint. Perfectly cooked, beautifully flavoured & topped with an abundance of the spicy butter....it is heaven on a plate (or in the case, board). Unlike Buggles I find the chips to be delicious & perfect for soaking up the golden butter.

We also sample a very nice Iceberg & Radish Salad With Salad Cream. Very good indeed.

As always the idea of dessert does cross our mind, but with the generous portion sizes...today, this is NOT an option.

We leave content & ready for an afternoon of lazing about while watching some trashy TV.

Squeak

Review: Baroque

2011-09-18T15:51:00.000+10:00

88 George Street (cnr Hickson Rd)
The Rocks, Sydney

Mon-Sat: Midday - late
Sun: Midday - 4:30pm

I love a macaron. Who doesn't? Squeak loves French fare. Who doesn't? It seems only natural that we should find oursleves lunching at Baroque Bistro one fair Saturday. We have been desirous of dining here for some time, but just hadn't quite got around to it, but finally we bit the bullet, and before we know it are seated in the open, busy and industrial inspired space that is Baroque with glasses of Prosecco in hand.

Squeak decides to start with the Poached Hen's egg with speck, mushroom and a burgandy glaze. This comes served with brioche which is very light and airy and there is a foam, which doesn't really taste of anything though. The yolk however is deliociously runny and the mushrooms add the expected earthy flavour. Overall, an enjoyable and promising start.

I order the Charcuterie Plate which comes with pate, rilette, cournichons, salami, prosciutto as well as some pickled 'things' which cut through all of that rich meat. This is a very tasty start, although I will say that the homemade rilette and pate from Janette at The Larder still wins hands down!

Squeak is spoiled for choice on this occasion with a couple of beef dishes mooing her name! She ultimately chooses the Flank steak with triple cooked chips, watercress and a bearnaise suace. All of these elements have her name printed all over them. The bearnaise isn't as fully flavoured as she likes, despite there being an abundance of it, and the watercress really seems more like a paste of some sort, which doesn't really enhance the dish. The steak however isdelicious, as are the triple cooked chips. I know first hand, as I neede to sustain myself on them due to the horror that is my dish!

We order the broccoli with almonds as a side, and the broccoli is submerged in water, and is ultimately a little flavourless. As my main, I order the dish that Squeak had decided against (oh, and how she dodged a bullet there!) - Beef cheek with roasted parsnips and other things that I either cannot remember, or I have deliberately blocked out. All I can say is that there is some kind of vanilla involvement which, frankly, should have said something to begin with. There is little I can say, other than it is very unpleasant. I certainly didn't finish eating it (which is almost unheard of!) and still now, my mouth involuntarily starts to form itself into a grimace when I think about it. I don't think more needs to be said - except that nobody asked if the meal was alright when they took my half eaten meal away. Hmmm...

Redemption is needed, as I am feeling mighty depressed at this stage. And, oh how sweet the redemption turns out to be with the shared dessert platter. OMG!

There are salted caramel macarons, pistachio macarons, jasmine macarons, raspberry cheesecake, a white chocolate mousse, tiramisu, a salted caramel dome, raspberry jelly, pineapple jelly, some chocolate lace work and a rather delicous pistachio crumb. I'm not sure that I need to say anything here, except that these macarons may have converted Squeak. All things salted caramel instantly work and the jellies are delicous. Not to mention how beautifully it is presented. This is needed for me. I have to leave Baroque feeling that their reputation is deserved. I didn't want to leave only remembring the dish that must not be named again! Squeak leaves with thoughts of rich, runny yolks, triple cooked chips and salted caramels while I must remember the generosity of the charcuterie and the beautiful dessert we shared at the end. Will we return?
Maybe for dessert.
Buggles

Review : Acqua Pazza Ristorante

2011-09-13T17:45:00.000+10:00

1 Bent Street Sydney 2000

02 92470851
info@acquapazza.com.au

Open Weekdays 12pm-3pm, 6pm-11pm;
Sat 6pm-11pm

We don't tend to eat out in the CBD during the week....don't know why, but we tend to restrict our midweekers to Surry Hills or the Inner West.
That said, we have been very keen to try Mario Percuoco's (not so new) restaurant Acqua Pazza for a while now.

We arrive at around 6.30pm & locate the restaurant (which is part of the Winter Garden complex) easy enough.

The room is spacious, not too dark (which we love), with large tables & comfy chairs. It is a very inviting space.

We kick things off with a glass of Prosecco each while looking over the menu.
It all sounds fantastic & we once again have trouble deciding what to order.

'Tortina Di Melanzana' eggplant and mozzarella tart with parmigano and basil, is first up for Buggles. The flavours all meld together so beautifully. The Napoletana sauce is rich, sweet & delicious.... the perfect foil for the slightly salty parmigano. The seasoning is spot on. A great dish.

'Carciofi con Polenta' fresh artichoke hearts with black olives, pine nuts and grilled polenta. A divine dish. I particularly enjoy the grilled polenta, so wonderfully crisp outside & lush and creamy within.

'Spezzatino D'Agnello' braised lamb served with ragu of piselli. Ok, so not the most visually appealing of dishes, but who cares when it tastes this good. The lamb is pull apart tender and the dish as a whole is very good. Buggles is well pleased.

'Lombata Di Manzo Alla Griglia' 400g Dry Aged Angus Rib Eye grilled and served with Radicchio. Not much to say really...the steak is cooked to absolute perfection, is very tender and has great flavour & is served with a lovely red wine jus. Steak as it should be. Enough said.

We also enjoy very much the Roasted Rosemary Potatoes with Sicilian Sea Salt...alas, neither one of us can taste the rosemary though.

Finally for Buggles, the 'Zeppole'....basically light as air donuts, filled with a very rich, melted chocolate. Utterly delectable.

And for me....'Sfogliatella Riccia Napoletana' Neapolitan pastry filled with ricotta, semolina candied fruit & served with house made vanilla bean gelato. The pastry is very crisp with a really lovely flavour, the ricotta is abundant and very lush and creamy with the occasional hit of candied fruit. The vanilla bean gelato cuts through the richness and really balances the dish. So good.

Service for the most part is very knowledgeable, friendly & a little cheeky.

We enjoyed our meal at Acqua Pazza immensely & hope to make a return visit soonish.

Squeak

Review : Platform 7 (The Rebirth)

2011-09-10T13:31:00.002+10:00

4 Burrows Avenue
Sydenham

Mon - Fri: 06:00 - 17:00

Sat: 07:00 - 15:00

Well it has certainly been a long time between breakfasts. After a couple of disastrous visits we swore we would not return to Platform 7.
Time however, has mellowed us & we decide to pop along to see if things have improved.

We secure a table & the first thing we notice is that the Sacred Grounds Fair Trade coffee has been replaced by the wonderful Rosebery's Allpress, which we certainly much prefer.

The menu also, has been pared back, with only the P7 breakfast (bacon, eggs mushrooms, tomato & toast), scrambled eggs with feta & spinach & a bacon & egg roll available. We think this works well for the small cafe as they can concentrate on doing these things well.....which they do.

At $13.00 the P7 breakfast includes a cup of Allpress and is pretty impressive. The bacon is crispy & abundant, the eggs well cooked & the 'veg' components spot on.

It is a shame that some of my favourite sides (the haloumi & potatoes) are no longer available.

Have to say the freshly squeezed orange juice is the best we have tried in a while.

For lunch Platform 7 offers a range of sandwiches & rolls, as well as a rotating menu that may include lamb one day or moussaka another.

For those with a sweet tooth, there is also a huge selection of cakes, muffins, macarons etc.

So after what owner, Angela describes as a horror year, it would appear that Platform 7 has risen like a phoenix from the ashes, and finally hit its stride.

Squeak

Review : Embrasse (A Spontaneous Return Visit)

2011-09-02T16:07:00.021+10:00

312 Drummond Street
Carlton, Melbourne

03 9347 3312
info@embrasserestaurant.com.au

Wed-Sun Dinner from 6.30pm
Fri-Sun Lunch from Noon
Mon/Tues Closed

Cooty loves Italian food. Old school Italian, that is.

So the plan for this evening is to head to Lygon Street to see if we can find somewhere ‘old school’ enough.

However, after a very long day traipsing around the city and a matinee performance of ‘Love Never Dies’, Cooty decides that she would rather stay in with a pizza and a crossword.

So what are Buggles and Squeak to do? We want to go out to dinner, but we haven’t booked anywhere!!!

As we are staying in Carlton, we realise we are not too far away from Embrasse. So, pizza delivered we hit the road & make our way to Drummond Street.
It is a Saturday night, so we aren’t optimistic (in fact I rarely am, such is my lot in life).

We arrive at around 6.30pm to a restaurant with only one table occupied. Is it just too early, or by some strange miracle, are we in luck?
We ask the maitre’d if by chance they have a table for two available; unfortunately not……unless of course, we would be interested in a private table they have out back, one that sits between the kitchen and dessert station…..the CHEF’S TABLE!!!

We jump at the chance to dine at this table that easily seats 6, but tonight just the two of us.

Let me just say right off the bat, we are immediately so impressed with the service and our wonderful, charming maitre’d, that we already know we are in for a spectacular evening.

We order a bottle of Stefano Lubiana Sauvignon Blanc and wait for the magic to unfold.

First to arrive are a duo of amuse bouche(s); one carrot, one cauliflower....both spectacular.

Following on from the this we have......

Squid cooked in red wine, zucchini and family, fromage blanc froth, Meyer lemon and bergamot. To start, there is no denying how beautiful the plate is when it arrives. If the old adage is true about eating with your eyes, then this dish is well and truly consumed! The squid is incredibly tender and the zucchini provides a nice contrast in texture. The lemon and foam is very flavoursome and Buggles proclaims the dish a triumph!

Bendigo Corn feed chicken cooked on the bone-finished tandoor style, roasted egg, oyster emulsion, pea and sea lettuces.

The chicken is so beautifully tender, with a wonderfully crispy skin. The dish is so perfectly seasoned. The real revelation is the oyster emulsion (a component I initially was a little worried about), it turns out to be the highlight of the dish with its lush flavour. Fantastic.

Roasted Gippsland duck breast, confit and crispy tongue, pressed beetroots, purple potato. The duck breast is certainly left very pink, which thankfully for Buggles is fine by her. The pressed beetroots are surprisingly sticky and sweet. The potato provides aesthetic appeal and the crispy tongue (it is so wrong, isn't it?!) is tasty, but still does not measure up to her last Vue du Monde crispy duck tongue experience.

Beef from the Victorian producer of the moment-Burnt carrot, broccoli, toasted malt, smoked rice vinegar, pomme croquette

This is without doubt the most flavoursome piece of beef I have eaten in recent memory. It is pull apart tender with a charred fatty exterior, it is so good, words fail me. The black burnt carrot is a very nice surprise and the dish as a whole is perfect.

Aligot a Provincial cheesy mash potato from the South of France is possibly cheesier & more delicious than the last time we had it. Works beautifully with the beef and the double potato serve for Buggles doesn't seem to be a problem! Probably because it is more cheese than potato!

Coconut mousse, frangipane, passion fruit, corn, orange blossom

This dessert has Buggles swooning. The coconut mousse is gorgeous and the orange blossom flavour of the sponge complements it. The real eye opener (literally) though is the intense ZING she receives from a fine passionfruit powder that is sprinkled liberally over the top of the mousse. She absolutely loves this dessert.

Warm mandarin pudding, white chocolate, lemon sorbet, liquorice meringue, marmalade

The mandarin flavour is divine and very apparent in the pudding. The pudding is light & not remotely stodgy. The lemon sorbet is full of tang and the liquorice meringue quite sublime. The little dots of intensely flavoured marmalade complete this stupendous dish.

Salted caramel and chocolate petit four... one of the 'to die for' combinations. We both have to say that the petit fours on this visit are far better than the last. Last time they were just too big and kind of 'heavy'. These last salty, buttery and chocolately mouthfuls are a delicious sweet end to a magnificent spontaneous dinner.
We really did enjoy our meal at Embrasse the last time we visited, but this time - a mere one year later - seems to have taken Embrasse to another level.We loved everything about our evening - the food was phenomenal, the service was perfect AND we had the equivalent of our own personal dining space. What more can you ask for?

Squeak

Review : Chiswick Pizzeria Ristorante

2011-08-29T18:10:00.001+10:00

3b-45 Blackwall Point Road
Chiswick

02 9712 1274
chiswickpizzeria@iinet.net.au

Tuesday-Sunday
5pm-9.30pm

So it is Saturday night, but not any Saturday night, this one finds us in a suburb we have not previously visited.....Chiswick.

There is no question that Buggles and Squeak love our fine dining, but we also love our comfort food...a lot.
Take our regular visits to Riccardo's and the
Pastizzi Cafe for example.

Chiswick Pizzeria Ristorante, sits on Blackwall Point Road, nestled between Abbotsford and Five Dock Bays, the view is quite impressive.

The restaurant this evening is positively buzzing, it is clear to see that it is very popular with local families.

Once seated we crack open a bottle of Pinot Gris and set about deciding what to order.
Then menu is extensive to say the least and contains many favourites: Seafood including garlic prawns, calamari & octopus barese; pastas carbonara, marinara, & bolognese (to name but a few); a variety of pizzas and also veal, chicken & steak dishes.

We have a tough time choosing what to order, so sharing a few dishes seems like a good option.

We kick things of with a very delicious, very garlicky (just how we like it), Penne Carbonara. The pieces of bacon are abundant & wonderfully crispy, the penne perfectly 'al dente' and the combination of egg, parmesan and parsley nicely balanced. A lovely start.

Following on from this, is the New York Pizza....potato, rosemary and parmesan; could anything be simpler or more delicious?
The base is thin with a decent amount of 'charring' and is very crispy, in fact it held its 'crisp' to the very end, which we have found to not always be the case with other pizzas we have sampled.
The topping is suitably delicious with just the right amount of rosemary so as not to overpower. A very light sprinkling of Murray River Pink Salt, would take this pizza to the next level. All in all though, fantastic.
Jorge has a real handle on the 'art' that is pizza.

Veal Funghi is another classic, beautifully realised. The veal is incredibly tender, the sauce is rich and creamy and packed full of earthy mushrooms, the accompanying vegetables are fresh & tasty.

As always, we must end on a sweet note and when it is Italian, then it usually is Tiramisu. The portion size is huge. The coffee flavour is just right and it is not too heavy on the mascarpone, so it is quite light and not overly rich. It is the perfect finish.

It comes as no surprise to us that the food here is so good. Those familiar with the Pastizzi Cafe, Newtown, will immediately recognise 'Nonna's' comforting food. Pastizzi Cafe's loss is Chiswick Pizzeria's gain!

....And while on the subject of Nonna, it is her granddaughter Mariah that provides us with the excellent service we experience tonight. Her bubbly, enthusiastic banter is very refreshing and she handles the floor of this bustling restaurant with aplomb!

We are pretty impressed with Chiswick Pizzeria Ristorante and are sure to return when the mood for well cooked, homestyle Italian takes hold.

Squeak

**Buggles and Squeak dined as guests of Chiswick Pizzeria Ristorante. We extend our thanks to them.

Review : The European

2011-08-23T18:31:00.008+10:00

161 Spring Street
Melbourne

03 96540811
info@theeuropean.com.au

7.30am-3.30am daily

Well Buggles and Squeak are back in our favourite Australian city......Melbourne.

We are down here with Cooty, so know our dining options will be limited.

A work colleague suggested a restaurant in Melbourne that she rather fancied on her last visit, and on perusing the menu online, I realise that The European is probably a safe bet.

When we arrive the restaurant is still relatively empty, however in no time at all it fills up. This is one popular restaurant.
As the name would suggest, the restaurant really does have quite a European feel to it. The room is long, narrow & dark and menu pays homage to just about every country in the European Union!

We are seated at a large wooden table near the front of the restaurant....perfect for watching the comings & goings.

We each start with a glass of sparkling and set about deciding what to order.

Cooty really can't go past the freshly shucked Coffin Bay Oysters served natural. They are huge, plump and meaty! However, they are served with their natural brine which results in Cooty finding them a little too salty. On the whole she does enjoy them though.

Buggles starts her evening with Steak Tartare with traditional condiments....and of course topped with a raw egg. This dish is delicious and one I wish I had ordered myself. The meat is beautifully seasoned and, accompanied with a squeeze of lemon, is a great start to the meal.

I find it hard to not order Vitello Tonnato, so when I spy it on the specials board it is any easy decision.
Mostly tender (there are a few chewy bits) poached veal sits on top of a lovely tuna laden mayonaise, topped with a smattering of capers. I must say, in terms of flavour, I prefer the Vitello Tonnato at Cafe Sopra (even though they can be quite heavy handed with the mayo) & La Scala on Jersey. The European version is still very good.

Moving on to mains & Cooty's Spaghetti alla Marinara is not what she is expecting. A little too lightly sauced for her tastes, it does however, contain an abundance of mussels, prawns & huge chunks of fish, which Cooty finds delicious.

Buggles main is Pork Three Ways, roasted, belly parcel and stuffed 'spring roll'. The roasted portion is absolutely delicious. It is moist and almost sweetly flavoured. She does think that black pudding in just one of the other two elements would have sufficed though.

My Roasted Eye Fillet with onion tart & marrow is good, but not great. The fillet is well cooked, but not as tender as expected. The marrow is crumbed & deep fried & while this would normally scream 'Squeak'...it just doesn't work for me. The crumbing and frying give the marrow an odd flavour. The onion tart & onion rings are both very good & there is a disc of shredded slow cooked oxtail(?) that is also very nice. On the whole though the dish just seems to have too many components.

As dessert approaches Cooty is feeling a little stuffed & decides to order the Selection of ices and sorbets. On this occasion the flavours are malt chocolate, passionfruit & raspberry. She enjoys them immensely.

White Chocolate, pear and passionfruit parfait with pear sorbet, really hits the spot for Buggles. The flavours are bold, but not overpowering. A very refreshing dish. The poached spiced pear proves to be a surprising winner on the plate.

As a lover of salty caramel combined with chocolate I really have no choice but to order Chocolate salty caramel, peanuts and sour cream ice cream. One word....spectacular. The salty, chocolately richness is tempered by the wonderful sour ice cream. A fantastic combination.

Dessert is definitely the highlight for me and Buggles.

So while we enjoyed our meal at The European, we were not blown away by it. We had very high expectations & it fell a little short.

We were pretty impressed, however, with the friendly and efficient service.

Squeak

P.S We did return for breakfast two days later & I ordered the 'European Breakfast'...at $20.90 I was anticipating a HUGE serve.
I was actually quite stunned when it arrived. It consisted of 1 piece of toast, two poached eggs, 1 small button mushroom, half a tomato and just the small eye portion of two pieces of bacon! It tasted good, granted, but seriously $20.90!!!!

Review : Gotham (the Paying Visit)

2011-08-17T19:29:00.002+10:00

35 Oxford St, Darlinghurst NSW
At the Hyde Park end of Oxford St.
Phone: 9283 1891
Email: info@gotham.net.au

Tue - Sat 5pm to midnight

The last time we visited Gotham a few months back, it was by invitation.

Time to pay another visit as 'paying customers' to see if we are still suitably impressed.

We still really love the space. Dark & intimate, perfect for catching up with friends over a cocktail or vino and a few shared plates.

Starting our evening with:

The Brooklyn

The Big Apple

Both drinks are incredibly refreshing and full of fruity flavour. My Brooklyn is a little heavier on the passionfruit & pineapple, which I enjoy very much.

Following on from this we have:

Stuffed Green Olives (crumbed & deep fried)

The Olives are plump & juicy, but we are a little surprised by the stuffing. We are expecting something along the lines of feta, but they seem to be stuffed with something 'meaty'...we find this less appealing.

Fried zucchini flowers with parmesan & lemon

The flowers themselves are not stuffed, merely dipped in batter, deep fried & served with a sprinkling of parmesan & a lemon wedge. They are tasty; however, the very generous serve makes it difficult to finish.... you can only eat so much batter! A dish best shared with a group of 4 or more.

Pan fried olive and parmesan sandwich

Is anyone noticing a pattern here? I am noticing the words "deep fried' and "parmesan" cropping up a lot. We didn't really think it through.
The sandwich is as good as we remember & probably my favourite of the night.

Crisp Chicken Wings with lime mayonaise

Once again we have to say, some the best chicken wings we have sampled in recent times. Very good.

Pissaladiere

Probably the biggest disappointment of the evening.
Perhaps we have been spoilt, but Janette of The Larder fame makes a mean Pissaladiere. It contains generous amounts of caramelised onion, olive & anchovy. Unfortunately, the Gotham version fails to deliver on all counts. This is not to say it isn't tasty, but it isn't Pissaladiere as we have come to know & love it.

Warm Madeleine with sauternes

As always we like to finish on a sweet (and thankfully not deep fried) note. The Madeleine is light as air & the accompanying pear is also quite delicious. Certainly our preferred dessert of the two on the menu.

Service this evening was once again friendly and relaxed.

So, we have to say that even as paying customers we are still very impressed with Gotham & hope it will around for many years to come.

Squeak

Review : Bootleg Bar

2011-08-13T19:48:00.002+10:00

175 Victoria Street
Potts Point
02 93613884

Tues - Wed: 17:00 - 23:00

Thurs - Sat: 17:00 - 01:00
Sun: 17:00 - 22:00
Sat-Sun Brunch from 9am

Victoria Street was home to me for a good 5 years, I loved living in Potts Point and always love to return.

Brunch is becoming a Buggles and Squeak favourite, so when 'Janice' left a comment on our blog suggesting we try Bootleg Bar, well it seemed a case of killing two birds with one stone.

Just down the road from Kings Cross station & next door to Soho Bar, Bootleg is a smallish bar with a New York sensibility.

We grab a booth at the back and check out the extensive brunch menu. It is almost impossible to decide what to order, the menu is littered with so many Buggles and Squeak favourites. How do you choose between the Pulled Pork Rib Sandwich, Mac n Cheeses, Steak Tartare, The Reuben, Steak & Eggs or the Open Meatball Sub??? It is near impossible.

Finally, and mainly because the onion rings sway us, we decide on the Meatball Sub & the Reuben.

The Sub that is placed before Buggles looks amazing. She is in heaven. The sauce is rich & full of fresh tomato flavour, the meatballs are excellent with a nice blend of herbs & the whole lot is topped with oozy mozzarella. The bread roll is soft & perfect for this magnificent Sub!

My Reuben is HUGE. The corned beef is sliced thinner than on some other Reubens I have tried & I have to say this is my preference. The beef is tender and wonderfully spiced and while it may be sliced thinner, there is quite a lot of it. The saukerkraut is not too acidic & the thin ribbons of pickle are really delicious. I could do with some more dressing, but on the whole this ranks as one of my favorite Reubens.

The side of fries are great & the onion rings are spectacular....some of the best we've had.

To accompany our meals we each order a Brooklyn Egg Cream, Buggles went with Kahlua and I with Bourbon. So very, very good.

We absolutely LOVE Bootleg Bar, we feel it truly does have the BEST brunch menu in Sydney.

To top off the wonderful food, service is affable & relaxed and just makes the experience that much better.

Next time it's the Mac N Cheeses....

Squeak

Review : Booth Street Bistro

2011-08-12T18:36:00.000+10:00

127 Booth St
Annandale NSW 2038
02 9660 6652
e: mail@boothstbistro.com

Tues-Sat from 6pm
Breakfast Sat & Sun from 8am

It has been a long time since Buggles and Squeak visited 127 Booth Street. The last time we were here we were dining at Three Clicks West!
Having missed Da Gianni Trattoria altogether we decide it is time to return to 127 & see what Booth Street Bistro has up its sleeves.

When we arrive we the room feels quite familiar, not too much has changed from the old Three Clicks West days.

We are seated toward the back of the restaurant and start by ordering a starter of Rodriguez Bros Chorizo with Romesco sauce, the chorizo is mildly spiced and absolutely delicious, the romesco sauce is sweet & nutty and works well with the sausage. A nice beginning.

Buggles follows with Pork hock lasagnetta with a rebilita sauce. The hock is minced and stuffed into a sheet of pasta. Buggles thinks the flavour could be bolder, but I find the rebilita sauce to be very robust indeed.

My Baked Ricotta Risotto with Pumpkin icecream and burnt baby sage, is excellent. The risotto is perfectly cooked, not remotely heavy or stodgy, the grains still have some 'bite' to them. The pumpkin icecream is the real surprise here, it has a wonderful almost salty flavour and really enhances the dish.

Next for Buggles is Open Spatchcock pie with braised eschallots, swiss brown mushrooms, peas with a brandy cream sauce. This appears to be a whole spatchcock, with beautifully crisp skin, sitting alongside a puff pastry disc. Buggles has a bit of a whinge to me that she would like some more eschallots. On the whole though, she is pretty impressed with the dish.

Beef cheeks are an all time favourite of mine, so I really can't go past 8 hour braised O’Connor Beef Cheeks with carrot puree & greens. Oh my God.....sensational. The cheeks are incredibly tender & full of rich, sticky goodness, the carrot puree and green beans help to combat all that wonderful richness.

To finish Buggles goes with Tiramisu with biscuit gratin, Baileys ice cream & praline coated mascarpone. Buggles enjoys this very much. The Tiramisu has great flavour as does the Baileys ice cream, her favourite component though is a dish of chocolate, custardy cream, which is spectacular. The only letdown is the mascarpone, which is too heavy & not enhanced by the praline at all.

My dessert of Warm red wine poached honey pears with ginger crumble & marmalade ice cream, is wondrous. The pear is poached to perfection and the ginger crumble is incredibly moreish. A very good way to end the meal.

Service at BSB is very good, knowledgeable, friendly, but not in your face.

We leave with bellies full, content & sure to return.

Squeak

Review : The Bentley Restaurant & Bar (another laid back lunch at our favourite restaurant)

2011-07-30T19:00:00.001+10:00

320 Crown Street Surry Hills
(02) 9332 2344
info@thebentley.com.au

Tues-Sat
Lunch and Dinner

The day is not going as planned. We are all set to have lunch with Cooty at Criniti's, but early this morning she phones to say she is feeling a little under the weather.

Not ones to let a lunching opportunity go by, we make the snap decision to head to Surry Hills and once again indulge in another spectacular Bentley lunch.

When we arrive at around 12.45pm we have the entire restaurant to ourselves, we are seated at our 'regular' table and are really looking forward to the lunch ahead.

I am not going into any detail about each dish.
I am not going to describe flavour combinations and textures.
Instead I am going to let the pictures tell the story.

Amuse Bouche: Mud crab, brick pastry, corn custard, jamon jelly

Beef Tartare with liquid wasabi

Kingfish Ceviche

Duck Liver Foie Gras parfait with pickled carrot and cocoa

Lamb Rump with Piquillo pepper, saffron, almond and fetta

Fillet of Black Angus Beef with carrot, azuki bean and white sweet potato cake

Brussel Sprouts with smoked yoghurt

Creamed Cheddar with pretzel, vegemite and quince

Caramelised Pineapple with barley cream and beer sorbet

Cashew Custard with roasted white chocolate and pear sorbet

Frozen Goat's Cheese Mousse with violet, buckwheat praline and passionfruit ice cream

Liquid Mandarin with liqourice and dark chocolate

Blood Orange and white chocolate truffle

Honeycomb chocolate bar

Rest assured that every mouthful from beginning to end is exquisite.

You know it is easy to become distracted by the 'new kids on the the block', your Gastro Park's and Biota's, but stepping back into the Bentley, you really do realise who has always done it best.

Squeak

Review : Bench Wine Bar

2011-07-29T09:34:00.001+10:00

503-511 King Street
Newtown

Wednesday-Friday from 5pm
Saturday-Sunday from 4pm

We are catching up again with M1 & M2 and alas, once again, M2 is absent (we are starting to feel a tad paranoid!).
The three of us decide that some wine/cocktails & a few share plates are just what the doctor ordered! So it's off to Bench we go.

Finally! a drinking establishment in Newtown that seems to cater for us (ok, mainly me), the more geriatric set. I look around and I feel positively in 'bloom' again.

It is very pleasant indeed walking into this sleek, dimly lit bar. It is tiny, granted, but also very inviting.
We grab a spot at the end of the long communal bench, order a cocktail each and decide on what plates to share.
Cocktails knocked back, we order a couple of Pinot Grigios and a Sauvignon Blanc and before long our first plate arrives.

The olives are delicious, a great selection from tiny ones through to big, fat stuffed ones.

Next the Chorizo with red peppers really hits the spot. Mildly spiced sausage, sweet, juicy peppers. You can ask for no more....

....unless of course it is the Gorgonzola Dolce Pots with Rose Jelly & Muscatels. The rich, creamy, bluey gorgonzola has great flavour as does the rose jelly; smeared together on some toasted soudough, they are a match made in heaven (well, my sort of heaven anyway).

The Vintage Cheddar with Honeyed Macadamias and Marinated Figs, is another sensational combination. The sharp cheddar is balanced beautifully by the sweetness of the figs and macadamias.

Oh no, we are not done yet (well M1 is, but not Buggles and Squeak). Next up is a plate of 3 mini pizzas....Turkey, Cranberry & Spanish Onion; Tomato & Mozzerella and 3 Cheese.
This is the disappointing plate of the evening, more so because the owners of Bench also own Pizza Picasso, so you would think that pizza would be their thing.
Unfortunately, the topping sits on a bruschetta type bread & not a thin pizza dough. The toppings are ok, but the bread really spoils it.

Bench Wine Bar is certainly a great addition to the King Street landscape. They have a great selection of Australian & New Zealand Wines (with a few Europeans thrown in) and a good mix of cocktails & share plates. Service is friendly, yet professional.

So as we take our leave....M1, being on holidays, would love to kick on to the 'Sly Fox'; as it is a school night however, Buggles and Squeak head home.

Squeak

Review : The Commons - Local Eating House

2011-07-24T15:41:00.001+10:00

32 Burton Street Darlinghurst

BREAKFAST

Weekends from 8am
LUNCH
Thurs-Sun 12pm-3pm
AFTERNOON DRINKS
Thurs-Sun 3pm-6pm
DINNER
Tues-Sun 6pm-Late

It is 10.30am on a Sunday morning & we are famished. We cannot decide where to go to for brunch. We hop onto the internet & google 'Brunch Sydney'.

One of the first listings we come across is a Gourmet Traveller article mentioning The Commons, and in particular its Corned Beef Hash.

Needless to say, I am a sucker for said hash, and as far as I'm concerned it is "decision made".

The Commons sits in a lovely old sandstone building just across the road from my hairdresser 'Get Smart'.

We grab a table in the front courtyard & glance over the menu.
Being a bit of a citrus fiend I am very taken by the sound of 'Iced Tea Caraffe - Lemon Cooler' (Lemongrass, Lemon Verbena, Peppermint, Lemon Myrtle), alas I am told it is not available! I make do with a cappuccino instead.

Buggles decides on an Earl Grey tea, which is served in a lovely little teacup.

The Commons doughy version

or....TCTCBN's light, golden version. You decide!

Being huge fans of the homemade crumpets at 'The cafe that cannot be named', we decide to give The Commons version a burl. Served with butter and honey, they are a disaster! Chewy, doughy & stodgy is the only way to describe them and they are not a patch on those from 'TCTCBN'.
Not a promising start at all.

Next for Buggles is the Cheese and Commons' Chutney Melt'. The flavour is really quite nice, especially the chutney, but the bread is way under toasted, so it is all a bit limp.

The side of corn fritters suffers from the same ailment as the crumpets, way too doughy by far. The side of bacon (replacing the unavailable sausage) however, is crispy.... although we could do without the rind.

The pasty version from The Commons

So to the moment of truth, the reason why we came here.....The Corned beef hash & slow poached egg w/ confit cherry tomatoes. It is a rather lacklustre affair when it arrives, everything is just pale looking.

Golden crispy version from Zinc

I was expecting a golden crispy fry up, similar to the spectacular Corned Beef Hash from Zinc.
The Commons version tastes as insipid as it looks.

Something has clearly happened since November 2010, as I have no idea how Gourmet Traveller could have listed this dish on its 'Great Breakfast Ideas'.

The service, it must be said, is very good.

However, as appealing as the dinner menu looks, based on this very ordinary brunch I cannot see us risking a dinner visit.

Squeak

Review : Bar H

2011-07-22T17:13:00.002+10:00

80 Campbell Street
Surry Hills

9280 1980
enquiries@barhsurryhills.com

Lunch
Thurs-Fri Noon to 3pm
Dinner
Tues-Sat 6pm to late

Unfortunately we are heading towards the end of our week off. It has been a great week that has seen us visit Becasse, Four in Hand & Biota.

We have been meaning to visit Bar H for ages & a quiet Thursday lunch seems the right time to do so.

We secure a parking spot pretty much across the road, walk by cafe ish & grab a table at a very empty Bar H.
The space is small, yet it is very warm & inviting. The waitstaff are friendly & accommodating.
We have decided on the shared banquet for two, four courses at $70pp.

We knock back a couple of beers and before long our first course arrives;

Olives, grissini & honeyed prosciutto. The olives are plump & delicious with just a little bit of spice, they are moreish indeed. The prosciutto has a slight sweetness to it & is delicious. A very good start.

Next we have White anchovies, pickled cucumber & shiso, this course really awakens the palate, a great combination of salty, sweet & sour. We could have eaten a lot more of this... especially the lovely, chewy mushrooms.

Beetroot with house made ricotta salad, is very good & just what we needed after the zingyness of the previous dish. The ricotta is creamy & the beetroot refreshingly sweet. The crunch & slight bitterness of the walnuts works really well with the dish as a whole.

Now to the dish I have been waiting for Red braised beef short rib with black bean and chilli. This is so worth the wait. The beef is pull apart tender, the braise of black bean & chilli adds a warming, salty hit. Almost too good to be true.

A side of Roast pumpkin with cumin & lemon, topped with roasted hazelnuts is totally divine. The pumpkin is roasted to perfection, the cumin & lemon are a match made in heaven & the crunchy, roasted hazelnuts tie it altogether stupendously.

This is where our banquet ends, however Buggles & Squeak are not done yet!

Not huge fans of ginger we are both drawn to the Ginger Custard with Lime Syrup, by the mere mention of 'lime syrup'. Turns out this is a great move. The custard is rich & silky smooth, with the ginger not overpowering at all; the lime syrup delivers a powerful citrus hit & the candied ginger on top is to die for.

To finish off I order a long black (only espresso & long black available at Bar H) as we tuck into four delicious Earl Grey Chocolate truffles. Bliss.

So how does the 4 course banquet measure up?
At $70pp we think it is a bit steep. There is no doubt the food is spectacular, and the flavours amazing...there just isn't enough of it! So while there is no disputing the quality, in terms of quantity, it falls a little short.

Squeak

Review : Biota

2011-07-21T18:36:00.002+10:00

Kangaloon Road,
Bowral

(02) 4862 2005
info@biotadining.com

mon: lunch & dinner
tue: closed
wed: lunch & dinner
thur-sat: breakfast, lunch & dinner
sun: breakfast & lunch

Bowral has long been on the Buggles and Squeak "places to retire" hit list. It sits there comfortably next to Daylesford (current leader) & Blackheath.

So it is with much joy & (not curbed) enthusiasm that we head down to one of a favourite locales for a spot of lunch at Biota.

It is freezing when we arrive at Bowral. Driving into the carpark we are immediately taken by the look of the restaurant, it looks cool & modern, yet warm & inviting all at the same time.

The room is a symphony of white, green & timber, it is a spectacular space.

We are led to a table close to the kitchen, and seated on rather low chairs (being somewhat vertically challenged, I need a cushion to prop me up!).
We peruse the menu, it looks fantastic.

We order our customary bottle of sparkling mineral water & set about deciding on what to devour.

The arrival of the house baked bread with house churned butter, is welcome indeed. The bread, a darkish rye, is not too dense & the butter is very creamy.

An amuse bouche of liver parfait with a fruit jelly (apple?) of some description topped with peanut sand follows. Strangely the parfait is a little too 'livery' for Buggles, but I found it spectacular!

After much deliberation Buggles decides on Duck pressed in juniper sugar, its egg, roasted cereals, cauliflower. The duck has a ham like quality to it and is rich, silky and flavourful. Along with the delicious egg yolk underneath, as well as the cauliflower foam/puree, it is a sure fire winner. The bit that really surprises Buggles though, are the 'roasted cereals'. This all sounds a little too 'granola' for her initially, but she is very impressed with the texture and flavour they add to the dish.

My entree of Potato cooked in smoked buttermilk, burnt beetroot, hens yolk, brassicas is equally spectacular. This dish has an incredibly smoky flavour, which is perfectly balanced by the creamy, rich hens egg. It is a wonderfully realised dish & I enjoy it very much.

Lamb rump in olive caramel, baked carrots, oat milk, hazelnut and garlic ash is the main choice for Buggles. This lookes beautiful when it arrives. The lamb has great flavour, although Buggles does not really feel that the flavour promise of 'olive caramel' is lived up to. The lamb is perhaps slightly over cooked for her liking, but it is still a beautiful piece of meat. The lamby bacon is delicious as are the vegetables. The much talked about 'oat milk' does little for her by way of flavour, although I really enjoy the sampler I have.

As I love my wagyu, I decide to order a main size portion of the Blackmore wagyu, raw and cooked radish, sanguinaccio. Thick strips of perfectly cooked wagyu accompanied by a rich, lush, but ever so light, liver mousse & the most sublimely flavoured sanguinaccio, which is full of blood puddingy goodness. The horseradish cream is divine, with a nice kick of heat. Wonderfully indulgent & truly wondrous.

It is at this point I try to convince Buggles that 3 desserts are always better than two....normally one to agree with me, oddly today she is having none of it.

So it is that Buggles decides on Caramel pear, raw cacao ice cream, warm buckwheat and malt. Buggles admits to me, as I write this, that she had been a little uninspired by the dessert menu when she first read it. After experiencing her dessert however she is transformed. The pear is beautifully cooked - and is softly firm (if that makes any sense). The clever little 'cinnamon sticks' are a tasty little wafery biscuit and the malt and raw cacao icecream prove to be true revelations. She absolutely loves this dessert and has thought back on it many times since!

My choice is Roast coconut milk, green tea cake, pineapple, fresh and dried fennel pollen. As delicious as it is beautiful, I am blown away by this dessert. The roast coconut flavour is the most predominant, but you get hints of the green tea and the aniseedy hit from the pollen. A work of art, no doubt.

So ends a truly enjoyable & memorable meal.

Service at Biota is both warm & friendly.

Biota has really added to the Bowral landscape & will certainly result in more trips to the Southern Highlands for us.

Bowral, you are heading closer to the top of the list!

Squeak

Review: The Fern

2011-07-13T20:55:00.002+10:00

4 Pitt Street
Redfern

p: 83990070

Brunch
Tues - Sun: 8am - 3pm
Dinner
Thurs - Sat: 6pm - 10pm

Squeak has long regretted moving away from her beloved Redfern. Even before it became 'up and coming' she had seen its potential and always enjoyed the village vibe along with its proximity to all things Surry Hills! The Fern is just one place that has tapped into the potential of the 'fern along with Pitt Street Diner, Patagonian Toothfish, Dryland Bar, Baffi & Mo and Eathouse Diner. The Fern is perhaps a little removed from the rest of these, being closer to Cleveland Street, but, being set a little back from the street in a lovely old terrace house makes for a charming setting for a spot of Sunday brekkie.

Squeak and I waddle on in a little earlier than usual on this fine Sunday morn and are quickly impressed with the fit out of The Fern. It is quirky, colourful and cool. We snare a booth that provides endless reading material with comics papering the walls around us.

The menu is relatively small and certainly is focused on brunch - hence the inclusion of a cheeseburger which, while tempting, didn't seem quite appropriate for us to order at 9 o'clock in the morning. We need to try and maintain some semblance of restraint.

Squeak orders the Pancakes with Pear and Butterscotch sauce. These sound very good indeed. When they arrive, Squeak is certainly overwhelmed by the size of the pancakes, but disappointed by the pear element. She had expected perhaps poached pear, and had certainly expected a greater quantity of the fruit than the few slivers that are actually there. She does enjoy the flavours of the pancakes, the crunchy 'crumble like' topping is also sweet and the butterscotch sauce is delicious. There just isn't enough of the sauce to carry through to the end of the pancakes which, ultimately, renders them dry and impossible to finish.

I order the 'Hangover Cure' which involves house made baked beans, fried egg and slow cooked pork belly atop toast. Yummo!! When it arrives, I will be honest and say that I feel it is a little small. I did expect two slices of toast or two eggs at least. The toast that is there, really isn't toasted either, it seems like it has just been flipped on a grill - so it is a bit soft and 'bready'.

The pork itself though, is truly delicious, and the beans have great flavour. Everything is seasoned well and I do enjoy it a lot. As Sunday brunch does tend to form our main meal of the day, I did have to snaffle some dry leftover pancake from Squeak's plate though to keep me satiated for the rest of the day.

We then both order extra coffees (which are good, incidentally) and lazily read over the papers, feverishly worrying about how many cents the cost of our breakfast will increase under the new carbon tax!!

Buggles

Review : Veda

2011-07-12T14:58:00.000+10:00

85 Bronte Road
Bondi Junction

p: 02 9389 9950

e: veda@veda.net.au

5.30pm - late
7 nights

I look back on my time at Curlewis Street, Bondi with fondness.

Back then the ‘beautiful people’ were anyone who didn’t regularly put needle to arm.
Swimming in summer inevitably lead to an encounter with the ‘Bondi Cigar’; and in winter it became a ghost town, where the ever present junkies & grotty, old buildings just added to its abundant charm.

It was rough and scary, but thrilling at the same time.

Who can forget late nights drinking at the Bondi Tram; the blood splattered walls of the pool room at the Bondi Hotel and the freaky goings on at the legendary Astra Hotel….those were the days indeed, my friends.

There was no Icebergs, no North Bondi Italian. Fine dining was a counter lunch of meatloaf and 'deb' at the Bondi Hotel; or a dodgy pie from The Flying Pieman (rumour had it they contained cat food).

I miss the ‘old’ Bondi.

Buggles and I very rarely return to Bondi these days. We have made the trip for Icebergs, the occasional breakfast at Blue/Orange, the odd pizza & gelato at Pompei’s and the fantastic tempura vegetables & chips at Mongers.

We visit Bondi Junction even more rarely, usually just for a Gold Class session at the Event Cinemas.

So it is odd, that this Monday night, finds us standing outside Veda on Bronte Road.
We do love a spot of Indian & we do recall reading some quite good reviews of this establishment, so we decide to pop inside & give it a burl.

The room is a good size with large, well spaced tables. The wood panelling dates it a little, but on the whole it is a comfortable, clean space.

The menu looks pretty interesting & veers away from 'typical' Indian fare as we have come to know it.

We decide to start with Delhi Ki Chaat, crisp desiree potatoes mixed with fresh mint and coriander leaves and topped up with variety of chutneys. This is not what we expect. It consists of two halves of a scooped out, not remotely crispy, potato filled with chickpeas, mint & coriander, sitting in a pool of yoghurty liquid. The flavour is good, but it is all a bit mushy; a textural fail.

Next is Dhuan Paneer, clay oven smoked cottage cheese in paprika marinade. The two large, thick wedges of paprika soaked paneer are delicious and we devour them quickly.

It is at this point that something odd happens, while collecting our empty entree plates, the waiter makes a point of carefully removing the cutlery we have just used for said entrees & returns it to the table.....without even giving it a wipe at least!

Anyway, mains have arrived.

Murg Dakshini, chicken morsels cooked in rich coconut sauce, fresh curry leaves and mustard seeds. The chicken is very tender & moist, the sauce very mild with little heat.

Bahar-E-Kofta, Indian cottage dumplings stuffed with raisin and almonds, simmered in fresh spinach sauce. Another mild, yet fully flavoured dish, that is moreish & delicious.

We finish off with Rose Kulfi, home-made Indian ice cream flavoured with dry rose petals. This is very heavy on the rose flavour, and while Buggles is none too keen on it, I find it refreshing & it does a great job of cleansing the palate.

Thus ends our impromtu dinner at Veda. Should we again visit The Junction, we may just stop in for another meal.

Squeak

Review : Ad Lib Bistro (Double Bay)

2011-06-30T17:29:00.001+10:00

21 Bay Street
Double Bay

9988 0120
doublebay@adlibbistro.com

Tuesday-Sunday:
Lunch (from Midday) and Dinner (from 5pm)
Saturday/Sunday:
Breakfast from 9am

It is yet another cold, wet & windy Sydney day. We need comfort food, something warming to the body & soul. We have long wanted to dine at Dietmar Sawyere's Ad Lib Bistro and today seemed a better day than most to sample his take on bistro fare.

Ad Lib Double Bay is quite a large space with a classic 'bistro' fitout (think dark, warm woods & classic white tablecloths).

The menu is also classic bistro with entrees that include: Duck Liver parfait, Onion marmalade; Onion Soup Gratinee; Roast Portobello mushrooms, snails & parsley crumbs....all very appealing.

Buggles however, decides to go with Sugar Cured Salmon with Herb & Shallot Mascarpone & Toasted Brioche.She is a little taken aback initially with the rather bijoux appearance of the dish. There seems almost far too much brioche for the amount of salmon. The salmon however is very fresh and tasty while the shallot and herb mascarpone has great flavour.

The Spaghettini with Shiitake Mushrooms, Garlic, Parsley & Chilli is what speaks to me today. The thin spaghetti is cooked perfectly al dente... the garlic, while quite predominant, still does not overpower the plump, fleshy mushrooms, and the chilli adds an ever so slight welcome heat. A thoroughly enjoyable start.

The mains portion of the menu is very tempting indeed with choices such as: Boudin Noir with caramelised apple &celeriac; Veal liver sauteed with onions, mushrooms, madeira & cream; or perhaps Fish Fillet Meuniere with almond, green beans & beurre noisette.

Sirloin Steak with Beurre Cafe de Paris is Buggles' selection today. The steak while not tough, nor chewy, does have an odd texture to it, best described as somewhat grainy. It is cooked well though, & has excellent flavour. There is also slight zinginess to the dish which is quite refreshing.

The side of Roesti Potatoes is a wonderful mix of crunchy shards & fluffy strips which are truly delicious.

After my last disappointing beef cheek at Pickwick's, I decide to once again try & put this craving to bed. Slow Braised Rangers Valley Beef Cheek with Pomme Puree is just what the doctor ordered. A wonderfully rich, velvety, pull apart tender, melt in the mouth, cheek sitting beside a mound of creamy, buttery mash surrounded by a moat of dark, decadent braising liquid. Who can ask for more? It is utterly delectable. The side of Buttered Baby Carrots are a little too soft for our tastes, but they have good flavour & are quite buttery.

Buggles finishes with the Medjool Date and Pecan Pudding, Caramel and Vanilla Bean Icecream. The pudding is moist & plump full of dates. The surrounding toffee sauce is rich, golden & delicious while the vanilla icecream is lusciously creamy. This really is a perfect dessert for the wintry day.

The Chocolate Mousse (served at the table with a generous pour of cream), ends the meal ideally for me. It is a relatively dainty serve & while quite chocolatey, it isn't heavy & overly filling.

The service at Ad Lib is a bit hit & miss. It borders between disinterested & relatively friendly, depending on who is dealing with you.

This was a very enjoyable lunch & has certainly made the Buggles & Squeak "must do again" list. It is very reasonably priced with entrees ranging from $12-$32; mains from $25-$45 and all desserts a mere $12.

C'est magnifique!

Squeak

Review : Gotham

2011-06-26T14:20:00.007+10:00

35 Oxford St, Darlinghurst NSW

At the Hyde Park end of Oxford St.

Phone: 9283 1891

Email: info@gotham.net.au

Mon - CLOSED

Tue - Sat 5pm to midnight
Sun - CLOSED

As huge fans of Laif Etournaud's (ex-Onde, Bistro Moncur and Berowra Waters) style of cooking (mustard crumbed beef cheeks, anyone?), we are really keen to see what he is bringing to Gotham now that he has signed on as consultant chef.
When you add mixologist extraordinaire, Dane Reid (Jimmy Liks) to the mix....well Gotham becomes a must do destination....doesn't it?

The question proves rhetorical as Squeak and I decide to stop in for one of those midweek early dinners that help shake off the cares of the working week. With the name intrinsically entwined with a New York sensibility Gotham promises much in terms of moodiness and sophistication, so expectations are high as we step over the threshold.

Moody? Check! Sophistication? Check! However some of the nooks and crannies, fireplaces and photo frames also provide a slightly cosy and intimate atmosphere.

We immediately take to this place. The booths are spacious and look perfect for larger group gatherings, but the lounges and designer armchairs are also perfect for a catch up with friends.
Squeak and I are here solo for the drinks and tucker though, so nab a table in the middle of the room.

The menu is one that is looking increasingly familiar (and welcome) for Sydney at the moment with a number of shared plates to snack on, either as entrees or just along with a few drinks. They are all right up our alley... think Stuffed, crumbed and fried green olives, Pissaladiere, Fried parmesan stuffed Zucchini flowers and Roasted peanuts.

'Brooklyn'

'Uptown Pear'

We struggle to narrow it all down so ponder our choices whilst sipping on a couple of cocktails from mixologist Dane Reid. Gotham offers all the classic cocktail combinations that sometimes you just want to hang with, but tonight we want to sample something a little different. Squeak orders the Brooklyn - passionfruit and pineapple muddled with dark rum, tuaca and caramel. This is really good. While the fruit makes it very refreshing and light, the caramel makes it very smooth and elegant and the rum hits the spot on this crisp night. I go for the Uptown Pear which is fresh pear muddled and shaken with vodka, pear liqueur and lemon. The pear flavour is very fresh and true and goes down a treat.

We decide to order three of the share plates to start with. First to arrive are the Crisp Chicken wings with lime mayonnaise. These look really fresh and crispy! With a generous squeeze of fresh lime over the top, the flavour of these piping hot, moist, slightly spicy chicken wings is outstanding and they really hit the spot! Out of all the chicken wing options we've sampled in recent months - these are definitely the best. The lime mayo actually does taste of lime and the whole combination has us pretty keen to see what else is in store.

Next to arrive is the Pan fried Olive and Parmesan sandwich. Could this dish scream our names any louder?? It is more-ish. Nice sharp, melted parmesan with delicious salty olives. Toasted sandwiches have to almost be the perfect winter comfort food.

The final one to arrive is the Roasted field mushrooms with persillade, bone marrow and bread crumbs. The bone marrow is beautifully rich and unctuous which combines really nicely with the delicious mushrooms. The persillade provides a warming garlic hit, while the crumbs add some needed crunch. We are truly impressed by this point. For most people just a selection of the shared plates with a swag of cocktails would make the perfect night out, but we are not most people and decide to power on to see what the main options can provide.

I order the Pan fried fillet of ocean trout served with a lentil vinaigrette. After the richness of the shared plates the lentil vinaigrette zings in all the right places. It is fresh, acidic and full of great flavour. This goes really well with the ocean trout which probably has the crispiest skin I've ever encountered on a piece of fish. It is a truly delicious dish.

Squeak decides to go for something a little different for her... and chooses the steak. In this case, a Grilled Angus sirloin served with fries and a beurre marchand. The steak is tender, has great flavour and it is also seasoned to perfection. The wine butter is deliciously rich and works well with the truckload of crunchy fries on the side. She actually does not finish them all!!

We wash all of this down with two glasses of 'La Vie' Sparkling Chardonnay Pinot Noir, which I'm sure isn't 'supposed' to match with these dishes specifically - but we love it all the same.

Finally we cannot end any meal (as most should know by now) without something sweet. The options are limited at Gotham, but both sound fantastic, especially for winter. There are Warm madeleines with sauternes or a Warm Chocolate Brownie served with double cream. We just have to share dessert this time and of course my penchant for brownies wins the day! The warmth of the chocolate brownie is perhaps uneven throughout which means half of the brownie is delicously warm and gooey, while the other half is a bit dry and cold... but the warm half is amazing which goes a long way to forgiving the other bit. The pecans scattered across the brownie deserve special mention however. They are perfectly roasted which enhance their flavour, but also seem to be lightly encased in a sweet, toffeed coating which is a big, but very welcome, surprise.

Service suits the style of the place, with it striking quite a good balance between professional and friendly. The food is perfect for the intention of the space and what we find most striking is that it is relatively simple food, but made in a way to really showcase the flavour - which we love!

We leave Gotham already planning a return vist - maybe a Friday night wind down with M1 & M2.... next week perhaps!

We dined as guests of Gotham & Folke on this occasion and certainly loved our experience. If you have had a different experience, please feel free to share it here, or by all means, let us know if you enjoyed it as much as we did!

Buggles