Food Review North Shore

Review: Hugo's at Pymble

2006-08-13T11:50:00.000-12:00

Just a note before we begin - Hugo's at Pymble is not affiliated or to be confused with Hugo's Lounge, Hugo's Bar Pizza or Hugo's. And (at the risk of editorialising a disclaimer) is probably more worth your time.

Pymble is a lucky suburb. It might not be as bristling with restaurants as suburbs on the lower North Shore but it does boast both two well known restaurants - Tables and our latest discovery and subject of review; Hugo's at Pymble. Overall we had a meal worth returning to the suburb for giving credence to the old "quality over quantity" axiom (though variety is always important when it comes to dining). They do Italian food, and they do it right.

Bruschetta - always a good note to start on

The first thing to strike patrons of Hugo's would be building itself. Being situated on stilts above it's own car park and having one length consisting entirely of huge sloping windows (that's "slope-ing") it looks an odd sight to passer-bys. However, despite being a touch ugly, the unconventional building has its advantages. It offers diners easy parking and the windows lend the eating area an open feel. Which provides an interesting aesthetic contrast to the more intimate feel of the rest of the eating area, giving a sort of "best of both worlds". We've only eaten there at night so we can't comment on the view, but the large windows would be sure to capture the midday and afternoon sun completely for lunch patrons, which is never a bad thing. Plus the windows are thick enough to block out any highway noise.

Fettuccine Scure Gamberi (small) - highly recommended as either a main or entree

Thankfully, the food also has it's charms. Browsing the menu, Hugo's offers a range of dishes to suit a variety of palates while staying close to traditional Italian. Old favourites like pasta and risotto sit alongside more elaborate main courses and tantalising seafood entrees. And they taste the part too. Eating the mains its obvious that a sense of rare care and effort go into each part of their creation. Which justifies the steeper prices for those who might balk at the cost. Each main comes with a side of complimentary vegetables, which are rather killed unfortunately but do serve to fill out the already generous portions. The highlight of our meal would be the Chicken Malpolcini - a lavishly roasted chicken breast coming with a perfectly complimenting sauce. Though the charms of the Fettuccine Scure Gamberi cannot be denied to the cream brave.

That fantastic Chicken Malpolcini

Lamb Rump - beauty and brains

Unfortunately our service was not so refined as the food. Being a fairly quiet mid-week night, Hugo himself was serving the function of both maitre de and waiter. Which was fun at first, but he seemed to be in a bad mood. Questions about the food were usually followed with a grimace, large exhalation and a gruff response. We couldn't help feeling he was cold shouldering us in particular over other diners. Other patrons appeared to be receiving more attentive service and their drinks refreshments. It took us longer than it should have (and did for others) to order our food, get the dessert menu and to finally pick up the bill. Which was an unfortunate mar on the night, but the good news for diners is that he didn't seem to be doing this indiscrimately. And, for the sake of fairness, the food did come on time. Also, his honest recommendation that a salad, entree and two mains would be too much food for us was appreciated and accurate, judging by the food of other people's tables.

Hugo's Latte - Italian coffee, French style. Not vice versa. Done well too.

Overall, Hugo's at Pymble was an enjoyable dining experience for us both. Hugo's doesn't dethrone Tables as the king of Pymble, but it is not trying to either. The focus of the two restaurants is different, and our subject for this week stands tall in it's own right. It might not always do it with a smile, but Hugo's dishes out lovely portions of class and hearty Italian cuisine.

What we ate:

Bruschetta ($4.50)
Fettuccine Scure Gamberi (small) ($13.50)
Lamb Rump ($26.50)
Chicken Malpolcini ($24.90)
Side Vegetables (complimentary)
*see restaurant website below for full dish descriptions.

Hugo's at Pymble:

939 Pacific Highway,
Pymble, NSW, 2073.
(about a block or so south of Pymble train station)
+61 2 9449 7276

Related Links:

Hugo's at Pymble website
Eatability entry

Review: Totoya

2006-08-04T11:55:00.000-12:00

As far as Japanese dining in Sydney goes, Neutral Bay is something of a Mecca. Being home to one of Sydney's largest Japanese communities the suburb sports a large collection of restaurants reflecting this, a number of which predate their home cuisine coming to the forefront of trendy dining. One such is Totoya, one of the better known and customed establishments of the area. The subject of this week's culinary scrunity.

Totoya - Japanese Restaurant

The main attraction of Totoya is the variety of its menu (and of course in the execution of these dishes). Most of the usual suspects appear, with the absence of Katsus (crumbed and deep fried pork/chicken). The sushi/sashimi is particularly memorable and can even come in the novel, if cumbersome presentation of a boat. However, where Totoya really sets itself apart from the Japanese restaurant norm is in its offering a range of dishes that are otherwise quite uncommon, much like Neutral Bay's Koume. Alongside a variety of their famous Yakitori (barbeque skewers) you can find Shabu Shabu (and its sisters such as Sukiyaki), Ox Tongue, Pipis and Fish Head Stew to name a few. Not to say that these dishes are extremely obscure, but rarely do places offer as many of these more uncommon dishes than Totoya. Ontop of these, the frequently rotated specials ensure that there are often menu items that raise eyebrows.

Sushi and Sashimi on the Boat

This week's photos will tell the tale of what we ate this time. All the dishes were good with no real complaints, though we did stick to a fairly standard set of dishes. Of particular interest was the Enoki and Tofu soup from the specials menu. While modest in name and appearance, the tastes of the soup were heightened by a sliver of fish scales giving the broth a saltier overtone.

Enoki Mushrooms and Tofu Soup

While the food makes Totoya an attractive prospect, the decor unfortunately does not. Rather than the comfortable, restaurant feel one would expect, this restaurant resembles a late 1980's office with its odd atrium and fishtanks. The aesthetic is nothing that should keep you away from trying it, but it does detract from the dining experience. Also, around the restaurant there are a few nooks and crannies which have gone a long time without a dusting (particularly the shelves above the sushi bar).

Seaweed Salad - always a favourite

Chicken Karaage

Service is likewise not Totoya's highest point. Attentive service seems to be largely dependent on how visible your table is. Those seated in the outdoor area tend to be largely ignored and those sitting near the entry way will have to fight for service as the sushi bar obscures the staff view of that area. Which is disappointing because those areas are generally where the only free tables are. But, those woes aside, even at its busiest times Totoya still manages to bring the food quickly, just not always the drinks.

This Spider Roll had more pieces when it arrived (we just forgot to photograph before eating because it looked so good)

All that said though, if there were an official canon of Japanese restaurants in Neutral Bay, Totoya would definitely land its place near the top, if only for how well known it is. Despite its seemingly obscure location, Totoya is consistently filled with plenty of eager diners, many of them Japanese. Its biggest drawcard is it's more specialised menu, meaning you'll probably see things on the menu there that are new to you. While not without its flaws, Totoya's charms make it certainly worth your while.

What we ate:

Sushi and Sashimi on the Boat ($25)
Spider Roll ($7)
Seaweed Salad ($8)
Enoki Mushrooms and Tofu Soup
Chicken Karaage ($8)

Totoya:

166 Military Road,
Neutral Bay, NSW, 2089
(Off street inside an arcade. Above Jones the Grocer)
+61 2 9908 7045

Related Links:

Totoya on Eatability
A refreshingly down-to-Earth guide to sushi etiquette

Review: Tan Tawan Thai

2006-07-26T22:15:00.000-12:00

Back at last from a trip to New Zealand! Christchurch is an incredibly scenic city. Before leaving, we had dinner at our local Thai restaurant, Tan Tawan Thai...

We have been eating Tan Tawan food for about six months now, and are usually very pleased with what we've ordered. On our most recent visit, we ordered an entree of khoa tang tawan (prawn crackers served with a rich and slightly spicy chicken-prawn-coconut milk dipping sauce) gang pah moo (pork jungle curry) and a pad khing (ginger stir fry) with beef. This set of dishes did not disappoint us.

The khoa tang tawan is scrumptious with its blend of so many different flavours. The minced chicken and prawns go beautifully with coconut cream, chilli and peanut, creating a sauce that is at once savoury, spicy and sweet. The prawn crackers used to scoop up this sauce are freshly-fried too, meaning that they are served hot and crispy, providing a good contrast to the soft dip. Khoa tang tawan might not be the ideal dish for those watching their waistlines, but it is wonderful on a cold winter's night.

It must be said that the gang pah moo at Tan Tawan Thai is not the most authentic version on offer. Jungle curry is a dish which originated in the north of Thailand, where coconuts do not grow. Hence, jungle curry is meant to have a watery consistency and be extremely hot, especially since the curry is often prepared with a healthy dose of young peppercorns. Tan Tawan Thai's version of jungle curry on the other hand, does not include peppercorns and is thicker than other jungle curries we have tried, despite the fact that Tan Tawan also does not use coconut milk in the dish. The chefs at Tan Tawan must be very generous with the amount of curry paste used in their dishes. Nevertheless, their gang pah moo is still extremely delicious. Spicy, more-ish and slightly sour, the gang pah moo is absolutely laden with trimmed meat and a wide assortment of vegetables. If you can temporarily set aside your food purist instincts, this is a dish well worth trying.

Rob's personal pick from Tan Tawan is the fantastic pad khing. Known informally as the "gingers stir fry", this delicacy makes liberal use of grass mushrooms, bamboo and, of course, ginger. Its not necessarily advertised as a signature dish, but it does have a very unique quality about it that makes it a dish frequently on our tables when we visit. Best enjoyed with beef in our opinion.

The atmosphere of the restuarant represents a nice step up from most suburb Thai setups. Polished floorboards, dark wood furniture, high ceilings and tasteful decorations work in hand with scrupulous cleaning to make it a place worth eating in when possible.

But, it doesn't mean that prices are in a higher league than the competition. Prices at Tan Tawan Thai are reasonable- virtually all their mains are under $15. Portions are substantial and always provide hearty serves of meat and vegetables. The restaurant also does plenty of takeaway and home delivery, which is free for orders of at least $20. But those who pick up their own food are rewarded with a 20% discount and a kind packet of prawn crackers for the road. Bargain lunch specials are also available several weekdays (the exact days differ according to the season). For $6.50, the hungry can feast on a choice of 11 curries, stir fries and noodle dishes. Lunch special portions are smaller than dinner portions, but they definitely satisfy.

So, if you like Thai, Tan Tawan Thai is a good place to check out. Its got the old favourites as well as its own unique dishes with all ticks in the other categories. Despite the competitive prices, Tan Tawan is perfect for more formal Thai dining whether you're dining as a couple or a group.

Tan Tawan Thai:

672 Military Road,
Mosman, NSW, 2088
+61 2 9969 9407

Related Links:

Eatability's page on Tan Tawan Thai

Review: Corn Exchange

2006-07-01T14:29:00.000-12:00

We apologise for the delay in updates. What simply happened was that Rob's computer, on which all the food photos are stored, came down with a tenacious virus requiring that everything on it be reinstalled. We lost all our photos and this gave us a case of the blahs. But, we're feeling better now, and we're back. :)

Recently, we paid a visit to the Corn Exchange restaurant at the Four Points by Sheraton, Darling Harbour. Motivating us was the promise of a delectable seafood buffet lunch for $30, an offer hard to resist. It was well worth it.

As promised, there was a good variety of high-quality seafood. Crabs, lobsters, prawns and oysters were all proffered, and so were an octopus salad and a calamari salad. Sushi and sashimi were available too, though due to their being well-cut, they tended to be snapped up in a flash.

Hot food choices included roasted chicken tenderloins, pasta, fried rice and lamb shanks, but while these were decent in quality, they paled before the seafood offerings. Corn Exchange 's buffet repertoire encompasses salads, antipasto soups too, but between the seafood and the dessert bar, we unfortunately had little room for these.

The dessert bar definitely deserves a paragraph of its own. Small to bite-sized servings of cakes and pastries were artfully displayed on their own little counter; it was impossible to resist their siren song. Temptations included more European sweets like strawberry charlotte, tiramisu and mini cherry lattice pies to solid Aussie favourites like caramel slices and adorable mini lamingtons. For those not craving a sugar buzz, there was a generously chunked fruit salad with three different topping choices- passionfruit, mango or strawberry sauce. Laura especially enjoyed the fruit salad because it was apple-free and melon-rich. We also admired the cheeses, crackers and grissini sticks, but did not have much room for them.

It must be mentioned that service at Corn Exchange was highly efficient. Staff promptly cleared our empty plates from our tables, and made a point of replenishing the buffet counters. Even the popular sushi and sashimi platters were not bare for long at any one time.

The main drawback of Corn Exchange would have to be its interior. The interior was pleasant enough, but rather bland and showing signs of age. The views, even from the al fresco terrace, were uninspiring. The price of the buffet might also cause potential guests to hesitate. Because of a special promotion for June and July, we paid a reasonable $30 per person for the lunch buffet. However, the regular price for the lunch buffet is $50-55 per person, no small sum to spend on a lunch. The promotional dinner price is $40, and the regular price upwards of $70.

Nonetheless, the Corn Exchange buffet was still of a high standard. Price is quite a personal factor, so the regular buffet prices might not be a great concern for other diners. But the June-July promotion is definitely something that everyone should take advantage of. Just be sure to mention the promotion when making reservations, otherwise the regular rate will apply.

Corn Exchange Restaurant
Four Points by Sheraton
161 Sussex Street
Darling Habour NSW 2000

Tel : 02 9290 4816
Fax : 02 9290 4040

Event: Sydney Good Food and Wine Show 2006

2006-06-25T18:52:00.000-12:00

A poorly organised rip-off where the consumer is the ultimate loser.

As far as opinions on the Good Food and Wine Show go, you probably won't have to look far to find them. It seemed like most of Sydney was at the show. There are few good things we have to say about it, so we'll get them out of the way early. If you go on Sunday afternoon, most prices are down to about 30% of the original or less.

Which doesn't automatically mean its a good value day out. We are still scratching our heads as to why we had to pay $20 entry. We got some great deals because it was Sunday afternoon, but looking at the high original prices its simply insulting that you have to pay to get the opportunity to pay for them. Sure you've probably heard "there's good samples" but that is a lie - all but a small few of the samples we received were lazy, uninspired thimble sized portions of nothing to write home about. And the free all you can drink alcohol? Yeah right. You have to line up to get a shot glass sized beer or wine. The patience of that guy guarding the Holy Grail in Indiana Jones is required to get even one standard drink worth of stuff. Unless of course you pay even more money to buy a glass to take from stall to stall. If you have one of them the vendors may be a touch more generous with their serves.

As busy as rush hour traffic and as much fun.

The stalls were a total letdown too. 95% of them were an utter waste of time. We're still wondering how acupunture stalls and a stall selling Crocs managed to buy floorspace. Last time I checked no one is eating hypodermic needles or rubber sandals for dinner (well maybe this guy). The food stalls were passable. Ones dedicated to things like Sun Rice, Batlow apples, Lee Kum Kee sauces, Kikkoman soy sauce and Sam Remo Pasta had us wondering if we were in some kind of horribly laid out IGA. Most of the stuff could be found in supermarkets. If you wont find it there you'll probably find it at any deli. So what if they have a demonstration - if you like food enough to go to an event like this I'm sure you already know how to cook chicken in a wok. Unless of course its one of the stalls selling garbage like $8 wine glass holders you can put around your neck.

The worst part about it all? The crowds. The show was busier than a New York methodone clinic. It took me five minutes to walk 80 meters to line up for 30 minutes to use the ATM. Getting a sample of something involves barging your way through a throng of people, pushing and cutting others off to get a thumbnail sized sample of cheese. Its virtually impossible to get around even before you are carrying anything. No vendors have the time to talk to you as at any given stall there will be eight other people waving money at them or shouting questions or demanding free samples. This kind of treatment would be acceptable at a free show but not when the attendees have to pay $20 to get in.

Our haul. Approximately $70.

To be fair to the Good Food and Wine Show, it had some good moments. We found and bought stuff we are looking forward to cooking and eating (mostly because they were reduced to a reasonable price because the show was almost over). The Lilydale Free Range Chicken stall was well organised and thoughtful to the patrons. It gets our thumbs for the best sample, followed closely by Rosita wraps. But the perks are few and far between. Certainly not enough to redeem the show from being an insulting waste of time. Instead of this, go to a local market instead where vendors will take the time to answer questions and you don't feel like you are fighting the Battle of Stirling to get from one stall to the next. Food (even the buying of it) to us is all about relaxing, socialising and enjoyment. Not this exhausting chaos.

Its a food and wine show. Just not a good one.

Sydney Good Food and Wine Show 2006:

Sydney Exhibition Centre
June 23-25, 2006

Related Links:

Suyin's thoughts on the show
Beverley's write up
Grab Your Fork: scroll down to "She Cooks, She Shops" for coverage of worthwhile markets in Sydney.

Review: Corbino's Ristorante

2006-06-24T10:59:00.000-12:00

Pasta was once a great Aussie staple. I remember a time when every Sydney-sider had at least some handle on the Italian language thanks to their menus. As time passed the popularity of Pasta Carbonara was replaced by Pad Thais and Sushis. We (being on the cutting edge of trendy dining as uni students can be) all but dropped Italian off our regular rotation of cuisines. Corbino's Ristorante is a place we had seen consistently populated so our curiousity was piqued. Thanks to us finally trying this little gem, we have a feeling that our dietary lack of Italian is about to change.

Corbino's menu is a crowd pleaser, offering a wide variety of pastas, meat dishes, pizzas and daily specials. As a nice touch, most of these are immediately available as either an entree or a main which adds variety to the entree list. Prices for mains vary between about $12 for a simple spaghetti bolognese and $24 for a bowl of mussels. Which is very reasonable considering the large size that the portions come in. Even the entrees might be enough to fill some people up. And fianlly, like any good Italian place, Corbino's offers BYO and a well fleshed out drinks list.

Our meal started with a triple hit of herb bread, calamari aglio and a "small" marinated vegetable salad. Breads and the (huge) salad were nice but the calamari aglio was the real star of our entrees. "Aglio" meaning "garlic" in Italian, this stew-like dish was suitably warming and worth the higher price. In the midst of the thick soupy tomato and garlic were tender pieces of calamari that were generously portioned. After the lovely entrees, we were well and truly settled in. About half full also but ready to tackle the mains none-the-less.

Up till that point food had been fast coming and the service without a hitch. Unfortunately, things hit a slight bump as our mains took evidently longer to come than usual (we waited about 30 minutes from when we finished our entrees). However, our waiter was extremely apologetic, which we appreciated. And we were treated to free bread and dip during the wait, which we appreciated even more. The wait did not bother us because it was quite apparent to us that this did not happen often. Also, the size of our entrees ensured we had little to feel hungry about in that time. The atmosphere of Corbino's helped tide things over too with its soothing and warm nature. A small inside area is offered but the al fresco area is much more popular, even on a cold winter night thanks to the efficient heating. An atmosphere that hits a strange balance of casualness, intimacy and comfort is rare but Corbino's nails it dead on.

Once our mains did come we both had the same thought: "Whoa, there goes dessert". Indeed, after we were done with our massive Lasagne al Forno and Pizza Forio we had little room for sweets we were thinking of earlier with envy. Both our mains are highly recommended by us. The Pizza Forio had some lovely honey mustard chicken and pesto as its standouts and was cooked in a perfect middleground of crisp and moist. Lasagne was great too. However, that dessert menu we mentioned earlier was incredibly tempting offering a wide range of gelato, lemon meringue pie, apple pie, tiramasu and hazelnut cheesecake. Judging from what we saw being brought out to other diners the desserts continue with the generous portions. Despite the allure, we decided even against taking home because we were so full from our mains and probably wouldn't have been able to eat them that night.

Corbino's Ristorante recalls a time in Sydney dining when pasta was king. Unlike high school, this nostalgic journey is pleasant and well worth your time. Good service, good food and a wonderful atmosphere worked to ensure we left smiling. Those dining in big groups or with children are well considered and looked after by the staff. Grab a bottle of wine, grab some friends on empty stomachs and check out Corbino's for some good old Italian. Plenty of people are eating there every night and so should you. It was a great night overall and it costed no more than around $25 p/h.

What we had:

Herb Bread ($2.70)
Small Marinated Vegetables, Olives and Bocconcini Salad ($6.90)
Calamari Aglio ($13)
Lasagne al Forno with Bolognaise Sauce ($12)
Pizza Forio ($14)

Corbino's Ristornate:

Shop 8/3 Vista St,
Mosman, NSW, 2088
(near Video Ezy Mosman)
+61 2 9960 7454

Related Links:

Corbino's Ristorante on North Shore Dining Guide
Map with Corbino's marked (taken from google images)

Review: Ramen Kan Chatswood

2006-06-17T10:52:00.000-12:00

Back in the days when I worked in Bondi Junction I ate take-away from Ramen Kan about three days a week. Laura introduced me to the wonderful casual dining Japanese restaurant sometime last year and I was hooked. Its an addiction that spread quickly to my colleagues and to my waistline. Its been a while since we have had the pleasure of their food again so naturally we were both quite excited to learn that Ramen Kan had come this side of the bridge. A store has opened Chatswood (the others are in Haymarket and Bondi Junction) and we are proud to report that all the goodness of Ramen Kan food has made the cross-bridge translation. The Chatswood place manages to strike that same balance of quality food, casual dining and value albeit with a few teething problems.

As the name suggests, Ramen Kan's menu has a ramen focus but for all we've eaten at their restaurants we have only had their ramen once. In fact that was the day of this review and the verdict was that its good. Its just that the rest of the menu has always been more tantalising to us. Which is a large and varied spread of entrees, salads, soups, meat dishes, rice dishes, noodle dishes and at Haymarket desserts. Sushi and sashimi options make their way onto the menu but are a bit of a let down. Overall though, the dishes are done well and most get the thumbs up. We don't know how it works, but they seem to have a special magic about them that makes them more tasty than their counterparts elsewhere.

They come out much more voluminous than the price would suggest. Price has always been a drawcard of Ramen Kan and the Chatswood prices stay that way. Diners looking for a cheaper alternative will love Kan since they will be able to fill themselves cheaply. Mains cost between $8.50 for the simple rice dishes (like Oyaku Don) and $12 for the more elaborate seafood dishes. Unfortunately, you get less for your money at Chatswood because of the lack of table service. Their restaurants in Haymarket and Bondi Junction provide it so its a bit of a letdown that Chatswood does not. Hell, even Kenta has table service and you can feed an army there for under $20. Not to digress though, the money is still worth paying because the dishes are basically the same as what you'll get in their other stores in quality and quantity. Which is definitely a good thing. Just look at our three massive pieces of Agedashi Tofu for $4.50!

However, to keep the comparison with Kenta alive, Ramen Kan are known to provide much more comfortable surroundings than the mess-hallesque tables of Kenta. Which is another aspect which the Chatswood arm disappoints in. Both Bondi Junction and Haymarket are recognisable for their snazzy interiors but Chatswood's is a bit of an aesthetic mess. Which is a disappointment because of how well the other ones score in this regard. Things feel dark inside and the chairs and tables were not as clean as we'd hope. The open nature of the storefront mean things get fairly cold inside when the storefront is open. However, one thing it does have that the others lack is an al fresco area that gets plenty of sun. Its nice even in the colder weather but it will be great when the weather heats up.

A thing also unique to Chatswood is the service. Not only do they not provide table service, but when we went there was only one waiter for the restaurant. We are not sure if they usually understaff or if they got more business than anticipated, but the poor guy was kept very busy. He did a admirable job too and got things done, we must say. But while he had all hands tied taking orders, making drinks or bringing food the out the plates piled up on vacated tables. Another waiter would help the service out. Which is more for the waiter's sake the customer's because we did get served quite efficiently despite it all.

But the food is great. This review is not meant to scare you from Ramen Kan because the food is what its all about. Whatever you get there, expect to get a quality dish. We have a particular fondness for the wonderful seaweed salad, anything with the word "katsu" in it, the rice dishes (the dons) and the agedashi tofu. The sauces tend to be especially lovely. I wish we were able to replicate the fantastic dressing on the tofu or the salad. It would go on everything. Most dishes usually have things on the side that make them nice. In the case of our katsu curry, we got a side salad and some lovely red pickled radish. However, we would give a warning against the seafood dishes. The sushi/sashimi are underwhelming and the grilled salmon tastes odd. We had a seafood ramen and were disappointed about the lack of seafood. Aside from a couple of prawns and clams, the rest of the seafood consisted of crab stick and fish balls. So stick to the land meats for the best meal.

Overall, Ramen Kan makes the grade. This review has pointed out a few annoying things, but it is more that we have such an affection for them that these little things make an impact. That affection, though, is well earned. What we like most about the Bondi Junction and Haymarket ones, the wonderful food, has made it to Chatswood without a blemish. The service is speedy and the value good. Haymarket and Bondi Junction are better, but its worth your time and money, even if just for take-away.

What we ate:

Seaweed Salad ($5.90)
Agedashi Tofu ($4.50)
Kaisen Ramen ($12.90)
Pork Katsu Curry + Side Salad ($9.90)

Ramen Kan Chatswood:

Shop 6/272 Victoria Ave,
Chatswood, NSW, 2067
(opposite Video Ezy. Near the Victoria Ave entrance to the Chatswood Chase carpark)
+61 2 9411 8010

Related Links:

Ramen Kan Chatswood on Eatability
Grab Your Fork review of Ramen Kan Haymarket (lovely photos but remember that interior and crockery is different at Chatswood)

Review: Mino

2006-06-10T00:03:00.000-12:00

Welcome to this week's review. This time it is the fantastic Mino. You'll forgive us that we cannot remember the exact ingredients of every dish because they were rather complex and we had different set menu meals. On a different note, I know what you guys are thinking right now, and yes, we are aware how many Japanese (and Thai) places we review, but never fear because the cuisines will diversify soon. However, we could not resist bringing you a slice of Mino ...

Mino is the North Shore's answer to Darlinghurst's Rise. Both are modern Japanese places made famous by their set menu degustations but also offer a la carte and both are very fine places. However, the food at Mino is noticeably more traditional than Rise's and the restaurant experience is superior in almost every way. Which is not to put Rise down, its just that Mino is really that good.

First of all, Mino's set menu is not as strictly set as you might think (in fact, they are actually Kaiseki Banquets if you want to get technical). Diners are offered the choice of two slightly different banquets (either the Mino or Goshu) as well as their choice of a main course from a selection of about eight very different items. Also, depending on the night of the week, the banquet will either send you back $40 or $55. The more expensive nights of the week will earn you an extra entree dish as well as an extra dessert. These pictures are from last Friday, a $55 night, though we have experienced both and they are both stunning value. The $40 banquet is the better of the two pricewise, though the $55 is good too.

Everything is just so good that we could write a thesis long review (which for your sakes we won't). Lets begin with the food. Describing Mino's Kaiseki Banquets as five course will mislead people. While there are five courses listed on the menu, some of them can be considered as multi-course. For example, the entree is compromised of four small dishes and a soup. And boy, are they nice. The appetiser you'll receive to kick things off will be either a seared sea urchin and salmon roll with egg yolk dressing and roe (above) or a seared prawn and seaweed salad (below). Both are exquisite, but we agree the modest sounding prawn salad was a tad more refined.

We'd like to give you an idea of the high quality of the food. Take for example the entrees. Rob's Goshu set entree had, amongst grilled barramundi, a scallop and prawn salad, thick salmon and eggplant soup, fried white fish and tartar salad the most amazing soft shell crab we've ever tried. It had so much meat it tasted almost strange to the palate at first, but it didn't take long for its true flavour to soak through.

Which is not to say that Laura's Wagyu Beef, vegetable tempura and seared scallop with roe salad, entree course (pictured above) did not impress equally. It was just as fantastic. Over the course of our visits we've both become particularly attached to the seared scallop with roe salad, which you can see in the top left of the picture above. It was inevitable that it would be shared amongst us quite vigorously.

The mains are an interesting talking point when it comes to Mino. Purely looking at the menu, they can seem underwhelming. Courses leading up to it are described in quite elaborate detail and are all very unique whereas the mains tend to be more modestly described and familiar. Mains include Chicken Katsu, Sukiyaki, Hot Pot, Salmon/Chicken Teriyaki, Grilled Eel, Kobe Steak, a Sushi Platter or Grilled Swordfish. Listings like this might lead you to mistakenly believe your main will be fairly simple. Nothing could be more wrong. Nowhere that we have seen makes these dishes anywhere near as well as Mino. For example, the Hot Pot, which we had on an earlier visit, contained fresh abalone! Its how Mino manages to completely transcend what you usually expect from these dishes that makes the mains so stunning rather than the sublimity of their concept.

To demonstrate the quality touch further, take the miso soups. They are made using red miso paste - a type of miso much more expensive and rich tasting than the standard light brown miso you'll find in all but a few restaurants. Every component of every course is made using incredibly fresh and stunning ingredients. Even the sides of pickles with the main. The quality ingredients push Mino from striking to fantastic.

By this stage you have witnessed a taste of Mino's presentation. Like the restaurant itself, the food is presented with equal parts modesty and style. Photos really don't do the food total justice, but each course is very pretty and comes out with their own intricate cutlery and crockery. Even the most heathen of people will be stunned at the array of beautiful crockery you eat with at Mino. The dishes are shaped with intense sensitivity to their aesthetics and they hit their mark bang on.

Deservingly, the food gets the bulk of this review but to overlook the other aspects of would be a shame. The service is impeccable for the most part. Staff are incredibly polite, knowledgeable of the foods and drinks and speak good enough English that I was able to get my oyster sashimi substituted for kingfish without a hiccup. If you are eating the set menu here, expect things to take a bit of time as each course is made on the spot for you. Eating after 8pm generally ensures each dish comes out speedily as most tables are finishing up but even still expect to spend over three hours in Mino. But does that time fly. The overall feel of the place is homely and warm. Some might wrongfully interpret the decor as barren and plain, but look closely and you'll see that everything in the restaurant is carefully chosen to give off a warm, peaceful feel. Which it does perfectly.

Oddly enough, try to drink as much water as possible when you go to Mino because even going to the bathroom is a fun experience. If you wish to go, the staff will direct you to a side door where you walk a step stone path through a Japanese rock garden into a quaint outhouse. Though this outhouse isn't small and dingy. Like the restaurant itself, the bathroom feels like one you'd find in a well maintained guest bathroom. It gives off that same warm feel and you can't help but feel at home there.

If you have even a slight interest in Japanese food, there is no "if" about Mino. The question is "when". You can usually get a booking by calling a few hours in advance (do not hesitate to use their answering machine because they do get back to you). Despite being mostly set menu, they are not picky about when you book for, as oppose to Rise which do only two seatings a night. We even managed to get a booking for 9:30pm on a weeknight a few months ago. We strongly encourage you to try Mino. After weighing up the dining experience and the value, Mino comes out as one of Sydney's best restaurants. Mosman's best kept secret.

What we ate:

Kaiseki Banquet (Mino) with Sukiyaki Main $55
Kaiseki Banquet (Goshu) with Salmon Teriyaki Main $55

Mino:

521 Military Road,
Mosman, NSW, 2088
(opposite Hotel Mosman)
+61 2 9960 3351

Related Links:

Mino on Eatability
Good Living Review from 12.2005 (good interior photo)

Advice: Choosing a restaurant for your first date

2006-06-08T16:54:00.000-12:00

Today we've got something a little different for those of you who are stumped on where to go on a first date. There will be a full review with pictures up later this week, but for now, brush up on your human skills ...

A lot hinges on a first date. In many ways, it is a first impression. Sure, you might know the person from work or uni, but the first date is your chance to say "hey, this is a window into what our future could be like" rather than "hey, can I see your lecture notes". Everything you do on a first date sends out a message. Especially the restaurant you choose.

First dates are something requiring careful thought and planning no matter how modest. However, that's not to say they should not go well. In fact, with a few tips, they might go perfectly. Sit back, get a mug of chicory and stay comfortable as Laura and Rob, experts of love, take you through some practical advice for dating with the Definitive Guide to First Date Restaurants.

Eleven simple steps to selecting a perfect date restaurant.

Which cuisine?
No matter how strong the male tendency is to impress your date with your knowledge of niche foods, don't. Guys, refrain from this, please. The food may daunt your date and you might come off as pompous. Not to say all foreign food will do this or anything, but be careful. Ask yourself the following questions. What if my date doesn't like ethnic food? What if everything on the menu looks too fatty and they don't want anything? We say play it safe and go for Mod Aus or Bistro food. Chances are the menu will be familiar enough that they won't feel daunted by the food and also there will be a salad option for the waist conscious.

How expensive should the date be?
Many guys I know have an urge to impress the hell out of their date by taking them to the most expensive place they know. While this usually comes from an understandable place, they often end up intimidating their dates. Girls should remember that the guy is paying. Neither party should want the guy to leave without his life savings. Don't be excessive and order $500 bottles of wine but don't be stingy either. The middle ground is fairly large so it shouldn't be too hard to find the right price. For students, we'd put the target range at about $30 a head. For working professionals we'd bump that up to $50-60 per person. Those prices are without drinks. And, remember to leave a tip. Collecting even the small change is a bad look.

The service must be good.
Your date will have as many questions about you as you have of them. Unfortunately, it is inevitable that some of these are going to be answered by where you take them. Be certain that the service at your place says good things about you. In particular, be careful of places that mess up orders or deliver food at different times. Or places where the staff are generally rude. It can be very embarrassing for both parties if the service at a place is offensive.

If your date takes you to a place where this guy is working: run.

What should the atmosphere be like?
Contrary to what a lot of people will tell you, try not to aim for a romantic place on the first date. Remember, you are getting to know this person not trying to score with them (yet). Instead, try to go for a more casual place but keep in mind that people tend to dress nice for first dates so don't go somewhere like your local Pizza Hut where you will feel overdressed. It is important that the restaurant allows for conversation. As cool as it would make you (not) look to go to a place that has Adler's Appetite as a house band, how are you going to talk? On the flip side, a dead quiet place may also render conversation just as impossible because of the fear that the waitstaff will hear every word.

Is it easy to bail?
Worst case scenario - the date is going horrible and you want a quick exit. As unlikely as you may think it, don't rule out the possibility of finding out that your date is into cosplay. Make sure that you aren't locked into a three hour long meal in this case. Our advice is to go somewhere that food comes quickly enough so you can wrap up the meal without leaving half your meal on the plate which will definately offend the other party.

Is it easy to stay?
What if the date is going really well and you both want to stay for hours? Make sure you aren't taking your date to a place where the staff will shuffle you out once things are getting cozy and smooth. Places with dessert options help facilitate this. Plus, desserts have an added romantic bonus since girls always want to share. Just like Lady and the Tramp but with ice cream.

Take note the dog has made the mistake of taking her to a pasta joint. Many Italian places don't offer salad options and might be unpleasant for the diet inclined.

Location?
Factors that affect this include public transport, availability of parking and whether or not the restaurant is easy to find. The last thing you want on a first date is to have your date turn up 20 minutes late because you choose a restaurant that your date cannot get to easily. Or even worse, you turn up late to the date which you initiated. You might also want to select something on a neutral territory, perhaps a suburb halfway between where you live. Either way, no matter how confident you are in your choosing of the location, leave a little extra time to get there in case of traffic or parking issues.

Who pays?
This shouldn't need to be said (if only because it was stated earlier). Chances are that the girl, unless she Germaine Greer, has put a whole lot of money and effort into her appearance. Guys, don't be deterred by her objections: you must pay. Only change this if you are dating a volatile left winger found at a political rally and you fear for your safety if you dare impose the hetero-patriachy on her by paying.

Its no accident that the hands in this photo are clearly masculine.

The bathroom must be nice.
Only the guys really need an explanation here. The female is going to want to go to the bathroom touch up her make-up or phone their stand-by friend to let them know that her date isn't a serial killer. Preferable if the bathrooms are divided into male/female so they can do this where other people in the bathroom understand.

Reservations are a good idea.
Not all places take reservations, sure, but unless you are 100% confident that you will get a table then book ahead if you can. Also, there may be a particular table you want so see if you can get that. It also shows your date that you have thought ahead and, lets face it, everyone feels a little special when they know a restaurant is expecting them. Avoid places which get so busy that they don't even take reservations such as Billy Kwong or Wasavie (which you need to be careful of anyway because of the ethnic food principle).

Our picks:
Ramen Kan, Bondi Junction
For students only, will make others look stingy. Sure the food is Japanese but its got everything else down pact. Easy to get to good atmosphere, salad options, good variety of food, unintimidating etc. Hell, go here even if you aren't on a date because it's a nice place.

Northbridge Bistro
This place gets every point smack on. You are virtually guaranteed a good date here.

The General Store Cafe
The residents of Ramsay Street can't be wrong.

Final words: This guide is meant to help you with dating, not scare you from it. Have fun on your dates. You might be eating with the love of your life.

Got anywhere good to recommend or anything to add? Any funny stories about first date disaster restaurants? Feel free to leave a comment below. We'd love to hear.

*Disclaimer: No guides to dating, whether they are written by Wilt Chamberlain or David Lee Roth are totally foolproof. Take our advice with a pinch of chicken salt. However, we did think a lot about this. Images contained in this page found using Google.

Review: Thai @ Mosman

2006-06-03T15:00:00.000-12:00

Ignore the horribly dated ".com era" name because Thai @ Mosman makes a great addition to the collection of Thai restaurants around Mosman. Since first trying Thai @ Mosman some months ago, it has been a regular place for us to visit when we are looking to eat casually or get some fresh Thai delivered to our door.

While the meals served are fairly basic (though no more so than most casual Thai places) they are of good quality. The meats, vegetables and seafoods used in the dishes are all fresh and prepared well. A pleasing variety of ingredients are also used. A seafood stir-fry for instance will usually have prawns, octopus, fish fillet and mussels on the plate alongside their usual veggies which include beans, carrots, broccoli, snowpeas, capsicum and sometimes even pumpkin. Its refreshing to know that even though you might be getting the same dishes you can find elsewhere, Thai @ Mosman is doing them to a high standard.

Thankfully, portions are large enough that you can appreciate the diversity of ingredients. Lunchtime value is particularly good with the prices of stir fries, curries, laksas and noodle dishes dropped anywhere from two to six dollars depending on the meat you choose. Outside of the lunch specials menu there are the usual Thai salads as well as a section of "Chef Suggests" which is worth looking at, especially the newly discovered "Great Ocean Road #5" concoction - fried atlantic salmon and green papaya salad. If you're a fan of battered fish, try the Fish Fillet with Tamarind Sauce and Cashewnut Salad. You won't be disappointed. Lunchtime tends to be a quiter than dinner at Thai @ Mosman so food will come a little quicker than at other times.

Which is not to say that Thai @ Mosman is slow. Even at dinner when they have a multitude of take-away and eat-in orders to get through the food manages to come without much of a wait. Atmosphere-wise the place lends itself more to casual eating so don't use Thai @ Mosman as a first dater. Save it for the third or fourth if you must. But it is a clean and presentable place. Refreshingly good heating and air conditioning systems mean it is cool is summer and cozy in winter.

A couple of things need to mentioned about Thai @ Mosman though. We have two cavets about the menu. Unless you have a tongue and stomach made of iron, avoid anything listed on the menu with a chilli next to it. We don't generally consider ourselves to be chilli sensitive, but there are some lethally hot dishes on the menu. If you do want to tempt things and go for the hotter items, we suggest avoiding the Chilli and Basil Stir Fry and the Sambal Stir Fry as these tend to be the most dangerous. The second caveat is that their tofu can taste slightly odd. If we order a vegetarian item, we tend to ask them to substitute the tofu with more of the other veggies.

Also, ordering home delivery from Thai @ Mosman can be something of an ordeal. The kitchen can get quite noisy so not only do you have to compete with that noise, but the people at Thai @ Mosman can often have difficulty taking down addresses. Be prepared to spell out the letters in the name of your street Wheel of Fortune style. On the positive side, we tend to regularly order home delivery anyway because it comes very quickly. Granted, we live not far from Thai @ Mosman but still, the food will always come hot. Plus its a free service that we are certain attracts a lot of well earned business.

Chances are that if you live in Mosman and are anything like us, then you already have your favourite local Thai place. Thai on the lower North Shore is abundant enough to allow that. However, if you are wanting to discover a new place to eat, then give Thai @ Mosman a try. As far as we are concerned, Thai @ Mosman is the best casual Thai place in Mosman (followed closely by Tan Tawan Thai). Check it out sometime.

What we ate:

Tom Yum Goong ($7.90)
BBQ Beef ($6.90)
BBQ Lamb ($6.90)
Massaman Curry Beef ($7.50 lunch/$11.90 dinner)
Seafood and Thai Herbs Stir Fry ($9.50 lunch/$14.90 dinner)
Chicken Jungle Curry ($7.50 lunch/$11.90 dinner)
Chicken Pad See Iw ($7.50 lunch/$11.90 dinner)

Thai @ Mosman:

Shop 7, 713-715 Military Road,
Mosman, NSW, 2088
(cnr of Gouldsbury St)
+61 2 9969 7922

Related Links:

Thai @ Mosman on Eatability (listed as "Thai at Mosman")

Mini-Review: Naya Cafe

2006-05-31T13:35:00.000-12:00

Don't worry, there will be a full review with pictures coming later this week, but for now we've got an exciting new cafe in Spit Junction, Mosman to recommend ...

To say that Spit Junction, Mosman is an area with as many cafes as people is barely an exaggeration. Every time we stroll about this area we find more and more cafes. Some clearly visible but there are many more tucked away in various niches. Its a competitive cafe market to say the least.

The cafe scene's youngest establishment, Naya Cafe is a great addition and worth your time. A varied menu with everything from cous cous salads to club sandwiches to all day breakfasts and pastas. Also noteworthy is the refreshingly eclectic daily specials menu (ever heard of momo?) .

There are plenty of other reasons to try Naya including good Italian style coffee (one of the few places that does Vittoria Oro justice), good value portions and nice staff. The owners are genuinely nice people and have always made us feel very welcome. Oh, did we mention that Naya has fresh loaves of Infinity Sourdough for $5 each?

We feel concern for Naya because it is in a shopfront that has had some ill luck in the past. It's location previously housed the sadly short lived Star Fusion (an Italian restaurant ran by ex-Machiavelli chef of seven years Sacha De-Brunel, who is sorely missed round here) . But considering how good Naya is there is no reason business shouldn't take off.

Try Naya out if you are in the area. Its a lovely cafe and could do with a few more customers.

Naya Cafe:

3A Spit Road,
Mosman, NSW, 2088
(basically on the cnr of Spit Rd and Clifford St,
near where the bustop and kebab store are)

+61 2 9969 9006

Related Links:

Map on Google Maps

Review: Flavours of Peking

2006-05-27T10:10:00.000-12:00

Despite being one of the North Shore's less conspicuous suburbs Castlecrag has, amongst other things, a good mod-Aus restaurant, good Thai, an impressive bottle-shop, Simon Johnson, the wonderful Ganache French Patisserie and Flavours of Peking to boot. The neighbouring suburbs must be sneering with envy.

Those coming to Castlecrag for the first time may have trouble finding Flavours of Peking. The entry to the larger-than-it-looks restaurant sits tucked away in a corner of the local shopping arcade (next to Simon Johnson incidentally). It's not in a location that attracts streetwalkers, but that doesn't stop Flavours of Peking from drawing respectable crowds most nights (and days) of the week.

And for anyone who has tried their food this will come as no surprise. Flavours of Peking serves some of the best Chinese food on the North Shore. Apparently their dumplings enjoy a well-known reputation (according to the Sun Herald's review as quoted on their take-away menu) that they more than live up to. Try to not be amazed at the modest sounding Vegetarian Dumplings. All the pastries (including our lovely Pork and Prawn Buns) are handmade and contain a far richer variety of ingredients than their entries on the menu would lead you to believe.

Other dishes fail to disappoint. Rob has been a long time customer and swears by their Lo Han Chai - an eccentric mix of various mushrooms, greens and ginger. A must try if you make it to Flavours of Peking. Although the dumplings and the Lo Han Chai were the highlights for us, the other food was great in it's own right as well. The $18.80 price might seem a bit steep for the Peking Shredded Beef, but it came in a mountain that scaled it's price. Which is true of the other dishes we tried. All came in large portions. We could have received half of what we ordered and still left full. We would recommend every dish we had to other diners.

An added bonus of Flavours of Peking is that it caters toward those who are usually restaurant-challenged - big groups and families with young children. In fact, because of the size of the dishes and their skill in catering to big groups, we actually recommend that you rustle a big group together if you can.

Not everything about Flavours of Peking matches the high standard the food sets. Nothing about the restaurant qualifies as bad, but a couple of things could use improvement. The atmosphere of Flavours of Peking could use a little more warmth. We don't mean just in colour either - during winter the large eating area can get a little cold. Its probably best to share dishes because they tend to come out at different times. Sometimes our teapot was left just long enough to be an annoyance before it was replaced however, to be fair to the service - it did seem much busier than normal for a Wednesday night so other diners may not experience the same.

We had a fantastic time eating at Flavours of Peking - just look at the mess we made. The food was great and I can't remember the last time I felt this full of such good food (oh, now I do) and for only approximately $30 p/p! Castlecrag has it's fair share of hidden treasures and Flavours of Peking shines proud along with them.

Highly recommended.

What we ate:

Beef and Egg Flower Soup ($6.00)
Vegetarian Dumplings ($13.80)
Prawn and Pork Buns ($12)
Peking Shredded Beef ($18.80)
Peking Noodles with Meat Sauce ($12.80)
Lo Han Chai ($15.80)

Flavours of Peking:

100 Edinburgh Road,
Castlecrag, NSW, 2068
+61 2 9958 3288

Related Links:

Flavours of Peking on Eatability

Dumplings of Wikipedia

Review: Northbridge Bistro

2006-05-21T17:46:00.000-12:00

Hi again - its been quite a week in our culinary world. We came across a lovely establishment this week that we recommend trying out. Our photos didn't turn out the best, but don't let that deter you from the Northbridge Bistro ...

From the outside, Northbridge seems to have a very placid food scene compared to it's relatively lively surrounding suburbs such as Cremorne and Castlecrag. It would be a crime not to mention Northbridge food and the fantastic Tokyo Mart supermarket in the same sentence and while there are places here and there to grab a bite, no one restaurant seems to make a big splash. No restaurant except the Northbridge Bistro that is. This Mod-Aus gem targets itself at a more refined level of diners and distinguishes itself as one of the classiest places to eat on the North Shore. Though the food comes at a cost some might not like paying, we thought it was a price well worth paying. We'll pass on other's advice and recommend reservations though business seemed fairly quiet when we were there so we were able to show without reservations. But we have been told by other diners that tables tend to fill up quickly.

Beware that the Northbridge Bistro sits in deceptive surroundings. It shares the building of the Northbridge Lounge which immediately gives off the air of a low key - thongs and jeans affair. After making our way through the casual smoking area of the bar, we were surprised as a hidden vista of tastefully decorated furniture and class opened before us. If you've ever been to Fratelli Paradiso in Potts Point, it should be immediately clear where the Northbridge Bistro takes it's aesthetic inspiration from. Which is certainly not a bad thing. The darkwood tables and lovely polished floorboards contrasted elegantly with the neatly laid out candles, napkins, cutlery and salt and pepper dishes. Its similar to Fratelli but the colours are lighter so it has a bit more of a homely feel. A mirror with the daily specials dominated one wall and gave the dining area a larger feel.

Not that it was not a big enough to begin with. Inside there was probably room for more than 60 people (we roughly estimate) and a respectably sized al-fresco area gave an option for those not wanting to soak up the atmosphere inside. We cannot comment on how it is like when it is filled to capacity, but when we dined there were more than enough staff to attend to us. The service was professional, friendly and fairly quick. It was a tad weird having the rather extensive specials list read to us (especially since we sat right under it) but no biggie. We ordered only mains and sides, which we waited maybe 20 minutes for, so things aren't overly snappy but they were far from slow.

But the wait was certainly worth it. Unfortunately the lighting didn't lend itself well to good photos, but take our word that the dishes looked an tasted great. Laura's Penne with Chorizo Ragout and Vegetables was delicious. The flavours were well balanced and the portion size was very generous. Being a large dish and also the cheapest main (at $17) it seems to be the value pick. Toward the bottom of the bowl it did become apparent that it was a little oilier than some may prefer.

Rob got himself one of the daily specials. A Veal Rump with Roasted Parsnips, Baby Carrots, Creamy Mash and Veal Jus. It was as palatable as it sounds and came artfully presented with the parsnips and carrot resting like a tent above the mash and veal slices. It was worth the $27 price tag and we wouldn't think twice about recommending it to anyone who sees it on the specials board. A generous side serving of Roasted Potatoes Seasoned with Tarragon which we finished, but barely. Both of us left full and satiated. As mentioned earlier, we didn't order any entrees but they looked fantastic. At $15 they weren't cheap but I'm sure we'll get back there soon to try items such as the homemade duck pate.

We recommend the Northbridge Bistro for those wanting a lovely Mod-Aus meal in an equally lovely setting. It's a more expensive way to eat out, but one well worth your while trying. Especially recommended for larger groups.

What we ate:

Roast Potatoes with Tarragon ($6)
Penne with Chorizo Ragout ($17)
Veal Rump with Roasted Parnsips, Baby Carrots, Creamy Mash and Veal Jus ($27)

Northbridge Bistro:

57 Strathallen Ave,
Northbridge, NSW, 2063
+ 61 2 9958 5228

Related Links:

Northbridge Bistro on Eatability

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Event: Northside Produce Market

2006-05-20T11:40:00.000-12:00

Every third Saturday the normally deserted North Sydney CBD comes abuzz from 8 till 12 as the Northside Produce Market draws in the crowds for a fun excursion of commerce and food. Its no overstatement to say that North Sydney comes "abuzz" either - the crowds the market draws are impressive. We saw plenty of families with children, couples, dogs, seniors, lone walkers and people fighting to get our newly vacated parking spot when we left. Many people came prepared to shop too. Plenty of shoppers at the market came prepared with their own carts and green bags.

Those who like cooking and have a large budget will be in heaven at these markets. Stalls come in a mixture of freshly grown fruit and veg, seafood, pre-prepared foods and condiments with the occasional cook-to-order stall such as Toby's. The quality of food looked very good. Colours of the fruit and veg were bright and healthy and not just a result of the natural lighting. We normally don't eat before lunch but the smells of the food were enough to stir an appetite up in both of us. As far as the other stalls go - the size of the market is large enough to occupy a good couple of hours of strolling around. If you have children it's a particularly good market to go to because the stalls skirt around a large grass area for the tikes to go crazy in.

For the most part, the Northside Produce Market is a buy-now eat-later affair. There are few cook-to-order stalls but we still managed to get ourselves a lovely bacon and egg roll made from free range organic eggs sitting inbetween some fluffy organic bread. Also on offer were various pies and coffee. However, a lot of stalls will offer free samples of what their wares taste like cooked. Browsing from tent to tent you may well fill up on bite sized portions of lamb patties or ravioli.

A lot of the wares on offer, such as Pastabilities food and Shepherd's breads, are the kinds of things you will be able to find in local delis, but it is nice to have them all concentrated in one place. There is something very fun about going to an outdoor market that buying from a deli cannot compare to. With the Northside Produce Market as well there is a definite buzz that gives it a nice air. However, be warned that the prices at the Market are considerably higher than you will pay at your local deli. If you are going there to do your weekly fruit and veg shop, you'll get food of great quality but make sure you have a big budget. Also, the crowds can make things difficult when it comes to getting served at the busier stalls.

All in all, the Northside Produce Market is a nice thing to have in the normally sterile-feeling North Sydney area. Check it out if the third Saturday of the month is approaching and you feel like a treat. Its a fun event.

Northside Produce Market:

The third Saturday of the month, 8am - 12pm

Cnr of McLaren and Miller St,
North Sydney, NSW, 2060

Related Links:

Northside Produce Market at North Sydney Community Centre Website

Map from Google Maps

Announcement: Azesti Thai now doing lunch buffet

2006-05-16T13:50:00.000-12:00

Local favourite Azesti Thai (review here) are now doing a lunch buffet on Tuesdays! Previously closed on Tuesdays, it looks like Azesti has scored a real coup with its excellent value all-you-can-eat $10 buffet.

We had the pleasure to be at the unveiling of Azesti Thai's first buffet earlier and it was fantastic. Despite there being very little fanfare surrounding the event, it was drawing larger crowds than we have ever seen there. We took great pleasure in seeing our regular Neutral Bay Thai haunt get the business it deserves.

Even though they are new to the buffet game, it looks like Azesti are doing everything right. The dishes are good and come in a satisfying variety. Kitchenstaff keep the items well replenished and the waitstaff were attentive with drinks. The same high standard of food also applies to what you find in the buffet.

Each week the selection of dishes will be shifted around and there will be items available in the buffet that aren't offered in the lunch special menu. If you are a vegetarian we suggest calling ahead to see what vegetarian items they will have.

It looks like things are really going to be heating up in the Tuesday lunch slot at Azesti. From the amount of people there today, the Neutral Bay locals are taking to it well and you should too.

Check it out.

Update; 13/6/06 - A month on we hit up Azesti Thai's lunch buffet and were blown away. First of all, things get hectic. We turned up at 12:30 on the dot but already there were a few diners present and three tables marked for reservations. People are really swarming to Azesti so if you're wanting the lunch buffet, make reservations before hand or get in early.

Also, it seems like they have taken the vegetarian concern on board. There were more vegetarian options of offer today as well as dessert (lovely black sticky rice and longan pudding) and fresh fruit! They are rotating the dishes too, so you can go every week if you're keen.

Price is still a low $10 p/p with $2 soft drinks.

Now there is no excuse not to check this out.

Dishes on offer (16/5/06):

Thai Beef Salad
Chicken on Toast (like prawn toast but with chicken)
Chicken and Corn Soup
Beef Krapow
Chicken Green Curry
Pad Thai Chicken
Pad Cashew Nuts Vegetarian
Pork Panang Curry
Fried Rice

$10 (p/p) with a big bowl of steamed rice.

Azesti Thai:

79 Military Road,
Neutral Bay, NSW, 2089
+61 2 9909 2011

Our review of Azesti Thai from April 22nd 2006

As this buffet is a new (and frankly quite exciting) addition to the routine, prices and availability may be subject to change. We'll keep you updated as information comes. Feel free to drop us the info in our comments box if we haven't posted it already.

Review: Goemon Sushi Cafe

2006-05-15T22:40:00.000-12:00

Unfortunately this weeks photos didn't work out so we don't have our own pics for you but we have thrown in a few we found on their website.

We'd been looking forward to Goemon for quite a while. We'd heard good things about it from a few sources. We even tried to eat there once or twice but found it chockers and could not be squeezed in despite our weighty food blogger status. When we did get in Saturday night of all nights we were suprised and had high expectations. Without beating around the tuna, we have to say that the Eatability-acclaimed Goemon Sushi Cafe was a disappointment.

Which it not to say Goemon is bad. Indeed, it has its noteworthy perks. Goemon's food is well prepared and presented. Nothing world shattering, but certainly not something to complain about. The Chicken Katsu main came in a large portion and the fish in the sashimi platter was fresh. While we used to curse its impossibility to get into, we found that having seating limited to only 25 customers means that the waiters were able to be attentive to our needs and the chefs were able to deliver the food quickly.

The main problem we had with Goemon was that is it clearly targeted at diners who are lenient with their food and with their pockets. There is little on the menu you won't be able to find elsewhere. Frustrating to us was the fact that the menu provided very little detail about the dishes and, as we discovered with the Kobe Steak and Miso Sauce item, was slightly misleading. It was a nice suprise to see some potato salad with it, but the sauce tasted more like cooking sake than miso and overpowered the Steak. Which was nice if a little standard. While we are on the topic of the Steak it is worth mentioning that we were not asked how we would like the Steak prepared and it came very rare as standard. Watch out if you don't like your steak blue.

To continue with the bitching the food is definitely overpriced for what it is. Especially considering the Japanese restaurant rich suburb of Neutral Bay is 10 minutes away. While my Katsu was big, Laura's Kobe Steak was small and we both agreed our Sashimi platter could have used thicker sliced salmon. A better cut of tuna wouldn't have hurt either, the one we were given had tough strands cartilage. And one final thing to note was that we found it strange green tea wasn't offered to us by our waiter. It is on the drinks menu, but I would say this is the first Japanese restaurant we have been to in Sydney and not been offered green tea immediately. For what its worth.

We have been harsh to Goemon. But, we figure if someone is going to spend $35+ p/p on a dinner then we are in the right to judge it harder than we would somewhere like Kenta. Goemon does succeed in being a trendier place to eat Japanese and a lot of people seem to like it because it gets consistently full. However, we think we'll give it a miss in future. For a better feast at a similar price, we suggest heading to Spit Junction's Mino.

What we ate:

Main Size Sashimi Platter ($18)
Chicken Katsu ($18)
Kobe Steak ($22)

Goemon Sushi Cafe:

161 Middle Head Road,
Mosman, NSW, 2088
+61 2 9968 4983

Related Links:

www.goemon.com.au

Goemon Sushi Cafe on Eatability

Review: Icons Brasserie

2006-05-07T01:50:00.000-12:00

This week we headed to the other side of the harbour to check out the Circular Quay Marriot's house restaurant for a buffet feast we could barely walk away from ...

When we went to lunch at Icons Brasserie we weren't suprised to see it fill up quickly around us. Not only is it home to a satisfyingly diverse buffet, it is also good value. Prices vary depending on the day. Mid-week buffet prices vary between $30-$35 depending on the day, but the dollars go a long way. Of course, an al a carte menu is also available, but there is no real reason to choose it over the buffet.

Speaking of which, the buffet is quite a sight. Pictured above is the salad and cold foods table. The centre of the buffet area is the long centre table which features hot food on one side and a stunning array of desserts on the other. Nestled up the back of the area is a stir fry bar with it's own chef ready to prepare a bowl of whatever combination of meat, prawn and vegetable you want. Filling in the rest of the buffet area are tables of soups, breads or extra sweets for dessert. And of course the people moving about getting plates of food.

Which is what Icons is all about. Sure the restaurant has many good qualities we'll get to later, but the food really stands at the top of the list of things that makes Icons a great place to go for lunch. A nice mix of mod Aus, Asian and European foods are present. Strolling past the rows of food you'll see a lengthy and eclectic mix of fresh seafood, salads, pastas, curries, bakes, cakes, fruits, soups, sweets and so on. The food was of a high caliber as well. As a testament to the high quality of each dish - we had no complaints about the food. The saffron and artichoke fish was a little too saffrony and the made-to-order stir fry a little dry but apart from that all the dishes were worth a second helping. As if we could ever fit a second helping of another dish. I'd say that over about six full plates I would have only tried about 70% of the dishes on offer. It was big. Well, not Las Vegas buffet kind of big but very respectable all the same.

Particularly standout dishes that come to mind were the fresh prawns and oysters, the lamb korma, freshly baked spinach and ricotta puff pastries, and the soup which we think contained the following: pumpkin, lentils and bacon. The desserts especially were a real highlight. Each looked cute and tasty. You can see the jelly came in impressive two tone and the meringues spiraled upward. Believe us when we say that the taste matched their appearance. Except the rather non-descript tub of chocolate mousse hiding next to the fruit which tasted amazing.

Icons is a relaxing place to spend your time. It has a nice aesthetic which blends old school dining with a modern casual feel. The tables could probably use to be a bit bigger especially since there are bowls to either discard your prawn shells or wash your hands. All in all though, it should impress most people. The large dining area also has about three distinct sections which means that Icons steers away from feeling like a big eating hall. Which is nice.

The only significant drawback we found about Icons was the service. Even when business was quieter things took a long time to happen. Before being seated by the maitre'd we were left waiting around feeling lost for a few minutes despite there not being a large influx of customers for him to seat. As a few other people pointed out in the Eatability reviews, used plates took up space on the table longer than they should have before being taken away. Unfortunately, it seemed like the staff weren't working as hard as they should have been. However, we must stress the staff were polite, even if a touch over-chatty.

Ontop of the service speed there were was one minor thing that annoyed us. While seating us the maitre'd tried quite persistently to sell the wine buffet to us, which we weren't interested in. Which was fine and understandable, but upon greeting us our waitress gave us the same spiel again. It's good value, yes, but we shouldn't have had to feel awkward listening to a second offer. Sometimes we just don't want all you can drink alcohol in the middle of the day.

With that out of the way though, we heartily recommend Icons for anyone who is buffet inclined. We found the food and the value impressive. Its a great way to spend an afternoon. Just be sure to get a booking if you plan on turning up after 12:30pm or so.

What we ate:

Too much. ($30 p/p)

Icons Brasserie:

30 Pitt St,
Sydney (Circular Quay), NSW, 2000
+ 61 2 9259 7330

Related Links:

Icons Brasserie on Best Restaurants (w/ photos)

Icons Brasserie on Eatability

Review: Hotel Mosman

2006-05-01T18:15:00.000-12:00

Welcome to our second review for this week! This one is a favourite of ours that we have been to many times and probably will go to many more. We suggest you do the same ...

It's moving into Winter and things are cold and rainy outside so you just might want something warm and reassuring. As far as dining out goes, the Mosman Hotel does this for us very nicely. The split-level, wooden-interior pub caters for an extensive clientele, with pool tables, slot machines, sport screenings and a dedicated dining area. Therefore, the Mosman Hotel does get a mixed crowd ranging from families to young couples to middle-aged friends. It's a comfortable but not sloppy place, and I imagine it would be a fine place to kick back and have a few drinks, particularly since the Hotel Mosman has a reasonably-priced extensive drinks menu which includes eight beers on tap. Apparently we are not the only people who like the Mosman Hotel. Lunch tends to be fairly hassle free, but show up early for dinner or you'll have to wait for a table especially if you want to avoid the smoking section.

But we don't go there to hang out. Absolutely not. We're there for the food. The Mosman Hotel gives us a more sophisticated take on pub grub at a very reasonable price, thanks to its agreement with the Farmer's Association which ensures patrons of cheap and good-quality meat. The most popular dish on their menu by far has to be their 300gm Porterhouse steak served with either red wine jus or bearnaise sauce, on a bed of creamy mash. Other popular choices include:

- Two thick gourmet pork or beef sausages with carmelised onions and red wine jus on creamy mash
- Grilled chicken breast with pesto or napoli sauce and parmesan on creamy mash
- Sundried tomato-ricotta frittata with a side salad.

All the above options come at the un-stereotypically lower North Shore prices of $6-$6.50, which would explain the reliably thick dinner crowds.

Of course, the Mosman Hotel's menu consists of more than just four dishes. Other options tend to be a touch more expensive and include items such as fish and chips, grilled blue-eye cod fillet with salad and salsa, Thai beef salad, tandoori chicken filo, deep-fried calamari with aioli, caesar salad as well as side dishes including chips, wedges, green salad, steamed vegetables and samosas. We confess that we haven't yet gotten around to sampling too many of these dishes because the Hotel Mosman specials are such good value, they're hard to pass up on.

However, everything single dish that we have tried has been delicious. It's pub grub, so I'm not going to wax lyrical about it, but the ingredients are of pretty high quality, the portions are satisfying, and the food is usually served promptly by staff who are apocryphally the best looking in Sydney. The only caveat we have about the food is that the state of the steak is contingent on who the cook is - "medium rare" comes in comes in a wide variety of hues. Though, on the bright side, despite how loose "medium rare" may be, we've never inadvertantly received an overcooked steak.

This is a firm favourite of ours, and on permanant stand-by for days when we're too lazy to cook or go far to eat out. Definitely a place worth investigating if you're in the vicinity.

What we ate:

300 gram Porter House Steak with Bernaise ($6.50)
Grilled Chicken Breast with Napoli Sauce ($6.50)
Beef Sausages with Caramelised Onions, Creamy Mash and Red Wine Jus ($6.50)
Blue Eye Cod Fillet with Mango Salsa and Salad ($15)
Side Serve of Fat Chips ($5)

Hotel Mosman:

634 Military Road,
Mosman, NSW 2088
+ 61 2 9960 6877

Related Links:

Hotel Mosman on Eatability

Review: Kenta

2006-04-29T16:57:00.000-12:00

Kenta's philosophy is to provide authentic Japanese food in large portions at unparalleled prices. Looking at only these Kenta is mostly very successful, however on it's quest for rock-bottom prices Kenta often leaves good service and restaurant atmosphere behind.

Neutral Bay parking aside, getting to the point where you are seated and ready to order can be a bit of an ordeal at Kenta. Most nights of the week, Kenta is packed out completely leaving most people waiting (inside and outside of the restaurant) and pushing to get a table. Depending on the day of the week, lunch can sometimes be as bad. Once you are seated, you'll notice from the stream of phone orders that Kenta seems to do just as good a business out of take-away, which customers receive an extra 10% of off.

For the most part, Laura and I prefer to avoid the hassle of Kenta which either means fronting up as the restaurant opens (which usually guarentees quick seating) or simply going somewhere else if it is as busy as it usually is. Kenta is almost impossible for groups of three or more because apart from the eight seater bar, there are only two tables set up that seat four people. The issue of space in Kenta is not helped by the fact the the semi-open kitchen dominates about three quaters of the restaurant floor space.

However, we have never been to Kenta and not been overwhelmed by the value of most of the menu. Value bordering on ridiculous can be found in the lunch sets, which provide enough food for three meals and average around $9 in price. We have seen couples at Kenta split lunch sets between them and still leave full.

Other parts of the menu express good value too. An order of Chicken Katsu for dinner ($10.50) for example, will provide two chicken breasts, a large cabbage salad and a small bit of potato salad to boot. Noodle sets (averaging around $12) give a big bowl of noodles, vegetables and meat as well as a large side of Katsu Don, Oyako Don, Sushi/Sashimi or Japanese Curry. It's worth noting that there are a few isolated dishes that dot the menu here and there which don't provide the same kind of value. Notable examples we have come across include the noodle stir fries such Yaki Udon. On the same wavelength, dinner sets can rack up bills of over $15 each and usually don't provide as much as their $8 lunch counterparts. But if you order something at Kenta you can reasonably expect to be very full and not too short on cash afterward.

We have just spent a lot of words on the value of Kenta, but we were right to do so. If you go there you will come to understand the value is absurd and the reason people fight to get a table. What no one would defend Kenta over is the atmosphere. Kenta obviously makes its profits from the sheer amount of business it does, rather than the dish prices. A lot of money doesn't seem to have been left to decorate the place. Besides the specials whiteboard and a red latern hanging inconspicuously from the roof, Kenta's visual appearance is mostly plain grey walls, grey tables and off-the-delivery-truck boxes of chopsticks, soy sauce and everything inbetween.

The service isn't all bad at Kenta but it is a mixed bag. The staff are pleasingly polite (we have never felt rudely treated) and do an admirable job but are sometimes unable to keep up with the hectic business. This can mean during busier times not getting fairly seated, sometimes ignored and food being brought out at different times. On our most recent visit Laura's Ton Kotsu Ramen came signifcantly later than my main. Its not so much an issue at lunch because it is so cheap, but for dinners you can be forking an amount comparable to places that do things better.

The food itself at Kenta is pretty good. While all of Kenta's punches are pulled by the value, the food has never caused us or anyone we have taken there any significant disappointment. The sushi and sashimi are suprisingly good. As you can see by the photos, having a dedicated sushi/sashimi chef at Kenta has paid off. The fish is well selected, cut and made when necessary. The fish is much fresher than you'd expect at Kenta's prices and there is variety. Our main size Sushi had scallop, scampi, tuna, salmon, cuttlefish and flying fish roe. The sushi and sashimi tend to be among the most expensive dishes but they still stand out in our minds as good value and good in general.

Kenta is mostly known as a Ramen bar and interestingly enough, the noodle soups are probably the most underwhelming menu item. The Ramen comes in a big bowl but aside from a cursory piece of the respective meat you order, there is very little in there that isn't either broth or noodle. Not to say either of those are bad, but the Ramen needs more variety (despite what it looks like in the picture below). Also, we would cavaet people about the chicken. We suppose it is one of the shortcuts taken because of the mammoth business they do, but we warn you that Kenta leaves a disappointing amount of fat on the chicken. It is hard to seperate the fat from the meat with only chopsticks and impossible if the chicken in question is Katsu. But, with those pitfalls mentioned, it is hard to go wrong at Kenta.

We'll never say that Kenta is not worth a try. The value of the place is astronomical and the food is good for the most part. If you try it you might become a regular there or you might end up hating it, but we'll guarentee that you won't forget the amount of food you get for your dollar.

What we ate:

Agedashi Tofu ($4.90)
Sushi (Main) ($13.50)
Katsu Don (Pork) and Miso Soup ($10.50)
Ton Kotsu Ramen ($8.50)
Lunch Set B (Agedashi Tofu + Rice and Miso + Calamari, Fish Teriyaki, Potato Salad and Cabbage) ($7.90)

Kenta:

81 Military Road,
Neutral Bay, NSW, 2089
+ 61 2 9953 5422

Related Links:

Kenta on Eatability

Kenta the sexy loser

Review: Azesti Thai

2006-04-22T21:35:00.000-12:00

Exciting news, as of May 16, Azesti Thai are going to be doing a regular buffet for lunch on Tuesdays. We highly recommend trying it out if you can. Full details here.

Azesti Thai is a place that seems to get undeservedly overlooked as far as Thai food in Neutral Bay goes. Pricewise the food is a slight cut above standard Thai fare, but Azesti rewards it's customers well, serving good food in a nice environment.

Azesti Thai's strongest drawcard is the quality of the food it serves. Each of the items we have ordered in our visits have contained a nice variety of vegetables and seafood. We have no complaints about the way the dishes at Azesti Thai are made or the freshness of the ingredients. On our most recent visit, I found the garlic pork to be particularly memorable because the sour flavours worked hand in hand with the chilli and garlic to create an extremely balanced dish. Also, it had that unmistakable barbeque flavour that seems to be missing from a lot of Thai barbeque dishes and the sticky rice was a lovely touch.

I'd like to also say here, for what its worth, that the complimentary prawn crackers are the nicest I've ever eaten. The flavours are slightly gingery and each cracker is so much less oily than what you would expect. If I were more hedonistic, my lifelong dream would be to track a tonne of them down and eat till I have a heart-attack. For some reason the lovely prawn crackers seem to slip my mind, so they are always a nice suprise for me when we eat at Azesti.

As you'll see in the photos, each dish is photogenically presented with nice touches of garnishing. Azesti Thai must go through a hell of a banana leaves as they put a little bit under most of their dishes. Its a really nice touch, especially when presentation seems to be ignored in a lot of cheaper Thai.

If anyone were to ever ask what made Azesti Thai worth paying a few more dollars per dish for, the quality of the food and its presentation should be enough to silence them.

The service at Azesti Thai is good. We tend to get spicy dishes when we eat Thai (me with a fondness of chilli/basil stir fries and Laura with her jungle curry love) so we prefer to ask the wait-staff to keep the bottle of water at the table instead of them having to refill our glasses as we drink them. Which they normally do very promptly. On our most recent visit our waitress misheard Laura's request for a pork jungle curry as being a "prawn jungle curry" but after Laura pointed this out the curry was remade and replaced in about ten minutes free of hassle or charge. I normally dread telling a waitperson or chef they got something wrong in case an argument ensues, so its nice to know they treat you right. Laura noticed that the staff are always well presented. The women wear light make up for dinner and the staff are always polite. The service gets a thumbs up from me.

However, Azesti Thai has a weakness that must be pointed out. Despite serving quality food and having a refreshingly modern interior, Azesti Thai fails to stand out from it's competitors in other regards. With Thai food now passing its peak of popularity, setting themsleves apart is something that Thai places are now going to have to strive to do from now on. This probably goes a long way to explaining why the restaurant can often seem sadly under-customed.

When you glance at the menu, there is little that immediately distinguishes Azesti Thai from the slew of other Thai restaurants around. The dishes will be familiar to any who have been eating Thai food casually since it came to Sydney. There are few, if any dishes on Azesti's menu that you won't be able to easily find elsewhere.

Similarly with the interior design, there is something very non-descript about Azesti Thai. The colour schemes are pleasant, the wall decorations inoffensive and the layout very photo-friendly but there seems to be nothing that jumps out at you. Its nice and clearly has a nice level of attention put into it but it still lacks individuality.

Even the photogenic meals are presented in a way that feels very ... done. They certainly look good, don't get us wrong, but they seem to carbon copy standard cafe presentation rules in the food arrangement as well as the crockery. Paradoxically, it seems like this familiarity is what is holding people back from embracing Azesti Thai more than anything, which is a pity because the food is good.

Azesti Thai stands as one of the stronger competitors in a rather crowded cuisine scene. There is a lot going for Azesti but it looks like it just isn't getting enough customers. Its a sad reality that the decline in the number of Thai places will push a lot of restaurant owners aside. Especially sad for those who put a lot of work into their business, like they do at Azesti. But trends will ultimately prevail. It'd be a shame not to enjoy places like Azesti Thai while they are still around.

As of mid-May, Azesti are now doing weekly lunch buffets which people seem to be flocking to. We can't recommend the buffet enough. Full details.

What we ate:

Prawn Crackers (complimentary)
Garlic Pork (Moo Pieng) ($6.90)
Pork Jungle Curry ($14.90)
Seafood Pad Prik Sod ($17.90)

Azesti Thai:

79 Military Road,
Neutral Bay, NSW, 2089
+61 2 9909 2011

(They also offer free home delivery to North Sydney, Neutral Bay, Cremorne and Mosman for orders over $20)

Related Links:

Azesti Thai on Eatability

Lunch buffet details

Announcement: We now have a mailing list!

2006-04-17T23:02:00.000-12:00

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Review: Rise

2006-04-17T01:03:00.000-12:00

This is a whopper of a review for you. Prepare to salivate as we work our way through all seven courses of Rise's Easter banquet ...

Now before we get into anything meaty, I would like to say a big "thank you" to Rise for being so accomodating to my oyster allergies. Instead of oyster in the Sashimi and Pasta courses, I was offered a choice of alternatives from various other fishes, meats and vegetables. The substitutes I received were well thought out and just as nice as what they replaced. One thing I really appreciated was that the flavours were totally re-structured to suit the demands of the new ingredient rather than simply having a "stand-in". We'll get into more on the topic later as it becomes more relevant, but I wanted to mention it as it really made a special experience even better.

As a restaurant Rise is more suited toward intimate dining. Rise's genesis as a townhouse is deliberately apparent and lends the restaurant a welcoming, and slightly quirky feel. The lighting is low, the service inconspicuous and the mood relaxed despite the clockwork efficiency with which the food is prepared and served. It is the perfect atmosphere to enter and sooth yourself in. We noticed on our most recent visit that there was some very cliche ambient jazz music playing across the sound system, but unless you are an overt jazz-fighting lunatic its no problem. Its almost art-like how successful Rise is in creating it's sought atmosphere of calm.

The food itself is a modern take on traditional Japanese dishes, drawing influences from a range of cuisines. Thai, Indian, Vietnamese, Korean, Australian and Italian are among the cuisines we've seen represented alongside Japanese in Rise's seven course degustations with Thai making an especially strong presence in our most recent visit.

Our meal began with a fantastically prepared mix of tataki ocean trout, silken tofu salad and "zahsai" salsa. Calling the tofu component a "salad" might be stretching the definition, but the flavours were well conceived. The salsa, despite looking incredibly striking, was possibly a little complicated and tended to overshadow the beautifully simple trout. However, it was a fitting entry into a lovely meal.

Next up came the tom yum style soup with prawn and beetroot tortellini. This soup marked a refreshing change of pace from the creamy soups evident around of this time of year but we were pleased to find it was still heartily warming. Laura found it a little potent and it certainly did leave a tingle but I quite liked it. The tortellini was impressive in appearance, texture and the delicacy with which it was prepared, though the flavours were kind of weak. Which is a pitty because I was really looking forward to tasting the interaction of the prawn and beetroot. Ill mention here also that when we came to the end of the soup we noticed some tapioca sago at the bottom of the bowl. We're still puzzled as to what it was doing there. It certainly didnt harm the soup, but it didn't add anything to the taste as far as we can tell.

Promptly after the soup came the sashimi course consisting of salmon, kingfish and oyster for Laura and salmon, kingfish and scallop for oyster-avoidant Rob. Points all round for the sashimi. It was cut well, was very fresh and came with very complimenting sauces. The roe of the kingfish was beautifully crunchy and juicy. The platter is an absolute pleasure to look at as much as it is to eat. Shotglass presentation is among the eccentricites of Rise, but one that works to make the dish very aesthetically pleasing. I was talking earlier about how well thought out my oyster substitutes were. That comment was made in particular reference to this dish, where my scallop had some kind of garlic, seasame and mayonaise sauce that partnered the scallop seamlessly.

The seasonal plate that came next was a mixed bag. Present were a homemade fishcake, Rise's signature soft shell crab taco and a prawn spring roll. Tastes were good for the most. The fishcake was small, but its bedding of green papaya complimented its well honed flavours. The soft shell crab taco was nice as always, but like a conventional taco it is hard to eat without it falling apart. The spring rolls are well made and taste different to what you'd expect. They cover the sweet end of the taste spectrum in an attempt to counter-balance the fried items of this course. Both Laura and I feel like the spring rolls overstrove in this regard and were too sweet. There is some fruit in there (possibly mango) that when paired with a slice of cucumber throws the whole roll out. Which is unfortunate because the other flavours have a delicate subtlety about them. However, as the pictures can tell more than we can - the presentation of the seasonal plate is amazing. In fact, as you've probably seen (and certainly will with the main) Rise's presentation never slips and is consistently artful.

The powerful rhythm continued with the last course before the main: the pasta course, consisting of a soba salad and oyster tempura for Laura or braised pork for Rob. The oyster tempura was amazingly prepared. Cooking with oyster is difficult to do well, but Rise has mastered this dish. The oysters are crispy and warm on the outside but moist, cool and juicy on the inside creating an interaction that is entirely pleasureable. My pork substitute was good, having a slightly vinegared taste and a pleasingly soft texture. Nothing like the oyster, but certainly not bad. Notice in the pictures how intricately the shallots and other greens are cut.

At this stage I want to give credit to the staff. Whenever a drink was low or a dish finished, our waiter came quickly. The staff did their job with amazing thoroughness despite being very unobtrusive. Its a level of professionalism and politeness that makes the experience that much better.

Our chopsticks were traded for knives and forks as we prepared our mouths for the main. In the past we have found that the mains can be very different in conception and quality from the other courses. While the first five tend to be present on the menu for a long time, the mains are changed on a regular basis (possibly weekly). The entrees are well honed, precise and built up over time to be incredibly mature dishes whereas the mains tend to be less concise. Often they can pale in comparison. This was the case with today's main of grilled snapper, braised "daikon" and bamboo shoot with light soy sauce. While consisting of very interesting ingredients (Rob really got a kick out of the circular bamboo shoot the fish was sitting on), grilled fish is still grilled fish to us. The flavours seemed a little plain compared to the sublime flavours tasted in the courses before hand. It was certainly fresh and cooked to perfection, but it was just lacking a sort of kick that the other dishes seemed to have. However, one point it failed to disappoint on was its presentation. As you can see by the photos, the food was arranged breath-takingly. This detail shot clearly shows a visual theme of straight lines running throughout the dish. The presentation was so stunning it was almost a hard to eat instead of gawk at.

Dessert was also a bit of a sticking point (no pun intended). It consisted of green tea ice cream and jelly, pannacotta and balls of black tapioca. While certainly looking impressive on the menu, the green tea flavours tended to stay very seperate from the pannacotta. The two stood very opposed, despite both being well made. In particular the green tea ice cream was great on its own, evidently thick and creamy. However, I must say that I feel like green tea ice cream has become a bit obligatory in Japanese restaurants these days. I would have liked to seen something a bit more inspired like black sesame (which would have gone well with the pannacotta I think) or taro.

However, for all we've taken apart each course, we feel that Rise is unmissable. Its no suprise we go there often and send people there to treat them. The fact we are able to almost exclusively discuss the food on such a high level for a whole review gives testament to the excellence of not only the service, atmosphere and value, but also to the excellence of the food itself. Rise is good value on any day of the week, but especially Sundays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays the degustation when is 40% off.

Even without the food its almost worth going to Rise just to observe the quality and professionalism of every aspect of the restaurant. Apart from dissecting particular parts of each course, we have absolutely no significant criticisms of Rise. It succeeds beautifully in what it does and provides great value in doing so.

What we ate:

Appetiser: Ocean Trout Tataki and Silken Tofu Salad with "zahsai" salsa
Soup: Tom Yum Style Soup with Prawn and Beetroot Tortellini
Sashimi: Kingfish with Roe, Salmon and Oyster or Scallop
Seasonal Plate: Soft Shell Crab Taco, Homemade Fishcake and Prawn Fresh Spring Roll with "Ponzu" Sauce
Pasta Dish: Oyster Tempura with Japanese "Soba Salad" or Pork instead of Oyster
Main: Grilled Snapper with Braised "daikon" and Bamboo Shoot, Light Soy Sauce
Dessert: Pannacotta Accompanied by Black Tapioca, Green Tea Jelly and Ice Cream

($48 p/p)

Rise

23 Craigend Street,
Darlinghurst, NSW, 2010
+ 61 2 9357 1755

Related Links:

Rise's webpage

Eatability's page on Rise

Review: Koume Japanese House

2006-04-11T09:36:00.000-12:00

Good news everybody! We have a second review up this week - this time one of our regular haunts. Check back soon for what we thought of Rise's Special 7-course Easter degustation...

I was first introduced to Koume three years ago by a friend who had been a regular since he was 10. At the time, my friend was 26. That he had been going to Koume for most of his life reveals a lot about the restaurant. Koume is not usually buzzing, but the family-run joint does have its group of loyal followers, attracted by the good food, homey decor and warm service.

The following is small, but dedicated. Whenever we have been there theres usually a few free tables, but there is almost always a table who will be greeted and talked to by the owners on a first name basis.

I explain Koume's modest business as the menu being ahead its time for Australia. In a time and place where Japanese food can often simply mean Sushi/Sashimi/Green Tea Ice Cream, Koume stands as an important bucking of the norm of Sydney Japanese food. Koume aims to deliver more traditional, country style Japanese which I guess means the restaurant menu might seem a little inaccessible to less adventurous diners (well, that and what we get into later).

However, Sushi, Sashimi and most of the other standard Japanese fare is present and done well. The fish in the Sushi/Sashimi is generally much fresher than many Japanese restaurants of this price, though for the wasabi sensitive there is a lethal amount on the Sushi. Old favourites like Oyaku Don, Shumai and Gyoza are there too but we will elaborate on them later. Where the menu really rewards customers and where Koume distinguishes itself, is those dishes that you find more uncommonly such as my particular favourite - the Katsu Tama-Toji. There are things on the menu that you won't see around often and it makes Koume a place worth repeated visits.

The service front is a love/hate thing. The lady who serves is extremely energetic and friendly. You'll usually find her grinning from ear to ear in a way that I think freaks some people out. You'll notice there's a review in Eatability that comments on her being "weird". However, I personally like her and appreciate her friendliness but it's no shock that others don't.

On a similar wavelength is the decor of the place. Though rather dated, there is something friendly that emanates from the arrangement of the restaurant. Its hard to pinpoint why, but it feels soothing and relaxing to be in Koume - it almost feels like being in somebody's home. There is a definite sense of love and pride in the way things are done by the owners.

Despite what we've said above, we do need to mention a few shortcomings of the place, or what some might consider shortcomings. As we've pointed out, Koume is a family-run joint with mainly just the the husband in charge of food preparation. As a result, they have had to take a few short cuts with the food preparation. The gyoza dumplings for example definitely comes out of a frozen packet, as other dishes like the harumaki spring rolls probably do as well (kudos for preparing them well and ensuring that they're tasty, though). Perhaps we are being unduly fussy though. I'm sure that these short cuts are not unique to Koume at all.

We'd also like to caution readers that this is not a place to take someone on an early date, or to head with a group of friends to for a rip-roaring time. As you've probably already worked out for yourself. Koume is a little too sedate for that. It's a familiar, comfortable place to head to with people whom these adjectives also apply to. Though late one Saturday night, we heard Triple J being played on the restaurant radio. We suspect that the son had control over the sound system then. Koume is obviously not a flashy and awe-inspiring restaurant. The cutlery and crockery also often don't match. In fact, it's probably these things that keep people away more than the menu I must admit.

Also, preparation time can be an issue. Its generally best to avoid Koume during its busy hours. The restaurant is run by a husband (who cooks) a wife (who serves) and their son (who helps on Saturdays). Having only one chef can certainly slow things down when it is busy - particularly with, as the restaurant warns, the boxsets. Pretty long menu, small kitchen and few employees, you do the math. However, at other times of day the food is prepared suprisingly quickly.

But for all we've said we are nit-picking right now. The bottom line is that Koume is a mixed bag of weaknesses and strengths that arent always immediately apparent. If you are willing to look past the weaknesses then go to Koume already. It's not in-your-face impressive but we dare say that you will be pleasantly surprised.

What we ate:

- Entree Sized Sashimi Platter ($7)
- Katsu Tama-Toji ($12)
- Teriyaki Beef Box ($14)

Koume Japanese House:

8/81 Military Road,
Neutral Bay, NSW, 2089
+ 61 2 9908 4280

Related Links:

Koume on Eatability

Here comes Koume - what I found when I googled "Koume"

(Special thanks to Laura for the great photography)

Review: Josephs ov Cremorne

2006-04-10T10:20:00.000-12:00

To make things clear, the "ov" posted in the title is not a typo. It is one of the few hints Josephs will give you that it was originally opened with a focus on Italian food. Apart from the complementary imported Italian chocolates you receive at the end of the meal there is little to tell you of Josephs original heritage. The menu has more of a Mediterranean/Mod Aus/Cajun influence. An eclectic mix to be sure, and one that I certainly approached suspisciously, but once the entrees were done I was convinced.

One of the things that was absolutely clear to us throughout the meal was the quality of the food. Our orders consisted of the following:

Entrees
- Seared Prawns w/ Mango and Cucumber Side Salad
- Spicy Veal with Crispy Sweet Potato Shavings
- Soft Bread (baked on site) w/ Tomato, Onion and Balsamic

Mains
- Cajun Lamb Cutlets
- Chicken and Mango Thai Curry

Desserts
- Kaffir, Lime and Cocunut Sorbet (foreground) and Honey, Pistachio and Fig Ice Cream (background)

It is also worth noting at this point that we both ate on Josephs' Sunday - Wednesday special of three courses for $25. As you can see by the photos, the portions were huge, well presented and take our word when we say they were delicious. In fact, it was almost a shame the portions were so big, because the sheer size felt almost wasteful. But, on the flipside, we now have a place to take the big eaters that we know. This kind of value felt like such a steal that I felt bad for the owners and left a very generous tip.

The service was good. Our waiter was nice, friendly and helpful. Food came quickly and well presented although drinks seemed to get unattended which was annoying considering the menu consisted mostly of spicy food.

The food flavours were certainly inspired and creative. The food we had was nice, but as mentioned earlier the portions were huge. I found that after eating so much of one dish, the flavours can become a little tiresome. Perhaps the mains would have gone down a little better if they substituted some of the main for a little salad or something. However, its very hard to complain about a restaurant serving you too much food and I can't stress enough that the food was very good. The bread especially was amazingly fresh and soft.

The desserts were particularly fantastic. The blend of flavours was really nice, and both were very interesting to eat. My personal favourite was the Honey, Pistachio and Fig Ice Cream which I found myself stealing a lot of from Laura.

The restaurant was pleasantly laid out - no real complaints. The use of a lot of wood lent the place a nice, warm feel which is always nice when eating, especially now that the weather is getting a little colder. The bathroom did feel like a portal to the late 90s but it was clean and had more effort put into it than a lot of places and was reflective of the impeccable cleaning ethic of the restaurant.

Josephs had a very friendly feel overall. Because it was a quiet time in the restaurant, the owner Layla was chatting unobtrusively with customers. She was friendly enough that it was nice to talk to her, but she didn't overstay her welcome which is important.

Overall, I enjoyed our eat at Josephs. It seemed strangely empty for a place of this quality, but it is worth noting that we went there later on a Monday night.

Check it out when you can. Incidentally, those chocolates that were given complimentary at the end of the meal used to sell for $5 at a deli I once worked in.

Josephs ov Cremorne:

3/283 Military Road
Cremorne NSW 2090
+ 61 2 9953 4100

Josephs ov Cremorne website