Flavour-Bang on @Bombay Street Kitchen

May 29, 2017May 29, 2017Leave a comment

Back to Glebe a suburb full of choice when it comes to dining out. We were fortunate to visit a gem of an Indian restaurant called Bombay Street Kitchen. A family run business having once called Nelsons Bay home, now thankfully running a new operation in Sydney. Bombay Street Kitchen has alfresco dining as well as indoor seating. There is a projector screen on the roof of the outdoor area playing retro Bollywood classics. The menu is wide and varied and as the name would suggest, brings exciting Indian street food options that you may not have known to exist. To help familiarise you with these exciting new treats, the menu listing are accompanied by a short story detailing the origins of each dish.

So much choice and exciting new food to try we were momentarily a deer in the headlights. We decide to order a drink whilst we perused the menu. With plenty of choice, soft drinks a beer selection including Indian variety, as well as a few cocktails that took our fancy. Like the tamarind martini or the rum spiked Lassi’s called the Sassy Lassi. We decided on the Sassy Lassi’s. We got the mango as well as the rose and cardamon which are a must if visiting this place.

The inspiration coming from the magnitude of street food available in Bombay. An great place to stary is with the Pani Poori; a crisp little pastry pocket stuffed with, potato, puffed rice and chutney, add the spicy tamarind sauce to taste. A mouth full of texture and a flavour explosion!

The bright almost fluro red koliwada prawn fried in spiced butter, served with a lemon yogurt are sure to light up the table. Another favourite of Bombay workers being the Pav Bhajji, a vegan like sloppy joe; a buttered bread roll seved with spiced mashed veggies, served with a side of fresh spanish onion, corriander and a lemon wedge for added freshness.

The pefectly spiced lamb cutlets cooked at high heat in the tandoor sure to have your mouth watering. We also ordered a chickpea and mango summer salad for some added freshness an option from lunch menu. They have a bombay lunch box for under $10, great for a cheap eat.

Also cooked fresh in the tandoor are the naan and roti which we ordered to accompany some classic curries. The railway goat curry cooked on the bone, a full flavoured curry that will have you licking your lips in delight. Another go to, the paneer palak, was on point. Add a serve of flavoured rice on the side to soak up and savour the curry sauce.

Make sure you leave some space for dessert and you are in for a treat. The mango kulfi, a weiss bar like dessert cooled us down after a night of spice. The Gulab Jamun a classic, not overly sweet in this instance, the dessert served warm making the dumplings nice and soft and served with cardamon and a creamy coconut ice cream.

A very enjoyable and exciting Indian dining experience. Thank you to Manasi and family for inviting us to sample and enjoy your passion for food which translates to the quality meals being served.

www.bombaystreetkitchen.com.au

Coffee, food, plants @Snow in Summer

May 28, 2017May 28, 20171 Comment

Snow in Summer is a new café in the shopping precinct of Botany on Botany Rd, sister to Blacksmith of Surry Hills. Another welcome addition to the upcoming cafè scene in the area. Snow in summer is large space fitted out scandi style, filled with a mix of wooden tables, white furniture and greenery. The walls lined with bronze and silver coffee brewing equipment and indoor plants for sale.

They have a great range of coffee, including cold brew. The espresso is nice and smooth, coming with a side of sparkling. The latte is also a lovely blend and their latte art is on point

We have visited a number of times. The menu reasonably priced with breakfast options including lovely pancakes, bircher, and a range of egg dishes including a tasty omelette.

For lunch they are serving up salads, sandwiches and burgers amongst other options. The chicken burger was pretty amazing, nicely marinated, sitting on a brioche bun with lettuce, tomato, cheese, pineapple and peri peri sauce. A small burger with plenty of taste, it is also very affordale (sides are extra).

The super salad is a good value healthy option, $12 for a large potions. With a good flavour combination of kale, quinoa, grilled haloumi, pear and walnut with a seeded mustard dressing.

Service is prompt and they have take away option with a range of cakes and treats at the counter. Well suited to people who work in the area and are after a quick breakfast or bite to eat whilst on their break. A nice stylish cafè with good coffee and a simple tasty food, at a reasonable price. With word getting out we are sure this place will be thriving!

Classic French @Lo Luk Bistro

May 22, 2017May 22, 2017Leave a comment

Lo Luk a French Bistro recently taking up residence in a converted terrace on Bourke Street Surryhills, towards Taylor Square. This new French provincial inspired Bistro is a neighbourhood gem opened by Luc an his brother from Northern France to serve homely traditional French cuisine. With street front seating allowing you to take in the social mixing pot which is Surryhills, there is indoor seating in the cosy cottage like dining room decorated with a touch of vintage French. Something special is the private courtyard dining area at the back of the restaurant.

We visited for breakfast/brunch and started with the house made lemon Madeline to accompany our cafè au lait as the French would say. This is perfect if you are after a light sweet start to your day. The Madeline a golden cake with a nice subtle lemon flavour a very tasty moresel indeed.

There were also a range of great drinks to suit, depending on what you are after be it a stiff start to your day in the form of a mimosa or bloody mary or a healthier option by choosing to go with a smoothy. The Champion smoothie a great refershing drink.

The breakfast Oeufs parfait en verrine was magnific, a 60 degree slow cooked egg atop of slow cooked(confit) lamb and vegetables flavour infused with a mixture of herbs. The dish served with a side salad and house made focaccia. A dish that goes hand in hand with winter.

We were in the mood for healthy and ordered Le Lèger. A salad of quinoa, pomegranade, leeks fondue, beetroot, goats cheese and poached egg. A salad with plenty of substance, perfect if you are after a light meal.

Thank you Luc for your hospitality, providing us with the pleasure of visiting Lo Luk and for providing Sydney with a homely French dining exerience.

http://www.lolukbistro.com.au/

Sushi pizza @Waza

May 20, 2017May 21, 2017Leave a comment

Creative sushi dishes are all the rage in Sydney at the moment with sushi doughnuts and burgers popping up. Waza Japanese restaurant in Balmain has kept up with this craze, going further with the addition of a sushi Pizza! Waza also serves traditional Japanese delights.

The restaurant is bright with nicely dressed tables. The ambience is vibrant with chatter amongst diners, and traditional Japanese music to set the mood. Upon entering we were greeted by the warm and friendly host Kei with a great personality, making for an entertaining evening with great service.

With chef David Ho having honed his skills in kitchens of Japan, China and now Australia. Drawing on this experience to create Waza’s menu. There is a sushi bar, staffed by a traditionally dressed chef waiting to prepare fresh sushi and sashimi, purchased from the fish markets earlier in the day.

As to be expected from a quality Japanese restaurant, the sushi and sashimi are beautifully prepared. The premium sashimi and sushi selection offers a range of seafood including squid, salmon belly, roe and tuna. Accompanying this was a smoked salmon salad with a sesame dressing that made this a healthy start to the evening.

For our mains we tried the steak, cooked perfectly to medium rare, with vegetables and served with a dipping sauce. The tender wagyu tounge cooked in a flavoursome sauce.

One of the highlights of the evening was the sushi pizza, which is a restaurant favourite. It is a round crispy rice cake topped with avocado, mayo, tomatoes and prawn crackers – so interesting and delightful!

The restaurant has recently attained a liquor licence so you can now purchase alcohol and BYO wines. A great place to try a wide range of sashimi options, sushi and their famous sushi pizza! Thoroughly recommended.

Malaysian Hawker @Papparich

May 15, 2017May 15, 2017Leave a comment

Papparich is a restaurant well known for its Malaysian cusine. There are stores scattered around Sydney for you to get your Malaysian fix. Visiting their city store situated on Liverpool Street. The restaurant it pretty straight forward, clean and modern wth a number of tables to cater for hungry punters.

The food at Papparich is traditional Malaysian fare with plenty of flavour at a reasonable price. All of my favourites are on the menu including the light fluffy roti as well as nasi lemak which is an assortment of rice, peauts, sambal and a curry. The beef rendang is my usual go to.

They also have a number of Malaysian drinks which certainly are colourful and almost dessert like, actually I would consder them to be a dessert. Sweet with jelly and sugar syrup. There are also other options availalable if you don’t feel like a sweet drink, try one of their teas.

On this occasion I was dining with foodie friends Spooning Australia, his dining companion for the evening Larni and Sarah from CBD. It is always great to catch up with fellow passionate foodies. It also means we can sample more of the menu. We shared a range of tasty bites including the satay skewers, chicken being the pick. Oh and the deep fried chicken skin, so bad but soooo gooood.

There were dumplings too, as well kway teow: a simple tasty hawker style noodle dish. The roti canai is always a favourite, also served hawker style on a steel tray with a finger lickin chicken curry. Tear off a bit of roti, dip it in the sambal and use it to grab a piece of chicken curry, a great hands on dining experience.

Thanks to Papparich for their hospitality and to Spooning for inviting us to share a meal. Love the delicious simplicity that is Papparich.

Fabulous feast @Le Souk Beirut Surryhills

May 13, 2017June 11, 2017Leave a comment

La Souk Beirut is a new Lebanese restaurant at the Cleveland St end of Crown St, Surry Hills. A bright restaurant with welcoming staff offering friendly service. There is large mural of Lebanon’s capital Beirut, which takes your eye as you enter the restaurant, as do some eclectic tiles and mozaics that adorn the pillars, walls and tables.

It is a licensed restaurant that also allows BYO. With some nice wine and Lebanese beer available, add lemon and salt to the beer to make it a Mexican.

Le Souk caters to all, whether it be a bite on the run: including Lebanese chicken rolls, wraps and the possibility of an exciting burger is on the way. There is also the ala carte dine in menu, as well as Banquet options available. Being a Lebanese restaurant, you will not be going home hungry and will likely have some to take home.

We were fortunate to try a wide variety from the menu. Starting with the Lebanese bread, and crisp fries pita served with dips famous from the region including our favourite the smokey buba ghanouj, creamy labne and hummus which was rich in flavour.

These were also served with some of the classic Lebanese Salads freshly made; The tabouli and fatoush both very good, particularly the fatoush with Crisp fried Lebanese bread for texture and the mint in the salad, giving a nice flavour. Another of the starters are the sambousek and these crisp Lebanese dumplings are a must. Made with love by an elderly woman named Saada in western Sydney, these are some of the best you will put into your belly.

One of our favourites was the BBQ chicken with garlic sauce, pickles, Bread and a side of these amazing chips with flavoursome chicken salt. We really enjoyed the chicken tawouck which is a BBQ’d chicken skewer with an exteremely tasty spice rub.

There were plenty of classics, the falafel, kafta and sujuk were all on point as were the spicy chicken and beef shawarma.

Visit this newcomer in the Surry Hills dining scene great for a casual meal with all of your favourite Lebanese options and more. Thanks to Dan and his staff for the hospitality and a very enjoyable meal. Thank also to Zomato for introducing us to Le Souk Beirut.

Sirocco for visitors and locals @Holiday Inn Potts Point

May 9, 2017May 11, 2017Leave a comment

The Holiday Inn Potts Point is in Kings Cross district and is only a stones throw from the Coca Cola sign. It is an area that is replacing night clubs with a thriving restaurant scene. The Holiday Inn has comfortable rooms with all of the required amenities and the location allowing guests to book rooms overlooking Sydney’s famous harbour landscape and cityscape, as well as the botanic gardens. It is a great place to explore Sydney from. The hotel restaurant Siricco caters to visitors and locals alike.

The recently upgraded Sirocco resraurant has a large open kitchen and chic dining space, providing meals through out the day. With the $25 buffet breakfast being a great opportunity to try the honey produced on site by an urban beehive situated on the roof of the hotel. There are also smaller options and ala carte available.

The Sirocco menu has something for everyone with a range of entrees, salads, pizza, pasta and items from the grill. There is also an option to build your own burger. Sirocco also offers reasonably priced meals for hotel guests and locals with $12 daily meal specials $15 with a drink. They have a great drink menu with a great range of alcoholic beverages availible including some nice wines. They also have variety of non alcoholic options including juices, coffee and teas.

We were here with foodie friends Random Din Dins Sweet and Yummie and Spooning Australia to try Sirocco’s new sharing menu. The sharing menu is perfect for a group meal or if you are visiting for a corporate event. With some morish starters including the crispy fried salt & pepper calamari, marinated fried chicken and for a healthy touch: the roasted and pickled baby beetroot salad.

For mains, a favourite was the BBQ share platter. With a stack of mouth watering meat options including the BBQ blasted pork ribs, scotch fillet steak and served with onion rings. There is also the tasty grilled Atlantic salmon share plate.

Now for the sweetest thing- dessert. The creamy Baileys Creme Brulee and the di vinely silky Honey Panacotta made with the honey sourced from their own urban beehive situated on the roof of the hotel.

Thanks to The Holiday Inn Potts Point and Sirocco for the hospitality. Especially Cindi and Ben for arranging the evening, a very enjoyable experience.

http://www.holidayinnpottspoint.com.au/sirocco/

A sweet spot @Love Crepe

May 7, 2017May 7, 2017Leave a comment

I had the pleasure of visiting love crepe on Good Friday. Although most places were closed, the fish markets were open and thriving and thankfully Love crepe was also open. A dessert bar with friendly staff welcoming you to try some of their goodies. Love Crepe serves crepes, as the name would suggest, both sweet and savoury. Love crepe also serving a cooler form of sweetness that I love: Gelato.

I met up with one of our contributors Sakina at love crepe. Here to sample their easter promotion, the hot cross bun ice cream sandwich. Starting with a choc chip hotcross bun warmed on a hotplate already had me won, add to this equation a generous scoop of cinnamon gelato, somewhat a revelation. I wait in anticipation for next easter knowing where I will be visiting when I am craving a hotcross bun.

We also sampled another of their new creations, a sweet crepe called The Pink Nutella Love crepe. Did you know that pink nutella is a thing? Well it is, and it is quite the treat. It is one of the ingredients that make up this delicious dessert in a pink nutella praline as nutella, crushed oreos, strawberries, artisanal vanilla gelato and some persian fairy floss for good measure. I would usually associate crepes as being a lighter form of dessert, not in this instance. You will literally have your hands full savouring this decadent creation.

Love crepe is a must, whether you have a sweet tooth or not. Thanks to Wasamedia for introducing us this place we now love: Love crepe. Thanks to the staff at love crepe for hosting us on such a busy day.

It’s time to share @Howard’s Cantina

May 5, 2017May 6, 2017Leave a comment

Howard’s Cantina and Cocktail Bar is located above the Rose of Australia Hotel. Historically, this iconic venue in Erskenville has been there almost as long as the town itself – 1874! Since then it has been a popular venue amongst Sydneysiders to visit for a drink or bite to eat. It has undergone a number of renovations including the newest venture – Howard’s Cantina and Cocktail Bar. The Cantina itself is in keeping with the eclectic style of the area. The new cocktail drink menu has launched and the Cantina opens from Thursday May 11.

We were lucky enough to attend the media launch and heard a wonderful speech from Scott Leach, whose father bought the property 21 years ago. Howard’s Cantina is named after Scott’s father. They are proud to have incorporated different aspects of his father’s interests in the property: flowers and greens (he was a greenkeeper) as well as bench tables as he enjoyed shared dining.

We tried some of the handcrafted cocktails, a ‘Paloma’, ‘espresso martini’ and a smoked negroni with infused Grand Marnier hicktory chips, as well as a ‘whisky sour’ that was topped with Barossa shiraz. The bar is sophisticated and staffed by some talented cocktail makers.

The menu, designed by Chef Chris Bell who has put together a sharing menu with a fine array of small plates, larger options as well as some beautiful desserts.

We began by trying some key components of their antipasto plate; charcutterie meats, cheeses, red peppers, dips and breads. Huge servings and high quality ingredients.

From the tapas menu, there was seaweed crisp with lightly dressed cucumber, raw tuna sitting atop house water crackers with smoked shallot and preserved lemons, we tried a beautiful trout pastrami with horseradish and crème fraiche, bresola with smoked tomato petal and orange.

One of our favourite foods of the night was the appleboy smoked lamb ribs with fresh oregano, lemon and chilli, such a beautiful flavor and the meat was cooked perfectly.
Another great little snack was the mini pork and veal sausage rolls, with a rhubarb puree and aioli. The Howard’s lobster roll was creamy and topped with caviar so good it had most of us losing our minds.

Some of the larger options include whole whey braised lamb shoulder, flank steak and cooked salmon

The orange cake and rocky road were outstanding desserts. With so many great food options to try, I would strongly suggest a couple of visit! We’ll certainly be going back!The atmosphere is fun, comfortable and music playing by a DJ to make for a great ambience. Thank you to Papaya PR for extending the invitation and The Rose of Australia, Erskenville for having us and providing wonderful hospitality.

thewhereto

food | travel | lifestyle

Month: May 2017