Glamorous Food Court, Westfield Sydney

I’ve FINALLY been to check out the new Westfield on Pitt Street Mall. I feel like the last person in the universe (or the blogging universe at least) to venture here.

Last night I met up with my friend CocoChanel after work.  We both finish work quite early so we arrive at Westfield just before 5.00pm.

As we start looking around the new shops CocoChanel tells me that she’s quite hungry and would be it be OK if we found somewhere to eat?

Would it be OK?  Hello! The whole reason I’m here is to check out the famed Level 5 food court (oh, and to catch up with CocoChanel of course).  

I figured since it’s before 5.00pm this is the perfect time to check out the food court given most people wouldn’t be eating quite this early (unless a bus load from the local nursing home is also checking out Westfield today that is).

I really wanted to try the Charlie & Co burgers last night, but as it is only a month til the big wedding day I’m trying to be marginally healthy so I don’t have to be surgically fitted into the wedding dress and then cut out of it at the end of the day.  It seemed such a shame to bypass Charlie & Co as there was NO queue AT ALL and a team of chefs standing by twiddling their fingers just waiting to cook someone (ie me) a burger and fries.  Oh well, next time.

CocoChanel spots the middle eastern eatery Dergah Grill and we umm and ahh for quite a while over what we should have. The guys behind the counter are very lovely and talk us though what’s on offer and offer to make up us a plate of whatever we want.   In the end we settle on a Mixed Grill Platter with Chicken and Lamb shish ($19.00) and a Vege Plate ($14.90).

CocoChanel doesn’t really “get” my foray into food blogging and there is much rolling of eyes as I try to explain it all to her whilst at the same time snapping away on my phone camera, as I left my real camera sitting on the couch at home.

She’s further unimpressed when I mention there’s no eating til the photos of the meals have been snapped.   She actually won’t sit down at the table until all the photography is over and done with.

We both enjoy our meals (when we’re finally allowed to eat them). We are sharing both meals so we can have a taste of everything.  I especially like the meat from Lamb Shish as it is juicy and flavoursome.  The dips are lovely and creamy, and the salads fresh and colourful. However I do think the falafel is a little tough and over cooked. 

Mixed Grill Platter

Meat Platter

I approach the Cabbage Roll on the Vege Plate with much hesitation. My mother used to make Cabbage Rolls for dinner and I always thought they were REVOLTING! The cabbage was so overcooked that it smelt, and tasted, like a smelly old football sock.  Blech. 

I am surprised, and pleased, to report that the Cabbage Roll from Dergah Grill is really lovely. The cabbage doesn’t taste like an old football sock at all, in fact it hardly tastes like cabbage which is a big plus in my books.   The cabbage leaf is smooth and silky and the mince it surrounds has a lovely mild flavour.  I wish that I’d had an entire roll to myself.

As we eat our dinner we admire the food court and its shiny new interior.  The décor is fancy and modern and the whole area feels very expensive.  I do however feel that the dim lighting and black tiles make the food court feel quite dark, even though it is still bright daylight outside.  Perhaps this is modern and trendy, but I don’t really get it.

The mirrors everywhere give the feel that we are in a house of mirrors – we spot food outlets in the mirror but aren’t really sure where they are.  At first we couldn’t even find Charlie & Co as we kept seeing the reflection in various mirrors, but couldn’t figure out where it was hidden.

After dinner we go for a wander around Westfield and check out the shops…I even manage to buy a few Christmas presents so am very pleased. 

We head back up to the food court after about an hour for dessert and a rest – shopping is tiring! I’m abstaining from dessert and CocoChanel is embarking on a fitness regime that she doesn’t want to undo.  We window shop the cakes and goodies at Via del Corso Pasticceria e Caffe but CocoChanel settle on a fruit salad from Top Juice ($4.90). 

 

It seems that CocoChanel is coming around to my food blogging exploits as she offers to let me take a quick photo before she eats her fruit salad. 

It looks very tasty and I’m told the mango is amazingly fresh and juicy. We agree then that it is probably worth the $7.50 price tag Top Juice are charging for whole mangos.

As we sit at Top Juice we talk about different places that we’ve eaten at recently and places that I’ve blogged about.  We discuss our mutual love of Lebanese food and CocoChanel suggests an outing to Lakemba in a few weeks time.  It seems I’ve converted her to become a food blogging buddy after all!