Graze, Pyrmont

I was thinking my resolution for 2012 could be to buy less meal deal vouchers seeing as I bought so many in 2011. But then I came to my senses and realised what a ridiculous idea that is as it would mean missing out on the likes of the amazingly good deal we scored for Graze in Pyrmont.

This voucher cost us $79 for two people and I'm about to show you what a fabulous bargain that way.  Loosen your belts as here we go...

We kick things off with a beverage. As it is one of the only hot days Sydney had experienced so far this summer we decide to try a refreshing  Cider.  We order both the Pear and the Apple Cider so we can have a taste of both. My favourite was the Pear...just a little less acidic than the apple and perhaps a fraction sweeter. 

Lunch starts with Chicken parfait and grilled sourdough (normally $12.00). The parfait was delicious - so smooth and creamy. Despite piling our bread high with the delicious spread we still had ample parfait left over and Graze happily topped up our sourdough supply so we could finish our little pot of gold.

Next up is another incredible flavoursome dish - Five Spice Soft Shell Crab with a Citrus Mayo (normally $12.00).  I've heard the words "molecular gastronomy" and "Graze" used in the same sentence before and I can see where that comes into play with this dish. The top of the crab has been cooked in such a way that it has become like clear cellophane and almost has that salty flavour of pork crackling. Bloody good is all I can say.

Another fun dish is the Cauliflower Milkshake with Jamón and Taleggio Toasty (normally $12.00). Jamon is "fancy ham" from Spain in case you're wondering.  The Boy and I were chuffed that we each got our own little toasty and perspex carton containing the frothy, warm cauliflower milkshake as neither of us wanted to share this dish (him especially as he kept asking if I liked the milkshake as he'd happily relieve me of it if I didn't. Nice try buddy).

I'm a huge fan of crispy polenta after recent visits to Jamie's Italian and Bloodwood. I squeal like a little girl (rather than the big gal I am) when our plate of Crispy polenta, chilli jam and lemon is placed in front of us ($12.00).  Things are not always what they seem in molecular gastronomy and the lemon is presented in a gel form dotted on the plate rather than the pieces of actual lemon I was expecting. The polenta is perfect - crispy on the outside yet pillowy soft in the middle.

After tasting the Chorizo slow cooked in Red Wine, Tomato, Basil and White Beans (normally $12) The Boy kept reminding me I wasn't supposed to be eating meat (another ploy to dupe me out of my lunch).  I quickly reminded him that the food here is all sourced from local growers and suppliers (etc) so I'm willing to break the rules for this lunch.

The last savoury dish is a plate of Cape Grim Beef Rump, Caramelised Shallots, Puy Lentils and Pickled Mushrooms (normally $20.00). Cape Grim is a Tasmanian beef farm operation and ALL of their beef is 100% Grass Fed.  This means no nasty concrete floored feed lots where cows go to get nice and (artificially) fat (and unhappy) before we eat them. Cows were made to eat grass, not grain, and to me grass fed is the way to go. It's kinder and it's taster. This dish was so tender and melt-in-the-mouth. Beautiful. 

And dessert. By this stage I'm feeling quite full but decline The Boy's offer to eat my half of dessert. The Iced Mandarin Parfait with Warm Chocolate and Cointreau Mousse ($14.00) was wonderful, and definitely one for the sweet tooth's. The iced mandarin was buried at the bottom of the cup and was a nice, fresh counterbalance to the sweet, fluffy chocolate mousse.

But wait, there's more. We finish off lunch with a cheeseboard of English Cheddar Cheese served with Crisp Bread, Toasted Fruit Loaf and a smear of Date Chutney. Despite being near bursting point I diligently ate my share of this - I'm willing to risk my burst stomach for cheese!

Graze Pyrmont is at 182 Harris Street, Pyrmont NSW 2009, Australia (02) 9518 5025.

Urban Pantry and Gelatissimo, Canberra

The Boy and I made a whirlwind trip down to Canberra during the Christmas Break. The purpose of our trip was to check out the Renaissance exhibition at the National Gallery of Australia - along with half of Canberra I think (the exhibition of old Renaissance artwork visiting from Italy was beyond crowded).

Normally when in Canberra we stay in the city and just stick to eateries within walking distance from our hotel. This trip we stayed over near Parliament House (or the National round-a-bout as my step-brother calls it {visit the road around Parliament House and you'll see what he means}) which gave us a chance to check out some new neighbourhoods.

After driving through Kingston and Manuka we decided on choosing somewhere for dinner in Manuka - most of the restaurants in Kingston were still shut for the Christmas break.  Urban Panty, a trendy looking bistro with dark floors, pressed metal bar and tiled walls, caught our eye.

We started off with an entree that combines two (of my many) great food loves - olives and blue cheese. Combine the two, crumb them and deep fry them and viola, perfection!  Crumbed blue cheese filled green olives could be my new happy place ($9.00).  A tip though, pop the whole olive in your mouth in one go. I tried to bite through the olive so I could take a photo of the innards and ended up with blue cheese all over me - whoops!

For my main I hijacked The Boys first choice and ordered the AMAZING Linguini with prawns, crab meat, cherry tomatoes, rocket and chilli ($28.00).   The linguini was heaving with big fat juicy prawns and delicious pieces of sweet crab meat that popped when you bit into it. This was a damn good pasta and the crab was just amazing.

The Boy seemed pretty happy with his second choice dinner of lamb rump on caramelised pumpkin, chickpeas and feta with blood plum vinaigrette ($34.00). The lamb was very tender and he really liked the chickpea medley underneath.

 

We decided to head down the road to Gelatissimo for something small for dessert.  The short walk down the road gave our dinner a chance to move down towards our legs and leave some room for the sweet stuff to come.

I decided to go for a light and refreshing Raspberry Sorbet which was really nicely flavoured and had pieces of real raspberries throughout. The Boy opted for a very festive Christmas Pudding Gelato which tasted exactly like pudding, complete with pieces of glazed cherry and sultantas.

Urban Pantry is at 5 Bougainville Street, Manuka, ACT.  Phone them on (02) 6162 3556.



Gelatissimo is at Shop T5 & T6A, 18 Flinders Way, ACT.

MONA, Hobart

If you only do one thing in Hobart I highly suggest a visit to the beyond fabulous MONA museum and one of its delicious eating establishments (that's after you visit Salamanca Markets, North Hobart and Cascade Brewery for Stout Ice-cream that is).

When I say MONA is fabulous I mean that it is like no other museum I've ever visited. It's vast, it's eclectic, it's confronting, it's joyful, it's humourous, it's awe-inspiring and just simply AMAZING!

The museum is buried in a huge underground cavern that has been dug out from sandstone and is located on (or in) a vast plot of land that houses a brewery, vineyard, accommodation, a winebar and very fancy restaurant called The Source.

The entire place is a magical labyrinth and believe it or not privately owned by Tasmanian, David Walsh.  A very very very rich Tasmanian I'm guessing. From reading his bio on the MONA website he seems quirky, irreverent and doesn't take himself to seriously.  His fellow Taswegians are granted free entry to the gallery, and they don't even need to show the scar where their second head used to be (or so the brochure tells us).  Love it.

It's this humourous and not-to-serious approach to art and the museum that really appeals to me.  This is a place for everyone to come, enjoy, wonder and wander (and take photos...of the art! Virtually unheard of these days). And that we do...building up quite the appetite as we wander around.

After a few hours of discovering not even half of what MONA has to offer we decide to go and seek some lunch. As we're on a time crunch (our last day in Hobart and we have a plane to catch back to "the mainland") we decide to grab a quick bite at the cafe. We start with two glasses of tap water...cos we cheap, and broke after living the high life in Tassie for nearly a week.

We take a seat inside, though the bean bags on the lawn overlooking the Derwent River do look enticing. I'd probably end up with my lunch all over me if I took the beanbag option though.

The boy ordered a Beef Pie, the pastry looks so buttery and flaky that I briefly have lunch envy. The homemade tomato sauce that accompanies the pie is deliciously tart and he seems pretty satisfied with his lunch.  My Salmon and Potato Pattie is ENORMOUS and filled with chunks of fresh salmon. The patty is topped with a fat dollop of homemade tartare sauce that is bursting with zesty flavour and tart capers. I might even attempt to replicate this dish at home...maybe!

Because we polished off every morsel on our plates we get to have dessert. Two little macarons do the trick in satisfying our craving for something sweet.

Museum of Old and New Art is at 655 Main Road Berriedale, Hobart. Contact them on (03) 6277 9900 or info@mona.net.au

Tomislav, Darlinghurst

The BFF and I decide to hit up Tomislav for our last dinner of 2011 and see the year out with style. I've always wanted to try Tomislav as I'm intrigued by head chef  and owner Tomislav Martinovic's take on molecular gastronomy.  Tomislav worked with Heston Blumenthal so I think it's safe to assume he knows his stuff.


I LOVE foams, dirts, soils, crumbs and weird sorbets made from herbs and anything else that the creative chefs at Tomislav care to dish up. I think it's really exciting when chefs can take a simple ingredient and make it something really special  and unexpected - like a basil sorbet for example.  When I cook at home it's always something really simple, where the pumpkin looks like pumpkin, so a trip to Tomislav's is a real culinary adventure.

We kick things off with Rice Crackers with Sea Salt and Vinegar ($10.00). The sea salt and vinegar comes in a nifty little atomiser and a few quick sprays gives the cracker a zingy flavour. Of course we also get the spray all over our hands - you can't take us anywhere!  This is a really simple little starter, but it's so creative and a really fan start to our dinner.

Next up is a complementary serve of Sourdough Bread with Butter. Of course this is not ordinary butter.  The BFF and I are pretty chuffed with ourselves when we identified a hint of espresso in the butter gave the bread a nice sweet after taste. Very clever!

I have to say I got a tad excited when the Scampi Carpaccio with Wasabi, Sour Cream and clear Pumpkin Juice ($24.00) came out as the pumpkin juice was being served in a test tube! Just look at how vibrant the colours are in this dish! Lovely.

For my main meal I chose the Roast Striped Trumpeter Fillet with Tomato, Salt Caramel and Grilled Baby Leeks ($40.00).  The fish came topped with rounds of bone marrow which I passed over to a very happy BFF as I'm not eating meat (other than seafood or meat I know is free-range blah blah blah) at the moment. He said it was delicious, melt in the mouth. Now back to me. The trumpeter was fantastic, and I loved how a little bit of salt caramel in each mouthful gave the fish a sweet taste.

The BFF chose a lamb dish for his main (so he didn't have to share with me I'm sure).  The Roast Suffolk Lamb Rump and Lamb Rib with a mint sauce and roast purple onions ($39.00) looked as pretty as a picture and the lamb was melt in the mouth tender I was told.

We ordered a couple of side dishes to go with our mains, though I was feeling a tad full by this stage so maybe one side dish would've done the trick. I'm sure the crunchy Triple Cooked Crinkle Cut Fries ($11.00) were a nod to Heston.  The little salad of Lettuce with Macadamias and Cranberries ($10.00 was a real treat - I love the sweet note the Cranberries added and the creamy dressing and Macadamias made this more than just a bowl of lettuce.

I really was quite full by this stage but the BFF had his little heart set on ordering dessert. I relented and agreed to have a spoonful or two just to help him out.  Half a plate later though I can attest that the
Milk Chocolate Cream Cake with Caramelised Walnuts and Smoked Banana Ice Cream ($18.00) was the perfect note to end the meal on.

I think the BFF must've been feeling jipped that I ate half of "his" dessert as he quickly ordered another dessert before I could protest. The Vanilla Cheesecake with Grilled Strawberries, Basil Ice and Rhubarb Sorbet ($18.00)  really was the perfect way to end the meal on. The deconstructed cheesecake was so light and the grilled strawberries and basil ice were fantastic elements that really added to the texture and taste of the dish.

Tomislav was the perfect place our last meal together of 2011. The food was fun, creative and just amazing. I'd happily return in a heartbeat.  The dishes were all really exciting, with quirky little twists and elements that raised the meal to something really special. If this is molecular gastronomy then I'm in LOVE!

Tomislav can be found at 2/13 Kirketon Road, Darlinghurst.  Phone them on 9356 4535.

Pastizzi Cafe Newtown and Urban Food Market Marrickville

On Christmas Eve Eve Eve I was heading over to Marrickville to collect our free range Christmas Ham from ethical meat wholesaler, Urban Food Market.

I think Urban Food Market are a GREAT business, offering us an option beyond the factory farmed meat that we seemed trapped into buying at so many supermarkets and other meat retailers. Did you know that in Australia the majority of our meat is raised in cages (poultry or pork) or in concrete floored feed lots (grain-fed sheep and cattle) - because it's "cheap" despite being inhumane.  And let's not even get into the whole caged egg business - just thinking about it makes me want to cry.   Free-range meat and eggs may cost more, but at least we know we are eating meat that has lead a happy free-range life as nature intended, and has not been cooped up in tiny cages or in sheds with horrible concrete floors.  We paid $70 for a boned half-leg of Ham and to me it was worth every penny and tasted better than anything we've ever eaten from a supermarket. Just a little "food for thought" and something I hope we can all start thinking about a little more when deciding what to eat.

Rant over...

Anyway, as I was kind of in Neicy-Poo's neighbourhood, we decided we'd catch up for a quick lunch.

I'd ear-marked Petty Cash Cafe near Enmore Park to try, but alas they were already closed for the holidays. We then headed for our second choice, Belljar, in Newtown. Alas they had literally just served their last coffee for the day and were shutting up shop for the holidays. Man, can't a gal get a break here.

In the end we decided to head up to King Street and seek sustenance at Pastizzi, a little cafe serving Maltese food. Pastizzi has been a mainstay Newtown restaurant for longer than I care to remember and I was hoping like crazy that they would be open as I was getting more than a little...starving.

Lady luck was shining on us as not only were they open but they had row upon row of delicious looking Pastizzi for us to devour.  But first we start with a refreshing drink.

Pastizzi, a popular Maltese dish, are a little diamond shaped pastry (either filo or puff pastry) filled with either a savoury filling, like Ricotta, or something sweet like cherry. And boy, are they gooooood!!!

We decide to stick with the savoury and I limit myself to just three seeing as they are not exactly a health food with all that flaky pastry.  After drooling at the counter for about 5 minutes I ended up choosing Spinach and Ricotta, Pea, and Salmon Dill and Ricotta.  My favourite would have to be the subtle flavour of the Spinach and Ricotta - a classic combination in my books.

I was really hoping Niecy-Poo would suggest a few sweet Pastizzi to finish the meal, but we end up with a salad. A pretty nice Caprese Salad though, so I'm not too unhappy.  The salad is a fresh and simple mix of fresh basil, tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella - so simple that even I could make this one at home.

I have a confession to make though. After lunch I went to collect the ham and the wholesaler just happens to be right across the road from Bourke Street Bakery. I think it would be remiss of me to be so close and not indulge in a little something sweet...for the road.

Pastizzi Cafe can be found down the south end of King Street (the "nice end" as I like to think of it) at 523 King Street, Newtown.



Urban Food Market is at Unit 1, 68 Victoria Road, Marrickville.  They are a wholesaler, but are open to the public on Saturdays between 9am - 1pm - at which time they also have various product tastings on offer.  If Saturday's don't work for you then call them up and arrange another time to collect your product, like I did.  And they are across the road from Bourke Street Bakery - what more incentive do you need to visit?