Essen Restaurant & Beer Café, Broadway

Miss Piggy + The BFF dined as guests of Essen at the invitation of Wasamedia.

Now that the weather is (finally) cooling down it's the perfect time to enjoy some hearty winter fare....the type of food that Essen's serves up in spades (or on plates actually but that's not how the saying goes).

You can find Essen's at the bottom of a little collection of restaurants on busy Broadway.  It's a big, cheerfully busy, wood paneled restaurant where students and office-workers all gather for schnitzel, beer and some good old Eastern European fare. Much of this food is what I grew up eating and I'm thrilled to be revisiting some of my culinary childhood.

On my way back from visiting the ‘facilities’ I spied a jar of something pretty and very pink on a neighbouring table.  It looked really good with its side of thick malt bread…so I ordered it immediately! I am so over having food envy! The Matjes Herring ($14.00) – a dish added to the menu by Essen’s Dutch chef - was subtly salty and came served with with finely chopped beetroot, gherkin, apple and a splosh of vodka and sour cream. All the elements mixed so well together to make a sweet, sour and slightly salty dip that I was intent on devouring every last morsel of! It reminded me a bit of a subtle horseradish.

Their Lamb Goulash with Sauerkraut ($26.00) is normally served with a side of Munich malt bread however we asked for a side of their spelt spaetzle ($5.50) as I was desperate to try the spaetzle but knew I’d never be able to fit it in as a (third) main course.  The spaetzle was deliciously savoury and chewy with some great crunch to the outer shell. It was almost meaty in texture – a bit like tender chicken in texture rather than a noodle.  It may look plain but it was so flavoursome that we polished off half the bowl sans goulash. 

I’ve eaten a lot of Goulash in my time, being the daughter of a Hungarian mother – but I’ve never had it with tender, fall-part chunks of lamb and I have to say that it works really well. Lamb is so prevalent in Australia that it's great to see a traditional dish taking a local twist. I also liked that the goulash itself was less “soupy” than traditional Hungarian goulash as all the elements in the dish stood well on their own and the goulash didn't render the spaetzle soggy.  Our plate of goulash was topped with a HUGE mound of sauerkraut – a sight that would’ve had me gagging at the dinner table as a child, but I’ve finally made my piece with sauerkraut and we are friends....not best friends, but we're on speaking terms these days.

I cannot go to Essen’s (or Una’s for that matter) without ordering the Veal Jaeger Schnitzel ($22.50). I’ve been ordering this schnitzel for YEARS and it never disappoints.  The tender thin pieces of veal are crumbed, fried and then topped with the most delectable creamy mushroom sauce.  What makes this dish even better is the mound of creamy potato roesti that is fried until the outside is crispy perfection. I am also quite partial to the cabbage salad that comes dusted with paprika.

I think The BFF was scared by the thought of all the meat we’d ordered so we added a nice little green salad to the mix to help offset any meat-sweats that might occur during the meal.

Although we're quite full by this time our waitress convinced us that Essen’s strudels are worth activating our dessert stomachs for. We don't take much convincing and put in an order for chocolate and hazelnut strudel that is served with vanilla sauce ice cream. The strudel is served warm and layers + layers of flaky pastry are wrapped around a gooey mix of melted chocolate and chopped hazelnuts. Every mouthful is perfect with a spoon of the ice-cream added to the mix. 

Essen's can be found at 133-135 Broadway, Ultimo. Phone them on 9211 3805.

Food delights at the Gulgong Show

On the auspicious occasion of my birthday this year another very special event occurs. The Gulgong Show. 

There's nothing I love more than a good show. All that food on sticks is Miss Piggy's dream come true.  The Boy and go mad at the Royal Easter Show running between the Dagwood Dogs, Cheese on a Stick, Chips on a Stick, Corn on a Stick.  And then we like to wash it all down with some "Homemade" Lemonade which clears our palate for just one more Cheese on a Stick.  Ah, happy days. 

Needless to say I'm pretty excited about the Gulgong Show as it is a fairly small country town event.  This  means less distance to walk to get all of my favourite show food treats.  And less people getting in the way of me and my beloved Dagwood Dogs.

We actually commence our show over-indulgence at the homebrew judging the night before the show opens.  The Cattle Baroness sponsors a medal in the homebrew competition, and both her father and brother have been entering their home brew for years...so it's only right that we attend this important occasion.

The Boy is beside himself when we're told that after the judges taste the beer, all the spectators then get to have a taste as well. I bow out after about 10 small glasses of various tipple, but The Boy is in for the long haul and tastes everything that is offered to him.  Needless to say he's pretty cheerful and rosy cheeked by the end of the night.

I do get my second wind however when the Alcoholic Effervescence have their moment before the judges (that's Ginger Beers and Ciders), and I am more than a little happy when I discover that there is even a liqueurs and spirits category too.  So far the Gulgong Show is running rings around the Royal Easter Show (even though none of us could really walk in a straight line by the end of the night).

Surprisingly we all wake up the next morning with clear heads and are ready to tackle showday head on.  First stop is the Yard Dog Trials were we see Shawn the Sheepdog (yes that is his real name) doing his thing.  I think the Cattle Baroness is watching Shawn closely to see if she teach her lovely canine friend some tricks for the cattle yards.

There's nothing like watching someone else dog doing hard work to work up an appetite so
The Boy and I hit the Dagwood Dog van.  Two of these puppies set us back $10.

For those of you not "in the know" a Dagwood Dog is a battered hot dog Frankfurt on a stick. The whole shebang is then deep-fried and dipped in tomato sauce. It may sound disgusting to the uninitiated, but trust me, it's good. Really really good. They are a treat however best saved for show days otherwise you'll give yourself a heart attack from over indulgence.

The Cattle Baroness and her friend Miss L have a more refined morning tea in mind however and head to the Dining Hall for Devonshire Tea ($4.50).  The scone is enormous and doused with a good spread of jam and swerving of cream on the side. It all looks very decadent and fit for a Cattle Baroness.

The Boy and I head back outside to check out some more offerings at the show.  We venture into the Chook Pavilion, but this proves to be too much for me after being serenaded by The Cattle Baronesses roster who started crowing at 1am in the morning and finished at about 5.30am. As I stared at the crowing rosters I'm imagining them roasted on a plate with potato's...I know it's time to get outside and find more food before someones prize rooster becomes my lunch!

As rooster is off the menu (for now) we decide to partake in a Steak Sandwich ($5.00).  The sandwiches are pretty simple (white bread, minute steak, onions and tomato sauce) but boy, are they tasty.  Mine hits the spot and gives me some energy to go and do a tad more show sightseeing.

We check out some of the main pavilion which showcases all manner of arts, crafts, preserves, wool, fruit and vegetables, baked goods and cake decorating.  The Cattle Baronesses suggests we look around and get some inspiration as we'll all be submitting entries next year. Eeep!  I can't cook, let alone bake or be crafty...perhaps I can try my hand at egg decorating...

...or growing onions...

We head on over to the petting zoo and see some seriously seriously cute kittens and some groovy (non-crowing) chooks.  I dare you not to go "awwww" when you clap eyes on the cute little kitty I'm holding.

It was pretty hard to put the kittens back to go in search of more food, but in the end food trumps kittens...well, sometimes at least.  I'm desperate for something cool as the day has turned into an absolute scorcher.  I head straight for the nearest sno-cone stall and buy myself a cup of sticky, sweet, icy coolness for just $3.00.

The Boy only has donuts on his mind after getting a whiff of them earlier in the day.  He buys two ($1.00 each) and they come piping hot and served...on a stick! 

After a quick browse at a stand selling sweets we settle on some Aniseed Lollies ($2.50 per bag).  They look so festive with their hundreds and thousands decorations that they are impossible to resist.

And, of course a trip to the show wouldn't be complete without a showbag. The Boy buys our all time favourite, the Bertie Beetle showbag...amazing value.  Ten Mr Beetles for just $4.00.  I'd put up a photo but "someone" in our house has munched most of the Bettles and thrown the showbag in the bin. The Boy = guilty for crimes against food blogging.

 

We contemplate going to watch the wood chopping, but the heat, early morning/all night rooster serenade, and perhaps a little bit of last nights homebrew are all catching up with us and we decide to call it a day....but only after getting two Dagwood Dogs for the road!

The Boy and I had a blast at the Gulgong Show. The homebew competition was fantastic fun and not just for the free drinks.  I loved chatting to the locals - everyone was just so friendly that we felt right at home.  The show itself was fantastic...small, simple, compact and filled with local families enjoying themselves and what their community has to offer. 

I'll be back next year...with my decorated egg!