Ocean Room, Circular Quay

Miss Piggy (and her +1) dined as a guest of Ocean Room and Wasamedia.

Ocean Room is one of a handful of beautifully situated, fancy pants restaurants at The Overseas Passenger Terminal near Circular Quay.  I've been here once before but only for a few nibbles at the bar.  The bar snacks here were exceptional and I knew I wanted to come back...someday.

The restaurant overlooks our glorious harbour with a prime position opposite The Opera House. Throughout dinner I keep take peaks out the window and feel slightly jealous of people who get to stare at this view all day (or for the lucky ones who live around here who get to stare at the Opera House whenever they please). Ah well, I get to stare into Everybody Loves Ramen's laundry window so I guess living in Parramatta has it's own perks too.

I'm catching up with my friend Miss M and we're here to sample the Ocean Room's new autumn 12 course tasting menu.  TWELVE COURSES! I was worried that I'd be over-full by the end of the meal but as with the way with Japanese food everything was light, fresh and well-balanced. I left Ocean Room feeling satisfied...and good.

I'd had a bit of a rough day so we eager to start our night off with a cocktail.  Miss M is more of a wine drinker but I twisted her rubber arm to join me in some cocktail fun.  My tipple is the Blood Orange and Plum Sour described as a "juicy whiskey sour with succulent blood orange and plum scotch whiskey, plum wine and blood orange juice, cinnamon orange syrup and bitters". It's just what the doctor ordered and I enjoyed the woody notes of the whiskey. Miss M  goes for a good old classic - the Mojito - and I'm told it's good stuff.

Our tasting menu begins with "Kaki" - freshly shucked Sydney rock oysters with Guinness, myoga (ginger) and a Yamazaki (whiskey) silk. The oysters were juicy, plump and still a little briny, fresh with a hint of sea water. I really enjoyed the silky, slightly sour "whiskey silk" that felt like jelly on the tongue.

Our second course, Ochazuke, brings a bit of theater to the table. I can tell we're in for an interesting + entertaining meal as our waiter pours cold-drip dashi and premium gyokuro green tea into a small bowl of Koshihikari rice crust, flame seared latchet (fish), umeboshi (salt plums) sorbet, wasabi dust. The flavours in this dish were really interesting - so many temperatures, tastes and textures in every mouthful.  The dashi + green tea "broth" was slightly salty, tasting of fish in a powerful, earthy (or ocean) way.  I loved the crunchy "rice crust" that reminded me of puffed rice and the sorbet was savoury and refreshing.

Moving on to course #3 and #4 we have Maguro - yellow fin tuna with Sicilian green olive + buffalo mozzarella drops, crystalised yuzu, soy pearls, tomato chips following by Shinjo - housemade croquette of tiger prawn & calamari, yuba angel hair.

The Maguro is basically a tuna tartare which requires us to mix all the elements on the plate together in order to get the best flavour out of the tender, soft tuna.  Amazingly this simple looking dish seems to contain nearly every flavour all in one mouthful; sweet, sour, salty and umani. I loved the Shinjo which reminded a lot of a Thai fish cake in terms of flavour and texture, and who doesn't love a salty, crunchy lotus root chip (rhetorical question I think as EVERYONE loves them).

The theater arrives back at the table with the arrival of the pretty-as-a-picture Onsen or "autumn vegetable collection".  The centre of the plate houses what is basically an oil-burner containing a rich, unctuous, salty anchovy and garlic bath that I can't get enough of. Along the rim of the plate sits fresh, seasonal vegetables for dipping.  So simple but one of my favourite dishes of the night.

The sashimi platter is so fresh and it feels like an incredible healthy dish of food to be eating.  I can't quite remember all the different fish appearing on the platter but I know we had some tuna and some salmon. There were quite a few varieties of fish that I'd not heard of before - some were very 'seafoody' in flavour and others fairly mild.

Interestingly I found the strips of wagyu beef in the Shabu to be quite "meaty" - almost in direct contrast to how delicate the thin slivers of beef actually were. The beef was served in a dashi consommé with grilled tofu and seasonal mixed vegetables.  I added the lime, chilli and soy dipping sauce directly into my broth which I thought helped counterbalance this meaty tasting dish.

I absolutely loved the Miso Cod - one of the Ocean Rooms signature dishes. The fish is fall-apart tender and lusciously sweet thanks to the orange miso it is cooked in.  I enjoy the savoury element the little piece of grilled shallot adds to the mix - a nice counterbalance to the sweetness of the miso.  The pile of ginger risotto offers a petite little carb-fix.

It also appears that my cocktail has run out so I decide to try the Rouge Royale - a fizzy strawberry drink with Martell VS, creme de peche, strawberry, orange, lemon juice, Angostura bitters and Clover Hill sparkling. I loved that my cocktail came with a rosemary swizzle-stick as it gives me another idea of what to do with all that rosemary I have growing.

I was a little confused when our waiter places the Butabara down in front of us - how exact do I open this little parcel without spilling pork broth all over myself? Ah, in a flourish a pair of scissors is brandished by our waiter and the top of our cellophane packet is snipped off to reveal a parcel of steaming simmered pork belly, melting tofu, yuzu chilli and ponzu. Loved this - the broth reminded me a lot of a tonkatsu pork ramen and that's never a bad thing.  The silky, soft tofu didn't "melt" however so we think that might be some creative menu writing?

I was really looking forward to the Sansui as I've been craving steak lately (the side affect of cooking mostly vegetarian food at home these days I think). Whilst I prefer to eat grass-fed meat there's no denying that the wagyu flat iron steak was flavoursome and tender, and incredibly well cooked. It was served with a Tasmanian pepper jus, an ENORMOUS and meaty quinoa crusted king prawn and an Americaine cream and agedashi taro potato "tower".

I like that the meal proper ends with a plate of edo-mae sushi.  It's a nice light note to end on -- and rather it's unconventional I think to go back to something light, rather than end on a heavier meat dish.  We're told that this sushi is an "authentic Tokyo style nigiri". 

I saw this dish arrive at our neighbours table about 10 minutes before we received our dessert and I actually thought it was a savoury dish of cold soba noodles carefully wrapped "around something".  I was jealous that we weren't getting it as part of our tasting menu as it looked so intriguing.  It turns out that this dish is not soba noodles but dessert.  Amaguri - is a chestnut mont blanc with green tea angel cake, spiced ice cream, chestnut puree and cognac persimmon.  It is topped with a little chestnut that looks like a little brain and it's the first chestnut that I've eaten and actually liked.

The Ocean Room is at the Ground Level, Overseas Passenger Terminal - Circular Quay West. Phone them on 9252 9586.

Singapore Takeout, Circular Quay

Miss Piggy attended Singapore Kitchen as a guest of Singapore Tourism Board and Frank PR. 

“1 mobile kitchen, 9 cities, 10 chefs and 14 food brands
on a 365-day gastronomic journey.”

Sounds pretty good, doesn't it? I was one of a lucky handful of bloggers invited to attend a dinner at Singapore Takeout, a pop-up restaurant showcasing Singapore food that has traveled the world over the last 12 months ... last stop Sydney! After suffering badly from the post-holiday blues this taste of Singapore in Sydney was just what the doctor ordered!

I was expecting a dinner showcasing the simple  Hawker style food that The Boy and I had gone mad for in Singapore last month, but with Ignatius (Iggy) Chan and Head Chef Akmal Anuar from Iggy's in the kitchen we experienced a much more refined dinner, a fancy interpretation of some Singaporean classics.  It was loads of fun to taste some familiar dishes in that had been all gussied up, and it was wonderful to relive my recent Singapore holiday, if only for one night.

I hope the chefs didn't travel all the way from Singapore in the shipping container!

So what did we eat?  Let's have a look shall we...

Nasi Lemak...or is it? Iggy and his team have taken the notion of Nasi Lemak as a main meal and reduced it to a little taste of a Singaporean favourite - complete with Turmeric Leaf foam and an Otak Otak (fish) mousse.

Iggy's Variation of Sushi - tuna and kingfish sitting a top a delicious soy meringue, rather than your bog-standard rice.  The meringue was truly inspired, I want all my sushi like this in future! The texture was almost like honeycomb, dense yet light at the same time with  a slight flavour of soy and wasabi.

Cold Cappellini (aka: raw fish salad inspired by the dish yu sheng served at Chinese New Year) - chilled cappellini with needlefish, deep fried quinoa and a ponzu granite to add a crunchy texture.  A really light and refreshing summery dish.

Slow cooked Ranger's Valley beef cheek cooked with an Aussie Pinot Gras for everyone else; and a beautiful steamed Travelli for me.

Kaya Toast with Teh Tarik ice-cream - not the Kaya Toast I fell in love with in Singers, more of a Kaya flavoured brioche pudding...very nice, but it didn't quell my Kaya Toast cravings. Doh!

Sadly Singapore Takeout was only in Sydney for three days -- it's been and gone peeps -- so if you want a taste of Singaporean delights my friends you're going to have to jump on a plane and visit Singapore. After our recent visit to Singapore I CANNOT wait to get back and eat some more!

Gumshara, Chinatown Sydney

A wet Thursday night mooching around Chinatown with the BFF seems to be the perfect opportunity to head on down to Eating World to check out the legendary ramen on offer at Gumshara.  

Ramen-fanatics rave about Gumshara and its porky, collagen-rich broth know as known as tonkotsu.  This small food stall hidden at the back of a food court in Chinatown almost has a cult following.

The tonkotsu is mix of pork bones and water that are cooked until the bones and marrow break down – leaving a thick collagen rich broth behind (check out Helen's blog for a full-blown-behind-the-scenes account of how the broth is made). If this all sounds like a bit too much porkiness, diners can request a lighter, less rich, broth.  But, the BFF and I are here to try the famous tonkotsu. 

I really want to try the Pork Spare-Rib Noodle ($14.50), but as Gumshara only make 20 of these a day I wasn’t feeling hopeful that there would be any available for me to try as we’d rocked up quite late in the day.  Lady luck was smiling on me however as I’m told there are still a few pork spare-rib noodle soups left – yay!

For an extra $1.50 I add a soft boiled googy-egg to my soup. The egg was so tasty, and the yolk so creamy and soft, that I wish I had ordered two.  The BFF and I also make the most of the free condiments on offer, sprinking our broth with sesame seeds, and taking a little bowl of pickled ginger and chilli to the table with us.

This is without a doubt the thickest and most rich ramen I’ve ever tried, though it is much less salty than I had anticipated. I’m normally more of a Miso Ramen gal myself, so it takes a few sips to get used to the flavour of the tonkotsu. I try not to think too much about the collagen in the broth either as it gets me thinking about Angelina Jolie’s lips just a little too much.  The pork spare rib (along with that delectable egg) is the highlight of the dish for me - fatty, tender and melt in the mouth good. I'm not too happy with the BFF snaffles two big bites all for himself.  Hey, get your own dude.

The BFF opted for the Garlic Tonkotsu Noodle ($10.50), sans egg.  This is basically the same as my ramen, but the thick meaty pork spare rib is replaced with thin slices of roasted pork.  The broth is also slightly more salty than than my plain tonkotsu - but still not salty enough for The BFF.  Both of our dishes come with thin, noodles that quickly absorb the broth and become as slippery as worms (especially for those of us who cannot use chopsticks very well). The ramen is garnished with sliced shallots and a sheet or nori.

The BFF finishes every last drop of his ramen, but my stomach quickly reaches capacity and half of my soup goes untouched.  I blame this partially on the richness of the soup, but also the bucket sized serves.

Gumshara can be found at Shop 209, Eating World Harbour Plaza, 25-29 Dixon Street in Chinatown.
 

Zia Pina Pizzeria, The Rocks

The MCA are very kindly staying open late on Thursday nights during March so that worker bees like the BFF and myself can scurry down to The Rocks after work and check out the Annie Leibovitz exhibition. Thanks MCA!

As the night is all about Annie Leibovitz and not about food (unbelievable I know) we decided beforehand to find somewhere cheap and cheerful to have a quick but tasty bite to eat before heading off the exhibition at the MCA.  This appears to be easier than it sounds as, whilst The Rocks has quite a few great places to eat, a lot of them are a bit pricey and not really the "eat and run" type of place we are after.

The BFF had suggested a quick noodle dish from Wok On Inn so I went to check it out before we were due to meet up.  Whilst it fit the criteria (quick, cheap, cheerful) the surrounding courtyard eating area was all but closed down for the night and it didn't have a nice feel about it.  This would be a much nicer place to eat during the day when the area is buzzing with activity.

I thought I would wander down to the harbour to check out Greenhouse by Joost, the new pop-up environmentally friendly and sustainable bar & restaurant that has set up camp on the waterfront until the end of March.

I'd read quite a bit about this place and knew the food was reasonably priced, yummy, wholesome and you couldn't ask for a better location.  As I approached the makeshift structure I got a tad excited...the place seemed empty, with none of the crowd I was expecting to encounter.  Squee - I'd just grab myself a recycled-billboard table and text the BFF and tell him where to meet me.  It wasn't until I got right on top of Greenhouse that I saw the big, spray painted sign "Sorry we are closed for a function tonight".  D'oh!

So, it is on to plan C.

I had been to Zia Pina Pizzeria more than a few times back in my youth and thought it could do the trick tonight.  Albiet I'd always had a few drinkies before eating at there, so I had fond memories of the place. It was always busy with tourists seeking a cheap dinner, or city workers grabbing a quick pizza on their way home after a few post-work drinkies with colleagues.

When we walk in the place is just as I remember it, so not much as changed in 15 years.  The downstairs is tiny, with about ten tables all with mandatory red and white checked table clothes.  Quaint. Zina Pina's is aiming for the rustic Italian feel with wooden floorboards and exposed brick walls.

The menu is quite large with at least twenty different types of pizza on offer, as well as pasta, salads and soup.  There is also a set menu available for groups at $28.00 per person.

The pizzas are quite reasonably priced and a medium Cabanossi Pizza sets us back $14, and it is enough for two people with modest appetites to share. We add anchovies to our pizza for an extra $2.00 as I just cannot seem to eat pizza anymore if it doesn't have anchovies on it. I think I have a serious salty food addiction happening.

The pizza has a super-thin base that is perhaps just a bit too thin (or perhaps not quite cooked enough) for the thick ooze of cheese and tomato sauce that smothers it as goes a bit soggy...but it's still pretty tasty, albeit sloppy.

We also decide to order a Prawn Salad ($18.00) to add a bit of healthy eating to our cheesy pizza fest.  The salad is a bit on the expensive side for what is essentially a salad of rocket with five garlic prawns and three cherry tomatoes.  That said the salad is tasty, with a scattering of pine nuts adding a nice nutty crunch to the mix.

This is by no means a fine dining restaruant, nor a gourmet foodie experience. It won't be the best pizza you've ever had but it's pretty tasty and hits the spot when you need a quick bite to eat on your way to somewhere else.

The service is friendly, quick and efficient and we are in and out in under 40 minutes (we're faster eaters too, which helps speed things along nicely).



Zia Pina Pizzeria is at 93 George Street, The Rocks
www.ziapina.com.au

Misschu @ Opera Kitchen, Circular Quay

The stinking hot Sydney weather thwarted last night's plans to stop by Misschu’s Tuckshop in Darlinghurst and have a quick bite to eat after work.  I just couldn’t face the thought of schlepping from Redfern to Darlinghurst and then sitting on a little stool on the sidewalk to eat my fare.  I was desperate to give Misschu’s a try, but not desperate enough to risk heatstroke.  

As I trudged through the heat to the train station to head home I remembered that Misschu’s had recently opened up at the Opera Kitchen, along with a small selection of the who’s who of Australian eateries.   It’s a far cry from the street vendor inspired Darlinghurst location where you order through a hole-in-the-wall window complete with bamboo awning, but it means I could give Misschu’s a try at least (and hopefully there would be a breeze - there wasn't, just for the record).

The Opera Kitchen is a bit like a (very) fancy food court...with a million dollar view.  Along with Misschu, you can choose to sample the delights from Bécasse Bakery, Charlie & Co Burgers, Cloudy Bay Fish Co and Kenji  Sushi all whilst enjoying drink from the bar and gazing out over the harbour. 

On a day when it’s not pushing 40 degrees I think the Opera Kitchen would be a wonderful place to eat...last night however was another story.  Even hiding under the umbrella’s lining the Opera House’s concourse I felt like I was melting. Grown men were walking by clutching ice-cream cones like they're life bouy’s.  Tourists sat like stunned mullets in the heat and the staff at the Opera Kitchen all look wilted and exhausted from the day’s heatwave.

I decided to stay and give Misschu’s a try however, as my alternative was to go home and cook dinner in my stinking hot kitchen. No thanks. 

All of the eateries share a menu and you simply place your order at the shared cash registered.  When your food is ready the wait staff bring it over to you (they'll even guard your food from lurking seagulls if you're off taking photos like I was).  If you like you could sample something from each of the restaurants (asides from Kenji, who have their own sushi bar space and tables reserved for their customers).

I've perused the online menu for Misschu’s Tuckshop in Darlinghurst more times than I can to remember in preparation for my first visit. The first thing I notice is that the Misschu's with a View offerings at Opera Kitchen are more expensive, but I guess you're paying for the view.  There's also less opportunity to order single items, which is a bit of a bummer if you're eating on your own like I am.

In the end I settled on an order of Peking Duck Pancakes, and two steamed buns that I could order singularly. My total bill comes to $19.00.

I'm not sure what is in the Steamed Vegetarian Bun ($3.50), but I 'think' there is some eggplant lurking about.  The innards are nice, but I think both of the buns have been in the steamer for awhile as the waiters bring these over to me in under a minute of me placing my order. The bottoms of the buns are little gluggy, but in this heat I can excuse a steamed bun with a gluggy bottom.

The BBQ Pork Char Sui Bun ($3.50) is my favourite of the two steamed buns. The BBQ Pork is sweet and sticky and the dough soft and pillow-like. The taste is slightly different from similar buns I've had a yum cha, more sweet and the meat is far less pink in colour. 

And last, but not least, are the Traditional Peking Duck Pancakes ($12.00 for four pieces).  I love love love Peking Duck Pancakes, so this plate was always going to be the winner for me.  The pancakes are a bit more petite that I've had before, but the flavour is lovely.  A sprig of garlic chive lifts the flavour of the pancake and cuts through the sweetness of the sauce. YUM!

Opera Kitchen is located on the Opera House's lower concourse, next to the Opera Bar.