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.

Gastro Park, Kings Cross

Gastro Park in Kings Cross (or Potts Point if you want to be fancy) is another restaurant that has me lamenting selling my tiny studio flat in Darlinghurst and moving to the wild wests of Parramatta.  I suppose The Boy and I wouldn't have been able to live comfortably in a no-bedroom flat smaller than a garage but still...it seems every time I come back to my old 'hood I find another gastronomical reason for not wanting to leave.

Gastro Park sells itself as a playground of inventive cuisine and if the food doesn't capture your interest the passing Kings Cross circus outside will surely keep you entertained! Personally I've seen the Kings Cross shenanigans before and am totally engrossed by the culinary trickery that Gastro Park is plating up before me.

Today's lunch as been organised by the lovely Sugarpuffi who has been lured to Gastro Park by the promise of truffles that has also enticed myself, Miss D, Miss J and Miss R out for a Saturday lunch.

Lunch starts with some lovely warm brown bread served on a slate tile with a fancy smear of butter and a sprinkle of sea salt.  Although this is just a piece of bread and butter it is presented so well that it makes me excited for the dishes to come.

We begin our meal with a starter each.  As I'm on a bit of a budget and Gastro Park is not the place for a cheap lunch I choose the cheapest starter on the menu  - the Putanesca Wafer ($6.00).  I actually have no idea what Putanesca is (other than I think Charlotte wanted to make Miranda one for her baby shower on Sex and the City) so I'm thrilled to see a very artistically presented wafer served in a stone.  The flavour is a mix of Parmesan cheese and tomato and it is super thing and crispy. Within seconds all that is left are...crumbs.

Because truffles ain't cheap, and nor is Gastro Park, we decide to order one truffle dish at $55 a pop and share it between us. As we are actually dining at the end of the lunch service the chef doesn't have a huge stash of truffles left so we end up being given this dish for $39 - bargain!  The truffles are served sandwiched in between the seared scallops and served with sweetbreads, mushrooms and a truffle jus.  I have to say the flavour of truffle was not as strong as I had expected - but as I had never had truffles before I really had no idea what to expect.  The pleasant surprise was the sweetbreads - which turn out not to be brains like I had thought...I learnt something today (I googled Putanesca when I got home so I now know what that is too)!

For entree I have seared scallops, serrano ham, creme carrot, endive caramel and marcona almond ($26.00).  I've read a lot about this dish on other blogs and also in newspaper reviews so I'm keen to try this for myself.   The flavours are lovely and light and all of the elements work well together - the creme carrot is creamy and sweet, and the scallops cooked perfectly. I love the plate this came on so much that I wish I'd brought a bigger handbag ... it would look nice in my home!

The main of crispy scaled snapper, smoked potato puree, calamari crackling and ink sauce ($39.00) is another dish I've read a lot about - mainly due to the treatment of the fish scales with hot oil making them not only completely edible, but quite tasty. Consensus on the scales at the table was quite mixed - Miss J didn't like them, Miss D and Miss R thought they were OK...whereas I LOVED them (I ate my own plus Miss J's).  I would say I was attracted by the saltiness of the fish scales and their crispiness - two of my favourite flavours/textures.  The calamari crackling was reminiscent of a large prawn cracker - but better tasting, and the potato puree was soft and creamy - really lovely. Cylinders of kipfler potatoes coated in ink sauce were a lovely surprise too.

Time for dessert! I go for the chocolate honeycomb, mandarin sphere, cookies and cream ($22).  What an amazing looking dish - so many elements on the plate, a feast for both the eyes and taste bubs alike - this dessert was pretty rich though, so in retrospect I probably didn't need to eat this all to myself as I felt a bit ill after scoffing the entire thing to myself.  We are all awed by the tiny macarons on the plate - god only knows how hard they are to make. Cracking open the mandarin sphere to reveal its creamy innards was pretty fun too.

I really enjoyed my lunch at Gastro Park.  I'd love to go back, but I'd save it for a special occasion as, for my wallet, it's on the more pricey side of dinning in Sydney.  You get what you pay for though - a great meal that feels really special.

Gastro Park is at 5-9 Roslyn Street, Kings Cross. Phone them on 02 8068 1017.