The Devonshire, Surry Hills

The BFF had tried a few times in December to book a table at The Devonshire but it wasn’t to be as they were fully booked each time I rang. Never one to give up (which The Boy calls nagging, but I call persistence) we tried again in January and lady luck was on our side!

The Devonshire is located on busy Devonshire Street in Surry Hills...which I guess is kind of obvious given the name, but I thought I should make that clear just in case there was any confusion. There is a constant parade of human traffic past the restaurant and it’s a great place for a bit of people watching – some of the people are more “colourful” than others.

The restaurant is empty when we arrive and this gives us a chance to have a chat to chef and owner, Jeremy Bentley (who owns the restaurant with business partner Matt Kemp from Montpellier Public House). Jeremy is a super friendly and down-to-earth guy and makes us feel so welcome in his restaurant and I think it’s this warmth that really makes the night for me. Restaurant Manager, Matt, is another friendly guy and he really takes the time to chat with us and carefully explains each dish (most of which I’ve promptly forgotten to my gold-fish memory – opps)!

The BFF and I decided to go for the $45 per person pre-theatre menu which includes two courses (you need to let them know at the time of booking that this is what you’d like). We decide to go for Entrees and Mains...and maybe order a dessert later on if we’re feeling “in the mood”. The pre-theatre deal is EXCELLENT value considering an entree and main will normally set you back about $60.

Dinner kicks off with an amuse bouche of Salt Fish Brandade with a Dill and Caper Sauce – which is basically (in my most non-chefy translation EVER) a little deep-fried fish and potato croquette type thing, and it was so delicious. I really loved the dusting of salt on the Brandade, and the fish and salmon filling was so light.

We also receive a complimentary bread roll that is served warm and with two types of butter - a salted butter and a lovely sweet butter infused with honey which is made in-house.

For entrées we stick with a nautical theme and order the Cured Hiramasa Kingfish, Blood Orange, Spring Onion and Potato Crisps and the Seared Scallops with a Curried Cauliflower Puree and  Onion Bahji. 

Both dishes are fantastic, though I have to say that anything served with potato crisps is a winner in my books. The cured kingfish is also served with a kingfish rilette which has a texture similar to salmon mousse and it is perfectly light and flavoursome (especially when scooped up on a salty crisp).  The BFF loves the perfectly cooked  Seared Scallop dish - and I am particularly taken with the onion bahji (yes, I'm addicted to fried foods)! 

For mains the BFF is swayed by the Bangalow Pork Belly with Sage Beignet and an Apple and Fennel Salad.  Snaps to The BFF for not getting cross at me for taking 1,000 photos of his dinner - brown food, why are you so damn difficult to photograph in focus? Hmmm?  Anyway, back to the pork - I'm told it was exquisite, melt-in-the-mouth tender. Bangalow Pork is bred to be a bit fatty, and when cooked with the fat left on is incredibly flavoursome and succulent (though I'm not 100% sure if it's free-range or not so I abstained on this occasion).

I kept on with my seafood theme and choose the Confit King Salmon, Buckwheat Risotto, Prawns, Kohlrabi, Ginger and Dill Dessert with FOAM! Sadly the foam here is a little...deflated due to the excessive pork-photo-taking that happened earlier on. No matter, it still tasted wonderful. The salmon was so tender having been "confit" with olive oil and cooked in a water-bath for about 6 minutes (that's the only information I retained from our waiter). The prawns were so plump and the buckwheat risotto was really interesting (in a good way)  texture wise.

Of course we couldn't resist dessert, not when I'd heard so much about the Devonshire Tea Creme Brulee, Scone Ice-Cream, Cherry Jam and Whipped Cream ($15.00).  The presentation is uber-cute (I wonder how many of these little tea cups go walk-a-bout at the end of the meal? I'd kind of like a few for home myself).  The brulee is made with a  mix of T2 Teas (Girly Grey, Blue Mountain and another berry tea whose name eludes me). The result is a lovely brulee with a mild Earl Gray flavour and a sweet after note of berry teas. LOVE! The scone ice-cream is subtle in flavour but utterly delicious. A must order!

Our experience at The Devonshire was lovely - in part due to the fantastic food and in part due to the wonderful service. We were really made to feel welcome and I can't wait to come back.  And for those of you who like a Degustation - you can grab one here for $80. Bargain.
 

The Devonshire is at 204 Devonshire Street, Surry Hills. Telephone them on 9698 9427.

The Montpellier Public House, Randwick

If you've ever had any doubts about whether or not the meal deal vouchers that seem to be so prevalent these days are any good, then I think this TravelZoo voucher that we bought for dinner Montpellier Public House should put your doubts to rest.

I'd been keen to try Montpellier Public House ever since fine dining restaurant Balzac shut its doors and owner Matt Kemp reopened Montpellier in the same beautiful sandstone building in Randwick. Whilst Balzac was all about beautiful food and fine dining, Montpellier is still about good food but at more accessible prices. Montpellier basically serves English pub grub, in a more modern and more refined incarnation. And, it's damn tasty!

You can still get your (more) fancy meal upstairs in Montpellier, however the TravelZoo voucher sees us dining downstairs in the front room of the more informal, yet still beautifully designed, Public Bar.  The voucher includes a bottle (yes a WHOLE bottle, just for us) of The Dutchess sparkling wine - a lovely drop.

The meal begins with Warm Olives with Bread that looks suspiciously like Brasserie Bread's soya and quinoa loaf. The olives are divine - plump and meaty, and the dense bread is perfect for sopping up the warm olive oil in the bottom of the bowl.

Our jaws near hit the floor when the waitress brings the tasting platter to our table. What a feast! We try to pace ourselves, but we make quick work of every morsel in front of us.  The platter contained a selection of Montpelliers tastiest treats: Potted River Trout with Pickled Cucumbers and Dill; Terrine of Ham; Salad of  Pickled Beets, Goats Curd, Orange and Walnuts; Baked Beans with Pork Belly; Dressed Salad Leaves and last but not least Duck Sausage Roll.  Phew.

Every element on the platter was bursting with flavour but I think my favourite would have to be the Duck Sausage Roll and also the Potted River Trout - both different dishes in terms of texture and flavour but both really stood out to me.

I guess the Pork Belly was pretty good too as I quickly scrambled to grab a fallen piece of crackling from the (what looked like a clean) floor where it flew as I tried to cut it in half. 30 second rule!  Don't judge - you'd do the same for crackling, I know you would!

Dinner's not over yet though - we still have our main meals to get through.  The Boy ordered the 8 Hour Braised Shoulder of Lamb with Roast Truss Tomatoes which was lovely. The lamb was so tender - it just fell off the bone, and the mint pesto type stuff on top added a really fresh element to the dish.  My Roast Sea Mullet, Fennel and White Beans was a really light dish. The skin on the fish was perfectly crisp and I loved the slightly licorice flavour the fennel added to my meal.

Are you full yet?  Yes? Well, loosen your belts as there's still a Dessert Platter to go. We take a deep breath and embark on polishing off the Trifle with chocolate and sour cherries; Buttermilk Pudding with Blueberries; Warm Treacle Tart with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream and a Bitter Chocolate Petit Pot.

It's really hard to pick a favourite when it comes to dessert, especially when each dish is so good.  The treacle tart was incredible - sweet, but not too sweet and delectable once the ice cream had melted into the tart.  The buttermilk pudding was another favourite - a bit like panacotta in texture, but more light.

So there you have it. We've not gone wrong yet with a meal deal voucher.  Choose wisely, choose restaurants you've heard of and you won't go wrong either.



Montpellier is at 141 Belmore Road Randwick NSW 2031. Telephone 02 9399 9660.

Courtney's Brasserie, Parramatta

Courtney’s Brassiere is Parramatta’s very own fine-dining restaurant and as part of this year’s Sydney Festival they were offering Fast Food Feasts. In short, a fabulous and quick meal for $30 designed to get in you in, fed and out to see the sights at the Festival...toot sweet.

Never one to pass up a good deal I jumped on this and made a booking for Parramatta’s Festival opening night. It also seemed like a great opportunity to try one of Sydney’s most sustainable restaurants.

Courtney’s sources fresh ingredients direct for farms that are within a 200km radius of Parramatta which leads to super-fresh produce and a menu that can change daily depending on what is in season. They also source meat and eggs from animals that are raised outdoors in a natural environment.   Blackboards around the restaurant tell diners what's in season, which farms the meal has come from, where the wine is sourced from.  Sounds good to me!

The grown-ups (myself and Niecy Poo) start things of with a glass of 2005 McGuigan ‘The ShortList’ King Valley Riesling which is much more crisp and less sweet than I was expecting. The Boy chooses a bottle of sparkling Tasmanian Rainwater - trying to relive his Hobart holiday I think.  At first we all had a bit of a WTF giggle about the Tasmanian Rainwater, but it's not any different to drinking Perrier with your meal so why not I say. At least it's made in Australia and it tastes...fresh.

A nice little surprise not included in the deal is an amuse bouche.  Our amuse bouche is a savoury style "doughnut" sitting atop a dainty dollop of pesto.  The doughnut quite dense in texture and tastes a little like felafel.  Oh, and a bread roll served with butter, balsamic and olive oil.
 

We had a choice of two mains, Barramundi  or Pork Belly.  It's little surprise to me that we all choose the Eco Farmed Pork Belly with Potato Pave, Wilted Summer Greens, Caramelised Apple and Crackling.  I mean Barramundi is nice...really nice, but unless it comes with Pork Crackling I can't see anyone at this table favouring it over Pork Belly.  The pork was so tender, and I really loved the Potato Pave (a fancy Potato slice to you and me). The apple was lovely - slightly tart and still retaining its crispness.

Another nice, and generous surprise not included in the deal is dessert - Mango Soufflé served with a little pot of custard and another pot of bitter chocolate. I'm wracking my feeble little brain trying to remember if I've tried Soufflé before and I don't think I have.  This was certainly a good specimen to pop my Soufflé cherry with - look how high it is, and it was so light and fluffy. I want more. Now!

Courtney's has a degusation menu that I'm very keen to come back and try - $79, what a bargain!  On occasion they also have dinners where the local farmers attend - a great chance to talk to the suppliers first hand.



Courtney's Brasserie is at 70 Phillip Street, Parramatta. Phone them on 9635-3288.

Red Lantern, Surry Hills

It wouldn't be too long ago that I would've thought meeting a group of strangers from the Internet for dinner to be a bit...weird. But that was before Twitter, and it's this Twitter meet-up (or tweet-up as the cool kids say) that I have to thank for the chance to experience the awesome food at Red Lantern in Surry Hills. 

Red Lantern has been on my radar for awhile as owners Luke Nguyen, Pauline Nguyen and Mark Jensen are big advocates for ethical and sustainable produce. Where possible all of the produce in the restaurant is free-range as well as being ethically and sustainably sourced. They even have a kitchen garden out the back of this converted terrace where some produce is grown. 

The reason for the tweet-up is to welcome Canberra food blogger Lizzy, and her partner Peter, to the big smoke.  Lizzy had been tweeting about a visit to Sydney to visit some of our wonderful food suppliers like the Orange Grove Markets, Fish Markets, Urban Food Market, Bourke Street Bakery...and the list goes on. Fellow twit, I mean tweeter, Karen offered to show Lizzy and Peter around and when Lizzy mentioned she wanted to go to Red Lantern a group of us quickly invited ourselves to dinner. As you do.

There we are...our big group of blurry Twits (Ester, Karen, Moi, Dave, Catherine, Lizzy, Peter and Joy)

As our group is quite large we have to go with the tasting menu ($65 per person plus $10 per person if you choose to have dessert - which we did). I actually think having a set menu with a large group is often the best option, as it leaves more time for chatting and less time trying to figure out what to order.

Dinner kicks off with Goi Cha Cuon Soft - rice paper rolled with pork and duck terrine, vermicelli, cabbage and pickled carrot.  A really nice, fresh flavoured beginning to the meal and a great indication of the quality of the food to come.

Sorry for the fuzzy photo folks, but as we know green or brown food along with dark lighting is my arch nemesis *shakes fist*.  That said there was nothing fuzzy about the flavours in this Bo La Lot - pasture fed Wagyu beef with lemongrass and shallot wrapped in betal leaf and chargrilled.  The betal leaves are slightly peppery and match really well with the fresh flavour of the lemongrass. Needless to say the Grass-Fed Wagyu is tender beyond belief and just goes to show that Wagyu can be top notch and NOT be grain-fed. Just saying.

I really love the slightly tart flavour of green papaya salad so was excited to try the Goi Du Du - twice cooked pork belly, tiger prawns, green papaya, perilla and mint.  The salad was studded with little pieces of pork belly which has got to make it a 10 out of 10 in anyone's books...very flavourful. 

It was the Muc Rang Muo - lightly battered chilli salted squid served with a fresh lemon and white pepper dipping sauce - that really had The Boy and I going back for more...and more...and more.  The squid was so tender and the dipping sauce was a great, zesty counterbalance to the deep-fried batter. Lucky for us that Lizzie and Catherine were engrossed in conversation as it meant The Boy and I got to polish most of this dish off.  I would definitely order this on my next visit to Red Lantern.

The first main served was Cha Ca - pan fried Mulloway fillets marinated in turmeric, dill and shrimp paste. Served with a green mango salad.  This dish was a real hit with both Lizze and Catherine who declared with every mouthful "oh my, this is delicious". That about says it all really.

The verdict on the Xuong Suon Voi - free range pork ribs braised with soy, chilli and garlic with broad beans and artichoke leaves - was unanimous, it was delicious. The charred pork was smoky and amazingly tender and definitely the star ingredient on the plate.
 

Another blurry photo folks, but again I blame the light...really not my fault! Really. Ga Chien Don -  crisp skin Burrawong pasture raised chicken poached in master stock with ginger and oyster sauce - is amazingly tender and succulent.  The masterstock is wonderfully flavoursome and salty. This dish is a must order (along with the pork, salt and pepper squid...well, everything really).

Karen tells us that the mushrooms in the Cai Xanh Xao - mixed organic Asian greens wok tossed in preserved bean curd sauce - are supplied by The Mushroom Depot stall she helps (wo)man at the weekly Orange Grove Markets and this makes the dish all the more special.  The mushrooms are GREAT by the way, meaty, firm and packed with flavour.

I really enjoyed the Bo Kho - pasture fed beef braised in tomato with cinnamon, cassia bark and star anise.  Once again the meat is incredibly tender and flavoursome, and I really think this says a lot about the quality of the produce, and the life that produce has led.

I really am failing at my New Years resolution not to eat desserts and the dessert platter really is my undoing. The tasting menu platter has a tasting of three of Red Lanterns desserts: Com Nep La Chuoi (red sticky rice in banana leaf and chargrilled with fresh mango, and coconut ice cream = YUMMO); Kem Flan (Coconut Crème Caramel); and, Banh Cam Mang Cau (sesame and rice flour dumplings filled with Sour Sop and served with black sesame ice cream).

I don't know why I waited so long to go to Red Lantern, but I know I won't leave it as long before my next visit.

545 Crown Street Surry Hills NSW 2010 Phone them on 02 9698 4355.

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.