Review: Aperitif, Kings Cross

Well, because we're both foodies, long story short, earlier this year both JL and I decided that we would celebrate our anniversary twice - once at an old favourite, and once at what could potentially be a new favourite. Not quite restaurant Battle Royale in any sense, but we were just so torn over whether we should start visiting the "Good ol' favourite" every year, or cherishing our youth and explore around some more.

But because we're Gen Y and proud to be, we happily decided to have our cake and eat it too!

So we arrived at the beautifully romantic Aperitif, situated in a quieter part of Kings Cross. I've read some great reviews of this place over the years - especially the extensive exotic wines on offer. As someone who really knows close to nothing about wines except the fact I love drinking it, this was really something different on offer at Aperitif which attracted my attention.

Seared Wild Sea Scallops with Carrot Puree - $18

I love the idea of sharing food. There's nothing I love more than a place where I can have some Tapas and a glass of wine/cocktail with a few friends in a cozy environment. Aperitif is exactly that. The Mediterranean - French mix on the menu provides some inspiring offers and robust flavours. The Seared Wild Sea Scallops were an absolute delight to start the night with. The smooth creamy texture of the lightly curried carrot pu

ree was simply divine! I would happily eat a dozen of this if I had the choice.

Salted Cod Croquettes - $18

Next up we tucked into the Salted Cod Croquettes which were incredibly moist and soft. I love croquettes - one of my staple afternoon "buy-before-you-hop-on-the-train" type foods that I simply cannot live without. The Salted Cod simply provides a touch of elegance, and let's be honest here for a minute - who doesn't love the beautifully soft texture of a well cooked piece of cod anyway?

Confit of Duck with Puy Lentils - $22

The annoying thing about eating with just 2 people is that as a foodie, it's almost impossible to finalise what you actually want to order. Our incredibly helpful waitress gave us a rough guidance of perhaps ordering 2 small plates and 1 large, but when faced with so many options on offer, well, a foodie's gotta do what a foodie's gotta do!

"Are we done selecting?"

"Erm...hold on..."

"You're eyeing the duck aren't you?"
"No, I'm just looking around and see what else we could order..."
"You're eyeing the duck. I can see you eyeing the duck."

"Oh fine. Canwepleaseordertheduckpleasepleaseplease???"

So that's the tale of how the Confit of Duck ended up on our table. Which I must add was cooked beautifully. JL wasn't such a big fan of the lentils, so I happily ate all the lentils which were soooo incredibly tasty. I think it was some point here that I informed JL of how confits are actually done. I also think that it was some point here that he wanted to hand me a carton of Lean Cuisine and the number to Jenny Craig.

But it doesn't stop there...

Roast Pork Belly for 2

The big mama of all dishes was still yet to come. The Roast Pork Belly came in a ginormous serving size which really took us by surprise. There were generous serves of carrot and fennel (which I absolutely adore - Asians simply don't use fennel enough), along with lavish chunks of pork belly. Fat was beautifully rendered and sweet and I daresay almost gelatinous - for all those who are interested in maintaining a youthful complexion.

But it doesn't stop there...

Creme Brulee (2 x French Vanilla, 2 x Strawberry)

Lastly, as we were finishing up our last bites, another waiter walked up and informed us of the desserts available on offer for the evening.

"Creme Brulee!" said he, "And in Vanilla and Strawberry flavours!"

I think I nearly shed a few tears of joy at the sound of this.

I loved the way that the creme brulee was served - it definitely had the "art of sharing" firmly ingrained in its design. But what I loved more was the Amelie-style *crack* which each of the 4 tubs produced as we tucked in.

Here's a little demonstration:

First you crack it, then you scoop it, and then you scoff it!

But my mother told me chocolate wasn-....

Ha, just kidding!

All in all I think this is one of those places where one would walk in and straight away find something that they love. Whether it be a glass of wine with a few friends and dessert, or a glass of wine over a romantic dinner with a loved one, or even just as a place to grab something to eat and relax after a long week, Aperitif is just one of those places that has a warm and inviting feel and will turn even the cloudiest days around.

Aperitif

7 Kellett Street

Kings Cross, NSW 2011

Tel: (02) 9357 4729

Review: The Falconer, Darlinghurst

Rocket, radicchio, pear and parmesan salad with aged balsamic - $12 (large)

Oh my god. It's been a while...I can almost smell the mouldiness of the place already...

Apart from being completely bamboozled by what can only be described as an utter black plague of assessments this semester, I've also had my time quickly devoured by a few extra commitments I've taken on. Never mind that, I figure that instead of trying to divulge all the reasons why I haven't had the time to post, I may as well get a move on with the dusting of cobwebs around here.

Crispy shoe-string fries with the Falconer aioli - $8

Thanks to the wonderful Billy, the team here has finally had a few lessons on how to make our photos even more droolworthy. After-all, we are the hub of saliva-generation are we not? I'm still not too good with Lightroom, but practice makes perfect, and I'm happy to say that I've finally gotten over the noobish fascination with mindless clicking of the auto-white balance feature in Lr.

It's awesome isn't it?!

Okay, let's get back to work.

A few weeks ago AY, AW, JL and I decided to hit town for a night of relaxation in the midst of a World War against our textbooks. As we ran from the incessant fire of APV and DCF models, we luckily found a quiet refuge at The Falconer, located on Oxford Street, after a friendly recommendation by FW.

"So what's so good about this place?" I asked.

"Well, apparently they serve rabbit."

Braised organic rabbit ragu pappardelle with tomato, port & mustard seeds - $19

I must admit the thought of hacking up a fluffy bunny and cooking it did not at all seem appetising, but it was a thought which I pushed aside into my cranial Pandora's Box as I gave in to my unfettered weakness for pappardelle. On this particular occasion, luckily, the pappardelle did not disappoint with its bite and flavour. The ragu was beautifully cooked and the bunny meat so amazingly tender that I would have happily devoured two plates of this despite my initial apprehension.
Risoni with sauteed mushrooms, lemon, thyme and white truffle oil - $14

Bunny hackings aside, AW and JL both chose a serve of Risoni with sauteed mushrooms with lemon, thyme and white truffle oil. The flavours surrounding this plate was most definitely earthy and robust, but sadly the risoni was just a tad too al dente for my liking.

Slow-baked Bangalow pork belly with saffron pears and chestnut puree - $24

AY being the awesome solo demolition team at any dinner table, ordered a nice hunk of pork belly just to rub satisfaction in the face of the health-conscious. The amazing thing is, it doesn't seem to show on his body. Feel free to sign here for life-long membership to his hate-club. Jokes.

In all seriousness though, the meat was moist and tender, and so full of flavour that sadly there just simply wasn't enough to satisfy the hungry sonuva-. But in retrospect that was a good thing, especially for those of you reading this...

Because...

Vanilla bean crème brûlée with mango & cashew nut crisp - $11

Ooooright. Giggidy giggidy.

For dessert we had a lovely, smooth Crème brûlée (albeit a little runny still). The mango and cashew nut crisp which came with the dish was so wonderfully crispy and light - a wonderful accompaniment.

Can you tell that my word of the day is "wonderful"?

Not sure if it was because I had a little too much wine and cocktails to drink beforehand, I quickly became unsatisfied with eating the crème brûlée like a normal, healthy-minded human being. Acting in the name of research, I began to enjoy my crème brûlée with the french fries pictured above and oh gollie was it sensational! It was like the childish fascination with dipping you fries into your sundaes at Maccas, except so much awesome-er. Definitely recommended if you're not too fussed about being classy. Perfect for those suffering from a mild-case of Peter Pan Syndrome.

Overall, my the experience here was a big thumbs up. I gave it bonus points for its ability to make me feel like I should be wearing more vintage style clothing that came straight out of Frankie Magazine. If you like that old-fashion diners atmosphere that feels warm and inviting - look no further, this is the place for you.

The Falconer
31 Oxford Street
Surry Hills NSW 2010
Tel: (02) 9267 8434

Review: Tastevin Bistro and Wine Bar, Darlinghurst

So the order set out from AL was "I don't care, I just want French. Maybe we could hit up that place that gave us the awesome mash?"

The "awesome mash" place she had been referring to was Sel et Poivre in Darlinghurst, and despite constantly craving the mashed potatoes and the beef cheeks served there, I simply didn't feel like it was due for another visit until Winter strikes again.


Meanwhile I directed her attention to Tastevin, a French slash Modern Australian restaurant hidden in a pool of chaos that is Kings Cross.


In true Parisienne fashion, the place here is sleek and stylish. You most definitely won't be finding any nonsense in decor or furniture here. Likewise, its selection on offer is similarity straight-forward and no-nonsense, with just a few selections on offer, more than enough choice for the petite group of three we had that evening.

Beautifully soft and freshly baked bread was made immediately available after everyone arrived, and served with a soft round of butter and a dish of the balsamic & oil duo.

Gnocchi à la Parisienne, sauteed mushrooms & white truffle mornay - $16/27

We selected an entree to share, which was the Gnocchi à la Parisenne, with sauteed mushrooms and white truffle mornay. The mornay was delightfully rich and creamy in texture, and the fact we had shared it among three left us all wanting more. The gnocchi were the gentlest pillow-buds encased with slices of mushroom in every spoonful. The dish was simply divine.

King Fish tartare with sorrel cream, flying fish roe & finger lime dressing - $17

VH ordered a King Fish Tartare in an entree size for her main. The sorrel cream was indeed delicate in flavour - much like the king fish, but was simply too rich to finish. The flying fish roe drizzled around the edge of the plate made the entire dish seemed rather like a piece of artwork, and the thought crossed my mind as to whether it was polite to run a spoon around and lick it off.

Luckily for VH, AL and I were practically family.

Duck two way with spaetzle, sugar plums & sage beurre noisette - $29

AL selected duck two way with sugar plums and spaetzle (missing?). Thinly sliced duck piled up on top of a bed of what seemed like a duck pattie. While the slices were moist and juicy, the pattie below seemed rather uninspired and uninteresting. AL prodded it a few times and thought it was really dry, and left it mostly untouched.

Crisped skin pork belly on celeriac remoulade & pickled grapes - $17/28

I chose the Crisped Skin Pork Belly as my main. The layers of pork belly meat were lusciously tender and moist, and wonderfully balanced by the tartness of the pickled grapes. The celeriac remoulade was beautiful also, and I happily scraped up every last morsel along with the meat. Sadly I was disappointed by the chewiness of what was meant to be crispy skin, and after tackling one slice, I could not bring myself to put in all the effort to tackle the second.


Tastevin Bistro & Wine Bar
Level 1, 292-294 Victoria St
Darlinghurst, NSW 2010
Tel: (02) 9356 3429
Website: http://www.tastevin.com.au/

Review: Aki's Fine Indian Restaurant, Woolloomooloo

If there is one cuisine that I consider to be the most often overlooked, it has got to be Indian. Most people I know have only ventured so far that their idea of Indian consists mainly of butter, and chicken. If they're a bit more adventurous, then maybe some sort of enterproteinhere korma.


However, tucked away near the corner of the entrance to the long sunfilled walk of Woolloomooloo wharf, sits Aki's Indian - a place where Terry Durack once referred to as the high point of Indian cuisine in Sydney.

Pappadums - aren't they just adorable?

The choice here was simple - a $55 per head banquet menu with an extra dish on the side (which I claimed to have ordered for research purposes). I will warn you now, this banquet isn't for the faint-hearted - it kept me filled for both lunch & dinner. A great bargain if you ask me!

Relishes - Cucumber & Yoghurt "raita", Tomato & Onion 'kachumber", Sweet Mango Chutney

The banquet menu comes with a basket of pappadums and a selection of relishes on the side, too!

Lycheeliscious

Mango Pash

Appletini - most definitely lesser on the 'apple' and big on the '-tini'

Clifford Bay '08 Sauvignon Blanc

Since JL, SK, AY and I were planning to go all out for the day - why not have a few luxurious cocktails with our meals? Make that a few cocktails and a bottle of wine, just for kicks.

Crab with Iddiapam - $23

First up was the Crab with Iddiapam. This was an extra which we ordered on the side of our banquet. Why? Because it is Aki's signature dish, and a dish which I frequently have terrible cravings for. The crab was so tenderly cooked, JL and I were so gobsmacked by the layers upon layers of flavour which was embedded that we straight away agreed that we would be happy eating this for the rest of our lives.

What's that brown bedding you ask? Tamil Brown Rice string hoppers. I liken it to the Indian form of rice vermicelli.

Palak Patta Chaat - $13

Did I mention that Aki's Indian has a brother restaurant? Oh my bad - blame it on my memory. Situated in North Strathfield is Aki's understated brother restaurant- Abhi's Indian (review coming up soon). This Palak Patta Chaat, a dish which is a revved up rendition of the humble spinach, is the signature dish of Abhi's. It consists of deep fried spinach leaves in a light, crispy lentil batter, doused with layers of yoghurt, tamarind and date and chilli and mint sauces.

Talk about flavour explosion much? It even had the non-vegie-eater (SK) hooked.

Namkeen Squid - $16

While we're on the topic of revving up humble dishes - here we have exhibit B. Aki's rendition of the ubiquitous salt & pepper squid. Immediately after I made my first cut into the squid, I noticed just how easy it was to pierce through the flesh. There were none of the usual criss-cross scoring - and yet...still so tender?I couldn't have been anymore pleasantly surprised. No doubt whatever the secret spices were in the "spiced tapioca flour", it worked like magic. The tamarind and ginger dipping sauce was also a huge hit with me, being a rather exotic and delicious alternative to the typical sauces you get presented with.

This one most definitely goes in the list of most memorable salt & pepper squid - along with Cantina, Darlinghurst.

Achari Tikka - $14

The Achari Tikka bore a resemblance to the usual Chicken Tikka - except with a slightly more natural colouring than the flaming red that we usually see. The chicken was most pleasantly moist, but a touch on the salty side for my liking. JL nommed it up good, though.

Post-writing-thought: Wouldn't it be funny if "Achari" meant "Chicken"? That would make the opening of this paragraph rather redundant wouldn't it?

Gola Kofta - $15

This is a must have dish for all you lamb-lovers out there. The lamb mince used in these balls are hand-minced, and you can most definitely taste the strong lamb-smell with every bite. I was sad to have only eaten one - despite how hot they were and how much they made me cry, they were simply divine with lashings of the cool cucumber yoghurt served with the pappadums.

Next, we move on to the mains.

Yeah, those were just the entrees. There's still another 2 courses to come.

Beef Vindaloo - $27

This is Aki's version of the "not-your-average-vindaloo" Beef Vindaloo. The beef was meltingly tender and fully imbued with the flavours of tomato and cumin sauce. Oh and did I mention that this one made your tongue catch on fire? Well, it did, but AY and I ate most of it anyway because it was just that dang-freakin' good!

Pilau Rice

The mains came with a serve of perfectly cooked Pilau Rice and a stack of plain Naan breads. Perfect for soaking up all the sauces!

Subzi Kofta Curry - $18

The Subzi Kofta Curry was probably my favourite main out of the 4 which were served. The list of ingredient generates eyebrow-raising first impressions, but the dish does not take long to convince even the biggest skeptics and that flavours DO indeed work hand in hand and that they couldn't be more wrong to have doubted it. So what's in there?

Carrot, raw banana, beans and fresh English spinach. Amongst other "ridiculously appetising ingredients" (says JL).

The kofta balls were incredibly moist, and almost makes one wonder how they retain their shape yet still manage to have a fall apart and dissipate effect in one's mouth. I couldn't begin to describe the myriad of flavours present.

Chicken Makhini - $25

Butter. And Chicken. I know I love it, and I know most people out there love it too. Aki's version definitely strikes the uncanny balance between tanginess of tomato with sensual creaminess and a hint of smokiness from the chicken cooked in a tandoor.

Once you taste this, butter chicken from the local food court just won't cut it. You have been forewarned.

Goan Prawn Curry - $29

The last of the mains was a dish of curried prawns. Black tiger prawns cooked in a sauce of coriander, cumin and freshly ground coconut - a must have for the seafood lovers. We all agreed that this was good, except that we were all so bloated by this point that we couldn't really bring ourselves to fully relish in its flavours.

Having said that, JL still mopped it up good.

Indian "kufti" Ice Cream - $13

Lastly, after requesting a LOOOOOOOONG, drawn-out break to allow us to digest (the peeps at Aki's are most definitely flexible with their service), we were finally presented with a light slab of Cardamom and Pistachio ice creams to cool our mouths downs. These were definitely flavours up my alley, but may be a hit and miss with others.

To me, the experience at Aki's was not only memorable, but rather the quality of dishes it produced was rather humbling for the palate, and reminded you of just how much of an art there is to match flavours with produce. The dishes which were served up not only fascinated and intrigued me, but it kept me wanting more and challenged my curiosity. You can bet your ____ that I'll be heading back there sometime soon.


Aki's Fine Indian Restaurant
1/6 Cowper Wharf Road
Woolloomooloo, NSW 2011
Tel: (02) 9332 4600
Website: http://www.akisindian.com.au/index.html

Review: Wagaya, Haymarket

'Tis been a long hiatus.

Sorry all, I've only just re-settled into the whole Uni+work thing so the blog has been neglected for a couple of weeks. Either way, as AY is still stuck trying to get his life in order, I'm going to resume the usual blog routine - first stop, WAGAYA!

"Oooooh, touch screen!"

A trip to Wagaya almost always involves the token "ooh"s and "ahh"s at the touch screen menu selection. This trip was by no means an exception.

Soft Shell Crab Salad - $10.40

WW was eager and jumped right into ordering before we had settled into our booth. First course - Deep Fried Soft Shell Crab Salad. While being a tad on the difficult side in terms of sharing (let's not even talk about the price), we happily divided the crab with our chopsticks and nommed away at the salad. The crab was fried in a light batter, and the crunch was evident as we sank our first bite into it with all the fresh vegetables.

Scallop Sashimi - $7.30

As Tetsuya would put it, always start with the cold and raw before moving onto the cooked. So next up was a selection of sashimi. Scallops for TZ and I, while a deluxe assorted sashimi was selected for everyone to feast on.

Assorted Sashimi (Large) - $42.50

I found the scallops on the night to not be as fresh as I would've liked them to be. There was no doubt a slight fishy smell and lack of sweetness to them that made me a little reluctant to go for seconds. Other selections, on the other hand, had little to be complained about, and the only piece that was left behind in the end was a sad little piece of raw prawn that nobody dared to try.

Eel Tempura - $10.40

Not long before the sashimi arrived, my absolute LOVE (and possibly the dish that brings me back to Wagaya time and time again), arrived at the table. Eel Tempura. You seriously don't need a very vivid and wild imagination when it comes to imagining the taste sensation when you bite into a piece of this stuff. It's light and crunchy on the outside, and melt-in-your-mouth on in the inside. All the while you have the creamy tang of Japanese mayo in the backdrop as you happily nom away.

Uni Chawanmushi - $9.90

TZ requested a serve of Chawanmushi (Egg flan), and I jumped onto this opportunity to request that it be a sea urchin roe (uni) chawanmushi so that I may have a try of the pieces of sea urchin on top.

Being my first time, I was a little hesitant at first and closed my eyes and hoped for the best as I took my first bite. Luckily it wasn't as fishy as I thought it would be - someone once told me that it resembled lobster brain. TZ claimed that the chawanmushi tasted "like the sea - I feel as if I've just been dunked by a wave." The egg was lightly salty and a little fishy from the sea urchin, but beautifully delicated and creamy.

Rainbow Roll - $10.30

We also had a serve of the Rainbow Roll. The dish very much lived up to its name and was briliantly coloured by slices of avocado, salmon and kingfish. It was difficult to decide which piece to take, but regardless, the sushi was fresh and full of flavour.

Dragon Rolls - $10.50

I must say, Wagaya does a pretty good job on its Dragon Rolls as well. The cream cheese in the centre was an absolute heaven to delve into - soft and creamy and very light in flavour. It provided the perfect contrast to the sweet and saltiness of the eel. Decadence at its best.

Agedashi Soft Shell Crab - $7.90

Not having been satisfied with just a small piece of soft shell crab, we delved into a second serve- this time in the form of Agedashi Soft Shell Crab. Personally I preferred this one over the salad as the agedashi had a good bonito flavour to extend the flavours of the crab. The pillows of tofu which the crab rested on were meltingly soft and totally more-ish.

Wafu Pizza - $8.30

Lastly, just as I had been introduced to the Wafu pizza on my first visit to Wagaya, I passed my knowledge onto the group of friends I was with. The Wafu pizza is a cheesy delight for anyone who likes their chicken and seafood. Sadly, more often than not, there's just not enough to go around and what you end up with is a chopstick fight if you're as immature as I am.

So there you have it folks! Team Nom is back in action after a wonderful holiday!
(P.S. I still don't have my photos from Vietnam, but I'll try getting them soon)

Wagaya
Level 1, 78-86 Harbour Street
Haymarket NSW 2000
Tel: (02) 9212 6068