Review: Japaz, Neutral Bay

Chorizo with Veal Cutlets and Pesto Mayonnaise

So, where do I start?

For as long as I can remember, SK and I have spent many a days in the office and at uni simply compiling a list of all the places we would like to visit around Sydney. I believe the last time I checked, the list rather resembled an ad hoc extended version of the Good Food Guide than a "list". I believe we may be onto something...

Either way, Japaz has been one of those places which we had been dying to visit, but simply never got around to - and when the occasion finally arrived, I think we were so excited that Coca Cola could've bottled our excitement and used it as fizz in their soft drinks.

Mixed Plate: Coriander Crab Puff, Barcelona Salami, Chicken Yakitori

Japaz has an intriguing menu. The name of the place is pretty self explanatory - Japanese Tapas. Did I ever mention that there's nothing more I love than hanging out with friends over tapas? And beer? And more tapas?

Since AY was joining us for the evening, it meant that SK and I could happily order away at our favourite dishes without having to worry about wastage. (And AY says, "what wastage?") First up was a beautiful Mixed Plate. I absolutely fell in love with the deliciously crunchy crab cakes. Seriously, I have no idea what the bedding of the crab cakes were, but they were absolutely divine. I think they may be been egg baskets that were lightly fried. We also ordered the roasted eggplants which were soooooooooo melt-in-your mouth. I could've licked 2 plates clean happily.

Left: Pork Belly with Sauteed Rocket, Sweet & Sour Piquillo Capsicum; Right: Oven-roasted Snapper in Mustard Jus with Braised Fennel

The pork belly was also another melt-in-your mouth addition which was just so flavourful. Fat rendering is seriously man's second most awesome invention after sliced bread. I don't know what I would do in a world without flavournoids.

Fun fact: most flavour-molecules are hydrophobic and hence dissolve in fat. That's why fatty things tend to taste good. Yum!

The oven-roasted snapper with mustard jus was also a fingerlickin' delight to tuck into. The fish was a tad on the dry side, but it wasn't anything that a good slashing of the delicious jus couldn't fix.

Left: Wagyu Steak on a bed of Sauteed Chinese Cabbage and Red Wine Jus; Right: Wagyu Meatballs & Seasonal Vegetables in Tomato Salsa

And now as I am trawling through the photos and attempting to find the names of each individual dish on the menu, I've come to the epic realisation that we may have ordered every meat dish on offer minus the lamb (since JL doesn't like lamb). I blame SK for the lack of dietary fibre. I'll get on to that in a little more detail in the future.

Wagyu meatballs and wagyu steak. Seriously. I love meatballs. I scoff down Ikea meatballs at a pace that makes JL hand me a stack Jenny Craig brochures. I also drooled onto my table as I watched Tiffany make her smackalicious ballpark meatballs in this week's Top Chef.

I nearly faceplanted into the meatballs at Japaz.

Did I mention that I love meatballs?

Left: Wagyu Steak on a bed of Sauteed Chinese Cabbage and Red Wine Jus (served); Right: Braised Wagyu Beef Cheeks & White Almond Puree

Another special mention goes out to the braised wagyu beef cheeks. I think AY may have mentioned on the night that this was a recommended dish from all the other foodblogs out there. I must say I'm jumping on that bandwagon and furthering the recommendation because seriously, this is something I would come back to Japaz for. The meat was soooo beautifully tender and moist, and the sauce was rich and flavourful.

Left: Torrijus (Spanish Style French Toast) with Poached Apple & Brandy Ice Cream Pedro Ximinez Honey; Right: Raspberry Tart, Nut Semifreddo & Raspberry Coulis

Last but not least, dinner with SK just wouldn't be dinner with SK unless we desserted the night away. I wouldn't say that these were Japaz's strong points - especially after the incredible braised wagyu - but they were refreshing and satisfying as a way to tie up all the loose ends in the evening. Needless to say, the Raspberry Tart looks smashing as it arrived at the table, and the Torrijus was definitely something different to tuck into and explore. Lightly sweet with a lingering aroma...

"Please sir, may I have some more??"

Japaz

165 Wycombe Street

Neutral Bay, NSW 2089

Tel: (02) 9904 0688

Website: http://www.japaz.com.au

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: Rise, Darlinghurst

So, like. This post is totally like...3 months overdue. Gosh.

For those of you who may remember, JL and I visited Rise for a very special dinner last year for our anniversary. So smooth and memorable the night had been, that when the same question of "where should we go?" was asked again this year, the only natural response was, "well, let's go to Rise again".

Steamed chicken, tofu & tomato salad with sesame miso sauce (1)

So off we went to visit one of what would perhaps be one of Sydney's most underrated restaurants to enjoy once again its beautiful omakase.

Grilled polenta, prawn tempura, Chinese sausage & chunyan chilli sauce (5)

There were slight changes in the menu - for one, our beloved potato soup was no longer there, instead replaced with an equally satisfying tempura of prawn on a soft cube of polenta. Alas, I miss their potato soup!

Assorted sashimi (3)

The thing I love about Rise is not only the fact that there is plenty to smell and taste, but this time we sat at the counter, meaning that we could watch the chef methodically plate up the sashimi dishes ready for the next sitting. It was really incredible watching the sheer precision and thought-out system of setting everything up.

Behold. The German Sushi Army!

Seasonal Plate - Rice paper roll with cured tuna & avocado, soy milk flan with Shitake sauce, Cured ocean trout with "yuzukosho" tartare (not pictured) (4)

The taste profile here at Rise remains nevertheless on the side of umami (at least for the first few courses), intricately balancing the delicate taste of fresh produce with the occasional burst of bold flavour coming from a tiny something on the plate. It almost always catches one offguard.

Some things don't change so much. I.e the fresh spring rolls and the Chawanmushi.

Tom Yum with Scallop Tortellini and Mussel (2)

An interesting addition this time round was the Tom Yum soup. Taste-wise it was incredibly refreshing. Perfect #2 plate to get the tongue salivating. I see how it works on the menu, but I must admit a question mark did go off in my head when I first noticed it on the menu.

Roast duck breast, grilled witlof , mushroom, french beans, mash with Hoisin sauce. (6)

Mmm...duck. My favourite protein in the world! Here at Rise they sure give serve you some finger-lickin', fork'n'knife-lickin', plate-lickin' duck. The breast was cook beautifully (as you can probably tell from the picture), and the fat rendered just enough to give it a touch of sweetness. The bed of potato mash beneath it is also to die for. Brilliant supporting act - smooth, creamy and so full of flavour. I was almost sad to see it slowly disappear from my plate.

Amaretto granita, pink grapefruit jelly, panna cotta. (7)

Lastly, as a brilliant palate cleansing way to finish off the evening, came the refreshing pink grapefruit jelly, panna cotta with amaretto granita. Amaretto? Yes. Amaretto. For someone who generally dislikes the taste of amaretto, I was really surprised to see myself wanting this by the bucketload.

'Nuff said. I'll most definitely be coming back sometime soon.

Rise Restaurant

23 Craigend Street

Darlinghurst, NSW 2010

Tel: (02) 9357 1755

Website: http://www.riserestaurant.com.au

Review: Assiette, Surry Hills

Well well well, hasn't it been a while?

Having survived an incredible, career-defining period of epic-stress (where everyone here at Team Nom practically realised a whole new level to their stress-o-meter), the time has finally come to pick things up where we last dropped off...

Last night was the first time in a VERY long time that JL and I had even thought of going out for a random impromptu "date night". The special place we picked, Assiette, has been a place long raved about by AL (for those who don't know, AL is a fellow foodie and a long-time friend with whom I travelled around Vietnam with earlier this year). All the raves had made me worry that I had set my expectations too high for the occasion.

Left: Seasonal oyster with Vietnamese dressing and baby coriander (1); Top-right: Granny smith apple jelly with Vanilla syrup and apple granita (9)

First impression inside was excellent - an elegant, intimate dining space where the lighting still allowed one to see the face of the person sitting opposite you at the table. The floor staff seemed polite enough, though somewhat robotic as they rather monotonously listed what was sitting on the plate before you without so much as a smile as they tacked on "Enjoy." at the end of the briefing. Nevertheless, the food is what we were after, and the food is what we really cared for.

Left: Pan-fried dory with seared scallop, onion bhaji, cauliflower puree and mango chutney (6); Right: Cured Malborough salmon with prawn beignet, pink grapefruit, mandarin and fennel (2)

To say that the food was anything less than amazing would be the understatement of the century. The balance of texture, taste and artistry was beautifully choreographed on almost every plate that was presented on the night. I say almost because there was a pretty bad boo-boo in one of the courses- more on that later.

Being the seafood-addict that he is, JL loved the Indian-inspired pan-fried dory with the onion bhaji. I personally fell in love with the smooth and almost velvety texture of the cauliflower, pureed with the slightest hint of curry to delight the senses. Tasting the air-dried mandarin (it was like dehydrated awesomeness in a mouthful) was a first time experience for both of us - it provided a lovely crunch against the backdrop of silky salmon.

Terrine of Macleay Valley rabbit with celeriac, raisins and Waldorf Salad (4).

JL was a little bit apprehensive about being served bunny again. That only meant good news for me because I've long given up trying to convince him to give things a go and simply learnt to resolve the situation by gobbling down his share as well. This bunny and celeriac concoction did not disappoint.

Seared tuna with smoked eel, beetroot jelly, wasabi cream and baby basil (3)

The standout of the night for both JL and I went to (might I add, surprisingly), the Seared tuna with smoked eel and beetroot jelly. Even as I sit here today typing this, the smoky taste of the smoked eel mousse inside the beetroot cannelloni still lingers in my mouth. The pairing of the sweet tang of the beetroot to cut through the smokiness really just had one's senses wrapped around its little finger.

Ballontine (sic) of quail with prosciutto, chestnuts, white asparagus and crispy quail egg (5)

When the ballotine of quail arrived before me my heart sank a little:
"...Dangit I think it's raw."
"Are you sure?"
*Cuts into the piece - or rather, struggles to cut through the piece*
"Yep. Definitely raw..."

So I sat there for a while pondering my options:

1. Send the dish back Matt Preston style (Pros: Get a cooked dish, Cons: We had to be out before the next sitting started - so probably end up with no dessert)
2. Eat around the uncooked parts (Pros: Eat, Cons: Miss out on the ballontine and possibly still die from salmonella poisoning anyway)
3. Eat the whole thing (Pros: Research for what it feels like to eat raw poultry, Cons: possibly die from salmonella poisoning)

I'll just say now that I did not take option one. I'll leave it to you to decide which of the other two options I picked, but judging from the fact that I'm still here today to type this epic blog post for you all, I did not died from salmonella poisoning - though do NOT take this as advice to start eating raw poultry. It was possibly just a stroke of luck.

Either way the rest of the dish was excellent. You probably can't tell from the picture, but there were the most BEAUTIFULLY fluffy sauteed gnocchi sitting beneath the ballotine. There were also little cradles of sweet baby brussel sprouts next to the gnocchi which were to die for. Literally.

Left: Banana Mousse with white chocolate ice cream and peanut brittle (10); Right: Selected cheese with pear puree and toasted fruit bread (8)

Lastly came the round of desserts which included a composition of apple jelly and granita (with perfectly sized brunoised apples mixed in with the granita), a cleverly-deconstructed effort of "cheese-cake" and an absolutely lickable delight of banana and peanut. My heart was won by the train of thought behind the "cheese-cake" - a quinelle of some sort of blue cheese (guesswork) with pear puree and a crumble base - rather like a typical cheese cake. This was served with a small muscatel and mango chutney with fruit bread - a combination that is seriously more-ish. I could nom on this all night with a glass of wine and a book.

JL absolutely adored the banana feature. The banana mousse was so soft and fluffy, wrapped tightly in a cylinder caramellish cone (?). The peanut brittle gave a lovely crunch with the cone against the smooth and silkiness of the mousse and ice cream. The combination of flavours really was the perfect way to finish off a lovely evening.

We'll definitely be back again.

Assiette
48 Albion Street
Surry Hills, NSW 2010
Tel: (02) 9212 7979

Review: Spice I Am, Darlinghurst

About a week ago AL, VH and I decided to hit up Spice I Am in Darlinghurst, located beside the lovely Tastevin which we had been the secret hideout of our previous girly gossip session. Despite each of us going on separate ways post-high school, each and every one of these meetings remind us of just how little we have grown up...

Booking a table in the lounge section in front of the bar meant that we simply could not control our alcoholic tendencies. Besides, what's a gossip session without the cocktails?

Luckily for us, Spice I Am does a range of scumpdiddlyumptious fruity cocktails.

Canadian Summer (left): Fresh corindi raspberries, Canadian Club Whisky, Absolut Raspberry vodka, French rockmelon liqueur, and ruby red grapefruit juice

Tiger Paw (right): Crushed pineapple, panama passionfruit, Wybowora apple vodka, French mango liqueur, and a touch of tiger secret

I rest my case.

Bour Tod (Phuket style fritter of green school prawns on crispy betel leaf with chilli sauce, crushed cashew nuts and coriander) - $14

I'd like to point out right about here that the waitress in charge of my area was perhaps one of the most lovely and attentive waitress I've encountered in my various roamings around Sydney's eateries. This Betel Leaf dish was one of her many recommendations for our table, and it was most certainly a winner.

If you ever visit Spice I Am, do yourself a favour and try it. Who knew a piece of leaf could taste so good?

Roast Duck salad served with whole cashews, chilli and lemongrass (seasonal special)

The roast duck salad was most definitely a winner with all of us at the table as the plate disappeared before you could even take a deep breath to soak up the aromas. Every mouthful was bursting with fragrance, flavour and fire.

Yeah fire. Did I mention that the dish was damn-freakin' hot?

As I quickly guzzled down water to put out the fire in my mouth, AL and her Malay innards pointed and laughed at me the way Ralph does in Simpsons. Despite practically losing my oral sensations, I still happily licked the plate clean. It was that good.

Pla Yum Ma Muang - Deep fried whole baby snapper with green mango salad, palm sugar, garlic and red chilli dressing - $38

Hello SK! This snapper is for you!

Anyway, I may have forgotten to mention that when our table ordered the snapper as one of our main, our ever-helpful waitress took a quick look at us before warning that the dish could feed us 4 times over. But then who can say no to deep fried snapper? I mean, you're talking about the person who could eat a chairleg deep fried. The snapper had to stay, and to that end we quickly struck off a few other dishes and stayed with this one.

Was I glad? You can bet your FIFA World Cup that I was.

The snapper was so moist and juicy on the inside, and the mango salad dressed on top was a real tangy hit to rid of any hint of greasiness from the deep frying. (What greasiness? Pfft...) I think I may have demolished 3/4 of the dish as AL and VH watched in horror.

Yum Hua Plee - Shredded banana flower with king prawns, roasted coconuts, shallots, chilli, coriander and nam pik pao dressing - $35

Back when we were in Hoi An, Vietnam, AL, VH and I all attended a private cooking class where we learnt how to make banana flower salad. From that day on not only did we fall in love with the incredible flavours of the dish - spicy, tangy, refreshing, fragrant, savoury, sweet, you name it - but everything about this dish brings back memories of our epic trip and sunfilled days biking around Vietnam.

This one was no different, except when it arrived all we could really talk about was how the banana flower market in Sydney may as well be a black market. I never see any around my area, but AL claimed to see them selling at $6 each in Cabramatta. I think I nearly choked when I heard that. Imagine what the prices would've been like during the banana crisis we had a few year back.

Hello QLD? Sharing is caring.

Khao Naew Ma Muang - Sticky rice served with fresh nam dok mai mango and coconut sauce - $20

The great thing about Spice I Am is that this is most definitely a place you could hit up later in the night for a good cocktail and grab some dessert. This Khao Naew Ma Muang was to die for, combining a delicate balance between a light savouriness in the sticky rice, the tangy bite of the mango and a light, smooth and creamy sweetness from the coconut sauce. Needless to say I was too full to fully devour this, but this is something that I would definitely reorder on my next visit back.

Saa Ku - Tapioca pearl with coconut and dark palm sugar sauce - $15

Oh heaven save me from my ever-increasingly bulgy stomach. Not only was this a great dessert to finish the night off with, but the mango iced topping worked surprisingly well as a refreshing palate cleanser with light coconut milk syrup being beautifully indulgent without the richness. Unfortunately our three spoons simply did not fit well in the glass all at the same time so the table descended into anarchic hell as we turned our spoons into swords and battled down to the very last morsel of this dessert.

Classy as always. Interpret how you will.

Spice I Am

296-300 Victoria Street

Darlinghurst, NSW 2010

Tel: (02) 9332 2445

http://www.spiceiam.com/the-restaurant/index.html

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: Jah Bar, Manly

I live up in the Northern Beaches area and the rest of my friends either live on the North Shore or somewhere down south or out west. What does that mean? Well it means that we rarely ever dine out near my area which subsequently leads to me driving far far away for outings. This particular night however, JTC and WF were going to be in the area and so we decided to choose a place in Manly to satisfy the growling of our stomachs.

We had no preference for cuisine, so the criteria were merely anything which tasted delicious and was bearable for our wallets. Jah Bar was what we ended up with. Situated in a small laneway right opposite a large carpark which has free parking at nights, it was bustling with people by the time we arrived. The restaurant itself was separated into three sections with a couple of tables out the front, the bulk of tables out the back and a bar in between. The diners here ranged from couples on romantic dates to large group bookings all eating and drinking under an area lit dimly by a string of Christmas lights. 

Being a table of boys, we were pretty much starving by the time we sat down and made swift decisions to order. Not long after, we were graced with the complimentary presence of sourdough bread and olive oil. Nothing particular special but always a nice way to start a meal - and to keep us munching and distracted while we waited for our main course.

The first dish that arrived was the Pizza Margarita with Tomato, Basil & Buffalo Mozarella, sliced neatly for us to share. I'm a big fan of the crispy crust which seemed to be achieved with oil at a bare minimum. The tomato was deliciously juicy and surprisingly did not affect how crunchy the base was. I felt quite happy with my slice of pizza and not at all unhealthy. Sometimes it's a nice change to eat something so delicious and still feel unburdened by oil and fat!

Pizza Margarita $16

I think I failed to mention that when we made the orders, both JTC and WF looked straight at me and had little input except with the serving of prawns. Naturally, I picked dishes that I loved and the Seared Scallops & Morcilla with White Bean Puree fell right into that category. I have many friends who aren't big fans of seafood and don't like the slightly chewy texture of scallops but I beg to differ. That texture is beautiful, flavorsome and when seared ever so lightly and dipped in that beautiful puree - it was brillant...that's what my tastebuds told me anyway, so don't take my word for it!

Seared Scallops $14

Chorizo is a dish which has brought upon both pleasure and pain since I was first acquainted with it. In Hong Kong, I've experienced the spiciest, most inedible chorizos I have ever tried but in a general sense, has actually brought great joy to me. This particular variation accomplished the latter but with most chorizos, my only complaint was I had to share with the other guys on the table. Yeah, yeah...I know that sharing is caring...but sometimes taking such a small bite doesn't quite satisfy my eager taste buds. 

Chorizo $8

This was quickly followed by an assortment of mushrooms which had been sauteed with garlic and a squiz of vingagre de jerez. Mushrooms in home and at places that I have dined at, are usually complementary to many dishes, mixed in to add that tangent of flavour. As a feature dish, the different types of mushrooms with a side of bread was delicious - absolutely loved the juicy crunch in my mouth. Meanwhile, the waiter had delivered our King Prawns & Sobrasada cooked in Spanish apple cider and just judging by the small dish, the prawns had definitely soaked up all the flavour. I'm not generally a big fan of prawns, especially the 'take-my-shell-off-with-your-hands' variety. I'm a bit lazy to do it usually and I find that all the flavour is lost once you remove the shell. It was, however, quite yummy so don't let my personal laziness put you off from ordering this one!

Assorted Mushrooms $11

King Prawns & Sobrasada $13.50

Of course, you'll rarely ever catch me finishing up a dinner out without dessert so these Spanish doughnut sticks were a given. Ask me to dip anything into a pot of melted chocolate and you'll be greeted with a smile - a perfect way to end a splendid dinner out at Manly!

Churros $8

Jah Bar

Shop 7, 15 Central Avenue

Manly, NSW 2095

Tel: (02) 9977 4449