One thing that always strikes me when I enter Ocean Room is the stunning view of the Opera House from the glass windows of the restaurant. But it’s not all about the view – Ocean Room also serves up some fantastic Japanese food, and we’re here tonight to try out their new 12-course tasting menu.

Cocktails: Spicy Fifty – $18 and Rouge Royale – $20

We start off with some of Ocean Room’s new and tasty cocktails, since there’s 2 for 1 cocktails between 6-7pm every night. The Spicy Fifty is a drink with a brown sugar shochu base, elderflower, vanilla and a slight heat from the chilli. The Rouge Royale is a sweet combination of peach, strawberry, cognac, bitters and sparkling wine, with a spring of rosemary stuck in the drink for good measure.

Kaki

We kick start our dinner with two freshly shucked Sydney rock oysters, with Guinness (yes, the beer), Japanese myoga ginger and a Yamazaki ‘silk’ made from whiskey. The alcoholic additions are surprisingly subtle which lets the natural flavour of the oysters shine through.

Ochazuke

Maguro

The Executive Chef, Raita Noda, sends out his Japanese take on a Caprese salad. Don’t be fooled by the size of the dish, because there are so many elements in it that pack a punch of flavour. Cubes of Yellow fin tuna are accompanied by dehydrated tomato chips, and bubbles of buffalo mozzarella and Sicilian olive that just pop in the mouth. The little condiments on the side include avocado, onion, crystallised yuzu and soy pearls (which I initially though was salmon roe!). Definitely one of the most creative dishes on the menu!

Shinjo

The next course just looks like a mountain of fried shards. Hiding under this mountain are some bite-sized croquettes, which are bouncy and made with tiger prawns and calamari. The crispy topping is deep fried shavings of yuba, that are turned into “angel hair”.

Onsen

The Onsen course is probably the prettiest dish in the tasting menu, and there’s almost an audible gasp as it arrives at the table. There are an assortment of fresh vegetables on the side and a yaki-onigiri (fried rice ball) on a stick. These are to be dipped in the garlic and anchovy bath – which resembles an onsen (Japanese hot spring). The garlic and anchovy bath is delicious and there’s also some black shichimi pepper on the side for those who like it hot.

Onsen

To keep the dipping sauce warm, it is placed above a tea light which creates the most beautiful lights through the patterns on the ceramic holder.

Sashimi

It’s not a Japanese meal without some sashimi, especially since Ocean Room does such fresh sashimi plates. As part of the tasting menu, there is a selection of seasonal fish. Today, it includes hairtail, bar cod, chutoro big eye tuna, black kingfish and Tasmanian ocean trout.

Sashimi

Each has its own accompaniment, like ikura or a dab of grated ginger, and as always, I want more because I don’t think I could ever get enough sashimi!

Shabu shabu

The next dish is called “shabu squared” and refers to the Japanese dish shabu shabu, where thin slices of beef are cooked in a hotpot of boiling broth or water. Our individual mini shabu shabu dishes feature wagyu beef, grilled tofu and mixed vegetables in a dash broth. The hot broth slowly cooks the beef which can then be dipped in a lime, soy and chilli dipping sauce.

Miso Cod

Miso cod is a popular dish at Japanese restaurants, but I never grow tire of it. The cod is grilled with a sweet miso paste, and served with a ginger risotto and orange miso. I had this dish last time at Ocean Room and didn’t particularly like the ginger risotto, but this time the ginger flavour was much less sharp and wasn’t as overpowering.

Butabara

The Butabara is another fun dish where the whole package that the food is cooked in is brought out and opened at the table. Waitstaff cut off the tie on the plastic to reveal simmered pork belly and tofu pieces. We are given a test tube with a yuzu chilli ponzu which we are instructed to shake and pour onto the pork. The pork belly is incredibly tender, and the dish as a whole is flavoursome.

Shabu shabu

Sansui consists of three parts – a wagyu flatiron steak, a quinoa crusted king prawn, and an agedashi taro potato. The steak is wonderfully juice and flavoursome, and served with a pepper jus. The prawn is probably one of the biggest prawns I’ve ever seen, and the quinoa crust is quite interesting.

Edo-mae sushi

The final savoury course is three Tokyo-style nigiri sushi, with the chef’s daily recommendations. We all struggle to fit it in, but it would be a shame to waste such good food so… we somehow manage to stuff in an extra three pieces of sushi.

Amaguri

Thankfully, dessert is a light course with a chestnut mont blanc, green tea angel cake, chestnut puree, a spiced ice cream and a cognac persimmon. The cake and airy and light, and while I’m not a huge fan of the spiced ice cream, the cognac persimmon is actually quite nice and not as boozy as I expected. The tasting menu ends on a sweet (but not too heavy note) which is perfect for me as I’m about to explode from so much food. It was a wonderful and extremely satisfying meal, and with 12 courses priced at only $120pp, I think it may just be one of the best valued tasting menus around!

Penguin says Feed Me dined at Ocean Room courtesy of Wasamedia

Ocean Room
Ground Level, Overseas Passenger Terminal
The Rocks NSW 2000
Ph: +61 2 92529585
Open for lunch, Tuesday to Friday, noon to 2pm
Open for dinner, Monday to Saturday, 6pm-10pm

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Our first stop is LuxBite in South Yarra – and the first thing that catches my eye is the rainbow of macarons in the glass cabinet. There are lots of flavours, several of which are unique to LuxBite, which makes it difficult to choose just a few.

Endless Love – $8.50

Near the macaron display is a wall of pretty cakes. We ogle at the cake display for a while before choosing a pretty ispahan-inspired dessert called Endless Love. It’s sweet but not overly so, with a delicate lychee ganache, rose cream, chunks of lychee and fresh raspberries providing a bit of tartness.

LuxBite macarons – $2.50 each

American Doughnut Kitchen

We visited the Queen Victoria Markets one morning and I walked all around the markets to find this doughnut van. There were already people lining up for doughnuts (breakfast of champions!) so I joined the fast-moving queue as well.

Jam doughnuts – 6 for $6

They only sell one thing at the American Doughnut Kitchen – jam-filled doughnuts! Through the window of the van you can see little balls of dough ready to be baptised in hot oil. You can get 6 of these doughnuts for a mere 6 bucks and they come in a paper bag with lots of sugar dusted over them.

Jam innards

They’re freshly fried so be careful, because the jam innards are hot! We sit on a park bench and eat them, with the sugar scattering all over floor and the jam oozing out. Best breakfast ever.

Burch & Purchese

A trip to South Yarra isn’t complete without paying a visit to Burch & Purchese Sweet Studio. You can smell the cakes as you enter the store and it’s hard to decide what to look at first – the cakes in the display, the pink and yellow clouds of meringues on the counter, or the jars of salted caramel and handmade chocolates along the wall (there was a chocolate penguin!)

Explosive raspberry milk chocolate

We got a few cakes to take home with us, including this explosive raspberry milk chocolate dessert. Why is it explosive? Because there are hidden pop rocks in the milk chocolate chip cookie crumb layer, in amongst the raspberry and milk chocolate mousses, the raspberry custard and compote, and the raspberry marshmallow. It’s packed with flavour and the raspberry and milk chocolate flavour combination works really well.

Mango, milk chocolate, ginger cake

The mango, milk chocolate and ginger cake is cute as a button with a chocolate gingerbread teddy on top. There are layers of milk chocolate and mango cream, interlaced with coconut meringue, Jamaican ginger cake and chocolate sponge. I’m not a big fan of ginger but the ginger flavour is quite subtle in this, lending a slight warming feel rather than a big hit of ginger spice.

Strawberry eclair

The strawberry eclair is a little simpler than the other desserts but that doesn’t mean it loses out on flavour. There is a sweet strawberry cream in the choux pastry, and the whole eclair is topped with a tile of brilliant white chocolate and a sprinkling of freeze dried strawberries.

Iced chocolate and chocolate pavlova from Chokolait

I had to take the family to Chokolait, one of my favourite chocolate cafes ever. It was a warm day so an iced chocolate was in order, and I can never say no to a slice of their chocolate pavlova, complete with strawberries and cream.

La Belle Miette macarons – $2.50

After hearing so much about La Belle Miette, I had to make a stop there just before we left Melbourne. The shop itself is small, with pastel tea sets and a pastel rainbow of macarons in the display. I selected 6 to take home – Moet & Chandon and Blackcurrant, Cherry Blossom & Sake, Raspberry, Violet and Blueberry, Passionfruit Chocolate, and Caramel with Fleur de Sel. Luckily, they survived the trip to Sydney and still retained their perfect shape and texture. They were all true to their flavours as well, and my favourite was the Raspberry which was just amazing. These are macarons that are definitely worth travelling for!

LuxBite
38 Toorak Road
South Yarra VIC 3141
Ph: +61 3 9867 5888
Open 7 days, 10.30am – 7pm

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American Doughnut Kitchen
Queen Victoria Markets
513 Elizabeth St
Melbourne VIC 3000‎
Ph: +61 3 9320 5822
Open Tuesday and Thursday, 6am-2pm; Friday, 6am-5pm; Saturday, 6am-3pm; Sunday, 9am-4pm

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Burch & Purchese Sweet Studio
647 Chapel Street
South Yarra VIC 3141
Ph: +61 3 9827 7060
Open 7 days, 10am – 6.30pm

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Chokolait
Shop 8, Hub Arcade
318 Little Collins St
Melbourne VIC 3000
Ph: +61 3 9639 6188

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La Belle Miette
30 Hardware Lane
Melbourne VIC 3000
Ph: +61 3 9024 4528
Open Monday to Thursday 10am – 6pm, Friday 10am – 9pm, Saturday 10am – 5pm, Sunday 11am – 4pm

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I love the tacos and cheesy hot dogs at El Loco at the Excelsior Hotel, but I’m pretty excited that El Loco has also opened a permanent outpost in the heart of the CBD at Slip Inn.

Assorted tacos – all $6; Chorizo quesadilla – $7

There’s the usual tacos, with the option of substituting the tortilla with a lettuce cup. El Loco’s secret taco (top right) also features on the menu – and tonight I think it’s an ox tongue taco. Don’t be put off by the offal because it is seriously delicious! We also try the breakfast taco which has chorizo and a fried egg with salsa roja and guacamole.

Passionfruit Batida – $14.50

Chipotle fries – $7; Corn chips with guacamole and salsa – $6

Before the mains arrive, we get a couple of sides to share which I’ve also had previously at the original El Loco. The corn chips with salsa and guacamole are as tasty as ever, and the chipotle fries are an addictive snack with a spicy dipping sauce.

Cobia ceviche – $15; Roasted corn and heirloom tomato salad

In keeping with the pub theme, El Loco at Slip Inn also features some new menu items that are a little more substantial than the ones at the original El Loco. We try the Cobia (black kingfish) ceviche which is served with a refreshing coriander, Vietnamese mint and green apple salad with a fennel and lime dressing. A favourite of the table is the chargrilled baby corn and heirloom tomato salad – with nubbins of charred corn kernels, fresh tomato and salad leaves with a popcorn and ranchero dressing.

Roasted pork belly – $19

There are four mains on the menu – beef, chicken, pork or fish – and the pork proves to be a popular choice because it’s sold out by the time Sir D goes to order it. We still manage to snap of photo of the huge slice of pork belly, complete with crackling. It’s served with Mexican rice and an apple and cucumber salad with pineapple salsa.

BBQ chicken – $19

The BBQ chicken is a massive serve of half a chicken blackened under a grill. It also comes with Mexican rice, chipotle mayo, salsa roja, and a radish and fennel salad.

Minute steak – $18

Sir D ends up settling for the 200g scotch fillet minute steak, but is a bit disappointed by the amount of gristle in the cut, making it difficult to cut and eat. I think he was secretly still mourning his roasted pork belly but he managed to finish off the steak and chipotle fries that came with it.

Grilled fish – $19

I opted for the grilled fish which today is a barramundi fillet with a crispy skin, served with a fennel and radish salad and Mexican rice. While the skin is crispy, I find it overly salted unless eaten with a mouthful of the rice. The fish itself though is cooked beautifully and served with a salsa verde.

Churros – $8

Dessert time means churros! These churros are freshly fried so they’re still piping hot and crisp with fluffy innards. They have a generous coating of sugar on the outside and there’s a dipping sauce of dulce de leche for those who like a bit of extra sweetness.

So the verdict? It’s the same Mexican food as the original El Loco with new twists on some good old pub favourites. While there’s more space at El Loco at Slip Inn, it doesn’t mean that it’s not packed to the brim with people so make sure you get in early or risk missing out!

Penguin says Feed Me dined at El Loco at Slip Inn courtesy of SBPR

El Loco at Slip Inn
111 Sussex St
Sydney NSW 2000
Ph: +61 2 8295 9999
Open Monday to Saturday – 12pm til late

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Now that we’re experiencing a cooler change in the weather, I’m starting to crave more comfort foods. One of my ultimate comfort foods is lasagne – I mean, what’s not to love about a rich and saucy mince layered between pasta sheets and that creamy, cheesy bechamel? I’ve tried out a few lasagne recipes over the years, but this Neil Perry one is definitely my favourite.

When I’m not gorging on the whole lasagne myself (spread out over a few nights…. of course), this is my go-to dish when I have guests over. It’s easy to make, and most of it can be prepared in advance which means there’s no freaking out in the kitchen in the 30 minutes before people arrive, because your lasagne is just sitting in the oven cooking. While the recipe looks lengthy, it is actually quite a simple dish to make if you break it down into its components.

I like to serve the lasagne with a simple rocket salad dressed with olive oil and balsamic, and a glass of red wine. So far it’s been a crowd pleaser – and it makes so much that there’s always leftovers for the next day, which taste even better :)

Lasagne
adapted from this Neil Perry recipe

9 instant lasagne sheets (I use a 250g pack of instant lasagne sheets)

For the meat sauce:
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
500g pork & veal mince
2 tsp plain flour
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
a pinch of caster sugar
700ml tomato passata
400g canned diced tomatoes
2 large handfuls basil leaves
sea salt and freshly ground pepper

For the béchamel sauce:
50g unsalted butter
3 tbsp plain flour
700ml milk
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
nutmeg

grated mozzarella cheese
grated parmesan

1. To make the meat sauce, heat the oil in a large heavy-based frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and cook until the onion has softened and the garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the meat. Cook, breaking up the chunks of meat with a wooden spoon, for 4 minutes or until it loses its raw colour. Sprinkle the flour over the meat and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the vinegar and cook, stirring occasionally, until it has almost evaporated. Add the sugar, passata and tomatoes and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly. Add salt and pepper, stir in the basil and set the meat sauce aside. You can make this up to two days in advance (cover and refrigerate until needed).

2. To make the béchamel, melt the butter in a heavy-based saucepan over low-medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes until it pulls away from the sides of the saucepan. Remove the pan from the heat and add the milk all at once, whisking constantly, to avoid any lumps. Return the pan to the heat and whisk continuously, until the sauce boils and thickens. Remove from the heat, add a pinch of nutmeg and season.

3. Preheat the oven to 190°C. If you have made the meat sauce ahead of time, reheat it on the stovetop until warm. Assemble the lasagne by layering the meat sauce, bechamel and pasta sheets in a 29cm x 23cm x 7cm dish, starting with a third of the meat sauce on the bottom. Place lasagne sheets over the top, then add another layer of meat sauce, and spread a third of the bechamel over that. Continue layering the lasagne sheets, meat sauce and bechamel until you have 3 layers of lasagne sheets. On top of the final layer, spread the remaining bechamel sauce of the top, and sprinkle with grated mozzarella and grated parmesan. Cook the lasagne for 30-45 minutes or until the cheese is brown and the sauce is bubbling. Let the lasagne stand for 10 minutes before serving. If making this ahead of time, you can pre-cook the lasagne and reheat it when your guests arrive. Serves 6.

While researching places to eat in Melbourne, I came across Purple Peanuts Cafe which serves tasty and healthy Japanese food at affordable prices. As luck would have it, we found that Purple Peanuts Cafe was actually located just around the corner from where we were staying, and so it was the first place we hit after arriving in Melbourne.

Beef curry soba – $9

Don’t be scared by quirky decor, which includes a giant stuffed octopus perched on top of the drinks cabinet. Line up at the counter and choose from the selection brown-rice sushi rolls and salads in the window, or pick something from the brown paper menu stuck on the walls behind the counter. Some of the hot dishes include this beef curry soba, which is definitely a winter warmer dish that arrives steaming hot in a bowl. The beef curry smells amazing and there’s a nice sprinkling of fried shallots on top.

Prawn salad – $9.50

Chicken burger – $9.50

I have slight food envy when I see Charm’s chicken burger, which is not the typical one you’d find at a local burger joint but one that is Japanese in style. It has a piece of juicy flame grilled marinated chicken stuck between Turkish bread with a miso maple sauce. She offers me a bite and it’s amazing with the teriyaki-style marinade on the chicken and the sweet sauce. I saw lots of people ordering this and I can see why it’s a popular dish with the patrons!

Onigiri rice ball salad – $7.90

The onigiri rice ball salad is an interesting pick-and-mix dish of sorts. You choose either a vegie or tuna onigiri and also a combination of the home made salads available in the counter window. I was expecting an ordinary onigiri – a triangle of rice with seaweed wrapped around it, but the tuna onigiri actually comes toasted on the outside so that the rice is crisp and held together without the seaweed. We pick up to 3 salads – a Japanese potato salad, a bean and carrot salad and a brown rice salad – and it actually turns out to be quite a healthy and substantial lunch. The salads are so fresh and delicious and I can’t help but keep picking at them.

We didn’t get to try the desserts in the refrigerated cabinet but there were some interesting mochi and green tea based desserts in there. Next time I’m in Melbourne, I won’t hesitate to come back here for a cheap and tasty feed, and also to try out their Japanese desserts!

Purple Peanuts Japanese Cafe
620 Collins St
Melbourne VIC 3000
Ph +61 3 9620 9548
Open Monday to Saturday, 10am – 8.30pm

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It shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that I count foodie films amongst my favourite movies. Tampopo, Julie & Julia, and Ratatouille are just some of them (and if you haven’t seen them, go and watch them!) So I was excited to hear about a new film, Haute Cuisine, which features delicious food, French culture, stunning scenes of the Élysée Palace and truffles!

And what is Haute Cuisine all about? It’s a comedy-drama starring Catherine Frot (nominated for a Cesar Award for Best Actress), Jean D’Ormesson and Hippolyte Girardot, and is based on a true story of President François Mitterand’s private cook.

In the movie, Hortense Laborie, a renowned chef from the Périgord, is responsible for creating all his meals at the Élysée Palace. Despite jealous resentment from the other kitchen staff, Hortense quickly establishes herself, thanks to her indomitable spirit. The authenticity of her cooking soon seduces the President, but the corridors of power are littered with traps…

Penguin says Feed Me is giving away five double passes to see Haute Cuisine courtesy of TM Publicity, opening in cinemas nationally from April 25. To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post answering the following question:

“If you had a private cook, what one dish would you get them to cook for you?”

Entries close at 10.00pm AEST, Friday 19th April 2013. Five winners will be selected by Sir D based on creativity and entertainment value. You may enter as many times as you like. Please enter a valid email address – this will only be used for the purpose of contacting the winners. Winners will be notified via email. Good luck!

It took one episode of Game of Thrones for me to get hooked on the show. And it seemed like I wasn’t the only one, because when FeFiFoFum asked if anyone of us wanted to join her at the Game of Thrones Feast at Gastro Park there was a resounding ‘yes!’ from the group! At $100pp for a 5 course dinner, it wasn’t the cheapest of meals. But it was clear that the staff at Gastro Park had put a lot of thought and creativity into it, with each dish being themed to Season 2 of Game of Thrones.

Dragon – Goats cheese and gruyere fritters

The first was simply named “Dragon” and was meant to resemble dragon claws. These jet black fritters were not the prettiest of things, and without the menu in front of us I was expecting to bite into black pudding. I was surprised to find that the fritters were filled with cheese and were absolutely delicious! They were scattered among a head of kale, which had been deep fried and dotted with a creamy sauce. Breaking off the crispy leaves from the stem made for a fun, hands-on dish to get everyone started.

Bones – Roast veal bone marrow, air baguette

Beach Fire – Crispy scaled jewfish in a beach fire, wild weeds, fresh goats milk curd

The Beach Fire dish was one of my favourites, featuring Gastro Park’s signature crispy scaled fish. The pieces of fish were placed in an elaborate display of smoked wood and fire with one piece per person. I was amazed at how crispy the skin and scales were, and how perfectly the fish was cooked.

Beach Fire – Crispy scaled jewfish in a beach fire, wild weeds, fresh goats milk curd

The fish course was served with several accompaniments – the “wild weeds” which was a green salad, and a fresh goats milk curd which was scooped onto each person’s plate. There were also some crushed almonds in a burnt butter sauce, and puffed barley for a crunchy texture.

The Royal Fondue – cheese fondue, roast grapes and bread wafers

I never say no to cheese, especially if it’s gooey and melted. This ‘fondue’ was half a wheel of Vacherin that had been grilled until melted. We were given wafer-thin crackers to dunk into the stretchy cheese which was delicious. The roast grapes on the side were a sweet and juicy contrast. Our table got every last bit of cheese from the wheels – it was that good!

News from the Raven by Candlelight – Mulled figs and plums

The mulled figs and plums was one half of the final dessert course, and was served with a quenelle of hibiscus ice cream. The figs were turned inside out to resemble flesh, and a mulled plum wine was poured over the dessert at the table.

News from the Raven by Candlelight – Edible candle

The edible candle was by far the most exciting dish of the night – with the white chocolate candle actually containing a wick that we could burn! We cracked open the chocolate to find a purple berry-flavoured mousse with a creamy white chocolate liquid centre and a biscuit base. We stab away at the candle with our spoons and knives, prying the white chocolate and biscuit pieces away to be eaten.

It was a fun and interactive meal that we had at Gastro Park, with all of the dishes matching the Game of Thrones theme in such a creative way. And if the food doesn’t get you in the Game of Thrones zone, then the theme song on loop in the background certainly will! (I had that stuck in my head for the rest of the night =P)

The Game of Thrones Feast at Gastro Park is available 6pm-10pm, Tuesdays to Fridays from March 14th to April 27th. Minimum 4 persons per booking.

Gastro Park
5-9 Roslyn Street
Kings Cross 2011 NSW
Ph: +61 2 8068 1017
Lunch: Thursday to Saturday, from noon
Dinner: Tuesday to Saturday, from 6pm

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The idea of eating locally and knowing where your food comes from is not a new one. It’s always a pleasant surprise to find a restaurant that adheres to this philosophy through getting to know the local farmers who supply the produce and even producing some if it themselves on their own rooftop – right in the heart of the CBD! Jpb restaurant proudly follows this through their revamped restaurant in Swissotel Sydney, with a menu that shows off produce that is sourced within NSW.

House baked organic spelt bread

The local produce starts right from the moment you are served the complimentary bread, which is house made using organic spelt and served with olive oil from Megalong Valley. The bread was rustic and stuffed full of whole grains, with lovely soft innards.

Grilled scampi – $15

Dutton Park duck leg confit – $15

The duck leg confit is an artfully arranged plate of duck, apples, beetroot and hazelnuts. It’s a little confusing to be honest since all the ingredients seem to be scattered and we aren’t given any instructions on how to eat it. The duck itself is shredded and tender, blanketed in what is similar to a Peking duck pancake. Cooked red delicious apples are dusted in curry powder which is an interesting way to serve apples. Unfortunately the beetroot is a little too undercooked for my liking, and we’re at a loss of what to do with the little pool of sauce on the side. While each component is fine on it’s own, they don’t seem to gel together as a unified dish.

Grainge scotch fillet – $25

Sir D decides to order the scotch fillet for his main. It is a hefty slice of beef that is served with fries, beetroot, asparagus and bearnaise sauce. Unfortunately, the beef is overcooked and verging on well-done (he requested it to be medium rare) and the fries are lacking a little colour and crunch.

Hunter Valley organic chicken – $25

My chicken dish is quite a large serving, with two pieces of chicken breast set on top of a layer of beans, lentils and wild mushrooms. While the lentils and beans are fine, sadly the chicken is dry and can’t be saved by the minimal sauce on the dish, and the mushrooms have an unpleasant, burnt flavour.

Homemade apple pie – $13

We find a bit of redemption with the apple pie, which uses Bilpin apples fanned out on a puff pastry round. The cinnamon ice cream is a little lacking in flavour and quite icy, but overall it’s a simple and pretty dessert.

NSW organic cheeses – $13

I’m not usually one to pass up something sweet but the cheese plate catches my eye with the promise of honeycomb sourced right from Swissotel’s very own rooftop! It’s an enormous platter of blue-vein, soft brie and cheddar cheese with house made lavosh, grapes, dried dates, walnuts, quince paste and a wedge of sweet honeycomb which is a pleasure to eat.

While the food was a bit hit and miss, I think the concept of sourcing local NSW produce and using what is seasonal and available is executed very well at Jpb Restaurant. It’s not everyday that you can sample honeycomb that is produced on the roof of the restaurant itself!

Penguin says Feed Me dined courtesy of Jpb Restaurant

Jpb Restaurant
Swissôtel Sydney
68 Market St
Sydney NSW 2000
Ph: +61 2 9238 7088
Open Monday to Saturday, 6pm – 10pm

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It’s easy to miss Blancharu if you don’t know what you’re looking for. It’s a small restaurant located on Elizabeth Bay Rd, hidden amongst rows of residential apartment blocks, and where Chef Haru (ex Bilson’s and Galileo) treats diners to a fusion of Japanese and French cuisine. There’s the option of choosing from the a la carte menu, a 5-course menu for $59, or a 7-course menu for $88.

Eggplant caviar with crab and avocado

We go all out with the 7-course menu, starting with a soup course. The cold soup is a silky and creamy avocado puree. It’s dotted with eggplant caviar around the edges, which reminds me of salmon roe, popping in the mouth as you bite into it. Crispy croutons add some textural contrast, and hidden underneath the soup is some picked crab meat. It’s a course that whets the appetite for the dishes to come.

Aburi scallops and yuzu dressing

Gazpacho with summer vegetables and pea mousse

The third course turns out to be a vegetarian dish that is beautifully presented. A flavoursome tomato gazpacho is like a small pond surrounded by a wall of airy pea mousse. Carefully cut vegetables like broccoli, baby corn, tomato, beans, onion and radish are placed around the edges to create what looks like a work of art!

Prawn mousse and oyster in deep fried kataifi with basil sauce

This dish was also a winner – how can it not be when it’s deep fried? The threads of kataifi pastry crumble with the first bite, revealing a whole plump oyster and a sweet, delicate prawn mousse inside. The basil sauce is a nice complement, providing a fresh flavour to the dish.

Poisson du jour

The fish of the day turns out to be a perfect cube of swordfish. I’m won over when I see that the fish is cooked perfectly and I savour every bite. It’s served with a creamy cauliflower puree and a balsamic sauce which packs a punch. It’s so good that I try to get every bit of it off the plate with my fork.

Yakitori quail breast with miso sauce and sansho

The yakitori quail breast is an interesting take on the traditional yakitori. I love all food on a stick, but the quail is so tender and has a great umami flavour from the miso glaze and sansho pepper. The lightly pickled cucumber in the centre is quite a contrast to the quail. I’m not sure that they pair together that well, but separately they are delicious components in their own way.

Dessert du jour

The final dessert course is brought to the table. It is a delicate looking dessert with pretty pink granita crystals sprinkled over a brioche and peach compote. The brioche has been soaked in peach juice, making it a little soggy and dense for my liking. But the flavours in the dish are spot on with a light vanilla cream, white peach and a heady rosewater granita.

I’m glad I finally got to try out Blancharu as it had been on my hit list for quite a while. We had a beautiful meal and even though the food didn’t look like much, we were quite full afterwards. I highly recommend the tasting menus which allowed us to try lots of dishes at a very reasonable price. I will definitely be back – especially as I hear there is an amazing ramen available there at lunchtimes too!

Blancharu
Shop 1, 21 Elizabeth Bay Road,
Elizabeth Bay NSW 2011
Ph: +61 2 9360 3555
Lunch: Friday and Saturday, noon-2pm
Dinner: Monday to Saturday, 6pm-10pm

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I think I do my best work when I’m baking for a particular person. Baking for someone motivates me to think of something that the recipient will really enjoy, and ways that I can incorporate that into my food.

And that is how these lemon, lime and bitters cupcakes were born. A combination of fresh citrussy flavours, bitters and lemonade, it is one of JC’s go-to drinks whenever we go out. So it felt rather fitting to make these cupcakes for her surprise party as we bade her farewell to Victoria (where she is studying to be a doctor for the next 4 years!)

The recipe is very similar to the Mojito Cupcakes I’ve made previously, but tweaked a little bit to incorporate the flavours of lemon, lime and bitters. The cupcake is drizzled with a lemon and lime syrup, while the bitters flavour is part of the buttercream, which also gives it a lovely blushing pink colour. These were a hit at the party – and probably one of my favourite cupcakes to date!

Lemon Lime & Bitters Cupcakes
Makes 12 standard or 24 mini cupcakes

For the cupcakes
110g butter
150g icing sugar
2 eggs
210g flour
1 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
120ml buttermilk or 120ml milk with a squeeze of lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract

For the syrup
100g caster sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp lime juice
zest of 1 lime
zest of 1 lemon

For the icing
100g butter, softened
190g icing sugar
about 2 tbsp bitters, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 180ºC. Line cupcake tin with cases. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, until well combined

2. Add dry ingredients (flour, baking powder and salt) to the butter mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the wet ingredients (buttermilk and vanilla). Mix with a spatula until just combined.

3. Pour the batter into the cupcake cases and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and springy to the touch. Allow to cool.

4. While waiting for the cupcakes to cool, prepare the syrup by bringing the water and sugar to the boil in a small saucepan. When the sugar has dissolved, remove from the heat and add the citrus juices and zest. Allow the zest to steep for 5 minutes before straining.

5. When the cupcakes are cool, use a knife to cut the tops off the cupcakes and set aside. Using a spoon, drizzle the syrup evenly into the cupcakes until it has all been absorbed. Replace the tops back on top of the cupcake. (Note: I found it best to put the top next to the cupcake that you cut it off so you can replace it back onto the correct cupcake easily.)

6. Prepare the icing by creaming the butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Add the bitters to taste and mix until well-combined. Place the icing into a piping bag and pipe onto cupcakes.