Asti Restaurant @ Pyrmont

Date night! It's been a while since we've gone on a date with all our workload and 21sts so I was super excited about this night. We also planned on going to the Cocktail of the Month at Cafe Sydney so double the excitement :) I've never heard of this place until my boyfriend mentioned it to me one day. Apparently it's been named after the chef so it must be good right?

Pyrmont always had that old, rustic feeling that I've always liked but it wasn't until this night that I actually wanted to move here. The little waterfront park in front of the restaurant is beautiful at sunset and you can see the Harbour Bridge to the right. There's another restaurant called Sugaroom on the bottom floor of one of the apartment buildings that I've seen often on coupon deals. I'll have to try this one next time with outdoor seats to enjoy the lovely pink hue of the setting sun.

The entrance is a bit confusing with two doors. The one on the right is the real entrance that leads into the bar. The staff are friendly and smiling as we walk in and although there aren't that many costumers, we didn't feel too awkward because we were seated at a more private location in the hallway. We both liked the design of the cutlery and the menu is like an old parchment. We were given a glass of Prosecco, an Italian sparkling wine. It was sweet but I thought it was more of a dessert bubbly than for a meal.

Our house wines - me, white for the snapper, and the Man, red for his lamb.

Complimentary bread with salted olive oil and drops of balsamic.

Entree. The presentation for both was beautiful. With the soup, they brought out a bowl of proscuitto and chestnuts and poured the soup into it. Shame I couldn't capture that!

Silky smooth chestnut soup, toasted brioche, proscuitto di parma, espelette chili cream. Oh this soup was silky and smooth indeed. It was so creamy and savoury with sweet chestnuts at the bottom of the soup. The toasted brioche felt like it was deep fried than toasted but it was still nice when dipped into the soup. There are bits of herbs that adds a zesty pang between spoonfuls of the cream soup. It tasted strongly of chestnuts and I loved this dish even more because I loooooove and have bagfuls of roasted chestnuts in winter.

Carpaccio of kingfish, compressed watermelon and huile vierge. The red against the white, what a lovely contrast of colour. Raw fish by itself can be a bit bland but the sweet sauce that covered this dish was beautiful. The thin slices of onions on top balance out the sweetness and goes well with the kingfish. The compressed watermelon is just watermelon in the shape of a cylinder and we thought it was a bit random but watermelon is watermelon, it's still yummy :)

Mains. Snapper and lamb.

Pan fried local snapper fillet, butternut squash puree, swiss brown mushrooms and baby leeks. This restaurant tends to use a lot of honey. The brown doodle across the plate is honey based as well as the smear of the pistachio with the pear dessert. Honey and snapper, I'm not too sure about this combination but the butternut squash, with its sweet and softness, was lovely.

I loved this dish better than mine! Rack of lamb off the bone wellington style with fresh peas and baby carrots. The lamb is so succulent and tender. My eyes went wide when I had my first bite. It's wrapped in crispy pastry giving it a fun sausage roll type of feeling to the dish. It's also served with sweet butternut squash puree. Definitely a must when you try this place!

Dessert!

Chocolate fondant served with raspberry sorbet. Normally I'm not a sorbet person but this raspberry sorbet was sweet and just the right amount of tang. It's placed over a mat of crushed pistachios. The chocolate fondant was a bit of a disappointment as it didn't ooze out and wasn't really warm. I did like the decoration though with the crushed raspberries sprinkled on the plate like rose petals.

Poached pear filled with pistachio cream served with vanilla bean gelato. It also comes with a cute meringue bird sitting on top of the vanilla gelato. The gelato was smooth and creamy. It tasted strongly of vanilla beans and instantly I fell in love with it. We switched our sorbets and gelatos as I was a creamy ice cream type while the Man preferred tangy sorbets. The pear was spiced so along with the sweetness of the pear itself, you can taste a mixture of cinnamon and nutmeg. The pistachio crumbs in the middle are sprinkled over honey so you can't taste the pistachio much.

This day has been full of unexpected surprises. Contagion was surprisingly good, although it made us both paranoid about handwashing, and this lovely little restaurant more than satisfied our hunger. I had a happy food baby as I walked out and off we went to our fourth course of the day!

Abhi's Indian @ Concord

Whew what a busy month! I finally had the time to eat out somewhere different so I can make my post!

After work, me and the Man were on our way to have dinner at Strathfield. Choosing what to eat has always been a dilemma because I usually get multiple cravings and start throwing out every option possible. Even as we were driving, we were having discussions. The Man rejected every one of my suggestions :( so we just decided to stop by at this place on Concord Road.

This place has actually been on my wishlists for quite some time now. Indian food is quite heavy so it's hard to eat often but every now and then, I crave the butter chicken from the uni food court or a garlic naan wrap with the curried chicken inside.

The average age of the customers is quite high up there and it certainly doesn't seem like a place to just pop in for a quite bite. The Man was dressed smartly in his hospital clothes but I was in leggings and was feeling quite out of place. The overall ambiance is nice and somewhat exotic with the dim lighting and the cultural music playing in the background. People are chattering away with friends and we excitedly open the menu.

The price range is quite high for Indian food ($20+). We opt for the Chicken Mahkni, the mixed Tandoori Platter, some garlic naan and rice.

The lighting wasn't that great so the pictures are a bit hard to see :(

The mixed Tandoori Platter. It's not much but I highly recommend it as an entree between two! The lamb sausages were fresh and succulent, having none of the pungent lamb smell. They're almost oily but just the right amount to make the juice squelch between your teeth. The chicken tikka masala is tender and not too strong in flavour. With their fresh mint sauce, which also isn't too strong in flavour, the flavours balance out perfectly for that sufficient spiciness. The lamb cutlets were my favourite. Well seasoned and very tender. The fatty bit was the best as it wasn't too tough.

The Chicken Mahkni. Looks like butter chicken but much less creamier and more spicier. I loved the burst of Indian spices and the generous amounts of tender chicken fillets. The curry is not too watery, not too thick.

Garlic naan. It was a bit cold and didn't seem fresh. It didn't rip off as easily as I wanted it to.

The rice. Normally I prefer the naan over rice with my curries but today, rice > naan.

Yay, another off the wishlist! And a success as well ;) I love good food...

Chat Thai @ Westfield Sydney

The famous Chat Thai with its cheap but delicious Thai food and humongous lines even at 11 pm. I didn't know there was a second floor to the food court/restaurant area until last Tuesday when I passed by a sign. Chat Thai? Definitely had to try it and a good excuse to meet up with my friends!

The decor is chic like the whole of Westfield and because it was lunch time, it was packed and there was already a long line. Many of the tables were sharing tables and even then there was no space. We didn't have to wait too long though and chose our dishes after salivating over the delectable pictures on the menu.

Khao na gai yaang - grilled tumeric and lemongrass marinated chicken with smoked chili and tamarind relish on rice. Grilled chicken, I didn't think much of it. Let's just say the first bite blew me away. The smoked chili and tamarind relish was so good. It was sweet and slightly chili, tasting a bit like plum sauce. The chicken was grilled perfectly so it was still juicy and tender but crispy on the outside. It has a subtle tumeric flavour.

That sauce was so addictive. I basically drowned my chicken in it before popping it in my mouth.

Mhu grob padt prik khing - stir fried crisp pork belly and wild ginger in red curry paste. The first impression of this dish isn't really appetizing because the pork looks overly coated with the red curry paste. The pork was chewy and the sauce was really nice but a bit spicy. Never underestimate Thai spicy or you'll suffer from ring burn the next day. It would be the dish to have if you're craving something saucy or full of flavour.


Yum yum.

Ba mee nahm bped - roasted duck and egg noodles in five spice broth. I am so craving this so much right now!!! The noodles are marinaded in the five spice broth, which has a slight soy sauce flavour but in a nice way. It's served in a huge chunky bowl and I realized again how important the dishes are when presenting food.

The noodles are chewy and just lovely. Normally you would expect stir fried noodles with thai food or in a noodle soup so this was a delicious change to my expectations.

I craved Chat Thai since this day. I'll be returning asap.

Charlie & Co. @ Westfield Sydney

I regularly surf the net for new eateries and put them into my wishlist. Slowly they're getting checked off and Charlie & Co. was one of the recent places to be crossed off the list. When this place first opened, it was welcomed for a few reasons: the opening of the new Sydney Westfield (I LOVE THE FOODCOURT) and that it's owned by none other than Justin North, Mr Becasse.

As soon as this place opened, there were countless blog reviews within the first few weeks of opening but what puzzles me is the rating on Urbanspoon. 50% is way too low for an eatery owned by Justin North. Still, I had my hopes so when my mom decided to come out to the city for lunch, we decided to give Charlie & Co a try.

I got the Charlie Chili Dog, my mom the Southern Federation (?) burger. It's new on the menu so I couldn't find the name on the menu on their website. We shared the infamous truffle and parmesan fries.

The Charlie Chili dog. Visually, it was quite pretty but I expected the chili to be served as a relish or sauce. The sweet tomato and mustard relish was nice and the sausage was juicy. I loved the brioche hot dog bun and nibbled on it even when the fillings were gone.

Again, it would have been better with the chili served as a relish or sauce. I had to squeeze it in with my fork but it kept popping out as I bit into it.

Mom's meal. The colour of the toasted bun makes you salivate but the plate looks empty with just the burger on it. The burger itself wasn't that nice. It was dry and bland. You can't really taste the jalepeno and it really would have added that much needed flavour. I took two bites and didn't eat my share.

So the burgers didn't wow us. BUT! these truffle fries sure did. Crunchy and well seasoned. It also had a garlicy flavour that really worked well with the oiliness of the fries and they were fried to crunchy perfection. I should have just gotten two bowls of these.

My mom was definitely not pleased. As a chef, she holds high expectations especially at a famous restaurant. She criticized the burger for its size, cost and lack of flavour. Sadly, I had to agree and I sadly walked away with a dissatisfied mother and stomach.

Cafe Centro @ Eastwood

Brunch, my favourite meal of the day! Me and the Man often have brunch dates but when it comes to choosing a place to go to, it's always difficult as there aren't that many nice places around my neighbourhood. Eastwood especially is the last place I'd venture out for western food so it came to quite a surprise when we tried out this busy cafe. Cafe Centro is a relaxing hangout for quality breakfast and coffee located next to Commonwealth Bank.

This place is always busy with friends and family catching up over a cup of coffee or enjoying a relaxing morning with a paper. They have their daily specials written across the walls in chalk and have cheaper deals on some days than on the menu. It was quite a warm day so I had watermelon juice and the french toast and the Man chose the big brekky and a latte.

The coffee came out after the food so we sat there quite thirstily as we chatted. They only have one or two waiters running around so expect a bit of a wait.

The big brekky (Centro brekky I think it was). The Man does love his big brekky. It comes out with a sprinkle of parsley to add that extra colour. Beneath that mountain of breakfast is a wholemeal ciabatta bread.

French toast with bacon and maple syrup. The bread was well soaked in egg so I didn't need that much maple syrup for more flavour. The bacon could have been crispier and they only gave two small slices so it was hard to ration it out with all that bread.

It's sprinkled with icing sugar on top but you can't really taste it. The bread itself isn't that thick but I was full after one slice. Along with my sweet and refreshing watermelon juice, the breakfast was quite satisfying. The freshly squeezed watermelon juice was so cool and nice that I just managed to resist myself from drinking it all before the food came out.

The menu may be ordinary but if I wanted a simple meal then Cafe Centro would be my choice. Speaking of french toast, I really need to try out the Kazbah one!

The Happy Bull @ Lane Cove

The Happy Bull, the name itself is pretty funny. Me and my mom were looking for a nice place for dinner after gym and wanted to try out more places around Crows Next. Instead, we found one at Lane Cove, just off Longueville Road. A tapas restaurant with a very high rating, we were quite excited!

It's a basement styled restaurant on Austin Street and as soon as you walk in, the decor makes you feel like you've been transported inside a cowboy movie. They have 3 big tables and one smaller one for two so you may have to share your table with others.

The dark wood goes well against the red walls. Along the walls are souvenirs and decorations.

The spicy chorizos and sangria. The chorizos were indeed spicy and made me pant for water. The sangria was quite tasty with lots of fresh fruit chunks on top. One 0.5 L jug gives 3 glasses.

Spicy and salty. Just the way I like my chorizos!

Prawns in spicy tomato sauce. We were contemplating whether to get these or the garlic prawns but my family prefers spicy over anything else. They were only mildly spicy and came out bubbling away in the clay pan. If you resist the urge to gobble it all up after it comes out, you'll see that the sauce reduces to a thick consistency. Dip some bread into it and you have yourself a spicy tomato dip with a hint of garlic!

The prawns itself were very juicy and plump. The sauce had that spicy hit with a hint of garlic that really accentuated that deep Spanish flavour. We left this to simmer a bit and coated the prawns with the thick sauce. It was delish!

Stuffed peppers with beef. None of the dishes explain exactly what's in the dish so I could only guess what was inside. The dish consists of three stuffed bell peppers covered in a tomato sauce. On the inside was a cheesy mixture of beef that sort of had a baby food kind of consistency. It was thick and sticky but the cheesiness was quite nice.

This place was quite pricey considering the amount they gave us but it's worth a try. The bread costs $2.50 and it is tough but with the makeshift dip we had, it added that extra chewiness so it wasn't too bad. It was around 7:30 when we arrived but we were the only customers there. It may have been because it was on a Sunday night but the downhill location does make it a bit hard to spot. Definitely worth a try if you don't eat that much :p

Kazbah @ Top Ryde

It seems like there's an ocean on top of our heads. This rain is endless and the sun peeks out for only a short moment as if teasing us. If it was at least dry, I would go to the city to have my long awaited red velvet cupcakes but this darn weather just won't permit it!

To push this gloominess aside, we decided to have dinner then watch movies at the Top Ryde shopping centre. Kazbah at Top Ryde opened not too long ago. I didn't expect much because my previous dinner experiences at Kazbah haven't been that great. Nonetheless, the place was packed when we got there around 7:30 and we had to wait approximately half an hour until we got cozy seats by the heater.

With a glass of wine each, we eagerly waited for our food!

The Moroccan BBQ plate. It was so pretty! but the morsels were tiny for the Man. Clockwise from the top, grilled corn with cheese, sausage pastry, fried egg with cumin powder on top, lamb sausages in lebanese bread, grilled chicken with capsicum (?) paste, lamb meatball, and the chickpea and nut pilaf in the middle with tabouli on top.

The meatball was juicy and tender, served with a sweet sauce which I couldn't tell what it was. That sausage pastry had a texture like black pudding and was very chewy. It was a bit dry but that was what I found I liked the most. The lamb sausages were wrapped in the lebanese bread. It would have been better with a bit of sauce because it was quite dry and had no other spectacular flavour to remark. Everything was a bit bland, nothing great. Perhaps the next couple of dishes will wow us.

The beef shish kebab with Harissa marmalade. I couldn't taste the marmalade at all if there was any. The beef was tender and well grilled but it was very bland. We had to eat everything with quite a bit of salt to bring the flavour out. The chickpea and nut pilaf was quite nice though and the crunchy pine nuts added a nice roasty flavour.

First look - it looks great. Look at how glossy with juice that beef is. And all those pine nuts! It would have been better if the herbs were chopped and mixed through the pilaf. It would have added heaps of flavour to this overall bland dish.

One thing I love about Kazbah are the plates! The pattern is beautiful and transports me to an exotic location. Food on pretty dishes seem to taste better!

The lamb shank tangine with prunes, carrots and steamed cous cous. The only thing I can really say about this is VERY BLAND. The first impression was great, freshly made, steaming and bubbling away, served in a clay pot. However, the first bite, no good. It may be visually stimulating but the overall flavour is basically non-existant.

The menu boasts that the dishes reflect the flavours of the Middle East and Northern Africa so I had high expectations. I thought it'll be bursting with flavour after flavour, that I'll be widening my eyes as the flavours explode into a foodgasmic supernova, that I'll be licking the dishes for more but nope. Just bland, the carrots raw, not much to comment on besides it being bland. I may sound harsh but with food I can't help it. I want my money's worth and Kazbah sadly has disappointed me. I'll have to come back for breakfast and try the french toast my friend always raves about.