From the minute we exited the lifts and saw the white picket fence, I was smitten.

The Victoria Room Tea Salon is a haven of girlishness, class and fun – all enclosed within a white picket fence and carefully decorated with splashes of my favourite colour pink (chair covers, menus, crockery).

Poppy and I met our dear friend Lorraine at midday for an indulgent high tea and a bit of obligatory girl talk! We ordered the Couture High Tea ($56), which comes with a flute of Moet & Chandon Brut Imperial (more details on the food in a minute) and the Cheddar and Thyme scone filled with smoked Atlantic salmon, crème fraiche & dill ($14).

It all arrived quite quickly and got beautifully arranged on the table. Lorraine and I started snapping away with our cameras as poor little Poppy sat staring at the spread longingly from her high chair. See picture above.

They don’t actually have high chairs available at the restaurant but the lovely waitstaff kindly went and found one from another shop just for us.

Once we were done photographing we got stuck into the high tea which included sandwiches, a selection of sweets, a choice of scone with cream and conserve and a pot of tea.

We started with the sandwich selection first; chicken, smoked salmon, beef and cucumber. The chicken was very nice; creamy with a hint of dill – Poppy gobbled some down in a flash. The smoked salmon was lemony with just the right amount of peppery rocket and the beef had a great kick due to the horseradish. I always get a little excited when eating sandwiches without crusts, it just feels so posh. How about you?

The cheddar and thyme scone with smoked salmon, however, was the star of the show for me. All the flavours just worked so well together – cheesy, herby, crunchy rocket, smooth rich salmon and a dollop of cooling creme fraiche. What a winning combination.

Next up was the sweet scone. We chose the rose flavoured one which had a tasty bit of turkish delight on top (I would have liked a bit more actually!). It was served with proper cream (of which Lorraine and I are both fans) and was really quite good – warm, soft and crumbly without being dry. I let Poppy have a taste and she kept pointing at it to signal she wanted more.

Unfortunately I only got to briefly taste the sweet pastry selection as Poppy was getting tired and needed a bit of a cuddle. Check out Lorraine’s post for full details on those (and lots of cute pics of Poppy too!). I did, however, manage to scoff down a bit of lukewarm tea (as is the case of a Mum!), but the Darjeeling tea I ordered was really full flavoured and served in the most beautiful tea pot.

Yes, we’re greedy. As you can imagine we were pretty full by then but we just couldn’t leave without tasting one of their delicious sounding sundaes. The gorgeous beast above is the Knickerbocker Glory (awesome name! $12.95). It had layers of strawberries, hand-made ice cream, meringue pieces, almond praline and warm chocolate sauce. Oh my! So good!

Of course Poppy wanted a taste of this too, so I did give her a few teaspoons as a treat.

If you’re looking for a peaceful oasis to rest your shopping-weary legs that is away from noisy street noise and busy food courts, then I suggest you take the lift up to level 5 and sit down to a nice cup of tea and some carefully made sweets at the Tea Salon. If you’re feeling flush, then maybe a look around in the designer shops afterwards could be in order too.

Do you like seeking out good places to have high tea?

Christie x

My favourite cafe in Marrickville is now open in the evenings for drinks with live music – how exciting! Yes, Marrickville is getting trendier by the second, but shhhhh don’t tell anyone, we want to keep it our little secret for now.

Marrickville Rd Cafe by day, and now Girl on a Swing Wine Bar by night (due to the painted mural on the wall, see pic above), is a popular local spot for good coffee, delicious food featuring locally sourced ingredients and friendly staff. The owners, Sacha and Jane, know most of their customers by name and vice versa. It’s a great place to hang out – which Poppy and I do, several times a week!

Last week Poppy, hubby and I headed down to the launch party to take a few pictures and boogie to the live band playing jazz and funk.

The party was to celebrate that the cafe will now be open all day and into the evenings on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays (in addition to their regular Mon-Sun daytime hours). They’ll be serving alcoholic drinks (beer, wine, cocktails) and food (more on that in a minute) with live music until 10pm or so, depending on how many people rock up.

It’s a fantastic idea because there aren’t many (according to me, any) good options for a drink before or after dinner in Marrickville and this cafe has a comfy outdoor seating area which is excellent for people watching. With quite a few new restaurants opening up, now is the perfect time for a cafe-slash-bar, at least that’s what Sacha and Jane are hoping!

Sorry, I have been teasing you. You are really just reading this to find out about the food, aren’t you?

There will be an ever-changing array of small plates such as grilled halloumi with kalamata olives and their famous chunky chips with chorizo (see paper cone pic above), plus more substantial meals like a range of housemade fresh pasta (ravioli, pappardelle) and free range Tasmanian steak, served just how you like it.

I’ll probably be down there quite often, so if you see me, please do say hello. You’ll be sure to recognise Poppy, but if not, there’s no way you’ll miss our bright pink pram!

Have you been? I’d love to hear what you think!

Christie x

Babysitter booked? Check!

Outfit picked out? Check!

Ready for date night? Yes!

Hubby and I are baby-free and ready to relax with a nice meal and good bottle of wine on a Friday night. The room at Cafe Opera may have been newly renovated but the buffet is still bursting at the seams with fresh seafood, salads, meat and a whole wall of sweet treats. Plus, there is an an a la carte menu too.

However, the buffet just looks so enticing with it’s piles of glistening seafood that it is too hard for us to resist. We do a ‘recon’ lap to scope out our plan of attack and then gingerly pick up large, clean white plates and begin piling them high with the cold seafood selections… 

This is my entree: Crystal Bay prawns (YUM!!), smoked salmon, prawn skewer, Moreton Bay bug, mussels, marinated sashimi-style salmon and sauces.

I am a sucker for Crystal Bay prawns and these were so good! Typing this now I wish I had eaten more. The bug was also great and the salmon soft and just lovely with the salty, tangy capers.

This is hubby’s entree: sushi, peking duck pancakes, caesar salad, Crystal Bay prawns, Moreton Bay bug and sauces.

Can I just quietly mention something that thrills me about eating out at a posh buffet? They come and clear the plates between courses. Sounds obvious and quite uneventful, but I always think as they are clearing them ‘there goes another plate I don’t have to wash up!’. Ha!

Seafood main course: lobster with garlic butter, sweet and sour john dory, more Crystal Bay prawns, hot mussels and some green veggies.

The lobster was served at a live cooking station but I’m really sorry to report that it was a bit too dry, even with the garlic butter. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that a pile of lobsters had been cooked waiting to be reheated on a hot plate with the chosen sauce. I’m not sure if it would be possible, but I would have preferred to wait the extra time and have it truly cooked to order.

At this point I considered going back for even more prawns and maybe even a few bugs, but hubby is my voice of reason, reminding me that there are still meat dishes and dessert on the agenda.

Just as I was piling some lamb stew and spatchcock onto my plate I was tapped on the shoulder by Julien Pouteau, Executive Sous Chef. He’s a friendly, curly-haired French-man who is extremely passionate about Australian produce. He tells me that although some of the dishes (especially the dessert case) are European-inspired, they are created with as many local ingredients as possible.

A case in point is the DIY salad bar with gorgeous (Australian) olive oils, vinegars and other condiments. I used the blood plum finishing vinegar on my salad leaves and it was absolutely delicious. Julien says that customers love the flexibility and creativity of building their own salads with fresh, seasonal and interesting ingredients.

That’s when he glances at my plate and asks why I have not ordered from the a la carte menu? Embarrassed, I don’t have an answer, so he interjects and insists that he cook me dessert. Who am I to argue?

I’m so glad Julien came and found me because his desserts are absolutely to-die-for. Above is the Manjari Valrhona Chocolate Molten – passionfruit, poppy seed and cotton candy ($14). A rich, decadent chocolate cake with oozing centre that was almost too full-on for me but just right for sweet-tooth hubby.

The passionfruit flavoured accompaniments were the perfect partners and great to see an international chef using iconic Aussie tropical produce with such flair. I can’t help but mention the stunning glass bowl it was served in, just beautiful.

Julien also insisted we order the Strawberries Sable – cardamom fromage blanc, lemon macaroon and basil syrup ($14) and boy am I glad we did! This type of dessert is right up my alley – freshly whipped cream and perfectly ripe, in-season strawberries. Pure heaven. Plus I loved the strange spice note of cardamom and grassy basil in the syrup. A great end to the meal.

Cafe Opera is open during the festive season for a pre-Christmas buffet lunch (from $55) or dinner (from $65) available from 28th November to 23rd December. Christmas Day celebrations are lunch ($220 per adult including drinks) and dinner ($155 per adult with a glass of sparkling wine on arrival). Bookings are essential, contact restaurant reservations on 02 9240 1396.

Christie x

Fig & Cherry dined as guests of Cafe Opera and the InterContinental Hotel Sydney. The seafood dinner buffet is priced at $95 per adult.

As we sat looking at the menu a very handsome waiter approached us and said “Don’t worry, we already know what we are going to feed you. A little bit of everything. It will be a feast of good food and wine”. Well, who can argue with that? Not us!

Admittedly, the handsome waiter knew we were reviewing the restaurant during our visit, but you really cannot not expect a better reception at a restaurant in any circumstance. It was absolutely lovely to just sit back and wait for the food to roll out.

First up was marinated olives and fresh warm bread. Baby Poppy went straight for the olives and I quickly snapped a shot of her chubby hand diving into the pretty glass jar. I’m so proud that she’s already adventurous with food at only 10 months old.

Next up there was Arancini with meat ($6) and Arancini with mozzarella and prosciutto cotto ($6), plus glasses of bubbly prosecco. I just love the Italian tradition of ‘aperitivo’ – a drink and something to nibble pre-dinner – especially when it’s a crunchy rice ball filled with oozy melted cheese and top quality ham.

There were two dishes on the menu that I was really looking forward to (yes, I did thoroughly check their website before turning up!) and one of those was the Caprese di bufala ($17). It would be a massive understatement to say that I am a mega fan of buffalo mozzarella. What can I say? The creamy centre has me hopelessly addicted. The menu says this version has ox heart tomatoes but ours turned up with cherry tomatoes. Never mind, they were perfectly ripe and delicious. The buffalo mozzarella didn’t disappoint either and when I asked the waiter if they imported it he answered ‘Of course’ in that nonchalant, yet authoritative voice only Italian men can pull off.

Hubby was a bit nervous about the Pane cunzalo ($14) as he is not a fan of tuna, however, his taste buds loved this moreish grilled focaccia with tomato, buffalo mozarella, tuna, eggplant and baked ricotta. That’s the beauty of allowing someone else to order for you, they’ll probably choose dishes you wouldn’t dream of, and you might just end up with a new favourite. The gorgeous bread is house-made and had the most amazing soft, yet firm, yet cakey, yet crunchy texture – which sounds horrible but was, in fact, wonderful.

We had a little breather after the starters while I fed Poppy and hubby took her for a quick walk around the block in her pram until she fell asleep. She napped happily next to us while we tucked into the pasta and meat courses.

Spaghetti with Sicilian pesto ($19) with cherry tomatoes, basil, garlic, almonds and eggplant was a very interesting combination. The handsome waiter returned to tell us that this special Sicilian pesto is influenced by mediterranean ingredients due to the proximity of Sicily to Egypt. The crunchy toasted almonds were a nice contrast to the al dente spaghetti, but I must say that pine nuts are still my preferred pesto nut!

Involtini di vitello ($20): rolled veal stuffed with breadcrumbs, parmesan, garlic and pepperonata was absolutely lovely, although the portion was a little small. We chatted about this and came to the conclusion that if you were eating Italian style with several courses (antipasti, pasta, meat/fish and dessert) then it would be perfect, but if you came in off the street and ordered one main course then you may feel a little hungry afterwards. Keep that in mind for your visit.

The other dish that I was busting to taste was the Homemade gnocchi e gamberi ($19) with zucchini and fresh prawns. Gnocchi is one of those fiddly dishes that requires a light hand and lots of practice so I, personally, don’t really get inspired to make it at home all that often (ie. never). When it’s made well, gnocchi is heavenly light pillows of potato that roll over your tongue and when it’s made badly, it’s stodgy chunks of dough that sit in your stomach and make you feel queasy. This version was the former; light, bouncy and oh-so-moreish with the prawns and zucchini adding so much freshness. I really wished I didn’t have to share it, it was that good.

We really couldn’t fit dessert in but the handsome waiter insisted that we at least have one Cannoli di ricotta ($8), an espresso coffee and a small shot of Limoncello. Well OK then, when in Rome, *ahem* Sicily. Somehow, despite by full belly, I found myself licking my fingers clean of the last remnants of icing sugar.

Situated at the Cleveland St end of Crown St, Caffe Sicilia stands out from the crowd with it’s chequerboard floors and interior decked out like a traditional restaurant in Sicily circa 1940. It’s a welcome change from the hyper trendy options nearby and if you’re a sucker for handsome waiters with equally cute Italian accents and rustic, but well presented Sicilian-style Italian food, then you’re in for a treat. Bon apetito!

Christie x

Fig & Cherry dined as guests of Caffe Sicilia and Wasamedia.

Concrete Blonde is nice and dark – perfect for a date. It was ideal for hubby and I, because we were on a date when we reviewed it. The ambient lighting and dimly lit corners with cosy tables make it a great place for a romantic dinner but not-so-great for taking photos without a flash. Therefore, I’ll need to apologise in advance for the photos – they’re not very good – but don’t let that stop you from checking it out, because the food is fantastic.

As it was date night, we started with a cocktail. Hubby had the Jam Jar G&T ($18); Mediterranean gin, agave syrup, lime, tonic water and black pepper. And yes, served in a little jam jar wrapped in brown paper with a sprig of rosemary. He dubbed it ‘Hobo chic’ because the brown paper reminded him of vagabonds that drink their booze from paper bags in the street. I had a sip and it was truly delicious.

However, I liked my Lychee and Rose Martini ($18)better. Belvedere vodka, fresh lychee puree, lime juice, Catron lychee liqueur and rose syrup were mixed together to create a deliciously fragrant drink that had my taste buds singing and ready to eat!

First up we had one of their bar snacks KFQ!? ($14); Kentucky fried quail. My photo turned out so badly that I can’t bear to publish it here, but the taste was so good you should get yourself down there to see and taste it for yourself. A crunchy, spiced coating gave way to juicy meat that had us drooling for more – damn you quails for being so small!

Next to arrive was the Hawkesbury river pencil squid ($21), pictured above. I love the way the menu specifies the source of the produce – this seems to be a trend at the moment – and I hope it continues. The squid was charred on the outside and tender on the inside and the accompanying cubes of chorizo, olives, piquillo peppers and salsa verde made every mouthful pop with flavour.

Bad photo, great main dish. I chose the special of the day Macleay Valley suckling pig roasted over wood with ”tempero du essencia” spice rub, celeriac, date and traditional dumplings. Wow. The crackling was tooth-shatteringly crisp and the pork meat soft and unctuous. I asked chef Patrick Dang how he came up with such a cracker of a dish:

“I was inspired by a dish I experienced when I was in Macao (a former Portuguese colonial near Hong Kong). A 5kg suckling pig was stuffed with paella rice, which is very much a Lisbon traditional dish. However, I found the suckling pig was not as crispy as the Cantonese style, where you will find them in Chinatown hanging at the window on display. To celebrate the cross culture like they do in Macao, I therefore applied the Chinese technique to give the suckling pig a glossy crispy skin, while I rub the “Time of Essence” (Portuguese spice blend including the African Piri Piri chili)”.

Another bad photo, another excellent dish. Hubby was extremely pleased with my choice for him of Ranger Valley 7+ wagyu beef ($40). He requested it medium rare and it turned up perfectly pink and it cut like butter. Served with aztec spices, papaya mojo, two types of corn and oxtail tamale there was no mistaking that Concrete Blonde dishes are influenced by ingredients and cooking techniques from America’s south west. Everything on the plate worked well except for the oxtail tamale. To me, it was a weird sticky and dry texture that didn’t taste of much.

We were feeling gluttonous so we ordered sides as well. Grilled broccolini ($9) with quinoa, hazelnut and lemon was fantastic. Why don’t people grill broccoli more often? I’m going to from now on. Home style rustic fries ($9) were good, not great, but lifted by the ‘red’ aioli and ‘green’ ketchup which added a nice sharp tang and counteracted the deep fried-ness.

We had a little break and then got stuck into a cheese course – please don’t judge us! (Dessert is coming after this…).

The Tarago River triple cream ($13) was a silky soft Australian cows milk, white mould cheese. Little slivers of compressed rhubard, pretty edible nasturtium flowers and smoked balsamic cut through the richness and enhanced the creaminess by contrast. I really love soft cheeses.

Lastly, we ordered dessert. Although we didn’t finish it. Promise. We’re not that piggy!

We just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to eat Pear tart tatin ($15) with sour cream caramel sauce, marzipan and brown butter ice cream. Yum, yum and more yum! And seasonal too, win-win.

If you think your Dad deserves to pig out this weekend too, then you’re in luck. Concrete Blonde are opening their doors especially for Father’s Day (having never opened for lunch before) with a special menu featuring rabbit pie, whole murray cod and more. Go on, show Dad you appreciate him with a slap-up three course meal.

Christie x

Fig & Cherry dined as guests of Concrete Blonde and Agency G.

Concrete Blonde
33 Bayswater Rd
Potts Point NSW 2000
Ph: 02 9380 8307
www.concreteblonderestaurant.com.au

On our recent road trip to Lennox Head along the NSW coastline we stopped at Fredo Pies for lunch. You can see the iconic sign with the crocodile on it from quite a distance, and it makes your tummy grumble.

Hubby went straight for the beer beef and chilli pie.

I could not go past the crocodile pie. It’s what they are famous for, after all. Crocodile meat is salty and tastes like a cross between chicken and fish. The texture is more like chicken and it’s quite a strange thing to eat.

I have to admit that I didn’t love it or hate it, but the pastry was good. Nice and flakey and buttery.

Hubby and I are a fan of sausage rolls so we grabbed one of those too. It was very good – chock full of meat and flavoured with fennel seeds.

The lovely lady behind the counter gave Poppy a souvenir bib. So cute! With over 160 varieties of pies available (they rotate seasonally) Fredo Pies is well worth a pit stop.

What’s your favourite type of pie? I quite like stewed rabbit in a pie or the old classic, beef and mushroom.

Christie x

Fredo Pies
5 Macleay St
Frederickton NSW
Ph: 02 6566 8226

You must, at least once, eat a Vietnamese pork roll. I insist. Please put it on your foodie bucket list.

Even better if you devour it in Marrickville, Sydney, where the large Vietnamese population demands the very best version possible.

Better still, if you eat it at this particular hole-in-the-wall establishment on Illlawarra Rd. Beware though, it’s ‘Pork roll o’clock’ between midday and 2pm, so expect to join a lengthy queue.

I took the photo above at 12pm.

This one was at 1pm. The queue is even longer!

What is in a Vietnamese Pork Roll / Bahn Mi?

A fresh, crusty baguette is stuffed with various types of processed pork, pate, mayonnaise, cucumber, onion, coriander, chilli, spring onion, pickled carrots and daikon radish and then splashed liberally with fish sauce. Are you drooling yet?

Hubby is addicted to them, and at a measly $3.50, it’s a very cheap habit. I absolutely love them too, but I have to be in the mood because they are quite salty.

They are so popular here in Marrickville, that you see people eating them at breakfast, lunch, dinner and all the hours in between. I suspect it would be the same in other suburbs where they are available. Perhaps Cabramatta? Can anyone confirm this?

Have you eaten a Vietnamese pork roll? What did you think?

Christie x

July has been a massive month of reviewing restaurants in Sydney for Mushroom Mania. Today is the last review and believe me guys, I have saved the best until last!

Toko is an amazing restaurant in the heart of Sydney’s buzzing media district called Surry Hills, serving Japanese food at its fine-dining best.

If you fancy a drink first, then start your meal with a sake cocktail in the bar; a great place to chat, lounge and people-watch. When you’re ready for something more substantial, grab yourself a table in the moody and dimly lit restaurant and be prepared to have your taste buds set alight with deliciousness.

My visit was a lunchtime affair with baby Poppy, my girlfriend Ju’eta and her four year old daughter Nyla. We let Nyla peruse the menu while I set about trawling through it for mushroom dishes. A few minutes later Nyla lifts her head and asks ‘do they have agadeshi tofu?’. A wide smile spread across my face; Ju’eta’s girls (she has two) are so incredibly gourmet! I can only hope that Poppy will be the same one day.

I quickly look over the menu, and it doesn’t seem to be on there. We call over the waitress and she says it is no longer on the menu but will check with chef if he can whip it up for the little Miss. Success! So, above is the agadeshi tofu that Nyla ate – apologies, it probably won’t be available for you if you dine there, but it was really good.

The first mushroom dish us grown-ups ate was Japanese mushroom skewers with soy honey butter ($13) - what a way to start a meal! Whole shiitake and chunks of king brown mushroom were skewered and grilled and doused in a sweet/salty butter. Absolutely delicious and definitely the stand out mushroom ‘hero’ dish of the whole month.

The chef kindly added extra mushrooms to the Assorted vegetable tempura with dashi broth ($16.80) with shiitake, king brown and enoki being perfected deep fried tempura-style. The batter was crisp and not in the least bit oily with a big branch of broccolini nestled among the mushrooms for a little freshness. I simply adore how juicy vegetables become when coated and deep fried – especially mushrooms.

I just cannot attend a Japanese restaurant without ordering Sweet eggplant miso ($14.80); the combination of eggplant steamed until soft and unctuous then topped with miso sauce is completely irresistible to me. This version did not disappoint and the addition of hoisin sauce and black and white sesame seeds was a real winner, plus the presentation was just so pretty.

Our last mushroom dish of the meal was Chicken, shiitake and egg rice hot pot ($19.80). I have never ordered a hot pot dish in a Japanese restaurant before as I usually associate them more with Chinese or Vietnamese cooking.

However, once this hot pot was delivered to the table, I instantly became a convert. It arrived looking particularly appetising with large truffle shavings and a raw egg perched on top. The waitress waited for me to take a quick picture before stirring it through with a wooden paddle.

The result was a thick, glutinous rice dish similar to risotto but with lovely Japanese flavours including shiitake mushrooms, chunks of chicken thigh, flecks of colourful herbs (chives, shiso?) and of course the heady aroma and taste of fresh truffle. I can still taste the gorgeous combination as I type this review and wish I was eating a bowl right now to warm my chilly toes.

I’ve reviewed other Japanese restaurants here on Fig & Cherry but will have to declare that Toko has overtaken all others as the best Japanese I’ve eaten in Sydney. The food, coupled with the atmospheric decor and fabulous cocktails (which I tried on an earlier visit), make it the perfect place for a romantic date, girly catch up or just about any occasion. If you’re in the mood for great Japanese food, Toko should be your destination.

Would you like to win $100?

Food bloggers don’t get to have all the fun – you can join in too!

Simply visit one of the participating restaurants in your state (click here for a list) and then write up a short review to be in the running to win $100 every week in July, thanks to Mushroom Growers Australia.

You can also follow all the Mushroom Mania action via Facebook and Twitter or download the smartphone app.

This restaurant was reviewed as part of Mushroom Mania month which is happening all across Australia during July 2011. Fig & Cherry dined at Toko with compliments of Mushroom Growers Australia.

Christie x

Cafes that have a great location often slack off a bit because they know customers will turn up no matter what.

Cinque has got one of the best positions on King St right next to the Dendy Cinema Newtown, but instead of coasting along on their laurels they embrace the opportunity with both hands.

Cinque stands out from their (many!) competitors by offering a daily blackboard of interesting and seasonal specials, as well as making the best of their small counter space by bringing takeaway coffees out to punters while they people-watch on the footpath, or dig through records in the shop next door.

No coffee for me on this visit though, I only had eyes for mushrooms on the menu, and the two most enticing were hearty pasta dishes.

First up was a large portion of Porcini and button mushroom risotto ($16). It was absolutely bursting with mushroom goodness with the porcini adding a savoury note and the buttons provided big juicy morsels. Small flecks of thyme and parsley were welcome bits of greenery among the rich parmesan and cream sauce.  The verdict? An all-round funghi-tastic dish (sorry, I’m a word geek).

Gnocchi can often be stodgy but not in this case. The little potato/pasta balls in the Gnocchi with mushrooms, bacon and cream sauce ($15) were light, fluffy and generously coated in sauce. Nestled in between the pasta were crispy pieces of bacon and nice, thick slices of mushrooms. The gnocchi was the star of this dish but, as with most pasta recipes, adding mushrooms made it even more delicious.

Service can be a bit hit and miss (there seems to be a high-ish turnover of staff), but the food almost always delivers in both taste and portion size. If you’re catching a flick at the Dendy then consider visting Cinque before or after for a tasty bite and a decent coffee.

Food bloggers don’t get to have all the fun – you can join in too!

Simply visit one of the participating restaurants in your state (click here for a list) and then write up a short review to be in the running to win $100 every week in July, thanks to Mushroom Growers Australia.

You can also follow all the Mushroom Mania action via Facebook and Twitter or download the smartphone app.

This restaurant was reviewed as part of Mushroom Mania month which is happening all across Australia during July 2011. Fig & Cherry dined with compliments of Cinque Cafe and Mushroom Growers Australia.

Christie x

The food at Baroque Bistro is amazing; beautiful to look at and delicious to eat.

I know you are meant to save your final verdict for the end of the review, but I feel compelled to say it here at the beginning.

It was a beautiful sunny, winter day in Sydney and Poppy and I were excited to be meeting, at long last, our blogger friend from Melbourne, MsGourmet and her delightful little cherubs.

We waited for them at the ferry terminal at Circular Quay and then walked along Sydney Harbour, admiring one of the best views in the world*, up to the historic The Rocks district. It was the first time Poppy has seen the Sydney Opera House and I’m pretty sure she liked it as much as her Mum.

One big perk of reviewing restaurants is being looked after really well. In this case, we were greeted by the (handsome) owner, Olivier and seated at a great table with a bay window and view of the Opera House. Sigh. All the children were looked after promptly and the staff didn’t even bat an eyelid when Poppy shredded a piece of bread into a thousand pieces and swiped the crumbs onto the floor.

But hey, let’s talk about the food!

The first entree, picture above, was Salade de betteraves rouges, radis, bavarois aux carottes et cumin: A salad of organic beetroot, breakfast radish, carrot and cumin bavarois, rye and mushroom crumb ($18). It was stunningly pretty – don’t you agree? I seriously did not want to touch it.

The mushroom crumb added the most wonderful texture to the whole dish and I especially loved the little radishes. The carrot puree/bavarois was light and creamy and just lovely when coupled with all the other elements without overpowering them.

The second entree was Oeufs Meurette: Burgundy poached hens egg, speck, beech mushrooms, brioche, Burgundy glaze ($17). It’s hard to tell from this photo how perfectly soft poached the egg was – one tiny prick with the fork released the runny yolk onto the plate, creating an instant rich sauce for the brioche to greedily soak up.

The beech mushrooms were meaty and strong flavoured and stood up well to the speck. Can I just make an observation here; mushrooms and porky products (bacon, pancetta, proscuitto) are just a match made in heaven. This whole dish with the egg, mushrooms and speck had all the elements for a very, very posh breakfast. Perhaps for my next Mother’s Day for breakfast in bed? I hope you’re reading this hubby!

The first main course was Mulet grillé, lentilles du puy, olives, fenouil grillé, vinaigrette aux lardons: Grilled yellow eye mullet, puy lentils, olive, grilled fennel, bacon vinaigrette and shimeji mushrooms ($31).

The mushrooms were not the star of this dish, but were lightly cooked to let the subtle flavours shine through. I absolutely loved the mullet’s crispy, salty skin and the earthy lentils as an accompaniment. The occasional bursts of olive added more salty punches, and I am always a sucker for edible flowers, they are just so pretty!

The second main course was definitely what Mushroom Mania is all about. The Cuisse de canard confite et son magret grillé, ragout de champignons, épinards, arlette aux oignions: Confit leg and grilled breast of duck, ragout of mushrooms, wilted spinach, onion arlettes ($37) was an outstanding mushroom ‘hero’ dish.

Almost every bite contained a juicy piece of mushroom – shiitake, enoki, oyster – they were all there for the party. The rich jus was soaked up by the mushrooms making them taste even more meaty and savoury, so yummy.

In addition to their delicious French-inspired food they also make fantastic macarons (read my review of them here) so whether you are looking for lunch, dinner or afternoon tea in The Rocks, Baroque Bistro should be your first port of call. Bon appetit!

*After travelling to many cities across the world, I think the view of Sydney Harbour, the water sparkling on a sunny day, with the Opera House and Bridge in the background, is seriously THE best view in the world. In my humble opinion.

Would you like to win $100?

Food bloggers don’t get to have all the fun – you can join in too!

Simply visit one of the participating restaurants in your state (click here for a list) and then write up a short review to be in the running to win $100 every week in July, thanks to Mushroom Growers Australia.

You can also follow all the Mushroom Mania action via Facebook and Twitter or download the smartphone app.

This restaurant was reviewed as part of Mushroom Mania month which is happening all across Australia during July 2011. Fig & Cherry dined at Baroque Bistro with compliments of Mushroom Growers Australia.

Christie x

It is with much trepidation that I post this review of Big Brekky here on Fig & Cherry. This cafe is really popular with locals in the inner west, and already so difficult to get a table at, that I am hesitant to promote it further and risk never being able to eat there!

Alas, it is one of the restaurants participating in Mushroom Mania Month and one of my favourite breakfast cafes, so we wake up early on Saturday and head there with little Poppy in tow.

We grab a table outside and although there is a chilly wind blowing we move our table into the sun on the grass and all is good. After drinking a very nice, strong flat white and chatting to the older couple next to us (who were smitten with Poppy!) our brekky arrives.

I ordered the Vegetarian omelette with mushrooms, kipfler potatoes, spinach and mixed herbs ($13). Big chunks of flat mushrooms were meaty, juicy and bouncy and arranged in between soft, yet crunchy slices of potato and herbs. I think I can taste basil and tarragon, but I’m not on an episode of Masterchef with my life on the line, so don’t quote me.

Open face omelettes like this are my favourite because the ingredients that poke out above the egg get nice and browned and the egg mixture firms up. Hubby thought it tasted too creamy but I quite liked it – probably because there actually was cream in the mixture – and we all know how fond of cream I am! The mushrooms and potato balanced out the richness quite well.

Hubby ordered Oeuf en coq ($15), or baked eggs for you non-French speaking folk. They came with mushrooms, eggplant, spinach and capsicum in a tomato sauce flavoured with paprika, turmeric and cumin and actually had a Moroccan vibe going on, according to hubby.

The addition of eggplant was an unusual breakfast choice but worked really well with the other flavours. The mushrooms, however, were the star thanks to their sponge-like ability to soak up the sauce and provide big chunks of juiciness.

The toast was cut up into ‘soliders’ which were the perfect vehicle for dipping and scooping up the moreish (moorish?) sauce. See what I did there?

Here’s another picture of the baked eggs once we’d attacked it a bit with a fork. On a side note – I need to get myself some of those terracotta dishes, they are perfect for baked eggs.

If you are travelling with children you might like to know that this cafe has a baby change table and plenty of toys in the outdoor area to keep kids entertained. They do get a bit grubby though, so I’d suggest giving them a quick wet-wipe down before letting your little ones loose on them.

Big Brekky is really good value both for the quality of ingredients and the portion sizes, plus the waitstaff are friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. Specials are always fresh and just as good as the staple menu items which is not always the case in busy cafes! I want to say I recommend you head on down there, but I greedily want this little gem all to myself and my friends. Sorry, at least I’m honest.

Would you like to win $100?

Food bloggers don’t get to have all the fun – you can join in too!

Simply visit one of the participating restaurants in your state (click here for a list) and then write up a short review to be in the running to win $100 every week in July, thanks to Mushroom Growers Australia.

You can also follow all the Mushroom Mania action via Facebook and Twitter or download the smartphone app.

This restaurant was reviewed as part of Mushroom Mania month which is happening all across Australia during July 2011. Fig & Cherry dined at Big Brekky with compliments of Mushroom Growers Australia.

Christie x

I have been wanting to review Una’s Restaurant for several years now, so it was with much excitement that I saw it on the list of restaurants participating in Mushroom Mania month in Sydney. A gorgeous sunny Saturday was the perfect excuse to indulge in some crispy schnitzel, cold beer and, of course, yummy mushrooms!

Una’s is a German-Austrian-Swiss restaurant that also serves Hungarian and Dutch food. It is famous for having massive portions so we usually only order mains, but as we were visiting specifically for the mushroom dishes, we couldn’t go past ordering the crumbed mushrooms ($8.90) as a starter.

Medium sized cup mushrooms were quartered, crumbed and deep fried. They were beautifully crisp on the outside and lush and juicy on the inside – just like a well-cooked mushroom should be! When dipped into the accompanying herby, garlicky mayonnaise-style creamy sauce it was declared a finger-lickin’-good starter by all.

Next up was the dish people flock there for: Jaeger schnitzel veal or chicken with mushroom sauce, rösti & cabbage salad ($19.90).

If you think a sauce in a dish can’t be the ‘hero’, then you are sorely mistaken. The mushroom sauce on this veal schnitzel is without a doubt what makes it so absolutely wonderful to devour. Thickly sliced button and cup mushrooms populate a mushroom-flavoured gravy that is thick, shiny and sexily draped over the schnitzel. OK, maybe not sexily, but it really is the defining element.

The other side dish that cannot go without mention is the rösti; grated potato bound with oil and butter then shaped into a cake and pan fried. Need I say more?

Hubby ordered veal and BIL (brother-in-law) ordered chicken. Both were a hit and eaten all up. Much to the discomfort of their later groaning bellies, but well worth it.

As the boys ordered both types of schnitzel I decided to order the Pork knuckle with sauerkraut & Rösti ($20.90). It was absolutely huge with lots of super crisp crackling. There was also bacon through the sauerkraut which I think was overkill so I made sure to finish off all the rösti instead.

The staff are usually a little gruff but were in a great mood on this visit – perhaps the good weather brought out their sunny side? If mother nature shines for your visit, then be sure to nab a table out the front for some great people watching.

Would you like to win $100?

Food bloggers don’t get to have all the fun – you can join in too!

Simply visit one of the participating restaurants in your state (click here for a list) and then write up a short review to be in the running to win $100 every week in July, thanks to Mushroom Growers Australia.

You can also follow all the Mushroom Mania action via Facebook and Twitter or download the smartphone app.

This restaurant was reviewed as part of Mushroom Mania month which is happening all across Australia during July 2011. Fig & Cherry dined at Una’s with compliments of Mushroom Growers Australia.

Christie x

If you live in Sydney, I’m sure you have eaten (or at least heard of) Sonoma bread. It’s the bakery of choice for most good restaurants, cafes and delis.

Sonoma have several cafes across Sydney, and have just opened a brand new head office and large commercial bakery at Alexandria, along with an on-site cafe serving breakfast and lunch. I tried one of their delicious sandwich combinations of pulled pork, cucumber and herbs on one of my three visits last week.

The first visit was for a meeting with Liquid Ideas, their PR company, but I wrote the meeting time down incorrectly and was an hour late (damn baby brain! Can I still blame it after almost 8 months?). The second visit was for the meeting, at the right time, and the third was with hubby and Poppy early on Saturday morning to check out their breakfast menu.

We timed our visit for Poppy’s nap, but of course, she had other ideas – so we just ordered our coffee and food and let her charm the people beside us with her gummy smiles. Then, when she got really screechy Dillon bundled her into the pram for a bumpy ride around the block until she drifted off. Meanwhile, I got 10 minutes of uninterrupted coffee drinking and eavesdropping time. Pure luxury for a new(ish) Mummy.

Hubby ordered the Buckwheat pancakes with Strawberry and Vanilla Compote ($15). He loved the flavour but wished the crumpets were crispier on the outside. They were a little too dense without enough of the lovely iconic crumpet holes that are perfect for soaking up toppings. The compote, however, was delish.

I ordered the Baked Eggs with Smoked Speck, Spinach & Sonoma Toast ($14) and was very pleased with my choice. The photo above makes the portion look a little small but it was actually very filling. The little chunks of speck were smokey, fatty and full of punch, while the oozy melted cheese added even more richness.

On all three of my visits the staff were absolutely lovely. They remembered me, my daughter’s name and the kind of coffee I drink. Very impressive. With service like that there is no doubt people will travel from far and wide for a bite to eat and an excellent loaf of bread. No matter where you live, make the trip there and experience it for yourself!

Christie x

This is the first restaurant I have reviewed in Marrickville despite living here for just over a year now! I really can’t believe it and I promise to rectify that soon with lots more posts about the fabulous suburb of Marrickville.

For now, let’s chat about Lotus Asian Restaurant.

The first thing we notice as we step inside on a very windy and chilly Monday night is the warm, inviting glow from the deep orange painted walls. There are several wooden tables and chairs and a large communal table. A party of four, the only diners, are on their way out.

The fact that it’s not busy is unsurprising, as Marrickville is hardly pumping on a Monday night, and Lotus is situated on the less popular main street, Illawarra Rd, near the train station.

We linger over the menu for quite a while as it takes a fairly wide journey over South East Asia; Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore as well as China.

Finally, we decide on a harmonious mix of the different regions and settle back with a glass of my favourite wine of the moment, McGuigans Pinot Grigio, a complimentary bottle from the owners – how did they know I loved it so?

First up, a very fresh and inviting Grilled Thai Beef Salad ($12). Thin slices of rare beef sit nestled between super fresh herbs and slithers of red chilli and spanish onion. Really delicious and the perfect start to the meal.

Next was this absolutely amazing crispy braised duck with chilli tamarind sauce & steamed wombok ($16.50). It was a recommendation that ended up being the best dish of the night!

Large boneless chunks of duck are soft on the inside and super (deep-fried) crispy on the outside, then doused in a moreish sweet/sour/hot sauce. The accompanying steamed wombok is a welcome fresh respite from the other intense flavours. Later, we are told that it is their most popular dish, with people turning up specifically for it and it’s easy to see why.

Another recommendation and another winning dish. The braised prawns with chili, pumpkin, lemongrass & coconut milk ($18.50) is a Vietnamese-style curry heady with freshly made curry paste and bursting with plump, juicy prawns.

There is not too much coconut milk so the complexity of flavours are really prominent. I especially love the fragrant lemongrass and bits of seasonal pumpkin.

The Char Kway Teo $13.50 is my least favourite dish of the night. The menu promises ‘wok fried fresh rice noodles with chicken, Chinese sausages, prawns, egg & dark soy sauce’ although I couldn’t find any Chinese sausage in there, which was unfortunate as that was my reason for ordering it – I love Chinese sausage in noodles. However, the rice noodles were beautifully fresh and ‘bouncy’ and a generous portion too. In fact, all the dishes are a good size and good value for money.

At the end of the meal, our waitress comes over to find out our thoughts on the food and introduces herself. Her name is Kim Ngyuen and she is the co-owner, along with her husband Dan Cao, who is also the head chef. They live locally, like us, and we chat about the other restaurants in the area along with a bunch of other miscellaneous things, like our children (and how they don’t sleep through the night!).

Lotus is only a hop, skip and a jump from our place, so we’ll definitely be back. I’m keen to try the many other duck specialities on the menu as well as taste their freshly made curry pastes used to full effect in other dishes. If you head on down there, be sure to tell them Christie sent you!

Address: 393 Illawarra Rd, Marrickville NSW 2204
Phone: 02 9559 8895
Website: www.lotusrestaurant.com.au

Fig & Cherry dined as guests of Lotus Asian Restaurant with special thanks to Charlotte from C Publicity.

Christie x

Uchi Lounge is a little Japanese gem hidden in a laneway off Oxford St.

We made the mistake of taking our 4 month old with us who was overtired and quite grumpy. I recommend you visit baby-less and fancy free so you can really enjoy yourself. Apologies to the group of four career women who were seated at the table next to us, you are now probably put off having kids for life!

For the complete experience, start with a sake cocktail in the bar downstairs and then head up the very steep staircase (not great for prams, another reason to leave bub at home!) and get ready to feast like a Queen (sorry male readers, or King).

There was three of us on this visit and we tried a lot of dishes so there are plenty of photos for you…

Complimentary rice cakes.

Sapporo beer on tap = excited hubby!

I only started liking beer while gobbling gyoza in Tokyo a few years ago when I discovered that Japanese beer with gyoza is a fantastic combination for pre-dinner nibbles. I have just realised that we didn’t order any gyoza at Uchi but after a quick check of the menu can see they don’t serve them. A bit weird! However, they weren’t missed on the night, as there were so many interesting dishes to taste.

Can you spot Poppy’s little arm in the lefthand corner of the shot above? At this point she was super tired but refusing to go to sleep.

Roasted Edamame w/ Lemon & Premium Hakata Salt, $6.50.

Why have I not tried this before? Roasting the edamame is genius; it adds a subtle smokey, charred taste and keeps the pods really dry. Great with a squeeze of lemon.

The next dish to arrive was the Assorted Sushi, $16 (first picture above). Absolutely gorgeously fresh fish and don’t you just love the wasabi leaf?

Crispy-fried Squid w/ Shichimi Pepper, Mint, Coriander & Green Tea Salt, $14.50.

Sorry about the blurry photo but we were in a real rush to eat these crisp little morsels! They were perfectly fried with no excess oil and the presentation in the paper cone is very cute.

Agedashi Tofu w/ Kombu Broth, $9.50.

I always order agedashi tofu as it is one of my most favourite Japanese dishes. The tofu in this version has the right textural contrast of crunchy shell and silken tofu inside but I thought the broth was a tiny bit too salty, however, that’s perhaps because I was just gulping too much of it!

Uchi Sushi Rolls; Salmon, Prawn, Avocado & Coriander w/ Tangy Mayo (4pc), $12.50.

The spicy mayo was a great accompaniment and the salmon, prawn and avocado were all top notch produce.

Grilled Eggplant w/ Miso & Parmesan, $16.50.

This was an umami mouth explosion! Did you know that parmesan is also an umami flavour, like miso? Small chunks of eggplant (aubergine) were perfectly cooked until soft and unctuous and then smothered in a lip-smacking miso sauce and grilled parmesan.

Miso and eggplant are two of those ingredients that were truly made for each other and this is another one of my must-order dishes when it appears on the menu. This version was nothing short of spectacular. I loved it so much that I tucked into it before remembering halfway through that I needed to photograph it – hence the missing eggplant chunks in the background!

Chargrilled Seared Tuna w/ Sauce of Enoki Soy Mushroom & Grilled King Mushrooms, $24.50.

There are just two words to describe this dish – unexpectedly delicious! The description sounded quite plain so I was surprised how much I absolutely adored the combination of ingredients. Each element was expertly cooked with the tuna quickly seared to keep it really rare and the mushrooms strongly charred and meaty in texture.

Special of the day: Wagyu beef rolls with green beans.

I was completely full-to-the-brim by this point but once I tasted these flavour-packed rolls I somehow found a little more room. Melt-in-the-mouth tender wagyu beef was lightly seared and wrapped around steamed beans, totally luscious and a perfect end to the meal.

We just couldn’t face dessert but I wouldn’t mind going back to taste the Green Tea & Cinnamon Crème Brûlée.

Final verdict? Go, go, go! But don’t take your baby. Enjoy this little gem of a restaurant with a bunch of good friends so that you can really order up big and get a taste of the many delicious dishes. If you’ve got time, have a drink in the cosy bar downstairs first, preferably a sake cocktail.  I quite like the sound of the Sweet Devil (lychee sake, chilli sake, vodka and lychee syrup) – try one for me please and report back!

Click here to visit the Uchi Lounge website for address and contact details.

Happy eating! Christie x

Capital Grill has loads of fabulous meat on the menu and hubby was especially drooling over the Wagyu sirloin with 5+ marbling from Oakleigh ranch in QLD.

However, we will have to go back to try those mouth-watering steaks because on this visit we were there to try the pomegranate inspired dishes that Head Chef and owner, Dah Lee, created in partnership with POM Wonderful 100% pomegranate juice.

The dishes have been on the menu all Summer and are about to be removed so head down there soon to check them out! Let’s take a photo journey of them now…

We started with this complimentary amuse bouche of Cream of cauliflower soup with truffle oil. It looked very unassuming but packed a delicious punch! It’s the kind of rich soup you wish you could eat a whole bowl of, but with the amount of cream and butter would probably bring on heart failure. It was the perfect start to the meal.

Oysters with Pomegranate-Cracked Pepper Granita.

I’m a big fan of oysters, but hubby – not so much, so I devoured most of these. I think the secret to really enjoying oysters is getting the technique of piercing them with your teeth to release the briny flavour and then bringing them forward in the mouth with your tongue so that you can swallow them smoothly in one go. That’s how I do it.

If you chew too much then the flavour gets overwhelming but if you don’t bite into them then you don’t get to appreciate the flavour enough, it’s a fine line.

These were served with a pomegranate granita spiked with red onion and black pepper (scroll up to the first picture of this post). I really liked the sweet/savoury combination and it got my creative juices flowing with how else sweet pomegranate juice can be used in savoury dishes. More on that another day.

House Cured Salmon with Pomegranate Vinaigrette, Potato Thins and Crisp Caper Aioli.

The house cured salmon was absolutely moreish; salty, smokey and melt-in-the-mouth tender. All the other elements on the plate worked well to compliment the fish and hubby noted in particular that when you got a mouthful with all the ingredients that the textural experience was fantastic. Especially the crunch of the potato with the ‘pop’ of the fresh pomegranate aril. (Weird name, but that’s what the little pomegranate fruit seeds are called).

After this we were served a kingfish dish that didn’t feature pomegranates but was purely to round out the meal before moving onto dessert.

However, we never got to try the delicious-sounding Mango Pomegranate Martini, as our beautiful 3 month old daughter Poppy was upset at home with her grandparents so we had to apologise and make a quick exit.

I’m thinking of having a go at making a pomegranate-themed dessert in the next week or so to make up for it! If you’ve been reading this blog for a while you might remember back in 2009 I made a very yummy pomegranate granita with lychee and gin with POM Wonderful juice that went down a treat.

Let’s see if I can outdo myself with a new dessert – I’m thinking about using the juice as a poaching liquid. Have you got any requests or suggestions?

Fig & Cherry dined as guests of Capital Grill, POM Wonderful and Bang PR. Special thanks to Emma for organising the evening.

Happy eating! Christie x

If you’re heading to Leichhardt and thinking of going to the Italian Forum for some good Italian food… Don’t. Just keep driving.

That’s right, keep the motor running, zoom past the Forum and cruise down Norton street until you arrive at 163. It’s on the right hand side.

Congratulations, you have found Aperitivo.

Sorry to be so blunt about where to go to eat, but experienced travellers will always warn you to never eat on the square. European cities, like Italy, are notorious for having gorgeous alfresco dining areas with bustling restaurants where the food is absolutely terrible and over-priced to boot!

If you’re smart, then you know to trawl the back streets until your legs are sore and you’ve almost worn a hole in your shoe, because only then will you find a culinary gem that will deliver on taste, service and price. With memories to last you a lifetime.

Don’t be fooled like a tourist in your own city. Be adventurous the next time you visit Leichhardt and give Aperitivo a whirl. Here are some good reasons why…

Calamari Ripieni $8 per piece.

Reason #1. The food is brilliant. The chef-y show-off stuff is good value (and decent portions!) and the rustic, homely food is even better value.

Take these calamari for example; they are part of the stuzzichini (Italian style tapas) section of the menu and although they might seem fiddly at first, they are actually really satisfying. The calamari are filled with creamy ricotta and spinach and served on an intensely flavoured pea puree.

I politely ate them with a knife and fork but could easily have got stuck in with my hands but #nobodywantstoseethat.

Mare Montagna $17.

Reason #2. The owner is lovely and passionate about Italian food and wine. And it shows. He enthusiastically spoke about sourcing the best ingredients and seeking out beautiful Italian wines and we reminisced with him about our fantastic time in Italy in 2009. You may not be able to chat with him on your visit but you will feel the passion via the food and atmosphere.

The Mare Montagna is also part of stuzzichini section of the menu. The chunks of slow cooked pork belly were both soft and crispy and topped with well cooked and season grilled prawns. The smears of carrot puree were flavoured with aniseed and was so good I wished I could order a whole bowl on its own.

Apologies in advance for the next two photos. The natural light was fading and Poppy was getting grizzly so the crappy shots are a combination of rushing and not using a flash. Don’t let it stop you from trying these next two delicious dishes though.

Pappardelle (Duck sausages) $23 (Special of the day).

Reason #3. Award winning pizza chef from Italy. This guy makes the most amazing Neapolitan style pizzas; fluffy and doughy around the edges and wet and luscious in the centre. And well worth a trip to Aperitivo to eat these exclusively.

The pizza in the first shot above is Margherita Bufala $24. I got the tip-off to order this from Becca on Twitter and it certainly lived up to expectations. Fresh tomato sauce (no nasty leggo’s puree here!), buffalo mozzarella, cherry tomato and basil sit together in glorious harmony. I can’t wait to go back and try the rest of the pizzas. Perhaps without bub so I can have a few glasses of wine!

The duck pappardelle was a special of the day and was very special indeed. The pappardelle pasta was made fresh that day in house (like all their pasta) and was cooked perfectly al dente. I am a sucker for fresh pasta, especially served simply like this with a few key ingredients, including properly roasted tomatoes.

Risotto $27 (Special of the day).

I never order risotto in restaurants because I am always disappointed and I don’t make it at home for the same reason. I think it has been almost 10 years since my last bowl. So you can imagine my surprise when I found myself fighting hubby for the last spoonful!

This was another special of the day and was ordered specifically because I was intrigued by the use of Acquerello rice which is part of the carnaroli rice family and is aged for one year. It was served with seared scallops and yellow zucchini and was the most beautiful creamy texture, cooked perfectly al dente. I think I will try to make risotto at home now that I have a texture bench mark to aspire to!

I have given you just three good reasons to visit Aperitivo, but trust me, you’ll find so many more. My only regret is that I was far too full to try any of the desserts but I have got my eye on the Nutella Ravioli for my next visit. If you get there first, let me know what it’s like!

Fig & Cherry dined as guests of Aperitivo with special thanks to Wasamedia.

Christie x

It’s not often that you get to sit down to a proper restaurant in a shopping mall food court, but at New Shanghai that’s exactly what you do.

Admittedly, Chatswood Chase is not your regular run-of-the-mill mall; it’s super posh. So having a restaurant in their food court doesn’t really seem out of place at all.

We went for lunch on a Saturday and as it was a review, we had a table booked, much to the dismay of the long line of punters queuing as there are no bookings on the weekends!

We felt even more special when we were shown to the private dining space that is in a raised area at the back of the restaurant. It was the perfect spot for us as there was lots of room for our pram and very convenient as Poppy decided she wanted to be fed just as we were seated. Babies are so wonderfully unpredictable sometimes!

We ordered up and the food started arriving almost immediately. My favourite dish is pictured above: Shepherd’s purse & pork wonton tossed with sesame butter, red chilli oil and spice ($9.80). A very reasonable price for 10 dumplings.

The sesame butter was a smooth sauce that tasted like a cross between satay and tahini and I absolutely loved it. The dumpling skins were beautifully silky and the hint of red chilli oil really brought all the flavours together.

Stir fried Chinese rice cake with blue swimmer crab ($18.80)

Whenever I see crab on a menu I always want to order it and the ‘stir fried rice cake’ part of this dish intrigued me. I wasn’t sure what to expect but when it arrived I was pleasantly surprised that the ‘rice cakes’ were more like thick rolls of rice noodles sliced into rounds. The texture was really good – chewy and slippery and glutinous.

New Shanghai Pan Fried crab meat and pork bun, 8pcs ($12.80)

These are a specialty of the house; doughy buns are deep fried and steamed so that the bottoms are crunchy and the tops soft and spongey. There is also soup inside like a xiao long bao dumpling (they are coming up further on in this review). They were so filling that I only managed one and a half of these, but luckily Dillon was keen on them so he got stuck in.

Shanghai noodle stir fried with shredded pork and vegetable ($9.00)

Being Chinese New Year I had to order a long noodle dish to symbolise longevity and good luck for the coming year. This dish was both sweet and savoury, although more sweet. The thick egg noodles were nice and chewy and the greens fresh and still a little crispy. I would have liked to taste a bit more pork.

New Shanghai Xiao Long Bao, 8pcs ($7.00)

Ah yes, Xiao Long Bao, the famous soup dumpling. Have you ever wondered how they get the soup in there? Me too, so I was glad to see my friend Lorraine’s post with a step by step guide on how to make them. Click here to read it.

I’m not sure if it was because it was a busy Saturday, but I didn’t think these were really on point. The dumpling skins were a little thick and dry and the filling was not quite as gingery as I prefer. I’m sorry to say I like the ones at Din Tai Fung better.

Steamed vegetarian dumpling, 8pcs ($7.80)

Like the Xiao Long Bao, the dumpling skins were a bit thick and dry, however the vegetable filling was very nice. They would have been perfect if the skins were silky and soft.

It’s a really buzzy atmosphere at New Shanghai Chatswood and a great option to have a restaurant experience in a food court.  It’s definitely worth the trip over the bridge for more innovative dishes like the sliced stir fried rice cake noodles and interesting ingredients like sesame butter.

Although the dumplings on this occasion didn’t blow our socks off, I’m willing to go back and give them another go, you know – just to be sure – any excuse to eat dumplings!

Fig & Cherry dined as guests of New Shanghai and Wasamedia. A massive thank you to the lovely George for setting up the lunch.

Happy eating! Christie x

This is the pizza to eat if you only eat pizza once a year!

Well, according to my hubby’s Grandma (and my little girl’s Great-Grandma), who only eats pizza at xmas time when she visits family in Lennox Head.

There is only one pizza shop in town – Lennox Head Pizza and Pasta – so that’s where she goes.

She could, of course, venture further afield to the many pizza shops in Ballina or Byron Bay, but why do that when there is delicious pizza right there on your doorstep?

In the interests of properly reviewing the pizza I got a group of 5 people together (plus baby Poppy, but she didn’t get to taste any!) and we ordered 4 medium pizzas and two serves of garlic bread.

The garlic bread (not pictured) was good quality sliced sourdough, slightly charred and buttered with garlic on both sides. It was exactly what you want garlic bread to be like.

OK, now onto the pizzas.

First, a word about the dough base. It doesn’t matter how fresh the toppings are on a pizza, if the dough isn’t right then you may as well not eat it. This dough was good; just enough salt, oil, chewiness, crispness and properly wood-fired.

Bonus points for cutting the pizzas into perfect slices (I hate it when they are stuck together) and providing little serving shovels – a very nice touch.

First up was Phuket Chicken (pictured above in the foreground). The base was smothered in a pleasingly hot green curry paste and topped with chicken breast strips, bean sprouts, coriander and capsicum. I was dubious that melted cheese would work with these other toppings but it was actually very nice.

Next up, St Figo. This was our only vegetarian option and had olives, fetta, red onion and pesto. It was my favourite. Simple topping combos are the best. I loved the way all the salty ingredients like fetta and olives worked together but didn’t result in a really salty taste overall.

The Lennox Head Special. We had to order this, obviously! It was a mixture of seafood (prawns, fish, squid) as well as sweet potato and tomato. It tasted nice, but I felt like there were too many flavours competing for attention.

Meat lovers. I wouldn’t normally ever order meat lovers pizza, but some members of our group fancied it. There was a bit too much meat on it for my liking, but it got two thumbs up from the blokes, so there you go.

Even though Grandma only eats it once a year, it doesn’t mean you have to. If you’re passing through Lennox Head or camping at Lake Ainsworth, drop in for a slice or two. Then you will be fuelled up for surf or have a full belly to indulge in a few cocktails at the nearby bars.

Address: 2/56 Ballina Street Lennox Head NSW 2478.

Happy eating! Christie x

Looking for more Lennox Head restaurants? Check these out:

Fishy Fishy Lennox Head
The Point Cafe Lennox Head
Opes Restaurant and Bar Lennox Head

I can’t believe it’s Friday again so soon! Where did this week go?

Last week’s edition of Foreign Food Fridays was the best panna cotta of my life. But I got a bit ahead of myself.

As promised, here’s the meal we ate before the panna cotta. As you’ll see, we could have really done without dessert, but I’m glad I went for it. No regrets.

Above is my entree of mozarella burrata with fresh truffles. Served just like that and hoovered up by me in less than 3.2 seconds. Well, not really, but that’s what I wanted to do…

Dillon ordered the fried zucchini flowers. I love the way they were served on the brown paper to soak up excess oil. The Italians really know how to pare back presentation to the bare necessities and really make a dish thoroughly enjoyable.

The flowers had been perfectly fried and drained so they were crisp and not overly oily at all. The liberal sprinkling of salt really heightened the flavour and was refreshing as I find people are so scared to salt things properly these days.

Again, Dillon’s awesome choice of boar ragu with pappardelle. I never got sick of ordering pasta in Italy and then being served fresh handmade pasta. No packet stuff, ever! It was heavenly.

I expected the ragu to be braised and shredded meat but it turned out to be mince and more like a bolognese. No complaints though, absolutely divine (of the small amount I tasted).

My choice of wild boar with polenta was fantastic. The polenta was smooth, creamy and buttery and the boar practically collapsed upon being set eyes on. Although it was great, I still wanted my own plate of the ragu.

Yes, and after all that we shared a panna cotta draped in chocolate sauce. Click here to take a look.

If you’re ever in Florence, Italy, I urge you to seek out Osteria del Cinghiale Bianco (Tavern of the White Boar). I’d love to be back there right now and eat this entire meal again (and more!).

Have a great weekend, Christie x