simonleong

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful

7 Recommended

Drinks  7      Ambience  8      Service  6      Value  7     

My expectations of the Piano Room were pretty low due to the fact that they have a dismal 4.1 score (16 reviews) on Eatability which didn't inspire much confidence in the establishment. Most of the negative comments are about the service or lack there of. It was actually quite funny reading through the comments because it sounded like my worst nightmare but I had some $50 vouchers from the Angela Wilson Media Launch goodie bag to use by August so I had nothing to lose except my pride if the bouncers didn't let me in.

I tried twice to email the venue to be added to their 'guest list' and ask if I needed to book a table to eat but had no response. On the same night I was intending to visit with 3 other friends I received an email from Caroline from CNR Communications that a 5 week Burlesque competition was starting and we could be added to the guest list so that was great timing.

Upon arriving around 7.30 pm there was no bouncers to be seen except a service staff cleaning empty Red Bull cans and rubbish from the entrance way. We walked straight in to a fairly empty bar and grabbed a nice cosy seat near the window with views down William Street.

With no wine list or drinks menu available at the bar and hence no prices listed, I was a bit worried about ordering drinks but our energetic and fast talking bar man rattled off the prices of a couple of their Sauvignon Blanc bottles which we ended up ordering.

Unfortunately, all drinks are served in plastic glassware which is in stark contrast to what the decor and ambience of the place is trying to promote. And because of this rule any bottles purchased need to be kept behind the bar which made it inconvenient to get your top up when required, although thankfully our bar man was able to pop around from time to time before it got too busy.

Licensing laws they say but I've never experienced this before unless it gets to witching hour late at night in bars and pubs when they swap glass for plastic or if you visit the IVY pool below the IVY Penthouse. An excellent live music band played familiar songs although at times were a tad too loud and made conversations a bit hard to hear.

The bar food menu seemed reasonably priced and we ordered a selection to graze on. The Cheese Plate ($18) with your classic selection of 3 types of cheeses was well presented and decently portioned for the price, much better value than Berta that's for sure. Satay chicken ($13) came with a spicy peanut sauce and cucumber relish and was tasty and tender.

I was very impressed with the Roasted pumpkin arancini, bocconcini stuffed risotto ball ($9) which I'd happily order again. The tasty Chicken and prawn spring rolls ($13) were large in size and freshly cooked to a crispy outer shell. The impressive sized Prawns wrapped in jamon ($17) were a table favourite although weren't deveined so, unfortunately, I found this tainted the taste of the prawn a bit. I think a more interesting side instead of mixed lettuce leaves would make it even better, perhaps, some tzatziki dip as well.

I enjoyed the wafer thin slices of cured meats and tasty olives in the Antipasto ($18) although I couldn't work out where the white anchovies were, which was listed on the menu. The house made dips weren't the tastiest I've come across like at Sultan's Table but they went nicely with the grilled ciabatta. So in the end I was quite impressed with bar food on offer which was tasty, good quality and fairly reasonably priced for such a swanky style bar.

As a special treat of the night three burlesque performance came on around 10 pm. I didn't quite catch the names of the performers but I think the first act was 'Schimmy' and the third act was 'Coco' but my favourite of the night was the second double act which reminded me a bit of the cheeky and sexy Oui Oui Paris performers I saw at Alliance Francaise De Sydney Bastille Day Party, I wonder if they'd be interested in performing at my birthday.

Simon Food Favourites Blog Review
/> http://simonfoodfavourites.blogspot.com/2010/08/piano-room-swanky-bar-with-view-potts.html

Aug 14, 2010

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

7 Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  8      Service  7      Value  6     

Bistrode have introduced their series of Sunday roasts for $47.50 including a Winter cocktail and dessert served from 6.30 pm to help combat the Winter chills. Tonight's roast starts with a refreshing Stone's Winter Spritzer Cocktail served from large pitcher I spy on the bar counter. I'd happily have more of these which seems to have the right balance of alcohol and flavour.

After a hearty slice of bread and butter it's on to the main of Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding served with a side of green beans and roast potatoes. The roast beef is a quality cut of meat with thankfully little grizzle. The warm beans are nice and crisp although the roast potatoes could have been a bit more crunchy on the outside for the table's liking. Our English diner tonight has had better Yorkshire Pudding although I'm no expert and vaguely remember trying it once in the UK but can't quite remember what it was like.

For dessert we find the generous slice of Pumpkin Pie and Nutmeg Ice Cream an unusual choice which isn't really British in theme to match the Yorkshire Pudding and more American style. It has mixed reviews at the table but I sort of enjoyed it. I thought the thin light pastry was cooked beautifully and the topping added a nice crunch and taste, perhaps, more ice cream to finish it wouldn't have gone astray though.

My glass of 2004 Chateau Sainte Barbe Bordeaux ($11) was nice and quite light in taste. It was a filling meal so definitely kept me warm for the cold weather outside although I think it was quite pricey for a roast dinner. Service was attentive and fairly quick for the night although possibly felt a little bit chilly and insincere at times.

Simon Food Favourites food blog review
/> http://simonfoodfavourites.blogspot.com/2010/08/bistrode-sunday-roast-surry-hills-4.html

Aug 12, 2010

8 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  9      Service  7      Value  8     

A friends birthday banquet brings me to this dimly lit and beautifully decorated restaurant on the outskirts of Coogee Bay far away from backpacker central. It was also recommended to me by a work colleague so I was looking forward to the opportunity of trying. It has a respectable 7.5 (45 reviews) on Eatability but many of the negative comments have been about slow service in particular.

After the initial hurdle of our group working out the dishes for a custom made banquet for 21 guests our dining and friendly service experience was very smooth and within a reasonable time without feeling too rushed.

The impressive sized Deep fried stuffed prawns with minced pork, served with spicy plum sauce ($13) were a good tasty starter although I think it could have benefitted from a home made classic Vietnamese nuoc cham dipping sauce rather than using a bottled sweet chilli sauce. The salt and pepper chilli squid ($13) was delightfully crispy and tender as hoped but a bit more freshly fried chilli and shallots wouldn't go astray to add some extra flavour depth and punch, one of my favourites is still from Pho 236 in Newtown.

The Fresh Vietnamese rolls with pork, prawns and fresh herns wrapped in rice paper ($10) were wrapped very differently to what I usually see but still worked well delivering the right amount of balance of fresh ingredients. The Vietnamese fresh rolls at Thanh Binh still reign supreme for me, especially their fried version.

A reasonably priced salad of lotus stem with chicken breast, prawns and peanuts ($12) provides delicious slivers of lotus stem which reminds me of the beef salad with lotus root at Saigon Saigon. Stir fried beef with lemongrass and chilli ($19.50) is dressed with refreshing coriander and the Wok tossed crispy pork with chilli and shallots ($20) has a similar crispy coating as the Salt and Pepper Squid.

Warm roasted duck breast salad with mixed herbs and chilli ($22) has tender meat as does the Braised stuffed chicken with mushroom and water chestnut ($21.50) which I'd happily order again. Good depth of flavour is appreciated in the lamb shank curry with sweet potato and eggplant ($22) with fall-of-the-bone meat to be had. A crowd favourite of Seared scallops with shitake mushroom, pine nuts and ginger ($25) goes quickly and a must for any scallop and mushroom lover like myself.

Thanh Binh has been a long standing favourite of mine for Vietnamese, especially for their fried Vietnamese Rolls and Green Papaya Salad but I'd be happy to return to Banana Palm to explore more of their interesting dishes, especially the Soft-Shell Crab which I didn't get to try this time.

Simon Food Favourites review: http://simonfoodfavourites.blogspot.com/2010/07/banana-palm-vietnamese-cuisine-coogee.html

Jul 31, 2010

6.5 Recommended

Food  6      Ambience  8      Service  8      Value  4     

During Easter I attended the sold out agideas design conference in Melbourne and one of the speakers was Jacques Reymond who spoke on Day 1 of the 27th April. At first I thought it was a very unusual choice to see a chef on the speaker program but for me Jacques was one of the most well-spoken, entertaining and inspirational speakers of the whole 3 day conference.

He spoke with sincere passion and engaged the audience with his life long journey and inspiration of becoming a chef. His restaurant has achieved Three-hats and Restaurant Of the year in The Age Good Food Guide 2010 Awards and before the conference I had never heard of him but after his speech I was truly inspired to make a booking and dine in his restaurant two days after.

Upon arriving I was impressed with the size of grand Victorian mansion restaurant complete with landscaped gardens although in the dark I actually had trouble working out where to enter via the side entrance. The beautifully decorated red dining room was cosy and nicely lit. The service was professional and accommodating. The appetiser of cheese choux pastry was great, light, tasty and freshly cooked and the complimentary bread also nice and served warm.

The first degustation course of Lemongrass, spinach and rock lobster soup, fragrant Tiger prawn, sweet potato and turmeric ice cream was enjoyable, simple and worked well, especially the soup. The dishes after this though became a bit of a blur due to being, perhaps, a little overly designed on the plate. I usually find the best and most memorable dishes are the simplest in taste and presentation.

I can still remember some of Tetsuya's dishes from years ago like the beetroot sorbet, ocean trout confit and crab ravioli but I thought for many of Jacques degustation dishes there was so much happening on the plate that I think it lost focus for me, in terms of taste and simplicity in presentation. Some of the time I wasn't sure what I was tasting but, perhaps, that's just me.

With carrots and cauliflower cut down to the size of your finger nail in the Poached and roasted partridge, miniscule drips of unidentifiable sauces on the Western plains suckling pig and sometimes lots of different ingredients like on the Sandwich of spanner crab and Highland venison my taste buds were soon pretty confused on what I was eating and thus lacked enjoyment of the taste sensation. The special side dish of Pine mushrooms ($25) was quite meaty and actually one of the dish highlights, simple, basic and tasty.

With only a 7.0 (21 reviews) on Eatability I think the hyped media reviews and awards this restaurant has received might not be meeting the expectations of the restaurant punters that come to experience the food and it's been marked quite low on value for money. Personally I've found more enjoyment in the dishes I've had at other 2 and 3-hatted restaurants both in appreciation of taste and presentation.

So in design there's a golden rule 'Less is More' or 'Keep it Simple' and when this rule isn't followed the result can end up being confusing, overly designed and the message is lost or in terms of food, the taste buds get confused. I think Jacques definitely has a passion for food and using top quality ingredients but I found I couldn't really appreciate what he was trying to achieve with his dishes. I thought the wine selection was fairly good and desserts more clearly defined than the mains.

Food blog review: http://simonfoodfavourites.blogspot.com/2010/07/jacques-reymond-3-hatted-degustation.html

Jul 21, 2010

7.3 Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  8      Service  8      Value  6     

Having only just been opened for about a month Berta is buzzing with the usual inner city devotees of another Melbourne-style restaurant. It's certainly the talk of the town at the moment and it seems MasterChef Matt Preston is back again after only visiting last week.

In contrast to Terry Durack's SMH Good Living review Matt Preston was quite reserved tonight in the well-lit corner table and pretty much kept to himself and his dining guests including MasterChef judge George Calombaris until a group of three girls later in the night came up to talk to him about them being bumped from their table in place of him, perhaps, they should have been given a free meal for the inconvenience.

The two most noticeable things once you've entered via the quiet dodgy backstreet is the noise created by the packed-in diners and the huge mirrors reflecting the buzzing atmosphere of the restaurant. It has a cosy feel to the place as long as you don't mind the noise. I had trouble working out what the menu items would actually be because of it's very non-descriptive explanation of cooking style.

In terms of wine our group chose the lowest common denominator pricing point of the 2008 Mareema Toscana Sangiovese Morellino ($36/bottle) which was quite nice with decent depth of flavour and we ended up having two.

Starting with large sized Formaggi ($30) of three cheeses it was immediately apparent how tiny the pieces of cheese were. The three styles were nice but for $30 it was hard not to feel like it was well overpriced, especially when you compare to the Pocket Bar cheese plate for under $20 which comes with larger slices, salami and massive olives.

Most of us don't even appreciate the side condiments of pear, rosemary honey and beetroot which distract from the true taste of the cheese, less fancy sides and more cheese please! Again the dish of Cuttlefish zucchini preserved lemon ($9) is small but quite flavoursome and works well. Grissini and olives ($8) are tasty but are mostly small olives which aren't the easiest to pick out elegantly from the oily bowl.

Scallops wugna breadcrumbs ($4.50 each) are a highlight for me, more please, but it would end up being quite an expensive meal. Silky smooth Chicken liver pate bergamino ($16) is another highlight for the table although wished it came with plain baguette or sourdough bread rather than the very thin crisp bread which I find contrasts too much.

The most overpriced dish of the night for me was the Clams tomato chilli ($24). How expensive are clams? I'm sure they're not that much with some tomato and chilli. The sauce was quite tasty though soaked up with the bread but I found some of the tiny clams a little grainy so possibly not cleaned thoroughly enough?

I would love to have this sauce with some decent sized mussels, now that would be both easier to share and better value. The Jerusalem artichokes brussels pancetta ($14) was quite popular and tasty. Loved the crispy pancetta in the dish as long as they don't overcook the brussels. I quite liked the Snapper lentils salsa verde ($22) but I wouldn't really consider this a sharing type of dish. Polenta mushrooms taleggio ($18) is quite filling and contains some pretty yummy mushrooms but again if you're sharing it's a bit of a lucky dip what you'll end up with.

Finally for dessert we're tempted by the Baked custard ($12) but it's mandarin sauce is a bit too strong for some of our liking, I didn't mind it but the presentation is a bit overly rustic. We all thought it was a slab of chicken paté when brought to the table with the low lighting and didn't quite resemble what we were expecting.

Simon Food Favourites
/> http://simonfoodfavourites.blogspot.com/2010/07/berta-new-italian-kid-on-block-sydney-9.html

Jul 11, 2010

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful

7 Recommended

Drinks  7      Ambience  8      Service  6      Value  7     

My expectations of the Piano Room were pretty low due to the fact that they have a dismal 4.1 score (16 reviews) on Eatability which didn't inspire much confidence in the establishment. Most of the negative comments are about the service or lack there of. It was actually quite funny reading through the comments because it sounded like my worst nightmare but I had some $50 vouchers from the Angela Wilson Media Launch goodie bag to use by August so I had nothing to lose except my pride if the bouncers didn't let me in.

I tried twice to email the venue to be added to their 'guest list' and ask if I needed to book a table to eat but had no response. On the same night I was intending to visit with 3 other friends I received an email from Caroline from CNR Communications that a 5 week Burlesque competition was starting and we could be added to the guest list so that was great timing.

Upon arriving around 7.30 pm there was no bouncers to be seen except a service staff cleaning empty Red Bull cans and rubbish from the entrance way. We walked straight in to a fairly empty bar and grabbed a nice cosy seat near the window with views down William Street.

With no wine list or drinks menu available at the bar and hence no prices listed, I was a bit worried about ordering drinks but our energetic and fast talking bar man rattled off the prices of a couple of their Sauvignon Blanc bottles which we ended up ordering.

Unfortunately, all drinks are served in plastic glassware which is in stark contrast to what the decor and ambience of the place is trying to promote. And because of this rule any bottles purchased need to be kept behind the bar which made it inconvenient to get your top up when required, although thankfully our bar man was able to pop around from time to time before it got too busy.

Licensing laws they say but I've never experienced this before unless it gets to witching hour late at night in bars and pubs when they swap glass for plastic or if you visit the IVY pool below the IVY Penthouse. An excellent live music band played familiar songs although at times were a tad too loud and made conversations a bit hard to hear.

The bar food menu seemed reasonably priced and we ordered a selection to graze on. The Cheese Plate ($18) with your classic selection of 3 types of cheeses was well presented and decently portioned for the price, much better value than Berta that's for sure. Satay chicken ($13) came with a spicy peanut sauce and cucumber relish and was tasty and tender.

I was very impressed with the Roasted pumpkin arancini, bocconcini stuffed risotto ball ($9) which I'd happily order again. The tasty Chicken and prawn spring rolls ($13) were large in size and freshly cooked to a crispy outer shell. The impressive sized Prawns wrapped in jamon ($17) were a table favourite although weren't deveined so, unfortunately, I found this tainted the taste of the prawn a bit. I think a more interesting side instead of mixed lettuce leaves would make it even better, perhaps, some tzatziki dip as well.

I enjoyed the wafer thin slices of cured meats and tasty olives in the Antipasto ($18) although I couldn't work out where the white anchovies were, which was listed on the menu. The house made dips weren't the tastiest I've come across like at Sultan's Table but they went nicely with the grilled ciabatta. So in the end I was quite impressed with bar food on offer which was tasty, good quality and fairly reasonably priced for such a swanky style bar.

As a special treat of the night three burlesque performance came on around 10 pm. I didn't quite catch the names of the performers but I think the first act was 'Schimmy' and the third act was 'Coco' but my favourite of the night was the second double act which reminded me a bit of the cheeky and sexy Oui Oui Paris performers I saw at Alliance Francaise De Sydney Bastille Day Party, I wonder if they'd be interested in performing at my birthday.

Simon Food Favourites Blog Review
/> http://simonfoodfavourites.blogspot.com/2010/08/piano-room-swanky-bar-with-view-potts.html

Aug 14, 2010

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

7 Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  8      Service  7      Value  6     

Bistrode have introduced their series of Sunday roasts for $47.50 including a Winter cocktail and dessert served from 6.30 pm to help combat the Winter chills. Tonight's roast starts with a refreshing Stone's Winter Spritzer Cocktail served from large pitcher I spy on the bar counter. I'd happily have more of these which seems to have the right balance of alcohol and flavour.

After a hearty slice of bread and butter it's on to the main of Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding served with a side of green beans and roast potatoes. The roast beef is a quality cut of meat with thankfully little grizzle. The warm beans are nice and crisp although the roast potatoes could have been a bit more crunchy on the outside for the table's liking. Our English diner tonight has had better Yorkshire Pudding although I'm no expert and vaguely remember trying it once in the UK but can't quite remember what it was like.

For dessert we find the generous slice of Pumpkin Pie and Nutmeg Ice Cream an unusual choice which isn't really British in theme to match the Yorkshire Pudding and more American style. It has mixed reviews at the table but I sort of enjoyed it. I thought the thin light pastry was cooked beautifully and the topping added a nice crunch and taste, perhaps, more ice cream to finish it wouldn't have gone astray though.

My glass of 2004 Chateau Sainte Barbe Bordeaux ($11) was nice and quite light in taste. It was a filling meal so definitely kept me warm for the cold weather outside although I think it was quite pricey for a roast dinner. Service was attentive and fairly quick for the night although possibly felt a little bit chilly and insincere at times.

Simon Food Favourites food blog review
/> http://simonfoodfavourites.blogspot.com/2010/08/bistrode-sunday-roast-surry-hills-4.html

Aug 12, 2010

8 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  9      Service  7      Value  8     

A friends birthday banquet brings me to this dimly lit and beautifully decorated restaurant on the outskirts of Coogee Bay far away from backpacker central. It was also recommended to me by a work colleague so I was looking forward to the opportunity of trying. It has a respectable 7.5 (45 reviews) on Eatability but many of the negative comments have been about slow service in particular.

After the initial hurdle of our group working out the dishes for a custom made banquet for 21 guests our dining and friendly service experience was very smooth and within a reasonable time without feeling too rushed.

The impressive sized Deep fried stuffed prawns with minced pork, served with spicy plum sauce ($13) were a good tasty starter although I think it could have benefitted from a home made classic Vietnamese nuoc cham dipping sauce rather than using a bottled sweet chilli sauce. The salt and pepper chilli squid ($13) was delightfully crispy and tender as hoped but a bit more freshly fried chilli and shallots wouldn't go astray to add some extra flavour depth and punch, one of my favourites is still from Pho 236 in Newtown.

The Fresh Vietnamese rolls with pork, prawns and fresh herns wrapped in rice paper ($10) were wrapped very differently to what I usually see but still worked well delivering the right amount of balance of fresh ingredients. The Vietnamese fresh rolls at Thanh Binh still reign supreme for me, especially their fried version.

A reasonably priced salad of lotus stem with chicken breast, prawns and peanuts ($12) provides delicious slivers of lotus stem which reminds me of the beef salad with lotus root at Saigon Saigon. Stir fried beef with lemongrass and chilli ($19.50) is dressed with refreshing coriander and the Wok tossed crispy pork with chilli and shallots ($20) has a similar crispy coating as the Salt and Pepper Squid.

Warm roasted duck breast salad with mixed herbs and chilli ($22) has tender meat as does the Braised stuffed chicken with mushroom and water chestnut ($21.50) which I'd happily order again. Good depth of flavour is appreciated in the lamb shank curry with sweet potato and eggplant ($22) with fall-of-the-bone meat to be had. A crowd favourite of Seared scallops with shitake mushroom, pine nuts and ginger ($25) goes quickly and a must for any scallop and mushroom lover like myself.

Thanh Binh has been a long standing favourite of mine for Vietnamese, especially for their fried Vietnamese Rolls and Green Papaya Salad but I'd be happy to return to Banana Palm to explore more of their interesting dishes, especially the Soft-Shell Crab which I didn't get to try this time.

Simon Food Favourites review: http://simonfoodfavourites.blogspot.com/2010/07/banana-palm-vietnamese-cuisine-coogee.html

Jul 31, 2010

6.5 Recommended

Food  6      Ambience  8      Service  8      Value  4     

During Easter I attended the sold out agideas design conference in Melbourne and one of the speakers was Jacques Reymond who spoke on Day 1 of the 27th April. At first I thought it was a very unusual choice to see a chef on the speaker program but for me Jacques was one of the most well-spoken, entertaining and inspirational speakers of the whole 3 day conference.

He spoke with sincere passion and engaged the audience with his life long journey and inspiration of becoming a chef. His restaurant has achieved Three-hats and Restaurant Of the year in The Age Good Food Guide 2010 Awards and before the conference I had never heard of him but after his speech I was truly inspired to make a booking and dine in his restaurant two days after.

Upon arriving I was impressed with the size of grand Victorian mansion restaurant complete with landscaped gardens although in the dark I actually had trouble working out where to enter via the side entrance. The beautifully decorated red dining room was cosy and nicely lit. The service was professional and accommodating. The appetiser of cheese choux pastry was great, light, tasty and freshly cooked and the complimentary bread also nice and served warm.

The first degustation course of Lemongrass, spinach and rock lobster soup, fragrant Tiger prawn, sweet potato and turmeric ice cream was enjoyable, simple and worked well, especially the soup. The dishes after this though became a bit of a blur due to being, perhaps, a little overly designed on the plate. I usually find the best and most memorable dishes are the simplest in taste and presentation.

I can still remember some of Tetsuya's dishes from years ago like the beetroot sorbet, ocean trout confit and crab ravioli but I thought for many of Jacques degustation dishes there was so much happening on the plate that I think it lost focus for me, in terms of taste and simplicity in presentation. Some of the time I wasn't sure what I was tasting but, perhaps, that's just me.

With carrots and cauliflower cut down to the size of your finger nail in the Poached and roasted partridge, miniscule drips of unidentifiable sauces on the Western plains suckling pig and sometimes lots of different ingredients like on the Sandwich of spanner crab and Highland venison my taste buds were soon pretty confused on what I was eating and thus lacked enjoyment of the taste sensation. The special side dish of Pine mushrooms ($25) was quite meaty and actually one of the dish highlights, simple, basic and tasty.

With only a 7.0 (21 reviews) on Eatability I think the hyped media reviews and awards this restaurant has received might not be meeting the expectations of the restaurant punters that come to experience the food and it's been marked quite low on value for money. Personally I've found more enjoyment in the dishes I've had at other 2 and 3-hatted restaurants both in appreciation of taste and presentation.

So in design there's a golden rule 'Less is More' or 'Keep it Simple' and when this rule isn't followed the result can end up being confusing, overly designed and the message is lost or in terms of food, the taste buds get confused. I think Jacques definitely has a passion for food and using top quality ingredients but I found I couldn't really appreciate what he was trying to achieve with his dishes. I thought the wine selection was fairly good and desserts more clearly defined than the mains.

Food blog review: http://simonfoodfavourites.blogspot.com/2010/07/jacques-reymond-3-hatted-degustation.html

Jul 21, 2010

7.3 Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  8      Service  8      Value  6     

Having only just been opened for about a month Berta is buzzing with the usual inner city devotees of another Melbourne-style restaurant. It's certainly the talk of the town at the moment and it seems MasterChef Matt Preston is back again after only visiting last week.

In contrast to Terry Durack's SMH Good Living review Matt Preston was quite reserved tonight in the well-lit corner table and pretty much kept to himself and his dining guests including MasterChef judge George Calombaris until a group of three girls later in the night came up to talk to him about them being bumped from their table in place of him, perhaps, they should have been given a free meal for the inconvenience.

The two most noticeable things once you've entered via the quiet dodgy backstreet is the noise created by the packed-in diners and the huge mirrors reflecting the buzzing atmosphere of the restaurant. It has a cosy feel to the place as long as you don't mind the noise. I had trouble working out what the menu items would actually be because of it's very non-descriptive explanation of cooking style.

In terms of wine our group chose the lowest common denominator pricing point of the 2008 Mareema Toscana Sangiovese Morellino ($36/bottle) which was quite nice with decent depth of flavour and we ended up having two.

Starting with large sized Formaggi ($30) of three cheeses it was immediately apparent how tiny the pieces of cheese were. The three styles were nice but for $30 it was hard not to feel like it was well overpriced, especially when you compare to the Pocket Bar cheese plate for under $20 which comes with larger slices, salami and massive olives.

Most of us don't even appreciate the side condiments of pear, rosemary honey and beetroot which distract from the true taste of the cheese, less fancy sides and more cheese please! Again the dish of Cuttlefish zucchini preserved lemon ($9) is small but quite flavoursome and works well. Grissini and olives ($8) are tasty but are mostly small olives which aren't the easiest to pick out elegantly from the oily bowl.

Scallops wugna breadcrumbs ($4.50 each) are a highlight for me, more please, but it would end up being quite an expensive meal. Silky smooth Chicken liver pate bergamino ($16) is another highlight for the table although wished it came with plain baguette or sourdough bread rather than the very thin crisp bread which I find contrasts too much.

The most overpriced dish of the night for me was the Clams tomato chilli ($24). How expensive are clams? I'm sure they're not that much with some tomato and chilli. The sauce was quite tasty though soaked up with the bread but I found some of the tiny clams a little grainy so possibly not cleaned thoroughly enough?

I would love to have this sauce with some decent sized mussels, now that would be both easier to share and better value. The Jerusalem artichokes brussels pancetta ($14) was quite popular and tasty. Loved the crispy pancetta in the dish as long as they don't overcook the brussels. I quite liked the Snapper lentils salsa verde ($22) but I wouldn't really consider this a sharing type of dish. Polenta mushrooms taleggio ($18) is quite filling and contains some pretty yummy mushrooms but again if you're sharing it's a bit of a lucky dip what you'll end up with.

Finally for dessert we're tempted by the Baked custard ($12) but it's mandarin sauce is a bit too strong for some of our liking, I didn't mind it but the presentation is a bit overly rustic. We all thought it was a slab of chicken paté when brought to the table with the low lighting and didn't quite resemble what we were expecting.

Simon Food Favourites
/> http://simonfoodfavourites.blogspot.com/2010/07/berta-new-italian-kid-on-block-sydney-9.html

Jul 11, 2010

6 Average

Food  5      Ambience  6      Service  7      Value  6     

Situated on the outskirts of Kings Cross on a sloping pathway this small coffee shop is open 24 hours all year round and has been in business since 1972. There's quite a few specialist coffee beans to choose from and the pokey seating arrangement inside will keep you warm from the winter chills outside. The coffee seemed ok but, unfortunately, the churros (spanish donut) is disappointing and quite dry due to not being freshly cooked but you can't ask much for only $2 I guess. For the best freshly cooked churros I've found so far in Sydney head to Chocolateria San Churro.

Simon Food Favourites Review: http://simonfoodfavourites.blogspot.com/2010/06/ cafe-hernandez-open-24-hours-365-days.html

Jun 06, 2010

7.5 Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  8      Service  8      Value  7     

Ever since hearing about this newly opened dumpling place in Surry Hills I've been tempted to try it because I love eating dumplings and the decor looked so cool. Residing in the Royal Albert Hotel this is the second restaurant to open after Potts Point and Balmain sounds like it will be their third with possibly Bondi after that. It's hard not to compare the Asian food offerings of this restaurant to all others tried before.

I found the Pork and prawn shu mei ($8.50/5 pieces) were your pretty standard yum cha style and I still rate the Scallop and Prawn Siu Mai from Palace Chinese as my favourite variation. The Peking duck pancakes with hoi sin sauce ($12/3 pieces) are served in soft warm pancakes with a tasty duck meat filling but my fond memories of the larger and meatier BBQ King version in Haymarket complete with shallot and fresh chilli still reside supreme for me (they were 2 for $12 last time I visited).

Today's chef special of Chicken and prawn laksa ($10) is a nice blend of flavours using udon noodles instead of the traditional thin rice vermicelli noodles. It's a lot more milky coconut in flavour than the fuller tasting broth of Malay Chinese but I still enjoy it. Decent amounts of coriander on top give it a nice freshness with some kaffir lime as well I think in the broth.

I've lost count on how many different styles of salt and pepper squid I've come across and their Salt and pepper squid with thai chilli ($15.50) is an enjoyable one. It has a tasty coating of spices without being overly indulgent in heat combined with a very tender squid inside. The coating reminds me of the version I've had at Arthouse Hotel but this one has a crispier coating more to my liking.

Other variations I've enjoyed are at Golden Swallow, Pho 236 and Palace Chinese Restaurant. The thai chilli seems to be a bottled sweet and sour sauce with fresh pieces of coriander in it. Pork and chive dumplings ($8.50/5 pieces) are apparently one of their most popular choices along with the Prawn Har Gow. Simple and classic they provide decent flavour from the filling although you'll get more dumpling for your dollar at Sea Bay Dumplings but, perhaps, not as refined in presentation and ingredients.

When I visited today there were about 10 people dining during lunch time and service was especially fast with orders coming out in less than 5 minutes for most things. Apparently Friday and Saturday nights are the busiest when it gets packed so choose your timing well.

Simon Food Favourites. Photo review: http://simonfoodfavourites.blogspot.com/2010/05/bamboo-dumpling-bar-surry-hills-25-may.html

May 25, 2010

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

6.8 Recommended

Food  6      Drinks  6      Ambience  7      Service  7      Value  8     

Plenty of $10 meal choices. This is my first time to the very popular Shakespeare Hotel which is directly opposite Mohr Fish which by the way make fantastic prawn and fish wontons. It seems very much a locals pub with what I assume is a large dose of uni students attracted by the very cheap meals and drinks on offer. It reminds me of a classier Cricketeers Arms Hotel and a more grungier version of The Victoria Room.

For anyone on a tight budget to eat you'll love this place. I was amazed to see over 20 meals on offer for only $10 with no conditions but I assume most people would buy a drink anyway.

The meals might not be as sophisticated as The Trinity Bar up the road but for $10 it'll sure fill your stomach. My Rump Steak with chips and salad ($10) was cooked to medium rare as ordered although, unfortunately, about a quarter of it had quite a bit of grizzle factor. The salad had a nice dressing and the crunchy chips were good. The Grilled Chicken Breast Burger ($10) had a nice guacamole with a noticeable chilli taste and the decently portioned Crumbed Chicken Parma ($10) seemed to get a few more extras on the dish than the same priced plain Chicken Schnitzel ($10). I think you'd be hard pressed to find a Grilled Barramundi Fillet with chips and salad ($10) for this low price in any other pub bistro too.

The bistro and main bar is downstairs but I found the most interesting part of the hotel upstairs where you'll find a small maze of separate rooms with cosy seating and various dimly lit feature lighting. The hotel is certainly a lot more extensive inside than I thought it was.

Simon Food Favourites , http://simonfoodfavourites.blogspot.com

May 15, 2010

7 Recommended

Drinks  7      Ambience  7      Service  7      Value  7     

Still nameless but open. After 5 weeks of trade, the owners of Name This Bar thought it was about time they had a party. So they decided to invite up to 200 guests to celebrate with free flowing Tiger Beer and homemade dumplings, although it was a challenge getting to the tasty morsels in such a packed bar.

Previously some of the walls were open to comments but tonight they were freshly painted white for 8 artists to compete and paint their best pieces. The artists were organised through Secret Wars. The bar still remains nameless and my thoughts are it'll remain 'Name This Bar ?' which seems to be working so far.

Snapshot review: Pros: Relatively unknown so still a good place to chill out
Cons: Nameless (but could be a pro as well).

Apr 08, 2010

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful

7.8 Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  9      Service  8      Value  7     

Thanks to Margarita from The Victoria Room for inviting me along to the launch of the new book 'High Tea at The Victoria Room' which is advertised as Australia's first high tea recipe book. Tonight's launch was held in the lovely Victoria Room which is fantastic for ambient decor photos and a nightmare for my compact camera food photos but I think you'll get an idea of what was served.

For some reason I was really hoping they'd be some classic cucumber sandwiches but instead some tasty mini sandwiches of Chicken with wild herbs, and Smoked Salmon with crème fraiche, lemon, capers and rocket provided some satisfying morsels.

I loved the idea of serving the Cocktail Punch in tea cups, very cool. The Lavender Shortbread had sprinklings of lavender leaves which complemented the taste without being too overpowering. Having sweet and savoury items come out together sure made the stomach confused but through it all the Pork and apple rolls with spicy tomato chutney were my favourite.

Tasty filling, flakey pastry and a spicy chutney that delivered just the right amount of kick. The tiny Vanilla bean cupcake (picture above) was also nice. I was looking forward to trying the Salmon cakes with crème fraiche and dill although tonight there seemed to be quite an overpowering taste of salt and pepper in the mix which made it difficult to appreciate the subtle taste of the salmon, I was tempted to double check the recipe for this one. Simon Food Favourites

Mar 30, 2010