One of the disadvantages to foodblogging is the complete inability to go back to a place. No matter how much you’ve enjoyed your meal, there’s always somewhere else to go being that this is Sydney and there are more restaurants than you can poke a fork at. However after our first meal at South I had a craving for the ribs. An intense craving. I’d managed to procure one from Gina’s plate only to lust for more, not helped by South’s proximity to where we live. Every time we’d drive past it, I’d think of the ribs. So a return visit was scheduled, indeed it was scheduled with the same group of friends we originally went with as they were also hankering for a repeat. And I had my ribs, yes I did.
Leo, the chef and owner
The day we visit is also the day that South received a huge almost full page very positive review by Helen Grreenwood in the Sydney Morning Herald. So we’re lucky we’ve booked. Indeed many people show up without bookings to be told nicely that the tables are booked.
There are some must trys, obviously the finger licking, lip smackingly good ribs are to be ordered. In fact everyone bar Phillippe (who doesn’t share) and Hot Dog (who in a friendship-stretching gesture has taken up Phillippe’s non sharing cause with a difference-he won’t share his meal but he will partake in our meals) wants to share so that we can try as much as possible.
Hot Wings $16
We start with the Hot Wings, those vinegary deliciously sauce wings from last time. It’s something Hot Dog can’t go past and he reluctantly offers us some.
Crawfish Pie $15
Our other entree is one that Leo recommended, the Crawfish Pie which is an open pie in a vol au vent casing housing a deliciously cream rich Crawfish filling. It’s divided into 6 as no-one wants to miss out and a firm crowd favourite. Hubby uses his bread roll to mop up every last trace of the sauce. I’m so intrigued by the sauce that I ask Leo about it and he tells me that it’s blend of spices interestingly including thyme which I am not a fan of at all but he says the key is to keep the spice blend subtle which makes sense as I usually bypass anything with thyme in it and I can usually sniff it out unless it’s very subtle.
BBQ Ribs $39
The item that many daydreams were made of arrives, and true to form, they’re meaty and fall apart soft. Cutting them apart is easy, just the gentlest nudge is needed after an initial knife cut. They’re soft, saucy and flavoursome and as good as the first rib I had last time.
Chicken Enchiladas $22
Hot Dog’s order of Chicken Enchiladas arrives and I manage to snag a small piece despite him trying to move his plate out of reach. It’s good but the other dishes on the menu are the pick for me.
Country Fried Steak $24
The country fried steak is a very thick piece of steak, battered and deep fried and then served with a country style gravy which resembles a bechamel. It comes with a huge stack of fries and a side greens. It’s been a while since I’ve eaten a steak this thick and wide being used to the small tall fillets that restaurants serve and I like the flavours to this and the mild sauce on top.
Jambalaya $24
The Jambalaya, described as a Cajun rissotto is full of wonderfully smokey sausage. It is indeed like a soupy risotto, packed with different flavours but the smokey sausage reigns supreme.
Cajun burger
Leo’s Amazing RedFish $33
A dish that the SMH said lacked the panache of other dishes is warmly welcomed by us. Perhaps there have been changes since the review as the Redfish is delicious. It’s full of flavour from the Cajun spices and the Sauce Meuniere is delicious. Even though it is the last dish to arrive and everyone is feeling very full, we polish it off in no time.
Phillippe enjoying himself
And because you know dessert is so important in Southern cuisine and we know that dessert is so good here, we share a couple of desserts, the Pecan Pie (last time it disappeared before we got a chance to try it) and the Sour Cherry Cobbler with ice cream.
Sour Cherry Cobbler
The Sour Cherry Cobbler comes with a buttery pie topping on top of the delicous Sour Cherry filling and a generous scoop of good ice cream (not that diabolical stuff that a lot of places serve). It’s warming like a pie or crumble and gives the same comfort factor.
Pecan Pie
The Pecan Pie is gorgeously thick and studded full of pecans, I adore Pecan Pie but rarely make it. It’s home made and despite feeling extraordinarily full and wearing a corset dress, Teena and I manage to finish this. Yes oh yes, the South has definitely come to the North and we like it.
South Restaurant
222 Military Road (corner Waters Road), Neutral Bay, NSW
Tel: +61 (02) 9908 5225
Open :
Lunch: Saturday 12noont-4pm
Dinner: Monday to Saturday 6pm-10pm
http://www.south-restaurant.com/
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31 Comments | Add your own
mmmmm that all looks great. I think I know where we are going next.
country fried steak and cobbler for me, please. that’s the stuff i know and love, and it reminds me of home.
Delicious eats! I would love a taste of that crawfish pie but everything else too.
look at those ribs! amazing. and so much closer to home than all the other ribby joints.
i thought to give this place a shot after your first post, and now that i’ve seen it twice, i’ll just have to go.
Ribs, burgers, cobblers, pie….(gleeful sigh.)
I know what you mean about not wanting to go back to a restaurant if you’ve already blogged it! Must get there. And soon!
If those ribs look as big as I think I do, all thoughts of any other breakfast have just flown out the window. With some pecan pie, to balance it out, of course
Nice photo of the pecan pie. It looks mouth-wateringly sticky.
Yum! Those ribs look great but I would definitely go for the crawfish pie. Assuming crawfish is crayfish or similar? I love all the lobster paraphernalia too.
oh my gosh!
it just went on and ON!
plate after plate of seriously delicious looking food.
wow.
i can see why you went back, Lorraine!
Mmmm that crawfish pie looks amazing!
Hey you have Buffalo Wings there! That Pecan Pie looks really good too!
I don’t get the whole ‘not sharing’ thing, especially at a place where sharing is a part of the experience ala most Asian restaurants. In this case I guess it’s somewhat different. Splitting a burger 6 ways can be seen as being a bit of a pain.
Do you know what their reasons are for not sharing?
oh gosh…you’ve got me craving wings now…so much so that I looked up a recipe immediately and I’m going to attempt it this weekend
…Malaysian food may be amazing…but sometimes good ol’ buffalo wings are just what I need!
Oh my god you’re torturing me.
I wonder where they get the sour cherries for the cherry pie – you can’t really get many cherry varieties here, unlike the US. Perhaps they’re tinned?
Interesting that the cobbler looked like a pie, rather than crumble which is what I’d expect. Did you read about the recent state dinner at the White House where they served Huckleberry Cobbler? I didn’t even know that huckleberries were a berry but apparently they’re similar to blueberries.
Can you tell me, do the ribs have a lot of pepper or chilli? I have a sensitive palate but I love good ribs …
i want a piece of that pecan pie and the ribs please!!!!
I know what you mean! Unless I find a place just absolutely phenomenal I can’t bring myself to go back!
SydneyGal – the best sour cherries you can get are the Globus brand which are imported from Hungary. They come in a jar and should be in the canned fruit section of your local Coles.
NQN – My boyfriend is one of those non-sharers (blasphemy!!!)….He has a very deep seated fear of food envy. Luckily he is happy to share at places where you must like yum cha and tapas….but for the three years I’ve been with him I’ve not been allowed to touch his plate at a restaurant!
woah! the food looks delish! not sure is the lighting or the sauce, those wings do look hot hot momma!
Oh, seem great restaurant are up in the North as always. I never venture into Mosman, Neutral Bay, Crow Nest. The one I have been into just Chatswood and North Sydney around mall or shops near the station only.
oohh they all look so yummy! Esp the pecan pie…
Ribs ribs ribs ribs ribssssss must tryy thhxxxx. Deep fried steak sounds interesting too XD
Hi DevilishDamsel-It’s definitely worth a visit, I rarely pay anywhere a second visit! lol
Hi grace-I bet it is! Well if you’re ever in Sydney you know you can get some home cooking here
Hi 5 Star Foodie-The crawfish pie was so delicious, I wish I could have one for lunch ever day
Hi shez-The ribs are the stuff dreams are made of
definitely give it a go and say hi to Leo for me!
Hi Blond Duck-Haha yes pie! I knew you’d see that
Hi Helen-It’s hard, I bever do out of choice except for here. For there were ribs that just had to be eaten
Hi Chris-They’re huge, although we contemplated getting a half serve but then decided against it thankfully!
Hi Arwen-it was so good. you know the measure of a good dessert is when you keep eating even after you’re full!
Hi Forager-You could always get both
Yup i think it’s their name for crayfish so it’s a lobster pie (life doesn’t get much better thanna lobster pie 
)
Hi the projectivist-I know, the best meals always do
I broke my cardinal rule for this and I have no regrets at all 
Hi Kathy-It was amazingly good and so unusual too!
Hi Beth-Yep buffalo wings (just not from the Buffalo -hehe jessica simpson reference). The Pecan Pie was delicious indeed!
Hi Simon-I don’t get it either to be honest but he will share at Asian restaurants which is good. Otherwise it would be too boring I guess! His wife has a theory that he grew up in a large family where it was fend for yourself and protect your meal!
Hi Alexandra-Aww definitely! I think the secret is in the sauce!
Hi SydneyGal-Sorry! I’m not sure to be honest about the cherries. I feel for anyone that has to pit them though! I expected a crumble too. Hehe oh really? Maybe he’ll make one but I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen Huckleberries here! Nope not too spicy at all, it’s like a BBQ sauce so if you like BBQ sauce then you’ll like the ribs.
Hi tara-Haha me too!
Hi maris-ah yes it’s the food blogger’s lament isn’t it!
Hi Esz-ah that’s good to know! Interesting, but if you share then won’t that conquer the food envy? At least he shares at yum cha adn tapas, that would be most peculiar if the non sharing extended to those types of restaurants!
Hi billy-Hehe lightining inside is quite red so it could be the lighting but the wings are really hot momma!
Hi Lilia-It’s funny I always used to think I lived in a boring area for food but I guess not! Now that I’ve discovered these places
Hi foodie-central-It was very good indeed
Hi FFichiban-Haha yes you’re the meat dude, you really must!!
God that country fried steak looks good; I think maybe when I’ve lost another 5kg this will be high on my list of sinful “to do”s
I love cherry everything so that cobbler is a must also, and I admit that after watching the recent Top Chef finale I’m very keen to try Red Fish.
Just wanted to let you know that this blog post was very dangerous to my healthy lunch diet…I read it yesterday morning at work and as soon as it was lunchtime I was out the door and in search of wings…had thai chicken wings…not quite the same as buffalo wings…but they hit the spot! Delicious
This restaurant looks yummy.. I live in Georgia, USA.. so I’m right in the “deep south”.. If you’re ever in Atlanta and crave good, home-cooked southern food, you let me know!
I never knew our food would be so popular in other countries. hmm
Wow, Lorraine, could you eat all that yummie food? It all looks reallu appetizing!!! MMMM… I love your pictures!!
Hi Amaya-Ahh good idea although I don’t know if it would contribute to having it put back on! The red fish was so good, despite the fact that we were bursting to full, every bit was gone
Hi Alexandra-Sorry!
But chicken wings aren’t that bad for you are they? Or at least that’s what I tell myself as I love them!
Hi Nikki-I definitely will!
I’ve always wanted to visit the Deep South, due in part to the scrumptious sounding food!
Hi Sophie-Yep we all shared most of it so we were able to sample it all which is the best way
Oh wow, look at those ribs! On one hand I really want to show Dave this post, and on the other… I’m totally not gong to. He’d disappear off to the airport before I could blink! The boy loves his ribs
I am slightly concerned about their jambalaya, though. It shouldn’t be soupy—it looks more like a gumbo. Delicious, but not quite my idea of a jambalaya!
Hi Angela-Haha well if you ever come to Sydney, make sure to book here! Dave will be ever so grateful!
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[...] I’ve often thought to start a new series of recipes. They’d be called the “Ugly but Delicious” range. Whilst they may not elicit the same gasps of delight or frisson of electricity amongst the crowd as a delicate French Macaron, after an initial “Huh?” the eater would be reduced to making moaning, guttural noises of unchecked pleasure. This dish is one of them. A cobbler is like an upside down pie, or at least that was the way described to me when I first had one at South restaurant in Neutral Bay. [...]
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