No darlings, I haven’t gone all YWCA on you. When Joan Holloway suggested lunching at the Australia Youth Hotel I did a double take. Because I don’t know about you but I like my sheets crisp and toiletries aplenty and slippers fluffy. But I also know that Joan Holloway has good taste and knows my comfort zone very well. And she knows I’m all about food-and hell even if it were in a youth hostel if the food was good I’d visit it (just not stay there overnight).
Parking Purdie the Prius in nearby Broadway Shopping Centre I take the short walk to the Australia Youth Hotel where I bump into Joan H. outside. I follow her through the pub to the restaurant area. There’s an inside area and an outdoor courtyard area which is the perfect place for a sunny lunch if the weather is good (and let’s ignore this week’s downpour). The menu is new and as we are early at 12 o’clock we have a pick of tables. We choose one near the window which faces the main restaurant. And by 12:30pm the crowds descend including the type of people that love courtyards-smokers! The menu has a nice selection of items with charcuterie, terrines, saffron spaghettini and some lovely sounding steaks as well as crowd pleasers for the work crowd who want a quick lunch of burgers, pizzas and sausages at a lower price point.
Entree share plate for two $24
We chose the entree share plate because that meant that we could get to try a few different flavours. There are four items today, the first a basil cured Petuna ocean trout with a microherb topping which has a lovely sumptuous texture.
There is also salt and pepper squid with a spicy seasoning on top. The squid is wonderfully tender without any hint of chewiness at all.
The third item is a duck croquette crunchy on the outside with a potato and duck rillette type of filling inside.
The last item is a lovely smooth duck liver pate with a layer of butter on top and a generous serve of bread.
Char grilled Bangalow pork loin $27
Entrees dispensed with, we go onto the mains. The pork loin dish certainly looked impressive with the large loin, a round of cabbage, bacon and roasted, crushed kipflers. There are also turned apples, a cider jus and a thin baton of crunchy crackling. I did find the loin a bit thick and dry and I do like some fat on the pork to impart a juiciness to it. I did however really like the sides to it and they were well balanced.
Fine tart of eggplant and plum tomato $24
Ms Holloway is not a huge meat eater and so she chooses the eggplant and tomato tart. This is topped with creamy Persian feta, grilled zucchini and drizzlings of basil pesto and comes on a crispy, flakey round of puff pastry. It is full of flavour and although simple, is the pick of the two mains.
Flourless pineapple and coconut cake $15
I almost went back into the kitchen to ask for this recipe. It was lovely and luscious the cake part made up of coconut and pineapple pieces. It was served with a Kahlua and honeycomb ice cream with diced pineapple atop of this. And I could have eaten this all and then ordered a serve to take home with me to Mr NQN…
Chocolate, butterscotch and peanut butter parfait $15
The parfait is best eaten when it has had some time to thaw a little because you can get that moment when you use the fork to spear some cake only to hit a loud clank of the plate. We concentrated on the one side which was slightly more thawed and it was a really good balance of three flavours that could go a bit overboard. There was just the right amount of the chocolate, butterscotch and peanut butter as well as a decorative praline crisp.
I don’t think one really needs to worry about the youth of today if they’re being fed this…
So tell me Dear Reader, what sort of food do you like? High end? Budget? Or anything as long as it is good?
Australian Youth Hotel
63 Bay Street, Glebe, NSW
Tel: +61 (02) 9692 0414
Lunch: 12-3pm, Dinner 6-10pm, Sunday 12-9pm
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46 Comments | Add your own
WOW i’m really impressed with the food! Who would have thought a Youth Hotel would offer such good food
I think my perception of hostels and youth hotels have changed a little hehe
Thanks Lorraine!
I’m intrigued!
Initially I thought why would you need crisp sheets, plenty of toiletries and fluffy slippers during lunch – but then I got the message. This is excellent hostel food. Hostel food in some countries are excellent, eg Thailand?
I imagined there to be spaghetti and baked beans on toast! Very nice food for a youth hostel.
I like food of any price, as long as it is good and gives me energy.
Wow, the food looks delicious. No time to read your blog posts lately. In the mode of time running out for Christmas. Could however use someone like you here to cook for us. LOL we have our menus done and just have to shop for what we will need fresh. Take care and I will play catch up after the holidays. Hugs from Darlene in sunny but cold, California
It’s 7:45 in the morning and I could totally go some of those duck croquettes, or the kahula and honeycomb ice cream, or that parfait, sigh.
I am happy to do cheap eats, as loing as it is quality, which, thankfully, there is more and more of now days.
so many tasty morsels of food!
I eat all types of food but what I really want to know is how you can eat all of that and stay slim!
It certainly seems that youth hostels have come a long way lately. There is a new one near our beach house and I was super-impressed with the facilities they offer their guests when I sneaked a peek recently.
Wow Lorraine, as always, everything looks delicious, I wold love to dig my spoon into the desserts
Hope you have a wonderful week ahead!
What a great post! I would have never thought this could come out of a Youth Hostel, this will make me think twice!
Wow! Times have definitely changed. This doesn’t look like any youth hostel offering I’ve ever seen. Wow, wow, wow! You know, Lorraine, I glance at many blogs, but yours is the only one I really follow–and I am so glad I do. I am richly rewarded every time!
I’ve heard good things about this hotel and the food looks just the business! Not YWCA at all!
Dude, what? Holy crap. That’s HOSTEL food?!
Ill be honest with you, I wouldn’t have gone to a place with the name “youth” in it.
Not that i have to have high end food all the time, I dont care how much the food costs as long as it is good! Im happy. It could be takeaway, as long as it is delicious.
I want those duck croquettes so badly it hurts. Sigh…the old work sandwich is just not going to cut it today.
Never would have thought there was a restaurant in a youth hostel! Looks great too. Certainly the adage ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ applies here.
I think you need to go back and ask for the recipe for both of those desserts, dear Spay Lady! Off with you now!
What fantastic food for a youth hostel! And here I was, picturing you eating some baked beans on toast for lunch.. I’d go anywhere for food like that.
Personally I am not the least surprised at the obviously lovely quality of the food shown in today’s post. From my Uni days on most of my friends, initially with little funds, travelled the world on the Youth Hostel circuit – many continued to do so even when money became more abundant. Often the Hostels were situated in old castles, monasteries etc: a real experience. And oft there were both good food and erudite conversation. Similarly have been involved in a lot of YMCA/YWCA work and still am: I wish people knew more about what they are trying to do and are doing, eg their restaurant in Sydney’s Campbelltown district, trying to teach some of the lesser privileged how to get away from fast food etc. I am so glad you have given some people the chance to see something new and hopefully learn thereby
!
Yes I would be tempted to ask for the recipe of that flourless pineapple and coconut cake too :p
Such a shame about the pork – it does look delicious!
This place is so close to my work, perfect for Friday lunches! The Lamb salad is to die for!
Lorraine, the following ‘second entry’ is meant more as info than anything else. Reading the comments so far posted, it seems to me quite some people have misconceptions re ‘Youth’ Hostels
! Pity!! You do not have to be ‘young’ to take part of the scheme: you can enjoy it at any time of your life! Just one food/culture example: a group of five gentlemen from my community, twixt 60-75, bought a rail ticket this past E summer and spent three months in youth hostels in Italy, S France and Spain (two Uni profs, one medical doctor and two high-ranking businessmen) – they reckoned it was the best o’seas trip they had ever enjoyed, with all the summer opera, symphony, chamber music, festivals etc. If a particular hostel did not have a restaurant, arrangements could be made in town, at neighbouring farms, buying t’selves at markets and having multiple-nation fun back at the hostel etc: I believe the food experience was out of this world [even a few visits with coat and tie to 'starred' places] 
! The main thing tho’ was the cameraderie at nights, there oft being three generations twixt partakers. Mostly well educated ‘movers-and-shakers’. So, dear reader, put on your rucksack, use your walking shoes [and stick if necessary!] and see the ‘real world’!!!
I really enjoyed your review of this restaurant, and will keep it in mind for next time I am in Sydney.
Nigella Lawson has a recipe for Clementine cake which is flourless. It uses Clementine mandarins, which are seedless.
They are boiled in water for a long time, then pulped, and used with ground almonds in place flour, plus a large number of eggs. I have made this and it is absolutely gorgeous, and I am sure it would be possible to improvise the pineapple and coconut cake from this recipe. Good luck.
I always drive past this place and for a youth hostel, it does look a bit shmick! The food looks yummy and very tempting.
Everything looks so good…
From the entree platter to the dessert…
Squid, duck, icecream and the pineapple cake….
Lovely!!!
I prefer budget being of good quality and medium priced food but, high end? No, not interested. I can’t stand the hoighty toighty-ness of it all, that’s just me. The thought of two little bitty pieces with a “smear” of jus/sauce, just annoys me and then the price tag!! Ouch. By no means am I tight or am against anyone that likes it, I just don’t see it. Some of the best meals I’ve had were from backpackers and budget dining venues. I so loved that piece you did on the dinner organised by former refugees. So long as it has a tonne of flavour, it’s simple and the produce is good, it will pretty much shine through without being fussed over so much.
Thank you, Gaby – I thought I was the lone voice in the wilderness
! Really appreciated the Sydney ‘refugee’ restaurant blog also, and sent it to over 100 friends . . .
I’m all for good food. I do enjoy a nice setting as well but I’m happy to eat anywhere as long as it’s clean.
Wow! Who would have guessed you could get gourmet fare like this at a youth hotel. Makes me want to be 18 all over again.
OMG i totally did a double take on the title of your post! WTF? LOL but the eggplant and tomato tart looks AMAZING as does everything else! Who woulda thought huh!
I love it all as long as it’s tasty! I still wouldn’t have picked this place based on it’s name though,I would have missed out on a lovely meal, so I guess that teaches me a lesson on pre-conceptions then
That food looks amazing. I’ve been to this pub a number of times for trivia nights and drinks back in my uni days, but never knew about the restaurant. I have to say though- don’t think it’s ever been a youth hostel (the name is Australian youth hotel, not hostel); the upstairs from memory is not accommodation but rather a cocktail lounge…but feel free to correct me if Im wrong!!
That food looks fab, who would’ve thunk it?
Anything goes as long as it is good.
how fabulous! TAFE restaurants are another great find!
I am an anything as long as it is good girl. Give me a cheap eat that blows my socks off or high end dining that is a little bit of luxury.
Shame the pork was on the dry side. Personally I think a nice large slice of crackling is warranted!
Happy Tuesday!
I never would have thought the food at a youth hotel would be so good! I guess even youths need to eat well. In fact, youths of today seem to be quite rich eh? My 18 year old brother has been to more higher end restaurants than me!
I really like anything that tastes nice, doesn’t matter what class or type of food it is. I even like nicely flavoured instant noodles topped with a soft boiled egg.
I love any type of food as long as it’s great, Lorraine; there is nothing more infuriating than wasting calories and money on bad food.
The food looks great – and despite the name, it sounds like it’s aimed at everyone, not just the ‘youth’ Market. The desserts look impressive…and would love the recipe for the pineapple cake!
I think there’s a place for budget and high end dining…it depends on my mood! The luxury of beautifully presented, impeccably served food is just as satisfying as tucking in to something amazingly tasty from a lower end establishment!
Ahem.
For everyone who seems to think that this post is about a “Youth Hostel” – it ISN’T.
IT’S. A. PUB.
It’s the Australian Youth HOTEL, people…not Hostel -HOTEL!!!!!!!!!
Back in the day when I used to venture into youth hostels I don’t believe they even served food – maybe a candy machine
I’m happy with any level of food as long as it tastes good!
I have to admit that I like to eat, is one of the pleasures you can follow in a public way, doesn’t it? I like good food and it doesn’t matter if it from a fancy restaurant or that one that are small and with home food.
The problem is the budget, you know, sometimes eating in a restaurant is so expensive, so I have to wait until the lottery…!!!
Being so close to the Uni/Tafe, Glebe has such a variety of good cheap food and AYH is a great example.
I live close by, so I’ve had the Angus Sirloin steak here before and the Bearnaise was to die for!
I think it’s great that did you nice pub review Lorraine!
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