Tetsuya Wakuda
I do have a few dreams left and many of them involve eating at spectacular restaurants around the world. One of them is located here in Sydney and it’s one that I haven’t visited in over seven years as the last time was for my 30th birthday. So I was very happy to be invited to attend a Electrolux Masterclass with Tetsuya Wakuda at his world famous restaurant Tetsuya’s. Only twelve classes are held a year and needless to say, spots are very much limited to a lucky few. Tetsuya would be showing us how to cook some dishes and talking to us about how he likes to cook and answering any questions that we had for him. To top it all off, we’d be sitting down to one of his famous degustations, an epic 10 courses that no soul in their right mind would ever pass up. And the best part? One of you Dear Readers, have a chance to win a spot at a Masterclass including, flights, accomodation and transfers! 
Yes the Electrolux Tetsuya Masterclass is a “money can’t buy” event and tickets to it are not available to the general public so the only way to get to attend one is through invite only-or of course a competition like this.
The evening started with a chauffered car pick up. The driver opens the door for me (don’t you just love that?) and I get into the car and we pick up Christie and Peter on the way. We arrive along with the other bloggers invited and enter the upstairs newly fitted kitchens. We mingle with some champagne while Tetsuya and his staff are busy prepping for the evening’s class. After a short time we are ushered into the new kitchen, a stunning marble topped island with knee pad activated sinks, a sleek fridge and a shiny induction cooktop. And this would be this kitchen’s maiden voyage!
His first tip after welcoming us and confessing his nervousness is about induction saucepans. People are apparently put off from buying induction cooktops thinking that they will need to buy new saucepans but he tells us that if you place a magnet on the base of a pan and it sticks, it will be induction cooktop safe and he also mentions that 80-90% of pots made today are induction suitable.
Tetsuya and Christie
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March 5, 2010
by Not Quite Nigella
Christie and I are a touch frightened. It’s raining and there’s a note under the windscreen wiper. We’ve just attended the opening of the new Essential Ingredient store in Rozelle and we were just about to find somewhere around here to eat when we go to feed the parking meter and find this note. It’s wrapped in cling wrap and says “Wayne 04xxxxxxx Call me, Cute yellow car”. It’s so random and so doesn’t make sense – we don’t have a yellow car and there’s no yellow car around. Because it’s a sinister looking dark and stormy night, we abandon plans to eat locally and high tail it out of there wondering why and how someone cling wraps a note like that and sticks it under a windscreen wiper? And what kind of person carries around cling wrap? The kind that has human heads in their freezer? Yes, let’s get out of here, we agree.
I check my book for places to eat. Apres jumps out at us although it is in busy 1 hour parking only Potts Point. We ring and ask whether at this lateish hour we can secure a table and they tell us that the kitchen closes at 10pm but they’ll keep it open until 10:15pm if we just want one plate. Done. We arrive and by some miracle find a park and arrive. It’s in a gorgeous Art Deco style building with ruby shaded velvet boothed seating. The manager is friendly and leads us to our table. When he asks us what we’ve been doing that evening thus far we tell him and he remarks how their sister place La Grand Bouffe is near there. Doh! Except that we did want to leave the area pronto of course in case a human head hunter was after us. There is a 3 course set menu but we’re not hungry enough for that and we’re too late for that. Entrees are $18.50, mains are $29.50 and desserts $14.50.
Amuse Bouche: Escargot
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March 1, 2010
by Not Quite Nigella
It’s a steamy Thursday night in Sydney and the Sex and the City discussion pops up. “As everyone gets older, they end up wanting to become Samantha. Essentially we work our way through these female archetypes until we all become cougars” The Second Wife says. There are four of us girls having dinner one night in Surry Hills and indeed it does feel a bit Sex and the City but with some of us wearing thongs having punished our feet all day in high heels (oh would Carrie approve?). We’re volunteer a SATC personality for the evening and The Second Wife confesses to feeling a bit Samantha, Tess claims Miranda quickly and Naomi takes Charlotte. I’m Carrie but hopefully less annoying and self centered (hopefully!).
We’re ensconced in Fico, a very dark, very subtly signposted bar where people that aspire to eat at Il Baretto huddle over glasses of wine and flirt amongst the flatteringly dark lights. We nibble on some baby calamari fritti and some chicken and mushrooms on skewers but it’s too dark to photograph. “Charlotte” has ordered these because when you walk into Il Baretto at 7:30pm asking for a table, you know you may be waiting for some time. Thankfully her phone rings after a short time and they tell her that there was a cancellation and that a table is ready if we leave now. We take our barely touched bottle of mineral water with us and they don’t bat an eyelid – Fico and Il Baretto are owned by the same people.
We take the short walk to Il Baretto and they’re getting the tables ready. Space is a premium here and we look on in horror at a table clearly for two being set for four diners and we worry that it’s our table. There’s a bar style section at the front side where diners can gaze out towards the street rather than at each other. Thankfully we get a table out towards the back where a breeze blows through on this hot Summer’s night.
“Charlotte” and “Miranda” battle each for the attention of the waiter but true to form, he is busy flirting with The Second Wife aka Samantha. We have to choose their signature dish, the Duck Ragu with Papardelle. I look around and the pasta dishes are huge. I sniff the air and get very hungry “I want that smell” I say.
Duck Ragu with Papardelle $26
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February 24, 2010
by Not Quite Nigella
The only thing more fabulous than a Champagne Bar is possibly arriving in time to enjoy it and not misreading an invitation. So begins my dilemma when I arrive at what I think is the right time of 7:30pm only to learn that the launch of Etch’s Champagne Bar has been going since 6pm. “I’m fashionably late right?” I offer up feebly knowing that fashionably late doesn’t involve arriving right the end.
But all is not lost because I still have some champagne and cocktails and following on from the cocktails is dinner at Etch. When offered a choice of cocktails including Pepper Berry Martini (sloe gin, black pepper infused vodka and summer berries), St Clement’s Bells (Aperol, Vanilla Absolut Vodka, Absolut Citron and a lemon ice block for a swizzle stick), Apple Sherbert (Absolut Vodka, green apples, star anise infused vodka and sherbert) and Perrier Jouet Champagne.
Did someone say apple cocktail? I go straight for the delicious apple cocktail which has a slight Asian flavour to it from the star anise. It’s a stunning space with a Florence Broadhurst-esque rug, custom made panels, silvery velvet chairs and Venetian glass. Becca and I are then led to our table and the waitress asks us if we’d like to choose or would we like Justin to make up some courses for us. Justin then comes over and asks us if we’d like 5 or 10 degustation sized courses. As I’ve had a weekend full of food, I go with Becca’s suggestion.
Marinated Hiramasa Kingfish, carrot escabeche, Champagne vinaigrette
I’ve had a similar dish with the Hiramasa Kingfish here and it has a really gorgeously pure flavour. Escabeche is similar to ceviche where an item is cooked in acids or vinegars. Here, in a visual mindtrick where you think you’re being served beetroot, purple carrots are pickled in a vinegar.
Local mushroom tortellini, Madeira consomme, sauteed mushrooms
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February 22, 2010
by Not Quite Nigella
“Dear Lorraine,
Im sorry for the late notice on this but wondering if you’d like to come as my guest to a new food safari we are running this Sunday – its a Japanese lunch with Mr Azuma in the city. They have a mission to bring Japanese food to people and will be doing some interesting things.
Hope you can make it.
All the best from Maeve”
“Oooh!” I squeal happily before realising that I have a huge eating event scheduled for that very day. After a bit of juggling and some understanding dining companions, Teena and I are headed towards Azuma Kushiyaki in Regent Place for our very first Gourmet Safari with Maeve with Mr Azuma Kimitaka!
Bonito Shaving Box
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February 15, 2010
by Not Quite Nigella
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