There are some advantages to having a mid-week birthday. Usually I feel lucky if my birthday falls on a Saturday, thus making it easier to plan my birthday. However this only happens once every 7 years. One advantage to having a mid-week birthday is spreading out your birthday dinners to cover two weekends, thus prolonging your “Mememe It’s MY birthday” moment.

I’m not one of those people who hates celebrating my birthday like my mother in law, or one that doesn’t care about my birthday like my husband, an attitude borne out of being given rocks from the back garden for his 10th birthday present from well meaning alternative parents. It’s an unashamed “ME” fest and I am trying to coax the inner kid out of my husband and make him love celebrating his birthday too by giving him a full birthday weekend of activities and surprises and loads of gifts. I think I’m getting him to like Christmas too, he was also traumatised by a Christmas gift box of toilet cleaning supplies from his mum received about 8 years ago so he was similarly unenthusiastic about Christmas. My aim is to have him as enthused about birthdays and Christmas as I am.

So with my friends Teena, Philippe, Gina and Hot Dog, we decide on Balzac. Housed in a lovely sandstone building that has previously housed a Pizza Hut for over 10 years and changed hands many times over, it’s finally settled on Balzac. The 2 hatted restaurant featured in the SBS show Heat in the Kitchen was one that we’ve always been meaning to go to but for some reason never have. The couple Matthew Kemp (ex Banc chef) and Lela Radojkovic were living in their parent’s garage while the restaurant was starting up, giving us a glimpse into the hard life of a restaurateur and we shared their relief when they got their first hat and now they have their second.

The main thing when dining with this particular group of friends is the service. Hot Dog is one of those patrons that loves to make friends with the waiter or waitress but on his terms. He loves to cajole and tease them and try and get them to give him something for free or refer to an item as “Item 24 dollars”, and this is especially true when we visit expensive restaurants . Some waiting staff have been unsure how to deal with him slinking away uncomfortably with a scared expression on their face but some just laugh along with him and tease him right back which he loves. So it’s fortunate tonight that our waitress Yasmin is extremely lovely and seems to be a deft hand at dealing with Hot Dog. She has him eating out of the palm of her hand.

There are 6 mains to choose from and between the 6 of us we manage to sample 4 of them. Hot Dog is the only one to order an entree and I have a quick peek at the dessert menu which looks promising.

Our Amuse Bouche is the first to arrive and it’s a fennel veloute with harissa foam atop served with a salmon croquette. The tiny cup of soup is lovely and creamy and foamy but the harissa, usually a spicy and hot ingredient is very mild with virtually no chili taste to it at all. The salmon croquette is freshly fried and packed with salmon and an instant hit with the table and certainly does it’s job of exciting our tastebuds.

Big man+ small cup - Philippe takes a dainty sip

The accompanying bread is soft and warm, almost like a damper with a slight panini crust to it. It’s delicious and even a confirmed low carber like me takes a roll with the perfect temperature butter.

Smoked Salmon en Papillotes with Vichyssoise Mousse and House Smoked Oyster Vinaigrette $24

Hot Dog’s entree arrives, Smoked Salmon en Papillotes with Vichyssoise Mousse and House Smoked Oyster Vinaigrette. The mousse and potatoes are lighter touches and I expected to taste a more sharp flavour via capers or the usual smoked salmon accompaniments. Nevertheless Hot Dog is a satisfied customer and any grumbles he may have about the size are quickly quietened after his first bite.

Beef Short Rib with Smoked Ox Tongue, White Onion Puree and Mustard Dressing $36

Our mains appear at the same time, starting with Philippe and Gina’s Beef Short Rib with Smoked Ox Tongue, White Onion Puree and Mustard Dressing and it looks impressive. I try some of Gina’s rib and it’s deliciously soft, and prying it from the bone is easy. I wish I had ordered this instantly and the softly textured beef is fragrant and unctuous. The Ox Tongue is very thinly sliced and despite preconceptions of it being chewy, is delicately delicious to eat.

Confit Pork Belly with Shaved Cuttlefish, Chorizo, Chickpeas and Capsicums $35

I try Hot Dog’s Confit Pork Belly with Shaved Cuttlefish, Chorizo, Chickpeas and Capsicums and whilst he isn’t that impressed, Gina and I adore the taste and find it full flavoured and beautifully textured with the slightly crisp on the edge fatty pork belly perfect against the soft capsicums and other flavours. Another dish I wish I had ordered.

Ballontine of Chicken Leg with Pancetta, Potato Fondant, Baby Leeks and Parsley Jus Gras $34

I try some of my husband’s Ballontine of Chicken Leg with Pancetta, Potato Fondant, Baby Leeks and Parsley Jus Gras. It was nice but not as wowing as the other two mains. Granted he only gave me a bit of the actual Ballontine of chicken leg so I didn’t get to try it with the accompaniments which may have been cause for the less favourable comparison.

Barramundi with Duck Confit Rillette, Lentils and Thyme Butter $38

My Barramundi with Duck Confit Rillette, Lentils and Thyme Butter is covered with a foamy thyme butter sauce which is mildly fragrant. The barramundi is beautifully cooked, being slightly undercooked in the centre but not raw so that it is beautifully moist. The piece of fish needs a little more seasoning. The Duck Confit rilette is delicious perfection, soft and stringy in that glorious Duck Confit way and the pebbly lentils provide a textural contrast to the softness of the fish and duck.

Mixed Leaf Salad with Walnut Dressing $7

I try our sides, the Mixed Leaf Salad with Walnut Dressing is full of herbs and mixed leaves but a little light on the dressing.

Roast Sebago Potatoes with Beef Dripping, Thyme and Garlic $8

The Roast Sebago Potatoes with Beef Dripping, Thyme and Garlic sound the most promising and look glisteningly so but the potatoes themselves are awfully starchy and dry inside, they’re like eating roast potatoes that have been sitting under a buffet heat lamp for hours: dry and unappetising.

We take a short break before we’re lured by the dessert menu. Teena and I choose the Chocolate Bombe Alaska with Hazelnuts and Hazelnut Liquer, Gina chooses the Pumpkin pie with pumpkin seed ice cream and Philippe chooses the Rhubarb and Apple Crumble with ginger ice cream and custard, $2 of which will go to the HeartKids NSW for the month of May.

Pre-dessert: pannacotta with sweetened stewed plums and a praline top

Before our desserts arrive, we are given our pre-dessert which Hot Dog mishears for a Free Dessert which makes him rather happy but he was hoping more for ice cream with chocolate sauce. It’s a pannacotta with sweetened stewed plums and a praline top. It’s gorgeously soft with the crunchy praline on top providing the necessary crunch and ending.

Chocolate Bombe Alaska with Hazelnuts and Hazelnut Liquer $17

It’s not long before our desserts arrive and I dig into my Chocolate Bombe Alaska, the outside is nicely singed and spiky like Lisa Simpson’s hair. The inside ice cream is rich with bittersweet chocolate ice cream and it’s surrounded by hazelnut liqeur foam and crushed, roasted hazelnuts.

Our waitress is not happy that my Bombe has arrived sans a birthday candle so she has a word to the kitchen and she brings me out a lit candle with 3 petit fours: a cranberry fudge square, a chocolate fennel fudge square and a Chai truffle. It’s a lovely little touch to make me feel special. The Chai Truffle is very interesting, certainly very heady in scent. The fennel fudge isn’t very strong in fennel and tastes mainly like a rich dark chocolate fudge whereas the cranberry fudge square is lightly flavoured with cranberry resembling a slight cranberry flavoured jersey caramel.

Pumpkin pie with pumpkin seed ice cream $15

I try Gina’s Pumpkin pie with pumpkin seed ice cream. Being Canadian she is very well versed in Pumpkin pie and makes a mean pumpkin pie, draining her pumpkin mix for days to ensure that it’s the right consistency. She finds it too spiced for her liking and indeed it is very heady with nutmeg and cinnamon. The pumpkin seed ice cream is delicious, resembling a pistachio ice cream studded with lots of nubbly nuts.

I don’t get to try Philippe’s dessert, he is a little averse to sharing having grown up in a family of boys where mealtimes are a fend for yourself event but I am assured that it was indeed delicious. I adore the little copper pot serving style and mini jug of custard.

As we’re leaving our waitress wishes us a nice night and a Happy Birthday to me again. Hot Dog proclaims the service to be the best he’s ever received and we can see why it won the Silver Service food award from the SMH. High praise indeed for the service fussy Hot Dog!

Restaurant Balzac

141 Belmore Road Randwick NSW 2031
Tel: + 61 2 9399 9660
Fax: + 61 2 9399 6929
Email: restaurantbalzac@tpg.com.au
Web: www.restaurantbalzac.com.au

Open Tuesday through Saturday
Dinner from 6 pm onwards
Fridays for Lunch 12- 3
Last Sunday of Each Month for the Seasonal Degustation Dinner - 6.30pm onwards

It’s been years since my last visit to Pondok Buyung but I know what I want and what I want is BRAINS! No I haven’t turned into a zombie although you’ll certainly be forgiven for thinking I have such was my first reaction when my sister introduced me to their lamb’s brain curry. I insisted that I wouldn’t eat it but watching her delight at getting the whole portion suggested to me that I was missing out so I tried a bit that she had mashed up so that it looked less brain-like and I was hooked. She was less thrilled as that meant that she had lost half of her portion.

Also if you’re missing Bali or Indonesia, and being Australian, you’ve probably been there at least once, you can reminisce here. It’s more Padang cuisine from Sumatra rather than the touristy areas of Bali. On Anzac Parade, sort of opposite Peters of Kensington, Pondok Buyung is not the most attractive of eateries but it will provide you with authentic Indonesian food and the authentic Indonesian experience. So I warn my husband before we visit that whilst it’s not gorgeous inside, the food will make up for it and cross my fingers and hope that nothing has changed.

The two women behind the counter are sweet and softly spoken. I ask if they have the brain curry and they seem a little surprised. “You would like brains as in lamb’s brains?” she says tapping the side of her head. I nod eagerly and she says regretfully “Sorry we’ve run out” and shows me the bain marie with just the curry sauce. I must look devastated because she looks at the pot boiling behind her and says to me that a new lot will be ready in 10 minutes. I’m more than happy to wait and we order drinks while we are waiting. The ginger coffee has run out but they have ginger tea ($2) and Eis Chendol ($3). Their menu hasn’t changed for years, I only know this as the phone number at the top is still missing the 9 in front of the 8 digit number. There are all sorts of Indonesian specialties and drinks (the drink’s trademarked logos faithfully reproduced on the menu).

Ginger Tea $2

We try the tea and in a word, it’s delicious. My husband, usually a man of few words, keeps telling me “Mmm it’s good” and I try it and indeed it is. Already sweetened, the hot tingly ginger literally dances on the tongue like a fizzy mineral water and warms you on the inside. It’s terribly good, so good that my husband drinks it all and immediately orders another.

Eis Chendol $3

My eis chendol is an arresting looking sight of latte coloured drink with green “worms” of rice flour droplets and is refreshingly good and strong with palm sugar and coconut milk.

They let us know that the brain curry is ready and whilst we try and order other things on the menu apparently all that is available is the Nasi Campur-a selection of 3 bain marie dishes and rice ($7.50 for 2 meat and 1 veg dish or $8 for 3 meat dishes both including free sambal and hot tea). I’m not sure when the other soups are available, perhaps they are a lunch only item and dinner is just Nasi Campur.

Nasi Campur $7.50

As my husband is not very hungry having gorged himself on white peaches, I am doing most of the eating. I choose the lamb’s brain curry, the beef rendang and the braised chili eggplant ($7.50) and I also order the potato cake and an omelet for him ($2.50 each).

Lamb’s Brain curry closeup

Digging into the lamb’s brain curry first it’s as good as I remember it to be. Supremely soft and melt in the mouth the sauce is delightfully mild and aromatic. I mash up some for my husband knowing that otherwise he won’t eat it, after all, it does still look like brain. He likes it too.

The beef rendang sauce is good too but the beef is not as meltingly soft as I’ve had it. It’s good although not very strong in lemongrass which always enhances rendang. The chili eggplant is soft and tasty and not too oily which it can sometimes be. My husband particularly enjoys this.

Omelette and potato patty $2.50 each

Trying the other plate, the potato cake is good, similar to the filling of a samosa with a slightly crispy outer. The omelet is crispy and bouncy on the teeth and would be great with the rice and curry sauce but of course I’ve managed to polish all of it off. It wasn’t really hard, rather very easy in fact to finish it all.

We observe their customers, a steady stream of them, half non indonesian and half indonesian. The indonesian customers eat in whereas the non take away their goodies. We want to cry out to them “You’re missing out on the ambience!” although I’m sure they’d only look at us incredulously.

Pondok Buyung

124 Anzac Parade
Kensington NSW 2033
Australia
T: 02 96632296
Open 7 days
Monday-Sunday (except Thursday) 10:00-20:30
Thursday 10:00-7pm

There’s very little that can go wrong with a view like this. The view uninterruptus from Icebergs has got to be one of the most iconic Sydney vistas, that of Bondi beach. Icerbegs opened with a splash and since then reviews on the ground have been mixed but the chef Maurizio Terzini still received his two chefs hat this year from the SMH.

We’ve booked for 6.30pm, a little early we know but seeing the view as it descends from daylight to twilight to the fall of darkness is something quite spectacular and I find that watching a pool of glossy black water isn’t quite as exciting as seeing it develop to hand.

Its surprisingly busy with diners given the early timeslot. We’re ushered to the best seat in the house, right next to the window. Service is efficient if not especially warm and relaxed, the staff seems a little stressed out and serious.

Sourdough bread and olive oil is brought to the table while we ponder the menu and the scenery. Along with the menu items, there are quite a few additions to the menu for the evening with 3 entrees, 2 mains and 2 extra desserts. I find that the entrees are beckoning me more as they seem more creative so I order one of the special additions to the menu suggested by our waitress: scallop sashimi with crispy garlic, marjoram and grissini $32 and a regular entree: crab, soft polenta, garlic, chili, lemon $28. Blythe orders the figs with gorgonzola, ricotta, walnut and honey $26 and the Flinders Island Salt Crusted Suckling Lamb and mache salad $48. She’s intrigued by the idea of Polenta chips with sour cream $14 which she saw on the website which are actually from the bar menu so we order those.

We studiously avoid the carne menu which is full to the brim with fascinating red meat offerings such as the Wagyu Rib Eye 800g sliced for two $165 and the Black Angus Cross Wagyu Rib eye 300g bone removed $92 which is bred exclusively for Icebergs.

Scallop Crudo-raw scallop sashimi with cripsy garlic and marjoram $32

Interestingly, there’s no amuse bouche to be had, just the bread which is good: lovely, chewy and sour which is how I love my sourdough. We have scarcely enough time to ponder the waves outside and the Police helicopter that is relentlessly circling before our entrees arrive. My scallops comprise of 8 scallop halves, dressed in oil with a sprinkling of majoram leaves and crispy deep fried garlic shards. One slice into them and I know I’ve ordered well. They’re beautifully soft and fresh and deliriously good, the dressing giving it an even more lustrous texture and the marjoram and garlic complementing it perfectly. The grissini isn’t really necessary for the taste but I suspect its more for the look.

Fig Salad-figs with gorgonzola, ricotta, walnuts and honey $26

Blythe’s figs with gorgonzola and ricotta is light on the honey and walnuts which it could do a bit more with but the figs are lovely, full and ripe.

We are transfixed by the surfers and the police helicopter activity as well as the passing traffic. There’s a real mix of people, the flashy, trashy flamboyant ones seem to gravtitate towards the bar whereas the more conservative patrons are in the restaurant. Eeek, what does that say about us?

Crab with lemon, chili and garlic with creamy polenta $28

Our People watching is cut short by the arrival of our mains. My main is of course the crab entree, a large pool of creamy polenta resembling a creamy sauce surrounds a large mound of crab meat. Its delicate and every flavour resonates from the lemon, chili and garlic.

The Polenta chips arrive and they resemble fat rectangular hand cut chips. Unfortunately they don’t taste of anything and even a liberal sprinkling of salt can’t save these which is a real pity as the outside is wonderfully crisp.

Blythe is very pleased with her Flinders Island lamb. There is one piece with the ribs and the meat is incredibly soft and tender, falling off the bone. The two separate pieces of lamb are unctuous and soft, in parts a little too fatty for me, but the outside is crisped to perfect and almost pork crackling like. Its strong in balsamic and the mache salad is a meandering stream in the middle of the wonderfully soft lamb dish. Its also incredibly filling and any plans to have a dessert each is abandoned.

We decide to share the dessert, a trio of Sicilian Cannoli, chocolate zabaglione, Ricotta and candied fruit, vanilla custard $18. We had mistakenly thought that we would get a Cannoli, a Zabaglioneand some ricotta and candied fruit with some vanilla custard on the side but what we get instead is three cannoli, each with the different filling. Starting off with the vanilla bean custard, its good, still crispy but the filling is a little unexciting and bland. The chocolate zabaglione is by comparison, dangerously good, the strongly flavoured chocolate filling rounded off with a touch of coffee. The last cannoli, the ricotta and candied fruit is also very good if a little light on the candied fruits which I can’t really detect, the ricotta giving it a richer texture than the custards.

We sit back and watch as the surfers leave and the night descends and the view is replaced by the sparkling lights and a luminous pool. Its a spectacular show.

Icebergs Dining Room and Bar

1 Notts Avenue
Bondi Beach NSW 2026
Tel: +61 (02) 9365 9000
Tues-Sat 12noon-Midnight
Sunday: 12noon-10pm
http://www.idrb.com

Bill’s is an easy choice when it comes to going out for breakfast. When my sister Blythe comes to visit, she always insist on a visit to a Bill’s, her desire partly fueled by Bill Granger’s reputation in London. Since her last visit, there has been a new addition to the Bill’s empire, a new location in Woollahra.

I’ve been to all three locations and out of the three, Woollahra is my favourite, not just for the gorgeous nearby boutiques to visit pre and post breakfast. Housed in the courtyard in Queens Court, it offers al fresco umbrella shaded tables or an indoor section. The courtyard, set back from busy, leafy Queen Street means that its a lovely respite from the hustle and bustle of the traffic. Sydney’s weather is putting on a good show so its outdoors, in front of the nearby bookshop that we sit. We feel that we must order the dishes for which Bill is famous. Blythe orders his toasted coconut bread ($5.80) and Ricotta hotcakes with honeycomb butter ($16.60). Rose orders organic scrambled eggs and toast ($12.80) with extras of Avocado ($3.90), bacon ($4.50), chicken chipolatas ($5.00) and mushrooms (for me $3.80). I order the grilled chicken salad with pistachios, pink grapefruit and sumac yogurt ($22.50).

Grilled chicken salad with pistachios, pink grapefruit and sumac yogurt $22.50

Its scarcely 5 minutes before our food arrives, a minor miracle given how busy it is but for which we are grateful as the sight of the food at other tables makes us even hungrier. My grilled chicken salad arrives hidden under a bough of continental parsley, rocket and thinly sliced fennel with smashed pistachios sprinkled on top and a dollop of sumac yogurt which resembles blueberry yogurt. Overall its a rather bitter salad with the pink grapefruit, fennel and yogurt which some may not mind, but the chicken is char grilled and moist still. The much needed yogurt is a piquant complement to the salad leaves and when I help myself to the mushrooms that Rose has ordered for me, its perfect. It needs that bit of juicy moisture as it is a touch dry without it.

Organic scrambled eggs and toast with extras of Avocado, bacon, chicken chipolatas and mushrooms $30

We try some of Rose’s scrambled eggs and extras, she’s particularly impressed with the creamy scrambled eggs and buttery toast. The bacon is a perfect texture, not too crispy and the nicely done chipolatas are tasty fat little fingers of chicken. For $30 including the trimmings, its not the cheapest eggs you can get but its certainly the best that money can buy.

Toasted coconut bread $5.80

Blythe’s toasted coconut bread is crispy, buttery and full of juicy shredded coconut. I’ve made Bill’s coconut bread before and I add raspberries and white chocolate to it and serve it untoasted with butter for afternoon or morning tea. If dessicated coconut is used instead of shredded, it becomes more like an afternoon tea cake and more delicate.

Ricotta hotcakes with fresh banana and honeycomb butter $16.60

She is more impressed with the Ricotta hotcakes, a dish she always orders when she visits Sydney. They’ve changed over the years, I remember when we used to get a disc of the honeycomb butter on top of the hotcakes. This time, the honeycomb butter is puddled at the bottom along with the caramelised banana. The hotcakes themselves are fluffy and as good as they always are and as the ritual goes, we try and try to finish them but despite our tastebuds telling us that we can’t, our stomachs tell us that we can’t. Forks down, we steady ourselves for some shopping.

Bill’s

Queen’s Court
118 Queen St
Woollahra Sydney 2025
Mon-Wed 7.30am-19:00pm
Thurs-Fri 7.30-22.00
Sat: 8am-22:00
Sun 8:00-17:00
10% surcharge on weekends
Ph: +61 (02) 9328 7997
Also locations at Darlinghurst and Surry Hills
http://www.bills.com.au

The Cupcake craze has definitely taken Sydney by storm. When you think of how many specialist cupcake bakeries there were a couple of years ago compared to now, the humble cupcake has been uplifted from an add on at a bakery to a baked good wortht of its very own store. Shopping on Oxford Street in Paddington one afternoon I stumbled upon a new addition to the cupcake scene, The Cupcake Bakery. Finding myself without camera I made a note to revisit it soon and scarcely a week later and the lure of a new cupcake is too strong and we find ourselves, camera in hand, ready to partake of these cupcakes.

The front display shows about 8 different types of cupcakes ranging from carrot cake, chocolate, sticky date, vanilla, chili chocolate and lemon & poppyseed. But what we’re really interested in after an afternoon running around under the hot Sydney summer sun is a Cupcake Sundae. We have a choice of two sizes, regular $8 or large $12 and when she shows us the two containers, we choose regular due to the cute ceramic ice cream container (the large being housed in a glass bowl). I choose the Sticky Date Delight: scoops of vanilla and caramel ice cream with warm stick date cupcake topped with fresh cream, caramel sauce, toasted walnuts and finished with a maraschino cherry.

We go out to the back tea garden and relax in the shaded courtyard. Looking upwards there are grapevines woven through the roof trellis and flowers threaded through the side trellises, a nice respite from the buzzing hum of Oxford St.

Sticky Date Delight Sundae regular size $8

Our Sticky Date Delight sundae arrives and its as pretty as a picture. We almost don’t want to destroy it by eating it but it looks terrifically tempting too so we dig in. Underneath a huge mound of whipped cream on one side is a warm sticky date cupcake next to a scoop of vanilla and caramel ice cream. There’s lashings of chocolate topping (not caramel as on the menu), toasted walnuts and the promised maraschino cherry which completes the sweet retro look. The cupcake itself is delicious, a soft warm cupcake with swirls of brown sugary caramel which goes beautifully with the cold creamy ice cream. The whipped cream needs a little sugar in it and caramel topping would have suited it better but the toasted walnuts are a great crunch. Its so delicious its gone within minutes.

Carrot cake cupcake $3.50

We go to the counter to pay and choose some cupcakes to takeaway. We choose the carrot cupcake (primarily for the adorable mini carrot on top) and the chocolate cupcake with vanilla buttercream icing. The carrot cupcake is soft and good but is light on the carrot and walnuts and doesn’t have any pineapple in it. The cream cheese icing is soft and sweet and perfectly suited although there are tiny flecks of butter still in it.

Chocolate cupcake with vanilla buttercream $3.50

The chocolate cupcake is dense and perhaps not as fresh and less sweet with a bittersweet dark chocolate taste to it. The buttercream is incredibly sweet and the two don’t seem to go as well together as the carrot cake and the cream cheese icing. Service is a vague and a little unsure, indeed we could’ve walked out without paying. Nevertheless, the sundae was a definite winner and I’ll use any excuse to pop into a tea garden to escape the shopping hoards!

The Cupcake Bakery

438 Oxford St Paddington
NSW 2021
ph: +61 (02) 9332 3700
mob: 0430 216 424
email: info@thecupcakebakery.com.au
Monday-Wednesday 7am-7pm
Thursday & Friday 7am-8pm
Saturday 8am-7pm
Sunday 9am-6pm