Famous Hatted & Michelin star restaurants @Not Quite Nigella

Category Archives: Hatted & Michelin restaurants

Quay Restaurant, Overseas Passenger Terminal

“Excitement! Dinner at Quay All dressed up. Mr NQN in sneakers and sailing shirt love it lol” I tweeted one Saturday night. As a way to celebrate moving into our new place Mr NQN and I thought we’d do it with a dinner out at Quay. It had been years and I mean literally years (the last visit was B.B. aka Before Blog) since I had last dined there and when I called up a couple of weeks before moving in I was told that the next table for two on a Saturday night was 6 weeks away (owing to the Restaurant of the Year accolade no doubt). It looks like I’d have to keep waiting.

quay restaurant view 1

View at 6pm

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56 comments | November 18, 2009 by Not Quite Nigella

Taste of Sydney Media Launch (and a giveaway!)

Centennial Parklands Dining – Beetroot Macaroon with foie gras Chef: Mark Best. These were a surprise in both taste and texture and one of my favourites of the night, the macaron was surprisingly spongy and light, the foie gras mousse delicate and creamy.

I was rather chuffed to receive an invitation to the Taste of Sydney Media Launch from Prue from the Mint Partners, for not only was the invitation itself exciting, but I love it when PR firms start to take bloggers seriously as part of the media space which is always a good sign indicating progress (thanks too to Christie for arranging our tickets!). The invitation also kindly let us bring partners so my hungry husband is tagging along tonight. And before I forget, I’ve got a surprise for 3 lucky readers, so read on and all will be revealed!

Sailor’s Thai – Prawn Miang served with peanuts and lime on betel leaf. Chef: Ty Bellingham. This was a delicious tangy combination with plump prawns and a favourite amongst many here.

Berowra Waters – A Soignee Truffle Risotto with Mozzarella and a Spinach/ Fennel Rockerfella Sauce. Chef: Dietmar Sawyere. Photo by ChocolateSuze. A delicious Arancini ball of risotto with a mild dipping sauce.

Tonight, we’re gathered at the recently refurbished Centennial Parklands restaurant to sample some of the goodies from the chefs. And it seems like we have the creme de la creme of chefs with food from a list of Sydney’s best chefs.

Longrain – Spicy pork sausage betel leaves & pickled ginger Chef: Martin Boetz. Another betel leaf canape, this time with a slice of spicy pork sausage, strong with pickled ginger.

Ottoman Cuisine – Etli Borek – crisp home made filo rolls filled with braised veal shank, currants & pine-nuts, served with pomegranate and yoghurt sauce. Chef: Serif Kaya. Delicious and slightly crisp, these were salty and slightly sweet with bursts of currants, pomegranate and yogurt.

Flying Fish – Yellow fin tuna with ruby grapefruit and sweet pork crackling Chef: Peter Kuruvita. A little more than a mouthful, the spoon proved a bit of a challenge for one bite eating and required a few bites but was well worth it with a nice pairing of the tuna, grapefuit and unmistakable flavour and texture of pork crackling.

The chefs:

Dietmar Sawyere, Berowra Waters Inn
Justin North, Bécasse & Etch
George Francisco, Jonah’s at Whale Beach
Giovanni Pilu, Pilu at Freshwater
Martin Boetz, Longrain Restaurant & Bar
Ty Bellingham, Sailors Thai
Matthew Kemp, Restaurant Balzac
Jared Ingersoll, Danks Street Depot
Peter Kuruvita, Flying Fish
Warren Turnbull, Restaurant Assiette
Peter Conistis, Civic Dining
Alex Herbert, Bird Cow Fish
Serif Kaya, Ottoman Cuisine
Paul McGrath, Bistro Ortolan
Armando Percuoco, Buon Ricordo

The lineup of chefs

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31 comments | February 7, 2009 by Not Quite Nigella

Arbutus restaurant, Soho, London

It’s been several months since our trip to Europe and yet I’m still feeding you stories of our travels in London. I apologise Dear Reader, I still have some stories on our 2 day stopover in Tokyo on the way back. Arbutus is a 1 starred Michelin restaurant in London, named after the Arbutus tree (another name for strawberry tree) that grows in nearby Soho Square.

The Menu

Tonight, we’re given the menu and we choose quickly as we need to leave early to make the Jack the Ripper tour. I order from the Pre theatre menu (3 courses for £17.50) and my dining companion isn’t very hungry so she orders a la carte. We let our waitress know, she’s lovely as is most of the other staff. They even apologise for it being so empty which they needn’t do. And as requested, my entree arrives quickly.

Pork porchetta with granny smith apple puree (pre-theatre menu)

The pork porchetta is absolutely lovely and soft and very thinly sliced, like the softest, thinnest, tenderest meat you could dream up.

Elwy valley lamb breast and sweetbreads, fresh borlotti beans and sweet peppers £16.95

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13 comments | January 17, 2009 by Not Quite Nigella

Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester, London

When a chef has a restaurant named simply after himself, you know that a) he’s pretty famous b) you’ll have some rather exceptional food. This much I did expect. What I didn’t expect that walking through The Dorchester to the restaurant was walking through a cornucopia of lush greenery and rich tapestries, luxe carpets in a rose pink that make you feel like you’re on the set of a movie.

When we walk into the Dorchester, a stunning hotel by anyone’s definition, we are greeted by this lovely sight. My pulse quickens immediately and we are guided towards the Alain Ducasse restaurant, Gordon Ramsay’s idol and accomplished French restaurateur.

Inside it’s breaktaking, the work of French designer Patrick Jouin and partner Sanjit Manku, frequent collaborators with Ducasse on many restaurants. It feels so….lush and honeyed, as if the stars and the moon descended and bathed the room in the palest silvery light.

The view of Hyde park is echoed in the opposing wall with a palette of green and cream silk covered buttons all in different heights simulating a Seurat-like painting of a garden.

The Chef’s table is actually not in the kitchen but within the main restaurant curtained off by a shimmering silver fringed curtain that appears like falling rain and when the lights dim at 9pm the shimmering silver fringe curtain lights up. The tables are large and each features little touches, you know were expertly and explicitly picked.

Service is personal and inviting, we are shown the private room, the decorations and have a visit to the wine cellar, an imposing looking temperature controlled room-if only we were big wine drinkers!

Paprika and herb Gougeres

While we are looking at the menu, some paprika gougeres arrive, warmly golden and puffed, some with a mildish chili powder coating, some rolled in herbs. They’re deceptively moreish and before long the bowl is empty. The menu has a choice of either an entree + meat+fish+ dessert for £95 or an entree+meat or fish + dessert for £75. The specialties of the house are marked with a leaf symbol although these most often incur a supplement of £10.

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28 comments | December 4, 2008 by Not Quite Nigella

Longrain, Surry Hills

A job perk such as a corporate lunch is one of those treats that you always look forward to. And when it’s lunch with nice people, where you don’t need to thrash out any deals, all the better for it. Today Voldemort and I are being taken out to lunch by Y, K and Pete to Longrain.

I have lots of good, but misty memories of Longrain. Misty and blurred since they were so long ago. I recall waiting at the bar for almost an hour for a table (they have a no bookings policy at dinner) but that was no hardship, it was one of those gloriously posey bars where perching on a banquette or lounge is the policy.

Today, in the light of day, I see that little has changed. The interior looks the same as always and the long shared table in the main dining room is full of suited diners. We’re led to the semi private room around the corner where smaller tables sit without having to share the enormous communal tables. It’s a good thing as it’s warmer and slightly quieter there (although by no means is it quiet).

Eggnet with pork, prawns, peanut, bean sprouts and sweet vinegar $28.50

Our selections are made to share and are a mix of textures and flavours. The first to arrive is the Eggnet with pork, prawns, peanut, bean sprouts and sweet vinegar. A spidery fishing net of egg omelette embraces an enormous mound of bean sprouts, prawns and pork, like a catch of the day bounty. The peanut and ginger flavour is strong and tangy.