Summer time is indeed a great time in Sydney. It’s when everyone has holidays and the city looks at its sparkling best. it’s also when many free events are on and the Festival of Sydney is on and to add to the freebies available, there is a “We Love Sydney” card where people can take a friend for free to attractions, places to eat and hotels. One of the places interested me, it was the House of Pies. It’s no secret that I love pies and will travel for a good pie. This place was in Matraville which is about 30 minutes from the CBD.
We see a sign displayed that House of pie is a Trans fat free zone with none being used in the pastries or fillings. The store is open 24 hours so should the urge to get a pie hit and you happen to be south of the CBD this may be where you might want to end up (although I can’t vouch for the crowd you may be sharing your bench with).
It always makes me a bit wary when people have signs that they were awarded this and that but they’re from a few years ago. Case in point is their award for “Best Pie in Sydney 2004” but a search on their website reveals some additional wins and nominations since then. We approach the store, with its wood panelled outer and the bench seating inside and out. It’s a hot Sydney day and the girl behind the counter looks as enthused as a hot lizard on a rock. With her chin resting on the counter waiting for an order she takes our order without a word and places them on the counter. Our change is worldessly handed back to us and she resumes her position leaning her chin against the counter.
Chunky chicken and mushroom $3.60
Click here to read the full story
| February 15th, 2009 by Not Quite Nigella
After our delicious journey back in time at the Oceanic Cafe where we emerged to the sights and sounds of 2009, Queen Viv could sense my excitement and suggested that we follow up our meal at Oceanic with a visit to New York restaurant in Kings Cross at a later date. A similar concept to the Oceanic Cafe, New York restaurant is a restaurant serving traditional Australian/English meals at very reasonable prices to a loyal community. I was more than happy to, the only problem was that they were closed over Christmas until January 19th (I only found out the opening date as the owner happened to answer the phone while he was there). I rang up on the 19th to book a table for 4 the Saturday after only to be told by the friendly owner Paul “Oh darling, we don’t take reservations” and then he asked my name and I answered “Lorraine” and he said “OK Lorraine, I look forward to meeting you!”. Wow, friendly folk indeed!
We’re supposed to meet Queen Viv and Miss America at 7pm this Saturday night but we are late-by half an hour (arrgh since when did Kings Cross become a 1hour parking only zone?). Queen Viv calls us to ask where we are-the maitre’d is enquiring about our lateness. Of course we don’t realise why. It’s because the New York restaurant closes at 8pm! On Kellet Street in Kings Cross, it’s located between two brothels.
Rushing in, we order quickly. I go straight to the Chef’s specialties where I order the crumbed lamb cutlets, my husband orders the chicken schnitzel and Queen Viv and Miss America both order the beef sausages. There is a note which makes us grin: “Minimum order $3.50″. For good measure we also get a glass of orange cordial for 70c and an entree bowl of soup for 80c. Items are divided into old fashioned sections such as “Cold Collations” and there’s even an oyster section with the cheapest item being Light Gold Toast for 40c.
We look around. There are groups of mostly men, of various ages although mostly senior citizens. One is so enamoured of his chop that he picks up the whole thing (about the size of a plate) and eats it with his hands. There’s also younger men, including two fashionable young men and one dashingly handsome guy. A real mix that has us intrigued. As it’s busy some of the men share a table and exchange greetings.
We scarcely have time to observe our fellow diners as everything arrives quickly. We ask Jeff the maitre’d if it is ok to take photos-he is intimidating looking with his tattoos but he smiles broadly and spreads his hands out and says “Of course, no problems at all” and tells us that we are free to take any photos we like and that fellow diners won’t mind at all. In fact it’s most hospitable reaction we’ve had. He tells us that the New York restaurant has been around for about 50 years, and at this location for 17 years.
Orange Cordial 70c
Vegetable soup 80c
Crumbed Lamb cutlets $10
Click here to read the full story
| February 9th, 2009 by Not Quite Nigella
Food blogger get togethers are fun. But a variation of this is a girl’s only food blogger get together made up of a smaller group of us where we can unashamedly gossip about weddings, shoes and other girly things. So where better to do this at a Champagne High Tea and luckily the We Love Sydney card gives us 2 Champagne High Teas for the price of 1 (2 people for $45). I’m Champagne High tea-ing today with my fellow High Tea lovers Karen, Suze and Reem. Planning this, through a suggestion from Karen was no meat feat entailing over 70 facebook messages. A military style operation if ever I heard of one!
Selection of sandwiches clockwise from bottom left: Smoked Salmon; Cucumber on malted bread; York Ham with mustard mayonnaise and cheddar and vine tomato
We’re given our flutes of champagne soon after we are seated and a plate of sandwiches. We’re sitting at a table right near the window overlooking a small garden. The sandwich selection is: ham & mustard; smoked salmon; cucumber and tomato & cheddar cheese. The smoked salmon is, I feel compelled to add, quite unevenly filled, some sandwiches chock full of smoked salmon while other only have a thin slice. However despite this they are thoroughly delicious (I had one of the thinner sandwiches).
The ham doesn’t find favour with some although I like this. The cucumber isn’t great with the seeds making the bread a bit wet and bizarrely cottage cheese pieces are spread instead of the traditional cream cheese. I find the bread too thick for the tomato and cheddar sandwiches. It should probably be added that the buttering on these sandwiches might be considered verging on the heavy handed (you can see how much butter is used in the smoked salmon sandwiches above with the yellow edging against the coral salmon being butter).
Ronnefeldt’s Earl Grey loose leaf tea
Click here to read the full story
| February 3rd, 2009 by Not Quite Nigella
There are some places, that seem a little charmed, like a glimpse back in time to another era or place that you may have only seen in movies. These places usually have a story attached to them and Queen Viv’s recommendation of the Oceanic Cafe is one of them. Run by a Mother and Daughter team as a community service for those in need, the interior of the cafe is a sight to behold. Unchanged from the original 1920′s interior, there are booth style seats, roughly drawn menus that you know haven’t changed in decades and specials of the day at the princely sum of $5 (the most expensive item being $9). As we walk in, they peer out from the little window to see who the interlopers are. We order at the table with the daughter, a smiling, slightly nervous woman who is a little hard of hearing but nevertheless unassuming and well meaning.
Specials board (and my shoulder-yes I love polka dots)
There are two other older gentlemen customers sitting separately, quietly eating their meal, and we feel almost like we shouldn’t be too noisy. One gets the feeling that they have their own way of doing things and it would distress to diverge. We order the special of the day, the Lamb’s fry (liver) with onions, chips and peas $5; the bacon and eggs with chips and peas $5 and the Rissoles with onions, chips and peas $5 plus a cup of tea $2.
We hear the sizzle of the hot plate and looking through the little window Queen Viv points out the very old fashioned and original dish drying racks and pots, something we’ve never seen before. All of the meals come with white sliced bread and a pat of margarine in a round silver dish with the napkin tucked underneath the bread. We pay as soon as the food arrives and we ask her for water as well as it’s a sweltering 37C degrees outside. She asks us if it’s ok if it’s tap water and of course we don’t mind.
DIY Chip Butty with the bread, margarine and chips provided
Click here to read the full story
| January 13th, 2009 by Not Quite Nigella
The Burlington, Matthew Kemp and Lela Radojkovic’s One Hatted North side restaurant is one that we are grateful for. Growing up in the East I took if for granted that there were lots of good restaurants around but when I moved North I found it was a little harder to find these gems. Prices are more reasonable here than the already reasonable-for-the-standard-of-food at Restaurant Balzac and this Saturday night my husband are scheduled for a romantic dinner, just the two of us, and of course the omnipresent camera.
Looks rather spooky upstairs no?
From the outside, it doesn’t look like anything much, quite plain with unadorned windows but the interior is warm, reminiscent of Balzac with a little less fancy in the front room, with a middle room and large back room for a large private table with a huge chandelier atop. My husband swears that it used to be one of those Haunted or Host a Murder party venues and indeed, looking at the top floor from the outside it looks a bit spooky. We’re given our menus but I already know what I want having scoured the website already on several separate occasions (yes I am obsessed). I order two entree sizes meals while my husband orders an entree and a main. We’ve asked about the Eton Mess, his famed dessert but it’s not on the menu tonight. Like Balzac, the service is friendly and informal except for our main waitress who lacks the warmth of the rest of the staff and is instead cooly polite.
The bread arrives, 2 slices of a rye sourdough loaf with butter, at a little too soft a temperature. The bread is very good however with a good crust on the outside.
Terrine of smoked ham hock and pork cheek, ear beignets and remoulade $12 (small size)
We’re not waiting long before our entrees arrive, mine is the Terrine of smoked ham hock and pork cheek, ear beignets and remoulade. I’ve ordered the entree size which is 1 slice of the terrine. On the website there are 4 slices pictured so I expected 2 slices with 4 slices being the main size. It’s wonderfully good, reportedly taking two days to make, the brawn consisting of soft meat melding together with the carrots, celery and herbs and bound together and suspended in gelatine.
The thin crunchy toast slivers are indeed very crunchy and the little pig’s ear beignets are crispily good. And remoulade is one of my favourite accompaniments and it goes oh so perfectly with the rest of this dish.
Click here to read the full story
| October 9th, 2008 by Not Quite Nigella
What is NQN up to now? 
NQN on Facebook
RSS
