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Bite Me Burger Co. at Paddington

Posted in Eating, Sydney - CBD and inner city

It’s a cold, wintry night that brings us to Bite Me Burger Company, and one in which we’re pressed for time having spent the half half hour looking for a park in Paddington. Ever since the Wagyu burger at Plan B, I’ve been trying to find other Wagyu burgers to try. Call it my latest obsession. So with only 45 minutes to order, eat and go, we enter Bite Me Burger, a small, red lit small Burger place on Oxford Street in Paddington with a neon red Coca Cola type sign. It’s bustlingly full, there is a football game on at the stadium nearby and we explain our impending movie dilemma to the staff. They suggest that we pre-order our meals as it can sometimes take up to 20 minutes for the burgers during a busy period and by then a table should be free.

Sure enough, we’re seated within about 5 minutes and help ourselves to water. There is a large communal table as well as two high tables at the front. We’re seated at one of the front tables but not the very front. Once when we sat there everyone stopped and watched what we ate which made us feel like monkeys in a zoo exhibit.

Everything is visual merchanised to within an inch of itself, the fork and knife come in a sleeve that says “Hold Me”. The ketchup is in a tomato squeezy and of course the salt and pepper co-ordinate.

Onion Rings $4.50

18 comments | June 17, 2008 - 8:00 am | Not Quite Nigella

Winter Warmer - Congee

Congee is the chicken soup of Asia. When a child, teen or adult is sick, out comes the big pot and a large batch of Congee is made. For those unfamiliar with it, it’s a soupy rice porridge into which other ingredients are added like egg omelette, mince, meat, eggs, fried bread sticks, shredded BBQ chicken as well as soy and ginger. It’s whatever you really fancy and I can imagine many a mum found it useful as that meant she could add whatever she wanted into it.

This recipe is by Elizabeth Chong, but you needn’t follow the topping suggestions, you could really add anything to a Congee. Of course I found it from Vogue forum where many avid cooks congregate to exchange recipes and talk about shoes. Because I made it for vegetarians, I stopped before adding the mince although I’ve shown the recipe in its original form should you want to make it for meat eaters. Adding the stock makes it so much more flavourful than plain water.

One thing that she doesn’t specifically mention but I adore is a packet of Hainanese Chicken rice spice paste of finely ground oily paste ginger and sesame oil which is traditionally served with chicken rice. It’s made by Asian Home Gourmet and is sold by the 50g flat packet called “Hainanese Chicken Rice Spice Paste”. It’s worth hunting for this as it’s gorgeous with the congee. Crispy or crunchy things often fare well as accompaniments to Congee and I tried to find deep fried breadsticks but to no avail. Things such as the aforementioned BBQ chicken or stir fried chicken are also great with Congee

14 comments | June 16, 2008 - 8:00 am | Not Quite Nigella

Plan B by Bécasse

Posted in Cheap Thrills, Eating, Sydney - CBD and inner city, Uncategorized

Would you believe me, Dear Reader, when I told you that the humble sausage roll had broken the $7 price barrier? You might be even more surprised when I tell you that at $7 it was worth every lip smackin’, finger lickin’, slowly savoured bite. The sausage roll in question is from Justin North’s “Plan B”, the tiny hole in the wall cafe next to Bécasse. I was put onto it by Y from Lemonpi who had visited earlier and told me about their fantastic Wagyu burger and $7 sausage roll. The most expensive sausage roll I’d had was the sausage roll at Bourke Street Bakery and even that was hardly what you’d call expensive at $4, and a lovely sausage roll it was. But I wasn’t too fussed about trying this one as it was almost double the price. I had no idea that Plan B existed, so tiny hole in the wall it was, I even dined at Bécasse right next to it without knowing of its existence and that it has been there for as long as the restaurant has, for 3 whole years.

Cake selection $3.50-$4 each

There are 3 tables outside that seat 2 people each, so it’s definitely more of a takeaway your lunch back to the office and read blogs during your lunch-hour kind of place. Apparently the new logo’d umbrellas call out its existence a bit better to passing trade. It’s small but it is stylishly outfitted of course. You’d expect no less from Becasse. I’ve rung ahead to pick up my lunch as we’re stopping through the city. I ordered a Wagyu burger (made with 600 day grain fed Wagyu beef) and a sandwich with pork and apple. The crisp pork belly, hoisin sauce and spring onion was out unfortunately so I made do with the pork and apple although I did toss up between that and the coronation chicken. I’d decide on a cake when I got there and I could see them up close.

Sandwich selection, $8 each

My wagyu burger was lost, apparently there was a miscommunication between the cafe and kitchen and my burger was just put on the grill when I arrived to collect it. Two suits who are standing up inside having finished their burgers get up to leave. I see the range of prepacked sandwiches and a plate of cakes and biscuits as well as designer drinks (I don’t think they even had Coke). The cakes look particularly good. The menu on the website seems to have changed slightly for the seasons. Whilst they had a caramelised mango tart, now it’s caramelised apple.

My burger is still running late and a man comes in from an outside table asking for a paper napkin. He happily declares “I’m covered in crumbs but it was all worth it, that was the best sausage roll ever! Worth every crumb!” and wipes the imaginary crumbs off himself and exits. I need no more convincing and I add a sausage roll to the order. I also buy a caramelised apple tart and a candied lemon and vanilla cookie for good measure. I get a coffee takeaway and it is fantastically good, one of the best coffees I’ve ever had (if not the best). It eventually all comes together in a brown handled paper bag and the lovely girl behind the counter apologises profusely for the delay.

Wagyu burger made with 600 day grain fed Wagyu $10

29 comments | June 9, 2008 - 8:00 am | Not Quite Nigella

Tea Inn Taiwanese Fast Food & Tea House at Kingsford

Posted in Cheap Thrills, Eating, Sydney - East

If you start to see a pattern of me reviewing restaurants around the Kingsford way, you are indeed sensing a theme. My husband and I are houseminding for my parents who live in the Eastern Suburbs and we thought that while we were here, we might take advantage of the fascinating eatery studded strip of Anzac Parade.

Tea Inn is a Taiwanese Fast Food and Tea House that I haven’t been to for years. It’s just the order this one afternoon when we need to eat something sustaining but quickly. I don’t eat McDonalds so this is the next best thing. It’s full with students and young people no doubt from the nearby university.

Bubble Pearl tea is like the Coke of Asia, the chewy fat pearls of tapioca sucked up through the fat straws in a satisfying way. My husband loves these so we order the most interesting coffee combination: Pomegranate Coffee with pearls $3.80. We also ask what is good and authentically Taiwanese. The waitress suggest the Sa Cha Beef and rice ($8) and the deep fried chicken in salt and pepper with noodles ($8). For dessert we choose a shaved ice dessert topped with peanuts, sweet lotus seed and black plums for $5.80 (any of the sweet toppings can be ordered in a singular shaved ice for $4.80 each). The menu is huge and seafood dishes top the range at $14-$15 whilst other meats such as chicken or pork dishes are $12 and there are also Laksas ($9.5) and noodle dishes ($8) as well as 2 pages of drinks and desserts of the shaved ice variety.

There are even $5 dishes such as pork mince on rice for the truly frugal and a ridiculously cheap afternoon tea menu featuring dishes from $4.80-$7.50 which includes a drink.

Pomegranate Coffee with pearls $3.80

We’ve asked them to hurry as I need to make a beauty appointment and within minutes, our dishes are making their way to the table. The Pomegranate coffee is surprisingly delicious and lightly tinged pink. It’s not particularly strong in pomegranate flavour though but it is good-it reminds me of Japanese iced coffee or coffee jelly. Curiously, the cups of water we ask for are a little salty in taste!

13 comments | May 24, 2008 - 8:00 am | Not Quite Nigella

Glass Brasserie at the Hilton, Sydney

Posted in Eating, NQN's most memorable moments and meals, Sydney - CBD and inner city

I love business lunches. I also love it when my colleagues don’t care when I whip out a camera and act like a complete tourist in one of Sydney’s chicest restaurant. Glass Brasserie, helmed by chef Luke Mangan (former chef of Salt and the chef flown over to Copenhagen by Prince Frederick and Princess Mary to cook a 5 course banquet for royalty and owner of one chef’s hat in 2007’s SMH Good Food Guide) on Level 2 of the Sydney Hilton, is all shiny sleek glass and shades of gold. There is a large section of banquettes in the centre (I adore banquette seating) as well as tables facing the Queen Victoria Building. The Immoral One (a name he was given in a meeting today-well we do work in Advertising so it’s not entirely unexpected…) is taking M and I out for lunch today. 3 courses, if we have the time.

The only drawback to a work lunch is that you are often pressed for time. And today The Immoral One and I need to be in a meeting at 2.30pm so we need to leave by 2pm. It’s 12.30pm and we’re ordering our entrees and mains from the enormous menu. The thing that has caught my eye is one of the specials, the W.A. Rock Lobster in a Malay style curry sauce with tomato and banana sides (Market price: today $60 entree size, main size $115). M and I both order this and The Immoral One orders the Petuna Ocean Trout with ginger eschallot, persian feta and rocket ($26.50). For my main I order the Rangers Valley 450day grain fed Wagyu entrecôte, score 7-8, 250g, garlic mushrooms, caper and bone marrow ($59). The Immoral One orders the John Dee Steer 150 day grain fed sirloin 250g with herb and mustard crust and baby beans ($40) and M orders the Petuna Ocean Trout fillet roasted, harissa crushed kipflers, mussels, tomato and curry vinaigrette ($39).

Our bread arrives, a white crusty loaf as well as a salt crusted herb bread with raisins which goes particularly well with the olive oil. I could eat much more but since I know what is coming, I refrain.

W.A. Rock Lobster in a Malay style curry sauce with tomato and banana sides (Market price: today $60 entree size)

16 comments | May 20, 2008 - 8:00 am | Not Quite Nigella

Review: Pie in the Sky pie shop at Cowan

Posted in Cheap Thrills, Eating, Sydney - North, Sydney - West

I was reminded of Pie in the Sky by a NQN reader Maria who also has her own great food blog Foodie Wanderings. She spoke of a Pie in the Sky near her in Melbourne which made me recall the one in Sydney, well the outskirts of Sydney, in Cowan. With a gorgeous view, we had driven past it on our way back from the Hunter Valley and various other excursions, always meaning to go in but never quite making it there.

This weekend, we thought we’d take a drive to Cowan for a change of scenery and a sample of some pie and view. It’s a day where the sun interchanges with rain and we hope that when we get there that we’ll have some sun.

We’re in luck today and whilst it’s not gloriously sunny, it’s still pleasant enough outside to sit outdoors and enjoy the view. There is a front kiosk as well as an inside area where you can order more substantial meals (pies with chips, Devonshire teas). There are 18 savoury pie flavours on offer today ranging from Steak & Kidney, Beef, bacon & Cheese, Curried Beef, Chicken & Asparagus, Chicken & Corn, Chicken Satay, Lamb & Pea and Lamb, Chili and Garlic as well as sausage rolls. They appear to be out of vegetable pies although their flyer does include them. The pies are all $4.50 and the sausage rolls $2.30. I choose a Lamb, Honey & Rosemary pie as well as a Beef Burgundy pie.

Behind the counter are fruit pies (all $2.20) in Apple, Apricot, Blueberry and Peach flavours as well as a new flavour, Apple & Rhubarb. I choose a Peach pie and a Blueberry pie.

Lamb, Honey & Rosemary pie $4.50

We bring our precious haul to an outdoor table, and after some careful photo taking in which one of the young staff inquires “Wow, you like the pies that much?” to our photo taking and when we explain he seems pleased and says “Cool thanks!”. I try the Lamb, Honey and Rosemary first. Inside are chunks of tender lamb and a sweetish sauce courtesy of the honey which is not overdone, just right. The Rosemary flavour isn’t particularly strong but the filling is delicious and the pie welcomingly warm.

Beef Burgundy pie $4.50

The Beef Burgundy pie is next and it’s rich and hearty with a deep dark brown and burgundy sauce. The beef is in thick soft chunks and the burgundy wine gives it an extra richness. The base of the pastry for this is very soft, indeed the filling has gone all the way through to the bottom. It’s a change from the harder bases that one can get in pies.

I discover that my husband and I like the exact same part of the pie best-the part of the puff pastry lid where the filling meets the pastry, you know the layer of pastry that is still white and thin but plastered with sauce and deliciously pliable whilst the layers above it are golden. We need a name for this delicious part and we wonder if there is one for this layer.

It’s time for the fruit pies, the small rounds of sugar topped sweetness. The pastry here is thicker sweet shortcrust and it reminds me of pies I had when I was young. There isn’t a great deal of filling in these but the blueberry is particularly good, it’s not too sweet but there is no tartness to the berries at all. Ideal if you don’t like your fruit pies too sweet. The peach pie is a bit of a disappointment for me, it seems like it is made out of tinned peaches which doesn’t bother my husband but I would prefer fresh peaches.

We brush off our pie crumbs and look around-we’ve been too busy eating and attending to our pies to notice our surrounding-yes when I’m around food I tend to get tunnel vision. The view is lovely and the place has filled up with all sorts of motorcycle riders as well as the Rural Bush Fire Service workers enjoying a coffee, pie and the intermittent warmth from the sunshine.

Pie In the Sky

1296 Pacific Hwy, Cowan NSW 2081
Tel: +61 (02) 9985 7018
Fax: + 61 (02) 9985 7018
Open 7 days
Monday to Friday 9am-5pm
Saturday to Sunday 8am-5pm
Visa and Mastercard accepted

14 comments | April 23, 2008 - 8:00 am | Not Quite Nigella

Review: The Italian Bowl at Newtown

Posted in Cheap Thrills, Eating, Sydney - CBD and inner city, Sydney - West

Sophia Loren once attributed her ever youthful looks to a bowl of pasta a day. As she is a celebrity, it probably also involves a Petrossian caviar masque and a diamond dust exfoliant but I suppose that’s giving away the real secret. If you are in the mood for some anti ageing Sophia Loren style, The Italian Bowl seems a suitable place to start. After a movie one Saturday night at the Dendy Newtown, we walk the three doors down to The Italian Bowl and it’s long line snaking onto the footpath. Luckily most people are getting takeaway and we nab a seat opposite the counter where we are to order and where they cook the pasta in front of you.

Order and paying at the counter, I choose the Beef Tortellini with chicken peppercorns and the Spaghetti Bolognaise, a dish that when done well is a lovely comfort food but is often done badly. I must be blind or the font is hard to read but I miss the best deal, the combo with any choice or pasta and any veal or chicken dish ($18, seafood pasta $2 extra). I also order a Chinotto drink ($3), the Italian version of Coke, made from the bitter citrus Chinotto tree.

We’re in a prime location to watch the pasta being cooked. It’s all cooked furiously fast and fresh to order. The waiters are vocal, it seems that there’s nothing that can be said unless it’s shouted across the restaurant and takeaway customers have their numbers bellowed out and one unfortunate takeaway customer gets an impatient chastising as the waiter calls her number out a few times to collect her order. In the kitchen area itself, there’s much clanging, yelling and high licking flames and within 5 minutes, we’re presented with our pasta dishes.

Beef Tortellini with chicken peppercorn sauce $12

The beef tortellini with chicken peppercorn sauce has a good amount of tender chicken breast scattered throughout it. Even as a garlic lover, I find the sauce a tad too heavy on the garlic and whilst it’s creamy there aren’t enough peppercorns in it to balance out the other flavours. When you do come across a green peppercorn and it explodes in your mouth, suddenly you think “Ahhh this is nice, if only there were more peppercorns.” Perhaps in the frenzy of cooking to order so many dishes, balance is haphazardly applied.

Spaghetti Bolognaise $10

The Spaghetti Bolognaise is next, we can see straight away that it is very watery and with a small amount of mince and only mince. I prefer a thicker tomato sauce and some bacon or carrot in the bolognaise sauce and I find this disappointing. Trying to thicken or flavour it up with parmesan improves it a little but not enough. The pasta itself is a little overcooked too which is something I cannot stand. It has to be al dente or nothing. I leave most of this behind and my husband reluctantly finishes this.

We spied a tiramisu at another table, a large sundae glass filled with creamy mascarpone and sponge ($8). Unfortunately there isn’t enough stomach space to fit this in. We might be back for the Combo deal at a later stage but will steer clear of the Spaghetti Bolognaise.

The Italian Bowl

255 King Street Newtown
Tel: +61 (02) 9516 0857
Open 7 days from 10:30am-10:30pm
Except weekends 10:30am- 11:30pm

19 comments | April 15, 2008 - 8:00 am | Not Quite Nigella

Carne Station at Parramatta

Posted in Eating, Sydney - West

Make no mistake about this, this is a meat lover’s paradise. If the name doesn’t indicate that its for meatlovers, the concept will: an all you can eat buffet of meat (and salads). Ever since my favourite Korean BBQ restaurant closed down years ago, I’ve been in mourning. I haven’t been to a single Korean BBQ buffet restaurant. Mostly because when I mention it to some friends, they inevitably grumble at the idea of cooking at the table-why go to a restaurant if you have to cook the food they say? I say that they’ve missed the point of Korean BBQ. I know that my most adventuresome food adventurer friends Queen Viv and Miss America won’t mind though and reading about a Korean BBQ buffet place in Parramatta immediately brought back memories of the place in Little Hay St Chinatown. Parramatta was far for us, nearly an hour away but what’s distance in the name of good food.

Soba

Its fairly empty when we arrive at 7pm on a Saturday night with three other couples and a large family table. All the better to get our food. The cooking stations are Gas powered, not the old coals that when they brought them to your table, you’d sit so still in case they drop a lava-hot coal lump into your lap.

The selection is set against the back wall and features about 10 kinds of meat with several types of bulgogi marinated, ribs, lamb, tandoori chicken, chicken wings, giblets; 2-3 types of seafood (banana prawns, mussels and octopus), sushi, fried dumplings, honey soy wings, soba, jap chae, salads, rice, three kinds of soups, desserts and coffee. What is out there is in fairly small portions, I assume to deter people from overeating so whilst other places heave a vast amount of food out at one go, the trays are filled with only 5 prawns at a time which gives it a slightly forlorn look, unlike most buffets which beckon bountifully.

Bean sprout and potato salads

We go to retrieve our chosen dishes and dig into the salads and pre cooked food while our meat is frying. I’m the designated cook of the night and I am happy to tend to the grill. The Bean Sprout salad is ok, not quite as sesame-y as I like it. If its good, I could eat a whole bowl of this, if its not, I could take it or leave it. We don’t bother for seconds of this. The potato salad is good, sweet and just like your typical Korean/Japanese potato salad, with a slightly mashed potato consistency combined with soft potato chunks. I have plenty of this.

Spring Onion salad

The surprisingly good salad is the spring onion salad which is rich with sesame oil and chili and the light tang of spring onion. Its the table’s favourite and I’m almost embarrassed to say that we cleared many a tray of this.

Sushi and honey soy wings

The sushi was adequate although at a buffet, the sushi is never particularly good. The honey soy wings were sweet and great finger food although we never bothered going back for second with the sizzling meat in front of us.

Jap chae

The Jap Chae, usually so flavoursome with strips of marinated beef and rich with sesame oil was a disappointment, with no meat to give it flavour and very light on the sesame.

Kimchi and Seafood pancake

I don’t partake of kimchi but the seafood pancake was lovely and crispy on the outside and soft and squidgy inside.

Tandoori chicken

With the grill only taking minutes to fire up, the Tandoori chicken was tasty and flavoursome with just a hint of tandoori paste. It wasn’t marinated in the traditional tandoori paste and yogurt combination but the paste alone gave it a good amount of flavour and heat.

Beef Bulgogi

The marinated beef Bulgogi was tender and delicious and we were grateful when the strips of beef didn’t not take too long to cook and they were hungrily devoured by waiting mouths.

Thinly sliced pork

The thinly sliced pork, whilst very quick to cook and very tender is a little plain after all of those juicy cuts of flavoursome marinated meat.

Ribs

These were my favourite, a short stocky rib attached to a crepe paper long stream of thinly sliced meat. The meat was incredibly tender and delicious with marinade, the rib itself less so but I insisted on fourth servings of this.

Chicken Bulgogi

We enjoyed the sauce but the thinner pieces lend themselves better to the grill and there was a little of the “Is it cooked?” or not with no-one willing to eat raw chicken.

Broccoli

Steamed broccoli and onions gave us a brief respite from the meaty meat fest on the grill

Sweet chili bulgogi

This was the universal favourite of the table, sweet, spicy and oh so good, the meat was fall apart soft and lovely.

My husband, probably the harshest critic of buffets as he never feels as if he has gotten his money’s worth, was left contentedly patting his stomach.

Carne Station

100 George Street (corner Smith Street)
Parramatta Sydney 2150
Ph: +61 (02) 9633-5788
Fax: +61 (02) 9633-5112
Price: $29.50 per person on Saturday night (price varies according to day and time of visit)
Open: Lunch Fri-Sun and public holidays 12:00-15:00pm
Dinner Mon-Sun 17:00-22:00
Fully licensed, BYO (Wine Only)

6 comments | February 8, 2008 - 4:00 pm | Not Quite Nigella

Sel et Poivre at Darlinghurst

Posted in Eating, Sydney - CBD and inner city

Sel et Poivre is one of my favourite restaurants in Sydney. In, fact, I usually celebrate my birthday here, lured by the fabulous, and very authentic French fare on offer. Its also a reliable place when you’ve got fussy eaters. A group of friends that we dine with includes a friend, Hot Dog, who likes his food just so and is likely to get the waiter or waitress who doesn’t seem to want to convey this wish to the kitchen so he ends up supremely frustrated. Not here though, we don’t hear a peep of complaint from him when we dine here.

I know the menu back to front and have already pre ordered my dishes in my mind. I never veer, although sometimes I do if its winter and I ask for the Cassoulet (not a menu item, you have to ask for this). But since the weather is warm, I order my usual two entrees instead of an entree and main: the Salmon Marinated in Olive Oil, Aromatic Herbs, Mixed lettuce and Warm Steamed Potatoes $17.90 and the Crispy Galette of Fresh Swimmer Crab, Leeks and Sauce a l’Americaine $15.50. My husband orders the Marinated Braised Beef Cheeks with Miramar Cabernet Sauvignon Sauce and Frites $24.90, Rose does the two entree thing too with the Crispy Galette of swimmer crab and the Duck Terrine with Armagnac $16.90 and Ronald orders the Duck Leg Confit with lentils and salad $25.90 and we have a serve of mash for the table ($6.90). We’re seated at my favourite table, on the outside with the cushions but not the table right on the street.

Salmon Marinated in Olive Oil, Aromatic Herbs, Mixed lettuce and Warm Steamed Potatoes $17.90

As its relatively early, its quite empty but we know that it will be busy by 8pm. After all Darlinghurst-ites don’t exactly dine early and we overhear them having to knock back people without reservations. Its not long before Rose and my cold entrees arrive. My Salmon Marinated in Olive Oil, Aromatic Herbs, Mixed lettuce and Warm Steamed Potatoes is, as always, delicious. The soft, olive oily salmon beautifully textured and the potatoes dotted with finely diced spring onion. The accompanying birds eye chili and garlic clove, although decorative, remains untouched, I think either or both would overpower the fish.

Duck Terrine with Armagnac $16.90

Rose’s Duck Terrine has two thinly sliced pieces of mottle hued duck meat. Together with the fresh baguette pieces, its delicious, the Armagnac giving the flavoursome duck meat just a hint of brandy. Its delicious and surprisingly filling given the thin pieces. I may have found another must have-I wonder how I’d go ordering 3 entrees next time?

Duck Leg Confit with lentils and salad $25.90

Ronald’s Duck Leg Confit with lentils and salad is fall apart loveliness. Slightly crispy on the outside with the skin, he’s impressed at how soft and delicious it is and how easily it falls off the bone. What’s surprising for both Rose and Ronald is the puy lentil salad, housed in a ramekin on the side. Neither having eaten a lentil before in their life, and probably relegating it to the repulsive sounding and much maligned pulse category, their first experience is with this. Its strong with bacon flavour with finely diced carrots, tomatoes and herbs mixed in and topped with diced tomato. Its easily a dish I could order just by itself by the bowlful and one that has them impressed and nodding their heads with satisfaction.

Marinated Braised Beef Cheeks with Miramar Cabernet Sauvignon Sauce and Frites $24.90

My husband’s Marinated Braised Beef Cheeks with Miramar Cabernet Sauvignon Sauce and Frites arrives. Like the Duck Confit, the dark hued meat, set in a pool of darkest cab sav sauce, is fall apart soft, the meat incredibly tender and unctuous with an almost gelatinous texture to it much like marrow. There are also pieces of carrot, mushroom and bacon in it to add to the flavour. My favourite fries and mash in the world are here, the fries gloriously crisp and crunchy, the mash creamy and buttery smooth. The frites are dipped in this and then mash and this is repeated until every last drop of this deliciously rich sauce is gone-call it a more decorous way of licking the plate clean.

Crispy Galette of Fresh Swimmer Crab, Leeks and Sauce a l’Americaine $15.50

Rose and I have our Crispy Galette of Fresh Swimmer Crab, Leeks and Sauce a l’Americaine to devour. The round orb of crab filled pastry sits in a sauce based on tomato, onion, and herbs, cooked in wine. The outer pastry isn’t as crispy as I recall it to be but the inner is delicious and packed to the brim with fresh swimmer crab and leeks, the amount of crab particularly impressing Rose. For a crab and pastry lover like me, this is deliciously decadent.

Sadly, as we have to dash, we must forego my favourite Creme Brulee in the world-one housed on a long shallow-ish dish (maximum toffee crunch here) where an earth shattering toffee crunch is always had. By now the restaurant is full and our white papered table is earmarked for another group of lucky diners.

Sel et Poivre

263 Victoria St
Darlinghurst, NSW 2010
Tel: +61 (02) 9361-6530
Fax: (02) 9360-8926
AMEX, Bankcard, Cash, Diners Club, Mastercard, VISA

6 comments | January 31, 2008 - 4:00 pm | Not Quite Nigella

Wockbar at Neutral Bay

Posted in Eating, Sydney - North

Wockbar is a noodle chain that “gave birth” in Manly and spread out into the North Shore from there. Alongside a flyer announcing newer locations in Dee Why and one in nearby Neutral Bay, we also received a buy 2 mains get third free coupon with our mailer. I’m a freebie slut so I need no more persuasion.

Its 7pm on a Saturday night and its not particularly crowded with two other tables having finished their meals but as we sit down and peruse the menu the restaurant fills, mostly with older clientele. Where are the younguns? They’re taking the food away from the take away section to the left of the restaurant and it seems like they are doing so in droves.

I confess now that I knew what to order through examining the menu studiously prior to the visit. There aren’t many seafood or duck dishes with most being chicken or beef. In fact there’s only one seafood dish, a Prawn Pad Thai which we order and only one duck dish being the Roast Duck Curry which I also order. My husband’s favourite Thai dish is the Thai Beef Salad so this is also selected. A lot of food we know but this was to take advantage of the offer you see. Unusually for an asian eatery, there is a dessert selection.

We seem to have beaten the rush and our orders arrive 5- 10 minutes later. They’re fabulous looking curled leaf shaped bowls and I want to appropriate some for myself immediately such is my impressed response when seeing our plates coming towards us.

Prawn Pad Thai $15.90

After the obligatory photo taking we dig in as we’re hungry. The Prawn pad Thai ($15.90) houses 5 king prawns and at first taste, is fairly bland. Its crying out for a squeeze of the lemon wedge which we wring until virtually dry which improves the flavour immensely but it still feels like there is something missing in the flavour. Its not bad but its nothing to write home about and not something we would order again.

Thai Beef Salad $13.90

We try the Thai Beef salad ($13.90) next, its tangy and the beef is very tender. The generous serve of fresh coriander on top does much to enhance the flavour but alas it looks like its sitting atop a large mound of crunchy snow white bean sprouts which gives it the appearance of being more plentiful than it is. I do like the softness of the beef although my husband prefers the searing freshness of Spice Market’s Thai Beef salad (which I thought had beef that was a bit too tough for my liking).

Roast Duck curry $16.90

The last to be tried is the Roast Duck curry ($16.50). It just happens to have two of my favourite ingredients in it, roast duck and broccoli (yes I am a certifiable broccoli freak) so I am in pretty much hog heaven. The roast duck is juicy and tender and the broccoli and vegetables are rich in the curry sauce although if I am to be picky, a little soft in texture. Still, the curry is delicious and I savour every morsel of the roast duck. There isn’t quite as much duck as in Spice Markets Duck salad but who am I to be picky when I am enjoying the dish this much. Its the unanimous favourite of the night.

All in all, its a lovely looking setting and the food is tasty in a good for takeaway standard but for a night out, most Sydney siders are spoilt for choice with Thai cuisine and could find a lot more flavour and complexity at other Thai places.

Wockbar

2/8 Waters Lane Neutral bay (opposite the older “pick up joint” Woolworths)
Ph: +61 (02) 99090388
Open: 7 days a week Noon-10pm
Also locations in Dee Why and Manly

3 comments | December 17, 2007 - 3:38 pm | Not Quite Nigella