Becca Johnstone

Building 9

2 Huntley Street

ALEXANDRIA (entry from 41-43 Bourke Road)

Based on my Deckhouse experience I know that when Miss Gourmet Rabbit says ‘come for brunch’ she really means ‘come for a Bacchanalian feast of wonder, don’t eat breakfast and wear stretchy pants.’ This was certainly advice I heeded when I joined some fellow food bloggers at Alexandria’s new gastro pub, 4143 at the James Barnes.

Located in the middle of industrial Alexandria, 4143 is a visually incredible space, offering a cool outdoor bar (with a banging menu to complement) and a beautiful indoor bistro. Before people start questioning the location, yes, I concede it is a little out of the way. But as I (read: my GPS) navigated my way out there on Saturday I had some time to think about it. When all the yuppies couldn’t afford to live in Newtown, they spread to Redfern. Then Waterloo. And now, Alexandria. Before you know it, Zetland will be Enmore and the high rises will overshadow plumbing supplies warehouses. I’m not suggesting Botany Road is the new Crown Street, but when you think about it, it’s merely gentrification at it’s most lucrative. Further, I was reminded of all the workers in the area. My old company used to have a warehouse just a stone’s throw from 4143 and the boys were always whining about not having a decent place for lunch! This is where I think the 4143 will come into it’s own.

Wagyu Burger and Chips

But what of the fare? Chef Peter started our day off with the most popular item on the bar menu: the fated Wagyu Burger. Premium wagyu was loaded between fluffy brioche (courtesy of Fuel Bakery) along with melted cheddar, beetroot relish, aioli and gherkins like my Grandma used to make. After staying in on Friday night drinking cheap Western Australian SSB this was exactly what the Doctor ordered! Served with a mountain of fries, at $14 I thought it was the bargain of the day – and everyone agreed, a real contender for the next Burger Wars.

Seared Scallops on Pea Puree with Chorizo

We were next treated to a couple of selections from the entrée menu at the bistro. The Seared Sea Scallops on Pea Puree with Chorizo were cooked to perfection, and while it was a beautiful dish, I felt it lacked a little bit of oomph – nothing that a sprinkle of salt and pepper couldn’t fix though I’m sure. Along with this we tried the Caramelised Onion Tart with Goats Curd and Balsamic – a classic combination of flavours, executed well. And a very generous serving (in fact, the same must be said about all the dishes) – and certainly no skimping on the goats cheese. Let’s face it, it always comes down to the cheese.

Caramelised Onion Tart with Goats Curd and Balsamic

From the mains menu we sampled Duck Breast on Puy Lentils, Spinach, and Brussel Sprouts. The duck was tasty, but the lentil and spinach mix was the star of that plate. We were also treated to some pretty tasty sides of Roast Baby Beets and Beans, Buttered Brussel Sprouts with Pancetta and Roasted Chat Potatoes with Garlic and Rosemary. I’m a fiend for al dente vegetables and for me the beets, beans and sprouts were all cooked perfectly. I felt the chats could have been a little crunchier though.

18-Hour Braised Lamb Shank En Crepinette

The dish of the day had to be the 18-Hour Braised Lamb Shank En Crepinette on Parsnip Puree with Muscatel Jus. Hot diggity it was delicious. As I said to Chef on the day, “I think I want to move in with it and see if it’s marriage material.” The lamb was tender and when you got into it out oozed a delicious spinach and parmesan concoction. Matched with sweet parsnip puree, roasted eschallots and muscatel jus it was some seriously divine eating. Interestingly, the mains menu offered a small ($16) and large ($28) serving option – not something I see a lot of these days. We were served small sizes, and I could honestly say they were no smaller than what you’d get anywhere else. This is certainly the place to eat in an abysmal economy!

Chocolate and Orange Mousse with Hazelnut Biscotti

And so we entered the magical world of desserts! By this stage I was more than willing to go home and have a little Nanna Nap, but the sweet treats twisted my arm yet again! A classic Tiramisu was definitely a crowd pleaser. The Chocolate and Orange Mousse with Hazelnut Biscotti was more than met the eye (and it was a pretty thing at that) – the inclusion of pop rocks sent our table in to fits of giggles like the naughty school kids I’m sure we all were. The mousse was thick and rich, too rich for me, but I’m not the greatest chocolate fiend. The Bread and Butter Pudding with Rhubarb and Macadamia Ice Cream on the other hand was something I had to beg my diners to take away from me before I finished the whole bowl. A perfect dish for a dreary winter’s day: the pudding wasn’t too eggy, yet quite firmly set, and alive with cinnamon and tart rhubarb. I’d encourage people to give it a go and at $10 a dessert you’ve only got things to gain – mainly calories, but that’s beside the point!

Bread and Butter Pudding with Rhubarb and Macadamia Icecream

My experience at 4143 at the James Barnes was a bit of an eye-opening one. I think it’s in an area that people overlook, but man there was some super quality food. And look, it’s about 5 minutes further down the road from Newtown, if you’re already driving what’s the harm in going that little bit further? A big thanks to the team at 4143, Denea and the good people at Dedes Group for hosting this unruly bunch.

What’s more important to you: location or quality? Let me know becca@thebonvivant.com.au or on Twitter @bonvivantblog

By Becca Johnstone

MUMU Grill

70-76 Alexander Street

Crows Nest

Cow, Pig, Rabbit. It sounds like the start of a Beatrix Potter tale, full of wilful optimism, polite adventures and probably a little girl named Fanny. Cow, Pig and Rabbit are probably the best of friends – in reality it turns out they are… on a plate at least! Last week Danny and I were lucky enough to attend the Cow, Pig, Rabbit dinner held at MUMU Grill in Crows Nest, hosted by MUMU, Alvin Quah and Denea Buckingham.

A little about our hosts…

Supplying the Cow we have MUMU Grill, Sydney’s only sustainable steakhouse, owned by Chef Craig Macindoe. It is also home to Sydney’s first Jamon Bar. Keen participants in the Slow Food Movement, MUMU believes in sustainable, seasonal and regional produce. Located in central Crows Nest, this relaxed and funky restaurant was our setting.

The Pig for the evening came from Alvin Quah. Most people will be familiar with Alvin from his efforts on the past season of Masterchef – and what great efforts they were! Life PMC (Post Masterchef) has seen Alvin launch his own website, Cinnamon Pig, featuring a blog and recipes. He has also been cooking at a number of great restaurants around Sydney, and even a couple of TV appearances on Keri-Anne and The Circle.

The night’s Rabbit was brought forth by Denea Buckingham, aka Jess Rabbit, Editor in Chief of Gourmet Rabbit magazine. A simply brilliant food magazine, written by industry pro’s for industry pro’s and Foodies alike. Denea brings together exploring, creating, foraging, sipping, discovering and munching in Gourmet Rabbit – a crash course in local gastronomy.

It was a delightful, warm Spring night and it kicked off with 18 month Jamon Serrano and a glass of Poverty Hill Riesling 2008 at the Jamon Bar. All wines were provided by United Cellars. The Jamon was passed around and Danny and I shared the exact same thought: the Italians do it better. Blasphemous? Possibly. But we had only weeks earlier experienced the best Prosciutto di Parma at the Italian Festival. It’s really just something that comes down to personal preference, and we prefer the pungency of prosciutto more. The Riesling had a bit of hype around it having been written up by Huon Hooke a week prior. It didn’t have much freshness on nose or palate, and not a lot of fruit either – if you like those keroseney type Rieslings than go for it!

We took our seats and after a brief introduction from our hosts, the first course arrived: a tasting plate of pork and rabbit rilletes with an orange and date chutney with beef knuckle onion rings. What I loved about the rilletes was it really tasted like rabbit – often I find that rich flavour can be overladen with too many herbs in rilletes, but this was well pronounced. And perfectly matched with the chutney. The beef knuckle onion rings were the highlight though – an absolute revelation! The knuckle had been slow cooked, then thinly sliced, fried and served with caramelised fried onions. It was sticky, meaty and absolutely delicious, Alvin aptly described it as meat popcorn. This was matched with the Paco and Lola Albarino 2009, a highly aromatic wine – lots of rich tropical fruitiness on the nose. It was actually quite mellow on the palate, not too sweet and no great length. It was a good match and a very pleasant drop indeed.

Next up was the white bean, dark ale and rabbit soup topped with crisp Guanciale (pig cheek). A dark, rich and all too enticing soup, again with that really strong taste of rabbit. It was super intense, which I really enjoyed, but for those that found it a bit strong, the white beans in the base balanced it out nicely. The crispy Guanciale was a great textural contrast and packed full of flavour – this was a truly hearty dish. This paired well with the Brown Magpie Pinot Noir 2006, which was my favourite wine of the night hands down. From Geelong, the wine had a wonderful savouriness, made more in the Burgundian style of Pinot. And as it sat in the glass a while, really opened up into a complex and enticing wine.

The fourth course was a wonderful blend of flavours and temperatures. We were served beef shin and rabbit ravioli, truffled mushroom wonton with tomato jelly. I really enjoyed this one, the tomato jelly stopped me mid-sentence to say “oh my God, this is delicious.” And what I loved most was the contrast of the sweet and cold tomato jelly against the earthy and warm ravioli and wonton. It was a really exciting course for the palate, both with bright and hearty flavours. This was served with the Lowe Preservative Free Merlot 2008. Unfortunately, I don’t feel this wine did this dish justice: it was just a little lacklustre. Admittedly, I’m not a Merlot drinker, and there was a certain mustiness to the wine I didn’t enjoy. But I had a little of the Pinot left, and enjoyed it immensely with this dish also!

Following this we had Alvin’s offering for the night: caramelised pork hoc with bok choy, chilli vinegar and black sesame rice. I think this one was definitely the crowd favourite – it certainly was ours!  It’s very similar to a Sailor’s Thai dish I’ve had before, but with a little more heat from the chilli. And the whole hoc was served, sort of pressed into this brick shape. It was sweet and sticky and completely naughty. I challenge anyone who doesn’t enjoy pork not to devour this dish greedily! The wine for this one was a Sanguine Tempranillo 2007 – a good match I felt. It had some nice fruit weight, but a few fine, drying tannins to clear the fattiness of the pork from your palate, encouraging more consumption!

The final savoury course was a simple offering that truly let the quality of the ingredients sing. Slow roast grass fed Sirloin with duck fat potatoes, asparagus and bone marrow sauce. The King Island beef was melt in the mouth tender and had a flavour like no other I’ve tried at steakhouses across Sydney, and it’s no wonder you normally have to take out a mortgage to buy a few steaks. The asparagus was as it should be peak of season – sweet and perfectly cooked, I love it still a bit crunchy.  The duck fat potatoes and rich bone marrow sauce rounded out the dish. It had the feeling of French bistro, but the quality and sophistication of fine dining. It was served family style, dropped in the centre of our tabe, and I honestly thought a dish of that calibre should have been served individually – but I’m knit-picking. The wine it paired with was an unconventional one – the Gemtree ‘The Phantom’ Petit Verdot 2008. It was by no means a bad wine, but I question why it was matched with the dish. As Danny said “why couldn’t we get a hearty Barossa Shiraz?” Touche good Sir.

For desert we were served cardamom poached fruits with sheep’s milk Labna alongside the Delatite Late Harvest Riesling 2009. A delicious combination and a favourite of mine. The poached fruits were rich with spice, cardamom, cinnamon, star anise and I found myself rather greedily digging out as many peaches as I could find. The Labna was rich and creamy and helped carry the sweet, fruity and spicy flavours around the mouth. The Delatite Riesling was a good match – but it needed all elements on the spoon to really do it justice. Otherwise it was just that pinch too dry on it’s own. It was a perfect end to the meal – not too heavy and really celebrating what’s in season.

All in all it was a wonderful night at MUMU, filled with tasty offerings from three very talented people. It also made me very keen to come back and sample MUMU’s actual menu. A huge thankyou to Craig, Denea and Alvin for a great night out!

These chappies are all on Twitter as well! Denea @GourmetRabbit, Alvin @cinnamonalvin and Craig @Chefmumu. Don’t forget to look us up while you’re there @bonvivantblog.

Becca Johnstone.

As Danny mentioned the other day, we are now kicking off our Spring White season and Danny has begun with my favourite white varietal: Riesling. And with Spring rolling in, all those gorgeous green vegies are coming in to their own. I think we tend to take some of the greenies, like cucumber, for granted through the year – it’s never as sweet as in Spring! I love Riesling’s versatility, and for a spice fiend, it’s ability to handle heat. New vintage Rieslings are fresh and zesty and because of this I like to drink them with fresh and zesty foods. But also, because of their acidity, they can cut through some richness as well. For this reason, this salad (originally conceived by Valli Little, though God knows I can’t find the actual recipe anymore) of smoked salmon and cucumber is my pick to enjoy a crisp, new vintage Riesling.

Smoked Salmon and Spicy Cucumber Ribbon Salad*

Serves 1 hungry person, or 2 Ladies Who Lunch.

*As I mentioned, this is based on a Valli Little recipe. But it’s changed over time (I in fact can’t even remember what she called it), so I guess this is just my take on it.

• 300g smoked salmon
• 3 cucumbers, peeled lengthways with a peeler to form long ribbons
• 1 shallot, peeled and quartered
• 1 garlic clove, smashed
• 2 scud chillis, roughly chopped
• 3cm ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1tbsp coriander roots, roughly chopped
• The juice of one lime
• 1tbsp palm sugar
• 1tbsp fish sauce
• 2tsp peanut oil
• A few drops of sesame oil
• Black pepper
• Fresh coriander, long (sweeter) red chilli and toasted sesame seeds to garnish.

Place cucumber ribbons in a flat dish. Add the shallot, garlic, chilli, ginger, coriander roots, limejuice, palm sugar, fish sauce and the oils and mix everything to combine. Set this aside for a few minutes to marinade – not too long though, you still want the cucumber to remain crunchy. It will release a lot of moisture though, that’s ok.

While the cucumber is marinating, arrange your smoked salmon in one layer on your serving plate. Season lightly with some fresh black pepper.

After 3-4 minutes of marinating, gather your cucumber ribbons, being sure to leave behind all the unpalatable bits and pieces – ginger, garlic, chilli, and shallot. The reason we left them chunky was so they could be left behind easily – they are there just to impart flavour, and do a surprisingly good job of it in such a short time. Give the cucumber a quick shake to make sure the ribbons aren’t overdressed and arrange in a pile in the centre of your plate.

Garnish plate with coriander leaves and fresh chilli (toasted sesame seeds are great as well, but I didn’t have any at hand today).

Drizzle a couple of teaspoons of the dressing the cucumber marinated in over the smoked salmon, and finish with a squeeze of fresh lime.

TIPS:

• Be careful not to overdress it, you don’t want the dish getting too soggy.
• This dish also works exceptionally well with smoked trout.
• The longer the cucumber, the longer (and I think prettier) the ribbon! I don’t mind the seeds of sweet Spring cucumbers so I leave them in, but that is going to be up to you.
• With your marinade, feel free to adjust everything to taste. If you aren’t after too strong a chilli heat, don’t use scuds and omit any seeds. But I can never get over just how much heat gets imparted after only a few minutes of marinating. Yum!
• Don’t throw away the left over dressing/marinade. Add a bit more lime, fish sauce, sugar and oil, pop it all in a jar (including all the floaty bits) and keep it in the fridge. Then you’ll have an instant, spicy, constantly infusing and above all tasty Thai salad dressing at hand at a moment’s notice.

Now that Spring had sprung, what will you be enjoying with a nice crisp Riesling? Let me know thebonvivantblog@gmail.com or on Twitter @bonvivantblog.

Ross Hill Estate, Orange

The October Long Weekend

By Becca Johnstone

It was surreal. I was seated at a table supping Chardonnay, in what was once a giant apple-processing shed, surrounded by cherry trees and oak barrels. A cold, rainy, Sunday in Orange – it was the thing of poignant afternoons in the French countryside, curled up with Madame Bovary. Except that there were 90 other people at my table, one bikie and a tantalising onslaught of chilli and lime and fish sauce coming at me. Four Thai chefs and three city-slicking fine-dining restaurant staff made the journey West to prepare a 9 course Royal Thai banquet (matched with 8 premium wines) for 100 very hungry, very thirsty people. Welcome to the Long Lunch…

Ross Hill Wines are a family owned and operated company situated at the base of Mount Canobolas in the heart of Orange’s wine region. They are relatively young for a vineyard, starting in 1994. They have a great environmental policy that sees the use of no insecticides, and a reduced irrigation scheme. They are in a cool climate, high altitude area of the state, which lends itself perfectly to wine production. Sailor’s Thai is one of Australia’s flagship high-end Thai restaurants. The brainchild of the Godfather of Thai food, David Thompson and restaurateur Peter Bowyer, Sailor’s has three locations across Sydney: The Rocks, Pott’s Point and a new restaurant at The Ivy. Combine Ross Hill’s cool climate wines, the spice and energy of Sailor’s Thai’s food with a boozy business meeting and an idea is born: “I know! We’ll put on a Thai banquet in Central NSW! And invite 100 of our closest friends!” I love it.

I have dined at Sailor’s a couple of times before, and was thrilled to see that my favourite dish was to be coming out first: a delicate starter of Yamba prawns, peanuts, chilli, roasted coconut and lime with caramel dressing on betel leaves. But alas! Disaster had struck last night in the Ross Hill kitchen. The poor fresh Thai herbs, not used to the chill of Orange in October, froze – rendering them all but useless. It is one thing to run around sourcing coriander and mint at Orange Woolies, but an entirely other trying to find betel leaves! So our betel leaves were thawed, and floppy unfortunately. But no one was complaining – the explosion of flavour in your mouth would forgive nature, just this once. This intensely sweet, spicy morsel coupled with the 2010 Pinnacle Pinot Gris was just splendid. It was going to be a very good day…

Next we had an interesting dish of smoked pork sausage, red chilli paste and peanuts dressed with salmon roe and eschallots. Along side these was a little complimentary number, not on the menu, of oysters topped with salmon roe and kaffir lime leaf. When I read this I was skeptical – smoky pork, red curry and salmon roe? But was pleasantly surprised when I popped it in my mouth. There was lovely heady heat from chilli (but not too overwhelming), smokiness from the sausage all helped along by salty oily roe. And never in my dining life have I seen anyone be more generous with salmon roe! Not even in my own home! Matched with the 2010 Jessica Rose, the wine was fresh and was a great way to clean the palate for the next course.

The dish that followed fought for dish of the day in my head – and a brave fight it was, but unfortunately it came second. A simply delicious dish of deep fried fish and green mango salad. The fish was crunchy, the salad having that perfect balance of sweet/salt/sour/spice that the Thai do so well. I could have happily eaten the bowl all to myself! This was paired with the 2009 Pinnacle Sauvignon Blanc another fresh and zesty wine with great limey acidity. For me, this match was one of the most successful of the day. It just screamed summer!

After a brief, but much needed, interlude we were served an aromatic curry of chicken, alongside my favourite wine of the day: 2009 Pinnacle Chardonnay. It was one of those perfectly balanced Chardys, a little kiss of oak, but still nice and acidic, with some great peachy notes. Personally, I felt the curry lacked that bit of oomph. I was expecting a bit more heat, as most of the chilli on the menu had been pretty tame (and I have often sat at Sailor’s panting, cursing that pesky Scud). But still a well balanced, but mildly spiced curry that was helped along by the Chardonnay.

Up next was another Sailor’s favourite of mine: Caramelised pork hock, red chilli and vinegar sauce. Again, an enormously generous serving – and everyone was well and truly full at this stage – but we all managed to pack away a fair bit of pork! It’s sticky and gooey and sweet, with the fattiness cut away by sharp vinegar and warming chilli. Just divine. We ate this with the 2009 Cabernet Franc Merlot – a very good Aussie rendition of a typical Bordeaux blend if you ask me. Some nice drying tannins helped with the richness of the dish too.

And now we are on to the hands down dish of the day: Grilled beef with tamarind dressing. A dish subtly named, but completely scintillating on the palate. It took ‘Thai beef salad’ to a whole new level. The beef was so meltingly tender you could cut it with your spoon, and it really just came alive with the sourness from the tamarind. I was worried that the 2008 Pinnacle Shiraz would overpower the dish, but I was happily proved wrong. The pepper from the beef worked a treat with the spicy Shiraz. My tummy is rumbling just thinking about it!

Just when we thought we couldn’t eat another thing, desert arrived! The tapioca pudding was quite refreshing, but it wasn’t a crowd favourite. I didn’t mind it, but it was very different to the Malaysian style I’m used to. It had green tea added to it (I think) and was missing all that unctuous coconut and sticky palm sugar. And it was also a cold desert on a very cold day, which probably didn’t do it justice. The coconut cake on the other hand… my lord what a treat! A gooey, slightly gummy texture and just warm in the middle, it was pretty special. So special that many around me were asking for more! These two were matched with the 2009 Pinnacle Cordon Cut Riesling, which really complemented the coconut cake with it’s lovely honeyed sweetness. A great finish to a truly decadent feast!

When these guys say long lunch, the really mean long lunch. After 6 and a half hours we poured ourselves in to taxis and made the short journey back to centre of town. A few kicked on at the pub, many retired early for a little sleepy. All certainly left well fed and ‘watered’ and extremely content at the more than pleasant afternoon. Now at $150.00 a head I personally think it was exceptional value: incredible, endless plates of food and what seemed like bottomless bottles of wine. I understand for some that it’s pretty steep, but if you can spare it, DEFINITELY check out the next one. Well worth not only the cash, but the trip to Orange – a truly lovely part of our country.

A big thanks to: the crew at Ross Hill for looking after us so well, Peter, Colin and the rest of the team from Sailor’s Thai and of course the wonderful Sally at Camelia Cottage – the best B&B in Orange (in my humble opinion). Obviously you can visit Sailor’s at the Rocks, Potts Point or Ivy, but if you’re after Ross Hill wines in Sydney give CBD Cellars a call.

Don’t forget, if you want to weigh in on this piece feel free to leave us a comment below. Or shoot us an email thebonvivantblog@gmail.com or on Twitter @bonvivantblog.

By Becca Johnstone

Cooking with Peter Gilmore

As the great man takes the stage to set up, the room is hushed. It was the stillest it had been all day. I looked around and could see that just about everyone was on the edge of their seats. This Gastronomic Master tends to have that effect on people – not bad for a kid from Carlingford (I say that with love, knowing far too many Carlingford boys in my time)! He explains that he’ll be focusing on the dishes today, about just how he prepares them, not so much his story and Quay. That makes perfect sense at a Chef Showcase I think!

First though, a short video is played. We are transported to Quay on what seems one of those perfect Sydney Harbour days. The whole essence of Gilmore and his intent with Quay is “food designed by nature” – something still in the forefront of everyone’s minds from the Rene Redzepi talk last week. As the video shows us a step by step guide on how he prepares his Smoked Eel Pearl, he suggests that it is dishes like this one that “represent new Australian cuisine.” From the sweet Pearl Meat from the Northern territory, to the custom grown flowers and micro-herbs in the Blue Mountains, “95% of the ingredients at Quay are Australian.” And given that Gilmore is a chef that “cooks from the soil up,” that’s a very important thing.

He starts us off by demonstrating a simple salad, just a cheeky little number you can knock up in no time. By ‘simple’ I mean complex and by ‘no time’ I mean a few days. It’s a salad of radishes, beetroot, olives and goat’s curd – classic flavour combinations given the Quay makeover. He begins by laying the base of he dish, a mixture of goats curd and crème fraiche. To this he adds a mixture that looks so much like soil I’d be inclined to go at it with a dustpan. It’s ‘Olive Crumbs’ – sourdough bread and Ligurian olives, pureed, dehydrated, then fried. To this he adds pickeled beetroot, a selection of raw and cooked radishes,  and beetroot chips. He tops these with two elegant little goats cheese filled brique pastry cigars, and then comes the fauna: Blood Sorrel, Bull’s Blood Chard and no less than 3 different types of violets (picked that morning from Gilmore’s own garden). He reminds us that “people eat with their eyes” and for me, being a salad lover, I looked at this plate with all the wonder of walking in to Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. It was stunning:

He moves on to prepare a many-textured lobster dish. A dish with so many processes that twice he has to move things off his 6 burner stove to make room. He talks calmly and sensibly to his captivated crowd as he pairs down his lettuce heart, and begins working on his shellfish stock tapioca. He tells us about a dish he had in a Chinese restaurant once that featured a ‘fish velvet’ – today he makes a ‘lobster velvet’ (two words that belong together when defining luxury)! Lobster velvet is effectively a lobster mussoline, aerated with freshly whipped egg whites, formed into quenelles and poached in lobster stock. They are light and airy, and remind me of one of my favourite deserts that my Ma used to make when I was a kid: Ouefs a la neige. So think strong, lobstery, floating islands! There are at least 6 different pots of lobster stocks and oils on the hob, and the smell of shellfish is intoxicating. He lays down his Oyster Cream (36 Sydney Rocks poached in milk, set with agar agar and then blended), followed by the Velvet. The lettuce heart is blanched in stock then added, followed by thin shavings of poached squid, lobster and oyster pearl meat. It’s topped with the pungent lobster stock tapioca and pea and wasabi flowers.

What follows next is something that stopped me in my tracks. He prepares a new cherry and chocolate dish that has just gone on the menu at Quay – and we all get a taste! A vanilla cream is placed in the base of the bowl. To this he adds roasted hazelnuts that have been dipped in toffee, and if that wasn’t indulgent enough, then dipped in white chocolate. It seems we’re going for sugary/nutty overload as he adds some crumbled almond macarons. He uses preserved wild Italian cherries, that he has formed into a loose compote with some cherry jam. Next, the chocolate crumble: a crunchy mix of the finest Italian Amedie chocolate, praline, raisins, walnuts and caramelised puff pastry. Aligned perfectly to this, like a scrumptious Yin Yang symbol, is the white crumble: tiny meringues the size of raindrops, mixed with milk biscuits. The dish is rained with maltose sugar crystals and finally adorned with chocolate and cherry sorbet.

Now I’m not a big desert fan, and in particular not a big chocolate desert fan. But I am the first to admit that this dish had me weak at the knees. It was unlike any other desert I’ve tasted – ever.  It was textural and sweet, nutty and sharp, rich with cocoa and calmed with cream. If all chocolate dishes tasted this good you’d have a Grade A convert on your hands! It was simply a masterpiece.

He’s a man who’s “inspired by the diversity of nature.” And thinks that his way of cooking, along with Rene Redzepi’s, is somewhat of a backlash against the globalisation of the food industry. This is music to a slow-food advocate’s ears! But what struck me most about the session with Gilmore was the insight in to where the money you spend at Quay goes: to brilliant, often bespoke produce and hours of meticulous, skilful preparation. I have no doubt in my mind that if I had it, it’s money I’d spend in an instant!

Have you dined at Quay and want to brag? Or was it not what you expected? Let us know on the email, Twitter or facebook.com/thebonvivantblog

A Three Part Blogstravaganza!

Becca Johnstone

Sunday morning. 7:12am. In a miraculous dreamland halfway between last night’s excesses and the morning after, lies your author. 7:13am. The world is shattered by the preposterously loud alert of a text message. I start awake feeling less than content; cursing whoever it may be that needs me at this ridiculous hour. Until I read the message…

So I have a spare ticket to the World Chef Showcase this afternoon in the city if you’re interested?

Interested doesn’t even quite describe just how interested I was. It’s texts like these that remind me why my friends are so great. And why this particular friend, darling Chris, is so damn awesome! From the bottom of my heart Chris, I thank you again… and again… and again!

So rather unexpectedly I found myself at the Star City ballroom in the afternoon, experiencing three great chefs, their stories and their recipes. So for what it’s worth, here’s my take on it all, in three parts over the next couple of days.

Cooking with Tetsuya Wakuda

Whenever I see Tetsuya being interviewed I just want to give him a hug. I don’t know if I can name a more down to earth, gentle chef. And although his food is simply spectacular, he still treats it with the same Zen-like gentleness he exudes. He’s moulding his salad of New Zealand Scampi, Junsai, tofu and goat’s curd with such a delicate touch, such precision, he looks out at the 200 strong audience and says “you must think I’m mad.” And yeah ok, we do a bit, but it’s that intensity and attention to detail that makes him not just one of the best chefs in Australia, but in the world. As he adds the Scampi he tells us to always fix the edges first as the rest of the ingredients will naturally spread to the middle – a lesson he’s learned the hard way. “I’m not perfect at all – not even in looks,” he quips with a grin.

The dish is finished with a reduced Scampi stock and dressed with a little olive oil. Little tasting cups of the finished product make their way around the room, but alas! There has been a miscalculation back stage and only half the people in attendance get a taste – something that Tets becomes visibly embarrassed about. Although it was a mishap out of his hands, he takes it as his own. Luckily (I guess) for me, I was able to taste. Personally, this was not a dish that my palate agreed with. I love raw fish and have eaten Scampi Sashimi style before… but that combined with incredibly fresh and alive cheese just didn’t do it for me. Superb skill and quality of ingredients, for sure, but not something I’m going to lie and say I adored, just because it was prepared by Tetsuya Wakuda.

The topic was raised of the great sense of fraternity between chefs at Tetsuya’s level and in particular his friendship with Rick Stein. “He’s my idol,” he confesses, “and definitely the best TV chef.” A relationship that sees Stein entrusting Tets with his son, Jack. Other than telling us he was “very handsome”, Tetsuya remarks with awe “my God he can drink beer!”

He moves on to preparing a sous-vide spatchcock with potatoes and greens – a dish we can cook at home! Though I do question my spatchcock de-boning abilities. The bird is deboned, then rolled into a small sausage in it’s own skin. He has one chef in his kitchen that preps 150 of these a day – a task that gets assigned for months at a time! He cooks the little parcel sous-vide style (vac wrapped and poached gently at a low temperature) for 8-10 minutes at 70degrees. He lets us know that his Sous Chef has just got married, but is only one 3 people to tie the knot at Tetsuya’s. “It’s a great industry if you want to break up with someone!” But on a more romantic note, he goes on to say that if you make this dish at home you will “improve your cooking and your love life as well.”

He finishes with a simple and refined dish of “Scallops That Taste Like Oysters.” A composition of thinly sliced scallop, fresh nori, foie gras and a rice vinegar, soy and olive oil dressing. They are formed like thin little cigars and are a dish that I think sums up Tetsuya Wakuda: stylish, subtle and above all, honest.

Stay tuned! Marcus Wareing shares his thoughts on…well… everything! Part two of the World Chef Showcase Blogstravaganza coming atcha later today! Don’t forget to join the buzz on Twitter: @bonvivantblog

Jacob’s Creek Tempranillo 2008

South Eastern Australia

$8-$13

Many of the readers out in Cyberspace have come back to me looking for some wines that, while still be top quality, don’t break the bank. Here are two the I picked up for under $10 a pop.

This Tempranillo from Jacob’s Creek fits the bill perfectly. I picked up this interesting number for only $8.99 and even I think I paid too much for it. Please shop around when looking for this wine, I totally think you can get this at a price better than $8.99. It is a lovely cheap and cheerful red from a producer that we all know that most definitely doesn’t break the bank. This is an excellent example of a nice easy drinking red. This particular wine has a deep purple colour to it. The nose on this is extremely pungent with a spice flavour to it that gives me a more savoury than fruity feel. This is at best a light to medium bodied wine but it still manages to have a decent amount of flavour to it. This is an incredibly smooth wine. I have already finished half a bottle by “tasting”.  Good stuff.

Shaw Vineyards Estate Riesling 2008

$8.99- $15

This other little $8.99 number from the Canberra region comes from, in my opinion a very underrated winery in Shaw Estate.  The 2009 is the current release but I am still totally in love with the 2008 vintage of this particular wine. The wine, now a couple of years is starting to show some of those aged characters that I love in a good Riesling. Now this may not be everyones cup of tea but I do enjoy a well made riesling with a slight of kerosene and rubber to this particular wine. It just adds an extra level of complexity to the wine.

DR

Innocent Bystander Pinot Gris 2008

Yarra Valley

$15-$20

I’ve gone back to a favourite of mine from the Yarra Valley this week. Giant Steps/Innocent Bystander are one of the more well known names of the region and this is one of the first wines I had ever really tasted (post teenage binge drinking years, but there’s only so much Fruity Lexia a girl can handle). And what a wine to start a journey with! Besides, it’s my Mum’s favourite wine… and you don’t argue with Mumsie on matters such as these. Now in to the 2009 vintage, this wine is fantastically aromatic with great fresh floral notes and some nice pear characters. On the palate it’s really zingy and lime-driven - great acidity! It has some nice apple fruitiness, and finishes with a nice steely note. It’s a cracking food wine, I’m thinking Singapore Chilli Crab. Yum!

Flying Fish Cabernet Merlot 2008

Margaret River

$17-$23

Heading West now to Margaret River, a brilliant region for bordeaux style blends. The Flying Fish Cab Merlot is a wine that I think punches well above it’s weight, and while it’s not exactly on Jacobs Creek Tempranillo (what great value, I’m going to pick some up tomorrow!) end of the price range, I would still happily pay a pretty penny more for this wine. Tasting it blind I would have put it up around $35. It’s so well made! It’s got beautiful, fine tannins that leave you craving that next sip. An amazing deep purple colour, this wine has that unmistakeable aroma of dark cherries. It has a great oak balance on the palate, with rich, chocolatey berry flavours. It’s just a really rich, really elegant wine. And as I said, great value, but at the other end of the scale. Have it on it’s own and enjoy it for what it is!

Becca

Annie’s Lane Chardonnay 2009

Clare Valley

Once upon a time I used to be an ‘ABC’ - anything but Chardonnay - but as my palate has grown and, in all seriousness, I drank more and more wine, this iconic and misunderstood varietal grew on me. Chardonnay is a fantastic food wine and nowadays I tend to drink a glass of this with dinner more than anything else it seems. This little number from The Clare is one of my ‘rack essentials.’ Simply put it’s a good value, no-nonsense Chardy. Wine snobs hear Annie’s Lane and may think ‘mass-produced slosh’ - an actual quote from someone I once worked with. But the fact of the matter is Annie’s Lane is readily available because they are getting it right! It’s good wine, end of story. This Chardonnay has lovely peach and fig notes on the nose, with a very subtle hint of oak. On the palate it has a great balance of acidity and smooth fruitiness. It has that subtle oakiness in it’s body as well - by no means like sucking on wood chips (the old style of Australian Chardonnay). Great as an aperitif, but I thoroughly enjoyed it the other day alongside some French Onion Soup with a monumental Gruyere crouton. If you’re lucky you’ll catch it on special around $12, but it can get up to around $20.

De Bortoli Windy Peak Sangiovese 2008

King Valley

From one well known Australian wine house to another - De Bortoli is another producer that tends to just be ‘getting it right.’ This Sangiovese takes me right back to my time spent in Italy. It’s quite dry, so if you like full, luscious, fruit-driven reds, stay away from this medium-bodied number. But I really enjoy some nice drying tannins from time to time. Don’t get me wrong, it still has some juicy fruit characters on the palate, but manages to achieve that great balance between fruit and tannin. This balance is achieved on the nose as well, with some rich dark berry aromas followed by some more earthy and savoury points too. It has great colour as well, really deep ruby with a lovely purple hue. My best friend and I polished off a bottle of this the other night after a supremely intense masterclass, where we watched a sexy young chef knock up his signature dish… which we then ate. It’s a hard life for some! But I think to get the most out of it I’d be drinking it with some rich, tomato based Italian flavours. Can’t go past a really good spag bol! Priced from $14-17.

Audrey Wilkinson SSB 2009

Hunter Valley/ Marlborough

$17-$22

This wine represents the coming together of my favourite wine style, Hunter Valley Semillon, with the ever popular Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. This is the first time I am ever tried a blend like this. This wine is clear with a slighty straw hue to it. Opening the bottle and the nose on this wine is much more restrained in my opinion for something blended with Marlborough Sauv Blanc. There has none of the pungency of some of the other Marlborough sauv Blancs I Have tried recently. On this wine I get some tropical fruits flavours coupled with a hint of passionfruit and lemon from the Semillon. This a lighter, less acidic style and it will come into its prime this summer. This particular wine should be available at all your big bottleshops.  

Ross Hill Mack’s Lot Shiraz 2008

Orange, NSW

15-$20

This is the second red I have featured from around the Orange area. As many of you may be aware Ross Hill is one of favourite producers at the moment. With their new winemaker, Phil Kearney, who comes out of the Mornington Penisula. Ross Hill are making some seriously drinkable Reds and this their middle of the road Shiraz is no exception. A vibrant and dense purple, this wine has a brilliant spiciness to it as well as a slight hint of mint/eucalypt that is typical of cooler climate Shiraz. The use of oak is restrained but it does impart a nice sweetness to the wine. A perfectly well rounded red from an up and coming producer. This bad boy really does sneak up on you, before you know it, the bottle is gone!!

By Rebecca Johnstone.

Sabbaba

82 Hall Street, Bondi Beach.

Last week my brother turned 15. He was offered his choice of anywhere in Sydney to go for dinner, provided we could get in the following evening (that basically ruled out anything with a Hat, to which my father’s wallet breathed a sigh of relief). Birthday dinners are always a special thing in our family, so I was looking forward to going somewhere not so ‘every day.’ I reckon I know my brother pretty well and in my mind had narrowed it down to three places: mountains of Shanghai dumplings, our local Korean barbecue, or the meat-a-palooza known as Brazilian Churrasco. Little did I know that this Bon Vivant in the making would have us heading East, in more ways than one: ‘Take me to Sabbaba… I’m in the mood for felafel.’ 

Sabbaba is a bit of a Bondi institution if you ask me, serving the surfies, trendies and backpackers a constant stream of steaming felafel in pitas chocked with all manner of dips and salads I can’t pronounce properly. It sells itself as Mediterranean/Middle Eastern cuisine, but at it’s heart is just really tasty Israeli food. In summer, this place is an absolute hub for the hungry beach goers, and the air is buzzing with a mixture of languages all to the backing of the latest World music album that one of the staff have brought in. It goes without saying I’ve dined here a fair bit, the first time for my birthday a few years ago in fact - entirely by accident (or fate!). My friends and I haven’t looked back, and certainly have not been disappointed since. This evening was no exception.

We waited a few minutes for a table outside (definitely the best way to ‘eat in’ at Sabbaba) to become available. Luckily for us it was a beautifully warm Spring evening, so the braziers were not needed. I could see my mother getting antsy because the previous diner’s plates had not been cleared, but as soon as that thought crossed all our minds, our friendly waiter arrived and with all the skill of a magician, handed out four menus and cleared the table. The way Sabbaba works is you can order ‘in a pita’ or ‘on a plate.’ You have an enormous choice of felafels, meats and fish, cooked and seasoned in a variety of different ways. If you opt for ‘in a pita’ the friendly Sabbaba crew will assemble your choice of protein in a pita bread with your choice of salads (much like an extremely tasty, palate igniting Subway I guess). If ‘on a plate’ is your thing, your protein gets cooked to perfection and served with the Sabbba selection of salads and spreads, alongside a bowl of pillow-soft pita breads. The ‘on a plate’ option tends to be the best if your dining in at Sabbaba, and each Johnstone went for it.

A pile of cutlery wrapped in paper serviettes clattered down on our table, and was soon dispensed with - this is not the place to go if you don’t like eating with your hands. Every time my brother and I have eaten at Sabbaba we’ve said ‘next time we won’t get any starters, just a plate’ - and yet again we broke this rule. We decided to share a plate of haloumi, vine leaves and felafel to start. The haloumi was served with grilled eggplant and tomato salsa and was cooked to perfection - slightly crisp on the outside, blushing bronze, yet almost oozy on the middle. The vine leaves are doused with rich olive oil, but still maintain a nice acidic balance and have bags of flavour. But the felafel - OH the felafel - wars could could be fought over these deep fried gems! I have no qualms in traveling to all corners of Sydney for the food I love, and Sabbaba felafels are just one of those things I’ll fill up the tank in the Verada for. Crisp, crunchy exteriors that give way to soft and subtly spiced chickpea centres. Dipping these in to smooth, nutty tahini should be listed as a religious experience.

The plates were cleared and I was already half way to full, but nowhere near daunted at what was going to come next. In between our starters and mains we drank some delicious Thorn Clarke Shotfire Quartage 2007. This is a great place to BYO, if you don’t mind drinking your plonk out of a little tumbler. My brother was served rosewater pink lemonade, a super cool and refreshing drink that I can imagine being the most perfect rejuvenator after a morning of salt and sand at the beach. As we waited, a couple of musicians sat down at the table next to us, one whipped out his guitar and for the rest of our meal we were accompanied by smooth, beachy tones (except when their felafel arrived - silence!). It truly was a special thing, an experience to me that just sums up Bondi life. 

Our plates arrived swiftly and we all dived right in. My mother and I opted for lamb Kofta, my brother chicken Shawarma and my father the signature ‘Jerusalem Mix’ - a mixture of chicken hearts, livers and kidneys. All were served with a mild chilli/tomato salsa, sweet yet vinegar-sour red cabbage salad, tabbouli, chopped ‘Greek’ style salad, spicy chopped gherkins, whole soft chickpeas and lashings of hummous and baba ghanoush. All of which are arranged so neatly and nicely on the plate that it looks like a beautifully festive map of deliciousness. My lamb kofta plate…

What I love about this style of eating, that is so common across the Med and Middle East, is that you can make of it what you want. Each mouthful can be completely different from the last - but always a tasty one! We all did our best, but no one’s plate was totally empty at the end of the meal (the same mistake we make every time of ordering starters)! The lamb Kofta is a favourite of mine, rich with spices and zingy with lemon. Though I did have some major food envy at the sight of my Dad’s chicken livers et al. I have had the Jerusalem Mix before and if you enjoy offal it is a definite must-try. I must give a shout out to a favourite take away pita of mine (other than a simple felafel one): the Jamaican fish. Perfeclty soft flakey white fish, packed with herbs and a bit of chilli heat - an absolute cracker in the warmer months.

Sabbaba also has the best selection of baklava and Eastern sweets I’ve seen in Sydney (seriously, it covers a wall). But alas we had Gary Mehigan’s Black Forest Cake of Doom waiting for us at home, so had to forego the sweets this time around. So the evening ended, it was time for us to leave the mix of dreadlocks and Donna Karen. But we left happy and at peace, knowing my brother had had a great birthday, that Dad had been converted to Israeli food and that we had all got out of there at exactly $25 a head!

This place is not fancy, it’s not sophisticated, no one will be offering you freshly cracked black pepper and you will have to pour your own water from the jugs at the counter. If you have a problem with any of that, you do not deserve to experience the wonder that is Sabbaba. If you do, however, enjoy eating with your hands, relaxed atmospheres, value for money, friendly staff and above all, simply delicious food, get down to Sabbaba ASAP - but chances are, you’ve already been!

Overall rating: 4/5.

Been to Sabbaba recently? What’s your favourite plate? Let me know - thebonvivantblog@gmail.com or on Twitter @bonvivantblog.

Ad Lib Bistro

1047 Pacific Hwy, Pymble

Ad lib bistro is a modern Sydney adaptation of the classic Parisien bistro. Basking in the glory that comes with being crowned a one-hat restaurant in the Good Food Guide 2011, Ad lib is open and bright meaning that unlike a traditional French bistro it can be vibrant and busy without leaving you feeling squashed under the crush of fellow diners. This turned out to be extremely important as the bistro was completely full by 7:30 on a Monday night with two couples having to wait at the bar drink in hand, whilst waiting for space to open up. I managed to get up to Pymble before the one-hat was announced, I can only see the place getting more and more popular. The main dining area was thoughtfully set-up with clean straight lines and crisp white everywhere. This is coupled with the mandatory French art-house coffee and alcohol posters provides a definite wow factor which, so impressed one diner it caused her to literally be swept off her feet and on to hardwood floor.

The true test of any restaurant, however is, and will always be, the quality of the food. To start, the soup of the day, was a potato leek white truffle number which was served with enough plates to drive any dish-pig to drink while the goats cheese tart had a wonderful rustic homemade quiche feel about it, the pungent cheese and leek the perfect match to a glass of West Cape Howe Semillon Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2009 from Denmark WA. The final starter, a sea scallop carpaccio provided a number a big juicy scallops which were, according to my fellow diner, overpowered by the dressing. 

The main course of Fish Fillet Meuniere, Almonds, Green Beans sounded so good we decided to order it twice. Although appearing petite on arrival to say the least, the portion was just large enough to leave you feeling satisfied but so good and delicious to make you want to lick your plate clean. The fish was perfectly cooked, moist with a crispy skin, the beans cooked just enough to keep a slight crunch to them, allowing them to compliment the crunchy almond flakes perfectly. The lamb shanks slow braised with winter vegetables was not so successful. The dish arrives with the meat already having been de-boned which for me takes all the fun out of lamb shanks. I think lamb shanks should be a dish where you have to wrestle the plate in order to get the succulent meat off the bone. With that in mind, I am not sure if we should complain about one of the lamb shanks still having a shard of bone in it. I don’t think it was the chefs intention - a slight black mark against an excellent dish. Finally, the grilled Yellowfin tuna, with Nicoise style grilled vegetables and olive tapenade had the final diner raving about the vegetables. Again it appeared the chef had cooked the tuna perfectly producing a perfect colour in the tuna with a melt in the mouth texture. 

Overall, I was very impressed with the Ad-lib bistro experience. Staff were knowledgeable and attentive and the service was second to none. I think there was 5 minutes at the very most between us ordering our food and receiving our entrees either they have a very well organised kitchen or they just wanted us out of there as quickly as possible. The food despite the bone in one of the lamb shanks was excellent. A delicious meal that has been thoughtfully put together by an extremely talented kitchen staff.  

 Overall I scored Ad-lib as follows 

 Atmosphere/Look: 5/5

Service: 4/5 

Food/Wine 4/5

 X factor 3/5 

Total 16/20

As always your feedback is always welcome, hit me up at thebonvivantblog@gmail.com