Food Crawl!!

A couple of days off can only mean one thing: Food Crawl!! Load your wallet, wear elastic-wasited dress jeans, make sure the SLR memory card is empty and mates that have conversation that won't end in awkward silence after prolonged exposure (and can handle their wine).


Let's start with @ Manta Restaurant with mixed oysters; Clare De Lune, Bateman's Bay; Coffin Bay Pacifics; Sydney Rocks from forgotten location. Nothing beats a freshly shucked oyster... Except 3 different kinds of freshly shucked oysters.

House-made fries with black truffle, parmegianno regianno - ohh, the sexiness.

A whopping 1.5kg 5+ Wagyu rib eye on the bone w/ bone marrow and field mushrooms

Steamed blood orange pudding w/ lemon curd ice cream - needed something light after all that heaby meatness and truffleness.

Next, it's off the a fellow chef's house for more steak...

...with roasted veg, "Chef's Salad" (Beetroot, green beans, honey-glazed carrots) and of course cafe de paris!

Then for 2nd dinner, to the dark dens of El Bulli, Surry Hills: 6 tapas to share and Paella!


...And Churros with Dulce de Leche! Needed the Spanish chocolate and honey nougat ice cream from Subsolo; mmmmm...

Then it was time to get up for brunch at the Alliance Francaise Centre for some Parsley soup...

...And Cassoulet (if it had garlic breadcrumbs it would have been the best one I've ever tasted).

Finished it with Citron Muelle-Fuille

A stopover @ David Jones Foodhall oyster bar for more Sydney Rocks and Chandon NV Rose

Then head over to Lunch at:

To have some crumbed lamb brains with a corn fritter and fennel and broad bean salad

Blue Eye on Mussel broth, potato gnocchi and (more) broad beans

Duck confit with beetroot puree, baby spring onions, braised red cabbage

And now I am broke, but happy and full. Stomach can take more, but probably should have cut down on the wine consumption...

SO FULL BUT OH SO GOOD!

Care to join me next time? Up for the challenge? Let me know.

Hosting a Paella Party

You bought that big paella pan. Now what? Have a party around it!

The number one lesson in cooking paella? Patience. Same with steak; searing and resting are the most important parts. Make sure you sear the meats to a nice caramel before taking them off, and returning them to the pan during the braising stage. Rest that Paella for at least FIFTEEN minutes; covered in foil to keep the heat in.

Cooking time (including resting) will end up to about 40 minutes! So what can your guests eat until then?

Salad of baby cos, radicchio, parmesean and free range bacon

How about sautee'ing a handful of king prawns with lots of garlic (about 8 cloves), smoked paprika (a tablespoon), chilli flakes (a pinch), flamed off with a shot of cognac and finished with a squeeze of lemon juice - you don't even need a picture to make you drool over that image!

Before you start your Paella, grill off some chorizo with some olive oil and finished with lemon juice - serve with tomato sauce; that and a loaf of bread is enough to stop worrying about your guests complaining about being hungry.

The secret to Paella Prep? Do it the night before! (especially if it's for lunch the next day) Cleaning and scoring that squid, chopping up the onions, capsicums, cleaning the mussels, splitting the beans, cutting chorizo - there's a crazy amount of chopping to do, and unless you're a pro - it'll take you forever! Do it up to 24 hours before, and you'll be cruising.

Speaking of day before, Sangria!

My sugar syrup recipe: 200ml water:200ml caster sugar, 2 star anise, 1 cinnamon stick

Sangria: Cut up strawberries, blueberries, kiwi fruit and apples - top off with a bottle of wine, some tequila, brandy and rum to taste. Add spiced sugar syrup to taste as well - leave to soak overnight. To serve, balance with schwepps lemonade to desired alcoholic strength.

Stay tuned for an in-depth paella recipe!

The Chef Next Door

Here's my story - I worked for Manta Restaurant for a day, then I heard China Doll was looking so I bailed and started at my current job.

It's not that the food was bad; it's just that their commitment to serving top level produce was not matched by the number of people eating at the restaurant - therefore, costs had to be cut elseswhere - no kitchenhands during the day, always running out of stock and produce when it gets surprisingly busy; things like that. Tough working conditions.

But I really wanted to dine and try the food; and a $447 bill between 3 covers later - I did; and it was good. I had to check if my wallet was still in my pocket walking back to the car, and one of my dining colleagues nearly had a heart attack, never having to pay that much for a meal in her life.

So why does it cost so much?

Let's start with some 'Manta Martinis' (martinis with lychee), and 2 glasses of cab sav, starting with angel fries: house-made fries generously topped with parmesean regianno and black truffles (thanks to knowing the guys in the kitchen, an extra handful of truffles). Pair that with some Clare de Lune oysters from Bateman's Bay, and you have something to enjoy the sunshine with.

Then, something from the kitchen:
Scallops on Jerusalem artichoke puree, minted peas, white asparagus. Very kind, guys!

A raw selection plate later (I ate it before taking the photo, but if you want to have a geeze, check out NQN's blog post on Manta), the main course (along with a side of fish and salad somewhere underneath that plate):


Oh yess - $210 worth of wagyu rib eye on the bone, with bone marrow and field mushrooms, sides of Bearnaise, salsa verde, mustards - more value than Rockpool at least.

Still, a bit shaken by the bill though. I *am* on a chef's salary.


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Don Corleone's + learning a trade

Chef whites drying enjoying the sunshine

I am currently taking a journey; a self educated path in food Photography/food blogging with my new Nikon D90, and the no.1 lesson I have learnt is: no matter how good the food tastes, it doesn't matter if it doesn't look good in the picture (I get paid to cook, not to take nice pictures).

So with photos from my massive 17-300mm telemacro lens, I would like to show you one of my favourite places to grab some fresh meat. And cheese.
Welcome to Don Corleone's Delicatessen. The most authentic Italian Deli around, who's passion for their product is so true, that you can even see them arguing with flambe in front of the deli - Grandfather, sisters, mothers, brothers; all getting into the action - but of course, in front of the customer they're all smiles and good coffee.

Yes kid, I was also in awe when I saw the produce in here.

Look at that range of cheese; the Pecerino infused with black truffle is a must try, but they've got a great range of Spanish, French and Italian cheeses - and they make their own ricotta - comes in low fat, too!

The meats! Oh the meats - hams and prosciutto from all over Italy and Spain - All Freshly sliced to order! From your Jamons to a whole leg of ham on the bone! Nothing tastes as good as freshly sliced - I guarantee you*.

Gourmet antipasto galore! You know what I love? Ceasar Salads with white anchovies in them; oh yesss...

Yes Kid, I want some EVOO too, but which one? I like The Little General. Wait, that might have come out wrong.

Mozerella, Italian drinks, hand made pastas and pasta sheets, gelato - have I yet to mention the home made pastas, lasagna and stuffed cannelloni?

my tip: If you're having a bacon and egg roll from here (or with freshly sliced and grilled pancetta) - make sure you ask for some napolitana sauce on it - freaking awesome!

If you're in the area check it out:

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China Doll

If they Head Chef asks you to come eat as a guest of the restaurant, you don't say no. As a matter of fact, if the Head Chef asks anything of you, you don't say no. Unless the question is about you doing something wrong.

So I brought my family to my place of work (after all that ranting about not eating where I work; I know - shut up) and have to say; I really enjoy the experience!

Somehow, the restaurant is busy on a Tuesday night - about 80+ in the restaurant while all the other restaurants were near desertion: The locals must really like chinese food.

"Don't order too much" Chef Frank says.

He hasn't met the stomachs of me and my sister.

After a beautiful apple and vanilla mojito on the house (and ordering a bottle of wine); we get started. And of course, due to my noobness to food photography, and also politeness to not let people wait while I take slow-exposure shots without a tripod, the following took place:

Meet John; your local fryer and wok chef.

Quiet before the (dust) Storm

Sashimi of kingfish and ocean trout with blackened chilli dressing, apple and microherb salad and homemade pickled ginger. Some days it tastes better with the kingfish, others the ocean trout - so don't ask which is better.

prawn, scallop and snake bean steamed dumplings
Szechuan style (hot and numbing) pork ribs - tasty. Szechuan-y.

Kurobuta pork and peanut San Choi Pow: if you don't know kurobuta - it's the wagyu of pork - if you're a pork lover: what are you waiter for?! go get yourself a belly!

On to mains:


We had this dish: And my photos of it are not any good - my sister's favourite.

I wish I had a photo of the Pork Belly w chilli caramel and Nam Pla Phrik - the bomb.

Back: Panang curry with wagyu beef shin - on the menu, it says Penang; so I was excited - but the flavours are Thai. So, not as excited.
Front: Tea Smoked Free Range Thirlmere Duck w Tamarind & Plum - the most awesome dish. On the Planet.

(Whas was) Dessert of Sago with passionfruit and coconut cream, and steamed banana pudding w chocolate ganache, choc sorbet and cardamon anglaise.

Finish with a dessert cocktail of VSOP Hennessy XO flamed with cointreau and star anise, clove, cinammon (don't sniff it, though *arf* what a kick!), and I leave, understanding why this place is so packed all the time... with corporates.




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To be one of Them

Signs that you are not a very good food blogger:

1. Your Iphone takes better photos than your digital camera.
2. You accidentally eat most of the dish before you realise that you forgot to take the photo
3. When dining with other food bloggers, you must muster all your will to not eat the food while they find the perfect shot.
4. You have no recollection of what you, nor what anyone else ate.
5. You post photos in portrait, all the time.

These are things I discovered over a very rare Friday/Saturday rostered day off work, dining with food bloggers and eating in recently-opened places.

I would like to notify readers that all photos on this blog were taken with an Iphone:

Bread and Dip @ Sahara Restaurant, Parramatta - the winner was definitely the spinach and ricotta concoction. The babaganoush and hommous had a very high 'meh' factor.

No one can go wrong with grilled lamb, yoghurt and mint on the same plate - awesome salad, too - fresh tomato and cucumber flavours with the right touch of lemon juice, oil and seasoning.

Turkish coffee and 'chewy' ice cream. The ice cream had the texture of a french kiss. A very, very, bad one. Couldn't finish... a whole spoon of it.

Moving on to the next culinary location;
@chocolatesuze's for cheese and an indescribable variety of prosciutto! At this point, I would like to publicly thank @thelonefoodie for his generosity in providing the more exotic cured hams - especially those jamons; that black one (excuse my ignorance for not knowing names, but my spanish is rusty) - poetry about the complexity and balance of swine!

On to a recently-opened Jap place in Maroubra: Kokoroya.

Located somewhere on the darker parts of Anzac parade; this place fills the Japanese void in that location - well done guys.

Edamame - this and Sapporo should replace the popcorn and coke at the movies.

Mixed Sashimi and Oysters $25 - nice portions and fresh

Kingfish head w salt $17.50 - would have thought a kingfish head was bigger, but very tasty.

Pork Belly in Soy - $8; great value!

Just remembered about taking a photo of the pork katsu ($12) in the knick of time

That, with a lemongrass liquor and fresh juice cocktail was enough to be very happy with this new Japanese addition to Maroubra.

It was a fun weekend, back to the food factory; double-shift Sunday, can't wait.