Archive for September, 2006
V Rating: Super V Reasons for my excitement are enumerated as follows (I am doing it this way cos otherwise this post will turn into babbling food-related happiness) 1. It’s on Degraves St, which is one of my favourite of Melbourne’s cafe alleyways, coming off one of my favourite of Melbourne’s shopping lanes (Flinders Lane). 2. The food is, good, interesting, quick and affordable. It is also organic and largely vegetarian in combinations that I can handle (i.e. not everything has eggplant in it, and tomato is not a substitute for innovative spices which it often is in vegetarian cooking) 3. They have sourdough PIES, my friends. PIES full of mushrooms and tofu, or if you like, a vegetarian shepherd’s pie made from a wholemeal pastry. PIES. 4. The sandwiches come on a range of different breads, none of them white. I was very happy with my spelt bread sandwich with salad, tuna and soy herb mayo. 5. There is a range of food combinations to suit pretty much anyone’s food allergies or detox diets (mine included). They have wheat free, gluten free, sugar free, you name it. However I tried one of the sugar and wheat free apple and cinnamon muffins and it sadly wasn’t that good. I think the problem with muffins is that they kind of need something to soak up all the sugar replacement pear juice. But the vegan chocolate fudge is good according to all reports. 6. They do the all important LSD (latte soy dandelion). Las Chicas in Carlisle St, Balaclava still do the best, followed by Bare Pear (CBD). But TOFWD are now in third place. 7. They also sell their own range of organic wholefoods and products, like flours, sauces, jams, pasta, wines. 8. TOFWD naturally has a good selection of salads too. I am still getting through the deli goods though (like you know, the PIES), lost in the excitement of being able to eat them! Triple thumbs up for this little cafe. Go there go there GO THERE!
V Rating: VVVV This is a tres groovy restaurant. I am not sure but I think the inside of the restaurant must have been designed to maximise the sound system, what with all the angled timber and oval shaped slits in the ceiling and the speakers sending out some of my favourite toons to waft around me. The door is tucked away in a corner of Level 3 of Melbourne Central - a black, wooden affair which slides open as you approach, admitting you to the world of SOS. Down the black and timber gold corridor and you enter into the restaurant proper, passing a stylised forest on one side. The walls are tastefully covered with the repeated image of the Napoleon Bee, which I think is the insect which Darwin first used as an example of his natural selection theory (but this brainwave factoid visited me after three hours of dining, so I am most likely cleverly wrong about it - at first I have to admit I wondered out loud why the moniker of such a chic restaurant was a squashed fly). Ok and now to the food. The restaurant’s menu philosophy is based on sustainability, so the only things on offer are sustainable vegetables and fish dishes - no red meat, no chooks. The vegetables are unique and beautifully combined. As a fish eating vegetarian who doesn’t do dairy, I was pretty punchdrunk happy with the menu. I had the calamari with pea puree and squid ink sauce for entree, and the goldband snapper served with zucchini flowers, vongole and oak leaves. Mmmmm. The straight vegetarian options were also appealing (I was going through a protein day so stuck to the seafood, but otherwise the risotto or cannellini ragu with ricotta gnocchi balls would have been MINE). Overall, I enjoyed the experience. There was something a bit new and off-puttingly expensive about the place - some part of me still thinks that eco friendly should also be generally affordable in order to be truly morally OK. But the excellent food turned a work lunch into an enjoyable afternoon.
V Rating: VVV The business card for Java Cafe carries the slogan ‘excellent Indonesian cuisine.’ Could not have said it better myself. Java is my favourite Indonesian restaurant in Sydney. The food is authentic, the waiting staff are lovely, the atmosphere is thriving and the atmosphere screams relaxed cafeteria. It’s also easy to find on busy Avoca street - just look for the bright yellow sign and the shop window with a giant palm tree. The good news for vegetarians is that there are 13 vegetable dishes. Our table ordered gado gado, semur terong (fried battered eggplant in a sweet soya sauce) and sayur lodeh. The vegetables in the gado gado were fresh contrasted well with the thick, sweet peanut sauce. One of my favourite things about Java is that they serve great tempeh. Although we didn’t order it this time around, I’d recommend the fried tofu and tempeh dish. Java is not a glamourous eating experience. If that’s your thing, try Jimbaran further down the road. However, it can’t be beaten for great value, authentic Indonesian food. The only catch is that a lot of people in Sydney are in on the secret, so make sure you book a table to avoid a half an hour wait.
V Rating: VVVV Where a rundown, rowdy bar used to be, Brent Savage and Nick Hildebrandt have set up the very cool Bentley restaurant and bar that just won Two Chef Hats and Best New Restaurant from the 2007 Sydney Good Food Guide. Both Savage and Hildebrandt have resumes that read like a who’s who of the Australian restaurant industry, one a highly inventive chef and the other thought to be one of the country’s top sommeliers (in fact he also won the GFG 07 Sommelier Award). What better hands to be in? The room was smaller than I expected (it was a tight fit for waiters) and the crowd were relaxed and casually dressed. Cool jeans and smart t-shirts won over black shoes and collars. The bar section had a few stools and there were three or four tables for those wanting drinks and tapas. The colour theme was certainly red, white, black and pale wood; the room divided by a shiny red metallic board with cut out leaves. My fellow diners didn’t like the décor but I thought it suited the dressed-down clientele and Surry Hills locale – it had a kitsch plastic chic that I found playful. While waiting for my companions I indulged in a cocktail called Dust?Anyone?Dust?, a salute to the Fat Fighters convenor from the BBC comedy Little Britain (extra points to them for a reference which happens to be one of my favourites). It was a great cocktail that mixed strawberry, rose and basil and was topped with shaved ice and a sherbet that snapped and crackled happily over the fuchsia drink. The Bentley does a vegetarian degustation so we opted for “the gus” as we have affectionately started to call it: $90pp for the food and an extra $60pp for matching wines. There were three omnivores and one vegetarian in our party. The first part of our degustation was a wonderful white gazpacho (ajo blanco) flavoured by almonds and garlic. It came in an elegant glass bowl and was dotted with a pretty splash of green olive oil. I love ajo blanco and this was a particularly good version, smooth, milky and garlicky. For the fish eaters came a bite size morsel of Claire de Lune oyster atop ruby grapefruit and crackling described as a “pork bubble”. Ever since trying a tuna, grapefruit and pork dish at Pyrmont’s Flying Fish I have been a big fan of these flavour combinations and I love Claire de Lune oysters as well. This morsel worked well for me and the creamy low-saltiness of the meaty oyster matched the salty sweet pork and bitter grapefruit. Instead of the oyster, our veggie was given two extra gazpachos: green and red. The green gazpahco was made of green tomatoes and had a distinctly earthy, leafy flavour. The red was made of tomato and capsicum and was sweet and spicy. They were all very good. Our vegetarian thought the red was the best by far, while I still leant towards the ajo blanco. With this course we all drank the 2004 Salomon-Undhof Grüner Veltliner ‘Wieden’ (Krems/Stein Austria). The winemaker describes this wine as “pure, spicy, peppery with fruit-stressed acid”. I found this a very interesting wine and not something I had tasted before. It was slightly sour and the flavour seemed young and green (perhaps explaining why the grape varietal is called Grüner). Next we all shared the same course, a Jerusalem artichoke custard that came with asparagus, roasted baby garlic and fennel and beans. The menu listed “borlotti, soy and lupin beans” although I only recognised the green soy beans. The beautiful purple beans I had never see before because I had always thought lupins and borlotti were white. The custard had a wonderful flavour and I was surprised by this because I generally don’t like Jerusalem artichokes. The roasted garlic and fennel were a sweet accompaniment to the earthiness of the custard. The wine with this course was my favourite white of the evening: 2005 Tscharke Albariño ‘Girl Talk’ (Barossa Valley, SA). The albariño grape comes from Spain and Tscharke’s wine seemed slightly acidic, quite aromatic and had a hint of savoury marzipan (or maybe that was my cold). The kitchen’s next delivery was a soft free-range egg topped with breadcrumbs. Of the four diners, two did not enjoy this dish and two did. (FYI the non-vegetarians received crumbs of crispy jamon as well). The wine that accompanied it, a 2004 Bernard Moreau Bourgogne Chardonnay (Burgundy, France). This was a lightly oaked chardonnay and although I enjoyed it, I somehow liked the albariño better. I would definitely like to try this one again though. The next course was a unique combination of sautéed corn, black fungi and zucchini flower. The zucchini flower had been opened flat, the black fungi was sliced thin and the tiny zucchini stem had been placed on top. This dish was subtle but good, although our vegetarian did say the corn tasted slightly tinny. At the same time the seafood eaters enjoyed a shellfish salad – whiting, mussels, plump clams and a salsa of vegetables which was a delicious course with a sour, citrus dousing. This course was served with the 2004 Domaine des Baumard Rosé de Loire (Loire Valley, France). This rosé was crisp and dry with a slightly tart red fruit flavour (like currants or cranberries). I liked it a lot, but I am known to be very partial to rosé wine. The next course was roast carrot accompanied by delicate splashes of avocado and a sprinkling of “olive dust”. The carrots were roasted until sweet and the olive dust added a pleasurable saltiness. A sweet sauce encircling the plate could have been unnecessary because the carrots were sweet enough without adding this extra element. Our vegetarian suggested a lemon based sauce would have broken up the sweetness a little more. During this course the meat eaters had boudin noir (blood pudding), seared quail and a squid salsa. The plate was decorated with a bold slashing of squid ink. Our carrots/blood pudding were served with the fruity 2004 Capcanes Mas Donis Grenache Blend (Monstant, Spain). Somewhere on the internet I read a description of this wine that summed up my own experiences beautifully, the key words being: mineral, redcurrant, black tea and rose hips. The last savoury course was a potato ‘risotto’ with mushrooms and warm parmesan cream. This was a pleasurable dish with a clean potato taste. It was also a good sized portion, although potentially needed a dash more salt seasoning. For the others it was Mandagery Creek venison with a burnt onion sabayon, frothing out of a crispy basket and accompanied by a pool of lentils, flavoured heavily with fresh oregano. This was also a successful dish with complimenting flavours. The 2003 Star Lane Merlot, Beechworth Victoria had dusty tannins and a woody, cherry bouquet. Next was the cheese course. Artavaggio came thinly sliced and then melted onto a toasted finger of lavosh, drizzled with a sherry caramel sauce and chives. I loved this dish, and enjoyed the sweet sauce although two of my companions felt the sauce overpowered the cheese. The wine served with the cheese was a 2004 Kracher Beerenauslese Cuvee (Burgundland Austria). This was a gorgeous dessert wine, heady with apricot but not too sweet. It was perfect for those who don’t enjoy overpowering dessert wines. I love this style of wine in general, having tasted another Beerenauslese from Burgundland at Gordon Ramsay’s Claridges in London in March. A pre-dessert arrived to cleanse our palates: cactus and fruit sorbet was surrounded with kiwi juices and topped with a pretty shard of clear, glassy toffee. A nice little morsel. For the dessert course we received the signature “Chocolate and Honeycomb Ice Cream Cone with Warm Banana Milk”. This came with a glass of rich Pedro Ximenez sherry, sticky and dark but subtly raisin and honey. It wasn’t overly sweet and the perfume was fragrant. The chocolate cone came propped in what looked like a plastic golf ball tee and was beautifully speckled with black and white toasted sesame seeds. The ice cream inside was rich and the cone had an interestingly confusing texture of crunchy toffee and melting chocolate. I have no idea what it was made out of, but it tasted good and got stuck in my teeth like toffee does. Savage’s famous warm banana milk was something I had been looking forward to and I was not disappointed. The milk showed only a pale tint of yellow and the flavour was so real and natural, a perfect banana infusion. The chocolate straw started to melt on my lips and was childishly playful. A great positive ending. A potential consideration would be that the vegetarian degustation was the same price as those that included seafood and meat, when perhaps it should have been fractionally less. The price of the ingredients would be lower and I was conscious that meat is much more filling so either the vegetarian degustation should be cheaper or the portions should be increased so that vegetarians walk away as full as the meat eaters. While I enjoyed each of the wines, on this particular occasion I was not as bowled over by the food and wine matching as I have been in the past. I am a big fan of Hildebrandt because it was the wines he paired with the degustation menu at Marque that first made me realise the value of an excellent sommelier. On that occasion I suddenly became a wine lover and I haven’t looked back. I can thank Hildebrandt for that and the world of food and wine it subsequently opened up. On this particular occasion, however, I didn’t feel like the choices lifted the food to new heights. I read somewhere that the presentation of Savage’s food could be compared to the art of Miro, and I have to agree with this. Some people might find that a drawback, whereas I found it creative and impressive. Although the visuals were still vibrant, the food flavours were subdued and reliable with a few key dishes showing vitality and flair. For a restaurant that could easily be a regular dinner venue for locals, I think these are good attributes. The service was friendly and professional. Hildebrandt was in control of the floor the entire time and the only negative comment I would make is that the time between each course was much too long. The initial courses were very small and bite sized, not providing anything substantial to soak up the generous servings of wine. I would have preferred the smaller courses to come a little faster and then slow down over the larger portions and dessert. The fact that both owners were visually present (Savage appeared later on) made the experience seem much more intimate. In other restaurants service can be anonymous and the owners and chefs far removed from the diners, but here the creators were close at hand. It occurred to me only afterwards that perhaps I should have asked permission before photographing each and every course. In such intimate quarters, with the owners looking on, my photography could have been considered invasive. This is certainly something for me to bear in mind for the future. The total cost for four of us was $680 including a 13% tip. For a degustation $90 is very reasonable, whereas $60 for the wines is fairly standard, although wine portions were on the large side, just as they had been at Marque. Overall, good value for inventive food and renown wine choices in funky venue. The vegetarian menu is interesting and well thought out. During a time where Sydney is leaning heavily towards the bistro and meat, meat, meat, Bentley offers a unique vegetarian experience. Anna, Morsels & Musings Rebecca from Cucina Rebeca and Ed from Tomato just tagged me with the ‘Five Things to Eat Before You Die’ meme from Melissa at the Traveler’s Lunchbox. This is, like, the biggest thing to hit the food blogosphere. Almost ever. The idea is that food bloggers around the world choose five foods that they think everyone should try befre they die. I gave this a lot of thought (which may not be reflected in the list). There are some things on my list of five foods I’m glad I’ve eaten before I die (creamy mashed potatoes I’m looking at you) but I recognise that they’re not an essential eating experience for everybody else. Also, I debated if the list was meant to reflect platonic ideal (or idyll) foods. Five perfect things that everyone, no matter their background or economic status, should try before they die. I decided that list is just too hard. How do you go past fresh drinking water or allow for different dietary needs or predilections? Next I tried to come up with a list that included my five most unique or hard to come-by food experiences (i.e. the 17 course meal in a small restaurant buried in a French forest, or the amazing curry with string hoppers in Sri Lanka which was served out of a communal bucket). But as much as these meals were fun, I don’t think that their uniqueness alone is enough for me to recommend that they should be one of the few things that everyone in the whole world should try once. Further complicating matters, some of my favourite things like fresh figs and cheese were already taken and like Rebecca I didn’t want to be a copy cat. At this point I realised this list was causing me blogger’s block so I decided to go with my five favourite vegetarian foods / experiences. 1) Fresh mangosteen - a perfect food deserving of its mythology. Pull away the skin to reveal pristeen white flesh, a sweet smell, and an exquisite creamy taste. 2) Salt and pepper tofu - what’s not to love about silken tofu cooked in a light salt and pepper batter that literally melts in your mouth. 3) Camp fire stew and damper - head to the Australian outback, make a fire under the stars, and let your vegetable stew bubble away in a hot iron pot nestled in the coals. For dessert, cook some damper on a stick or in tin foil, then fill the centre with some jam and butter, and wash it down with billy tea. 4) Palak paneer - Everyone should eat Indian curry before they die. I love palak paneer: creamy spinach curry cooked in spices with white cubes of soft paneer cheese that soak up the flavour. 5) Nasi Liwet and fried tempeh at Bu Wir’s night stall, Solo, Indonesia - At sundown a city of tarpaulin tents appear on the streets, each one has a few low tables and pots of delicious, fresh home-cooked food. Nasi Liwet is the local speciality, but my heart was stolen by the delicious, thin slices of fried tempeh. I tag: Chocolate Suze, Vegetable Adventures, Vegan Sydney, Beets and Potatoes and Vegan Friendly NY. |
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