Archive for the ‘Bondi Beach’ Category
V Rating: VVV No matter where I’ve lived, I’ve always had an ol’ faithful local restaurant. It’s the place I suggest when we’re going out with newbie friends, or I’m in a group and want a fun, cheap dinner without politely pointless deliberation about which restaurant to try. Well, Thai Terrific in Bondi is that restaurant for me (even though it’s not quite my local). When I first moved to Bondi, Thai Terrific’s Curlewis Street setting was a little more humble. A couple of redecorations later, it’s bright swankier restaurant with a large courtyard out the back. The one constant is that whenever I go there it’s always packed. So why is that? Truthfully, I don’t think it’s the quality of the food. Don’t get me wrong - it’s not bad food, but it’s not exceptional Thai (and if anything has become a little blander over the years). I think it’s more likely because the Bondi Beach food scene has a gaping hole where some great Asian restaurants should be. There are some good small places (better suited to takeaway) and some ritzier, expensive restaurants but not so much of the variety or experience that you find in other parts of Sydney. So while inner westies might puzzle at Thai Terrific’s success, if you live in Bondi, it’s one of the best no-fuss, great fun restaurants and one of the few ways to get a Thai fix. Like most Thai restaurants, there are ostensibly loads of vegetarian choices because you can order different curries and stir-frys with your choice of sauce and vegetable and tofu. I didn’t do the ordering so I’m not sure if there was fish sauces in any of the eight veggie entrees, or around 30 mains - I recommend you ask.
We tried the entree deep fried tofu with sweet chili and peanut satay sauce, green curry with vegetables and tofu, Pad Thai, and the pumpkin and snow pea stir fry. These last two dishes were my favourites. In particular, the sweetness of the pumpkin and snow peas worked nicely with the soy based stir fry sauce and soft and oily egg. Like every visit to Thai Terrific, the food was just one part of the experience. Combined with the fun, lively atmosphere and flowing wine, we had a typically great night.
V Rating: VVV I have a theory that there are some restaurants the universe prevents me from reviewing. I’ll visit them time after time, but scandal, bacchanalian excess, or forgetfulness always conspire to stop me from getting my thoughts in to a post. The problem is most acute for two of my mainstay restaurants in Bondi, Thai Terrific and Bondi Social. Determined not to fall victim to this curse again, I made a concerted effort to bring my camera and notebook last time we visited Bondi Social. Bondi Social is a stylish first floor restaurant and bar in the heritage listed (and oddly named) Cairo Mansions complex on Campbell Parade. It’s one of my favourite spots in Sydney to while away time. I liked it so much that Andy and I had our engagement party here in 2005. The interior designer of Bondi Social got that the restaurant’s biggest asset is its best on the beach-front view of Bondi Beach, and kept the stylings welcoming but minimalist. There are polished wooden floors, benches and tables that seem to flow into each other, and white walls. The room, which was formerly an apartment, is small but cleverly one side wall is lined with mirrors so that it reflects the view and create the illusion that you’re looking out of windows. About a year ago Bondi Social moved to a Modern Australian tasting menu concept. The dinner dishes are stil loosely themed as starters, entrees and mains, but you receive the dishes in smaller portions at the same time and are intended to share them with everyone at the table. There were three of us for dinner, and we ended up ordering five dishes. All the dishes are about the size of a tapas plate, so you’re better to err towards ordering more rather than fewer.
We started with the marinated olives (cutely served in a glass) and the beetroot, honey and lemon thyme dip with Turkish bread.
We shared sauteed green beans with macadamia nuts and spanish onion.
I liked the baked artichoke hearts with aged parmesan and sage. The artichoke flesh was soft and favourful, with each layer holding its shape.
The asparagus, haloumi, goats cheese, and fresh fig was also a hit. The fresh figs were the star of this dish, adding a lovely, soft pink colour, and a cool, sweet taste. It’s a pleasure to find a Modern Australian restaurant that provides a selection of vegetarian dishes. With such great, fresh produce in Australia, it’s a real bugbear of mine that Modern Australian chefs treat vegetables as no more than a garnish or an accompaniment to meat, poultry or seafood.
V Rating: VVV Nothing is more synonymous with Bondi Beach than a sprawling blue sky, breaking surf, and a long stretch of white sand curving from cliff to cliff. But every time I walk by Le Paris-Go Cafe on Hall Street, it’s like a snapshot of a certain idly beautiful lifestyle that’s also contributed to Bondi’s fame. Perhaps that’s why Le-Paris Go has become something of a Bondi institution. On Saturday morning I wandered down for an early morning breakfast. It was already busy, but I spied a stool at bench at an open window and bumped my way through the throngs.
There were people squeezing onto couches, striped banquettes, outside benches and small wooden tables. Adding an appropriately Parisian touch were wall murals of the Palais Versailles and a cheeky looking gargoyle. Dogs waited outside, keeping an eye on their owners sitting barely a metre away. Best of all, two walls of the cafe had long windows that opened completely, filling the cafe with fresh air and letting the outside life in.
Despite the crowds, my coffee came quickly. There was a choice of ten vegetarian options, and plenty of ’sides’ if you preferred to make up your own meal. But I couldn’t go past the breakfast burrito with refried beans, guacamole, scrambled eggs and sour cream. It wasn’t the best breakfast burrito I’d had in my life. I liked the fact it came with a salad but the tortilla was a little greasy, and there was a slight vinegary taste to the refried bean and guacamole filling. But you know what? I didn’t care. With the wind quietly blowing in through the open window, a great soy cappucino under my belt, and soft guitar music playing over the sound system, I was happy. I was upset last year when I heard that legendary Bondi cafe, Gertrude and Alice, was shutting down after some real estate “ischews”.
Fortunately, they packed up the books and Moroccan mint tea, and moved three doors up on Hall Street.
On an overcast Sunday afternoon, the new Gertrude and Alice was as busy as ever. It’s still a bit shiny and fresh-looking, but it hasn’t lost its charm and I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before dust creeps back over the bookshelves, and nooks and crannies form for bookworms to get lost in.
V Rating: VVV Mojos is just around the corner from where I live. Despite this, I’ve avoided going there out of a combined fear of Spanish food and of catching beautiful people germs. However, a couple of weeks ago my ex-housemate and his girlfriend suggested we go there for dinner on our way to a party. Talk about a revelation!
I’m starting to think that my fear of Spanish food is unfounded. There were 13 vegetarian tapas dishes on Mojos menu, plus three salads. Every dish that I tried was magnificent. We ordered five dishes and a salad between the four people. This prompted a withering lecture from the waitress (’I'm not sure if you guys have eaten here before, but people normally order 2-3 dishes each). Fortunately we didn’t take her advice, as the dishes we had were plenty satisfying.
My favourite dish was fresh, grilled artichoke drizzled in lemon and olive oil which had strong flavours and great texture. However, the cous cous balls, garlic potatoes, Spanish salad, fried eggplant and cheese were also high quality, fresh-flavoured dishes.
The one thing about Mojos is that is that it was chocka-block full and plenty noisy on Saturday. So make a booking or go hungry!
V Rating: VVVVV Bamboo cafe in North Bondi makes me think of San Fransciso. It’s something to do with the friendly organic vegetarian cafe, wih yoga retreat sidline, perched on a sharply sloping street vibe.* The range was better than your average cafe - there were some exclusively vegan dishes, and they made an effort to use soy milk. However, I think yum cha makes a better vegan brunch in Sydney.
Yes, that is more than he can manage. The baby spinach leaves came in a walnut oil dressing. So my new favourite ingredient. Overall, the standard of food was good (the olive tapenade was my other highlight) but the organic food made breakfast an expensive affair. I won’t be making the trek to Bamboo every weekend, but a lovely place for a slow, quiet start to your day. *I’ve never been to San Franciso so the comparison could be bollocks.
V Rating: VVV On Saturday morning Andy and I continued our search for the perfect Bondi breakfast spot. Instead of hitting the beachfront, we wandered along the Bondi Road until we came to Altar Lounge.
Bondi is justly famous for its beautiful beach and abundant backpackers, but there’s a lot more to the suburb. Bondi Road exemplifies this depth, offering a completely different experience to the glamourous Hall Street or holiday atmosphere of Campbell Parade. Most of the shops on Bondi Road are small, independently owned specialty stores. I often think ‘This is what shopping was like before supermarkets.’ You actually know the shopkeepers, and you buy your groceries from a number of little places that stock a great range of products and have a good knowledge of the goods that they sell. Bondi’s strong Jewish ties are also evident in the amazing bakeries and delicatessans that sell fresh bagels and quark. Altar Lounge is about half-way up Bondi Road. It’s a small cafe with aquamarine walls and homey, mismatched furniture. Facing onto the rundown street it’s an uphill battle to create any ambiance, but the owners pull it off. It’s also a good choice for vegetarians. Nine out of ten breakfast options were vegetarian, as were five of the eleven lunch dishes. It’s less vegan friendly because most of the veggie dishes use dairy products.
Perhaps underestimating the size of the dishes, Andy ordered the cheese and tinned asparagus toastie (there was a Proustian moment where fell quiet and reminisced about eating cheese and asparagus toasties as a boy in Queensland) and the poached egg. I think he was pretty happy with the result. |
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