THE MORRISON BAR AND OYSTER ROOM - SYDNEY CBD

The Morrison Bar and Oyster Room
Christmas Party Soiree
225 George St,
Sydney CBD

The Morrison really turned it on for hundreds of guests at their annual Christmas bash, which is always a big event.

There were celebrities, actors, media and foodies filing in to the stylish venue from 6pm, ready and willing to party. We were there too - enjoying the festivities.

The music was pumping and the drinks were flowing and the room filled to capacity almost as soon as it started. The team at The Morrison know how to throw a great bash and when it's on people want to be there!

As a specialty oyster bar with over 30 varieties of Australian oysters on offer, we were excited when a lovely platter came by.

It was no surprise that the juicy and plump Wallis Lake oysters were popular with all the guests!

The cheese profiteroles were a particular highlight for these Dames – little balls of choux pastry filled with a tasty cheese mixture and drizzled with a touch of crispy toffee. So delicious they were hard to get hold of.  Fortunately there were other tasty offerings circulating, such as duck fat chips with garlic aioli and crispy chicken drumettes. The chicken had a slightly spicy kick and lots of flavour.

The staff were working tirelessly and trays of drinks were constantly being manoeuvred through the sea of people. We tried some “black widow sliders” which were made with amazing black charcoal buns. They looked and tasted great. After an appearance from Santa, we were thinking about where we might go for dinner. Since we loved the canapés, we wanted to stay here.













Dame K and Dame M decided to try the a la carte menu in the lovely restaurant at the rear of the premises. It is a light and airy spot with elegant glass walls and an opening ceiling.

Dame M chose the Chilli Crab Linguine, which was absolutely delicious and pretty as a picture. The combination of snow crab, parsley, mint, chilli and lemon butter sauce was a real winner. Dame K said the Beef and Lamb Ragout was superb. The pappardelle pasta was served with succulent slow-cooked meats in a basil and Parmesan sauce. We couldn’t fault the friendly service either, which was spot on.

It was such a fun and rewarding evening and I’m sure all the party guests would agree. Everything we ate was really tasty and Dame M is keen for more of that linguine!

The Morrison has a great atmosphere and is certainly worth a visit for drinks and oysters after work or dinner at the restaurant.

Those Dames, who review for Sir and Mlady Dine Out, were guests of The Morrison.

THE TERNARY - PYRMONT, SYDNEY

The Ternary
(inside Novotel Sydney on Darling Harbour)
100 Murray St
Pyrmont, Sydney

The Ternary has parking underneath and it's also just across Pyrmont Bridge so access is extremely easy. Using the escalators to reach it - what strikes you is so impressive. It has a casual yet sophisticated atmosphere and the decor is light, modern and with awesome views of Sydney. Such a prime position!

Seeing the sights during daylight is spectacular and as the sun starts to set, the night time views of the city landscape with it's twinkling lights is absolutely magnificent. It really was relaxing, sitting there soaking up the wonderful views whilst enjoying a fabulous meal. You can even sit back, relax and enjoy your favourite beverage in their comfortable lounge area. The bar area too, is also great to have a drink or two.

What also strikes you as you enter The Ternary is just how spacious the area is with their wonderful displays and also the openness of the kitchens - you can see everything. It has a true open kitchen. They have a Wine and Cheese Bar, an Asian Kitchen (with tandoor oven) and a Grill Kitchen (Western food). These three things all combine well  and you can select something from each of them to make up your delicious meal or just stay with one theme - the choice is endless.

Sir & Mlady both started the evening with a refreshing rose. Mlady prefers her rose a tad more sweeter than Sir, as his tastes can pretty much handle any variety of drink.

We had the smoked yoghurt, green mango relish with Naan bread which was served attractively on a bread board. The Naan was steaming hot - and oh so good. Anything with mango - Mlady loves, so the green mango relish was a winner. The combination with the smoked yoghurt went incredibly well with the yummy hot Naan. This was a lovely start.

 Next was the house smoked flaked salmon, betel leaves, salmon pearls, nam jim dressing with fried shallots and half a lime wedge to squeeze on it all. This was such a divine dish. Sir and Mlady are quite partial to betel leaves and you can combine so much with these. This combination was fresh, flavoursome and pretty and we loved the different textures.

The soft shell crab followed with Indian spices, orange and saffron aioli. Well - again we both love our soft shell crab and Sir even commented with "Oh that is so good - this is beautiful". This was a really good dish. Fresh, crisp with a slight kick - not overpowering - just right with everything complimenting one another.

We then devoured the beef, slow cooked for 14 hours in master stock, pulled, mixed with coriander and water chestnut then wrapped in Thai pepper paste and crispy tusian  pasty with tamarid jam. This was a very tasty and artistic dish. The crispy tusian pasty was true to it's name. It was incredibly crispy  and not at all heavy and was an excellent combination with the 14 hour slow cooked beef. It was such a shame to eat it as it was truly a spectacular dish - from it's presentation to eating  - but we did and thoroughly enjoyed it!

Time for more seafood and it was had the prawn curry, coconut flavoured sauce and spices, basmati rice, cardamom and bay leaves.

This was light, fragrant and had a good kick. It was also fresh and vibrant. The basmati rice was so perfect with this dish - as was not a heavy type rice.

The sauce was great tasting and we loved the crispness of the capsicum.

Next was the scotch fillet with spinach and potato slivers. The scotch fillet was cooked just how Sir likes it. It was beautifully medium rare and was a lovely cut of meat - and cooked to perfection. 

Another glass of red came along too and he was a happy chappie! 

We then had the chicken surprise. 85 degrees cooked sous vide with pepper consomme, red wine jus and mushroom. This was incredibly juicy and tender and everything went so well together. Mlady loves a good tasty, tender, juicy chicken dish and this one ticked all the boxes and was also very appetisingly presented.

For dessert we had the dark chocolate tart with raspberry sorbet. There were also freeze dried raspberries. The dessert stood out wonderfully on the lovely  slate. The slate was like a canvas for the vibrant colours. Mlady being a "chocoholic" simply loved this - it was delicious. Raspberries and dark chocolate are a good combination that work well together.

We also had the mango crème brulee with popping candy on top served with mango sorbet. There was some fresh mango as well - yummo! This was a very refreshing dessert and the popping candy was an innovative addition. This was a fun but also a very enjoyable dessert.

Sir also sipped on a tasty dessert wine - a 2012 Frogmore Creek from Tasmania and a winery we've visited previously and enjoyed.

Executive Chef Anthony Flowers

The ternary is a quality place. It is inside a big hotel, but it's a restaurant you should visit and revisit. It has something for everyone and the service and decor were so impressive, as were the city light views.

We would like to thank Eric, Malin, Savanna, Josh and chef  Ken for looking after us. We would also like to thank Chef Robin Rana for taking time out to talk to us. A very special thank you to Executive Chef Anthony Flowers for looking after us and for taking time out from his busy schedule to sit down with us and explain his wonderful vision and each of the dishes.

Sir and Mlady dined as guests of The Ternary, Novotel Sydney on Darling Harbour and Accor. Special thanks to Scott Smith of Accor and Rachel Cameron of The Society Group.

 

CUSTOMS HOUSE BAR - SYDNEY CBD

Customs House Bar
(part of Sydney Harbour Marriott Hotel)
17 Macquarie Pl
Sydney CBD

Customs House Bar is transforming into one of the city's newest dining destinations, both inside and outside what is one of Sydney's oldest pubs. The outside seating, their main area, has rustic furniture, pretty hanging gardens, hedges, white picket fences and communal tables. This is absolutely ideal for people to enjoy a drink and a quick bite or a full meal. Customs House Bar is a casual fun place. They have nice quick meals - to cater for the lunch-time crowds and the food is kept at affordable prices. It's a beer pub and they have 20 "on tap" beers - that cater for every possible taste! When we arrived we could feel the "buzz" and the place was full with people eating, drinking and generally relaxing. There was a mixture of people including groups and couples that were settling in for a good night of food and drinks.

Hemant Dadlani - Executive Chef has put together an innovative, seasonal and very tasty menu. His inspiration has come from tropical places which are versatile - and it is evident in the menu.

Mlady started with a lovely Coldstream Hills Merlot from the Yarra Valley. This was a very nice drop as Mlady prefers the lighter tasting wines. Sir who has a preference for the medium to full bodied wines had the Saltram 1859 Shiraz from the Barossa Valley of which he enjoyed.

Mlady ordered the Cajun chicken breast burger, smashed avocado, perri mayonnaise on a Brioche bun. Chicken breast at times can be a bit dry - but this was certainly not the case here! It really was a very tasty burger with crisp lettuce and tomato. It arrived with oh so good chips in a cute bucket with the chips wrapped in "newspaper". It also included was a little bucket of tomato sauce. Dipping the yummy chips in the tomato sauce - nice! Mlady enjoyed this dish immensely.

We then had the oh so tender and very tasty Southern Highlands young chicken, asparagus, citrus salsa and watercress.

The asparagus was served as a side in a cute retro white enamel bowl. It was pretty enough to eat on its own!

The chicken was tender and juicy and the crispy skin made this a very enjoyable meal. It was a decent sized serving too - plenty there for a sharing plate or a big meal for one.

This was a colourful dish with the citrus salsa adding splashes of pastel on top of the chicken and even more colour coming from the floral adorned asparagus, all the flavours and textures - these all complemented one another.

Next was the Braised Galangal Beef short ribs - slow cooked for 18 hours, seasonal market vegetables with pine nut salt. This generous dish was incredibly tender and the meat was immersed in flavour. The basting had impregnated the meat and made for a wonderfully flavoured dish. The  market vegetables went so well with this great meal.

We ordered a salad and chose the Grilled Corella pear and witlof salad, spiced pecans, south cape blue cheese and burnt fig vinaigrette. This was an interesting mix of flavours and truly a mix of contrasts! Even Sir who is not a mad fan of salads as Mlady is - enjoyed this. Sir actually said "this is good".  Mlady literally fell in love with this salad and she is not a big fan of blue cheese. 

The pecans (from Mexico) certainly lived up to their description on the menu - spicy - lovely. This would have to be one of the "prettiest" salad dishes and the taste - well - AMAZING! Simply one of the best salads ever!

We had a few samples of the beers that Customs House Bar has on tap. Our first sample consisted of lighter coloured beers. These were Resche's draught - an Australian classic, Bees Knee's which is based on German wheat and an Alpha Pale ale. It was a nice selection of the pale beers. They were well paired with the dishes that we had.

The next selection was a sample of darker beers. These were Millers, Ruby Tuesday and White rabbit and again these were well paired with our meals. Mlady favours the darker beers whilst Sir drinks the lot!

We were also fortunate to try a couple of cocktails. Mlady had the Irish maid which is based on the Jamison Whisky St.Germain with fresh lime juice and mint. This was so refreshing - and oh so yummy. Great flavours and ideal for summer. Sir had - in an elegant champagne glass - Cafe Sombre - expresso martini with a tequila base with Mr. Black coffee liqueur. It was topped with a coffee bean. Mlady sneakily had a taste - and thought - oh this is good! Sir enjoyed the nice coffee flavour with an alcohol kick. It also had a nice froth on top and Sir ate the coffee bean - as you do.

We would like to give a huge thank you to Kelsie who looked after us on the night. Kelsie was energetic, passionate and educational in explaining everything to us that was on the menu. Her knowledge was commendable and her teaming of the wines, beers and cocktails was exemplary.

Special thanks to Hemant Dadlani - Executive chef for taking the time out of his busy schedule to sit and chat with us and share his wonderfully flavoured and innovative menu.

Sir and Mlady dined as guests of Customs House Bar. Big thanks to Gabriella Lizzo for this invitation.

 

MAJESTIC GOURMET GROCERS/MAJESTIC HARVEST RESTAURANT - PETERSHAM, SYDNEY

Majestic Gourmet Grocers
Majestic Harvest Restaurant
49 New Canterbury Rd
Petersham, Sydney

Majestic Gourmet Grocers and Majestic Harvest Restaurant is situated in a heritage listed building in Petersham, that had originally opened way back in the 1920s.

In its past incarnations it was a cinema, a nightclub and even a roller skating rink.

The current owners, Warren Landsman, Carlos Ascencao and Tim & Cheryl Reen have transformed the building to its former glory.

This even includes keeping the art deco exterior and restoring the terrazzo at the building’s entrance.

The visitor is easily transported back to the days of old.

Upon entering the building, you are welcomed by the spectacular colours from the abundance of flowers sprawling through the grand foyer.

The European-style market is complete with its own florist, deli, baker, fishmonger and fresh fruit and vegetables.

It also has a wine bar opening in the near future.

Majestic Harvest Restaurant offers an array of breakfast and lunch items sourced from fresh Australian seasonal produce from Sydney’s markets.

Our food feast today began with us sampling a mandarin, turmeric, ginger and lime juice which was so refreshing and light.

All juices are cold pressed to order in house and the combinations are endless. We also tried an apricot and earl grey tea, also made in house and well worth trying.

First item on the menu was a Salumi Board that included meats, cheese, pickles and slices of freshly baked bread.

It was all really well displayed and great to graze on.

Our next dish was Zucchini flowers with ricotta cheese, pine nuts, basil, burnt butter, muscatel and lemon. The ricotta filling was so creamy and delicate that we found it difficult to stop at two …. At this point, we were served some melt in your mouth yellow fin tuna and salmon sashimi, courtesy of in house fishmongers Victor and Sam (the fish man).

Next up we were served the Salt, Rosemary and Lemon Squid – cooked to perfection.

And then our fishmongers presented us with another sampling, this time it was lightly battered pieces of flathead with a tangy and tasty aioli.

What a start to our feasting!

Wow, all of this and we hadn’t tried the breakfast menu yet. First up with had a dish called The Vege Patch, an earthy and aromatic serving of fresh produce, very wholesome and tasty, consisting of quinoa, chickpea and sweet potato slab with asparagus, field mushrooms, poached egg and truffle salsa verde. And then, The Majestic, the signature breakfast dish – three eggs, Serrano ham, black pudding, baked beans, spinach kale and wholegrain toast. A hearty offering of the perfect breakfast with a difference for the brunch inclined.

Okay, on to lunch now…. yes, seriously, lunch -  it was such a big foodfest!

We had two pasta dishes that were both delicious. Pasta is so good for lunch isn't it?

The first was a tasty Pappardelle with Meatballs in a rich tomato sauce.

The other was a lovely Potato Gnocchi with burnt sage butter and gorgonzola.

We finished off our brunch feast with an absolute favourite of ours - Portuguese tarts.

These were delivered the way we've always dreamed about - fresh from the bakery.

We also had a couple of delicious cups of sticky chai to sip on.

This fragrant and spicy tea goes so well with meals or just as a substitute for a coffee sometimes!

Oh, and let’s not forget the Gourmet milkshake ….. with a rich dark Belgian chocolate ganache, which is coincidentally made in-house. 

Milkshake connoisseurs should take note, this one drink that is not to be missed!

We love our milkshakes and this certainly was a great one.

A stroll through the marketplace and you'll be in gourmet heaven. Everything you need to create your own gourmet feast is available - pears from the fresh produce section, prawns from the seafood counter that is sourced daily from the market, polenta, passata di pomedoro, pasta, pancetta, parma, parmesan, pulses, pickles and freshly baked bread. 

Majestic Harvest Restaurant is currently open for breakfast and lunch, with the menu portraying what is offered in the market stalls there. The ambiance in the restaurant and the vibes from the staff are truly energetic, making this venue an attractive must for gourmet lovers.

Two Contessa's, who are doing reviews for Sir and Mlady Dine Out, dined as guests of Majestic. Big thanks also to Katie Stow of Wasamedia for arranging this visit.

 

THE OAKS (MEAT MASTERCLASS) - NEUTRAL BAY, SYDNEY

The Oaks (Meat Masterclass)
118 Military Rd
Neutral Bay, Sydney

We were pleasantly surprised when we attended an educational evening of fine meaty fare dedicated to (you guessed it)  MEAT. The meat company Haverick Meats, situated at Banksmeadow, supplied the meat. The quality of their produce was all A grade. The gorgeous Oaks Hotel at Neutral Bay was the venue for the evening and each course and was matched beautifully with Bremerton Wines. We were lucky to have the lovely Rebecca Willson, who with her sister Lucy Willson, run the family owned Bremerton Winery, with exemplary wines produced in Langhorne Creek South Australia. Rebecca introduced the wines we were about to be served and gave us a brief background on each variety such as grape, ageing, technique, and processes. They were exquisite wines. We both bought some to take home.

Upon arrival we were treated to canapes presented by the owner of The Oaks, Andrew Thomas who was happily greeting guests, plate in hand and a smile on his face. Andrew does not mind getting his hands dirty, he loves to mingle and have a laugh with patrons. A glass of Bremerton “Betty & Lu” Sauvignon Blanc 2014, was also presented. The Canapes consisted of oxtail fingers & smoked mustard aioli (absolutely delicious) and Bresaola with pickles which were also very tasty.

Our starter for our food journey for the night was Lingua Tonnato which looked and tasted spectacular.

It had great colours and flavours including finely shaved tongue, tomatoes and tuna.

It was inventive and a really good dish.

This also went really well with Bremerton Limited Release Malbec 2013.

Our main course was braised beef short rib (which had been slow-cooked for 8 hours), smoked wagyu rump with smoked carrot puree, baby onions, bone marrow, sweetbread jus and gentleman’s relish.

What a great combination!

The meat was extremely tender and very clearly expertly cooked.

We loved the smokey flavours and also the crumbed bone marrow.

This dish was served with simple yet ideal accompaniments of roast potatoes and salad.

It was also paired with a Bremerton “Old Adam” Shiraz 2012.

Dessert was fruit mince pie: biscuits layered with fruit and served with chocolate ice cream and a sugared carrot. This dish had a surprise twist. It was presented as a dessert but was in fact made of meat products, even the ice cream!

Clever Danny Russo and his team worked tirelessly to prepare the innovative dessert to get the balance just right. What a treat.



This course was coupled with Bremerton “Mistelle” Dessert Wine NV (simply divine.)

Throughout the evening we were educated on cuts of meat, how to prepare and cook them and what to do with the more obscure meat cuts and offal. Apart from stretching the culinary senses, it gave carnivorous guests new ways to look at meat. What you can do with meat is – SIMPLY AMAZING!

The evening was tremendous value for money and I would recommend the Meat Masterclass to anyone who likes their meat. It was fun, informative and we met a few fellow meat lovers too.

Those Dames, who are now doing reviews for Sir and Mlady Dine Out, dined as guests of The Oaks. Special thanks to Andrew Thomas for his great hospitality and charm, Danny Russo for his great food, Rebecca and Lucy Willson from Bremerton Winery and of course to Haverick Meats for their delicious cuts. Big thanks also to Amy Wong for the invitation and arranging everything so professionally.

MENULOG - ACROSS AUSTRALIA

Menulog - Curry Connection Indian Cuisine

We were recently given the opportunity to try Menulog for the first time courtesy of the nice people at Menulog (thanks Josh!). We decided to do this with a group while we were at a friends place for a catch up.

We never realised how easy it was.

We went to the Menulog web site and entered the suburb we were in. Instantly a whole batch of nearby restaurants appeared on the screen. We were then able to sort by availability on that day of the week - a Sunday - and whether we were picking it up or having it delivered.

We chose Indian by a simple vote among the group - then we easily sorted again by nearby Indian Restaurants listed, that delivered on Sundays. We had a few choices, looked at their menu's online and chose Curry Connection in Hornsby.

Then it's as easy as choosing your dishes, how many serves you want and any extra's.

We were all pretty hungry so we ordered plenty - and choosing was the biggest (in fact the only) challenge of this whole exercise.

Once complete we had the chance to check our order, confirm it and pay. Delivery was only $3 - which seemed a bargain but some places even deliver free on Menulog for orders over a certain amount.

We instantly received a confirmation of our order with a confirmation number. We also received an SMS again confirming the order, with the reference number, an expected delivery time and a contact number. It was extremely efficient and easy.

And of course our food arrived as planned. The first thing we did was check to see if it was all there - and it was. It was all still hot too. We then set it out and dug in. Of course we had over-ordered - but we do that a lot. All this meant was plenty of left-overs for the next days lunch - woo hoo!

Was Menulog easy - yes. Would we use it again - yes (and in fact we have already at another friends place!)