BAHBQ - CROWS NEST, SYDNEY

BahBQ
35 Albany St
Crows Nest, Sydney

Ever been to a Brazilian BBQ or churrasco? We hadn't for ages so we jumped at the chance to visit BahBQ at Crows Nest to revisit meat on skewers in all shapes and sizes.

We had of course been warned to bring our appetites as it was going to be a big meal!

The founders of BahBQ grew up in Brazil and learned grilling skills that had been passed down from generation to generation. The word Bah is an expression for astonishment - so BahBQ was named in honour of their amazing barbecue.

Tucked away upstairs on Albany Street in Crows Nest is this spacious restaurant that's open 7 nights a week.

Parking was extremely easy for us and we nabbed a spot almost outside.

It's a popular place for locals, South American ex-pats seeking some home-style food and of course those venturing out to visit or revisit this lovely cuisine.

BahBQ is a sizable place, seating around 100. The whole place also has a great indoor outdoor feel too - very relaxing!

Okay - so there's a lot of meat at BahBQ which really shouldn't be a surprise to anyone - based on the name. There are plenty of other choices there too - but most people choose the churasco. So what is a churasco you ask? In simple terms it's kind of like a meat and seafood buffet - but it comes to you with the goodies on these huge skewers. They tell you what it is, and if you want some they slice a chunk off for you. There's a huge variety too - including beef flank, lamb with chimichuri, pork, chicken, pork sausages, spicy chorizo, prawns, ribs etc etc etc - the list goes on and on. Take a look below at some of them.

The meats here are cooked to perfection - it was all so nicely done.

The condiments went perfectly too. At first we just couldn't help diving in to the meats alone, but then we started eating it with the condiments and it was even better.

It's probably best to start with small servings, because that way you still have space for everything else that will arrive.

For dessert you have to try the spiced pineapple - juicy, sweet and refreshing. It's all part of the churasco too. By this stage of the meal, like us, you're probably extremely full - but it's essential to save a little space for this! 

BahBQ is a lovely experience. The food comes to you - and so much of it and all so good. It's a lovely theme - kind of like dinner and a show with the showmanship involved in how it is served. 

Sir and Mlady dined as guests of BahBQ. Special thanks to Marcelo, Rafaelo, Maurico for looking after us so well and a big thank you to Rafaela for arranging our visit.

BACAR/PULLMAN AT SYDNEY OLYMPIC PARK - SYDNEY OLYMPIC PARK

Bacar Restaurant
Pullman at Sydney Olympic Park
Olympic Boulevard,
Sydney Olympic Park, Sydney

Bacar is the sophisticated and stylish restaurant in the equally elegant Pullman at Sydney Olympic Park.

This 5 star hotel is located in the heart of the Sydney Olympic precinct and therefore so close to so many venues - there's so much to do around here!

The rooms here are simply magnificent - think quality furnishings, lovely decor and warm earthy tones, brilliant views out over the area, huge pillows, your own Nespresso in your room - the list goes on.

The comfort is evident straight away - the challenge is whether to actually leave your room to explore the many activities, venues and spaces that are right on your doorstep!

There are so many things to do here. Many stay here for shows and functions but it's rapidly becoming a holiday and mini-break destination too.

The Aquatic Centre gives you this massive pool complex next door. Then there's ANZ Staduim, the Heritage Precint, the Tennis Centre, The Sports Centre and of course a short stroll to the picturesque Bicentennial Park. You won't struggle for choices here!

Bacar Restaurant is their premier dining facility. There are plenty of options on their diverse menu so settle in and be prepared for a lovely food journey here.

Despite it's sophisticated bearings and Five Star hotel location, Bacar is not pretentious. You do know you're in a good restaurant and the staff make you feel comfortable and welcome.

Our first nibble for dinner was the arrival of a serving of nicely prepared house marinated olives.

This was paired with a choice of house baked rolls - olive or sweet onion. Both of these arrived warm and smelled and tasted great.

Throw in a serving of delicious Pepe Saya Cultured Butter and you're off to a great start to your evening!

We are finding it harder and harder to resist having a few oysters at the start of our meals lately - especially when they are presented in interesting and different ways.

Bacar serves their oysters two ways. Mlady wanted her oysters natural with lemon and I was very keen to try them served with wakame, soy pearls and trout roe.

Both were delicious!

My entree was quite understated with its description of octopus, chorizo, green olive and squid ink.

This simple description ended up revealing a beautiful dish with a series of contrasts that combined so well to create an entree that you just wanted to continue to enjoy even after you finished it.

I really enjoyed this!

Mlady was in the mood for seafood this evening so she chose the scallops, guava, Serrano, pomegranate and goats curd.

Again it was a combination that contrasted so well and yet combined to create a really lovely dish.

The scallops were perfectly cooked and plump and juicy and the sauce went so well with them.

My main course was the 350gm dry aged rib eye that was served with fondant potato, ale braised ox tail, mushroom, candied onions and jus.

This was a hefty piece of meat that was cooked perfectly to order - medium rare. The meat was very tender and full of flavour. The added surprise were the sides - they were great.

I'm a meat eater and would gladly have this dish over and over!

Mlady had the poached trout, finger fennel, yoghurt and pea. Again the simple descriptions lead to dishes that go well beyond what you may expect.

This was a work of art. The presentation was wonderfully appetising with vibrant colours.

It also had one of the most impressive pieces of crispy skin she had ever seen - which she loved! It had been separated from the fish and served at the side - and it was soooo crisp!

We had chosen two sides. The first was duck fat roasted kipfler potatoes with pancetta and manuka honey. Wow. These were crisp, sweet, savoury - it all went so well together and tasted so good. Our other side was mesclun salad with alto olives, heirloom tomatoes and a Merlot dressing. It was a sweet and tangy salad that tasted great. 

Dessert - the final frontier! What to choose - the dilemma I was facing!

Eventually I came to rest on the brownie deconstructed with sorbet, aero, peanut butter and sesame.

Oh yum - this was simply heaven! So sweet yet so good. The nob of banana with a toffee lid on it was another nice touch!

Mlady had the trio of sorbets. They arrived on a bed of popping chocolate.

The flavours were mango, raspberry and apple, elegantly presented on a glass plate.

She found all three extremely refreshing and full of flavour.

The views here are spectacular.

After our dinner were adjourned to our room and sat looking out over Sydney.

Nighttime views are always so romantic with the colours of the sky changing and the lights of the city and suburbs sparkling away.

ANZ Stadium was also lit up creating a lovely foreground - as was the Aquatic Centre.










The next day we were still a bit full from dinner but that wasn't going to stop us having breakfast - especially once we saw what was there! The chef cooks your eggs to order - you name it he'll cook it. You can also watch this happening if you like to supervise!

There's a rustic country feel to the breakfast buffet - and the food options are impressive. It has all the main choices you would expect and more!

We were both trying to decide whether to stick to sweet or savoury for breakfast - well at least I was.

Mlady was far more controlled whereas I decided to have it all - and thoroughly enjoyed it all as well.

My hot food was delish with a bit of everything on the plate and the sweet treats I had afterwards were just as good.

The Pullman at Sydney Olympic Park lives up to its five star rating. It's in the heart of so many great sporting attractions and venues.

It's a great weekend away without having to leave Sydney!

The lovely Bacar Restaurant is an added bonus with generous servings of very tasty food and excellent service. 

Sir and Mlady were guests of Pullman Sydney Olympic Park. Thanks to Nan and Michaela in Bacar in the evening, Matt who mixed us some very tasty concoctions to drink, Tuhin and Ashley in Bacar at breakfast and to Sylvia. Special thanks to David Lowe for inviting us to experience The Pullman and Bacar.

ABODE/BARKERS/PARKROYAL DARLING HARBOUR - DARLING HARBOUR, SYDNEY CBD

Parkroyal Darling Harbour

(and

Abode Bistro Bar

)

15 Day St. Darling Harbour, Sydney

Sitting right at the gateway to Darling Harbour and the doorstep of the wonderful city of Sydney is the Parkroyal Darling Harbour. This newly branded Parkroyal is in such a prime location with a wealth of options right there for you, it's hard to know where to start.

Nearby you have the Entertainment Centre, the Aquarium, Madame Tussuad's, Chinatown, the Maritime Museum, the Chinese Gardens and Wildlife World to name a few. The hotel itself also has plenty to offer, with two restaurants, the relaxed Barkers and and the casual chic Abode. There's a gym for those needing to work off a few calories as well  as bike hire right at the front entrance to cruise around the local area.

The hotel itself is impressive. It's so spacious and caters to every need - but what's just outside is also just as great.

We checked in pretty early and took a wander around Cockle Bay, King St Wharf, Darling Harbour and Darling Quarter.

Its huge with so many different things to see, do and visit!

The main restaurant is Abode Bistro Bar which actually opens out invitingly onto the corner of Day and Bathurst Streets. You walk in to the reception area that flows easily into the adjoining bar. Down a few steps is the restaurant.

It's an expansive place, holding 120 people, but not cavernous as it's separated into different areas very nicely. The white walls and tables give it an almost Mediterranean feel - very pleasant - and the use of light and dark timber gives it warmth. Abode has quite a lot of variety on its menu - from upmarket dishes right down to decent burgers - so it caters to all tastes and covers all options for a group.

We were also advised that they may be starting a chefs table soonish as well - always a fun experience!

Our first taste of food was the daily fresh oysters - it's always hard to resist fresh oysters! They were described in the menu as being served with SSB jelly, cucumber and coriander and they came served on a bed of sea salt.They looked so nice and were extremely tasty with nothing actually overpowering the oysters. We also had some house baked bread that arrived warm at the table with Pepe Saya butter - yum.

My entree was recommended as a specialty of the house - the yellow fin tuna tartare.

It came with crispy seaweed and yuzu all on a bed of avocado puree.

The tuna was so light, delicate and tasty and the whole dish was beautifully presented. Simple combinations of really good ingredients are often winners!

Mlady had the split prawns. they were served with carotene butter, charred corn and a very tasty green chilli salsa.

This dish certainly had an interesting presentation - the colours of the prawns offset so nicely with the corn spread out on top.This was again another simple but unique and tasty dish.

A few tasty signature cocktails went so well too!

Mlady was in a burger mood this particular evening - she was even mumbling about the fact that she craved a burger. Well she was in luck as they had a wagyu cheeseburger with house made cheddar, pickles and mustard aioli and served with hand cut chips.

OMG it was impressive and she loved it - and the chips were also amazing - so crisp on the outside and so light and fluffy inside - we'd both grab these again!

My main course was always going to be one of their premium meat dishes and I ended up choosing the 200gm Suzuki wagyu 9+ flank from the Blue Mountains NSW. It came with king brown mushroom, pumpkin puree and jus and was simply delicious. The meat was soooo good - it tasted just as good as it looked! As a side we also had the roasted carrots with caraway seeds and lemon - a nice mix of different carrots and simple flavours that went well.

Dessert is often the hardest part of any meal these days - there always seem to be so many great choices that it's difficult to make a decision!

I chose the pressed apple mille-feuille with lemon curd which was beautifully presented.

It came with a lovely fresh scoop of apple sorbet - so refreshing and light yet sweet and tasty as well.

Mlady loves so many desserts and often gravitates towards something chocolate based.

However she's also a pavlova fan so the passionfruit Eton mess attracted her attention.

It was a great meringue with plenty of crisp shards that did not have any sickly after-taste that some can leave.

She devoured every bit of it eagerly!

Having the buffet breakfast at Barkers lets you watch the day starting and see the city come to life outside their expansive windows.

This is a very good buffet breakfast too. It has such a wide range of foods to cater to every taste.

Almost every bench of food had plates or bowls underneath as well making it easy to eat more - oink!

There are also plenty of healthy offerings too - lots of fresh fruits, cereals, nuts and grains and juices and yoghurts through to hot food from both the buffet and eggs and omelettes prepared as you wait! .

There is no way anyone would leave here hungry from a lack of choice!

The Parkroyal at Darling Harbour is clearly a lovely place to stay and in a magnificent location, but if you just want a good meal then Abode is well worth visiting on its own. It has pleasant surroundings, good service and very tasty food!

Sir and Mlady stayed and dined as guests of Parkroyal. Special thanks top Samuel and chef Ryan Hong for looking after us so well at Abode. Thanks also to Natalie and Laura from 6DC Lifestyle PR for arranging our visit.

CARNIVAL SPIRIT CRUISE SHIP - OUT OF SYDNEY

Carnival Spirit Cruise Ship
Out of Sydney

Ever been on a cruise? We hadn't until recently and were fortunate to experience a Pacific Island cruise on the Carnival Spirit out of Sydney.

What an experience it was.

We knew the food would be good based on earlier reports - but it still surprised us with the quality and variety as well as how they can personalise individual meals even though they have over 2,00 people on board!

After boarding and your bags getting delivered to your cabin you must go back up on deck to watch the sun set on Sydney as you leave the Harbour. The lights of Sydney look amazing as the ship slowly passes the Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House.

It's stunning.

 

We've all seen movies with cruise ships that seem grander than a five star hotel.

We never expected it to be as spectacular as it was in reality. Everywhere we went on board kept surprising us.

The grandeur and attention to detail was amazing. The atrium was nearly 10 floors high. The woodwork everywhere was beautiful. You just walk around in awe.

We've previously shown some of the food available at Empire Restaurant. There are so many places to eat and drink on Carnival Spirit it seems you're going from food to drink to food etc etc all the time. It's everywhere. We visited Fat Jimmy's C-Side BBQ for lunch one day - even though we were still full from breakfast! It's up the top of the ship and serves some tasty slow cooked treats! We grabbed a selection on a few plates and put them in the middle of our nearby table to share. You can take as much as you want too!  

There are so many entertainment options on board you struggle with what to choose. Fortunately each evening they issue everyone with a brochure setting out what's on, and when, the next day. It's compulsory reading!

One thing you simply can't miss are the water slides. They have the biggest and fastest here in Green Thunder - a 10 metre vertical drop with top speeds of 65 kilometres an hour! It's a rush.

Let's get back to some food again though! In spite of the massive breakfasts, lunches and dinners we were dumbfounded to discover they even have high tea in the afternoon on several days during the cruise. Of course we had to try it!

It's a good selection of savoury and sweet goodies with tea or coffee - and the scones were delivered fresh from the oven and piping hot!

The thing you can't get used to on board are the views. It's postcard material every day from sunrise to sunset.

   

How great are these pods? There in the Serenity Retreat at the stern of the ship. Each holds two people so you can lie back in comfort, sip a cocktail, listen to live music and watch the sun set (or rise). It's a child free area as well!

Cruising is like travelling on a five star hotel. The food is everything they've told you and more. The entertainment is just as good too - Vegas style shows, a dedicated comedy club, live music in about eight or nine different places, a gym, games room, bars everywhere, a casino, shops, shops, shops....... it was a different world. It's easy to understand why some people cruise all year round - it would be a great life!

Special thanks to Carnival Cruise Line for providing so much for us! Thanks also to MGMedia for arranging everything so professionally.

A WEEKEND IN ...... PARKROYAL PARRAMATTA

A Weekend In ..... Parkroyal Parramatta
Parkroyal Hotel

30 Phillip St

Parramatta, Sydney

The weekend away in your own city is becoming popular. With this in mind we travelled the short distance to do this in the heart of Parramatta - at the Parkroyal which was refurbished in 2010. It's close to everything so it proved the prefect base!

Parkroyals have a signature lemongrass scent - and it's certainly nice! Here they have live entertainment each Friday and Saturday night in Bar 30 - and as it was a Saturday we planned to drop in there later. The $10 cocktails on Saturday nights don't hurt either and there's even bar food available too.

The hotel is big - with 196 rooms in one of Parramatta's highest buildings. It was full when we were there, as a wedding was being held in their function room and the Wanderers were playing at home that night as well!

Our room was simply lovely.

We were in a deluxe king room that was decorated in chocolate browns and it had magnificent views out over Parramatta.

We could see Parramatta Park in the distance - home of the Parramatta Eels and the Western Sydney Wanderers.

Of course not all the rooms are the same.

We got to see the different options available there and they all looked lovely.

There's plenty of different facilities there for guests too - a pool and outdoor area, their bar (Bar 30) and of course Table 30, their restaurant that peers out from the mezzanine level over the expansive foyer and into the bar area. 

Parramatta is in the middle of everything and has facilities to match this. We had arranged to pop over and visit the Riverside Complex where a short film festival called Young At Heart was playing.

Every lead actor was a senior citizen while most of the producers or directors were youngish.

All the films were great - we have a wealth of talent in Australia that we should be so proud of!

On our way back to the hotel after visiting Riverside we saw the Western Sydney Wanderers supporters marching to their home ground and singing loudly for their team.

It was a real sight to see - they looked and sounded great and there was no bad behaviour.

This is what sport and good support bases are all about - and how it should be all the time!

Table 30 sits upstairs in the prime position at the Parkroyal. Saturday night is seafood buffet night and it's a good one, so of course it's popular.

Boasting Sydney rock oysters, Australian tiger prawns, Balmain bugs and blue swimmer crabs we were keen to dig in - and did until we bulged.

Then we had more - the salads, the hot dishes and the very very large range of desserts.

The huge range of desserts here is something you have to see to believe. They seem to have just about every dessert you could imagine! You're spoiled for choice and we felt like we were kids in a candy store - and yes they did have lollies as well!

They also had a chef making crepes and other goodies - I grabbed a tasty grand marnier crepe with double cream, after going close to ordering an apple strudel.

Pistachio, Apricot and White Chocolate Cake

Chocolate tartlet with white chocolate mousse

After dinner we dropped into Bar 30 for a night cap. We'd been listening to the live music throughout dinner and it seemed like the perfect way to end the evening!

I had a port and Mlady had an Amaretto - one of her favourites!

We sat back and enjoyed the music and everything else just seemed to disappear around us.

Parramatta Park with storms raging!

Breakfast is also served in Table 30 and is again a lavish buffet.

We started with a great coffee - which is so important - then moved on to the huge range of choices available.

Mlady had plenty of fruit - as usual - and I even got inspired and started with muesli and yoghurt before moving on to the hot food.

Again a chef was on hand to cook a variety of goodies - including several versions of eggs and of course my favourite of eggs Benedict! These came on muffins with ham and soft poached eggs and a good dollop of hollandaise sauce. Yum.

I still saved room for some pancakes though - I have no willpower! Mlady was more controlled as always but still managed to devour plenty of food, juice and coffee!

The Parkroyal in Parramatta has a great seafood buffet that we didn't know about before our visit. It was clear though that its reputation had spread to plenty of other people!

We hadn't previously spent the weekend in Parramatta - with its restaurants, cafes, bars, sports stadiums, theatres and atmosphere - but we're very glad we had the opportunity to experience it this time!


Sir and Mlady were guests of the Parkroyal Parramatta for their stay and meals. A big thank you to Vicki who showed us around and to Josh for looking after us at dinner. Special thanks to Parkroyal Hotels and to Laura Heslop of 6DC (Six Degrees Creative) for arranging our visit.

FEAST (AT SHERATON ON THE PARK) - SYDNEY CBD

Feast (at Sheraton on the Park)
161 Elizabeth St
Sydney CBD

It's Feast by name and feast by nature here. This is a great seafood buffet - but it has so much more than just oceans of juicy fresh seafood. There's tender meats, tasty salads, delicious sushi, tangy dips, hot soups, crusty breads, steaming vegetables, plenty of cheeses and a huge assortment of very indulgent desserts to finish your meal.

The food is beautifully prepared and presented here. Executive Chef David Watson has insisted on smallish quantities that are constantly refreshed so its at peak freshness and never looks tired. We were watching them as they worked hard here at monitoring the food. This attention to detail shows through in all aspects of your experience here at Feast. The quality of the food is something else to note as well - fresh, fresh fresh.

The service here is also excellent. The Manager, Gaurang Gahoi runs a tight ship and even though its a large and busy place you aren't abandoned at Feast. For once we're going to let the pictures do the talking because with a buffet that's what it's all about!

We were also treated to a delicious chocolate tasting plate - and who doesn't like chocolate! It was so indulgently good too! 

Throw in a couple glasses of the lovely Penfolds Grandfather port, after a delicious Merlot with our meals, and you've got a perfect end to a wonderful dinner!

Executive Chef David Watson paused briefly to chat with us and it was extremely evident that he has such a passion for what he does here at Feast and an attention to quality and detail. Sheraton have put a lot of effort into Feast - decor, service, wine list (which was very good) and of course the quality, quantity and variety of food on offer with a world of flavours to suit every taste.



Feast is not just a good seafood buffet - it's a great one. You get so much variety and the food is so good. You won't forget your meal here in a hurry - for all the right reasons!

Sir and Mlady dined as guests of Sheraton. Thanks to David Watson and Gaurang Gahoi for their tame and attention to detail as well as Tammie for looking after us on the night so capably. Special thanks also to Jane Melde, Alexandra Walsh and the Marketing and PR Team at Sheraton on the Park who went above and beyond the call of duty to make our visit as smooth and memorable as possible.