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.

OMNIVORE - SYDNEY

Omnivore
Sydney

How good was Omnivore Sydney - from 2 - 5 October at the Maritime Museum?

If you went you'll know - and you'll be back.

If you didn't then you should have. You missed something quite spectacular.
The worldwide festival of "La jeune cuisine" - young chefs, new ideas. They brought together some of the most talented rising young chefs in Sydney with some amazing guest chefs from overseas as well. They each set out to showcase and share their skills in a series of Masterclasses.

They made it look easy too - and thoroughly inspired their audiences.

The whole day was superbly hosted by the dynamic and entertaining Simon Thomsen who is so well known in food circles.

First up on day 2 of Omnivore Sydney was the charming and entertaining Carla Jones of 4Fourteen in Surry Hills Sydney.

She made an amazing hock, tail, ear, head and blood terrine - all the less popular and unfashionable porky bits.

OMG - we got to try this and it was simply amazing! It's a skill to get the layers so even but we now keen to give this a go ourselves some time.

Second talent of the day was the Josh Niland of Fish Face in Double Bay Sydney - ably assisted by his wife Julie.

His impressive repertoire includes studying at The Fat Duck in Bray under Heston Blumenthal and we heard stories about this experience.

Josh, an exponent of fin to tail cooking, made a lovely dish from whole yellow fin tuna with radicchio and crisp bulgur "crackling".

Then Gita Seaton took the stage - or the kitchen stage! Gita is best known as the talent behind Nouveau Palais in Montreal.

She made hush puppies - a type of corn donut or fritter - which is a classic southern dish.

She served them with a spicy home made ketchup. She then prepared a delicate sake cured kingfish served with kaffir lime on a celery and lime leaf soup.

We then heard from the lively Patrick Friesen from Papi Chulo in Manly in Sydney's north.

Hearing his background and journey was just as entertaining as watching him create. He has a great sense of humour as well!

He made a beautiful dish of lightly fried calamari strips with crispy bacon pieces on a bed of dill sauce with scattered crisp potatoes and microherb garnish.

Then Paul Farag of Four in Hand in Paddington Sydney engrossingly educated us all on how to fillet a yellow belly flounder and how to use it all to minimise wastage. This was another beautiful dish that was served with a delicate sorrel and apple emulsion.

The finale for the day - and in fact the two days of Masterclasses - was Nathan Sasi from Nomad in Surry Hills Sydney. He was charming and entertaining as he made mortadella from scratch - we saw it all from go to whoa! He showcased skills from bygone days with flair!

Again it looked easy - or easyish - and tasted amazing as he kindly took around a tray of this delicious sliced meat. We both agreed though that we'd prefer to just go to Nomad and eat it there!

Omnivore Sydney was so good. Apart from the great Masterclasses we experienced we also had mountains of great food from Coup De Pates which included pastries, macarons, petit fours, cakes and other tasty treats which just kept being replenished. The water from both Badoit and Evian was also continuous! Talk about being spoiled.

We can't wait for Omnivore to come back to Sydney next year! 

ZIGI'S ART WINE CHEESE BAR - CHIPPENDALE, SYDNEY

Zigi's Art Wine Cheese Bar
86 Abercrombie St
Chippendale, Sydney

The name says it all. This is a very diverse place! First of all you have Zigi Ozeri, the live wire host and owner. Not surprisingly he matches the place - quirky, lively and fun! Even though it's called an Art Wine Cheese Bar it has great food as well with an Ausraeli theme - but adding "Restaurant" may make the name just to long.


The people at the table next to us were there on on a cheese journey. They were having five different cheeses - each matched with a different wine - and they were loving it. Another group were in the front bar for drinks. Others were there for pre-dinner drinks and nibbles while some were there to dine for the night, like us. Later on even more people arrived for a night cap. Zigi's is diverse.

One of the specialties of the house is the handmade labne cheese sprinkled with za'ater, drizzled with olive oil and served with pita.

This was so smooth and so tasty.

We love labne and this was certainly one of the best we've had. The za'ater and olive oil added even more complexity and a bit of texture. Fortunately there was plenty of it too. Yum.

Next was something seafood - but with a twist.

The falafel prawns were served with an amba relish and a paprika emulsion. The falafel enveloped and went nicely with the prawns. The crisp outer and soft texture inside was a delight.

The amba relish - a mango based sauce that is often served with falafel - that the prawns rested on, was also delicious.

The seared scallops with chorizo soil was another tasty and unique dish.

The white chorizo soil was surprisingly subtle, going very well with the scallops without overpowering their delicate flavour.

The scallops were perfectly cooked too, with a light hand in the kitchen ensuring they were served "just right".

The wow dish of the night in terms of appearance would have undoubtedly been the beetroot mille feuille.

It looked simply spectacular with its splashes of different colours and joyously it all tasted just as good as well.

It came with feta mousse, basil chips and a dotted drizzle of citrus vinaigrette.

It would almost be a sin to visit Zigi's and not have some cheese! We had a selection chosen by the enigmatic Zigi himself and they were all amazing. The cheese list here is impressively long and diverse like the venue! The cheeses come from everywhere and in all textures and flavours. It's a cheese lovers heaven! The giant sheet of hand made lavosh that comes with the cheese looked spectacular and went so well.

The venue is quite large, but separated into many different areas. You enter into the bar area from the side street, but this leads through one way into the dining area while the other way takes you into the massive kitchen that is also used for regular cooking classes. Upstairs is a private dining room and also where the art is displayed. And of course you can't go to Ziggi's without noticing the man himself. He's everywhere and such a character!

Zigi

Zigi's Art Wine Cheese Bar has so much. You can drink there, eat there (they specialise in Ausraeli food), learn to cook, go on a cheese journey, look at local art upstairs (and buy it - Zigi is a strong supporter of the arts community), see films and attend food, wine and music events.

There's always something happening, and always something different to look forward to! The quality of the food and drinks were worth the visit alone!


The cooking school details are here: https://www.facebook.com/ZIGISCookingSchool

Sir and Mlady dined as guests of Ziggi's Art Wine Cheese Bar. Special thanks to Zigi Ozeri for arranging our visit and for being such dynamic host.

BLEU BLANC ROUGE FESTIVAL & SLIDE - SYDNEY CBD

Bleu Blanc Rouge Festival
Circular Quay Sydney

Slide Restaurant
41 Oxford St
Darlinghurst, Sydney

We were lucky enough to be invited to visit the Bleu Blanc Rouge Festival to celebrate all things French and to join in a cooking class as well from Chef Aymeric Saint-Lannes of Slide Restaurant in Darlinghurst.

But first - the festival. If you like French food and all things French then this was the place to be. There were so many goodies on display and for sale - people were buying to eat there and stocking up for later as well. We'll be back next year for sure.

We love French food and are already planning our next visit to Paris so this was sheer bliss! The cooking class and eating the food was a bonus. 

Chef Aymeric Saint-Lannes is the force behind the kitchen at Slide Restaurant in Oxford St and such a charming guy as well. If the food we got to prepare and eat is any indication of what to expect there then it will be good (but much better prepared than we did!). The menu for us to cook was:

Entree - Clarence River Scool Prawn Bisque;
Seared Scallop and Pernod Mornay on the Shell

Main - Roast Duck Breast
Bush Pepperberry Bordelaise
Dubarry Gratin Dauphinois

Dessert - Vanilla Bourbon Creme Brulee
served with Almond Tuile

As a duck lover - in the eating kind of way - the main course was certainly something I was looking forward to trying. We seared the duck in a pan first to brown the skin then baked it until it was medium rare. The bush pepperberry bordelaise went perfectly - it had bite without overpowering the duck.

And lets not forget the potatoes either - so rich but oh so nice!

To also learn the tricks to a good creme brulee was a real treat as well. It looks so simple - and it is - but the art is in how you do it. The subtleties make all the difference. We'll be trying this at home with Aymerics number on speed dial just in case.

Sir and Mlady were guests of the Bleu Blanc Rouge Festival. Special thanks to Aymeric Saint-Lannes for sharing his skill and expertise with our small group and for the lovely food that resulted. We're now very keen to visit Slide Restaurant as many of our dishes are in fact on their menu. They have shows there as well during dinner! Thanks also to April Davies of Exposure Public Relations and Marketing for arranging our visit so professionally. 

JONES THE GROCER - SYDNEY CBD

jones the grocer
Shop 5018, Level 5 Westfield Sydney
Cnr Market & Castlereagh St,
Sydney CBD

jones the grocer was remodelled in January 2014 and paired with this change inside was a new menu.

The place has been revamped to provide a more relaxed feel with some lounges being added - perfect for those dropping in for coffee and cake, dessert or just a drink and a nibble.

It's a big place with a variety of spaces inside as well as a take away counter out the front. Its also open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as for snacks in between.

The menu has a good selection with plenty of choices for everyone. Drink options are also just as well catered for - with specialty coffees and teas, cocktails, wine and beer and juices.

There are so many drinks to choose from - it's hard to know where to start - but obviously a first point may be alcoholic or non-alcoholic.

Mlady had a bottle of Parkers Organic Sparkling Drink - guava and cranberry which she thoroughly enjoyed.

I went for a more traditional 2011 Fattoria Zerbina ceregio Sangiovese from Romagna Italy.

We felt like a quick dip (boom boom) so we ordered a serving of "jones dips". On a breadboard we had generous servings of hummus, eggplant relish and French onion creme with plenty of house made breads.

This is a must try starter. The eggplant relish and hummus were both full of flavour but the French onion was possibly the best we've had with big chunks of soft onion in it and amazing flavours!

Our next starter was something a bit spicier.

The Suca Spanish sardines in tomato, herbs, Parmesan, pickles and toasts has a real Mediterranean sound to it.

It was rich and tangy with strong flavours, as expected from sardines, but exactly what we had hoped for at the same time. With plenty of bread it was another big starter too.

We love arancini - as many people do and many people know from our reviews. This particular version was made with beetroot, thyme and fontina cheese so it was rich and had quite a distinct colour. It arrived on a bed of rocket salad with aioli and a vincotto dressing. The bitter rocket contrasted well with the arancini and it all provided a nice mix of flavours, textures and colours. I also had a tasty watermelon and orange juice which was freshly squeezed and very refreshing. 

The thought of twice cooked pork belly always excites me. I just love a good pork belly.

This main course serving came with caramel apple, prune puree, pickle fennel and walnut salad.

The lovely crackling exploded in my mouth - it was just beautiful. Just as importantly, the pork underneath was juicy and tender. I loved this dish.

Chef Tom

Mlady, perhaps with her English heritage showing through, chose the fish and chips.

Described as tempura battered barramundi it came with rustic chips, miso tartare and lemon.

The fish was nicely cooked and there was certainly plenty of it. Mlady also loved the thick cut chips which were beautifully crisp on the outside and light and fluffy inside.

For once in her life Mlady wasn't able to fit dessert in - but that didn't stop me ordering a Black Forrest trifle.

It was made with chocolate mousse, marscapone cream and cherries and tasted great. If you have a sweet tooth and if you're a bit of a chocoholic then order this.

What a dessert!

jones the grocer is a nice open airy place. Service was friendly and helpful. All the meals were also generous and well presented. There's certainly something for everyone here from coffee or a snack right through to a full meal.

Sir and Mlady dined as guests of jones the grocer. Special thanks to Chef Tom and to Loic and Angie for looking after us so nicely. Thanks also to Lily Montana from Cavcon for arranging our visit.

KOREAN COOKING SCHOOL - SYDNEY CBD

Korean Cooking School
Korean Cultural Office
255 Elizabeth St
Sydney

We haven't eaten at a lot of Korean restaurants but last year we were invited to a Korean Banquet arranged by the Korean Cultural Office and we got to see and taste the real deal - and loved it. Well we were invited back again - this time to experience the Korean Cooking School they run there under the watchful eyes of Chef Jay Lee who's pedigree is so impressive - having worked at Tetsuya's, est. and Sokyo and he was also the first Korean to be an Australian Young Chef  finalist. Classes here are small and intimate with only six people in each session. Jay is not only an impressive chef he's an entertaining guy as well - we loved his stories as much as we loved the food!  

The chilli pork was an amazing dish. Mlady isn't a huge fan of pork but she loved this dish. I had to agree as it was my dish of the night - and so easy to prepare as well (at least it looked easy as Jay did it all). This is one we're definitely going to have at home.

The sweet potato noodle salad was a lovely dish. Neither of us had ever tried sweet potato noodles before.

They are extremely hard before being cooked - I tried to bite through one and failed miserably!

Nevertheless once cooked and combined with all the delicious ingredients Jay had there, it was very tasty.

Our third dish of the night was braised beef rib. If you like slow cooked beef that is so tender it falls off the bone then you'll love this.

It was Mlady's equal favourite dish of the night, surprisingly being equal with the pork!

Whilst it was basically beef rib, potato and carrot the cooking process and the extras added while cooking moved this from a good dish to a great one.


We also had a selection of kimchi that Jay had prepared earlier. Kimchi is a selection of fermented vegetables that are served as side dishes with Korean food. These were great but my favourite was the fermented mulberry leaves as I grew up with a mulberry tree in my parents backyard and never knew the leaves could be eaten by anything other than silkworms! The stuffed zucchini was a favourite of most of the other people in our group.

Our other main dish was seaweed soup which combined seaweed, thinly sliced beef and sauces into another lovely dish - but still not as good as the pork (sorry Jay!). 

We really enjoyed our visit to the Korean Cooking School. It's right in the middle of the CBD so it's easy to get to from anywhere in Sydney and it goes for 2 hours which of course includes eating what is made! Jay Lee, apart from being a fine young chef, is also extremely entertaining! This guy would be a huge success on TV with his personality and stories! (Please note we want a commission if this happens now!!!).


Big thanks to Jay Lee for a fun and delicious evening. Thanks also to Jason (from Quay) and Shirley who assisted him. Special thanks to Irene - Cultural Event and Media Relations Manager at the Korean Cultural Office for inviting us.

Shirley, Jason and Jay Lee