84 UNION ST - PYRMONT, SYDNEY

84 Union St
84 Union St
Pyrmont, Sydney

We dropped in on the new kid on the block in Pyrmont. It's not hard to remember the name or the address - it's the same - 84 Union St. It's where Hogs Breath used to be.

The place has been turned into a bar/restaurant and it does have a nice indoor/outdoor feel to it. It's big too. The expansive indoor area seats a small army, and has a separate area at the back closer to the kitchen area. They have a good happy hour there too with some pretty decent discounts. The windows open out onto a terrace along the side of the building. They've kept things fairly minimalist but it works, creating a pleasant semi-tropical feel without overdoing it.

We decided to just choose from the share and tapas section of the menu and we started with the trio of pulled pork sliders.

They were buns packed full of braised marinated American pulled pork and slaw. The meat was rich and tasty and the slaw added a real tang.

It's hard to resist halloumi in any form - in salad or with breakfast - but pan fried is a particular favourite.

These nicely browned pieces of grilled halloumi each sat on top of roasted red capsicum puree, tomato salsa, corn and extra virgin olive oil.

It was a pretty and tasty way to serve halloumi.





Our final dish was simply called - bread and three dips platter and it was probably the dish of the night. The dips were hummus, eggplant and beetroot and all three were in very big servings. In keeping with the oversized serving, there was a huge pile of toasted sourdough - they don't skimp. There was also a small bowl of roasted garlic and mixed marinated olives. It was all tasty and very substantial.

An added bonus of 84 Union St is their live music. We enjoyed the great tunes from AJ The Piano Man, who took requests too. It's a nice place here with a good feel to it and some decent food and drinks too. 

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.

 

MADE IN ITALY TRATTORIA - PYRMONT, SYDNEY

Made In Italy Trattoria
55 Miller St
Pyrmont, Sydney

Made In Italy is a growing venture - with five restaurants across Sydney - quite an achievement since 2001 when their Pyrmont restaurant opened.

The focus is on quality ingredients to create good food, atmosphere and service.

We were taken with the warmth and friendliness of the place. Everyone seemed happy and enjoying themselves - customers and staff. The place had a real buzz to it. It's hard to miss the little Fiat inside the doorway - yes inside. Everyone new there stops to take a look - probably at first to see if it's real!

The place is popular so even though it's a decent size you do still need to book on busy nights like Fridays and Saturdays.

So - what to start with. Yes they do have the usual things you'd want to see on the menu for an Italian restaurant. You won't be disappointed.

We grabbed a few glasses to start with - Mlady had a fruity Lambrusco and Sir had a Nero D'avola - a nice medium bodied red from Sicily.

We then went for starters - beginning with a special of zucchini flowers stuffed with buffalo mozzarella, ricotta and anchovies - a tasty combo with the salty anchovies a great idea.

Next it was arancini with pumpkin and blue cheese - cheap at only $8 for five and again a quirky combination that went so well. These apparently sell out fast when available so order them quickly - even if you're deciding what else to get.

Made In Italy are known for their pizza and pasta - with so many combinations.

We decided on pizza and Mlady liked the look of the vegetarian option - which probably wouldn't have been Sir's first choice. He conceded reluctantly that it was very tasty and he actually enjoyed it. The base was lovely and thin with nice tangy tomato paste and toppings. It was served high on a stand which always looks good on a table.

We were going to have a pasta next but were persuaded to try the barramundi. What an amazing dish. The fish arrived at the table cooked and whole. Then our waiter delicately dismantled it right in front of us and served the boneless flesh with the accompanying potatoes, vegetables and sweet cherry tomatoes.

It was impressive to watch - like dinner and a show. It also had lovely flavours that made this a great recommendation and a must have!

Don't forget to save at least some room for dessert - we never do! There's a display cabinet with so many things there - wander over and take a look before ordering your sweet finale.

We were lucky to get a platter with a cross-section of them - profiteroles, cheesecake, cream, ice cream, tiramisu and a few others.

We also had a couple of shots of their mandarincello - another must have!

Made In Italy is everything you want and hope for in a bustling Italian restaurant. It has atmosphere, charm, lively service and a great range of really good food. They're spreading across Sydney as well - Pyrmont, Annandale, Rose Bay, Sydney CBD and Castle Hill!

Sir and Mlady dined as guests of Made In Italy. Special thanks to Giorgio and Roberto for looking after us so well and to Claudia Checchi for arranging our visit.

GALLON + CAKE WINES - PYRMONT, SYDNEY

Gallon + Cake Wines
117 Harris St
Pyrmont, Sydney

There's something about the old historic buildings of Pyrmont that creates a warmth and charm as they transport you back to a bygone era. Gallon is one of those places!

We were at Gallon for the Cake Wines matched campaign to sample the best of both worlds - some signature dishes at Gallon matched with some tasty drops from Cake Wines.

The high ceilings, lovely arch and stone wall down an entire side add to the old world feel. High shelves around the walls are adorned with nick knacks and there's even a bronzed pigs head protruding from the wall just inside the doorway. Gallon seats 236 comfortably - so its pretty big, but that includes the courtyard out the back, two areas that can be privately booked and seating out the front.

We arrived at Gallon feeling quite peckish and therefore we were eager to try a few dishes on the menu as there were some decent choices available.

We started with the half bocconcini ball drizzled with lemon and olive oil and accompanied with a decent serving of house made crisp bread.

The dish was simple but very effective.

We just cut chunks of bocconcini out of the ball and put them onto the crisp bread then scooped some of the lemon and olive oil mix onto it. Lovely.

This whole dish combined really well and it was fresh and very tasty.

As we were at here as part of the Cake Wines matched campaign we were of course going to sample a few Cake Wines! As Cake Wines say: Matched is an idea that's about exploring "kitchens that don't live in the limelight", sharing stories from the chef's that run them and giving some much needed love and exposure to the restaurants, cafes, tapas/wine bars and gastro pubs that sometimes get drowned out in our celebrity driven food world.


As a result, Cake Wines have been matched with certain signature dishes from places around the country. This is certainly a great concept and we were happy to be involved. Our starters were matched with a lovely Cake Wines Rose from the Adelaide Hills in South Australia. This wine was not too sweet or too dry so it was an easy drop to sip with plenty of taste and it was something most people could enjoy.

Our second starter created such an impression when it arrived at our table - it had a real wow factor to it. We had grilled Cypriot haloumi with a watermelon side that was drizzled with a thin line of balsamic vinegar. The colours were impressive as were the flavours - rich warm cheese with refreshing crisp watermelon and a bit of tang from the balsamic.

Who would have thought that this would all combine so well! Mlady looooved this!

Then it was on to the mains. The signature dish we were having was the veal and pork meatballs in tomato sauce with a bread mop. These were very tasty with a tomato sauce with some tang but not overpowering the meatballs. The meatballs were from a family recipe from the grandmother of Gallon owner Julian - and we fully understood why they had this on the menu as they were great. 

The meatballs were paired with a lovely red from Cake Wines. This was the Cake Wines Shiraz from McLaren Vale in South Australia. We love our red wines and this was a lovely mellow soft red with great flavours that combined very well with the meatballs.

Gallon are well known for their pizza's. There are a decent list of available options on the menu and usually a special on the blackboard too.

We chose the Peking duck pizza which had sliced duck breast, hoisin sauce, plum sauce, garlic and shallots.

Hoisin sauce and duck meat are made for each other and this Peking duck pizza was testament to this.

Gallon seems like a small place when you walk in, but it keeps on flowing into other spaces and other rooms. They've cleverly converted what used to be stables out the back into a beautiful room that opens onto a lovely courtyard. It's a nicely decorated place that exudes old world charm. Almost all of their tasty food is made on site and can possibly be described as simple and quality food, but there is also a touch of adventure.

The drops from Cake Wines that were paired with our dishes at Gallon were both very tasty. They were well paired and each had great flavours. We hadn't tried Cake Wines before and we really enjoyed them.

Sir and Mlady dined as guests of Gallon and Cake Wines. Thanks to Lubos for looking after us so well, Julian for explaining where Gallon is heading and to Glen Cassidy, co-founder of Cake Wines for inviting us and arranging everything.

CAFE XXII - PYRMONT, SYDNEY

Cafe XXII
22 Union St
Pyrmont, Sydney

Cafe XXII is an old world building across the road from the new world of The Star. It's right on the corner - in fact the entrance doorway is literally on the corner.

It's a cosy, intimate place with lovely exposed stone walls from a bygone era. It's also a compilation of small rooms that join onto each other. The entrance room has some tables but down a short walkway are more rooms and therefore more tables.

The whole place has a charm about it that appeals as soon as you walk in the door. A memorable feature for us was that the service was impeccable throughout the whole evening.

We started with the mezze platter to share. It sounded attractive on the menu and looked and tasted just as good.

Described as a selection of cold meats, three cheese, olives and roast pimento it was a great starter.

It was all delicious and the platter also had a few grissini sticks on top as well. It was deceptively big and filling and cost $16.00 which was decent value for this.

Starter two to share was the tapas. It consisted of grilled Turkish bread with extra virgin olive oil and oregano served with a trio of homemade dips.

These were again extremely fresh and all very tasty. Mlady and I both loved the semi-dried tomato dip and agreed it was our favourite. The olive dip was also another winner too.

At only $11.00 it was good value for something to share among a couple or a group.

The main courses are limited in number but despite this there's still a variety to cover all tastes.

The "Pasta" was penne carbonara with sauteed bacon, onion, garlic, white wine, creme fraiche and finished with fresh parsley and Parmesan cheese.

It was a good sized serving that was al dente and two in our group that ordered this dish both said that they loved it.

The meal cost $26.00.

I had the "Risotto" and it was excellent. It was described as chilli prawn risotto with olives, capsicum and red onion sauteed in garlic and chilli in a rich tomato concasse finished with spinach, basil and parsley.

There were plenty of plump juicy prawns in this dish - in fact more than you would normally get in a dish of this kind!

This filling meal was $29.00.



Mlady had the "Lasagne" - as she has often been known to do.

She said it was certainly nice but it could have perhaps had a bit more flavour.

Nevertheless she still finished it all so it must have been pretty good.

It was described in the entree section of the menu simply as Lasagne al forno and was a mere $19.00 which was excellent value.

Cafe XXII is a lovely place. The food was really good but on top of that the service was faultless - being both attentive, friendly and helpful in all the right ways. It's this "going the extra mile" that will ensure people come back again and again.