The Bangers and Mash were a big serving of three tasty beef sausages sitting on creamy mash, topped with crispy onion rings all sitting in a lovely jus.
Read MoreBONDI PIZZA - MACQUARIE, NORTH RYDE, SYDNEY
Bondi PizzaMacquarie Centre
North Ryde, Sydney
Bondi Beach - Relaxing, Vibrant and Fun! Bondi Pizza brings these qualities of an iconic Australia landmark to the Macquarie Centre. With an impressive surf inspired décor, mouth-watering range of delicious pizzas and energetic friendly staff there can be no better words to describe the experience of dining at Bondi Pizza.Despite the restaurant only being filled at half capacity (as can be expected on a Tuesday night), we could still feel the Bondi buzz.
We arrived to surf movies and the famous Wipe Out music greeting us, an impressive Bondi Pizza themed long board planted on the wall.
A wide range of diners were present ranging from birthday parties to young families to couples enjoying Bondi Pizza’s signature thin pressed pizzas. After ordering our first round of Coronas and deliberating extensively over which starters to share (there are 22 choices!), we decided on the Arancini Balls and the Chargrilled Chorizo.
We had arrived with high expectations and an appetite to match.
So it wasn't surprising at all that we tucked straight into the chargrilled Chorizo.
These were so good that we devoured them in a few minutes!
The flat bread and side of chilli mayo sat very nicely with the Chorizo, which was cooked perfectly.
This was a great start to our meal and certainly lived up to our high expectations.
The Arancini Balls were next and they were great too.
They had a very big cheesy hit that didn't lack flavour.
It also had the kind of crispy outer layer you'd expect in a good arancini too.
It was a great dish and a nice contrast to the textures of the chorizo.
The side serving of garlic aioli was very tasty too.
Still with some room in our ample bellies, we ordered another round of beers and waited eagerly for our signature Bondi Pizzas, the Grilled Chicken Tandoori and the Marinated Chargrilled Lamb!
The Marinated Lamb lived up to all that was promised and then some…tender marinated lamb backstrap fillet, feta, balsamic onions, roma tomatoes, rocket, sweet potato crisps with creamy Caesar sauce! The lamb was cooked to perfection, the Caesar sauce blending the flavours together very nicely.We cannot recommend this pizza enough! It is a must have for all Bondi Pizza diners.At this stage we were feeling very satisfied with our meal, but still had one last pizza to polish off for the night.
Chicken Tandoori is one of our favourite pizzas and we were intrigued to discover if Bondi Pizzas’ version stacked up to the very impressive Marinated Lamb…it turned out to be an impressive pizza indeed - but our favourite was the lamb by a nose due to its combinations! The yogurt sauce was delicious and the chicken was of good quality.
Bondi Pizza has grown for a reason. They have good variety and the food tastes great as well. It's a relaxing, vibrant and fun dining experience.
The Knights, who now review for Sir and Mlady Dine Out, dined as gusts of Bondi Pizza. Special thanks to Courtney from Bondi Pizza HQ for this kind invitation.
COFFEE TRADERS - TOP RYDE, SYDNEY
Coffee TradersTop Ryde Shopping Centre
Blaxland Rd, Ryde
Coffee Traders is located at Top Ryde City and has both indoor and outdoor seating for approximately 80. It has an industrial feel with its exposed ceiling and the atmosphere is friendly and relaxed. There is a personal touch on the tables as the flowers are from James' (the owner) garden.
All of the lovely cakes are freshly made and there is also gluten free products which includes burger buns. Coffee Traders has a weekend menu too.When we arrived we had not had our all important first coffee of the day so, being a high priority we ordered our usual beverages. Mlady ordered a half strength soy cappuccino and Sir had his skim flat white. We both ordered "large" and we were so happy that we did. The coffee was great!!!! It definitely was an Ahhh moment when we took our first sips.The coffee was Pablo and Rusty's and arrived in brightly coloured large cups with saucers which added to their appeal. We also have to mention - isn't "coffee art" cute!
Mlady ordered the smoked salmon, chives and cream omelette served with crispy bagel. This was served on a colourful plate enhancing the vibrancy of the omelette. This was a very tasty dish. It was also light and had nicely crisped croutons. The ingredients were fresh and the capers and Spanish onion went so well with the flavoursome, light and fluffy omelette.
Sir chose the spicy beef kofta skewers served on a bed of roasted vegetable cous cous and also had a serving of crispy lavosh bread with creamy hummus for dipping.This dish was beautifully presented. It was full of flavour and there certainly was plenty of it. The textures all combined well and it was very tasty, tender and juicy inside.
We were very full after our delicious meals but we really just had to try the Waffles. This consisted of crispy hot Waffles with fresh fruit, maple syrup and was drizzled with an oh so yummy butterscotch sauce. The waffles were fluffy inside and nicely crisped on the outside. When it arrived it looked so good and tasted even better.
Coffee Traders is a great place with a lovely feel to it. The food and coffee is worth the visit too.Sir and Mlady dined as guests of Coffee Traders. We would like to say a special thank you to James for chatting with us. We would also like to thank Helena, their chef, for taking time out from her busy schedule to chat with us and to Sonja for looking after us. Big thanks also to Claire McPherson of CPM Online Marketing for arranging our visit.
COCO CUBANO - TOP RYDE, SYDNEY
Coco CubanoTop Ryde City Shopping Centre Tenancy R3005
109-129 Blaxland Rd
Top Ryde, Sydney
Coco Cubano is taking over Australia one restaurant at a time. While most of their venues are in Sydney, they have impressively located in Charlestown (Newcastle), Joondalup (Western Australia), Mackay (Queensland) and Wollongong. We were at the Summer Menu launch at their Top Ryde restaurant - themed "Endless Summer with a Cuban Twist" and it was a delicious feast we certainly won't forget in a hurry.
Coco Cubano brings the taste, feel and vibe of Cuba to Australia in style. Owners Tony and Avril Melhem have created a tropical paradise - quite a few in fact - that allow you to escape and experience Cuban food, drinks and style right here on your doorstep.
This was a feast, as we were about to travel through the new Summer menu for Coco Cubano. This of course started with cocktails. The Coco Colada was a lovely take on the Pina Colada and so refreshingly hard to stop drinking.
The food started with tostones - thin yet very crunchy plantain chips that were so delish. They were served with two very tasty sides, a thick chunky guacamole and a tangy mango salsa that Mlady adored. Both were delicious. Then we had the Havana dip plate - refried beans, guacamole and tomato served with tortilla chips. Another great starter.
Time for another drink (or two) and we tried the cucumber and jalapeno Margarita. Again it was a great variation on the more traditional drink with the prominent freshness of the cucumber nicely lifted by the zing of the jalapeno finish.
We love fried chicken and this variation, fried chicken drumettes with red mojo dipping sauce, were great. They were so crisp on the outside yet still tender and juicy inside. Then there was the chilli caramel pork belly with green mojo dipping sauce. Sir couldn't resist either of these and kept returning to both dishes, again and again!
The tropical prawn salad was light, fresh and tangy. It was different to your usual salad - it had lettuce, hearts of palm, tomato salsa, mango salsa, avocado and green mojo dressing. It was vibrant in both colour and taste and topped with plenty of juicy prawns. The elote - chargrilled corn cob drizzled with red mojo aioli, Parmesan and lime was such a tangy way to have corn - even Sir enjoyed it!
Then more meat arrived in the form of Arroz Con Pollo. This tasty spiced and butterflied half chicken was served on a bed of tender brown sofrito rice.
Eating is hard work and it's thirsty work too. Our next tipple was some sangria - which arrived in a jug topped with fresh mint, strawberries and orange slices. We love sangria and somehow managed to keep the jug arriving back in front of us.
This action packed sambo has sliced ham, roast pork, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard.
This sandwich was recommended as a favourite, and it was easy to see why. It was a big sandwich and so tasty.
The red meat quota was well and truly met with the arrival of the beef short ribs.These beauties were slow cooked on the BBQ with a rum glaze and served on top of a big bed of crispy fritas - or chips.
The meat was so tender it really did fall off the bone and the rum glaze added delicious tang.
Tony and Avril thanked all their crew and their suppliers (and many of them were there) as well as all the guests attending.
It's so clear that the passion they have permeates there whole business and all the people who work for Coco Cubano.
Did someone say dessert? We started with a delicious citrus cheesecake with passionfruit, fresh pineapple and caramel sauce. Mlady is the cheesecake expert and she loved it. Then it was a drink, and what a drink it was! The chocolate and rum washed brownie was to die for. Sir is a rum drinker and was so full but just couldn't put this down.
Coco Cubano has something for everyone. They're open for breakfast, lunch and dinner so escape a bit and experience the tastes and delights of Cuba in your own backyard.
Sir and Mlady dined as guests of Coco Cubano. Big thanks to owners Tony and Avril Melhem and to everyone there who looked after us so well. Thanks also to Rachel Cameron of The Society Group for inviting us to this event.
LAN YUAN - TOP RYDE, SYDNEY
Lan Yuan VIP Launch
Shop 4005, Level 1
Top Ryde City Shopping Centre
Crn Devlin St and Blaxland Rd
Ryde, Sydney
Top Ryde City Shopping Centre
Crn Devlin St and Blaxland Rd
Ryde, Sydney
Masses of hungry people queued outside for
the VIP launch of Lan Yuan Cantonese restaurant nestled upstairs on level 1 at Top Ryde Shopping Centre when it officially launched a few weeks ago.
The place had an outside reception area roped off with
floral arrangements and they even had red carpet for the VIP guests - a nice touch.
The atmosphere was buzzing with the crowds milling and the smell of lovely food wafting out. Our appetites were growing.
The place had an outside reception area roped off with
floral arrangements and they even had red carpet for the VIP guests - a nice touch. The atmosphere was buzzing with the crowds milling and the smell of lovely food wafting out. Our appetites were growing.
Inside, welcome drinks were lined up on the
bar and we were hit by the striking décor of the restaurant.
It was like being in the middle of a pretty bamboo forest - but with food being delivered by the second - that's our kind of forest!
Then nibbles came flying out of the kitchen and our hunger started being quickly satisfied.
Quick hands were snapping them up in a flash: spring rolls, mini peking duck pancakes, dumplings, pork sui mai.
Our favourite was the duck pancakes which we saw being feverishly assembled at the bar.
The flavours were good and we love our duck!
It was like being in the middle of a pretty bamboo forest - but with food being delivered by the second - that's our kind of forest!
Then nibbles came flying out of the kitchen and our hunger started being quickly satisfied.
Quick hands were snapping them up in a flash: spring rolls, mini peking duck pancakes, dumplings, pork sui mai.
Our favourite was the duck pancakes which we saw being feverishly assembled at the bar.
The flavours were good and we love our duck!
Outside, festivities broke out as a Chinese
dragon danced to traditional music before spreading his luck throughout the
restaurant.
The atmosphere was buzzing, the food was abundant, the drinks were flowing and the entertainment was exciting.
It was ticking all the boxes of a great launch and a great night.
We learned that there were around 250
people invited to this event so it was certainly an accomplishment to have
catered so expertly while maintaining the quality of the food. Lan Yuan opens daily for yum-cha at 11 am and closes at 10pm with easy parking at the shopping centre.
Those Dames, who are now doing reviews for Sir and Mlady Dine Out, dined as guests of Lan Yuan. Big thanks also to Vanessa from Wasamedia for the invitation and arranging everything so professionally.
BONDI PIZZA - RYDE, SYDNEY
Bondi PizzaTop Ryde City Shopping Centre
Piazza Dining Precinct
109-129 Blaxland Rd
Ryde, Sydney
Nothing says Australian like Bondi - a landmark beach with style and great vibes. You’d expect the same from Bondi Pizza - and you wouldn't be disappointed.
Located across Sydney, Bondi Pizza is a quality chain eatery with an upmarket pub vibe. The Duke and Duchess visited the Top Ryde location, nestled in the buzzing piazza, where a busy Friday night created a great atmosphere for our meal.We were lead to our table by the efficient staff, and felt very Australian with their surf inspired decor - even in Top Ryde, with no beach in sight.
After a long week, we were looking forward to a good feed, and we weren’t disappointed by the fantastic array of food available on the menu.
After ordering some drinks, a Crown Golden Ale and a lemon lime and bitters (they had wine, beer, spirits and much more on offer), we chose the arancini balls and the marinated meatballs for starters.
The arancini balls arrived promptly, and they were piping hot, with a buttery and cheesy texture surrounded in a delicious crispy layer.
The garlic aioli was the perfect addition - these were gone in seconds.
Our appetites whetted, the meatballs arrived and we dug straight in. These meatballs are Wagyu beef and pork, covered in a delicious BBQ glaze. A nice surprise was the flat bread served alongside the BBQ mayo - wrap a meatball in the bread, drowned in sauce, and you’re in for a delectable treat. The Duke described the meatballs as “warm and juicy”.
With so many pizzas on the menu, it was tough to decide which flavours to choose. We opted to try something new, away from our usuals. First was the prosciutto & bocconcini pizza. The base was thin, and with just the right amount of crisp. Beautifully salty cured meats complemented perfectly by the fresh bocconcini boded well with us, and the mango chutney added a touch of pizzazz to the pizza.
Our second pizza (by this time we were feeling quite full!), was the peking duck. Peking duck is one of our favourite dishes, in pancake form or however else you can have it. We just had to try it on a pizza! We loved the simplicity of the elements on the pizza - it tasted just like a peking duck pancake! The duck was cooked well, the cucumber fresh, and the coriander added a nice bite. Hoi sin! So yum!
By this point Duke and Duchess were entering food coma stages, but the dessert menu had the ultimate kryptonite - a dessert share plate! We couldn’t resist. With four elements; the apple crumble pizzette, chocolate brownie swirls, fruit fondue with Belgian chocolate, and a triple chocolate brownie served with Belgian chocolate and ice cream - this was a dessert lover’s paradise. Not a single misfire here - it was delicious. Our favourites were the swirls, so soft, warm and chocolatey. We would go back just for the swirls!
Thanks to Bondi Pizza for a lovely, laid back evening, and to Kate who served us so well on the night.The food was good and it was all served with a charm and style that makes you want to eagerly go back.
Duke and Duchess, who are now doing reviews for Sir and Mlady Dine Out, dined as guests of Bondi Pizza. Special thanks to Courtney Hogan for inviting us.
LAN YUAN RESTAURANT - RYDE, SYDNEY
Lan Yuan RestaurantShop 4005, Level 1
Top Ryde City Shopping Centre
Crn Devlin St and Blaxland Rd
Ryde, Sydney
Lan Yuan literally means Bamboo Garden, and once you arrive here you'll instantly know that you're in the right place! There's bamboo everywhere!The food is Cantonese, but with innovative twists in many dishes that work really well.
Lan Yuan is in the piazza at Top Ryde City shopping centre, a great foodie hub. In fact it sits above the piazza looking down from the first floor so you need to get there from inside the centre rather than outside from the piazza.
They seat around 90 but this may expand in the near future. They also do a popular yum cha by day before switching to their dinner menu.
While we were studying the good sized menu, a plate of prawn crisps arrived. We don't know about you, but these things are so addictive for us! We also had a pot of chrysanthemum tea at the suggestion of James, our waiter. What a great choice it was too. We hadn't tried this before and it was delicate and refreshing with a hint of floral aroma.
Robert, our other waiter, recommended the seafood san choi bao. We love san choi bao anyway, but this variation was packed with prawns, scallops, vegetables and crispy noodles and served in lettuce leaves - as expected.
The sauce was surprisingly subtle so you could still taste the delicious seafood.
Pippies can sometimes be fiddly things to eat, but these ones were so plump it wasn't a hassle at all. These wok fried pippies were served with a tasty but not overpowering XO chilli sauce with some kick but not to much.
The Lan Yuan fried rice was a treat, packed with fresh prawns and scallops and topped with colourful crab roe.
We love a good lobster dish - and there are several mouthwatering choices here.
We ended up having the wok fried rock lobster with soy, ginger and shallots.
The lobster was beautifully cooked and there was so much of it. We were in heaven. The flavours of the sauce went so well too - it was a lovely dish.
We ended up having the wok fried rock lobster with soy, ginger and shallots.
The lobster was beautifully cooked and there was so much of it. We were in heaven. The flavours of the sauce went so well too - it was a lovely dish.
If you like a dish with a real kick - a big kick in fact - then you have to try the Szechuan pepper chicken.It's a powerful dish that has a massive serving of tender chicken served with a generous topping of black peppercorns and loads of dry chilli.
It looks like it would be hot and it is hot.
Possibly the dish of the night for us was the delicious Lan Yuan beef eye fillets.This was again a big serving with tender beef coated in a tangy but surprisingly delicate house made wasabi sauce.
Some may be scared off by the word "wasabi", but don't be, it's purely for flavour and not for heat.
Any of the dishes with the words Lan Yuan in the name are basically signature dishes. The Lan Yuan salt and pepper crispy bean curd was exceptional. It was so light and fluffy inside with a nice delicately crisp outer layer. The flavours were lovely too. It's a great way to eat your veggies and enjoy them - especially for kids!
There's something about the words Deep Fried Ice Cream that brings out the inner kid in us all.
This very tasty version had a crisp coconut crumb batter surrounding vanilla ice cream.
You then choose your topping - chocolate, caramel or strawberry (or all if you must)! Mlady chose chocolate - no surprises there.
This very tasty version had a crisp coconut crumb batter surrounding vanilla ice cream.
You then choose your topping - chocolate, caramel or strawberry (or all if you must)! Mlady chose chocolate - no surprises there.
Lan Yuan is an oasis of bamboo and timber that has very interesting and innovative cuisine served in this garden-like indoor setting. They also do yum cha at lunch time every day too, before shifting to their dinner menu at night. It's well worth visiting!
Sir and Mlady dined as guests of Lan Yuan. Special thanks to James, Robert and Naterlie for looking after us so well. Big thanks also to Vanessa Gregory from Wasamedia for arranging our visit.
Sir and Mlady dined as guests of Lan Yuan. Special thanks to James, Robert and Naterlie for looking after us so well. Big thanks also to Vanessa Gregory from Wasamedia for arranging our visit.
RIBS AND RUMPS - RYDE, SYDNEY
11 Talavera Rd
Macquarie Park, Ryde
This is a surprisingly big place which wraps around the kitchen area. Its also so hard to get parking there - you may fluke a close one but if not be prepared for a walk! Its a carnivores delight though - a true meat market! Once you arrive you see lots of meat - its everywhere. This meal was for boy wonders birthday.
basting. The burger came with fresh lettuce, tomato, Spanish onion and gherkins, although the singing star left a few of these out by choice. The burger, like everything else her, was big. He fancies himself as a burger expert and said it was a good one. It cost $16.95.
A bottle of Patchwork Barossa Shiraz went down well. It cost around $58.00 I think.Ribs and Rumps is a carnivores pleasure. Its not fancy but it is a lot of well prepared meat that tastes very good. We enjoyed it.
