Marque Restaurant

Unfortunately, laziness and forgetfulness are amongst my flaws. This post is a quite few months late, but better late than never! Especially when the restaurant was as amazing as Marque, and no other restaurant deserves a mention more than this 3 hatter.

There is a reason why Marque is a 3 hatted restaurant - it takes the tastebud on a journey through creativity and innovation. Molecular gastronomy is something Mark Best does well and the plates served up are truly inspiring.

Marque is situated right next to Billy Kwong in Surry Hills. It has a very understated exterior, and extremely dimly lit with dark tonal decor.

We decided to order a la carte rather than the degustation this time. Unfortunately i cannot describe to you taste by taste of each dish, but i will endeavour to share the highlights.

I ordered this extraordinarily crafted masterpiece of an....egg....yes, a simple egg but an artist has evidently sliced the egg shell and filled it with poached the egg along with a myriad of complex flavours. What i remember most was the warm smoothness of the egg and the unexpected yolk sleeping at the bottom. Perfectly accompanied with salty grissini.

Chaud-Froid Free Range Egg

On came the entree. The volcano of almond jelly with crumbs rolling down the side captures your attention. The presentation is impeccable and you cannot go wrong if you serve up creativity with fresh ingredient. The crab was amazingly flavoursome with fluffy light almond flavours dispersed throughout but unfortunately it was spoilt when i found a small piece of crab shell. Such a shame.

Something i did learn though - avruga (which looks like black fish roe) is actually not cavier but made from herring fish and squid ink!


Almond Jelly with Blue Swimmer Crab, Almond Gazpacho, sweet corn and avruga





I ordered the venison with beetroot, unaware of the dominance of beetroot upon presentation. Beetroot slices weeved and folded itself on the plate and camoflaged the beautifully cooked venison. Not a fan of beetroot, so the beetroot puree and thick slices of beetroot were a bit much for me.


Venison with beetroot, radicchio and bitter cocoa



Our pre dessert came next. The pre dessert of Sauternes creme caramel was petite and only half filled the cup. Not to be deceived!! it was magnificently creamy and rich in Sauternes flavour, a french style dessert wine. The strong wine infused flavours really slaps you across the face, hence a bigger serving would have been too heavy.


Sauternes Creme Caramel

Our waiter recommended (with total enthusiasm) that we order the Lemon Tart. I could not stop my "wooo's and ahhh's" as i admired the dish. I love how a 'lemon tart' can be given such a twist. Nestled in a sea of chocolate crumbs sits a perfect frozen lemon ball.


"Lemon Tart"



Petit Fours



Marque Restaurant
Shop 4/5
355 Crown Street
Surry Hills NSW
Tel - 02 9332 2225
http://www.marquerestaurant.com.au/

Universal Restaurant

If you're into the hatted restaurants but not a fan of uptight ambiences, then Universal is worth a visit. This trendy bistro style restaurant is situated in Darlinghurst in an inconspicuous courtyard amongst three other eateries. Being half outdoors and half indoors, the venue is fabulous on a summers night.

We came here for a special occasion (my birthday!) and anticipated a great night of food. Christine Manfield is very hands on in her restaurant and as expected, she was there doing the dirty work - carrying boxes to the kitchen and also chatting to patrons.

Service was attentive and non intrusive. We were seated in front of the orange coloured lit backwall - not the desired lighting for photos but our table had an elevated view of the outdoor seating area and courtyard.


Fuji Mama Mocktai $9, Ruby Baby Mocktail $9

The mocktails were to die for. Although they only had 2 mocktails on offer, both were outstanding in its own right. The Ruby Baby mocktail was rich and refreshing, whilst the Fuji Mama was simply devine! The mocktail was relatively thick, like slurping down mashed apples but the peruvian spice syrup with honey gave it a really distinct flavour i've never tried before in a mocktail.




Our waiter explained the menu which is structured so the lighter meals are listed top left and as the heavier dishes towards the bottom right of the menu. It is recommended each person chose 3 dishes, however we decided to share 5 between the two of us and order dessert afterwards.



Our 3 light dishes arrived together.

The quail dish was clearly thai influenced. The fresh mint, citrusy dressing and spiced quail coupled well with sweet pomelo. The quails were quite satisfying and the mint made it a quite refereshing entree.


Spiced quail, roast rice, pomelo and mint $26

This pancake was highly anticipated. I commend the bravery of introducing salted egg to this dish as it it does not always sit well with western palates. But the salted egg was not overpowering at all - it added the necessary distinct saltiness with the tiny diced salted egg pieces. What i liked about this one was the agedashi styled tofu wrapped inside the pancake and the crunchiness of the peanuts really brought this dish to a next level.


Chilli coconut tofu and salted duck egg pancake, roasted peanuts and chilli jam $25




Generous portions of salmon and oysters came with the next dish. On par with the other two, the apple salad was definitely needed to balance the flavours.


Tea smoked aoraki salmon and pacific oysters, morcilla and green apple salad $28

Our 2 heavier dishes came next. We ordered the wagyu and the pork belly. At first glance i was quite disappointed with my pork belly. Where is the pork belly? is this nibble sized croquette and pork belly all there is? Even though the croquette was crunchy not oily and pork belly nicely cooked, it was just not heavy enough to be classified as a 'heavier' dish


Sweet and sour pork belly, trotter croquette, roasted parsnip and green peas $29

Similarly with the Wagyu, portion size was not nearly big enough. The mushroom tempura were to die for and the pastry light and fluffy. The wagyu was a bit wasted, as it was married with bone marrow which softened the whole texture - overly melt in your mouth with no bite. Wondered - was i eating slow cooked pork rather than beef?



On came dessert time!! Universal was awarded best dessert restaurant 2010. This should not disappoint and it didn't!

Ordered the bananarama - made with banana mashmallow, salted peanut caramel, passionfruit cream and passionfruit banana sorbet. I adored the thin layer of sugar crisp that cracked on impact. The banana mashmallow base was creamy and firm rather than mousse-like which i liked. The passionfruit flavour in the cream and sorbet somehow overpowered the bananas, but this was totally forgotten when the peanuts made its appearance. I loved the salted peanut caramel!! Great texturely, and the much needed salt in the dessert ensured i was not 'ahhh'-ing from sugar overload.


Bananarama $18

The highlight of the entire night must be the infamous Gaytime goes nuts!! And i definitely went nuts as i fought with my companion to devour the dessert (bearing in mind my companion is not usually a dessert lover!). The gaytime inspired dessert was remarkable - rich honeycomb ice cream with choc covered biscuit balls hidden inside, was topped with salted hazelnut caramel and caramel parfait, wrapped in a chocolate crunch shell. The photo does not do it justice! A must try for gaytime and dessert lovers.


Gaytime goes nuts $19



Universal
Republic 2 Courtyard
Palmer Street
Darlinghurst
Tel - 02 9331 0709
www.universalrestaurant.com

Astral Restaurant

First and foremost, apologies for the picture quality =P

Astral, situated on level 17 of Star City hotel overlooks the magnificent Sydney harbour. The perfect spot for dining - unfortunately due to the Star City renovations and restructuring Astral is in its final 2 weeks of operation.

We came with high expectations and truly was not disappointed. The views can do no wrong and when it is coupled with attentive service, big soft comfy chairs and quality food, it really is a shame Astral will give way to a high rollers lounge. Too bad we had a rowdy (and drunk) group nearby plus a busy night making it quite loud.

Ordering the degustation was a smart decision as we wanted to taste all the dishes on offer for the last time. Using the entertainment card ended up costing $100 a head - great value for a 4 hour dinner!



Amuse bouche was an apple jelly base with spanner crab and lychee foam. Magnificent when you can have a mouthful of everything together but terrible when eaten separately. The lychee foam was delicate but savoury and balanced the sweetness of the apple jelly. The crab was fresh and gave it some substance.



Next was the Heirloom Tomato which was basically a feast of tomatoes. My least favourite of the night as it was just that - different tomatoes cut different ways. Cant really comment much as i dislike tomatoes overall and the way it was made just did not entrall me.



For some theatrics, our next dish came hidden under a dome of chamomile smoke. When the lid was lifted, the smoke drifted away revealing marinated king smoked salmon, isigny creme fraiche with chamomile pearls. It is an interesting touch to have smoke but personally it reminded me of temple incense. haha. The salmon was beautifully smoked, cut through with the creme fraiche to balance it back down. Small serving but satisfying.





Scallop! yay! Scallop served with celeriac puree, asparagus, apples and saffron. Even though it was anothe foam dish, the flavours were quite intense but did not take centre stage over the scallop. The textural balance was evident with the tender scallop and crunchy asparagus with apples.



Following was the quail, one of my favourite of the night. Served with spinach puree and accompanied by foie gras resting on top of silken tofu, the dish was dressed with shiso vinegarette. The quail was amazingly succulent and juicy. I want more!



By now i was quite full already as the pace in which the dishes came out was a little too slow for my liking (it was approx 10pm at this time and we were still eating!).

The angus beef was totally worth the wait!! Sweet bread, white polenta, mushrooms and confit potatoes complimented the angus. The meat was surprisingly not bloody despite it appearing so red. It was chewy but not to the point of disgust. Flawlessly executed.



Our pre-dessert were mini peach (and raspberry?) sorbet. Loved the waffle cone and the white peach cream at the bottom of the cone. Yummyyyy



Dessert was an ordinary affair. Ganache, white chocolate ice cream, layered marzipan cake with crumble and rasberry weren't the most creative despite the beautiful plating. The layered marzipan cake tasted exactly like the 7eleven cake i got in Japan. The ganache logs was bitter and rich but overall it was not that exciting.



What was more exciting was the sugar sticks that accompanied the coffee and tea!! Such creativity and i dont know how they made this. The sugar crystals on the stick slowly melts in your tea/coffee.



The macaron petit fours arrived with the coffee/tea.



Astral Restaurant
Level 17
Star City
80 Pyrmont Street
Pyrmont
Tel - 1800 700 700
(website shut down)

Rise Restaurant

Unfortunately Rise is closing its doors on 28 November after more than 10 years of operation. As such, they have made it an occasion and offered a 6 course "Sayonara" degustation for $48 until the 28 November to thank their loyal customers.

As expected, Rise has drawn massive crowds on the night we visited, everyone having heard of the news and wanting to have the last bite.





I ordered the lychee caipiroska - a bit too strong in vodka but the lychee chunks was refreshing and prominent in the cocktail.


Lychee Caipiroska $12

The degustation menu comprised of:

1)Steamed pork belly, cauliflower, sugar snap, rocket salad with "chuka" vinaigrette

Not a big fan of the cauliflower but i was still able to finsih off the dish surprisingly! Thinly sliced cold pork belly sat on a bed of fresh salad served with sweet chuka dressing.



2)Potato soup with tofu & scallop tempura

The soup was incredibly creamy and thick - somehow tasted like it had a dashi base? Very rich in potatoes and flavours, which i consumed with delight. My tempura unfortunately wasnt as crunchy as expected. But nonetheless, accompanied by the tempura tofu it provided some texture to the dish making it overal quite pleasant.



3)Assorted today's market sashimi

Today's sashimi consisted of thai style oysters, mustard vinegarette king fish with a pinch of roe to garnish and ocean trout with ginger soy.

I loved the mustard vinegarette as it went really well with the kingfish to accentuate the flavours but did not overpower the kingfish.



4) Soy milk flan with "shiitake" sauce, Rice paper rolls of cured salmon, omelette & gochujang mayo, Fish cake and green papaya

The milk flan was flawlessly executed. No scrambled eggs, just smooth yumminess topped with savoury shiitake pieces.



5)Soba salad with chunyang chilli prawn

This dish was a bit spicier than i expected as never really associated chilli with soba in my mind. The prawn was so lightly battered i barely noticed. It would have been a more inviting dish if the prawn was crunchier to contrast it in texture to the silken soba base.



6) Chicken confit, bamboo shoot, button mushroom and "zahsai " sauce

Honestly by now i was full! Must be all the gradual digesting in between courses~ haha.

The chicken was succulent and a very generous serving. We were told that this chicken had been cooking for days! There were so many steps involved, it was mind boggling (and a hint of cooking OCD maybe?). The skin is crispy from being pan fried in its final stage whilst the meat remained tender and juicy.





Finale~ Dessert of the day - Almond Panna Cotta with milk granita and pomegranate.

Beautiful end to the meal. Luscious panna cotta made to perfection.





Hats off to Chef Hideki Okazaki! Hopefully we will get to see and taste some his creations again in the near future.


Rise Restaurant
23 Craigend Street
Darlinghurst 2010
Tel - 02 9357 1755
www.riserestaurant.com.au

Home Thai

For a girlie night out we decided to eat at home…"Home" as in the thai restaurant on sussex street! The first time I walked past my eyes were drawn towards their basket of mangos at the front. haha.

Similar to Chat Thai, their shop front is fully glass so you can peer right through to the front kitchen and the stack of desserts/snacks on display that makes your mouth water.



We were seated on the top level where the speakers were unfortunately going Doof Doof Doof right behind us. The place looks pretty cool with wooden furniture, dark lighting and blasting music.

Waiters were running up and down with their ordering iPads carried in an LV bag! Talk about classy =)



We loved the menu with photos and had to order some of the ones in the pics. Prices were very reasonable. 4 people ended up being only $17 each (including drinks and dessert)! what a bargain for a pig out.



The entree of homemade thai grilled sausages looked amazing – shiny grilled red skinned sausages and cut into little chunks. It was a little bit dry and overgrilled however its always good to try something new =)


Sai Groog Isan $10.90

The Pat Siew's thick chunky cut rice noodles tossed in soy sauce made a wonderful dish. Bright green veges were fresh and crisp amongst the noodles. I might even start enjoying Pat Siew more than Pad Thai!


Pat C Ew $10.50

We ordered the green curry with coconut milk, cherry eggplant, basil, lime leaf and chilli. We wanted a milder curry but the curry hit us with a bang. It definitely had heat and gave out a fantastic aroma.


Gang Kew $12.90


Seafood Pad Thai $14.50

Yay! dessert time!

This dessert reminded me of the canto deep fried dough, but dipped in sweet pandan custard dip. Could i please finish off the pandan? (and leave the too oily deep fried dough...)



Time to lick your forks on this one. Super yummy mango and sticky rice. Mango was oh-so-fresh served with coconut saauce and sticky rice.


Home Thai
299 Sussex Street
Sydney NSW 2000
Tel- (02)9261 5058
www.homethai.com.au/