Thursday, October 27, 2011
notice board =D
hey friends, i'll be away on holidays for 2 weeks so i wont be posting any updates until im back. see u soon!
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Jamie's Italian Sydney
Jamie Oliver's restaurant, Jamie's Italian has finally FINALLY made its debut in Sydney Australia!! I have anticipated its opening for months (ever since they announced it around August this year) and could not be more ecstatic when it opened yesterday that i rushed there tonight.
It must have been a low key soft opening with not a lot of fanfare as there was no media hype around the whole thing. Maybe it was Jamie's idea?
Jamie's philosophy has always been to serve up quality food at reasonable prices so that it is affordable for everyone. His Sydney restaurant has done exactly that. When i looked at the exciting menu on offer, i could not believe the price tags attached to them. Dessert for $9?? Impossible!!
It is hard when you have high expectations for a restaurant to come out the other end with your expectations met. Not only did it exceed my expectations, i was jumping up and down with joy!
At the front of the restaurant you can see through the glass at the pasta coming out of the pasta machine (which looks more like a mincing machine =P)
They do not take bookings except for 6 or more people. I was so eager to get a seat i was outside their door at 5.45pm but the restaurant seats 200, so there was no real rush as there were plenty of tables available over 2 levels.
We had excellent service throughout the night, 10/10. They were passionate about the food, kept refilling water and we were asked quite a few times if we enjoyed the dishes. Maybe because it is only their 2nd day of work but i hope this enthusiam continues because it was fantastic.
Amongst the 3 of us we ordered 4 entree dishes to share, 3 mains and 3 desserts. All up $50pp. I cant stop smiling!!
A wall of wines lined up in wired cupboards decorated the wall on one side of the ground level seating area.
The vegetarian plate was only $10 per head and comprised of sliced vegetables chargrilled & marinated, buffalo mozzarella & pecorino with chilli jam, aubergine caponata, curly green chillies, olives & caper berries and a crunchy salad of shaved root veg with chilli, lemon & mint. Even though it was a one person serve, it was massive and perfect for those greedy eaters like me who like to eat a bit of everything.
Planks - Vegetables $10 per head
The chargrilled vegetables were huge and chunky covered in glossy oil and sweet vinegar. I learned that aubergine is another name for the humble eggplant and caponata is a salad comprising of eggplants, veges and capers in a sweet n sour sauce with sweet vinegar. No wonder it was vinegar tangy!
The platter is balanced on top of tomato cans! An absolutely brilliant idea =)
The mozzarella was reminescent of fresh milk - creamy and light but oozy in the centre.
The crunchy salad was indeed crunchy, with the vegetables finely julienned.
A piece of hard cheese, pecorino, is sliced into a triangle with a dollop of chilli jam on top so that it resembled a sunny side up egg.
I took so many pics of this dish because i got overly excited haha.
We ordered the small size of the cuttlefish paccheri. Short tubes of pasta with slowbraised cuttlefish, parsley, white wine, capers and tomatoes. It was a really small serving but perfect as an entree size. The flavours were all there, very seafoody but the pasta tubes were a bit too firm.
Cuttlefish paccheri $13.50
Yum yum polenta chips!! It was more like potenta chunks, as the polenta came in chunky cubes lightly deep fried with rosemary salt topped with parmesan. Heaven in a cube! Thinly crispy on the outside, not too oily with the inside still soft and spongy. $8 for a bowl of indulgence.
Crispy polenta chips $8
We also picked the mushroom fritto. The mushrooms are grown in-house, sliced and deep fried until crispy. Served with irresistable garlicky mayo.
Mushroom fritto $9
The only deceiving part is that the bottom half of the container is empty, filled with brown paper haha. If only the whole thing was filled with mushroom!!!
Cross section of the mushroom slice:
Tip for when you come here: you need to physically ask for the bread (on the house, free). It was listed on the menu but none of the tables around us got any, so, being greedy me i asked for it =)
There is a selection of different breads: homemade rosemary focaccia Artisan sourdough, ciabatta and tortano from their bakery Crispy carta di musica. Served with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic. They are only small pieces, but great for nibbling in between dishes.
One of our mains was the grilled chicken. Half a free range bird marinated and chargrilled with a warm tomato, olive, chilli and caper sauce. My sister said the chicken was too dry and the sauce super overpowering. When i tried the sauce i was knocked over. It was also a smaller portion size compared to my Lamb and our friend's fish.
My sister was told to rip the meat off the bone, mix it with the sauce with a squeeze of lemon.
Grilled chicken $29
I had the Best of Aussie Lamb Spiedini - marinated and grilled leg, shoulder and liver with smashed new potatoes and a minty chilli and yoghurt dressing.
Not only were the potatoes smashed, but i was smashed after eating the dish, it was that big!! The meat and liver came skewered on a metal rod and sat on top of a thick bed of potatoes.
Best of Aussie Lamb Spiedini $25
The lamb was perfectly pink in the centre and super tender. Lamb liver is not something that people would normally like, but as a Chinese who eats all sorts of innards, i loved the liver. And all that on a plate for $25?! Must be dreaming.
The fish chosen was the Fritto Misto - mixed crispy fried fish of the day served with zesty Italian tartare sauce and fresh lemon.
The fish was hidden beneath a blanket of deep fried angel hair pasta with 3 slices of lemon on top haha. The angel hair is tied artistically around a prawn. The deep fried angel hair is addictive like chips! But after a few more mouthfuls you definitely have a very oily lingering around the back of the throat.
There was an obviously big dish of tartare sauce which was not hidden! It was very zingy and as it was a generous serving of sauce it lets you to fully dunk your fish in it.
The piece of fish i had was nicely battered and fried but my sister's piece was apparently a bit salty. But does it really matter when you can drown it in tangy sauce =)
Fritto Misto $26
No matter what, leave room for dessert because you will regret regret regret if you dont. There, i've warned you.
We ordered the brownie, tiramisu and panna cotta to share.
The panna cotta was my favourite as it was creamy, delicate and not overly sweet. Coupled with intense berry puree it was pure bliss.
Creamy Panna Cotta $8.50
The warm brownie was richly chocolately with extra chocolate sauce on top.It was a chocolate, raspberry and amaretto brownie served with vanilla ice cream.
Ultimate Brownie $8.50
Last but not least, the tiramisu! If you love jaffas, then this is the winning dessert. Coffee-flavoured trifle with orange mascarpone and chocolate.
Our Special Tiramisu $9
And as you can tell, we scraped every plate and licked every spoon. Doesn't it speak louder than words =P
Well done Jamie!
Jamie's Italian
107 Pitt Street
Sydney
Tel - 02 8240 9000
http://www.jamieoliver.com/au/italian/
It must have been a low key soft opening with not a lot of fanfare as there was no media hype around the whole thing. Maybe it was Jamie's idea?
Jamie's philosophy has always been to serve up quality food at reasonable prices so that it is affordable for everyone. His Sydney restaurant has done exactly that. When i looked at the exciting menu on offer, i could not believe the price tags attached to them. Dessert for $9?? Impossible!!
It is hard when you have high expectations for a restaurant to come out the other end with your expectations met. Not only did it exceed my expectations, i was jumping up and down with joy!
At the front of the restaurant you can see through the glass at the pasta coming out of the pasta machine (which looks more like a mincing machine =P)
They do not take bookings except for 6 or more people. I was so eager to get a seat i was outside their door at 5.45pm but the restaurant seats 200, so there was no real rush as there were plenty of tables available over 2 levels.
We had excellent service throughout the night, 10/10. They were passionate about the food, kept refilling water and we were asked quite a few times if we enjoyed the dishes. Maybe because it is only their 2nd day of work but i hope this enthusiam continues because it was fantastic.
Amongst the 3 of us we ordered 4 entree dishes to share, 3 mains and 3 desserts. All up $50pp. I cant stop smiling!!
A wall of wines lined up in wired cupboards decorated the wall on one side of the ground level seating area.
The vegetarian plate was only $10 per head and comprised of sliced vegetables chargrilled & marinated, buffalo mozzarella & pecorino with chilli jam, aubergine caponata, curly green chillies, olives & caper berries and a crunchy salad of shaved root veg with chilli, lemon & mint. Even though it was a one person serve, it was massive and perfect for those greedy eaters like me who like to eat a bit of everything.
Planks - Vegetables $10 per head
The chargrilled vegetables were huge and chunky covered in glossy oil and sweet vinegar. I learned that aubergine is another name for the humble eggplant and caponata is a salad comprising of eggplants, veges and capers in a sweet n sour sauce with sweet vinegar. No wonder it was vinegar tangy!
The platter is balanced on top of tomato cans! An absolutely brilliant idea =)
The mozzarella was reminescent of fresh milk - creamy and light but oozy in the centre.
The crunchy salad was indeed crunchy, with the vegetables finely julienned.
A piece of hard cheese, pecorino, is sliced into a triangle with a dollop of chilli jam on top so that it resembled a sunny side up egg.
I took so many pics of this dish because i got overly excited haha.
We ordered the small size of the cuttlefish paccheri. Short tubes of pasta with slowbraised cuttlefish, parsley, white wine, capers and tomatoes. It was a really small serving but perfect as an entree size. The flavours were all there, very seafoody but the pasta tubes were a bit too firm.
Cuttlefish paccheri $13.50
Yum yum polenta chips!! It was more like potenta chunks, as the polenta came in chunky cubes lightly deep fried with rosemary salt topped with parmesan. Heaven in a cube! Thinly crispy on the outside, not too oily with the inside still soft and spongy. $8 for a bowl of indulgence.
Crispy polenta chips $8
We also picked the mushroom fritto. The mushrooms are grown in-house, sliced and deep fried until crispy. Served with irresistable garlicky mayo.
Mushroom fritto $9
The only deceiving part is that the bottom half of the container is empty, filled with brown paper haha. If only the whole thing was filled with mushroom!!!
Cross section of the mushroom slice:
Tip for when you come here: you need to physically ask for the bread (on the house, free). It was listed on the menu but none of the tables around us got any, so, being greedy me i asked for it =)
There is a selection of different breads: homemade rosemary focaccia Artisan sourdough, ciabatta and tortano from their bakery Crispy carta di musica. Served with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic. They are only small pieces, but great for nibbling in between dishes.
One of our mains was the grilled chicken. Half a free range bird marinated and chargrilled with a warm tomato, olive, chilli and caper sauce. My sister said the chicken was too dry and the sauce super overpowering. When i tried the sauce i was knocked over. It was also a smaller portion size compared to my Lamb and our friend's fish.
My sister was told to rip the meat off the bone, mix it with the sauce with a squeeze of lemon.
Grilled chicken $29
I had the Best of Aussie Lamb Spiedini - marinated and grilled leg, shoulder and liver with smashed new potatoes and a minty chilli and yoghurt dressing.
Not only were the potatoes smashed, but i was smashed after eating the dish, it was that big!! The meat and liver came skewered on a metal rod and sat on top of a thick bed of potatoes.
Best of Aussie Lamb Spiedini $25
The lamb was perfectly pink in the centre and super tender. Lamb liver is not something that people would normally like, but as a Chinese who eats all sorts of innards, i loved the liver. And all that on a plate for $25?! Must be dreaming.
The fish chosen was the Fritto Misto - mixed crispy fried fish of the day served with zesty Italian tartare sauce and fresh lemon.
The fish was hidden beneath a blanket of deep fried angel hair pasta with 3 slices of lemon on top haha. The angel hair is tied artistically around a prawn. The deep fried angel hair is addictive like chips! But after a few more mouthfuls you definitely have a very oily lingering around the back of the throat.
There was an obviously big dish of tartare sauce which was not hidden! It was very zingy and as it was a generous serving of sauce it lets you to fully dunk your fish in it.
The piece of fish i had was nicely battered and fried but my sister's piece was apparently a bit salty. But does it really matter when you can drown it in tangy sauce =)
Fritto Misto $26
No matter what, leave room for dessert because you will regret regret regret if you dont. There, i've warned you.
We ordered the brownie, tiramisu and panna cotta to share.
The panna cotta was my favourite as it was creamy, delicate and not overly sweet. Coupled with intense berry puree it was pure bliss.
Creamy Panna Cotta $8.50
The warm brownie was richly chocolately with extra chocolate sauce on top.It was a chocolate, raspberry and amaretto brownie served with vanilla ice cream.
Ultimate Brownie $8.50
Last but not least, the tiramisu! If you love jaffas, then this is the winning dessert. Coffee-flavoured trifle with orange mascarpone and chocolate.
Our Special Tiramisu $9
And as you can tell, we scraped every plate and licked every spoon. Doesn't it speak louder than words =P
Well done Jamie!
Jamie's Italian
107 Pitt Street
Sydney
Tel - 02 8240 9000
http://www.jamieoliver.com/au/italian/
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Hard Rock Cafe Sydney - Darling Harbour
Hell yea!! Hard Rock cafe!! Hard Rock cafe has finally reopened its Sydney doors after closing down in 2007. Now the hardcore Hard Rock fans can finally add Sydney collectibles to their collection once again =)
We came here for a very late night dessert feast. As expected it was loud and crazy with the music pumping so hard you can barely hear yourself talk.
The ceiling was adjourned with pictures of rock n roll stars with a scattering of memorabilias displayed in the cafe.
We found the dessert section and my friend told me the chocolate brownie is a must try. It did not let me down - it was amazzinngg!!
Two massive scoops of vanilla ice cream doused with fudge with a mountain of whipped cream piled in the middle. You ask, where is the brownie? Lo and behold it was buried beneath all that cream and fudge =)
This was a heart attack waiting to happen but truly irresistable! The brownie was so scrumptiously gooey with the outside still crunchy. It was super rich and made me make 'mmhmm' noises as I ate.
A massive serving and for only $13.50? High fives all round =)
Hard Rock Cafe Sydney
Level 2, Harbourside Centre
Darling Harbour
Sydney
Tel - 02 9280 0077
http://www.hardrock.com/locations/cafes3/cafe.aspx?LocationID=548&MIBEnumID=3
We came here for a very late night dessert feast. As expected it was loud and crazy with the music pumping so hard you can barely hear yourself talk.
The ceiling was adjourned with pictures of rock n roll stars with a scattering of memorabilias displayed in the cafe.
We found the dessert section and my friend told me the chocolate brownie is a must try. It did not let me down - it was amazzinngg!!
Two massive scoops of vanilla ice cream doused with fudge with a mountain of whipped cream piled in the middle. You ask, where is the brownie? Lo and behold it was buried beneath all that cream and fudge =)
This was a heart attack waiting to happen but truly irresistable! The brownie was so scrumptiously gooey with the outside still crunchy. It was super rich and made me make 'mmhmm' noises as I ate.
A massive serving and for only $13.50? High fives all round =)
Hard Rock Cafe Sydney
Level 2, Harbourside Centre
Darling Harbour
Sydney
Tel - 02 9280 0077
http://www.hardrock.com/locations/cafes3/cafe.aspx?LocationID=548&MIBEnumID=3
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Baia Restaurant - Darling Harbour
Baia is situated on the famously busy strip of Cockle Bay Wharf amongst numerous other restaurants and bars. It was chosen by my friend who came to visit from Malaysia as it was close to Lindt Cafe and easy for everyone to meet up.
As it was a friday night Baia was extremely packed to the brim. It draws in the after work crowd and convenient for that quick bite before heading to drinks. There were not many tourists, to my surprise. It has a great vibe and allows you to admire the wharf and observe passer bys.
We had a group of 10 and had to wait for everyone's arrival. The waiter was extremely attentive and promptly offered water to each of the late comers that staggered in one by one. The menu offered an range of pizza, pasta and main options with an extensive wine and drinks list.
I ordered the guava squeeze mocktail which came in a large glass decorated with sliced strawberries and lime peel. It was deliciously sweet and clean with hints of lime.
Guava Squeeze $12
Apple Martini $19
We ordered garlic and cheese pizza bread and the classic bruschetta for the table to share and also an antipasto for me and my mate.
The garlic pizza was as it should be - exploding garlic flavours on a thin pizza base with stringy cheesy bits.
Garlic and cheese pizza $13
Classic bruscetta $13
The antipasto arrived on a stone slab with a myriad of little mounds including pork belly, duck proscuitto, chicken liver pate and Qld seared scallops. There were heaps of thin crisp lavoche for us to share albeit overly salty. The salt didn't go down well with the other equally salty elements from the duck proscuitto and pork belly. However the scallop was fresh and nicely seared.
Antipasto Baia $29
Our mains were all beautifully presented on big white dishes. What was unfortunate was the service. Maybe because it was a busy friday night, all nine of our mains arrived at the same time except for mine. None of the waiters realised the blunder until 5-10mins afterwards when she came back, apologised and rushed in to get my dish. It may have been a mistake from the kitchen but to have all our mains sitting out cold for that time whilst we waited for mine to arrive is a terrible mistake.
Artic crab risotto $26
Traditional Lasagne $26
Squid Ink Linguine $27
Gnocchi with pesto $23
My ravioloni was made with a prawn and scallop filling served with shellfish cream. The cream was magnificent as it wasn't too sickening nor did it drown the ravioloni. There were however only four ravioloni in total. Four? I was so hungry i could have eaten three of those plates. I was quite disappointed at the small portion size especially when the ravioloni was so scrumptious but could not satisfy my hunger.
Ravioloni $28
On the contrary, the table next to us had big pizza servings which they delved into like there was no tomorrow. If i was to come again, i would definitely love to try their pizzas and test out their desserts.
Baia Restaurant
Shop 114
Cockle Bay Wharf
Sydney
Tel - 02 9283 3434
www.baiatheitalian.com.au
As it was a friday night Baia was extremely packed to the brim. It draws in the after work crowd and convenient for that quick bite before heading to drinks. There were not many tourists, to my surprise. It has a great vibe and allows you to admire the wharf and observe passer bys.
We had a group of 10 and had to wait for everyone's arrival. The waiter was extremely attentive and promptly offered water to each of the late comers that staggered in one by one. The menu offered an range of pizza, pasta and main options with an extensive wine and drinks list.
I ordered the guava squeeze mocktail which came in a large glass decorated with sliced strawberries and lime peel. It was deliciously sweet and clean with hints of lime.
Guava Squeeze $12
Apple Martini $19
We ordered garlic and cheese pizza bread and the classic bruschetta for the table to share and also an antipasto for me and my mate.
The garlic pizza was as it should be - exploding garlic flavours on a thin pizza base with stringy cheesy bits.
Garlic and cheese pizza $13
Classic bruscetta $13
The antipasto arrived on a stone slab with a myriad of little mounds including pork belly, duck proscuitto, chicken liver pate and Qld seared scallops. There were heaps of thin crisp lavoche for us to share albeit overly salty. The salt didn't go down well with the other equally salty elements from the duck proscuitto and pork belly. However the scallop was fresh and nicely seared.
Antipasto Baia $29
Our mains were all beautifully presented on big white dishes. What was unfortunate was the service. Maybe because it was a busy friday night, all nine of our mains arrived at the same time except for mine. None of the waiters realised the blunder until 5-10mins afterwards when she came back, apologised and rushed in to get my dish. It may have been a mistake from the kitchen but to have all our mains sitting out cold for that time whilst we waited for mine to arrive is a terrible mistake.
Artic crab risotto $26
Traditional Lasagne $26
Squid Ink Linguine $27
Gnocchi with pesto $23
My ravioloni was made with a prawn and scallop filling served with shellfish cream. The cream was magnificent as it wasn't too sickening nor did it drown the ravioloni. There were however only four ravioloni in total. Four? I was so hungry i could have eaten three of those plates. I was quite disappointed at the small portion size especially when the ravioloni was so scrumptious but could not satisfy my hunger.
Ravioloni $28
On the contrary, the table next to us had big pizza servings which they delved into like there was no tomorrow. If i was to come again, i would definitely love to try their pizzas and test out their desserts.
Baia Restaurant
Shop 114
Cockle Bay Wharf
Sydney
Tel - 02 9283 3434
www.baiatheitalian.com.au
Monday, October 17, 2011
Aria Restaurant
Ever since Matt Moran featured on Masterchef and gave contestants generous servings of harsh comments, ive been reluctant to go to Aria. Knowing it is 2 hatted didn't sway me either - yes i can be quite stubborn! =P. But my friend chose Aria for her farewell dinner and i could not refuse. We came on a saturday night for pre-theatre session.
When we stepped inside the restaurant it was a lot grander than i expected. There were plush chairs, dim lighting, soft music and heaps of waitstaff greeting you as you made your way to the table. Quite impressive and made me feel somewhat special, and when you have the harbour bridge as your background you really can't complain too much.
Pre Theatre Prices:
One Course - $44
Two Course - $72
3 Course - $89
Yes, photo of the bread haha. The crust was super tough which was such a shame. I love bread and butter but when the crust is so tough and chewy, it made me look very unlady like as i wrestled it with my teeth and hand.
Amuse bouche was tomato gazpacho with a spoonful of pineapple cream. Gazpacho is a liquid vegetable soup with a prominent tomato flavour. It was very light and appetising, not too intense as it prepares you for the upcoming meal.
Out of all the entrees we ordered, the tuna definitely deserved the best-looking-entree award! The thin, bright red tuna was so beautifully and identically sliced. Such a colourful, well presented dish.
SALMON - cured New Zealand salmon with kombu and Earl Grey tea, yuzu tapioca and avocado purée
SCALLOPS - spiced and roasted with glazed witlof, pistachios and dried apricots
As i adore duck no matter what form it comes in , i ordered the duck consomme which comprised of duck dumpling, abalone slices and shitake mushroom. Funnily enough i've never ordered consomme before. It is a clear thin soup based dish where the soup is supposed to be quite rich.
It was a big bowl of consomme!! The soup base was extremely dark in colour with floating shitake slices blanketing the whole surface. It was too intense in flavour for my liking and too liquidy in consistency, i suppose what a consomme should be. Abalone pieces were soft and delicious but the amount of abalone was regretfully scarce.
CONSOMME - Peking duck consommé with duck dumplings, shaved abalone and mushrooms
Our mains arrived in a heartbeat. We were getting closer and closer to 8pm which was when they needed the table back and we could tell from the anxious waitstaff.
It was a decent chunk of barramundi, pan seared to a golden nutty brown colour. Despite the generous serving it was slightly dry.
BARRAMUNDI -crisp skinned fillet with grilled cuttlefish, apple, green olives and a horseradish sauce
The lamb was served medium as requested. It was gorgeously juicy with the right balance of fat vs meat. I particularly liked the cheesy ricotta gnocchi coupled with the sweetness of pumpkin puree. The crispness came from the asparagus and overall a marvelous dish.
LAMB - roasted rump with ricotta gnocchi, pumpkin and mustard fruit purée and a sage and balsamic sauce
As we drew closer to the finishing line we had to start planning ahead and ordered the souffle which required 20mins to make. The souffle was a passionfruit souffle and frankly, i've had a lot better ones elsewhere. The passionfruit was immensely sour even when you have a mouthful of the utterly sweet white chocolate ice cream with it. It is the first time i've surrendered midway through a dessert as my palate couldn't cope.
SOUFFLE - passionfruit soufflé with white chocolate ripple ice cream
The apple dessert was a fairy tale story on a plate. It was decorated with beautiful berries with Prince Macaron positioned next to Princess Sorbet at the centre of the plate with a castle in the background =)
The sorbet hit the right spot - it was like drinking ginger beer itself. A definite winner.
APPLE - caramel poached apple with a ginger bread and cherry macaron and ginger beer sorbet
Petit Fours - berry jelly cube, chocolate truffle, coconut biscuit
There were some missteps during my Aria experience, some stand outs and some duds. Being awarded two hats consistently throughout the years, i would expect a higher calibre of food and incorporating some creativity here and there to remind patrons why Aria deserved to be two hatted. But Aria has instead preferred to play somewhat safe.
Aria Restaurant
1 Macquarie Street
Sydney
Tel - 02 9252 2555
http://www.ariarestaurant.com/
When we stepped inside the restaurant it was a lot grander than i expected. There were plush chairs, dim lighting, soft music and heaps of waitstaff greeting you as you made your way to the table. Quite impressive and made me feel somewhat special, and when you have the harbour bridge as your background you really can't complain too much.
Pre Theatre Prices:
One Course - $44
Two Course - $72
3 Course - $89
Yes, photo of the bread haha. The crust was super tough which was such a shame. I love bread and butter but when the crust is so tough and chewy, it made me look very unlady like as i wrestled it with my teeth and hand.
Amuse bouche was tomato gazpacho with a spoonful of pineapple cream. Gazpacho is a liquid vegetable soup with a prominent tomato flavour. It was very light and appetising, not too intense as it prepares you for the upcoming meal.
Out of all the entrees we ordered, the tuna definitely deserved the best-looking-entree award! The thin, bright red tuna was so beautifully and identically sliced. Such a colourful, well presented dish.
SALMON - cured New Zealand salmon with kombu and Earl Grey tea, yuzu tapioca and avocado purée
SCALLOPS - spiced and roasted with glazed witlof, pistachios and dried apricots
As i adore duck no matter what form it comes in , i ordered the duck consomme which comprised of duck dumpling, abalone slices and shitake mushroom. Funnily enough i've never ordered consomme before. It is a clear thin soup based dish where the soup is supposed to be quite rich.
It was a big bowl of consomme!! The soup base was extremely dark in colour with floating shitake slices blanketing the whole surface. It was too intense in flavour for my liking and too liquidy in consistency, i suppose what a consomme should be. Abalone pieces were soft and delicious but the amount of abalone was regretfully scarce.
CONSOMME - Peking duck consommé with duck dumplings, shaved abalone and mushrooms
Our mains arrived in a heartbeat. We were getting closer and closer to 8pm which was when they needed the table back and we could tell from the anxious waitstaff.
It was a decent chunk of barramundi, pan seared to a golden nutty brown colour. Despite the generous serving it was slightly dry.
BARRAMUNDI -crisp skinned fillet with grilled cuttlefish, apple, green olives and a horseradish sauce
The lamb was served medium as requested. It was gorgeously juicy with the right balance of fat vs meat. I particularly liked the cheesy ricotta gnocchi coupled with the sweetness of pumpkin puree. The crispness came from the asparagus and overall a marvelous dish.
LAMB - roasted rump with ricotta gnocchi, pumpkin and mustard fruit purée and a sage and balsamic sauce
As we drew closer to the finishing line we had to start planning ahead and ordered the souffle which required 20mins to make. The souffle was a passionfruit souffle and frankly, i've had a lot better ones elsewhere. The passionfruit was immensely sour even when you have a mouthful of the utterly sweet white chocolate ice cream with it. It is the first time i've surrendered midway through a dessert as my palate couldn't cope.
SOUFFLE - passionfruit soufflé with white chocolate ripple ice cream
The apple dessert was a fairy tale story on a plate. It was decorated with beautiful berries with Prince Macaron positioned next to Princess Sorbet at the centre of the plate with a castle in the background =)
The sorbet hit the right spot - it was like drinking ginger beer itself. A definite winner.
APPLE - caramel poached apple with a ginger bread and cherry macaron and ginger beer sorbet
Petit Fours - berry jelly cube, chocolate truffle, coconut biscuit
There were some missteps during my Aria experience, some stand outs and some duds. Being awarded two hats consistently throughout the years, i would expect a higher calibre of food and incorporating some creativity here and there to remind patrons why Aria deserved to be two hatted. But Aria has instead preferred to play somewhat safe.
Aria Restaurant
1 Macquarie Street
Sydney
Tel - 02 9252 2555
http://www.ariarestaurant.com/
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