the wedge espresso - glebe

In a time where restaurants seem just as likely to announce their insolvency as their daily specials, restaurateurs are slimming their waste lines so that they can stay open and keep on fattening yours.  Threats of staff cuts chill impatient patrons who are already ansty about waiting for their food. At this point, clever owners will turn to innovative cost-cutting measures or price rises (accompanied by endearing apologies, of course) as a means of keeping the ‘open’ signs undisturbed. . Others will simply put their heads down, and keep slinging the same brews and chews, trusting that loyalty of patronage will see them through..

And The Wedge Espresso is doing just that. Cut from the corner of Cowper St and Glebe Point Rd (opposite Glebe Public School), this heavily-windowed slice of real estate takes the next step to proving what all the boys keep telling me: that size does not matter. The Wedge  is the first creature of long time espresso aficionado, Toby Wilson (ex Le Monde). Wilson personally built and decorated the space, concocted the coffee blend and dreamt up the menu in the tiny kitchen, which is really only a couple of portable hotplates and toasters next to the impressive-looking espresso machine. Décor is bare-brick, red-tables and big windows making it a great summer sitting spot. For winter they’ve provided nanna-blankies, so the windows stay open as long as the heavens remain closed.

Wilson is a coffee contest winner, although he seems to be more in it for the excitement of experimentation: he uses old coffee trophies to prop up filtration equipment. With the help of his old co-worker and friend, Courtney Carter (also from Le Monde), they’re pulling some of the best brews in town. The coffee is their own blend from Five Senses and comes in every form imaginable, accompanied by an impassioned explanation for the willing ear. What’s more, the guys make a huge effort to remember names, faces and orders to keep the lines moving and bring a neighbourhood feel to the whole experience.

The Wedge Espresso (@WedgeEspresso) tweets food and coffee specials day to day. The boys play to all coffee drinkers’ tastes, offering a range of choices from The Wedge's Five Senses blend to sumatran lintong on filter to kenyan ngandu on cold drip. Summer saw the addition of a coke slushie cold drip coffee which was surprisingly tasty and kept the morning buzz going and going.

ice milo ($5)

But the coffee obsession and cramped quarters here do not stop Wilson from producing incredible quality food. The menu is relatively short but devilishly good value. Sandwiches are sub-$10 and the most expensive menu item is the breakfast platter ($14), making this one of the most GFC-friendly cafes I’ve seen. Breakfast favourites include the bruschetta ($7). Toasted sourdough from Luxe in Newtown, is layered with juicy fresh tomatoes, creamy ricotta, shreds of basil and house-infused lemon olive oil. I naturally jump at the option to add prosciutto ($2), and am shocked when Wilson informs me that most patrons opt the other way. The smashed egg and ham roll ($7) is an elevated take on the usual b+e roll. It must be the awesome quality of the ingredients, plus the punch from the tomato chutney that really makes this one of the tastiest brekkie rolls out.

bruschetta of tomato & ricotta ($7) w/ prosciutto (+$2) 

Even though winter has seen soups gracing the menu (such as the miso, pea and ham variety), lunch is really all about the sandwiches. The pulled pork sandwich ($9) with its shredded pig, cabbage, fresh mint and plum sauce, has been a staple since doors opened late last year. Other favourites include a double smoked ham w/ gruyere cheese toasted number, perfect to bring some internal warmth to winter.  

tarragon chicken sandwich ($9)

The Wedge is a favourite amongst uni students, the local teaching cohort and young professionals alike. The eclectic composition of the consumers is a reflection of the far-reaching appeal of the menu. These days, nothing seems recession-proof, but with its growing notoriety, successfully experimental menu and top-notch coffee, it seems that the Wedge Espresso will continue to provide a fun little oasis from the financial doom and gloom.

the wedge espresso

53-55 glebe point road, glebe

https://twitter.com/WedgeEspresso

eat art truck

access to meals on wheels is no longer just a boon for the elderly. as part of the city of sydney’s move towards re-inventing our sprawling city as a trendy cosmopolitan hub and not just a string of buildings in the shadow of a bride, food trucks are being unleashed upon sydney’s streets. presently, approved locations for the trucks are concentrated around the cbd and inner suburbs. so get yourself on your favourite social media site, like or follow the trucks’ individual pages and watch as you salivate every time your phone buzzes, just in case it’s the unveiling of the next truck stop.

eat art truck is one of the original members of the fleet. with former tetsuya sous chef stuart mcgill behind the ordering counter and swivelling around the tiny truck-sized kitchen, it’s no surprise that this meal-on-wheels far surpasses what what you’d expect to come out of such a teeny space. the food is korean-inspired, and structured simply with a couple of 'intro EATs', 'main EATs' and a single ‘sweet EAT' to finish. 

seeds, sprouts, puffed wild rice & beetroot ($8) grabs my attention, but the boys i’m lunching with want to share, so i’m talked into the chicken wings($8). the serving is generous for the price. the golden crisp chicken wings are coated in spicy sprinklings of shichimi pepper, a japanese spice mixture. the batter on the wings is thin enough to slip through the feeling of guilt after eating the fried goodies. the meat is juicy,tender and fiery. great fried chicken is often praised by the closeness of analogy to the kentucky fried variety.. however, in this cock fight my money is on eat art truck's wings in terms of quality, texture, taste, and reduced grease factor.

chicken wings with shichimi pepper ($8)  we’re told the pulled pork bun ($12) is the most popular item. the fluffy hot dog  bun is filled with a bounty of luscious pulled pork slathered with tangy bbq sauce, and shredded mustard cabbage. it’s tasty but definitely heavy going. one of the boys orders his bun with hot sauce, though the difference it makes to the dish is disappointingly negligible. a little more next time, please.

pulled pork in bun with mustard cabbage ($12)

spatchcock ssam ($12) is an prettily presented carton of food. the radiant, orange ssam brilliantly contrasts the neat stack of green cos lettuce leaves. the crisp-fried asian noodles strewn through the ssam adds yet another crunchy pleasing level of texture. a scoop of the spicy, flavourful ssam piled on to the lettuce leaf is perfectly balanced, light and youthful.

spatchcock ssam with crispy noodles ($12)

the sweet EAT is complementary today, on mention of eat art truck’s morning tweet (have i mentioned that i’m a twitter fan?), designed to entice diners to venture out under today’s angry grey clouds. annindofu (usually $6), is a quaint cupful of almond jelly topped with shreds of cooked coconut, cubes of pineapple and lychee and ready-to-burst pomegranate seeds. the top layer of the fruit is fresh and yummy, but as you dig to the bottom the jelly appears to be not quite set and is a little watery.

annindofu ($6)

it’s a shame that the food trucks have been introduced to sydney in the midst of the acrimonious el nina phenomena. once the weather gets its act together, the food trucks will become an ideal lunch or munch option and an incomparably superior substitute to pie face, kebabs and all the other fast food fixes pervading the city

momofuku seiobo - the star, pyrmont

david chang knows how make a city feel loved. when chang announced that sydney was to be the first town outside of new york state to be colonised by the momofuku empire, sydney cemented its place in the mind of culinary cartographers. michellin stars may remain elusive to us, but the star's momofuku seiōbo has certainly made sydney feel delicious in a world class way.

the room has a definite cool, crispness to it. black walls and floors, and black shutters along the windowed-side of the restaurant striating the neon pink glow seeping from adrian zumbo's deserteria across the casino's corridor. thankfully, once inside momofuku seiōbo, the reality that we're inside a casino is lost, like too many pennies on the pokies. our focus is drawn instead to the central spotlighted kitchen island (where i’m hoping to be shipwrecked one day) housing a hive of chefs busy in the midst of the dinner buzz. 

the gazillion-course tasting menu ($175 pp) is the one and only option. no qualms there. i'm an excited child boarding a gastronomic rollercoaster, ready to have my tongue and mind flipped and dazzled by the chefs' tricks and turns. the drawcard for this ride was indeed the famous pork bun which hits the table circa course three. my mum had the enviable experience of demolishing one or two of these suckers at momofuku noodle bar in nyc last year and i have been dreaming of following in her footsteps ever since. (see mum, i do wanna grow up just like you!) the bun lives up to the hype.  a tender piece of pork belly is cushioned between the white, soft steamed bun, which is a revelation in its own right. inside is a drizzling of sweet and tangy hoisin sauce, sliced cucumbers and spring onions. it does things to my mouth that i didn’t think were possible. 

steamed bun w/ pork, cucumber, hoisin

 the seiōbo team present innovative assemblies of ingredients in every single dish. and the execution is impeccable. congee with serrano ham is aesthetically awesome. a glazed sheet of egg yolk straddles the teensy doughnuts, bobbing in hammed-up chinese porridge. a list of the bare ingredients sounds like an ad-hoc breakfast gone wrong but it’s freakin’ delicious! the dish is well-seasoned (for some too much so), and the textures interact with affable ease.

mud crab with yorkshire pudding is better than a british sunday by the sea. the sweet, shredded crustacean, mixed with a chilli curry sauce, languishes next to a proudly weightless pudding that melts away in my mouth, leaving a pleasantness like a sun tan’s glow.

mud crab w/ old bay, yorkshire pudding

pink snapper w/ periwinkle, chrysanthemum

 the steamed pink snapper is the most perfectly cooked piece of fish i’ve encountered. i offer this assertion to the table and am met with eyes-rolled-back groans which seem to imply agreement. the medallion of fish is crowned with shaved periwinkles which smell intensely of the sea, but the taste is more subtle and beautifully complements the fish and the balancing bitterness of fresh and wilted chrysanthemum.

the menu is predominantly seafood and in true aussie fashion, it’s the swimmers who continue to take gold. a gorgeous hunk of marron wears streamers of pickled rhubarb and comes with burnt eggplant puree. the three bits fit together like a tasty tessellation and has us cooing.

marron w/ burnt eggplant, rhubarb

 refusing to buck the trend of the previous umpteen dishes, the cheese course is unlike any other i’ve encountered. a pile of shaved c2 cheese from tasmania glides amongst gelatinous cubes of apple cider. a dainty film of star anise-speckled honeycomb floats atop the cheese shavings. the dish is a playful presentation of top-shelf ingredients with a new and wondrous result.

c2 w/ honey licorice, bee pollen

beef w/ radish, fermented black bean

bite after bite, course after course, the deliciousness is disseminated with vigour. but not everything’s out of this world. casting potato as the protagonist in two dishes puzzled more than pleased some of our party (not me, i couldn’t get enough of them both!) and an unbelievable wagyu with fermented black bean was perhaps upstaged by overly generous radish shavings. also, the beef cheek – which is by far the best specimen of this cut-of-the-moment that i’ve had – is intended to be eaten with fork and dagger! oh, wait, that’s awesome.

beef w/ cucumber and artichoke

i struggle to put into words, my feelings about seiōbo's finale. pork to me is something very special. i’d read about it at length and the anticipation of what was about to come shook me to my (very full) core, and manifested itself in boasting fb posts, before and after the fact. the last dish (post-dessert and -cheese): a plate of slow-cooked pork shoulder, caramelised with brown sugar, with crisp caramelised pieces of pork skin on top. to be eaten with your hands. orgasmic to the point of stimulated contractions.

uh, maybe it would have been best if i hadn't put it into words..... 

slow cooked pork shoulder 

three hours later, with the kitchen closing up, i pinch myself as we re-enter earth’s orbit. i'm still breathless at the marvels we've experienced. the seiōbo team take new, local ingredients, frequently brushed aside (or unheard of) by so many other chefs, and cast them in a starring role. chang’s crew also transforms and revolutionises the use and presentation of other more commonly used ingredients. when i summarily recall this degustation, the foremost description is, "that shit cray!" closely followed by "yummm!" each plate took me into a new gastronomic galaxy, generating a rush of g-forced adrenaline, pleasure and a touch of enlightenment. skip the roulette table and save your pennies for an interstellar journey, worthy of stars, hats and everything in between. 

wilbur's place - kings cross

pigs are great. bacon. ham. pork. homer simpson was justified to question the existence of a “wonderful, magical animal,” that could produce so much deliciousness. like homer, i'm in mystified awe of the humble pig. my last meal on death row would definitely be a plate of babi guling (suckling pig), the kind served up at ibu oka, a street stall in ubud, bali. the moist pulled pork, blood sausage and salty crackling all swimming in pan juices would make the transition to heaven seamless. 

the closest substitute to this revered dish in sydney is dished up at wilbur's place. this no frills joint serves the tastiest suckling pig plate ($15) i've uncovered upon this land girt by sea. the price-to-serving ratio places the dish well beyond the need to haggle and makes this bargain comparable [in relative terms] to its balinese counterpart. the succulent pieces of pork come with sides of cannellini beans, tangy pickles and shredded cabbage. the dish is crested with an exquisite piece of pork crackling and a fat wedge of home baked sourdough. the boys running the show are ex-bourke street bakery so they know how to turn a bit of flour and water into something truly exceptional. 

suckling pig plate ($15)

suckling pig roll w pickles and dill mayo ($12)

 other picks off the menu include a suckling pig roll w pickles and dill mayo ($12). the super soft olive oil panini is filled with the same porky goodness as the plate including the crackling. the roll is made with extra virgin olive oil and milk, making its nimbus-like insides the perfect sponge for the piggy juices. fatty slow-braised beef on the brisket plate ($15) is equally complementary to the same accompaniments from the suckling pig plate. in a statement as ridiculous as it is treasonous, my friend suggests that the brisket could even be better than the pork. definitely try both and choose for yourself which is most worthy of the crown. if roast meat is too much of a tummyful  for lunch,
then you’re soft
the cured salmon salad of the day ($15) is a healthy substitute and just as wonderfully balanced. on our visit it comes with crunchy witlof, herbs, citrus vinaigrette and creamy salmon slices.

cured salmon salad of the day ($15)

the bakers offer a sweet selection of after main meal treat (sadly without any pork. although, i know that dan hong’s stoner’s delight at ms g’s features candied bacon and sticky pork pieces are served at the end of the deg at momofuku seibo, so fingers crossed porky puds one day goes mainstream!). the toasted brioche icecream sandwich ($12), is exactly as described, “buttered” with what must be dulce de leche. it’s tickles the sweet tooth just like i wanted, but falls short of tell-your-friends amazing. 

toasted brioche icecream sandwich ($12)

wilbur's place offers a more lengthy and diversified menu for dinner (that i haven’t yet had the chance to try) and may well be the perfect stop off before a raging night out in the cross. they've also commenced all day breakfast on saturdays and home deliveries for those on the other side of a big one and still not safe to drive. in a city where the cost of living is "what's up", wilbur's is an anomaly, offering delicious food at extremely reasonable prices. it’s crazy to think that a porcine panini costs little more than doner kebab from one of the grease spots on the same strip. with wilbur's help i can finally stave off my cravings for babi guling until my next trip to bali (and die happy on my island home).

wilbur's place
licensed and byo
36 llankelly place, kings cross
p: 9332 2999
http://wilbursplace.com/ 

hartsyard - newtown

some time ago, in my twitter-verse, a tweet found its way into my orbit: sydney's best fried chicken had been found! it was in the inner west galaxy, on the planet of newtown, at a place called hartsyard.


i made my way to the website where i discovered a charming story about chef, gregory llewellyn, fresh off the new york stoves, opening an american-spun neighbourhood restaurant in his wife, naomi hart's native sydney. hart runs front of house and also keeps the restaurant's blog, which includes a graphic recount of the misdemeanours of the staff during the messy celebration of their opening week. the candid tales of hook ups and hangovers is all too familiar and endearing in its frankness.


hartsyard stands as an enclave for those seeking culinary satisfaction, rather than the $3 schooners and 2-4-1 cocktails served at surrounding establishments. here the cocktails are served in the singular but with twice the love. the bacon-infused jack daniels in the hartsyard manhattan ($17.5) is not distinctly unkosher enough to ruin a seder, but the extravagantly served bloody caesar ($17.5) is satisfyingly spiced and boozy.

bloody caesar ($17.5)

our waiter oscillates from attentive host to sharp-tongued larrikin. i can't tell if it's an overstepping of a deliberately casual attitude or a belief that the usual formality of restaurant service is wasted on a table of twenty-somethings.


with whistles whetted we move on to "seeds"(entrees). the two members of our party who on ordering had nobly opted out of the oyster po' boy ($16), deny ever having done so when they glimpse the two home-made english muffins, housing crisp fried oysters lathered in creamy 'slaw and coated with seafood-infused mayo. cripsy pigs tails ($18) are served as rotund croquettes and are accompanied by a jar of hartsyard's hot sauce. the sauce is great with almost everything, so even if you don't order the pigs tail make a special request for the sauce. with our tummy's swelling with batter, radishes ($14) are a welcomed interruption. the dish is crazy beautiful. the radishes are served in numerous ways (6? or 7?!), creating a plethora of tastes and textures. 

oyster po' boy ($16)

the dishes keep coming and coming. and coming! it gets to the point where we're told that we need to finish the dishes in front of us otherwise they will be taken away to create table space. having been told the menu is designed for sharing, these sorts of directives make doing so a chore. whilst all the food tastes amazing the speed at which we're required to consume it detracts from our enjoyment. any opportunity to savour and discuss the food, or the moment, is hurried away and lost.

poutine ($19) is candian chips and gravy. but in a good way. the fried potatoes are packed into a bowl of viscous oxtail gravy and crowned with cheddar, a paprika red-ale sauce and strips of ox-tail. the strips are chewier than old jerky, but they can’t taint an otherwise dangerously delicious dish. smoked beef short-rib ($32) is smoked over hickory with chilli, ginger and red-ale once again (hartsyard's home brew), though these intensely sounding flavours don’t quite permeate the meat the way i wish they did. a humbly named dish of winter vegetables ($21) is a radiating tribute to the hartsyard greenhouse. the arrangement of chestnut, porcini, walnut and cookin' juices is a still life of winter goodness. 

the one dessert which has us all salivating like chubby children is the peanut butter and banana sundae ($16). the attractive mess of peanut butter, ice-cream, chocolate, banana and nuts is everything a fat kid’s dreams can conjure. the aftermath of indigestion is worth it. a deconstructed key lime pie ($16) also excels in both presentation and flavour. i wonder if all classics would taste this wonderful crumbled and liquefied.

key lime pie ($16)

hartsyard's husband and wife team certainly know how to serve up modern rethinks of finger lickin’ american classics. in keeping with the dude food milieu there’s no dainty attempt to count calories, however, the individual flavours of quality ingredients manage to make themselves heard through sauces both thick and spicy. a few tweaks to the pace of expedition and staff's attitude would bring the total restaurant experience on par with the food. 

hartsyard restaurant

33 enmore rd, newtown

p: 8068 1473

e: hello@hartsyard.com.au
website: http://hartsyard.com.au/