top 5 places we've eaten - april

1. Eat-in pop up

Why we loved it - Communal dining, free BYO and incredible value. The Eat-in team are serving up delicious rustic Italian fare with a paradoxically elegant flair. 
Perfect for - Dinner w larger groups and those bottles you've been cellaring.
Spend - $50pp (4/5 courses)

Tomato preserved tuna and marjoram

Secret Locations around Sydney
http://www.eat-in.com.au/

2. Youeni Foodstore

Why we loved it - Triumphs the glorified South Dowling sandwiches across the lane with its roast lamb, potato and rocket sandwich. Short selection of sandwiches and salads. Chiller staff who still manage to get your food out fast.
Perfect for - The best sandwich ever. 
Spend - $10-15

379 South Dowling St, Paddington (not the address on their website for some reason)
http://youeni.com/

Lamb, potato and rocket sandwich

3. Copo Cafe & Diner

Why we loved it - 3 different types of baked eggs! (chorizo + fried potato, eggplant or smoked trout). Favourite dish was the bubble and squeak with smokey chunks of speck and topped with a fried egg. If eggs aren't your thing the french toast with rhubarb and house made mascarpone is stunnning sweet option. 

Perfect for - Sunday (or anyday) brunch. 

Spend - $15-20 + coffee

M3 135 Victoria Rd, Drummoyne

http://www.copocafediner.com.au/Copo/Home.html

Bubble and squeak

4. Billy Kwong

Why we loved it - Kwong's leading the way in Australian-Chinese relations, converging the two cuisines to produce dishes to scramble your mind while satisfying your tastebuds. Your mother's conservative palate is going to be upset to hear that you ate wallaby's tail and earthworms for dinner. 

Perfect for - those in the mood for Chinese, but something bolder than salt and pepper prawns.

Spend - $50pp + drinks 

Shop 3, 355 Crown Street, Surry Hills

http://www.kyliekwong.org/BillyKwongs.aspx

5. Pho Viet

Why we loved it - Steaming bowls of pho with shavings of beef, (tripe if you desire) and tasty beef balls. Side plates heaped with fresh bean sprouts and Vietnamese herbs. Stacks of condiments on the table to make your pho as salty, sweet or spicy as you desire. I decided to be a bit of a purist and it was still incredible. The yellow noodle soup was a lot richer but I still managed to devour the whole bowl. 

Perfect for - Authentic Vietnamese fare.

Spend - $15 + drinks

11 John Street Cabramatta 

yullis - surry hills

Requests for Messina from gelato-hungry friends book-end nearly every one of my meals these days. Ever since the Darlinghurst institution expanded to a new site in Surry Hills this year gelato has been a frequent remedy to sooth the summer sweats. But no, this is not a Messina-based feature, heaped with creamy descriptions of fanciful specials of the week. This blog entry is focused on Yulli’s, which is soaking up the lime light  a quick dance down the street from the Surry Hills Prom Queen. A vegetarian filled menu is a big draw card for the youth of today who seem to have contracted every kind of food intolerance and activist stance which prevents us from meat-munching. Fools. Whilst I hate indulging these silly fad fetishes, meat-less cooking is often innovative and deeply flavourful. So, promising myself a steak for dinner tomorrow, I swallowed my pride and donned my hemp frock, ready to attack some vegetation.

An obvious first stop over on the path to ethical enlightenment is Thailand – so many rich herbs and spices has incentivised the creation of strong vege flavours. Gorgeous Thai-like offerings, named Krathong Thongon ($13.50), are chilli-wafer discs carrying a brightly coloured array of grains and leaves. There are pearls of barley and peas,infused with Asian flavours from the coriander, ginger and chilli.

Krathong Thongon ($13.50)

The menu undulates between Asian- and Italian-inspired cuisines which can confuse the palate. We take the mis-step of ordering the food that our tummies growled for, without considering the resulting incongruence in flavours. This is demonstrated in our Krathong being followed by Arrancini balls ($12.50). The balls comply with the textural code of conduct, their crisp skin enclosing a smooth rich filling of artichoke and goats curd. Not suitable for my friends who have woken up today feeling lactose-intolerant. It’s okay, we tolerate your type here. To balance the intensity of the Arancini is a side slaw of beetroot, cabbage and some pickled carrot.

Artichoke and goat's curd arrancini ($12.50)

Steamed dumplings ($12.50) smack me with a heavy hit of ginger, rendering my tongue only able to feel the soft texture of the leek, but not the taste. The filling of leek is satiating but I’m left longing for the pork and chive dumplings round the corner at Missy K’s. A Vietnamese crepe ($16.50) is tasty but resembles an overstuffed turducken [stay tuned for more turducken-related posts shortly!], with the slovenly mix of vegies and sauce overpowering the pure flavours of the base ingredients.

Steamed leek and ginger dumplings ($12.50)

Vietnamese crepe ($16.50)

Taking the Concord across the globe we slice up a porcini mushroom and haloumi pizza ($16.50). The haloumi is miraculously melted in pools across the pizza resembling mozzarella. It’s enjoyable, but when I order haloumi I’m after that distinctive bouncy texture and salty taste, which is not present here.

 Yulli’s is encouragingly busy mid-week and the large open window provides the perfect scene-scape to enjoy while you eat. Whether you’re watching them with envy or disdain, there’s nothing more entertaining than Surry Hills Groovesters. At Yulli’s, the food is tasty, despite the few dishes which simply felt like amateur vego-spin on a traditionally meat loving dish. Vegetarian food is best when it doesn’t try to emulate the distinctive texture of meat and rather assumes its own personality. Here, the personality is somewhat split, but nonetheless, likeable. Just don’t let the smug passers-by with their two scoop Messina cones distract you from Yulli’s own worthy treats. 

Yullis Bar
417 Crown Street. Surry Hills
t: 9319 6609
e: info@yullis.com.au
http://yullis.com.au/

Photos by Hayley Peterson-Connor 

top 5 places we've eaten - october

1. Freda's 

Why we loved it - Mediterranean inspired dishes resulting in the yummiest tapas we've had in Sydney. Get any of the dips including carrot yoghurt dip as it's the perfect excuse to consume the delicious house baked bread. Complete with extensive cocktail list and other brewskis. And of course the irregular appearance of spit roasted lamb.
Perfect for - Dinner & drinks with larger groups. As long as everyone is willing to share
Spend - $30pp + drinks

107-109 Regent Street, Chippendale 
http://fredas.com.au/

2. Bay Hong

Why we loved it - Exceptional Vietnamese food. Must-haves include the mung bean pancakes, (pork) stuffed boneless chicken and the dicey beef.
Perfect for - When you're in the mood for quality Asian food, without the grease. 
Spend - $25 (+BYO)

294 Crown Street, Surry Hills
http://www.bayhong.com.au/home.html

3. Mr Wong's

Why we loved it - The spectacular interior, which eliminates any chance of flashbacks of late nights/early mornings spent at Tank nightclub. Terrific cold dishes, and the stand out salt and pepper lamb cutlets.

Perfect for - A sumptuous evening at the end of a cruel work week.

Spend - $60 + drinks

3 Bridge Lane, Sydney

http://merivale.com.au/mrwong/

4. Runcible Spoon

Why we loved it - Cafe priced food with a unique flair. Home to the 'best hangover cure in Sydney' of thai style eggs with pork belly. Plus a stand out rendition of baked eggs and refreshing freshly squeezed juices.  

Perfect for - Sydney Uni students wanting to skip class in favour of food.

Spend - $15 

27 Barr Street, Camperdown

http://www.runciblespoon.com.au/

5. Sailor's Club

Why we loved it - Glamorous setting with perfectly executed dishes. My mother tells me you can tell a great chef by the quality of the side of veggies, and these were fantastic. 

Perfect for - People dining with fussy eaters given the number of conventional (but great) dishes on the menu. None of this fancy molecular shit. 

Spend - $30 + drinks

594 New South Head Road 

http://thesailorsclub.com.au/

ume - surry hills

Today, we’re talking about sushi. Before you get all excited, chicken shnitty and avo rolled in rice and seaweed is not sushi. It’s katsu don and avocado. It’d be like having spaghetti bolognese on pizza. When you’re in teriyaki chicken roll territory, you know you’ve strayed to the wrong side of the bullet train tracks, coz this here is not true blue Japanese tucker.

At Ume, the kitchen has so strayed. And while this offends my traditionalist sensibilities, reluctantly, tonight I must bow to these worthy mutations and give change a chance.

To accompany our journey into this brave new world, a drink! A flask of sake, no less. Informing the waiter that I prefer mine chilled, he suggests the most expensive of the premium sakes. Now, when a friendly waiter guides me to the most expensive item on the menu I'm always wary whether my request for help is being exploited for an up-sale. Sceptical but now fearing to look like a cheapskate (don’t judge me! You all know you also apply the “second least expensive” rule when choosing wine!) I turn to his second recommendation, a 180ml flask of Miyasaka 'Masumi Karakuchi ' from Nagano ($19). This is a smooth dry sake and an enjoyable accompaniment to the flavoursome dishes to follow. 

A little bit liquored and ready for dinner, we greet our first dish with relish. A rounded quilt of shaven seared scallop ($19) arrives dotted with a confetti of wood sorrel leaves and smoked dulse (a red seaweed). The scallop is of impeccable quality, though the creaminess of the shellfish mixed with the sweetness of the brown butter sauce makes for a maybe too rich entree. 

Seared scallop carpaccio ($19)

I talk my usually carnivorous friends into the dish of shiki no salad ($17). They take delight in devouring the beautiful meaty carrots, accompanied by pipings of dashi custard and florets of fried brussel sprouts. I love the exploitation of the unique texture and taste of this traditionally loathed vegie - last enjoyed at Blancmange.

Shiki no Salad ($17)

 Slow braised octopus (tako ($18)) is of a tenderness I've not yet savoured in an eight-legged creature (far from the deep fried tarantula I snacked on in Cambodia). It's imbued with a smoky scent from the char-grill and is served with cubes of simmered daikon and cucumber. A far cry from the anemic raw squid nigiri, which is always the last piece chosen on a shared sushi platter.

Tako ($18)

 Australian diners are well schooled in barramundi, but Ume’s version is an exceptional catch. Poached in shiro dashi butter served with crisps of wakame, strips of konbu and slices of Jerusalem artichokes ($34). Local fish done in Asian style – this dish epitomises what I love about Sydney dining.

Cone Bay Barramundi ($34)

Now, I’m not a hater but...given the small numbers of tables in Ume one would not expect to be neglected, yet the head waiter managed to make us feel unloved and completely forgotten at times. Maybe it was a clash of personalities, but he seemed to be quite disenchanted with our table. Lucky this was the only element of the evening to leave a sour taste.

We order one of everything for dessert. My favourite is the dark chocolate terrine ($15) plated with tiny pillows of whipped blood orange and ginger ice cream. The ice cream proves too much for those who don't adore ginger. Fortunately each dessert has a distinct taste and feel, so everyone finds a favourite amongst the suite of three, rounded out by sake-caramel braised pineapple ($15) and strawberry jelly and vanilla tofu ($15). 

Dark chocolate terrine ($15)

 Ume is turning out some truly elegant, modern Japanese cuisine that I'm sure is deceptively complex. All this at a markedly reasonable price. Re-inventing the wheel may be impossible, but the Japanese invented the magnetically-levitating bullet train which rips shit through wheels anyway. SO maybe this tweak on tradition, in the hands of a nation of innovators, is acceptable after all.

Ume Restaurant

478 Bourke Street, Surry Hills

t: 9380 7333

http://umerestaurant.com.au/

spicy panda - chinatown

Tonight, hot for some spicy food, we make our way through the Chinatown Mecca of Dixon street, and climb the stairs to the Spicy Panda restaurant. Spicy Panda, spicy food, I get it. But still, the tissues on the table are ominous and by no means ornamental. Imagining the chefs in the back peppering their woks with chillis, sichuan and all manner of more mysterious, hellish spices, my enthusiasm for a tear-jerking meal begins to waver...

Our ascension to the firey peak commences with a traditional starter of black fungus with pickled green chilli ($8.80). It’s a bubbling cauldron of dark-hued ‘shrooms that taste surprisingly clean and refreshing. There’s a fair pinch of heat which tickles my tongue in teasing preparation for the inferno.

Black fungus with pickled green chilli ($8.80)

The menu does not pander to the more conservative western tummies that occasionally stroll the doors. Page after page of the menu unabashedly includes the body parts and organs that are offa-loaded from the anglo-restaurants streets away. Not quite brave enough to order the shaved pigs tripe we turn instead to the chef's special of diced rabbit with black bean in chilli oil ($11.80). Cubes of rabbit coated in the crimson oil,  zingy black bean paste, cylindrical slices of shallots stirred through. This rates 2 out of 3 chilli's on Spicy Panda's heat scale, but after one spoonful, my mercury has risen beyond comfort. However, it’s all part of the experience, adding a competitive vibe to the eating and doesn’t detract from the tastiness of the dish.

Diced rabbit with black bean in chilli oil ($11.80)

The legendary mapo tofu (I forgot to note the price, but I assume it’s around the price of the other mains) features on the unwritten menu, but be sure they’re not hiding it away for want of desirability. The silken pieces of tofu are the perfect voluptuous vessels for the radiating black bean and chilli sauce. It's so good, and so hot, I want to consume more than my torched tastebuds will allow. Rice and a serving of cold vegetables are necessary accompaniments.

Mapo tofu

Strips of steamed marinated pork belly ($18.80) arrive overlaying a mound of ash-coloured preserved vegetables. I'm told by the wait staff that this is a special kind of Sichuan-preserved vegetable. Later, after consulting my asian grandmother I learn that it's probably mui choy - preserved mustard greens. The salty greens marry well with the sweet richness of the pork. This pig has clearly enjoyed a lengthy sauna and is beautifully soft, with the skin retaining a slightly crisp edge. 

Steamed marinated pork belly ($18.80)

Half a tissue box later, pre-emptively satiated from the over-consumption of chilli we recline, smiling at having (almost) made it through Spicy Panda's furnace, with full tummies and satisfaction, and only singe marks to complain of.

Spicy Panda

t: 9262 7007

1/2-8 Dixon Street, Sydney

mr wong - sydney

I can’t help but be cynical when encountered with a menu that features cuisines from all corners of the globe. You know, a Chino-Italian bistro in an RSL. Dim sums next to pizza Napolitano followed by sushi rolls just reeks of cover-all-bases profit seeking strategy. When Dan Hong, Merivale’s sweetheart and arguably Sydney’s most exciting chef jumps from Modern Australian, to Viet, then Mexican and is now bending his chopsticks to Chinese at Mr Wong’s, well, you can forgive me a sceptical eye-roll. Has this fellow's admittedly deserved success caused him to flex his already muscular repertoire an inch too far? 

I saw Dan Hong myself at Mr Wong's and I can tell you his biceps are still of a normal size. But his kitchen is pumping out food glorious enough to match that of his prior endeavours. 

Having succumbed to the hunger-inducing forces of office job brain exertion and internet menu perusal, my dining partners greeted me with the resolution to attack the Dan Hong’s $118 banquet (1 of 4 choices), mud crab included. While we waited for late-comers, we perhaps unnecessarily tucked into one of the sweet sounding entrees omitted from our degustation menu. A floral-like assembly of silky, raw sea scallops ($16) comes dotted with buttons of lapcheong (chinese pork sausage) and fringes of woodear mushrooms. It's a top-notch surf and turf which launches the bar beyond the northern Hemmesphere for the rest of the meal.

Not long after, the deg begins. Sashimi of yellowfin tuna is of exceptional quality - it’s truly a melt-in-mouth sensation – and comes dressed appropriately in a mildly picante soy and ginger dressing. The radical assembly of noodles of poached chicken and jellyfish is an unusual but tantalising arrangement, the woody texture of the shredded chicken intertwines with the slippery jellyfish – it tastes and feels better than it sounds. The steam dim sum platter may cause a ruckus even amongst the most well-trained diners. The meagre supply of two of each dumpling leads to battles over the most popular pockets of goodness. Fight for the scallop shumai with glistening pink balls of roe on top. 

Sashimi of yellowfin tuna 

Poached chicken with jellyfish

The entrees dispensed with, our table is prepped and ready for the next spectacle. When ordering your mud crab at Mr Wong's you are offered a choice of styles. We are torn between wok fried with black pepper "Singaporean style" or deep fried with spicy salt. As always, the addiction wins the day and we go for the salt-spice-oil arrangement. The best crabs I've had in this style come encrusted with a dune of salt across every inch of shell. Sadly, this time my tongue wanders fruitlessly in search of an oasis of seasoning. Luckily the sweetmeat inside more than makes up for anything lacking on the exterior. We tear into the crustacean, exclaim with our mouths full and make a happy mess of ourselves.

Mud crab w spicy salt

As the crab is cleared away - from the table and our faces - I remember that Mr Wong’s was recently labelled Sydney’s “coolest” dinner spot and promptly resume the mien of a sophisticated diner. But carefully manufactured nonchalance is compromised when my eyes light up as the salt and pepper lamb cutlets emerges and I’m outed as a fan-girl. Battered lamb, fuck yeah! The cutlets are soaked prior to cooking in a milk bath, to soften and plump-up the meat. Next they’re rolled in batter and dipped into the deep fryer to produce a truly transcendent piece of meat. The expression on the others’ faces as they take their first bites vindicate my own giddy smile. The excitement over the lamb means the other mains don't get enough of our attention. Safe to say, all were enjoyable, except perhaps the chilli crystal bay prawns which is all too close to the sweet and sour prawns at the RSL.

At this point, we’re all approaching capacity – such is the tyranny of the banquet menu – but when we hear the choices for the shared desserts, we all manage to forget our fullness and recommence salivating. There’s a table-wide consensus regarding the deep fried ice cream  served with butterscotch sauce. The breaded crust is firm and warm, like an Arancini ball, and the centre is cold and creamy. It's as delicious as expected, but somehow surpassed by a waiter-recommended cream cheese ice cream dessert. Joining the party-on-a-plate are baby meringues, macadamia praline, strawberries and Thai basil. It’s one of the best festivals of flavours I've experienced this year, rivalling Claude's lemon curd. Our table is also graced by the dessert of roast white chocolate ice cream, yuzu curd, longans and raspberries. After a long time spent arguing about what yuzu actually is, the one thing we all agree on its delicious. 

Roast white chocolate ice cream, yuzu curd, raspberries

Whilst I love to hate Merivale for replacing live music with taco stands, I can't hate them for this. Besides featuring one of the most incredible fit outs I've seen in a Sydney dining institution, the kitchen is pumping out kick ass food. I took a special moment with the display of hanging ducks by the bathroom, to thank them for featuring in such a delicious menu. Thank you Dan Hong and team for crushing my cynicism and proving that you can really do it all.

Mr Wong

3 Bridge Lane, Sydney

t: 9240 3000

http://merivale.com.au/mrwong/

the milk bar by cafe ish - redfern

Nothing brings back memories of childhood like slurping an after school milk shake. When else in our lives are we able to stomach so much milk, sugar and artificial strawberry flavouring without paying for it all the next day? Well, The Milk Bar by Café Ish has cried out a defiant “nah-ni-nah!” in the face of indigestion and brought the big kids of Sydney a reason to salivate when the afternoon bell rings.

The Café Ish team have grown up and moved out of their old Surry Hills playground and into a new hard-to-find outfit near Redfern Station. The décor is all vintage arcade games and sweets in jars, deliberately evoking the good old days when games were in 2D and red frogs cost five cents.

On my first visit, heeding the song of the eyes-bigger-than-stomach gluttony to which I’m too often a willing victim, I order the breakfast platter ($21). The wooden serving board (no longer an original food vessel but nonetheless pretty) is piled with gratuitous slates of thick-cut ham, glistening segments of salmon, a well-boiled egg, a potato and ham frittata, pikes of grilled asparagus, toast and (breath) home-made tomato chutney. As can often be the case, the condiment is the main contender - it’s deliciously sweet and conveniently spreadable. I want to buy a jar of it and put it on everything. Sadly, the frittata is less impressive chunks of not-too tasty potato stuffed into a baking paper wrapping.

Breakfast Platter ($21)

Poached free-range eggs ($8) on home-made toast with house-made butter is a basic breakfast option executed well, as is the bacon and egg roll ($6), served on crusty Panini bread with an appropriate fountain of BBQ sauce.

Poached eggs ($8) with side of snags

At lunchtime, the Milk Bar's focus turns to custom made burgers. Cheeseburger ($5), double cheeseburger ($9) and triple cheeseburger ($13) are variations on a theme. The noteworthy offering of a triple-decker convinces me that the patties must be on the smaller side. But don't be fooled. These particular patties are well sized, meaty and delicious. The cheeseburgers all come with cheese, pickles, ketchup and grilled onion. From there you’re encouraged to add curiously themed toppings. I go with Japanese style ($3) which includes pickled daikon, carrot, cabbage and wasabi mayo. I have my doubts as to how the distinctly Asian ingredients will marry with the American flavours, but this episode of East meets West is a success! The shredded cabbage and less grease than expected tricks you into thinking this is a relatively healthy meal.. My dining partners go for the Italian toppings ($3) of rocket, tomato, aioli, balsamic and softly melted parmesan. Judging by their guilty grins and empty plates, I’m guessing they’re as satisfied as me.

Double cheeseburger ($9) with Italian topping ($3)

All right, shake time. The long list of wacky shake options (all $7) have Willy Wonka written all over them, making the experience of sucking down a stupefyingly indulgent drink seem all the more fantastic. I take a step towards the absurd with the Miso caramel shake, again exploiting the cafe's asian flare. The sweetness of caramel, combined with the salty miso is a transcendent take on salted caramel making this a successful trip down the rabbit hole. For those looking for a more traditional taste, you can't go past the PBJ shake. It's a glass of nostalgia. Raspberry and blueberry jam are stencilled onto the inside of the glass filled with a rich, milky mixture of salted peanut butter ice-cream and crunchy peanut butter. If only all meals came in shake form.

Miso caramel shake ($7)

The sole set back of The Milk Bar, is the positioning, on a painfully noise-polluted corner of Regent Street. But then, maybe that’s just another excuse to get lost in a tall glass of flavoured milk and schoolyard memories.

The Milk Bar by Cafe Ish
105 Regent Street, Redfern
t: 9699 8828


Photos by Hayley Peterson-Connor