Berta Restaurant (Sydney)

Leaving work on time at 5:30pm gave me an advantage to get into the popular Berta restaurant with a table. Hidden among the laneways in Sydney, this wine bar / restaurant does not take bookings and fill up very quickly – creating a lively atmosphere.

The dishes were designed for sharing. Highlight for me was the trout entrée with such clean flavours. The shredded beef with parsley and peas with parmesan crust was comforting and worked well with the side dishes of carrot and sweet potatoes.

I will return for a meal after work along the bar any day only on a quiet day.

Details:
Berta Restaurant
17-19 Alberta Street, Sydney NSW 2000
http://berta.com.au/

Fook Yuen Seafood Restaurant (Sydney)

The perennial family favourite, Fook Yuen has been at its Chatswood address for over 20 years. They have never failed us, from the family yum cha to taking out an overseas visitor.

Fresh seafood is always the order of the day and do refer to the slide show on the flat panel TVs for guidance. Last night we went for the live coral trout cooked over 2 courses – stir fry fillet with snow peas and a hotpot ‘stew’ of the bones and head with tofu and mushrooms. Along with steamed whole scallops with XO sauce that’s plenty for 3 people.

Details:
Fook Yuen Seafood Restaurant
7 Help St
Chatswood New South Wales 2067

Felix Bar & Bistro, Ivy (Sydney)

The recently opened Felix Bistro gave me another reason to visit the Ivy complex. The buzzing dining room and warm service were a great start. But hey, we were here from Chef Lauren’s food (especially I enjoyed my experience at Ash St Cellar right opposite).

The classic French dishes ticked all the boxes. Steak Tartare was the best I have had this year (versus Glass and Ad Lib). Brown butter sauce worked well with the firm Skate fillets which were cooked perfectly. Lemon pudding was light and tangy, rounding up a meal of flavourful and rich dishes.

Details: 
Felix Bistro & Bar 
Ivy 
Ash St, Sydney NSW 2000 
http://www.merivale.com/#/ivy/felix 

Marque Friday lunch (Sydney)

The power of social networking allowed me to enjoy the Friday prix fixe lunch at Marque restaurant again this year. For $45, it is the best 3-course lunch one can get in Sydney.

The food was simply awesome. Entrée with cured bonito, along with crunchy vegetables and pork floss, gave us a pretty picture to start the meal. The Pimientos de Padron peppers gave the wagyu steak the right level of kick to the senses. And the basil sorbet gave the chocolate dessert a fragrant layer of surprises.

Pity the next available booking is 6 months away.

Details:
Marque Restaurant
4/5 355 Crown Street
Surry Hills 2010
www.marquerestaurant.com.au

MUMU Grill (Sydney)

MUMU Grill has filled the vacancy of ‘modern steakhouse’ in Sydney’s lower north shore. The use of sustainable ingredients gives us more reasons to visit often.

The steaks never disappoint and are all fairly priced. They are all cooked with a different touch. The aged sirloin was given the extra boost of flavours from the crust with Kimel coffee beans from Papua New Guinea and Szechwan pepper. And make sure you order all the trimmings on the side – onion rings were our favourite of the night.

The dessert platter was the perfect way to end the meal.

Details:
MUMU Grill
70 Alexander St, Crows Nest
http://www.mumugrill.com.au

Chefs Gallery (Sydney)

A hastily organised dinner doesn’t deserve a 20 minute wait. But the crowd in front of Chefs Gallery implied to us that it is worth it.

Sitting along the bench looking into the kitchen added to the fun. The dry noodle with fried shallots, freshly made by the chef in front of us, had simple flavours with chewy texture of the noodles accentuated by the shallots. Dessert was the highlight. Poor guy slaved himself for nearly an hour sticking little noses and ears to the sesame ‘piggy face’ buns yet seeing customers polished the buns off in under 2 minutes.

Details:
Chefs Gallery Restaurant
Shop 12, Ground Floor Regent Place
501 George St
Sydney NSW 2000
http://chefsgallery.com.au/

Cotton Duck (Sydney)

The flexible menu was what attracted us to visit Cotton Duck, the new sister restaurant of Dank Street Depot. Specifically my friend was intrigued by the prospect of having 1 main and 3 desserts – one can order any 4 courses from the menu for $85 (2 courses for $55).

The food was as slick as the contemporary dining room. And the unique cocktail list complimented the food well (aloe vera and mint?). We were fortunate to try the special wagyu beef cheek dish for the night. The pumpkin pie and chocolate raspberry tart gave us the right balance of sweetness.

(1 for the beef cheek, 1 for the dessert, 1 for the cocktails =D )

Details:
Cotton Duck
50 Holt Street
Surry Hills NSW 2010
http://www.danksstreetdepot.com.au/page/cotton_duck.html

Sailors Thai Ivy (Let's Do Lunch)

Does lunch between meetings with workmates constitute a power lunch? If so, there were many of them at the Ivy as we dined at the new Sailors Thai. As much as I like Ivy's décor, the dining room (formerly Teppanyaki) could do with an update. The communal table reminded me of the boardroom.

The Let’s Do Lunch menu certainly added some spice to the workday: pork belly was still crisp despite being drenched in a well balanced hot and sour Sriracha sauce. Curry chicken was tender and the clean flavours of the curry sauce had us scoffing down extra rice.

Details:
Sailors Thai Ivy
330 George Street
Sydney NSW 2000
http://sailorsthai.com.au
http://www.merivale.com/#/ivy/sailorsthai

Ad Lib Bistro (Sydney)

Fond memories from the now closed Forty-One Restaurant have brought me to this casual French bistro in Sydney’s upper north shore.

Ad Lib’s menu contains all the classic French dishes. While my parents really enjoyed the smooth duck liver pate, my onion soup gratinee was disappointing. The sweetness of the onion was totally buried by the taste of alcohol. Portion size of main courses, consistent with most online reviews, was definitely small. The dessert was a winner. Two giant scoops of rich, smooth chocolate mousse was the delight of the night.

I still miss the old Forty-One.

(would have deducted 0.5 star for the boozy onion soup)

Details:
Ad Lib Bistro
1047 Pacific Highway
Pymble NSW 2073
http://www.adlibbistro.com/

Tea Room QVB (Let's Do Lunch)

My first private dining experience at the Tea Room allowed me to look at the dining room in daylight (previous occasion was a wedding). The high ceiling adds a greater sense of space to the already large dining room, with views of the busy city life through the little windows on top of QVB.

I had the Let’s Do Lunch pastry-wrapped salmon dish. The fish was cooked perfectly but its natural taste was overpowered by the Middle Eastern flavours. My companion chose the blue-eye trevalla red curry which had a better balance in flavour of seafood and spice.

Details:
The Tea Room QVB
Level 3, North End, Queen Victoria Building
455 George St, Sydney NSW 2000
http://www.thetearoom.com.au/


Let’s Do Lunch - http://www.cravesydneyfoodfestival.com.au/events.php?intcategoryid=51&linkid=101

Etch (Sydney)

I have always wanted to visit Etch since I dined at its big sister Becasse last year. With its art deco interior and comfortably soft lighting, this French bistro has a warm and casual atmosphere.

We had the 6 course degustation. Highlight for me was the roulade with tender caramelised pig’s head meat wrapped in its crispy skin, complimented by the deep-fried ear providing a surprising crunch. A must have for roast pork lovers. Caramel date tart worked perfectly with the fragrant Earl Grey tea syrup.

Service was very slow though. The entire 6 course meal took nearly 4 hours.

(would have deducted 0.5 star for the slow service)


Details:
Etch Restaurant
62 Bridge Street, Sydney 2000
http://www.etchdining.com

Becasse (Let's Do Lunch)

I visited Becasse for my first “Let’s Do Lunch” experience in 2010. As per previous years the restaurant was packed with diners for lunch. This year they offer a risotto of South Australian prawns and prosciutto as their dish. The seafood flavour of the risotto was intense with the prosciutto providing the right level of savouriness.

To round out the meal we had the Lemon Meringue Pie at $15 each which complimented the main course very well.

Looking forward to dinner at Etch (Becasse’s sister restaurant) later this week!

Details:
Becasse
204 Clarence Street, 
Sydney 2000
http://www.becasse.com.au/


Let’s Do Lunch - http://www.cravesydneyfoodfestival.com.au/events.php?intcategoryid=51&linkid=101

Burger Battle: Counter vs Grill'd

(Since late 2011, Counter Burger was replaced by the Bavarian Bier Cafe)

The Crows Nest area has 2 burger chains on the same street.

Starting with Counter Burger, an American chain with one outlet in Sydney, its burger is huge with 4 toppings included in a normal order. The generous beef patty, however, is dry on the outside while raw on the inside.

5 min up the road there is Grill’d – an Australia based burger chain offering many choices (including lamb). While the burger was smaller, it is perfectly cooked and its juice all absorbed into the soft sourdough bun. The thick cut chips also add to the satisfaction.

Winner: Grill’d.

Details:
The Counter
118 Willoughby Road
Crows Nest NSW 2065
http://www.thecounterburger.com/crowsnest/


Grill’d
57 Willoughby Road
Crows Nest 2065
http://www.grilld.com.au

The Little Snail (Sydney)

I have been visiting The Little Snail since my university days. While the quality has gone down in the past few years, things are looking up again with (seemingly) new ownership.

The 3 course dinner menu still provides good value at $55 and did not disappoint. Liver pate was tasty and generous. Beef fillet was nice and tender. Crepe with strawberry and mascarpone rounded off the meal nicely. All in all it was a good night out especially the service was attentive, justifying the full dining room on a Wednesday night.

Details:
The Little Snail
50 Murray St
Pyrmont, NSW 2009
http://www.thelittlesnail.com.au

Sakuratei Japanese Restaurant

To welcome a friend from Melbourne on a Friday night, a group of us went to Sakuratei behind the QVB for a few Yakitori’s (skewers). It has a more casual ambience than its sister restaurant Kabuki Shoroku next door but the quality of food did not disappoint.

We sampled all the Yakitori possible – from all parts of a chicken, tender wagyu beef and ox tongue. The zucchini and cheese sticks were the surprise of the night. And we finished the night off with a seafood and vegetable hotpot available from the Kabuki’s menu.

Hope our friend had a fabulous stay.





Details:
Sakuratei Japanese Restaurant
Ground Floor, St Martins Tower, 202 Clarence St, Sydney 2000
http://www.sakuratei.com.au/

Assiette

Taking advantage of the proximity of my office to the 2-hat Assiette restaurant, I went there for their Friday lunch offer. For $35, I got to select 1 of 2 dishes over 3 courses. It is genuinely good value.

While portion size was on the small side, the taste and presentation did not disappoint. The pumpkin soup entrée was earthy with a right touch of spiciness. Wagyu beef was cooked medium rare and melt in your mouth. Apple tarte tatin balanced the meal very well. While lunch was over within an hour, service did not feel rushed at all.

Details:
Assiette
48 Albion Street
Surry Hills, Sydney
http://www.restaurantassiette.com.au/

Rating system

Thanks for all the visitors thus far to this blog and I very much appreciate the feedback I have received thus far.

Many of you have suggested that I introduce a rating sytem for each review. So I will do that. Please keep in mind that the rating will represent the single experience that I had at a restaurant, and that your experience may differ.

The ratings will be out of 3 stars.

0 star - I will never go back.

1 star - I did not enjoy my meal.

2 stars - I had a good experience and look forward to come back.

3 stars - I recommend this restaurant. Let's go back next week!

I will also take this opportunity to welcome a few guest writers to this blog. Please look out for them and make them feel welcome.

Mellben Seafood (Singapore)

Taking a trip back to the memory lane, I wish to go back to a crab feast that I had in Singapore. Rather than going to the regular tourist spots along the east coast, my cousins took me to Mellben Seafood restaurant which is hidden among housing estates in the centre of the island.

The signature crab hotpot is a must. The crab is soaked inside the pot with this milky texture, flavourful soup. Make sure you order an extra serving of noodles to soak up all the soup.

I am salivating just by thinking about it.

Details:
Mellben Seafood
232 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3, Singapore

Michael Mina (San Francisco)

Walking into Michael Mina restaurant inside San Francisco’s Westin Hotel, I decided to dine at the bar instead – smaller portions, no bookings required. And I got to chat with others at the bar which made the evening more interesting.

The food did not disappoint. The signature lobster pot pie was extremely satisfying. So was the famour root beer float with warm, freshly baked cookies. It was a sensational contrast of hot and cold as well the presentation brought out my childish self. I was strongly recommended to try the tuna tartare – next time!

And that wrapped up my trip.

Details:
Michael Mina
The Westin St. Francis on Union Square
335 Powell St, San Francisco, CA 94102
http://www.michaelmina.net/

Bouchon Bistro (San Francisco)

A trip to Napa Valley was planned with the intention to visit French Laundry by the great Thomas Keller. With bookings needed 2 months in advance, it was never going to happen. So we headed to Bouchon, the French bistro also operated by Keller, instead.

The long drive to beautiful Yountville was definitely worthwhile. And so was lunch at Bouchon. The menu had all the classic dishes: onion soup, duck confit, Croque Madame… but the best dish of the day went to the pork belly.

Tip: skip dessert and get pastry at the Bouchon bakery next door instead.

Details:
Bouchon Bistro
6534 Washington Street, Yountville, CA, United States
http://www.bouchonbistro.com/

One Market Restaurant (San Francisco)

Focal point of the San Francisco trip was dinner at One Market Restaurant, opposite the famous ferry building. The restaurant offers a special ‘Weekly Beast’ 5-course menu on weekends, where the menu is designed around one animal. In my case, it was the wild Atlantic salmon.

For dinner I had roe, skin, belly and fillet. And the dishes got better when the meal progressed. Even dessert had salmon in it – strawberry infused roe providing the right balance of sweetness to the parfait. Best of all, I sat on the “chef’s bench” allowing me to see how the dishes were made.

Details:

One Market Restaurant

1 Market Street

San Francisco, CA 94105-1420, United States
http://www.onemarket.com/

Lefty O'Doul's (San Francisco)

I was recommended to visit this All-American institution when in San Francisco. Lefty O’Doul’s happens to be two blocks from my hotel so it was the perfect place for breakfast. The venue has more of an Irish pub setup (rather than the typical American diner).

The choice for breakfast that morning was the corned beef hash with eggs from the special menu. Corned beef hash was intensely savoury with a touch of heat from the chilli, which went well with their Starbucks American coffee. Just beware of any residual lipstick mark on their coffee cups!

Details:
Lefty O'Doul's
333 Geary Street
San Francisco, CA 94102-1801, United States
http://www.leftyodouls.biz/

Luce Restaurant (San Francisco)

Upon arrival for a brief visit to San Francisco back in June, I went to Luce Restaurant inside the InterContinental Hotel downtown for lunch. Fresh from gaining their first Michelin star, they offer a 3 course lunch for just US$20.10 – fantastic value.

The baby farm beet salad entrée woke up the palate after a long flight. Slow braised short ribs spaghettini was the right dish for main course – rich, gravy like sauce accompanied by earthy mushrooms and al dente pasta. For dessert the mini jasmine penna cotta went well with my pot of tea.

The perfect start to my holiday!

Details:

Luce Restaurant

888 Howard Street

San Francisco, CA 94103, United States
http://www.lucewinerestaurant.com/

Welcome

Fine dining is my interest. After all these years I often lose track on all the places that I have been and all the dishes that I have tried. So I hope it is not too late to put it all on (virtual) paper now.

This blog is never meant to be a full-on restaurant review. Each post will be a snapshot of a single experience at a restaurant by me – there will be no ratings, no hats, and no stars simple ratings will be given. Moreover, I will keep my posts economical – each review will be 100 words or less.

Bon  appétit!