Uncorked (North Sydney)

For our pre-wedding photoshoot, we invited our photographer to dine with us at Uncorked in The Union Hotel in North Sydney.

The dining room was rather quiet on the night of dinner which was great for us to talk over the details of our wedding plans. All the dishes were consistently good – from my smoked pig cheek starter to the tender wagyu steak. My fiancé’s foie gras salad starter was also interesting. I also enjoyed chocolate terrine dessert which had the right mix of textures.

Details:
Uncorked Restaurant at The Union Hotel
Corner Pacific Hwy & West Street
North Sydney NSW 2060
http://www.unionhotel.com.au/uncorked

Pei Modern (Melbourne)

On the final night of my business trip in Melbourne, I treated myself to Pei Modern for dinner. I was quite excited given it was a while since I visited its big brother Marque in Sydney.

The steak tartare was well seasoned and I loved the use of ‘potato chips’ instead of the usual toast. The chicken dumplings casarecce pasta was prepared the risotto way. The sauce was creamy in texture and intense with chicken stock flavour. The dish made me a convert in making the pasta this way.

Details:
Pei Modern
Collins Place
45 Collins Street
Melbourne
http://www.peimodern.com.au

Shoya (Melbourne)

On a cold rainy night in Melbourne, we dined at Shoya. And fittingly we decided to enjoy some yakiniku next to a hot grill.

The choice of meat included in the set menu was excellent. The wagyu beef had great marbling. We particularly enjoyed the sausages. On top of the yakiniku set, we ordered a piece of toro sushi each for starters. It was melt-in-your-mouth excellent.

Details:
Shoya
25 Market Lane
Melbourne 3000
http://www.shoya.com.au/