Tanpopo (Neutral Bay Sydney)

As a ramen enthusiast, I am always interested in new local offerings. We discovered Tanpopo at Neutral Bay, under new management (for the third time in five years?), now offers an intriguing scampi ramen.

Tanpopo’s soup base was adequately thick without being overly salty. The texture of noodle was silky but a little undone for my taste (perfect for others though). The flavor of the scampi and volcano sauce really brought the dish to another level. The other ramen dishes were on par with others in the area.

We will return for the $20 dinner box another time.

Details:
Tanpopo
3/81 Military Road
Neutral Bay NSW 2089

Sepia Restaurant (Sydney)

We went to Sepia, the 2012 Restaurant of the Year, for our Christmas (eve) meal to finish the year.

The quality of the degustation menu reflected the restaurant’s accolades. My favourite was the scampi with shellfish custard. The texture of the custard worked so well with the scampi. However I hoped the scampi, rather than the intensely savory soy smoked eel with sea urchin cream, to come after the mild fish starters as it gives the menu a better progression for the palette.

We paid $25 extra for famous black stone dessert, but I much favoured the complex black forest.

Details:
Sepia Restaurant & Wine Bar
Darling Park
Ground Level, 201 Sussex St 
Sydney NSW 2000
http://www.sepiarestaurant.com.au/