Aria Catering at TEDxSydney

At the TEDxSydney event at the Sydney Opera House today, we were treated to really good food throughout the day. Both the stomach and the mind were greatly satisfied on the day.

The catering had the ‘Rebel Foods’ theme that promoted sustainability and focus on minimising waste. While the crowd was eating seemingly ‘recycled’ food, the taste definitely was not compromised. I liked the Ash cakes with compote marmalade more than the traditional scones. The mussel shell congee with crunchy prawn head was a revelation. And the roast pig by Feather & Bone was a great sight.

Via Alta (Willoughby Sydney)

To welcome 2015, we dined at Via Alta which is another venture of Alexandro Pavoni.

I really enjoyed all the dishes. Our starters of anti-pasti involved the melt-in-your-mouth veal tongue and creamy burrata cheese. My main course was the Bresciano spit roast was so good, there was not a drop of polenta left. The tiramisu dessert was just right for me (I dislike those that are too sweet).

Details:
Via Alta
197 High Street
North Willoughby
http://www.viaalta.com.au/

Corniche All Day Dining (Abu Dhabi)

I stayed at the Sofitel in my 2 weeks in Abu Dhabi and many of my meals were eaten inside the hotel. To avoid waiting after a long day in the office, I usually headed straight to the Corniche buffet on the ground floor.

3 things I want from a buffet – roast tray that is not dried, 2 kinds of hot food that is well done, and high quality desserts. The Corniche has all of that. The roast chicken is succulent. And the array of curry dishes was authentic and flavourful. And there was the French patisserie like dessert cart…

Details:
Corniche All Day Dining
Sofitel Abu Dhabi Corniche
Corniche Road East Capital Plaza, Abu Dhabi
http://www.sofitel.com/gb/hotel-7507-sofitel-abu-dhabi-corniche/index.shtml#./restaurant.shtml

NoMad Restaurant (New York)

We dined at Daniel Humm’s (of Eleven Madison Park) new restaurant inside the NoMad Hotel in midtown New York, opting for a more casual setting than his 3 Michelin star establishment.

The highlight of the meal was the roast chicken with foie gras and black truffle to share. When presented in whole, it smelled fantastic. The skin was perfectly crisped up by the foie and the breast meat extremely tender. Other dishes were also excellent. My cauliflower starter was very sophisticated with different textures of cauliflower combining with almonds, cheddar and grapes. It was quite an eye opening meal.

Details:
NoMad Restaurant
Inside The Nomad Hotel
1170 Broadway & 28th Street
New York, NY 10001
http://www.thenomadhotel.com/#/dining

Pilu at Freshwater (Sydney)

I was treated to a Sunday lunch by my partner at Pilu at Freshwater (thanks babe). The weather was stunning that day and we had a lovely view from the table, accompanied by equally great service.

The food was fantastic throughout starting from the crispy bread with truffle honey ricotta. Speghetti with sea urchin was full of flavours from the sea. The highlight was the roasted suckling pig – soft, succulent meat with perfect crackling. We barely had room for our pistachio frangipane and mandarin tortino pannacotta desserts.

Details:
Pilu at Freshwater
"On the beach”
 Moore Road
Freshwater NSW 2096
http://www.piluatfreshwater.com.au/

Xanthi (Sydney)

Overseas guest is the perfect reason for a gathering over food. To satisfy the big meat eaters, I have chosen Xanthi inside Westfield Sydney for some Greek fare.

The famous spit roast pork was nice and tender, even when it has gone cold well into the meal. And the crackling was gone within seconds. The other meat dishes such as lamb skaras and roast duck with quince were also fantastic. Surprise of the night was the truffle mousaka which was sufficiently creamy without being too heavy – and not watery when you cut into it like other places.

Details:
Xanthi
Westfield Sydney, Level 6
Corner Pitt Street Mall & Market Street
Sydney 2000
http://www.xanthi.com.au/

Uccello (Sydney)

Winding down from a tough week, we finally found the appetite (and time) for a relaxing meal at Uccello on the top of the Ivy complex in Sydney.

Our Italian feast kicked off with a platter of cured meats from different regions of Italy, followed by squid ink tagliolini pasta. We then share the roasted whole leg of goat with potatoes and peas. While the goat meat was slightly tough, the potatoes absorbed the roast juices totally blew us away. Our desserts of lemon meringue tart and spiced cake with poached pear wrapped up the meal beautifully.

Details:
Uccello
Ivy, Level 4
330 George Street
Sydney NSW 2000
http://merivale.com.au/uccello/