Sails on Lavender Bay (Sydney)

We went to Sails on Lavendar Bay for dinner on our anniversary and it was a perfect night to dine by the harbor with clear sky and the full moon.

We really enjoyed the degustation menu. The scallops, duck and lamb dishes were flawless. Pace was the only issue as it seems our dinner was slowed down so the table of four next to us could catch up.

Details:
Sails on Lavender Bay 
2 Henry Lawson Avenue
McMahons Point
http://www.sailsrestaurant.com.au/

Senyai (Sydney)

I happened to be in the city on a Thursday night and decided to dine at Senyai in the bottom of the Regent Place building. We judge a Thai restaurant from the duck red curry and Senyai’s offering was superb – especially the duck skin was not all soggy still when served. The crispy pork belly stir fried was also a delight with its intense savory flavour.

Details:
Senyai Sydney
486 Kent Street
Sydney
http://www.senyai.com.au/

Your Place Dining (North Sydney)

Catching up with friends on a Friday night, we decided to stay local and went to Your Place Dining. The restaurant operates as a café during the day and a fine dining Thai restaurant at night.

We always judge our Thai restaurant by the duck red curry. This particular one did not disappoint offering a generous portion of duck with nice, thick gravy. Do try the salmon soufflé for entrée which gives an interesting texture for a fish dish – I liken it to an hybrid of fish ball and marshmallow.

Details:
Your Place Dining
182 Blues Point Rd
Corner Blues Point Road and Victoria Street
McMahons Point
http://yourplacedining.com.au

Cutler & Co. (Melbourne)

My partner visited me while I was in business in Melbourne (thank you). So on the first night we went to Cutler & Co for dinner, and we went for the degustation without considerations.

Dinner had a great progression of flavours. My top 3 dishes were the chicken soup with abalone (very intense broth), smoked and fried duck (great leg meat in a cube), and the dessert (amazing Earl Grey ice-cream).

I didn’t feel stuffed like I would normally after a sampling menu. Maybe I was just craving for more…

Details:
Cutler & Co.
55–57 Gertrude Street
Fitzroy
VIC 3065
http://www.cutlerandco.com.au

Moo Gourmet Burgers (Crows Nest Sydney)

We were in the Crows Nest area house hunting on a Saturday morning and decided to settle at Moo Burgers for lunch. The menu has the classic as well as some rather unique offerings. Feeling adventurous that day, we went for the chorizo burger and duck burger. The chorizo really shined through in my burger. I personally can do without the layer of mozzarella but the burger was delicious nevertheless.

Also make sure you try their range of drinks. Washing the burger down with a coke spider brought back wonderful memories.

Details:
Moo Gourmet Burgers (Crows Nest)
69 Willoughby Road
Crows Nest 2065
http://www.moogourmetburgers.com.au

Vulcan's (Blackheath Blue Mountains)

We visited Vulcan’s at Blackheath for a Sunday lunch as we heard the legendary chef-owner will be retiring. The dining room was packed on what was the chef’s second last weekend of service.

The highlight for me was the crab soup entrée with red rice. The broth was clean yet packed with seafood flavour. The famous oyster blade was tender and similar in taste to a good beef brisket at Chinatown (maybe the hour long wait for main course dulled our taste buds). The yogurt brulee was our favourite dessert, and it was fun to taste the chequerboard ice-cream.

Details:
Vulcan's
33 Govetts Leap Road 
Blackheath NSW 2785

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/

Dan's House (Sydney)

Being a fan of Peking Duck, we are excited that so many new duck specialists have opened in Sydney. On a cold rainy night we visited Dan’s House, a modernised Beijing style restaurant. The fancy dining room is situated at the mezzanine level of an apartment block off Chinatown and not the easiest to find.

While the signature duck dish was beautifully presented, we were not served the duck in whole and skinned in the traditional way. The flavour was spot on however. The pork belly and other noodle dishes were also nice, but slightly different from the traditional flavours.

Details:
Dan’s House
710-712 George Street
Sydney NSW 2000
http://www.danshouse.com.au/

Minamitei み奈美亭 (Kansai Airport Osaka Japan)

We promised ourselves to visit the onsen region near Kansai Airport again. At the end of our trip, we stayed at Minamitei – next door from the hotel we visited last time.

Rather than the full kaiseki banquet, we ordered a duck hotpot instead. The duck meat was very tender and complemented well with the vegetables. The best part of the meal for me was mixing the hot stock with duck fat at the end into the rice. Coupled with the fantastic view of the mountains from the room it was a wonderful dinner.

Details:
Minamitei み奈美亭
大阪府泉佐野市大木2236 （犬鳴山温泉）
Osaka, Japan

Beijing Duck Restaurant (Eastwood)

Our cravings for roast duck coincide with the opening of the Beijing Duck Restaurant in Eastwood. The signature dish Peking (Beijing) Duck required pre-ordering. The carving began after the duck was proudly shown in whole on the table. The crispy skin from the breast was served first (dipped in sugar) and then the rest of the skin with meat in the familiar pancakes and shallots. The meat was really tender and plentiful for 4 people.

I also enjoyed other northern Chinese dishes such as cabbage, mushroom and fungus served in a clay pot, as well as the authentic shallot cakes.

Details:
Beijing Duck Restaurant
125 Rowe Street
Eastwood
NSW 2122
http://www.ozbeijingduck.com

Sugarcane (Sydney)

We visited Sugarcane Restaurant on the edge of Surry Hills on a Friday night for a casual dinner. The dining room was modern and the service (one person!) was attentive.

The menu captured a variety of south-east Asian dishes. While our entrée of prawn dumplings was average, we enjoyed the baby snapper curry with the sauce working well with the whole fish deep fried. The duck leg stir fry was also good with the meat maintained moist and tender.

Details:
Sugarcane Restaurant
40A Reservoir Street
Surry Hills NSW 2010
http://www.sugarcanerestaurant.com.au