The Greens (North Sydney)

Weekend catchups with the boys are not the same now that we all have families. The need of a casual yet enjoyable setting got us to visit The Greens North Sydney. There are plenty of kids and strollers so the venue is definitely family friendly.

The food is served bistro style and there was a large array of choices. Sirloin steak and roasted kingfish were both fantastic. However, I wish someone told me of the BBQ pit available outdoor - will definitely come back for the rack of lamb ribs in our next catchup.

Details:
The Greens North Sydney
50 Ridge Street
North Sydney
http://thegreensnorthsydney.com.au/ 

The Bentley at Radisson Blu (Sydney)

An impromptu steak and dessert evening led us to a quick dinner at The Bentley inside the Radisson Blu hotel in Sydney.

Even for a 2 course meal we were given an amush which was a delight. The fillet steak was very well cooked. And dessert was nicely balanced with all the right textures.


Details:
Bentley Restaurant + Bar
Corner Pitt and Hunter Streets
Sydney
http://www.thebentley.com.au/

Ristorante Bolognese (Bologna Italy)

During our stay in Bologna, Italy (home of the Bolognese ragu sauce), we dined at Ristorante Bolognese twice due to its central location and menu.

Other than the well-known meat sauce, tortellini is also a featured product of Bologna. I had them in brodo (soup) and it was very comforting. Risotto with porcini mushroom smelled and tasted fantastic. We also had the reputed t-bone steak from the region (not the Bistecca Fiorentina although similar) which was extremely tender yet lean.

Details:
Ristorante Bolognese
via Boldrini 1
Bologna, Italy
http://www.ristorante-bolognese.it/

Meierei in Stadtpark (Vienna Austria)

Ahead of our stay in Vienna, I tried to book at the reputed Steirereck Restaurant in Stadtpark. Unfortunately it is under renovation during our stay so we went to the casual Meierei downstairs instead.

White asparagus was in season and featured prominently in the menu. The simple starter with hollandaise sauce was excellent and brought out the sweetness of the asparagus. We also recommended the Viennese wedding soup and beef goulash from the signature menu.

Details:
Meierei in Stadtpark
Am Heumarkt 2A 
Stadtpark
Wien, Austria
http://www.steirereck.at/en/meierei/

Marvel Grill (Auckland)

To wrap up a week of client engagement in Auckland, the project team headed to Marvel Grill at the North Wharf area which is a 5 minute walk to our Viaduct Harbour hotel.

I was expecting some super hero theme dining room but the décor was clean and modern. Before our steaks, we went for a series of fried starters – southern fried chicken with buttermilk sauce was particularly good. All our steaks were consistently good and praised by the table. Try the hash brown skillet for something different than the typical chips or baked potatoes.

Details
Marvel Grill
1 Jellicoe Street
North Wharf, Auckland
http://www.marvelgrill.co.nz/

Tapestry Dining (Auckland New Zealand)

During my numerous stays at the Pullman Hotel in Auckland, I dined at Tapestry Dining at the lobby level often.

Trying the bluff oysters while in season is a must, the wonder crunch of the flesh was extremely enjoyable. I also liked the angus steak main course accompanied by the wagyu sausage roll.

For breakfast, they offered a NZ special white bait fritter in room service – a must try over the usual omelette and scrambled.

Details:
Tapestry Dining at Pullman Auckland
Corner Princes Street and Waterloo Quadrant
Auckland
New Zealand
http://www.pullmanauckland.co.nz/online/tapestry_dining.csn

Wagyu Angus Grill (Sydney)

For a family dinner gathering, we arrived at the Wagyu Angus Grill, an Asian fusion steakhouse. The restaurant has a small but intimate dining room, operated by a retired couple with aspirations of owning a restaurant.

The set menu offers the best value and a lot of food was offered for my surf and turf menu. The starters (baked scallops, mango salad and pumpkin soup) were above average. My angus steak was very well cooked which was a pleasant surprise for an Asian restaurant. The lobster was not super fresh but that’s expected given the price.

Details:
Wagyu Angus Grill
51 Majors Bay Road
Concord
https://www.facebook.com/WAGrill

La Bohème Restaurant (Glebe Sydney)

The family visited La Bohème Restaurant for a Bavarian feast to welcome the new year. The menu consists of a variety of dishes across Eastern Europe.

Portion size of the meat was much bigger than expected. The wife and I had a Bavarian feast platter for 2 and we only managed to finish half. The schnitzel was really enjoyable with the meat not dried out.

While the ambiance of the stonemason building was great, the echoing of sounds made it harder for conversations than usual – so do request a table at the corner.

Details:
La Bohème Restaurant
Stonemason’s Cottage
199 Glebe Point Road
Glebe
http://laboheme.com.au/

The Bridge Room (Sydney)

For our pre-Christmas celebrations, the wife and I chose The Bridge Room for some modern Australian cuisine.

We came with very high expectations due to the restaurant’s recent awards and were not disappointed. Our sake cured John Dory and reputed raw wagyu shoulder with robata mushroom had a nice touch of Japanese flavours which we liked. My wagyu sirloin was fantastic (do order the potato puree to match).

The white chocolate with mango dessert had this uncanny similarity to a Thai sticky rice with mango – but much more sophisticated.

Details:
The Bridge Room
44 Bridge Street
Sydney
NSW 2000
http://www.thebridgeroom.com.au/

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

The Grill by Sean Connolly (Auckland New Zealand)

Wrapping up my project in Auckland, I managed to find time to stroll to Sky City and be a tourist for a moment. I dined at Chef of The Year Sean Connolly’s (I still remember the old Astral) The Grill.

The kind waiting staff was very helpful to get my orders straight away to get me fed, without making me feel rushed at all. The wagyu rump was cooked to medium, the perfect way to let the great marbling to shine through. The swede and carrot ‘crush’ ably mopped up all the jus from the steak – a perfect winter side.

Details:
The Grill by Sean Connolly
Sky City Grand Hotel 
90 Federal Street, Auckland
http://www.skycityauckland.co.nz/restaurants/the-grill/

Ormeggio At The Spit (Mosman Sydney)

We took advantage of the ‘Stress Less Sunday’ menu offered by Ormeggio At The Spit for a, well, relaxed dinner on a warm Sunday night. We picked the 4 course menu at the time of the booking.

All 4 dishes were beautifully presented and delicious. Kangaroo tartare had the right level of texture and not too tough. The eggplant tortellini had a subtle smokiness which complement well with the cheese sauce. Wagyu steak was extremely tender and worked well with the sesame puree. And the cardamom ice-cream dessert was a revelation with coffee powder.

If only the portion was bigger…

Details:
Ormeggio At The Spit
D'Albora Marinas
The Spit
Mosman 2088
http://www.ormeggio.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

The Union Hotel (North Sydney)

We were starving after a long day of work and just managed to have enough energy to walk to The Union Hotel for some gourmet pub grub. The scotch fillet burger was juicy and generous. And my beef cheek was extremely tender. It was a good night as we got to wind down over a relaxing meal at a place with an ambiance resembling a French bistro.

Details:
The Union Hotel
271 Pacific Highway (corner West Street)
North Sydney 2060
http://www.unionhotel.com.au

Crave Sydney Luke Mangan Pop Up Restaurant at Thomas Dux

We made it to Luke Mangan’s pop-up restaurant at Thomas Dux Crows Nest as part of the Crave Sydney festival. The deli section of the grocery was bracketed for 40 diners with Chef Mangan and his team working behind the counter.

The meal was served tapas style and all the dishes were accentuated by different spices “from Morocco to Mexico”. My favourites were the curry spiced tempura prawns in steamed buns (served like a taco), and the succulent BBQ rubbed baby chicken.

Confession: we took an extra chocolate doughnut dessert home for later (sorry!)

Details:
Luke Mangan Pop Up Restaurant
Crave Sydney 2012
Thomas Dux Grocer Crows Nest
http://cravesydney.com/event.php?intid=3581