In search of a café: Café Marcello, 24 April 2010 & Houlihans, June-Aug 2010

Have you heard me whinge about the lack of a good café in my area? In particular, one which stays open past standard business hours?

There are quite a few cafés in the shopping area of Chatswood but they’re mostly located within one of the shopping complexes and, therefore, are restricted in their opening hours. It’s fine if you work in the area and need something for lunch, but an entirely different story if you have a craving for café food come dinnertime as I often do.

We pop into Café Marcello one weekend for brunch and sit at one of the tables running along a bench seat replete with cushions. This is most welcome as I was nursing a sore back at the time. In need of comfort, I order a pot of Earl Grey tea while Monsieur Poisson goes for his usual caffe latte.

The coffee presents with a swirled pattern decorating the milk foam, of which there is way too much rendering it almost a cappuccino. Flavour-wise Monsieur Poisson is happy with it and coffee is always great for washing down a big breakfast as he has ordered.

The big breakfast comes with bacon, sausages, eggs, grilled tomato, a commercially-made hash brown, Turkish toast and mushrooms which are surprisingly the least oily thing on the plate. I’m craving something meaty so I order the beef burger which arrives with a thick and juicy patty sandwiched between two thin triangles of pide – the burger fillings completely out-proportion the bun, not that I’m complaining.

So, more about coffee. Monsieur Poisson and I also often lament the fact that we cannot get a cup of coffee that wows us in Chatswood. It’s either too weak, too milky, or both. Perhaps it’s the brand of bean being used, or the blend or the roast. So we were understandably excited when we noticed Houlihans – once a sandwich bar of a place – being renovated with the addition of substantial seating as well as barriers sporting the logo for Campos coffee!

We pop in for coffees one evening after dinner elsewhere and I am amused that my husband’s caffe latte is adorned with a love heart whilst my flat white receives but a fern pattern (although a very pretty one at that). I order biscotti with my coffee and can’t help but dunk it into my drink every now and again; the hot milk of the coffee rendering the biscuit soft but not quite mushy.

After being impressed with the size and quality of brunch with a fellow food blogger one day, I return with Monsieur Poisson in tow one Sunday morning. The place is brimming with people and something appears amiss. We are seated outside and are warned that there will be a 20-30 minute wait on meals. We later find out that there had been a disruption to their kitchen gas supply a little earlier on which has resulted in a backlog of orders. Some people get up to leave after having waited too long for their food but Monsieur Poisson and I are happy to sit, chat and relax.

The coffee is better than on my previous visit and when the food arrives it tastes as I remember. Unconventionally however, I have ordered the same thing as previous – ‘Grilled haloumi with avocado, tomato and rocket on sourdough’. It’s like a breakfast bruschetta and the ample toppings shroud two slices of sourdough forming the foundations underneath. My only complaint is that it is smaller in size by about 25% from my last visit and a little less careful in presentation. I assume this has something to do with kitchen and floor staff being completely run off their feet understandably.

The kitchen is also out of mushrooms so Monsieur Poisson is offered an alternative in his big breakfast. He decides on a sausage but when his meal appears, there is strangely only one of them. We can’t remember whether the menu has both sausage and bacon as part of the big breakfast but what really impresses me are the potato röstis which are crisp, non-greasy and ever so mildly spiced.

When Houlihans first reopened its doors they were open for dinner every evening. This soon ceased and had us wondering why. A brief chat with the owner explained that dinner business wasn’t really happening due to the cold weather, so evening service was being limited to Thursdays through to Saturdays only. The café is licensed and they are developing a tapas/nibblies menu which will be launched once the warmer weather sets in and dinner service will resume to being every evening. In the meantime, I’m eyeing off the Wagyu burger which I’ve spotted on their menu with interest…

Café Marcello

Shop 330, 1 Anderson St, Chatswood NSW

Tel: (02) 9884 8183

*EDIT*: As of early 2011, Café Marcello is closed.

Houlihans

Shop 5, 376 Victoria Ave (entrance on Anderson St), Chatswood NSW

Tel: (02) 9415 3300

Opening Hours:  Sun-Wed  8am til 6pm?

                        Thurs-Sat  9am til 10:30pm?

                        (when summer swings around they plan on staying open for dinner 7 days a week)

happy eating!

Epicure Recipe Card #31: Baked Custard Tart

Never have I struggled with the thought of cooking something so badly.

I made a commitment to make my way through these recipe cards this year which, as you may have noticed, has slowed down in progress somewhat of late. I blame the weather – many of the yet to be tackled recipe cards feature seafood and salads and they’re just not the type of winter food cravings I have. There could also be the small issue of a recent lack of cooking inspiration/motivation as well. Each week I flip through the remaining cards and there really hasn’t been anything that jumps out at me with cause for excitement, motivating me to recreate it in the kitchen.

And then there was this – baked custard tart.

I love tarts. I love pastry, any pastry. I do not love custard. I can’t even say I like custard. Something about its texture and rich flavour which don’t appeal to me. I will consume it in small amounts but will avoid it if it’s the star of a dessert – for example, vanilla slices, crème brûlées, crème caramels… One of the few custard-based foods that will get my heart a-flutter is ice-cream, but we’ll talk about that another time.

In contrast to my aversion to custard is my love of Chinese egg tarts (‘daan taht’ 蛋撻). Some people are very firm about whether they belong to the puff pastry or shortcrust pastry camps, but I lust after both varieties so long as the pastry is made well and the filling not too sweet. Generally speaking, egg tarts made with shortcrust pastry keep better and are less greasy when reheated. Chinese custom, however, is to consume them as soon as they’re cool enough to handle from the oven so there’s not usually the issue of leftovers!

In Hong Kong, bakeries typically produce two batches of egg tarts a day – one mid-morning and another around 3pm in time for afternoon tea. I remember coming home from school and Mum would often have some egg tarts, still warm of course, sitting on the dinner table picked up during the afternoon run from the bakery down the road. That bakery only produced shortcrust pastry ones and trying to peel apart the layers of pastry was definitely an entertaining part of enjoying this simple pleasure of childhood.

The egg tarts pictured above are definitely my favourite shortcrust ones in Sydney and they’re from a small Hong Kong-style bakery down a short arcade in Eastwood. The pastry is crumbly and evenly-shaped around the edges as well as across the base. Buy four or more of these and you’ll receive them packaged in a box as shown. And yes, I did purchase four but one of them was eaten before it had a chance to grace the camera as a model!

Tai Baan Bakery (大班麵包餅店)

Shop 7, Eastwood Arcade (interconnecting Rowe St & Hillview Lane), 183 Rowe St, Eastwood NSW

Tel: (02) 9804 0168

Opening Hours:  7 days  around 10am-6pm?

happy eating!

Khacha Thai, 24 April 2010

Sometimes when dining out, you really have to get in early. But who knew, with the number of eateries dotting the Crows Nest area, that it could be so hard to secure a table for four people on a Saturday evening?

I had suggested a few places to Idol and Mistress before they dropped by and dutifully rang ahead for reservations only to be told that each place was booked out until at least 8:30pm. And with the days getting shorter and the seasons cooler, it really is quite hard to hold out until a late dinner unless there is some forethought towards pre-snacking (or unexpected late lunches and over-eating, hmmm).

We wander into several places along Pacific Highway, skipping a few that don’t appeal to our appetites that evening and those which are worryingly empty. We finally settle on Khacha Thai due to its colourful interior and encouragingly almost full capacity.

The lighting is dim and the furniture is dark, but there are elephants and fresh floral touches everywhere as well as a waterfall wall feature. We notice this carries over to the food presentation when our starters arrive, with orchid and carnation decorations. The stuffed chicken wings are my choice – the last time I had something similar was in the Chinese restaurant where I worked part-time through university. Mum tells me stuffed wings used to be a popular banquet item on Chinese menus but fell out of favour due to their fiddliness to make. The bones from the wingette and mid-wing are removed before the resultant cavities are stuffed, usually, with a minced pork mixture as they are here. Khacha Thai has mung bean vermicelli (cellophane/glass noodles) and wood ear fungus incorporated into their stuffing mixture and the wings are deep-fried before being served sliced and drizzled with sweet chilli sauce.

Our other starter is the standard fare of fish cakes which have a herby flavour and smooth yet bouncy texture. The dipping sauce is sprinkled with plenty of peanuts and is sweet, but what I silently long for is something with a bit more of a heat kick. We all agree the same can be said for the ‘Green papaya salad with prawns’ and possibly more papaya to balance out the shredded carrot. Prawns are a-plenty but what we’re wanting is that flavour equilibrium for which Thai cuisine is so well-known.

Red duck curry is one of those things that seems to always be ordered when we visit Thai restaurants. There must be a universal appeal about roast duck which has been stewed in the creamy, fragrant sauce in amongst the jumble of lychees, pineapple and vegetables. Of course curry is the perfect foil for a rice accompaniment and this is Monsieur Poisson’s downfall – it is just too easy to over-indulge on rice when there is sauce facilitating it to almost effortlessly slide down the throat.

The chilli chicken stir-fry is crisp with the crunch of cashews but unfortunately the chicken is a little bland and dry, however it offers respite from the richness of the red duck curry.

The dessert menus offer more colour being presented in wooden frames with double covers which open like French windows.

Not surprisingly my banana-loving husband, Monsieur Poisson, orders the ‘Banana fritter with caramel sauce’. Two curved nuggets of golden battered banana are presented up one end of a rectangular plate with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream balanced on top. The caramel sauce is thin and not overly sugary.

Idol chooses the ‘Sticky rice with coconut custard’ which thankfully has only a thin coconut sauce but is quite filling due to the glutinous texture of the rice.

Mistress orders the ‘Coconut ice-cream with palm seeds, black sticky rice and peanuts’ which gives me a chance to try palm seeds. Roughly the size of almonds, the palm seeds have a firm jelly-like textured outer – think firmer than agar – and a solid, almost crunchy, centre. Taste-wise it doesn’t possess much flavour but there is a bed of black sticky rice underneath as well as a generous scoop and a half of coconut ice-cream on top.

So while the food doesn’t wow us entirely, the desserts are definitely something special here. Our quest to eat locally continues, as well as my search for some Thai which is not too far away from home.

Khacha Thai

308a Pacific Hwy, Crows Nest NSW

Tel: (02) 9966 8444, 9966 8333

Opening Hours:  7 days  12pm-3pm

5:30pm-10:30pm

happy eating!

Byron Bay Cookie Company 20th Anniversary – Rocky Road Cookies

Did you know that Byron Bay Cookie Company has been around for twenty years? No, neither did I. I know I've seen them around since my late teens when I first started frequenting cafés but it really hadn’t struck me that they had been around for that long. The café near my work sells the individually packed ones and there’s often seven to eight varieties on display in jars so the selection, and temptation, can be a little overwhelming. My favourite of these homestyle-tasting cookies is definitely the Triple Choc Fudge, whereas sometimes I like to bring home a Whtie Choc Chunk & Macadamia Nut one for Monsieur Poisson – one of Byron Bay Cookie Company’s original and most popular flavours.

Gordon Slater has been Chairman of Byron Bay Cookie Company since 2006, after joining the company in 2002. For their twentieth anniversary, Byron Bay Cookie Company has released a special edition Rocky Road cookie. Recently I had the pleasure of asking Gordon Slater some questions:

1.          Can you tell us about the origins and start-up of Byron Bay Cookie Company?

Byron Bay Cookie Company was founded by two Byron Bay locals who baked on a farmhouse stove in Byron Bay in 1990 and sold their products at market stalls. The business now employs 100 people in Australia and another 100 people indirectly, through its distribution partners worldwide. Byron Bay Cookie Company has offices in Byron Bay, London and Michigan, and exports to over 20 countries.

2.     I've always wondered about the lady who features on the packaging as part of the company logo. Is there a story behind her and is she based on a real person?

She was developed specifically for us by a local artist. We wanted to create an image that would be iconic of Byron Bay Cookies and the experience of eating our cookies. A face speaks a thousand words and hers certainly does. You look at her and wonder what she’s thinking. She’s a little bit whimsical, very serene and reflective, enjoying her cookie with her groomed hair and pearls. ‘Where is she? What is she thinking? Who is she with?’ These are the questions that go through people’s minds when they look at her.

She was developed for us when we were still a small company but she has grown really well with the brand and is now an iconic part of Byron Bay Cookies as we envisioned all those years ago. We get so many people tell us how much they love our packaging and how instantly recognisable it is from the ‘lady’. And like all good pictures she has been restored and touched up over the years!

3.     For Byron Bay Cookie Company's 20th anniversary, you've released a Rocky Road cookie. Where did the idea for this come from? And what is the process and timeframe for the development of new flavours to production?

Given that we’re celebrating the major milestone of 20 years of producing cookies that are all about decadence, indulgence and enjoyment, we wanted to create the most decadent, indulgent, enjoyable cookie for our customers as a thank you gesture for the support over the years.

As a team we initially came up with a few flavour ideas but the Rocky Road was the one that reflected indulgence and decadence for us the most. We’re a peanut-free facility, so we added a twist by including pecan nuts instead for an even more indulgent taste.

The process of developing a new café cookie flavour takes approximately four weeks from concept to production. We conduct some initial trials first, taste them, provide feedback to our product development team, do another trial (if necessary) and then test them in mass production (this is always the true test as to whether a product will work, as a product’s taste and texture can vary greatly from initial small batch trials to the time when it is mass produced). Simultaneously we also undertake market and consumer testing. We will only ever launch a cookie if it reflects our brand values of quality of product and a uniquely decadent taste.

4.     Many of Byron Bay Cookie Company's cookie flavours also come in a gluten-free version, and were available when gluten-free alternatives were less common than today. What was the reasoning for this and was it a risk at the time?

Our Gluten Free range was launched end of 2003 – almost 7 years ago. The main driver for this was listening to customer needs and working hard to meet them – while it was still a fairly niche need at the time we felt very strongly about providing for this need.

      Feedback and research at the time indicated that available products tasted like cardboard and were not appetising at all. Our mission was to produce the same delightfully decadent, deliciously different taste within the Gluten Free range as our regular cookies. We also had a staff member who was a coeliac at the time and she was instrumental in the testing process. Her standards were very high so we made sure we met them!

      It has been fantastic to see over the years how much the availability of gluten free products has increased. The sales of our Gluten Free products continue to grow year-on-year.

5.          Tell us a bit more about the new Byron Bay Bakehouse range.

The Byron Bay Bakehouse range is based on tried and tested recipes from Byron Bay Cookies. This new grocery range was developed as a response to a gap in the market for gourmet-style cookies that are readily available within the grocery sector of Australia. They are individually packaged to be a great snack on the run - morning or afternoon tea and/or lunch box treats. They’re a delicious treat for all to enjoy at home or out and about.

I was lucky enough to be sent a pack of the 20^th anniversary Rocky Road cookies to try them out and the first thing I noticed upon opening the pack was the aroma. A familiar yet distinct smell that I couldn’t put my finger on at first but Monsieur Poisson identified it immediately as a sweet, berry, jammy aroma – they smell like Wagon Wheels! Must be something to do with the combination of marshmallows and jellies in amongst the milk chocolate chunks in the chocolate cookie base. Like all Byron Bay Cookie Company cookies, it’s not too sweet but has the interesting addition of pecans in its rocky road mix which is just as well as Mistress, who is allergic to walnuts, would’ve had to miss out otherwise when I offered her one.

Mistress, a fan of food with contrasting textural ‘bits’, absolutely loved the Rocky Road cookie and its ratio of ‘bits’ to cookie. Like me, she was happy that it wasn’t overly sweet. The marshmallows that were in the centre of the cookie were gooey, whilst any marshmallows around the edge had a nice crusty chewiness to them from the baking process. And although they’re perfect with a cup of tea or coffee for a snack, Monsieur Poisson and I decided to indulge our inner children by constructing ice-cream sandwiches – Rocky Road ice-cream sandwiches!

They’re delicious no matter how you eat them. Rocky Road cookies are available for order online through Byron Bay Cookie Company’s website and should be available at cafés soon.

Mademoiselle Délicieuse received a sample of Byron Bay Cookie Company 20^th Anniversary Rocky Road cookies courtesy of Nicole Romano at Red Agency and the Byron Bay Cookie Company. Many thanks to Gordon Slater for taking the time to answer my questions.

Byron Bay Cookie Company

Byron Bay, Brisbane Domestic Airport Terminal, David Jones, gourmet food retailers and various cafés

happy eating!

Gluten Free Expo, 7 August 2010

I am fortunate that I do not suffer from any food allergies, and only have an intolerance to cream-based sauces. Both my parents are lactose intolerant. I used to work for a man who was diagnosed as being Coeliac, amongst many other allergies, in his older years and had to overhaul his diet as a result. His wife, who did all the cooking, adopted his diet most of the time as well because it was just too time-consuming preparing separate meals for the two of them. There were so many things that he had to eliminate from his diet that there remained very little that he could eat.

So I was quite interested to hear about The Coeliac Society of NSW hosting their annual Gluten Free Expo at Sydney Showground, Olympic Park, a couple of weekends ago. When my boss was first diagnosed the food alternative options were quite limited, with very little being available at the supermarket and sporadic products supplied at health food stores. I remember him having to pre-order gluten-free breads which were sometimes not available for weeks on end due to supply or delivery issues with small suppliers. These loaves of bread were dense and solid like bricks, dry and crumbly in texture, and only really palatable after toasting.

It’s great to know there are much more alternatives available now, and through more mainstream and convenient sources. The expo is in its sixth year and was a free event open to the public. Mistress and I attended after having yumcha with friends nearby and after picking up Ms Sourdough along the way. With none of us being coeliac we were there really to have a look at the variety of products on offer and to compare their taste and texture to the non-gluten free versions of which we are accustomed.

There were many nut-based products and we did come away with some nut snacks as well as some tapioca samples. We didn’t step into the expo until 3:30pm after having a little trouble with parking (someone rudely ‘stole’ our spot) and a lot of exhibitors had sold out of their products which was good to see. I believe it would be very restrictive diet-wise to be gluten intolerant as well as to have a nut(s) allergy. Mistress almost got caught out when being handed a brownie sample as she is allergic to walnuts, but not other nuts.

We also purchased a gluten free chocolate cake to share between us which was beautifully fudgy and less sweet than what we expected. The texture was also much smoother than that of a flour-based cake. We speculate that it may have something to do with gluten free flours being finer and behaving differently when sugar is added? Unfortunately none of us know enough about gluten free baking to come to a firm conclusion, and it's probably an area that we can delve further into.

If you’re a confirmed coeliac or cook for someone who is, or perhaps you’d just like to find out more about gluten free food products and cooking ingredients, keep your eye out for next year’s Gluten Free Expo.

Mademoiselle Délicieuse attended this event after being notified by Natahsa Nikolovski of WordStorm PR.

The 6^th annual Gluten Free Expo, The Coeliac Society of NSW

6-7 August 2010

Sydney Showground, Sydney Olympic Park

happy cooking & happy eating!

The Vineyard, 23 April 2010

Monsieur Poisson and I were feeling particularly lazy one Friday evening and were in need of a date night. For the month or more beforehand we had been in the throes of the final stages of wedding planning (including the stress of having to organise a cake, last minute) and hadn’t had much quality time to ourselves. We didn’t go away for a honeymoon either, as we plan on lumping it in together with a more extensive trip later, so it was pretty much straight back to work for the both of us. And, you know, it’s nice to go out on dates every now and again, even if it’s with your own partner!

Mistress recommended The Vineyard to me after having visited for a work gathering. There is a relaxed area at the back of restaurant with large throw cushions and couches definitely suitable for small group functions or people just dropping in for drinks. Monsieur Poisson and I are seated at a table along the wall of a narrow section of the restaurant between this area and the main dining room at the front. There are decorative vines and grapes hanging from the ceiling of the whole place.

The wine list is attached to a beautiful wooden clipboard which I want to take home and I start the evening with a rather orange-hued and sweet bellini. We don’t do the name of the restaurant justice though, as this is the only drink I have for the evening while Monsieur Poisson forgoes any drinks altogether as usual.

And because I am feeling like salty cured meats, I lightly influence Monsieur Poisson to share the ‘Antipasto plate’ with me. It is quite substantial and advised to be shared with its spread of prosciutto, olives, salame, marinated capsicum, pecorino and housemade focaccia. A meal or picnic in itself, really.

For mains, as often happens with us, we get distracted by what’s on offer on the specials menu and order from there instead. I have the ‘Papardelle with duck ragu’ which has wonderfully soft and wide pasta noodles in a meaty sauce with plenty of depth. The duck is minced and has a livery taste rather than the shreds of duck meat that I expect, but it packs plenty of flavour and is very warming.

Monsieur Poisson’s main is the special of ‘Braised beef cheeks with potato-celeriac mash and prosciutto-wrapped beans’. Beef cheeks are seriously understated. They’ve been braised until they are fall-apart tender here, requiring only a fork to prise apart the strands of tasty meat. We discover the meal serves are rather generous and realise we’ve over-ordered with neither of us being able to finish our meals.

Somehow, of course, albeit after a much-needed break, Monsieur Poisson finds the room to have dessert. The ‘Chocolate tortino with Baileys anglaise’ has caught his eye and neither of us have qualms about having to wait the 10 or 15 minutes required for it to be made fresh. Along with his usual caffe latte, he is one happy camper when he digs his spoon in to reveal a molten tortino centre.

I stick with my usual coffee/ice-cream hybrid in the form of an affogato for, as Wifey has said, “There is always room for ice-cream!” For only $6 the scoop of vanilla bean ice-cream here is quite generous as opposed to when I literally do have my ice-cream drowning in a shot of espresso at other places!

The Vineyard has mainly Italian influences in its menu, although there’s an occasional French touch here and there. They get pretty busy on weekends and I have been turned away previously when I rocked up with another two people without a table booking, so I’d definitely recommend phoning ahead to check. Oh, and it’s a good idea to take a few people along to share the food too.

The Vineyard

104 Willoughby Rd (opp intersection with Holtermann St), Crows Nest NSW

Tel: (02) 9966 0906

Opening Hours:  Mon  CLOSED

                        Tues-Fri  4:40pm-6:30pm (happy hour)

                                     dinner from 6pm

                        Sat & Sun  breakfast from 9am

                                        12pm-3pm (lunch)

                                        dinner from 6pm

happy eating!

A menu tasting at Garfish Manly, 2 August 2010

Wild and woolly weather had set in across Sydney late in the afternoon and was hitting its windiest as we made our way to Manly. Monsieur Poisson was navigating peak hour traffic as I tried desperately not to succumb to the early evening snoozies only enhanced by the stop-start motion of the car. When we arrived at the famous beachside suburb, palm trees were bowing this way and that as we circled several blocks in search of parking, but we were lucky enough to secure one just around the corner from where we needed to be. Shielding ourselves with an umbrella which we hoped dearly would not flip in the wind, we walked into Garfish at Manly thankful to be dry.

A group of Sydney food bloggers have been invited to Garfish Manly, the youngest of the Garfish family, for a tasting of dishes of which some are to be new additions to their permanent menu. Monsieur Poisson and I were quite excited about this after having dined at both Garfish Crows Nest and Kirribilli (post about that to come soon, hopefully) which meant that this would complete the trio for us. Pre-dinner champagne was enjoyed from Veuve Cliquot and soon after we are ushered into their private dining room to enjoy some canapés.

We start with some plump Pacific Oysters from Pipeclay Lagoon, Tasmania, which are served with a mignonette dressing in similar fashion to that at Crows Nest. The ‘Kingfish & Salmon Tartare’ are neat little mounds topped with tobiko and micro leaves served in ceramic spoons. The fish is firm with a bouncy texture and has a nice balance of saltiness whilst being very subtle in fishiness. However the surprising favourite for me is the ‘Calarmari with rocket, date, parmesan & prosciutto wrap’. Prosciutto and rocket are a winning combination but the revelation is in the dates, of which I’m not usually a fan, which are finely sliced and not cloyingly sweet, with the sliced calamari offering textural contrast. My only complaint? I had a tussle with a strip of prosciutto rind which was left hanging out of my mouth looking like a rubber band – oh, how very attractive!

We have a short break and enjoy an informative talk by David James, CEO of Brasserie Bread who supply Garfish, about the makings of real sourdough. Brasserie Bread use unsulfured grapes in their sourdough starter (Ms Sourdough affectionately refers to her starter as ‘baby’) of which there are 17 approximately 1 metre deep vats – half of this starter is used and the remainder is left to grow over the following two-week period. He also spoke of sourdough bread being left to cool down for 10-12 hours after baking for maximum flavour. If only Ms Sourdough was in attendance with me, I’m sure this talk is something she would have thoroughly enjoyed.

We tuck into some Brasserie Bread sourdough with za’atar and extra virgin olive oil and enjoy a glass of Crittenden Estate 2008 pinot grigio. The first course of ‘Blue swimmer crab soup with Avruga caviar & horseradish crostini’ appears with the aromas of shellfish and is smooth with an occasional pop from the caviar. The horseradish crostini is light in flavour although I wouldn’t have minded a little more pungency from the horseradish.

Kristen Gillespie, Operations Manager at Garfish, tells us that the fish used is brought in fresh daily which results in creativity for the kitchen and the specials menu changing often. Tonight we are treated to a ‘Moroccan fish tagine with chermoula, preserved lemon and cous cous,’ which is a departure from the grilled and deep-fried cooking methods I’ve seen on the menu at their other two restaurants. The fish used here is a mirror dory which has been cooked to a soft flakiness in amongst a jumble of whole almonds, baby beetroot, Dutch baby carrots and large green olives. There are also bowls of green salad served alongside as well as 2008 pinot noir also from Crittenden Estate.

The baby vegetables are wonderfully sweet (I fell in love with the beetroot) and the preserved lemon along with the thin yoghurt drizzled bring a lightness to the fragrant spices which have been used. The sauce is a great accompaniment mixed into the soft couscous, although I regrettably have to leave half of this dish behind to ration stomach space for impending dessert.

The dessert which was billed simply as ‘Garfish dessert platter’ on our menu for the evening arrives with three components on long plates. There is, of course, a mini-waffle (Belgian waffles feature on all Garfish menus) with fresh strawberries, strawberry sauce and a mascarpone cream, a wedge of dark chocolate tart with manuka honey, hazelnuts and chilli (and the surprise of popping candy!) and a banana Paris-Brest.

Monsieur Poisson, being the banana-fiend that he is, unbiasedly declared the banana component his favourite whilst mine had to be the strawberry waffle. We finish off the meal with some relaxed conversation and cups of coffee and tea before heading home, thankfully in weather which has eased considerably.

Monsieur Poisson and Mademoiselle Délicieuse dined as guests of Garfish Manly.

Garfish Manly

1/39 East Esplanade (cnr Wentworth St), Manly NSW

Tel: (02) 9977 0707

Opening Hours:  Mon-Sat  12pm-3pm (lunch)

  5:30pm-10pm (dinner)

                        Sun  12pm-3pm (lunch)

                                5:30pm-9pm (dinner)

happy eating!

Big Brekky (the third), 12 April 2010

My recollections of eating at Big Brekky, apart from the food of course, will be forever tied to my wedding. Big Brekky is located in an area which is close to a stretch of bridal dress and wedding accessories stores along Parramatta Road, which happens to be where I had my dress made, where we hired the guys’ suits and where we found a dress for my bridesmaid. I ate here on at least two of my dress fittings and then again a couple of days after our wedding.

The cake pictured above is the cake that we never intended to have. Following the no-cake-does-not-good-wedding-make uproar, we discovered that our florist actually had a wedding cake service on the side that could take orders up to three days in advance, although they prefer a minimum notice of two weeks. This is in contrast with the usual 6-10 week periods for other suppliers because this place does sponge cakes with buttercream icing rather than the denser mud or fruit cakes with royal icing. This was serendipitous for us because neither Monsieur Poisson nor I like fruit cakes and I, in particular, absolutely loathe royal icing.

After our wedding reception, one of our guests handed in a pair of rogue glasses they’d found and I identified them to belong to one Ms Japan. As we had to return the guys’ suits and were going to be in Petersham, I asked Ms Japan to meet us there for brunch and so that I could return her glasses. I am in need of comfort after the energy-zapping activity that is a wedding, and order myself a pot of Earl Grey tea which is served in a white, Chinese-style teapot with a small milk bottle of milk alongside.

Monsieur Poisson and Ms Japan both have coffees (unpictured) while I consider the menu options. Although it’s my third visit, I’m still determined to try something different. (Variety is the spice of life and food-blogging, yes?) So I settle on the ‘Chorizo and basil omelette’ which arrives looking more like a frittata than an omelette and with two generous slices of sourdough.

It is a hunger-stemming serve of brunch with many hidden rounds of chorizo within the egg and a thick blanket of parmesan grated over the top. The cheese is still stretchy when cutting into it, whilst the shreds around the edges have taken on a beautiful golden crisp. Some of the larger leaves of basil are a bit much for me but I’m always a bit like that with herbs so it’s completely a personal thing. And I’m very sorry to say that I fail to finish what is on my plate.

We sit back and enjoy some proper, extended conversation (chats with guests at weddings are very rushed and broken, I discovered) before heading out into the sunshine to finish running a couple more post-wedding errands.

Big Brekky

316 Stanmore Rd (cnr Albert St), Petersham NSW

Tel: (02) 9569 8588

Opening Hours:  Mon-Sat  7am-3pm

                        Sun & Pub Hols  8am-3pm

happy eating!

Encasa, Feb & April 2010

I don’t know enough about Spanish food to gauge how authentic it is at Encasa. What I do know is that we’ve been coming here with groups of friends for close to 5 years now. The garlicky aromas which envelope you as soon as you enter the doorway next to their pizza prep area are heady and inviting. The food quality is consistent plus Mr Awesome knows the owner so we often get a tailored deal or complimentary dishes. Oh, for the love of free food.

Encasa holds fond memories for me because it almost always involves large groups of friends, and usually for the occasion of birthdays. Lots of chatter and laughter (and one particular incident of the red, toilet-seat cover) and sharing of food, which is what is always so great about having dishes that are made to share. Regardless of what selection of friends we’re with, there is always a selection of tapas that appear time and time again: ‘Chorizo a la plancha’ (grilled chorizo), ‘Gambas al ajillo’ (prawns in garlic oil), ‘Champiñones al ajillo’ (garlic mushrooms) and, occasionally, some balls – ‘Albondigas’ (meatballs in almond sauce).

I always want bread to go with these – bread to sandwich the chorizo and soak up the spicy, red oil which oozes out, bread to dip into the garlic oil of the prawns, bread to top with the garlic mushrooms and bread to mop up that sweet, nutty yet tangy almond sauce. But stomach space has to be conserved for things to come.

For there are other wonderful things such as ‘Patatas bravas’ (fried potato with garlic mayonnaise and tomato salsa), ‘Vieiras en azafrán’ (scallops with saffron sauce), ‘Mejillones a la marinera‘ (black mussels in fresh tomato sauce) and ‘Pinchos morunos’ (lamb fillet skewers). Seriously, who says no to fried potato? Especially when there are oodles of creamy mayonnaise blanketing their tops and, although the scallops are a little small, the sauce is fragrant without being too rich and would be great over some plain rice. The mussels are plump in the refreshing sauce and the lamb skewers are well-spiced which is welcome by friends who are worried about their ‘lamb-iness’.

For carb-fix you simply cannot go past Encasa’s pizzas. Below are the ‘Meat Lovers’ pizza (ham, cabanossi, pepperoni and bacon), ‘Mar de Asia’ pizza (seafood and sweet chilli sauce) and ‘Campesina’ pizza (artichoke, roasted capsicum, roasted eggplant but we asked for mozzarella to replace the usual goat’s cheese as Ms Sourdough’s not a fan).

And what’s a Spanish meal without paella? Although this ‘Arroz Nero’ was without the requisite crusty bottom, I did enjoy the striking dark colour from the use of squid ink. Not having any particular taste, it is fun to watch people acquire streaks of black across their lips and teeth as we make our way through this. What is better than the rice dish itself, is the aioli which comes alongsige – rich, creamy, garlicky and very addictive.

To wash all this down, we have a jug (or several) of sangria to share. Whilst chatting at the end of the meal I always notice us girls trying to pick out the fruit to nibble on – perhaps it’s to neutralise some of the residual garlic flavours, or perhaps it’s just to add some extra sweetness to the drink’s flavour, but whatever it is there’s no elegant way to do it!

Encasa

423 Pitt St (between Campbell & Goulburn Sts), Sydney NSW

Tel: (02) 9211 4257

Opening Hours:  Mon  5:30pm-late (dinner only)

Tue-Sat  12pm-2:30pm (lunch)

                                     5:30pm-late (dinner)

Sun  CLOSED

happy eating!