ACME

Reviving this shabby corner of Rushcutters Bay, ACME makes a statement below the rooms of Bayswater Boutique Lodge. Credit: Luchetti Krelle

For months and months, ACME has literally been a dangling carrot. I walk past a lot, and every time it seems to be pumping with a crowd that is the envy of Sydney. Opening late last year, Mitch Orr and co. (Andy Emerson, Cam Fairbairn and Ed Loveday) have combined powers and initials to create ACME. Before you start having  pleasant flashbacks to Looney Tunes cartoons (and Roadrunner dropping anvils off precipices), ACME is all about business. The business of having a good time.

Distressed walls and hanging pendant lights are the handiwork of design firm Luchetti Krelle Credit: Luchetti Krelle

Head chef Mitch Orr has been around the traps of Sydney establishing his rep in a number of Italian restaurants including 121BC and Buzo.  Branching out on his own, Orr's menu is a collision of Asian and Italian flavours which may go on to raise a few eyebrows. But why the hell not? Fortune favours the brave. The results on the plate triumphantly raise a flag for CARBS. The menu is very laden with pasta, that's all been made in house (is there any other way?). Coeliacs, you have been warned. This is freestyle cooking with a heady soundtrack of rap (the language might frighten the oldies :P).

Baloney sandwich (left) and pencil leeks, seaweed butter (right). The perfect bar snack, the sliders are chock full of mortadella and a zingy tomato sauce. The bun was so light, you almost forget what you've just consumed. The charry leeks are quite difficult to eat, unless you ram the whole lot in your mouth. The nori butter is umami heaven, I tell you!

The restaurant itself is a very polished outfit of distressed concrete walls and dark timber floors. The interiors are the work of  Luchetti Krelle who are also behind the design of Momofuku Seiobo and The Butler. The rather compact space maximises dining potential, and even has a more private banquet table downstairs for all your "occasion" needs. And can I just make a comment on those awesome indigo/denim napkins? They pretty much rock my world and wouldn't be out of place worn as bandanas (no kidding). On a slightly more serious note, the service was great and pretty seamless. I did notice there is a 10% surcharge for groups over 6, which seems a bit counter intuitive let alone steep. Despite this, it's all pretty irresistibly cool at ACME; and would sit perfectly in the skinny jeans pocket of your bearded hipster man-friend. Now to the eats...

Fried parsnip, jalapeño cream. Definitely an early highlight, you can fry just about anything and put smiles on faces. These parsnips crusted and golden whilst still being tender inside, all you need is the tiniest dab of jalepeño cream (only mildly spicy) and you're cooking

Fusilli, broccoli, salsa verde. This dish was a little ho hum but will please the veggos. Freshly made fusilli with a green sauce and a sprinkle of quinoa for texture. Can I just emphasize that THIS is how you cook pasta. All nicely al dente, you want to keep it bitey!

Linguine, black garlic, burnt chilli (left) and spaghetti, calamari, Korean bolognaise (right). That black garlic sauce has a nice hum of salt and chilli and is pretty pared back, no nonsense cooking. The Korean style creamy spaghetti was very light on calamari which was a shame, because it was actually very tasty. The chilli in the sauce was a win

Macaroni, pigs head, egg yolk. Probably one of the most memorable savoury dishes I've had in a while. Once given a stir through, the egg yolk makes you go weak at the knees. Rich, glossy and entirely delicious. My bits of pork were a tad on the chewy side, almost like floss

Grilled radicchio, farro, capers (left) and shaved Brussel sprouts, walnuts (right). The sides have plenty of credibility and lots of flavour. The bitter radicchio leaves were offset with the crunch from the grains. Shaved baby sprouts - probably the most under appreciated vegetable of all time. And so good, when paired with walnuts like this

Truffle ice cream, candy apples. Probably the most decadent (and expensive) dessert, the candied apples were the perfect accompaniment. The truffle garnish is definitely for wow factor, with the flavour only barely coming through (Nooooo)

The portions may tend to be on the smaller size but that's made up for in the variety of dishes and original ideas. Creativity is abuzz and that really shines through in the food. Perfectly cooked pasta is sexed up with notes of chilli and umami. For every adventurous diner keen on pairings of drinks and food to share, ACME is your place. It's all a pretty sleek operation and you'll be pleased to know that they take reservations so you can make a night of it (or perhaps a Saturday lunch). Orr and his team have pulled off a restaurant with plenty of staying power. Cheers.

Malteser ice cream, candied bacon (left) and coconut rice cream, white chocolate (right). They certainly weren't skimping with these sizeable desserts. The maltese ice cream was a winner from the get go, but the bacon crumb needed to be more crispy - or otherwise a candied rasher would do just fine. The rice cream was raved about around the table, enough said.

Thanks for reading!
xGourmand

Sagra

Sagra evokes a celebration of Italian cuisine. Taking its name from the numerous local festivals occurring around regional Italy, this is a neighbourhood diner with a difference. Channelling the very best of Nonna's cooking, Sagra creates seasonal dishes with a menu that changes weekly. Chef owner Nigel Ward takes great pride in process, baking fresh bread in-house and doing their own whole-animal butchery (you might've seen those photos of him with a lamb slung rather awkwardly over his shoulders on the interwebs). As is often the case for me, this was just one of those small scale restaurants I've been busting to try.

Source: Luisa Brimble for Broadsheet Sydney

The vibe is pared back, minimalist and decidedly casual - it beckons you in for a light lunch or candlelit dinner. Sagra sits unassumingly in a corner block on Stanley Street, also home to iconic Bill & Toni's and Bar Reggio close-by. Sometimes when you can't be bothered to cook, you secretly want the comforts of a home-style dish, and Sagra fits the bill perfectly. It's a little Italian oasis for those who don't make it as far to Leichhardt, or Rome for that matter! It was probably a good sign we were sitting next to a couple of Italians animatedly chatting away!

Light and airy, this is the place to be for a sunny Sydney lunch, no? Source: Luisa Brimble for Broadsheet Sydney

The menu makes a whole lot of sense, making it's way up from antipasti, primi to secondi (and lets not forget dolce!). Mix and match as you please, they've also got daily specials. And on the first Wednesday of the month, they run regional 4-course dinners for the bargain basement price of $50 (rad). Italian staff run the floor, some with such thick accents that there was almost a language barrier at times (my bad). My only issue was the limited choices of wine by the glass. I would love more than 2 choices! Note that portion sizes are on the small side, so be prepared to add-on (liberally). 

Violetta artichokes, capers, parmesan & radish. This was a lovely palate cleansing salad with the perfect amount of tartness and crunch (and also I'm a huge fangirl of artichokes so it's an instant winner)

Fried mussels with aïoli. A daily special; something a bit unusual, a bit different (in the words of Kath & Kim). Let's face it, most things that are deep fried taste good and these mussels were no exception

Pumpkin & goats curd ravioli, pinenuts & sage butter. A classic of the classic pasta dishes, this is a combination that has stood the test of time. The pumpkin filling was ridiculously creamy with super delicate pasta

Rabbit agnolotti with sage butter. On the meagre side but packing a punch, I couldn't get over how good the pasta itself was...like silk! A rabbit ragu is the perfect pasta filling for the cooler months. A small but satisfying portion, the boys definitely need another dish to back this up!

Passionfruit meringue, a simple dessert with a good balance of sweet and tart thanks to the passionfruit

Lemon Tart, caramelised on top for sure this was a decent version although I found the custard filling a little on the thick side. I keep having flashbacks to Heston Blumenthal's lemon tart (which is rather unfortunate, for those guys)

On the food front, I think Sagra certainly delivers and with reasonable prices to boot. As diners I think what we look for is food that is tasty, and enhanced by the use of seasonal produce treated with respect. In this current bipolar hospitality industry, I do hope Sagra has the staying power because it's a little gem. 

Thanks for reading!
xGourmand

The Governor's Table

As if straight from the pages of a glossy interiors magazine, The Governor's Table is a haven for design buffs. Come with a keen eye or better still, an empty stomach and you'll be rewarded handsomely. TGT is the revamped diner of the Museum of Sydney, oft overlooked since the flashy refurbishment of the Museum of Contemporary Art smack bang on Sydney Harbour. The smaller venue and  more intimate dining space are just a few of its many charms.

One of the dishes of the night, a rather smashing mushroom gnocchi with pesto

Taking cues from the sandstone original, design mob Inochi DesignLife have transformed the space into a fully functional bar and restaurant that stays open all day. With splashes of Scandinavian influence in the mismatched timber chairs, the space speaks to its roots with liberal use stone and wood. A sixteen seat French oak dining table is the restaurant's centrepiece adorned with native Australian blooms. It fits like a glove, to say the least.

The happy juxtaposition of old and new makes for a pretty gorgeous dining room and bar Source: The Governor's Table

Behind the stoves the talent isn't really lacking either, Tim Ryan (ex-Aria and Chiswick) has honed a menu that is rather on point. With plates that are easy to share, Ryan's modern interpretation of classic flavours add another element of interest. The menu is wide ranging from ricotta hotcakes (for a cheeky breakfast) to formal banquet style dining (for groups over 10), you barely need an excuse to come here. On top of that, the drinks list is not too shabby, with aptly named cocktails like 'Waratah' and 'The Governor's Rum' and draught beers from Sydney Brewery on tap. 

To kick the night off: duck liver parfait, beetroot pickle (left) and grilled king prawns, salsa verde and aioli (right). The parfait was slightly on the more grainy side which is a great shame because the beets were gorgeously prepared. The grilled prawns run the race of the entrées, being perfectly grilled and charry (so moorish).  Aïoli features in almost every bar snack and entrée here, and with good reason - it's pretty damn well amazing

Wild mushroom, taleggio & truffle arancini, pecorino. These arancini were some of the best I've eaten of late, losing all the glugginess that dominates other versions. You can't taste the truffle but it hardly matters

Another star of the show: snow crab, roast tomatoes, saffron rouille, semolina noodles. A preview photograph off the website was all it took and I was convinced. A winning combination from the start, the fine threads of crab were mixed well with the noodles and a very light dressing to let the ingredients do all the work. Simple, really!

Braised beef short rib, parsnip purée, gentlemen's relish. A bit of mystery surrounds what exactly 'gentlemen's relish' is - a few drinks later and it might be a euphemism. The beef itself was a bit unevenly cooked being chewy in some parts but then medium-rare in others. The parsnip chips on the other hand practically flew off the plate

Mamma mia, that gnocchi was good. Potato gnocchi, slippery jacks, rocket sauce, pecorino. Cooked in water, then finished off in a pan with butter (well, one could only presume). Slightly crispy but soft inside, it makes for a pretty fine dish. The rocket pesto and mushies were just an added bonus

Ice cream & dulce de leche sandwich. A little morsel of sweetness to round off the meal. As you can well imagine, it was rather sweet on sweet (but we asked for it). It's no Reuben Hills' 'Doggs breakfast' but you know, a decent effort

The Governor's Table dishes out in spades is what the CBD has been crying out for; a stylish café/restaurant for the hungry masses. This is modern Australian food done really well, without the hugely inflated price tag that you'll find about two blocks over (read: Circular Quay or Bridge Lane). Already boasting indoor/outdoor dining, TGT is on the verge of opening up its second stage with many more tables. I actually quite like the cosy version 1.0 but what can you do. These are exciting times for the MoS. With these sorts of quality venues sprouting up (The Mint's Bistro is yet another), the future's looking bright for us Sydneysiders. 

Okay, so it's no Vogue Living spread but I'm paying homage nonetheless. Get a bunch of friends or family together and you could have yourselves a cracking dinner party, and no washing up to boot! Win-win.

Thanks for reading!
xGourmand

Buffalo Dining Club

Michael Fantuz is onto something. He has encapsulated the secret to a rollicking good time. Owner of Table for 20 and now Chester White in Potts Point - his empire is quietly expanding into tiny nooks in the East. Buffalo Dining Club lives in this wee terrace on Surrey St, Darlo where cheese and wine are Italian styley BFFs. Recently named People's Choice in the Time Out Sydney Food Awards, the hoards that surround this place of a weekend don't lie.

Trading since 2011 and going strong if the wait list is any indication. Logo design by Tony Zafirakos Credit: Desktop Mag

But be prepared, the Buffalo is of the no-bookings tribe so you'll be slapped on a wait list as long as the night. We made a detour to Li'l Darlin across the road for an apéritif (or several), camping out for the wait. The wait comes as no surprise actually when you step inside to be met with waves of noise, vino and cheese wafting out at you. Did I mention noise? It is tiny! Shepherded upstairs to our table, it took some serious contorting to read the black board menu. The wine list is a single A5 page, and not too shabby/exxy. The Malbec was my personal favourite. 

My round-up of the food stakes:

It's in the name: buffalo mozzarella, Jamón Ibérico (peeking in the distance), potato croquettes, grilled broccolini, toasties and taralli bread. The Jamon and buffalo were obvious stand outs, obviously. A perfect way to start an Italian fiesta

Them cured meats, closerrr Credit: Best Restaurants Blog

Lamb ragù orecchiette: this pasta had a nice tender ragù, the orecchiette was slightly overcooked however. A hearty serve to complement that splendid glass of red

If there ever was a signature dish, the cacao e pepe would be IT. Served with theatrical flourish out of a whole wheel of buffalo milk pecorino, this simple pasta dish consists of 5 things: spaghetti, pepper, cheese, parsley & olio = dynamite, apparently! I was quite amazed this was such a hot ticket, lots of people could give this a good crack at home

Enter tirumisu entry #456 (no, seriously). Freshly made in-house, this dessert was light & delicate with a good kick of coffee. I think the appropriate word here would be 'demolished'

The Darlinghurst masses have been flocking to this place for years now (well, 2). A full house (given it seats 25-ish) every night can't be a bad thing. The man himself (Durack) has given it a solid 13/20 in the Herald. Buffalo has set out for a singular purpose: the anti-establishment (fine dining, that is). Conceivably not one of Sydney's culinary finest, come to BDR for wine, nibblies and assured good times. That is all ;)

Word as art: the typography wall by Georgia Hill Source: Behance

Thanks for reading!
xGourmand

Biota

I must say, I have been rather diligent these last couple days. I can foresee the storm of posts coming after my trip to Spain so I'm mentally preparing myself by clearing the decks, so to speak. Biota Dining is situated in Bowral, nestled in the Southern Highlands of NSW. En route back to Sydney we made a little detour which definitely paid dividends. 

Bienvenue! You know you're in the country when you actually have space for a sign out the front.

Opening in the third quarter of last year, executive chef and co-owner James Viles and the team have already been awarded two chef's hats (16/20) as well as the Good Living Sustainability Award by the SMH Good Food Guide 2013. It was also ranked within the Top 100 restaurants by the Australian Gourmet Traveller for 2013 (at #100 mind you, but I'll pay that). 

Lightbulb moment - totally don't know why I haven't been here earlier. If you like the relaxed country vibe you should definitely make a visit. The Welcome Party (right): upon arrival you are greeted by the Biota Kitchen Garden (to which we don't have access to, shame!), two extremely well fed geese and a flock of ducks.

The thing that struck me right away was how spacious the grounds were. Apart from the main dining room there was also a private dining room, a more casual lounge bar as well as a terrace overlooking the 'pond' and garden. I was actually inclined to roam around before our meals were served so I did take the liberty...

Finally, a restaurant with some decent lighting i.e. sensible! If there's one word to describe this design it would be organic. That or "flowy". The kitchen was in plain view and at any one time there were always 2+ chefs plating alone. It was tweezer heaven over there (more on that later). On the right side of the pass sit three massive blocks of pink salt - quite the showpiece!

The menu works like this, there is no à la carte as such - the minimum you can order is 3 courses. The plates are between entrée and main size and you pick which dishes you like from an impressive list of 12 dishes. Oh, decisions! There was a pretty clear delineation between what was considered an entrée or main (+/- slab of protein) but there aren't any rules! You can go for 3 savoury or 2 savoury + one sweet. There were also the options of having a 5 or 7 course degustation but these were both 'set' already. I'm sure the portions would be greatly reduced as well (not a bad thing when you're still facing 5 to go). 

'Amuse' me. An amuse bouche of pecorino marshmallows.  Certainly something different, and awesome. The texture was gorgeous, beautifully light and fluffy and the cheesiness was not too overpowering. This was also served with some crusty whole meal rolls and some freshly churned butter.

Local sheep milk curd, new season asparagus, hen yolk and smoked rye. I am SO glad I ordered this little baby, I had been tossing up whether to order another seafood dish (I'm such a fiend). Well thank GOD! Once you delight in bursting the egg yolk, you are met with a translucently thin sheet of pasta cloaking the white asparagus stalks & creamy sheep's milk curd (with just the amount of resistance, in texture).I just cannot fault the execution here, it was done so, so well. Love the cute little bandaid-shaped slither of ham. Hands down favourite dish of the day. 

Charred hanger, licorice root caramel, garden beets and horseradish. A beautiful looking dish, we were wondering what the vegetables on the left were, unusual looking things but they were definitely beets! The beef, which had been cooked for so long was meltingly tender. You needed only a fork to see that.

Something that was almost immediately obvious to me was how the kitchen would call wait staff for service. A chef would 'clap' twice for them, and then minutes later a waiter would come scurrying to the kitchen. There is something inherently wrong in this. Not only is it plain out rude (we do live in the 21st C people, not in the dark ages) but it was extremely off-putting for me and I'd assume other diners. What ever happened to ringing a good ol' bell?! They have a point of difference here that does not do them any favours.

White corn dumplings, mushrooms, truffle, puffed grains and spring onions (left) and Burrawong duck, cauliflower, white raisins and pear & pine needles (right). Apologies for the miniaturized photos, I thought I could save some space here! The dumpling were completely moorish, served in a lovely, clean broth. The dumplings were filled with a lovely puree of corn that brought out all its natural sweetness. Divine. Now under all those pine needles, I mean talk about intricate work (!) was the duck breast. There were some inconsistencies here (3 ducks came to our table of 4!), where the fat was not completely rendered and hence, not crispy enough. 

Brooke trout, summer squash, samphire, truffle sand and mussels. My baby, another astonishment in the plating department. It would probably take as much time to plate as to prepare some of the dishes, I mean DANG. My fillet of trout was the bed for a couple of mussels, discs of zucchini, roe and old mate, samphire (which incidentally I saw at the grocer for the first time last week!).  The trout was cooked beautifully, as you'd come to expect now! I didn't pick up my knife, until I was trying to get every skerrick of fish onto my fork! I will say though that with all the accoutrements of the dish it did get rather salty. What with the truffle sand (salty), roe (salty) and samphire (sea salty) it got all a bit too much by the end. I'm loathe to leave anything on the plate but truffle salt was my sacrifice. More truffle in there might have done the trick ;)

And most importantly, DOLCE.

Cherries & their juice, almond milk tofu, white grape & eucalyptus sorbet. I must say the wobbly cylinder of almond infused tofu looked great. Pity I couldn't steal any haha

Sweetened root vegetables, chocolate, artichoke ice cream, warm carrot sponge. My dessert, you know me - fan of 'savoury' desserts that I am. The stand out on this plate was THE artichoke ice cream, for sure. The aerated white chocolate provided the perfect sweet note to balance out the dish. The block of carrot at the bottom of the dish was a bit clunky, it was a massive chunk that was steamed (?) but I found it very bland and wrong for the dish. Maybe a ribbon or two would suffice.

So there you go, my impressions on Biota Dining. The moderately new kid on the block, making waves in regional NSW. A few flaws in the running of the restaurant (clapping?!) are almost completely offset by spectacular food at its core. The dishes were bold, experimental and looked like fine art. Pat Nourse of Australian Gourmet Traveller writes, "leaves just about every other country New South Wales contender for dead". They are definitely on to something.

Thanks for reading and merry christmas folks! xo

The Artisan

Well, here we are. Already in the festive season with Xmas, my birthday and a trip to Spain (hellO) not far away now! For your reading pleasure I have decided to pen slash write a few posts bringing the nation's capital to you. Known for its wiiide tree-lined avenues, the never ending round-a-bouts and algae-riddled Lake Burley Griffin, this. is. Canberra.

Before anyone jumps to conclusions about Canberra itself (oh wait, you already have), how it's a haven (or hole) for pubes, pollies, uni students etc etc. I'd like it to be able to stake its claim on the dining scene. So here's my test drive of a little suburban restaurant doing its thing at the Narrabundah shops. The Artisan first hit my radar when The Australian published its 50 Hottest Restaurants in Australia article back in July. This restaurant was the only to be listed from the ACT. Represent. Not long after, I was assigned a uni placement very close by and so almost everyday for a fortnight i would walk past the place and catch glimpses of the menu on display. Spanner crab and saffron tortellini? Hells YES.

Their baby. Chef Sam McGeechan and David Black opened The Artisan 2 years ago and have become a local favourite. Photo credit: The Australian

In usual Gourmand fashion, I have finally arrived at the intended destination a mere 5 months later. We were lucky to get a last minute booking just after a cancellation had been made - just our luck! The dining room is an elegant, though pared back affair. No table cloths, just simple dark timber tables with your beautiful Riedel glassware. My dining party and I were shown to a table (with window seat, hurrah) by co-owner David Black. Without hesitation, I promptly ordered a Gypsy Pear Cider (deciding to forgo the treacherous territory of the wine list). For more on my wine list failings click here.

Let's cut to the chase now and in quick succession, here were the night's culinary proceedings:

PRIMI

Shredded braised beef cheek in roasted red pepper consomme with coriander salsa ($19). This dish was served in two parts, the consomme poured over the pile of beef cheek to literally rehydrate it. Without the consomme the beef would have been very dry. I think the texture would have been nicer if the cheek was kept in its entirety and cooked till max tenderness, lol. I want to shred it with my fork! The broth had an acidic tang that I presume was from the capsicum.

Pan seared scallops with corn puree, crisp speck and spiced popcorn. This was a cute little entrée. The elements marry very well together, the only downfall was that the scallops were slightly over (I so wanted them to do it right!), especially little mate on the far left :( The crispy speck and popcorn added a nice textural element.

SECONDI

Pure Black eye fillet with potato soufflé, Terra Preta truffle butter and port jus ($35). The only comment I'll make was that the potato soufflé had a strong hint of cheese (cheddar maybe?) there that may not be to everyone's taste. Apologies for the blur, my macro setting was doing odd things.

The Cassoulet: slow braised pork cheek, toulouse sausage and white bean with pork loin and kale ($33). I can imagine how comforting a dish like this would be on a frosty winter's evening. In Summer? Maybe not so much but it was a good dish none-the-less. The cassoulet stew (to be poured onto the pork) itself looked delish!

What else but the Artisan crafted spanner crab and saffron tortellini, lobster and chive beurre blanc ($29). I had my eye on the prize as soon as we decided to come the restaurant, obviously. The tortellini look a treat but I must say the pasta was a little bit too thick! Especially in the parts where it is folded and doubled up - such a shame! The flavours were there though and the beurre blanc was happily mopped up. I would have liked the crab to be a little bit chunkier - after the Sixpenny precedent was set for crab (MY GOD).

DOLCE

This takes me back! Artisan's take on the Wagon Wheel: layers of biscuit, marshmallow, raspberry jam and peanut praline with dark chocolate ganache ($14). Again, the ganache was poured onto the wagon wheel to great effect. Drool worthy! And thank goodness for the fresh raspberries on top!

Crème brulée: vanilla bean custard with burnt sugar, brioche toast and mango lassi ($14). This dessert was given the thumbs up in The Australian article and I won't rain on The Artisan's parade here. It is a decent crème brulée with lashings of vanilla beans through it (be sure to mix it up before you dig into the custard). The sugar crust was slightly thick and I may have caused some damage in crunching through that but hey, who gives. The lassi was a very pleasant surprise, the spices such as cardamom + pistachio were something different to cut through that sweeet toffee layer. The brioche was so rendered superfluous but eaten anyway (duh).

All in all I was a moderately happy customer after dining at The Artisan. I was very pleased with the front of house staff, the waiters were friendly and attentive. None of this Sydney down-the-nose tomfoolery. There were a few little things there that made them fall just short of the mark for me to be dolling out the praise they deserve. They are, however certainly making their mark on the Canberra dining scene. Goodness knows we need more places like this over there!

Thanks for reading! xo

P.S. Stay tuned when I review my favourite cafe in Canberra! It is a terribly kept secret but, meh!