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

Edible gifts: Almond Biscotti

This is possibly the easiest recipe I know and if you're stuck for gift ideas this year (um, who isn't?!) then this is your ticket! For these almond biscotti there are only 5 ingredients involved, so you can't go wrong. Stunning with a cup of coffee for arvo tea these biscotti have been a favourite with my family for years. I have always taken issue for paying big bucks for things you can easily make at home and this is one such example. One batch can easily be divided as gifts for 3-4 people :)

The 'problem' is that once you start, you can't stop! I'm sounding like a pringles advert aren't I...

Ingredientsss

3/4 cup raw caster sugar

2 eggs

2 cups plain flour

1 cup of almonds (I have used toasted almonds here, but feel free to use whichever - I have also had biscotti dreams of a pistachio version...gah!)

1/2 tspn baking powder (use just under this quantity)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 170 degrees C

2. Whisk together eggs and sugar

3. Sift flour and baking powder and add to egg/sugar mixture

4. Add in almonds and stir to combine

5. Divide mixture into two and form 2 logs (you may need a floured bench for this part)

6. Bake logs for 25 minutes or until golden brown and springy

7. Cool for 1 hour until hardened. Preheat oven to 140 degrees close to the end of cooling time. Then cut into thin slices (use a serrated knife!)

8. Lie biscotti on tray and cook for 6 minutes on each side at 140 degrees C

And you're done!

Hope you find this recipe as handy as I have. Enjoy it and thanks for reading! xo

Aren't they adorable ;)

Snapshot: Canberra cafés

So as promised, here is the post on my favourite cafés in Canberra. I feel a bit like a broken record whenever I report it's slim pickings here but in the past couple of years a few saving graces have come up. Three to be precise!

Lonsdale Steet Roasters

7 Lonsdale Street, Braddon

Good ol' Lonsdale St Roasters. This is my old trusty in Canberra and I have eaten/coffee-d here on numerous occasions. A little slice of Melbourne has reached Lonsdale St, the quirky interior decor with bikes hanging off the walls, magnetic letter menu and mismatched canvas cushions make it a good place to while away the hours. I love to flick through the Canberra times (flicking is all that is required) at the big table by the window, coffee in hand. Not much can beat that!

Not enough: LSR needs two coffee machines to keep Canberrans content and caffeine fuelled. Me included.

LSR has turned into a hipster hang out, with Canberra's highest concentration of mustaches and tattoo sleeves under one roof. It's disorientating, everybody looks the same! A word of warning, going early in the morning when you are likely to run into hoards of hardcore cyclists or hitting the lunch hour peak (pram gridlock) you are at peril of not getting a table. Heaven forbid you have to WAIT.

Panini: the holy grail of LSR. All my ramblings about the suckling pig roll @ Wilbur's Place got me thinking I should at least show you what the competition was. Presenting...

At your discretion: Cuban slow roasted pork chipotle and coriander panini ($12). Oh yes, I order this panini every time I can. Yes, once you slather on the chipotle and add the jalapenos you feel like your head might explode but i love it anyway. Bring an antacid.

Notes on coffee: it's nice to find a venue that sources and roasts their own beans. LSR pride themselves on offering a different single origin coffee or blend everyday, just to mix it up. It is this precise practice that makes the coffee a bit hit and miss. Some coffees are just better than others here. At times you are hit with such a bitter taste in the mouth that I need to add sugar to my cap. A cardinal sin, if ever there was one. Having tried their beans at home, I reckon the coffee blends actually have better depth. I know there's all this hype about Single Origin beans coming from the same farm etc but that's just my personal preference.

Writing's on the wall - there's something not quite right about the grammar here, do you actually 'commit' nuisance? Anywho...

Harvest

40 Marcus Clarke St, Canberra

What a relief, uni students rejoice! What constitutes a quick coffee between classes need not be a s*** one. Harvest is a dinky place that does good coffee. The Canberran suits are testament to this, lining up from 7am onwards to get their fix (triple shot skinny flat white?) to get them through the a.m. Food is the usual pastry cabinet affair so don't expect a proper lunch from here (i.e. go to LSR).

For show: the counter at Harvest. I haven't actually seen the siphons been used before. All this talk about siphon coffee being milder/weaker put me off for good! Photo credit: Harvest Coffee

Decor is simple and distinctly Melbournian (again), I think they've been doing rather well and are now trading on Saturdays - good on them! They have recently extended their outdoor seating arrangements so you can enjoy the sunshine and sit on Chewbacca and other assorted wildlife, lovingly painted onto their stools.

Awesome: Chewie stool at Harvest, artwork by Tom Farrell. Photo credit: Harvest Coffee 

Silo Bakery

36 Giles St, Kingston

Not many eateries in Canberra can boast a cheese room but Silo is one exception. This little gem in Kingston faces even worse congestion problems than LSR, particularly on weekends. Go early in the morning or late in the afternoon, buy take away if you can! Desperate times.

Bragging rights: the climate controlled cheese display. Photo credit: Coffee and Chairs

There are a couple of things worth trying out here including the Chicken Caesar Roll - that's if you can even get your paws on one. Everything sells like hot cakes at this place, but they also have an à la carte menu if you can spare the minutes. The sourdough loaves are also not to be sniffed at, but best eaten fresh - obviously. All this queuing, everywhere in Canberra says something doesn't it? Canberrans are crying out for a half decent latte and chocolate croissant. Any budding cafe owners/barista types should hop on that bandwagon and set up shop - no kidding. 

Silo's Lychee and Peach tart. A nice little sweet, easily shared by 2. Thin pastry and smooth vanilla custard make it quite a treat.

So there we are! The Canberra café wrap-up - hope you can put it to good use on your travels.

Thanks for reading!
Love, Gourmand.

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!

Wilburrrr

Ahoy hoy!
Just a quickie from me today ;)
Apologies for my absence (did ya miss me?), I have been off galavanting in the Pacific (more on that later). Earlier this week I finally had a chance to check out a cafe that is literally in my hood (5 minute walk anyone?). That would be La Casa de Wilbur a.k.a Wilbur's Place, in Potts Point.

Sydney, becoming more 'Melbournified' by the second has seen a flurry of cafes and bars opening in impossible to find laneways. Laneways? In Sydney? Never!! WP is about the size of 3 holes in the wall. With some bar seating inside and 3 communal tables outside, I am positive that there'd be standing room only on Saturday or Sunday mornings. Lucky it was a Thursday ;) Named after the Piggy in Charlotte's Web, Wilbur's was opened by the crew behind Bourke Street Bakery. Looks like they've struck again!

Great things come in small packages. Perched upon a stool inside, you are at a perfect vantage point to watch the comings and goings of Potts Point. Loove it! Source: Wilbur's Place

But wait, it gets better! Not only do they do an all-day brekkie on Saturdays, they also open for dinner AND have a liquor license (boom)! Another patron was heard saying (not that quietly) that they had polished off seven bottles of wine there one night. Err...kudos? So the cafe-cum-bar diner is born!

Now what would a cafe visit be without a coffee? Pointless.

A soy latte was on the cards I think. The coffee was great, ticking all the right boxes. How cool is the polaroid effect? I've discovered this awesome app. If you hadn't guessed by now, I'm pretty old school (note school, not skool)!

Salad of the day: chicken with green grapes, frisée lettuce and fregola. Ain't it pretty? I haven't actually tried fregola before *gasp* but I'd love to some day. Maybe next time?

Oh em GEEE@! Sheer genius: the suckling pig roll, mustard pickles, dill mayo & pickles. Me and it are a match made in heaven... I've had a few pork sandwiches in my time, the pulled pork roll by The Table Sessions @ Pyrmont markets, the Cuban slow roasted pork panini @ Lonsdale Street Roasters (frontrunner in the Canberra cafe 'stakes') and this one. They all run a tight race but I think this snatches it by a whisker. It was really, truly delicioso! The crackling on the top + the pickles seal. the. deal.

It wouldn't be me if I didn't include a dessert to end a post. I am determined to set things right so here we are! It would've been rude not to order the famed ice cream sandwich that I had heard so many (good) things about.

Talk about packing a wallop! This was quite a big ask to put this one away at lunch time (yes, even for me). Presenting: toasted brioche ice cream sandwich with caramel. Carefully divided, we picked at this with spoons to reveal a lovely chunky cookies and cream ice. The brioche was sliced thin enough to be able to enjoy the filling more. The sweet caramel gave it a terrific sheen (and extra sweetness, as if we needed it)! I was rather glad to be sharing this one.

Well! What can I say other than I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Wilbur a little better, what with his old school taste in music e.g. Louis Armstrong and wide open windows (all the better for us to people watch through)! Cheap and cheerful triumphs in the Inner East.

Thanks for reading! xo