Ester

Ester, supposedly an organic compound but there's a bit more to it than that. Taking the Sydney dining scene by storm last year, Mat Lindsay's Ester has already been named Restaurant of the Year by Time Out. The praise is coming in thick and fast and so are the punters. Ester is running white hot - and it doesn't look to be changing anytime soon. It was my third time lucky, trying to get a table and that is absolutely no exaggeration! It. is. getting. ridiculous. Why Sydney, why?

Ester, rather luminous a.k.a. the failings of my point & shoot

To be fair, I'm just going to put it out there and say Ester is good. Very good. I'm always astounded by the quality of restaurants that Sydney is producing, not just now but for the past few years whilst I've had this little blog. Even after travelling a wee bit, I always come back appreciating Sydney's gems (or should I say, gold mine?) just a little bit more. Having booked a month in advance (aye, with a heavy heart), and for a special occasion (naturally) - we were inclined to order the set menu. If you can stomach that much delicious food, you should definitely go the whole hog. It's well worth it if not for the generous portions. A veritable feast awaits.

Golden arches, indeed. Photo credit: Peter Bennetts for Architecture AU

Ester's origins were rather transformative (to say the least), with Anthony Gill Architects doing up the space from its humble origins as a loading dock (er, wow). With references to an old Greek taverna, it holds just enough industrial elements to cry out 'modern'. Ester sits on Meagher Street in Chippers as a beacon of light, bringing joy amongst the hipsters crowding the inner west. Thing's ain't looking half bad either; with neighbours in Brickfields, Freda's and  The Chip off the Old Block. Why not let the good times roll?

Roasted oysters (left) and duck and pistachio terrine (right). I could have oysters anytime anywhere, lightly roasted - they tasted quite different to what I'm used to (but in a good way). A few weren't too game on the terrine, I was just trying to save room for what lay ahead...

The menu certainly leaves on intrigued, to say the least. Reading as a quizzical list of ingredients - it serves as a checklist, rattling of some soon-to-be favourites. Already Ester has a few signature dishes, including their roast cauliflower which is a must-order, okay? Mat Lindsay's pride and joy sits as the centrepiece of the kitchen, a wood fired oven which is used to great effect throughout.  Most plates are designed for sharing and are the perfect accompaniment to some fine glasses of vino. No doubt you'll be craving to try more by the end!

Pippies/cabbage/nori butter. An early favourite, for sure. The tiny amount of meat (for all that shell) was coated with nori adding another element from the sea. A lovely and light dish.

Crispy pig's tails (left) and calamari/peas/green goddess (right). What that final ingredient was I had no idea...but have since done my research - a tangy dressing made with lots of fresh herbs. The calamari was cooked well and gelled together well with the other elements. The pig tails were tasty, for what meat there was (warning: bones)!

Cauliflower/almond/mint. A ha! So this was what all the fuss was about. A whole roasted cauli served with almond sauce, roasted almonds and mint. Quite impressive but also sneaky - was the half head thrown in the fire for the 'wow' factor? Nevertheless the flavours work really well, the slightly charred and textural cauliflower is a nice pairing with almond. Over boiled brassicas be gone!

Fish fillet/onion/saltbush (left) and chicken/garlic bread sauce (right). For the final two savouries you can't fault the cooking of the protein. It's nice to see the use of Australian natives (in saltbush). The garlic perhaps doesn't come through as hoped, but a little smear from a roasted garlic clove fixes everything

LA DOLCE VITA

Salted caramel semi-freddo, dusted with black sesame sugar. Sharing is caring, but perhaps not the case here. Dive in - before it's GONE. Another recipe to poach from Gourmet Traveller

Ester has certainly added a dash of excitement to the dining scene in Sydney, just as Berta, Apollo and Nomad have also done (the list hardly ends there either...). Ester's made a cracking statement, all with their trusty wood fire oven and the team should be immensely proud. The food is the perfect stepping stone short of fine dining; the communal experience that we've grown to adore. What could be better than having a rollicking good time without the fuss? If you feel so inclined to recreate your Ester experience (because let's face it, you've already had a hard time trying to secure a table); catch the recipe for their famed roast cauliflower here on Gourmet Traveller. Make Ester your New Year's resolution.

"Three milks" - cow's milk panna cotta, sheep's milk yoghurt foam and goat's milk dulce de leche 

Thanks for reading!

xGourmand

Ippudo Central Park

A shrill "Irasshaimase!" rings out as you step through the curtained doorway. An instantly recognisable welcome, Ippudo is about to debut its second Sydney restaurant. Ippudo Central Park, along with several other ramen establishments have swooped onto the Sydney dining scene and swaddled us in a blanket of tonkotsu and egg noodles. Oh my! Set to open in early October, their second venue joins in the vertical garden fun at Central Park in Chippendale. Shiny and new, this outlet will likely do as well as their first restaurant; delivering pork buns and ramen soup noodles to exacting standards.

Ippudo's slick panelled interior, with everything just so

Since 1985, what first started as a noodle shop in Fukuoka, Ippudo has expanded greatly now with outlets across Japan and the world. The menu offers a nice selection of noodle soups, predominantly using a tonkotsu soup base (made from slow cooked pork bones). But if Ippudo is known for one thing, it would have to be their pork buns - made from a fluffy sweet dough, each has a slice of pork belly and is a delicious morsel with a dash of Japanese mayonnaise.
Sadly, on this visit the pork buns were unavailable! Something I had been looking forward to as well. What a shame!

How refreshing, a place that is actually lit! Nothing worse than having to divine the menu...

With quick and efficient service, each dish came out as if carefully choreographed from the kitchen. The service on the night was impeccable, something that the Ippudo staff pride themselves on. The choice was easy, each soup noodle has a "Special" option which includes additional pork belly, boiled egg and toppings. Top tip: highly recommended for a man-sized meal! If you're looking for value for money, perhaps Ippudo is not the best choice. A bowl of ramen (albeit a BIG one) can cost you close to $25. The staff will also ask how you would like your noodles cooked - this was something new and a nice touch.

Seared salmon sushi: temari salmon sushi served with mentai mayo sauce and avocado. This dish was a good one and highly recommended. Super fresh salmon wraps sushi rice and a generous dollop of sauce, a burst of flavour with each mouthful

Another glorious close up. Hungry yet?

Miso Tonkotsu Ramen Special: pork broth infused with red miso, topped with pork belly, cabbage, bean sprout, bamboo shoots and corn. This dish is new on the menu, the soup was rich in flavour but on the saltier side. The pork, cooked perhaps slightly over

Shiromaru Special: original tonkotsu broth with thin noodles, flavoured egg, simmered pork belly, roasted seaweed, flavoured black mushrooms, flavoured bamboo shoots and spring onions. This is a classic Hakata dish - a very light broth with subtle pork flavours and toppings galore! The pork belly was nice and tender, and rather fatty!

Ippudo Central Park certainly succeeds in giving us a Japanese ramen restaurant for a quick and easy meal. Perfect for a cold winter's day this is comfort food at its best. Might I add that the little roasted sesame seed grinder is a brilliant addition to the table, making for  delicious seasoning (which I became slightly obsessed by). For all the perks, occasionally the noise emanating from the kitchen and wait staff can become quite clamorous, particularly at the peak of service. Ippudo is set to become a staple amongst Chippendale and Chinatown residents regardless. I suggest you give it a whirl, if at least once. And, hello food baby!

Lights, camera, action! October 2nd is the official opening

Thanks for reading!
xGourmand

Gourmand dined courtesy of Ippudo Central Park (Level 1 RB07, 28 Broadway, Chippendale). Thank you for having me!