Blink and you'll miss it. Chef Pasi Petänen has pulled a rabbit out of a hat with his first solo venture in Darlinghurst, Cafe Paci (ex-Cafe Pacifico with the 'fico' now scrubbed). It is a triumph on all accounts. The restaurant stakes in Sydney have just been edged up a notch, much to the delight of diners. Whether you're a glass half full or empty kind of person, this restaurant is only around for a year. Opening in August last year, Cafe Paci will be closing its doors so I'd advise you get your skates on.
 |
| Cue the fanfare! Surely a contender as one of Sydney's best desserts, Petänen's yoghurt, carrot and liquorice Credit: Time Out Sydney |
Petänen has kept a rather low profile, working as head chef of Marque for 8 years before searching for a site to call his own. The restaurant is a Spartan grey which has been applied liberally by George Livissianis (also designing for Apollo), right down to the tables and chairs. It's as if a paint bomb has gone off and the day's work was declared done. The sparse lighting also had the effect of the room getting darker and greyer as the evening progressed. Quite peculiar! Being such a huge garage space, the restaurant has a slightly underground feel which matches the experimental food nicely.
 |
| Going for the stark grey on grey look @ Cafe Paci (Pah-si) Credit: Urban Walkabout |
The menu gives practically nothing away, purely listing ingredients but behind the scenes is a different story. The technique, time (read: hours) and effort that has gone into each of the dishes is immense! You can almost imagine Petänen 'tinkering' as he experimented with new flavours and ingredients. The restaurant's kitchen sits shrouded behind a heavy grey curtain as if from a stage show (behind is where the magic happens). It really felt like the Wizard of Oz. The menu is set, like a degustation but for the bargain basement price of $85 (oh yes, you read right). We are left intrigued none the less as to what lay ahead.
Part 1. Snacks
The idea is something quite similar to Sixpenny, a restaurant dear to my foodie heart. These offer the perfect opportunity to improvise and try new things with a hungry audience.
 |
| A tribute to Cafe Pacifico, rye taco with sticky rice, egg butter, sour onions and chives (left). And (from left to right) rye crostini with dehydrated duck, rose and butter. Sweet corn with butter and shichimi togarashi (Japanese 7 spice). Cripy salt and vinegar barramundi skin. Butter seems to be feature prominently here! |
 |
| Normally I wouldn't bother to show your bread, because hey - how interesting could it be? But boy, this mini loaf was incredible. A mix of rye and potato, then coated with sticky molasses for an extra sheen. This bread was a mini highlight from the start. The freshly churned butter doesn't hurt either |
Part 2. Entrée & Main
 |
| Blue swimmer crab, sorrel, plum. A collective "Wow" was breathed when this arrived at the table. Such a beautiful dish showcasing seasonal produce in all its simplicity. The crab mixed with sorrel and mayonnaise was lovely and creamy but I think the fruit topped it off. Such an inventive combination. And that red plum! Probably the best I've ever eaten |
 |
| Veal tartare, smoked bone marrow, broccoli, anchovies, onion. A splatter of shaven broccoli to garnish the tartare of the finest veal. It was a winner |
 |
| B.L.B (Bacon, lettuce, bonito). A take it or leave it course (well, compared to the rest anyway) this was a re-worked Caesar salad. The baby cos (vegetable) component was a welcome relief, only to be laced with smoky bacon |
 |
| Photato: a new version of the Vietnamese classic. I was expecting a broth to be poured over the top but no. To be frank, the dish barely needed soup because everything works so well. The lightly seared Blackmore wagyu steak was incredibly tender and the fresh Tasmanian wasabi a nice accompaniment. Enoki mushrooms intermingle with potato noodles (resembling rice vermicelli only in looks), garnished with fried garlic chips, watercress and grilled Meyer lemon. A meal in itself! |
Part 3. Dolce & Petits Fours
 |
| An unassuming dish at first glance, Petänen's carrot, yoghurt, liquorice dessert. Oh my word, this was AMAAAZING. A delicate cloud of yoghurty who-knows-what (perhaps mousse is the best word) hiding a very delicious secret. Inside is a carrot sorbet topping a thin layer of liquorice cake. The carrot is rather nondescript in flavour but the aniseed really comes through, and rather pleasant at that (understatement of the year). A clever play on the humble poached egg |
 |
| Malt, banana, parsley. It was an impossible task to out-do the first dessert course but this was a stirling effort. A dessert inspired by a Marque original, a rich dark chocolate mousse coated in chewy malt (an inside out malteser), banana purée and parsley sorbet. The candied parsley leaf was a nice touch |
 |
| Corn & butter (left) and pork & fennel (right). Fairy floss dusted in popcorn anyone? Finally, pork crackling covered in chocolate, salt and fennel seeds. What a Finnish (pun intended)! |
Compliments must go to the chef. If this doesn't win you accolades, I don't know what will. Cafe Paci offers some of the most innovative food in town and it is all bloomin' delicious. Pasi Petänen is amongst Sydney's 'New Guard', mentioned in the Fin Review. Terry Durack gave it a sensational 16/20, a real breakthrough! Probably one of the best things about this restaurant is its creative freedom. Based strongly on technique, Petänen has developed a very interesting and conceptual menu that mixes Finnish, Vietnamese and Mexican influences (go figure). The details in every dish are both intricate and exquisite, a real joy. May I suggest you try it before it's gone for good!
Thanks for reading!
xGourmand
For one night only, our Victorian neighbours crashed one of Sydney's best restaurants. That would be Mark Best's Marque in Surry Hills, an establishment I have been dying to try (this seemed like a good enough excuse). It's Good Food Month you see, a veritable collision of talent from across the world and the food that Aussie's can be proud of. Best has forged a splendid career in what started as a little restaurant on Crown Street and branched out to open Pei Modern in Melbourne. Under the supervision of Head Chef Matt Germanchis, P.M. has been very well received, being awarded the Best New Restaurant in the Age Food Guide 2013 and a hat to boot.
 |
| Out front: Pei Modern in Collins Place, Melbs Source: Daily Addict |
I'd seen pictures of the restaurant interior but hadn't actually stepped inside. If you didn't know where it was, you could easily stroll right past those curtained glass walls. Funnily enough the front door was locked, making entry slightly awkward. A simple table clothed dining room with egg shaped lamps adorning each table, we started the night with house purified sparkling water (and a glass of orange wine for myself). Next came that pillowy soft bread tucked in a cotton basket. If I hadn't been there for an 8 course degustation a.k.a. gastronomic blowout I wouldn't of held back - but lucky I did.
 |
| Salumi & chicken liver parfait. Popped onto out table like a picnic lunch, that bloody parfait was PARFAIT. I mean, the texture was so rich and creamy, it definitely got the palate going. The prosciutto dissolved in the mouth. I would have to say the the salami was a bit thick but yum none the less |
 |
| Smoked tuna, goats curd, pomelo - this one was possibly my favourite. A delicate and light entrée this dish was very 'Quay'. The tuna was so lightly smoked, it was really like a straight sashimi, putting all those tuna nigiri I've had over the years to shame. For shame! |
 |
| An eggy panorama: asparagus, egg and ash. What a way to supplement the charcoal intake (yep, it's real). I had hopes that my yolk would explode and ooze all over my 'asparagoose' but it was slightly overcooked! Dang |
 |
| Brought to the table by Best himself, another personal favourite: rockling, white beans & boudin noir. The broth was so clear and cleansing, right before you get a hit of salt from the blood sausage all washing over the fish. A well conceived dish |
 |
| Duck, treviso, fermented blueberries. A pretty palette from this dish. The duck was cooked well, complemented well with the warmed blueberries and radicchio. The stems of the treviso were rather thick and chewy, are they meant to be consumed? |
 |
| Hanger steak, beetroot & caramelised yoghurt. Being the 6th course I was really starting to feel it (luckily they spaced out the courses a little). For such a tricky cut of meat to perfect, this steak was gloriously charred on the outside but so tender (and rare). The yoghurt was akin to a dijon mustard without the 'up the nostrils' heat |
 |
| White chocolate ganache, sorrel sorbet and mandarin. The white disc of a wafer disappeared with a 'puff' on the tongue. There are parts of this meal that I will rave about in weeks to come, one of them being this sorbet. The degustation had come to it's climax and was now floating back down. Like a sigh on a hot afternoon, this sorbet was like a dream (fresh az') |
 |
| Does this even need words?! Spice doughnuts, whey butterscotch. Oh lordy lord. The crème that was tinged with mandarin was a lovely touch. Only a little morsel to stave off guilt..... |
Magnifique! There we have it, a lovely evening by Pei Modern, hosted by big brother Marque. The night had a decidedly casual feel to it, despite the fine dining setting. The food speaks for itself - I'm just glad I got to sample it.
Thanks for reading!
xGourmand
7 apprentice chefs + one Sydney rooftop restaurant make for a one off extravaganza! It was a chance I couldn't pass up really... An opportunity to try out the food from some of Sydney's youngest talent in our top kitchens. Marque, Momofuku Seiobo, est. and several others are the training grounds of these young guns. Not too shabby. This was the final event, the top 7 whittled down from 2 initial heats. It was a full house on this balmy Monday night at Uccello restaurant, part of the Ivy complex.
 |
| The restaurant interior, punctuated with yellow. The (paddle) pool makes for a Hamptons vs. Miami vibe Source: Harry Howard Fine Furniture |
Given the opportunity to play food critic, we would try each of the dishes on the night and vote for our favourite(s). The lucky winner would win a trip to Singapore, certainly a bit of a food hub in South East Asia. The stakes were high!
You could feel the anticipation in the air and nervous energy coming from the kitchen. Our table was pretty much smack bang in front of the kitchen for prime viewing of plating. Huzzah. Myffy Rigby, Time Out Sydney's Food & Drink Editor was the night's MC. Apple Thief cider in hand, we were ready to kick off!
Here were some of the culinary highlights:
 |
| Sashimi kingfish with avocado mousse, pickled beetroot and rainbow chard. This dish had been prepared will in advance so the fish had pretty much come down to room temperature (eep). The colour and flavours of this dish were tops. Dish by Beau Conduit, a tattoo sleeved apprentice who could only have come from Three Blue Ducks! |
 |
| Oliver Hua of est.'s grilled quail breast. Accompanied by caramelised plum, toasted almonds, sourdough crumb and eschalot vinaigrette. He had all the right ideas but...the execution was a bit off. My quail was on the overcooked side (i know it was a big ask for 100+ covers of the same dish) + the crumb was swimming in oil. |
 |
| Australian Sunday roast, Italian style(y) by Stuart Webb of Black by ezard @ the Star. The little medallions of chicken in this dish were cooked well and the Spanish onions were lovely and sweet. On the flipside the pumpkin seed tuile was a touch sweet and the gnocchi a very strange texture (almost squeaky?!). No starchy pillowyness (lol) here. Shame |
Sweetie, darling
 |
| Seeing green. Ashleigh Jack's (Establishment Pastry) Mint Pash (left) and Lemon Tart by Lauren Eldridge (Marque) (right). Ashleigh's mint dessert was my favourite dessert for sure, the level of complexity was definitely up there. Her aim was to create a dish inspired by a Mint Aero bar. I think she did a really good job. The lemon tart, without any lemon in it. Yeah...huh? The tart was created with lemon verbena and used spinach for colouring. The texture of the tart filling was quite smooth enough for me (nit-picking again!). On top was a clear sugar tuile. I question the quinelle of cream, I wish it was a yoghurt sorbet or ice cream of some description |
Some of the dishes were a bit off the mark, many looked pretty as a picture but flavour-wise, didn't live up to expectation. I don't want to be a hard ass but some didn't quite work. But that's okay because I know it isn't easy.
The votes were in and the winners announced on the night. The winning dish was by John Javier of Momofuku Seiobo (Chang's Sydney outpost, a 3 hatted restaurant in its first year of opening). Can I just say, it was completely fabulous. A stand out.
 |
| Well done, kid. The roasted squid, eggs and butter. This was only the 2nd dish to come out but it totally stuck with me. The butter emulsion, lain out on top was slightly disconcerting (yikes...butter?!) but the dish wasn't made too rich by it. The tendrils of squid were so delicate and tender, like chewy noodles. The seaweed and broth were a nice medium for the squid but could have done with a bit more seasoning, maybe miso? I'll stop complaining now. Twas amazeballs |
 |
| The man of the hour! John Javier of Momofuku Seiobo: I think the big boss (David Chang) should be proud Source: Time Out Sydney |
I had a really good time, playing food critic is lots of fun! Seven courses down I was really feeling it, but still smiling! John was a deserved winner and I'm glad everyone else voted the same way. What was really great to see was everyone helping each other out in the kitchen, it was a real team effort. Sydney's food scene certainly has a bright future ahead.
Thanks for reading + Happy Easter!
xGourmand
