Rockpool est. 1989

In the fish bowl. Mitch Orr, Dan Hong and a few other familiar faces! Clearly loving it.

The scene was set. Seven of Sydney's hottest cheffing talents were ready and raring to go. The occasion was the Josephine Pignolet 25th Anniversary Young Chefs Dinner. And I couldn't think of a finer place to host this special dinner other than Rockpool which, in its new incarnation on Bridge Street oozes style and substance. A handful of the previous winners were charged with delivering a dish each representing them and just how far they've come. It's a tough game, the restaurant business.

Let the games begin!

Established in 1990, the Josephine Pignolet Award recognises the accomplishments of young talented chefs. The award was named after the late Josephine Pignolet, the wife of Damien Pignolet, and cook herself. Going from strength to strength, the award is coveted and includes a placement in an overseas kitchen, flights and a substantial cash prize. Tonight, was all about celebration - reaching a silver anniversary and a showcase of the finest and innovative food in town. Following is a snapshot of some of those delicious eats. Enjoy.

Rockpool was in charge of the canapés and boy did they rock our socks off. Sea urchin on squid ink cracker and black garlic purée. Umm, okay Rockpool - this was kind of amazing

Drunken Storm Clam - yep, it just got better. I must admit many of us were scratching our heads as to WHAT this was (mollusc wise) but it tasted awesome, and the slightly tangy dressing made it a complete package. Possibly the best canapé I've had in my LIFE.

Mitch Orr - ACME, Rushcutters Bay

Burrata, burnt bread, tomato. Mitch Orr is certainly making a scene in Rushcutters Bay at ACME, reviving a little pocket of undiscovered 'hipster' Sydney. This dish was an exciting way to start - the burrata had an irresistibly creamy inside and the burnt bread an intriguing addition to the light tomato infused dressing

Dan Puskas - Sixpenny, Stanmore

Poached potato with oyster and mushroom. Daintily covered in razor thin slices of mushroom, the potato was covered in what can only be described as beurre blanc goodness. The powdered oyster had an extremely subtle flavour as a dusting

Hamish Ingham - Bar H, Surry Hills

Mooloolaba Bug Tail, pickled celtuce, yuzu kosho & wasabi leaf. I asked myself one thing eating this dish. Why the heck haven't I been to Bar H?!?! Silly woman. This was proabably my favourite of the night. The slightly cured bug (but essentially raw) was accompanied beautiful by an explosion of textures and flavours with a hint of chilli. Bravo

Dan Hong - Mr Wong, Sydney

Double boiled soup with kangaroo tail and baby abalone. It's bound to happen, you start to pit the dishes against one another and unfortunately this wasn't up there. The soup was consommé clear but there was a bitter taste to the broth that I just couldn't shake. Perhaps it was touch of pith from the lime? Not sure. The tail meat was lovely and tender, the abalone was decidedly not.

Mark Best - Marque, Surry Hills

Mark Best was almost like the captain of the cricket team tonight. A sort of mentor like figure who was commanding this ship. His effort was Bar cod, fish & milk scales, pickled shiitake. What a pretty little thing. The cod was amazingly soft and cooked well, pity that it was lukewarm! The garnish tasted very, how should I say this? Green.

Phil Wood - Rockpool est. 1989, Sydney

Hot and sour oxtail with prawn and coriander. Well, well, well, can't menus be deceiving. This was the most deceptively complex dish of the night. The soft, shredded oxtail meat had been stuffed in a prawn MOUSSE which was then poached. It was pretty damned impressive (but also needed to be hotter when it hit the table).

Lauren Eldridge - Marque, Surry Hills
Also, this years JP Award winner!

Blue Mountains wildflower honeycomb and cultured cream. This was a pretty clever little dish. Kept it simple, stupid. A premade honeycomb (mind you a pretty bloody AMAZING one at that) sitting on a dollop of cultured cream. Smash it all together and you have two elements marry together perfectly well. A winner amongst diners.

Survived! It was a wonderful show of skill and teamwork too. The collegial spirit in the kitchen was so great to see. Hats off to them for a fantastic evening. Wow.

Thanks for reading!
xGourmand

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

LuMi Bar & Dining

Hello Munchkins!
I'm back and I must confess it was a little harder than usual to get back into the blogging groove. This year has been fast paced, hectic and jam-packed with foodie amazing-ness that I can't wait to share. And how is it already May, pray tell?! First up is my peek at LuMi Bar & Dining, which has revived the obscure Pyrmont wharf where it can be found. P.S. get ready to feel zen at this incredible absolute waterfront that money can't buy (especially not in this town).

Veal tartare: a technicolour treat of veal, tarragon emulsion, roasted capsicums and buckwheat. Such a stunner, one of my favourite dishes of the night, brought to life with the textural buckwheat and astringent tarragon purée. You already had me at tartare...

Your first task is to locate this little restaurant, where few Sydneysiders have ventured before. It is tucked away with little signage from the main walkway along the water but the glow from dozens of light globes may be a clue (like a moth to a flame). The dining room clearly takes a leaf from the Scandinavians (devotees to minimalism), with a simple, modernist fit-out in hues of purple and green and looong open kitchen. The galaxy of bulbs that glow above you during your meal are more than perfect for the aptly named restaurant (which actually combines the names of Chef Zanellato's daughters Luna and Mia).

"You are confined only by the walls you create" - a window safety warning gets all philosophical on us. Now this is a room with a view

Chef Federico Zanellato had been honing his skills as head chef at top notch restaurant Ormeggio at the Spit before paddling out to have a crack himself. I think Italian-Japanese fusion is an interesting point of difference although Zanellato plays to his strengths with strictly Italian flavours (and I'm grateful for that). Although, the spin on chawanmushi was pushing the boundaries a little too far for me. With plenty of carbohydrates to keep myself happy, the eight course tasting menu flowed seamlessly and the service was outstanding.

Some snacks to accompany the first round of cocktails: cheese tartlet and corn, pistachio and horseradish on cos lettuce and potato and rosemary focaccia (left). Salt and vinegar rice chip (left). A few tasty morsels to get the tastebuds going - the rice crisp was by far the best

Chawanmushi: a Japanese inspired steamed custard, that brings together classic Italian flavours of tomato and basil. Mind-bending but I can't go past the original I'm afraid!

White cucumber with apple and sour cream. Someone has gone to town with a disc cutter here! A gorgeous dish that evokes Disney princesses and fairytales.  A lovely and light salad with sweet and sharp notes

Spelt ravioli with pumpkin, burnt butter, avruga (caviar, darling) and chives. Isn't this simply spectacular?! The pasta was definitely the star of the show, little translucent delicacies that explode their pumpkin filling in the mouth ¡Ay, caramba! 

Spaghetti alla Chitarra: scampi, bottarga (salted fish roe) and orange beurre blanc. A rich and creamy spaghetti that is not for the faint hearted. The scampi, scarcely cooked singing with notes from the sea (thanks to the bottarga). The pasta itself, silky and jet-black. So. Delicious.

Pork jowl with spinach, celeriac and quinoa. After those pasta dishes that took the cake, it's hard to keep up that level of excitement (for me anyway). The jowl, although cooked perfectly was a little lack lustre in terms of the completeness of the dish. It misses that imagination and creativity captured so well with other dishes. The portion size was also rather small

And then there was, DOLCE.

'Evergreen' - sorrel, lemon basil, mint shiso and parsley (left) and ginger ice cream, white chocolate, passionfruit and yoghurt crumble (right). The first dessert went a little stir-crazy with all the herbaceous inclusions. Although keeping to a theme, each element was competing on the plate and clashed. It needed another element to mellow everything out. The ginger ice cream was definitely a step up with a subtle, more muted flavour. Just a trace... 

LuMi Bar & Dining certainly sets its heights high with a bold fusion menu that intrigues. Chef Zanellato and team have ambition written all over this project and are to be commended on their efforts. The pasta dishes were easily a stand-out and show off the obvious talent in the kitchen. LuMi is an exciting addition onto the Sydney scene that is groaning with all the burger joints and barbecues cropping up everywhere. Enter a class act with plenty of finesse. Prego!

Thanks for reading gang!
xGourmand

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

Snapshot: Omnivore

That ominous looking, zig-zag for a sign is the logo for the Omnivore World Tour, a 'little' known festival around these parts. Coinciding with the Labour Day long weekend and the start of Good Food Month, Omnivore is all about celebrating the up-and-coming culinary talents of the world. With a series of masterclasses and pop-up dinners over the weekend; the air abuzz with a youthful energy and excitement. This year (the second year the Omnivore tour has come to Sydney), the festival descended on the Australian National Maritime Museum for some harbour-side capers, a nifty concept unto itself.

O-MNIV-ore, or something...

Tonight's feast was hosted by chefs Pierre Sang Boyer, of Pierre Sang in Oberkampf (Paris) as well as our own Hamish Ingham of Bar H (Sydney) (another restaurant I still haven't visited yet!!!). Both like to work with Asian flavours in a rather modern way, delivering refined and innovative dishes. Pierre Sang launched himself into the spotlight after being named finalist in Top Chef 2011, France. Now, in 2014 he has two restaurants in Paris which are consistently booked out. Yet again, the great table tussle continues #firstworldproblems. Luckily this time, Pierre Sang has come to us!

You've got to love a long table and male models for waiters (pretty much)...can't complain!

Hamish Ingham, a local Sydney chef carved a name for himself at Bar H Dining, a dinky corner eatery in Surry Hills serving Chinese inspired food. With various appearances on Masterchef and a Good Food Guide chef's hat in the arsenal, Ingham is a worthy contender in this pop-up duo. This is the Eurasian dream team on paper but shall we move on to the food? The dinner consisted of five courses with matched wines, with a focus on locally sourced Australian ingredients (but of course)!

Sashimi of snapper with wasabi snow, okahjiki and shiso. My favourite dish of the night, already. We peaked pretty early here, but Ingham's combination of everything in the dish was an instant winner. A few strands of samphire, the hint of wasabi powder and the freshness of the fish - all gone in an instant!

Spinach and oyster, pomegranate. A rather curious dish for me by Boyer, a prawn cracker (not quite crispy enough) sits perched amongst diced fresh oyster and a bundle of vegetables (par cooked, slightly too textural haha) without much of a sauce. The oyster and the roe could just be there alone and I'd be happy!

Tuna andouille, bearnaise sauce. A rich sauce for a very rich and oily fish. This dish is a staple of Boyer's, a signature on the menu of In Oberkampf. The tuna itself was incredible, the grilled onion and radish just accessory

Rangers Valley wagyu rump cap shiro miso, sichuan beetroot. Ingham experiments a little by using a lesser known cut of wagyu which has been slow cooked. Perhaps more chewy than most are used to, I found the meat still be nice and tender and the sauce had a lovely depth of flavour. The spiced beets were a nice accompaniment

In the spotlight, the frantic assembly line for the dessert course. All done outside on a makeshift 'pass'

Rose geranium pavlova, yuzu curd, muntrie jam and dried strawberries. That oozy curd, I could just bottle that up and bundle it home. The meringue unfortunately was rather chewy at the bottom, possibly an issue with pre-cooking them offsite. For balance and lightness, I thought maybe a bit more whipped cream might have helped. The coriander added a nice, tangy touch to what would otherwise be a very sweet dessert

A quick Q&A with Luc Dubanchet (creator of Omnivore) and the crew, many of whom had flown in from France especially for the Omnivore program. Read: junket!

With Omnivore gracing our shores once again, here's hoping they make the trip Down Under for many years to come. It seems the Omnivore movement has been gaining some momentum and this dinner was a testament to that fact. You can catch some more glimpses from the night with the official coverage over here. At its heart, Omnivore helps to connect young chefs from around the world, promoting a strong spirit of collaboration. The best thing about these events are that they are a golden opportunity for some of the young guns to establish themselves. Even one of Boyer's youngest sous chefs (at just 19) was mucking in. This is what Omnivore is all about...the future is here!

Adios to another great evening!

Thanks for reading!
xGourmand