Sticky Bar

Apparently when my friends invite me out for dinner they feel the need to impress me. The benefit of this is they take me to their favourite local eatery. It is a very personal affair; they hope I love it as much as they do. It's kind of like meeting your significant other's family for the first time. The HUB (as in network, not the other kind) mentioned a $15 Wednesday roast including a glass of wine at Sticky Bar. Sweet. Grab those bikes, get our trendy on and let's go.

A blank double storey white building greets us. There is no clear way in. The HUB leads me round the back of the building where a sign indicates we need to press the button and say the secret password 'Wednesday roast' to gain entry. How covert. The Chef lets us in, we park our bikes and head up a series of barely lit stairs. The first floor opens up into a bar space with two huge communal dining tables in a sunken space off to the left. Apparently they focus on functions here, but do the occaisional dining night where anyone can grab a seat and have a feed. Up another floor to sticky bar proper where chalk board walls display the days specials, the wine selection and an impressive sketch that changes regularly (today it's a young Charlie Sheen). The furniture is a mix of beat up elegance and solid wood.

We order two veal roasts with a sardine bruschetta to start. The bruschetta consists of zesty sardines on a broadbean paste with nice sourdough, a really enjoyable dish. The veal is perfectly cooked, served with mash that could be a bit smoother and somewhat boring 'slaw style salad, sans mayo. Wine is a shiraz from the Margaret River. Fine as a wine to go with dinner, but nothing special.

For a Wednesday night feed Sticky bar gets my vote. The atmosphere is cosy and chilled, and for $15 it is a really good deal.

Mecca

Coffee aficionados know Mecca does an excellent brew. Whether you like it espresso, filter, cold drip or siphon, they have you covered. It explains why they quickly went from one shop front on King st to a further two in Ultimo and Circular Quay. Living in The Mont (Pyrmont) gives me convenient access to Mecca's Ultimo incarnation, which is probably the most spacious of the lot. Polished concrete floors, sturdy wooden logs and school-yard metal chairs create a minimal fuss decor. The morning-rush regulars rarely pause long enough to examine the Brasserie Bread pastries tantalisingly stacked near the till. But if you stay a while folks you'll find the breakfast here is worth a look-in.

Now this is not the place to go if you want a huge fry-up that leaves you questioning the availability of space for oxygen in your over-crammed body. Instead they have a nice selection of nicely sized breakfasts ranging from the typical continental offerings of pastries and toast with a selection of preserves to poached eggs on toast (no scrambled or fried varieties offered here) with accompaniments such as tomato and basil, pickled eggplant and salami, all with a lovely tomato relish. The lunch menu is Panini dominated with crowd pleasers like bresaola, parmesan and rocket, and leg ham, Dijon and cheese. There is also a roast pork sandwich that teases me. But breakfast. Eggs; definitely.

I get the pickled eggplant option. It is an interesting one. The eggplant is nicely pickled, having a sweet, tart flavour that cuts through the rich salami and eggs. The eggplant has retained its firmness giving the dish a good dollop of texture. The HUB gets the granola with yogurt and stewed rhubarb (trying to be healthy or something, seriously have you read the sugar content of that stuff?). No complaints arise. Crunchy, not overly sweet, nice. The coffee is wonderful (as always). It’s a great place to treat yourself to breakfast before a long day at work.

 

Mecca

646 Harris St Ultimo

Mon-Fri:          7:00 am – 4:00 pm

Sat:                  8:00 am – 3:00 pm

http://meccaespresso.com/

Melbourne

Had a little sneaky visit to Melboure in February for a conference and got around to a few places I wanted to share. I know it is now May, but I'm a busy lady alright? Besides everyone has their own favourites when they get down to Melbourne; those hidden gems they proudly dsiscuss when anyone asks where they should go when they visit Melbourne. Here are a few of my choices:

Mamsita: The hip place to be at present in Melbourne. Queues down the stairs, waiting an hour plus for a table, minimal seating but some amazing Mexican food washed down with excellent margaritas. If you get in early you can grab a spot at the window and do some good old people watching. Recommend: the pork loin with almonds and pomegranate.

http://mamasita.com.au/

St Ali: Great little coffee joint on Southbank. I had the pork terrine sandwich. A little cumbersome and dry to eat, but tasty. I spent a good couple of hours reading a book in the corner sipping coffee and just watching the comings and goings of people. Recommend: the coffee!

http://stali.com.au/

Cumulus Inc: A licensed breakfast and lunch joint in the Melbourne CBD that is super sleek all over. The menu is classics done exceedingly well. The full English comes with smoked tomato, blood sausage bacon and fried eggs. Each individual component is perfection; the heirloom tomato is strong enough to cut through all the other rich components. The bloody mary here kicks arse and so do the freshly baked lemon curd filled madelines. Recommend: madelines.

http://cumulusinc.com.au/

Gigi Baba: Turkish styled share plates in one of the best fit-outs I have ever seen. Wall to wall rugs, long filament light bulbs and a large central marble bar make this place cosy and cool. The eggplant dip is green and, while still smoky, has a vibrant flavour you don’t get in most babaganoush. The lamb cutlet was beautifully cooked in another dish we had. There was a chocolate and prune cake for desert. I think it was a special, but if they have it on the menu for the love of god get it! The prunes add a complexity to the chocolate that take this thing to the next level. Recommend: that chocolate-pruney-cakey thingo.

http://travelinsider.qantas.com.au/gigibaba_melbourne.htm

Tapavino

Apologies for not sharing this place with you sooner. I have been a total restaurant-hog, for which I feel incredibly guilty. 'How good is this place?' you wonder, that I would neglect my duty to infom you of good places to eat. If I told you that in one week I went four times (twice on the same night one occaision) will you start to get a picture?

Tapavino, as the name implies, does tapas and wine. Forget the fried, oily stodge that a lot of places try to pass off as tapas. This place is all about fresh, bright flavours with seperate parts of the menu dedicated to the sea and land. Jamon of course gets its own section. The pumpkin parfait is an amazing spicy, salty-sweet puree that spruiks the tongue for subsequent dishes. Dishes like tuna crudo with spicy roast almonds and sherry dressing stand out. Tender strips of tuna contrast with the satisfying crunch of crushed almonds. This dish is everything.  Order it. Now. Seriously, stop reading and go get some.

Back? Ok.

The pork and duck terrine really celebrates the flavours of each meat. A special of slow roast lamb shoulder with yogurt, pomegranate and mint is served sitting in its own juices. Make sure you save some of the copius amounts of bread that come with the other dishes to soak this wonder sauce up. Damn fine. The razor clams are cold and lackluster with a broadbean puree and astringent citrus dressing that leaves the dish missing any cohesion or interest.

This bar is all about sherry, something I know squat about (except that it is mostly produced in Spain), but the staff are more than happy to help I  guiding you through the sweet, dry crisp loveliness that is sherry. Most of the staff here have spent time working in Spain and know which tipple best suits the dishes ordered.

Upstairs takes reservations, but downstairs is the part of the restaurant that takes me back to Spain. Squeeze into a tiny table, eavesdrop on the next table over, eat great food and get merry.

Mon-Fri 11:00 am - 11:30 pm

6 Bulletin Place

Sydney NSW 2000

http://www.tapavino.com.au/

Reuben Hills

Reuben Hills is one of those places I assumed was always insanely packed (thanks TimeOut) and thus best avoided. However one morning after yoga and not much sleep the night before I decided I needed to reward myself with a coffee. A really good, really strong coffee. To the Hills!

The unassuming street frontage features a large window with a high bar and stools, with a few wooden boxes scattered out front for good measure. It looks small and cosy, but then you walk in and whoa! This place stretches all the way back to the rear alleyway where there is further outdoor seating. Polished concrete and slightly beat-up (but probably expensive), functional furniture fill the space and a large communal table up the back. The waist height kitchen and sideboard style service areas keep the whole space feeling generous. A mezzanine level holds a variety of coffee bean roasting paraphernalia, and shoves divine smells your way.

I decide coffee just ain't going to cut it this morning I want breakfast too! Thankfully when one needs a breakfast buddy The Socialite will answer the call. We settle in to pick something to eat. The menu here has a Spanish/South American influence to it featuring lots of tomato, spice and pork products. We are tempted by such items as the rice pudding with Pedro Ximenez soaked sultanas and Baleada with pimenton pulled pork and chimol (a radish salsa). In the end The Socialite goes for the Tradesmans Brioche with eggs, jamon, avo and relish. It arrives as a morish breakfast burger with skooshy eggs and the right bun to filling ratio. I go for the soft-baked eggs. The perfectly cooked eggs and ranchero (a tomato salsa which is just out of this world) are baked in a terracotta dish and topped with the jamon and spinach. You smash the lot together and pile it up on your toast and get ready to taste the most refreshing, utterly satisfying breakfast I have had in a long time. I don’t remember much of what happened between that dish arriving at the table and the last mouthful, I was on some kind of astral plane.

There are so many lunch dishes I’ll have to come back here to try. There aren’t many places that could entice me to believe they have ‘really fucking great fried chicken’, but after that breakfast I don’t doubt their claim. Ditto for the ‘that shit cray’ affogato.

The coffee is strong and delicious, the staff are great at what they do, the queues on the weekend can seem daunting, but the turnover is pretty sharp. This place deserves to be as busy as they are.

Update: I went back and tried the ‘really fucking great fried chicken’. It’s pretty up there.

61 Albion St

Surry Hills

Sydney 2010

Monday-Saturday           7am-4pm

Sunday                            8am-4pm

http://reubenhills.com.au/about

Ippodu

Just about everyone in Sydney has a favourite ramen joint. Often they are pokey, squished places filled with a chorus of slurping and sniffling. On a cold day (or a particularly trying one) nothing soothes the soul like some ramen. Even chicken soup cannot withstand the mighty awesomeness that is ramen. Recently a true force in Ramen has made it to our shores (no, not David Chang); Ippodu, the Fukuoka based ramen noodle brand whose name translates to ‘one wind hall’ (ominous) has set the local Japanese and student population abuzz. Ippodu was established in the southernmost major city in Japan in 1985 by Shigemi Kawahara, the three time TV champion Ramen Chef who has earned himself a place in the Ramen hall of Fame (I had no idea that existed either). This humble operation has spread from Japan to New York, Singapore and finally to us. Ippodu is located on the 5^th floor food court area of the newly vamped Sydney City Westfield, it is the restaurant obscured by that big, thick line of people. Word has spread fast about this place. The Jet-Setter and I somehow manage to time it so that there is barely a queue; possibly it is because we are loitering around the city a little too late on a school night! The staff shout their enthusiastic ‘irasshaimase’ as we are guided past the central communal tables to a spot with plenty of elbow room along the far wall. In contrast to the many other ramen joints in Sydney there is plenty of space between the tables for gesticulation and noodle-wrangling purposes. The décor is all pine and slate, with what looks like pieces of roof tiles decorating one of the walls.

Our waiter breezes along and is so super bubbly that just having a chat to him raises the spirit of mentally drained, hungry me. We get some edamame (steamed soy beans) to start. They are lightly salted, still nice and firm; fresh. The Jet-Setter gets the famous Akamaru Tamago (tonkotsu broth) ramen with egg and I opt for a portion of Barramundi Saikyo Yaki. The Ramen is rich, garlicky, the pork tender and meaty. Oh it is ramen, the best ramen. The noodles are al dente so there is a slight bite to them. The Barramundi is miso marinated, a lovely and salty dish cut through with the sinus-clearing tang of wasabi sauce. I would recommend ordering rice on the side of this dish to bulk it out a bit. All this is washed down with two big glasses of ice-cold Asahi. Despite his best efforts the waiter can’t convince us to order desert, even though the black sesame pannacotta looks really good. And so it is off into the night, with tummies full of great Japanese food and enough money left over for some cocktails.

Westfield Sydney

Level 5

Sydney NSW 2000

http://www.ippudo.com.au/

The Morrisson

It has been a hectic few months culminating in a big win for me and I want oysters and a big glass of white damn it! Get me to The Morrison.

The Morrison Oyster Bar is the newest Sean Connelly offering and is located at the former Brooklyn Hotel site on the corner of George and Grosvenor St. While the Brooklyn never succeeded in luring me inside, it didn’t take long for the expanses of large white tiles, polished concrete and wooden floors of The Morrison to sell me. The whole place has a light, clean feeling reminiscent of a New York industrial warehouse/French bistro (yeah, well you try to describe it any better!). Given that it is a Friday the place is packed when I walk in, and the noise a little oppressive. The central bar is swamped, pumping out the signature Morrison cocktail, the now ubiquitous freshly squeezed apple juice and rye whiskey (thanks Shady Pines) and a wide range of oyster shooters accompanied by flavours such as mint, lemon and jalapeno.

The menu is a neat selection of re-vamped and twisted crowd pleasers divided by size and contents. The lighter and shared dishes include ‘chicken lollipops’ of southern fried chicken with chilli and molasses dip or the ‘flight of hams’, a study of three cured hams. There is also the My Diane, something not seen so regularly on menus in Sydney anymore, but a classic that I will always enjoy.

However I promised myself a nice selection of oysters as a treat. With a glass of French Chablis in hand I order a mixed dozen. The oysters here change based on availability and up on the board today we have Pambula and Port Stephens rock, and Hawkesbury Pacifics. The oysters are shucked fresh to order at a bar in the far left of the room and are delightful. I discover that The Morrison’s talents are not limited solely to oysters upon ordering the pork cutlet. This is a tricky cut of meat to do well. It must be cooked right the way through without drying out the meat. At The Morrison they serve it with a ‘green sauce’ containing kale, parsley, sage and other lovely herby things roughly blended and heaped generously on the cutlet. I didn’t think anything would ever outdo the apple as the accompaniment of choice for pork, but…well it happened. The fresh sauce cuts through the richness of the pork, making for a great dish. The greens with jamon crumbs are also very good, we end up licking the dish clean! Those crumbs be good. The other in the party (Dad) orders the dry aged hamburger served medium rare on a brioche bun, with chipotle mayo and duck fat chips. I don’t even get a look-in. He inhales it. That is probably the best recommendation that burger can have.

This place is relaxed enough to enjoy on any night of the week, and I have to go back to try some of the other fabulous sounding things on the menu.   

http://themorrison.com.au/

225 George St

Sydney, NSW 2000