Chocolateria San Churro

Chocolateria San Churro is yet another chocolate cafe that recently opened up in Southbank. Each time I have walked past there has been a long line of people waiting for table.

I visited this chain in Melbourne a few years ago but wasn’t particularly impressed. However, I decided to give it another try as there was no line and I felt like something sweet.

We were seated almost instantly, with our orders taken shortly after. We ordered the churros for two ($13.95) and a passionfruit macaron ($2.50) .

The macaron was served almost instantly. I liked the two-tone colour on the shell. Unfortunately, that was where the goodness stopped. I found it to be quite dense, chewing and sickly sweet.

We waited for another half an hour or so before the churros arrived. Whilst not particularly photogenic the churros were crispy on the outside and ... actually they were just crispy. They were very thin so the soft inside didn’t really exist but they were quite delicious.

I quite like the churros, but found that the service could be improved. We overhead a few customers complaining about items not being served or waiting too long for their order.

It is worth a try, but I wouldn’t rush back.


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Sardine Tin

After spending the afternoon walking around the stalls at Regional Flavours @ Southbank, we were famished. We spotted an empty table at Sardine Tin across the road and decided to give it a try.

The setting was simple and rustic. As for the menu, it was quite brief: a small variety of tapas dishes for sharing and a few light meals, suitable for one. They had an open kitchen too, so we could see the chef preparing our dishes.

I ordered Arancini with Tomato and Goats Curd ($12) and Arancini with Bacon and Mushroom ($12). Not only did it look good on the plate, it tasted delicious too. The crumbs were light and crispy and the arancini balls were packed with flavour.

D ordered Wagyu burger with gruyere, cos and tomato chutney ($15). It was cooked perfectly and had a nice balance of flavours. The side serve of mustard did not go to waste in helping us demolish the chips.

We also ordered a pear and rocket salad ($8) to share. It looked a bit ordinary but was light and refreshing.

It was a simple, yet enjoyable lunch. Friends tell us that they regularly change their menu so we will probably visit again some time.


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Italian Cooking Class @ Stella Star Coorparoo

For my birthday this year, my friend took me for a 3 hours Italian cooking class and dinner. It was conducted at a restaurant in Coorparoo called Stella Star.

In the class we learnt how to make cannolo and ravioli. I have never made my own pasta, so this was quite an experience for me. It turned out to be quite an easy exercise. All I need now is a pasta rolling machine! :)

We started by mixing the dough for the pasta. According to this recipe, it does not require any resting time. We started rolling the pasta straightaway to the thinnest consistency and filled it with the ravioli mix.

As for the cannolo, the dough needed to be rested for at least an hour. The chef/teacher explained the process to the class and prepared the dough for us.

When it was ready, we rolled and cut the cannoli dough into squares. Then, it was rolled onto a metal tube and to be deep fried.

The sage butter sauce for the ravioli and cannoli filling was prepared by the chef/teacher.

The end result? A plate of delicious food. Fresh pasta tasted so much better than packet pasta.

The cannolo was crunchy and the filling was very delicious too!

Thanks M for the lovely cooking class present.  I had fun and was inspired to make my own pasta!



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Jamie's Italian Restaurant

Jamie’s Italian was on my short-list of restaurants to visit in Sydney. We saw on their website that no reservations were required for booking of less than 6 people. When we turned up for dinner on a Friday night, we were told that there was a 2 ½ hours wait for a table. It was 7.30pm, I was famished and didn’t want to wait till 10pm for dinner! We decided to go somewhere else and come back the next day for lunch.

The next day, which was also our last day in Sydney, we decided to go early to make sure we got a table. We reached just before 12 noon and most of the tables were still empty. Phew!

The lighting was a bit dark in the restaurant and my pictures did not turn out well. So, please forgive me for that.

The dishes were quite reasonably priced, which took me by surprise. Some of the Italian restaurants in Brisbane’s suburbs are charging a lot more than that. With that in mind, I was not hesitant to order a couple of dishes.

I ordered Prawn Linguine ($16) for entree and Slow-Cooked Pork Shoulder with Polenta for mains ($22). The Prawn Linguine was mind-blowing with a great big chilli hit. I did not expect it to be that spicy, but it really liked it!

The pork shoulder fell off the bone and was moist and tender. The crispy crackling was a wonderful contrast against the smooth textured polenta. There was also a slightly zesty taste which helped to tie the dish together. Yum!

The other dishes ordered from my table were Crispy Squid ($12), Risotto Milanese ($21), Osso Bucco ($26), Specials of the Day Bruschetta with Pumpkin ($12.50) and Specials of the Day Pasta ($24.50).

Apart from the crispy squid which was quite ordinary and risotto which was too rich and buttery for our tastes, everything else was amazing!

We really enjoyed the meal and would definitely recommend it!


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Quay

When I found out that we were heading to Sydney for my birthday this year, Quay stood out as the must-go restaurant. I have been longing to visit this restaurant ever since I saw the Masterchef episode featuring Quay’s signature dessert. Furthermore, it was recently voted No. 29 in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants by S. Pellegrino and Acqua Panna.

We made a reservation at Quay right after we purchased the airline tickets to Sydney. We were so happy to get a lunch reservation, given that it was only 2 weeks in advance. Since then, I was counting down the days till our visit to Quay.

Quay is located at The Rocks in Sydney Harbour. The view was fantastic and from our seat we even spotted a rainbow over the Sydney Opera House. Can you see it?

Since we travelled all the way to Sydney and it was also my birthday, we decided to order their Tasting Menu. It was an extravagant meal that lasted over 3 ½ hours.

We started with an Amuse-bouche of goat’s curd with an oyster and ginger consommé. The goat’s curd was smooth and silky. The consommé took me by surprise as it was light and not overpowered by oyster or ginger taste.

We then moved on to our 8 courses tasting menu.

1. Sashimi of Corner Inlet rock flathead, Tasmanian trumpeter, salt cured wild oyster cream, black lipped abalone, raw sea cabbage, nasturtiums, warrigals, periwinkles.

2. Congee of Northern Australian mudcrab, fresh palm heart, egg yolk emulsion.

3. Gently poached southern rock lobster, hand caught Tasmanian squid, golden tapioca, lobster velvet.

4. Roasted partridge breast, steam truffle brioche, confit egg yolk, new season white walnuts, fumet of Vin Jaune.

5. Smoked and confit pig cheek, shitake, shaved scallop, Jerusalem artichoke leaves, juniper, bay.

6. Pasture raised milk fed veal poached in smoked bone marrow fat, wild grey ghost mushrooms, raw buckwheat, young orach, parsnip.

7. Guava snow egg.

8. Jersey cream, salted caramel, prunes, walnuts, ethereal sheets.

Latte.

Petits Fours.

If I had to choose a favourite, it would be the Guava Snow Egg. It was a brilliant masterpiece which was constructed to look like an egg. We cracked it in no time and enjoyed the work of art.

It was definitely the best meal I ever had. Every single dish was cooked and served with perfection. The service staff was friendly and attentive. To top it up, the view was amazing. Total bliss!




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Another year passed

For my birthday this year, I was given the gift of having a gastronomic trip in Sydney. When D asked where I would like to go, I happily presented him with my wishlist of restaurants in Sydney.

Picture taken during 2006 NYE Countdown

Birthday is a blessing from God, as much as life is a gift from God. I thank God for the blessings I received and also for seeing me through the challenges I faced last year.

It’s been a busy week, but I will hopefully find time to put up the wonderful places I visited in Sydney. Stay tuned!

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