Author: Ardi

Sokyo

Sokyo Review:

Our review this week is for a special occasion and the venue of choice was Sokyo. Sokyo is a one-hat restaurant (based on Good Food Guide) with great reputation for its quality and Omakase. However, some of my friends also told me how the experience was somewhat ruined by patrons of ‘questionable personalities’.

On this occasion, we went there for quite a big lunch and tried a few different options for the two of us.

Sashimi Platter – 60 – Chef’s choice 24 pieces of mixed traditional sashimi

When you are in one of the best Japanese restaurants in Sydney, you just have got to order sashimi platter. On this occasion, we have the three regulars (salmon, tuna, kingfish), scallops, snapper, and aburi salmon.

They put a little theatrics for the Sashimi platter. It sure made a lot of people looked. The interesting thing about this was the four condiments included on the plate. I’m not really sure what they are, but I’d call them soy sauce, ‘yum’, ‘super yum’ and ‘omg yum’.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BgkaMauFgMD/?taken-by=aaf_blog

Alfonsino Kinmedai – 6 – Sushi

The last time I had Alfonsino was so memorable that I was always on the lookout for the fish in a restaurant. I know it looked like just a regular sushi in the picture. However, it tasted so much better and the pickled ginger was strong and aromatic.

Octopus Salad – 16 – Confit potato, Wakame, Avocado Wasabi, watermelon, smoked bbq sauce

Can I just say ‘the octopus salad is yum’? It is hard to describe the complex nature of its elements.

Aylesbury Duck Breast – 40 – Goma ponzu, brussel sprouts & baby cos, wafu dressing

The duck has got to be one of the best we have had in a Japanese restaurant. The skin was so crunchy and the meat was so tender.

The wafu dressing is quite interesting for us. It reminded us of an Indonesian sauce for Pecel, but much more subtle. It worked really well with the brussel sprouts and baby cos.

We were super happy eating this dish.

Japanese Barbeque – 24 – Karubi short rib, umami shiitake sauce, cucumber

If the karubi short rib came before the duck, we probably would have appreciated it more. Unfortunately, it was massively overshadowed by the duck.

“Not Tuna Sashimi” – 12 – Compressed watermelon, coconut sorbet & aomomo

If you look at the picture below, I wouldn’t blame you if you really think it was tuna sashimi. I am not a big fan of not-fresh coconut and after this dish, I am still not a big fan.

Sokyo “Mochi Ice Cream” – 9 – Yatsuhashi kyoto mochi, frozen strawberry milk shake

This is the next level of mochi. Lucky there were 2 mochis for the two of us. Otherwise, we would have to fight for them.

Sayuri “Little Lilly” – 30 – 300ml Unfiltered Nigori sake. Slightly cloudy, lychee and coconuts

It is probably the cheapest sake in the menu. But I like the sweet and refreshing taste of it.

The final verdict for Sokyo

We had such an amazing lunch at Sokyo. It is definitely better than some of the one hat restaurants we have ever been to.

Do you think I should go?
Without a doubt! It was quite rare that we enjoyed every single one of our meals.
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Rating for Sokyo:

9.0 / 10

Taste: 9.0 / 10

Price: $250 for two people

Place: 9.5 / 10

Details:

Level G, The Darling, The Star, 80 Pyrmont Street, Pyrmont 2009

Sokyo at The Star Website

Mar 22, 2018
Fratelli Fresh Entertainment Quarter

Fratelli Fresh Review:

Fratelli Fresh is part of the restaurant empire with Rockpool and Bavarian Bier Cafe amongst its ranks. We have heard great things about it.

We went to Entertainment Quarter to see the movie at the cinema there. Since there was one Fratelli Fresh, we couldn’t wait to try it out.

Penne – Lamb Ragu – Rosemary – $26

We quite enjoyed the lamb ragu. There was heaps of meat and penne pasta on the plate.

Spaghetti alla Carbonara – Pancetta – Guanciale – Parmesan – Yolk – $23

The spaghetti carbonara looked like the unhappy brother of lamb ragu. It was pretty dry and quite sub-standard.

Chicken Parmigiana – Fresh Basil – Sugo – Fior Di Latte – Parmesan – Fratelli Slaw – $29

My chicken parmigiana was way too saucy. The sugo sauce overpowered everything else and the chicken was a tad overcooked.

As you can see from the picture below, the dish doesn’t have any chips on it. You will have to pay an extra $9.5 for chips and aioli or $11 for twice-cooked potatoes.

Fennel Sausage – Red Sauce – Shaved Garlic – Chilli Flakes – Red Onions – Salumi Australia Italian Sausage – Parmesan Cheese – EVOO – $23

Our pizza wasn’t actually too bad. However, they were not generous with the sauce and toppings. It looked very bready. If only the treatment was switched with Chicken parma, we would have been much happier.

Chicken Scallopini Strips with Fries – Aioli – Lemon – $12

I think I might enjoy my son’s chicken strips more than my own dish. It had the whole thing: chicken, chips, and sauce.

Fat Johnny – Apple Cider – $12

The beer and cider might look expensive (in excess of $10). However, it does come in the 500ml glass.

The final verdict for Fratelli Fresh

Fratelli Fresh has a price point of high-end Italian restaurants in Sydney. However, the dishes in Fratelli Fresh Entertainment Quarter did not justify this.

Do you think I should go?
Fratelli Fresh restaurants seem to have quite a good rating in Zomato, except for the one in Entertainment Quarter. I haven’t been to the other ones, but from what we experienced in Entertainment Quarter, they do need to lift up their game considerably.

Rating for Fratelli Fresh:

6.0 / 10

Taste: 6.0 / 10

Price: $20 – $33 main dish

Place: 7.0 / 10

Details:

211 Bent Street, Entertainment Quarter, Sydney

+61 2 8099 7069

http://www.fratellifresh.com.au

Mar 16, 2018
Sahara by the Park

Sahara By The Park Review:

Sahara by the park is located just outside Westfield Burwood. They had the fine dining section as well as the takeaway ‘kebab place’ setting. This time around, we went to the fine dining area. The restaurant had quite a nice middle eastern decor.

Looking at their menu, it’s a mixture of Middle Eastern dishes with some ‘local’ flavours, like salt and pepper squid and mushroom chicken.

Babaganoush – $10.50 – Chargrilled eggplant w yoghurt, tahini and garlic

If you go to a Middle-Eastern restaurant, you must be familiar with the cold bread wrapped in a plastic bag. That’s usually what you expect, even in a high-end restaurant.

At Sahara By The Park, they have two kinds of bread, homemade Turkish garlic bread served alongside the dip and the communal table bread. However, unlike other restaurants, their table bread was so good! It was warm and fresh. Their garlic bread was an icing on the cake.

For the babaganoush, it was probably a tad too much yoghurt in the mixture.

Shish & chips – $10.50 – Choice of adana or chicken shish

This is coming from the kids menu. It is pretty much the same shish, but only one skewer.

Beef Ribs – $29.50 – Served with chips & salad or roast vegetables

It used to be called 1kg beef ribs, but they greyed out the 1kg bit. The ribs were super tender and juicy. It also came with a bowl of thin sauce.

Although it is no longer 1kg, the ribs were pretty good.

Chargrill Platter – $29.50 – Adana, chicken & lamb skewers served with bread, rice & salad

Chargrill platter is how we differentiate a good shish from the average ones. Their shish could probably be categorised amongst the best in Sydney. They were very flavoursome.

Iskender – $22.50 – Thin slices of marinated lamb, layered over a bed of diced pide bread, topped with authentic red sauce & garlic yoghurt

They were quite generous in the serving for the Iskender kebab. It was served hot on a double plate with over-abundance of meat.

Kunefe – $14.50 – Baked shredded filo pastry, layered w/ unsalted cheese & topped with syrup

One of the things I did not see a lot of in a Middle Eastern restaurant in Sydney is the dessert Kunefe. The kunefe in Sahara By The Park was so good and they put an extra ice cream with it!

The final verdict for Sahara By The Park

We were pleasantly surprised with the quality of food at Sahara By The Park. It started off with the amazing garlic bread and flatbread to the very nice filo pastry, kunefe. It was a very nice experience.

Do you think I should go?

Sahara By The Park is one of the highest scoring Middle Eastern restaurants in my blog. So, yes… you must go and try!

Rating for Sahara By The Park:

8.0 / 10

Taste: 8.0 / 10

Price: $30 – $40 per person

Place: 8.0 / 10

Details:

100 Burwood Road, Burwood 2134

+61 2 9747 4540

Sahara By The Park

Mar 5, 2018
2-Course Set – Three Blue Ducks Rosebery Menu

2-Course Set from Three Blue Ducks Rosebery Menu Review:

We went to an office lunch at Three Blue Ducks Rosebery the other day. We got the 2-course set menu instead of the usual a la carte because of the number of people in the group. The set menu is $52 and you have a choice of three dishes for smalls and bigs respectively.

They also have the 3-course menu for $65 that would include one of three desserts. However, it’s a bit of an overkill for an office lunch.

Smalls

Sweet potato hummus, charred onions, pickled chestnuts & focaccia

All veggies… definitely not my choice of dish 🙂 I did try this in the past and it was a pretty good starter.

Raw kingfish, Vietnamese mint, paw paw, kaffir lime & green chilli

The raw kingfish is quite an interesting dish. It’s kinda like a mashed up between poke/ceviche in South East Asian style plus pawpaw.

Peri peri chicken skewers, spiced yoghurt & herb salad

If you’re not a big fan of the raw fish nor hummus, then peri peri chicken is your only option. It came with spiced yoghurt. So in a way, it’s kinda exotic as well.

If you are not a big fan of any of them, they are giving you a choice of having the potatoes side for yourself.

Bigs

Whole roasted rainbow trout, smashed peas, watercress & prawn oil

Let’s put an emphasis on the word ‘whole’ here. They are giving you a whole trout fish!

The fish itself was perfectly roasted and very yummy.

Braised beef short rib, wood roasted cabbage & kombu butter

If you are more of a meat lover, I guess this is a no-brainer. Nothing on this list can beat a nice and juicy beef short rib.

Wood roasted cauliflower, smoked eggplant yoghurt, pickled grapes & hazelnuts

One ingredients stood out for me in this dish: pickled grapes. I tried it and it was super sour.

Seasonal Side to Share

Crispy potatoes, rosemary & garlic

They gave a few of these to be shared with the whole table. It could also be used as a substitute if you are not a big fan of the three small dishes above.

The final verdict for Three Blue Ducks Rosebery

It took longer than the usual hour allowed at lunch break to enjoy the 2-course meal at Three Blue Ducks. For $52 in Rosebery, I think the smalls need to be a bit more substantial to complement the bigs.

Do you think I should go?
Considering that the company paid for our lunch, we were pretty happy to have lunch at Three Blue Ducks Rosebery. You can also find Andy Allen, Masterchef winner in 2012, there.

Rating for Three Blue Ducks Rosebery:

7.5 / 10

Taste: 8.0 / 10

Price: $52 for 2-course

Place: 7.0 / 10

Details:

1/85 Dunning Avenue, Rosebery 2018

+61 2 9389 0010

http://www.threeblueducks.com/rosebery/

Feb 21, 2018
House Bar and Bistrot
House Bar and Bistrot Experience:

One morning, an invitation email came into my mailbox. It was a long and elaborate email from Mauro, the head chef of House Bar and Bistrot. Mauro was a chef in a number of high-end restaurants in Sydney before he decided to open his own. The suburb that he chose to be the place for his restaurant is Potts Point. The restaurant looked like two regular houses from the outside.

According to Mauro, everything on the menu was made in-house with local fresh ingredients. The menu is constantly changing, according to the seasonal availability. He has the non-vegetarian menu as well as the vegetarian menu. This was the non-vegetarian menu that he had when we visited.

Starters on Sourdough Bread

House Bar and Bistrot only has one kind of starter: starters on sourdough bread. The difference was the topping. You can choose five different toppings on that day. The starters are kind of like Italian bruschetta with different toppings.

White Anchovies – $12 – Butter – Lemon Zest

Krauti and Shredded Apple – $12

Sides

If sourdough would never get you full, like myself, then you might want to think about what sides to have.

Although we ordered only Cabbage Almonds sides on that day, you must order their potatoes an onion… see the main section for the reason!

Cabbage, Almonds and Parmesan Salad – $18

Mains

Tagliatelle – Braised Pork Belly – Duck egg – Parmesan – $26

There are quite a few different mains on that day, but this one was one of our choices because it had duck egg on a tagliatelle!

Sirloin Beef Steak – Roast Potatoes, Onions, Red wine gravy – $28

However, the second main really stole the show. We could not stop thinking about that roast potatoes… OMG they were so good! The steak was also cooked to perfection but probably on the lighter side of the gravy.

Desserts

There were three dessert options from both menu, but we felt on that day the coffee gelato was the clear winner. It was smooth and strong at the same time!

Coffee Gelato – $12

Figs Gelato – $12

Menabrea beer on draft – $9

One of the main selling points when Mauro wrote me that invitation email was that he had Italy’s Menabrea beer on tap.

A few interesting things about House Bar and Bistrot
- Sourdough and pasta freshly-made on a daily basis.
- Menus are constantly evolving, according to seasonal availability
- You must really get the roast potatoes.. yum!
Details:

62 – 64 Kellett Street, Potts Point 2011

+61 450 633 892

https://www.housebarbistrot.com
Feb 14, 2018
Hung Cheung

Hung Cheung Review:

For daily commuter around Marrickville Road, there is a Chinese restaurant right in front of the Marrickville Town Hall. It stood out quite a bit as it is the last restaurant in the shopping strip in between two roads. The restaurant is called Hung Cheung and that’s our focus for this week.

Just like quite a lot of Chinese restaurants, they serve Yumcha in the morning and Chinese ‘fine dining’ in the evening with the likes of abalone and fresh seafood. We went there

Steamed Baby Abalone – MP – Ginger and Shallot

Considered as one of the finest ingredients in Chinese cuisine, well-established restaurants usually offer this on the menu. I like it to be cooked with ginger and shallot as it provides me with quite a fresh start to my dinner.

For that day, we paid around $10 for the baby abalone.

BBQ Duck (Half) – $21.80

In a new restaurant, we always come back to what we are most accustomed to. In a Chinese restaurant, BBQ duck would be one of them. Their BBQ duck was quite nice with the plum sauce on the side.

Fried E-Fu Noodles – $15.80

My son was expecting this to be the crispy version of E-fu noodles and so did I. Luckily he still wanted to eat it. The E-fu noodles portion was quite big.

Complimentary Desserts

It is always nice to receive a complimentary dessert from a restaurant. In well-established Chinese restaurants, you could always expect complimentary desserts of some sort.

The final verdict for Hung Cheung

Hung Cheung Chinese restaurant provided us with restaurant-quality Chinese food with decent options and complimentary desserts.

Do you think I should go?

Hung Cheung is quite an established business for people around the Marrickville area. There are not many (if any) Chinese restaurants with a similar offering in the area.

Rating for Hung Cheung:

7.0 / 10

Taste: 7.0 / 10

Price: $59.40 for three dishes

Place: 7.0 / 10

Details:

338 Marrickville Road, Marrickville 2204

+61 2 9560 4681

Feb 6, 2018