Author: Ardi

Wilbur’s Place

Review:

Welcome to our second brunch review in as many weeks as this month we caught up with quite a lot of friends! We went to Potts Point for a small café in an alley called Wilbur’s Place.

The menu is the usual modern rustic dishes with quite a long name. In Wilbur’s Place, the name isn’t quite as long!

Mushrooms, Poached Eggs & Crispy Pancetta – $18

I actually did not order (and try) the dish and it looked pretty monochromatic. However, I was told that the Pancetta was delightfully crispy.

Crispy Polenta, Soft Egg, Slippery Jack Mushrooms & sage butter – $18

This is the dish that you MUST choose if your next visit to the café is your first one. It was probably the yummy-est polenta I’ve ever tasted especially when combined with the mushroom and butter!

I love everything about this dish even when this was not actually the one I ordered! (Luckily my wife liked the dish that I will talk about next so we traded off).

Flatbread, Pickles, Runny Egg, Flaked Trout & Avocado – $19

This dish is perfect for those of you who like brunch that feels light and refreshing. I think this dish portrays what the word ‘rustic’ is all about. It was plain and simple but packed a lot of punch!

Brussel Sprouts, soft egg, Parmesan, Bacon & Anchovy – $15

This is the only dish of the day that actually have green vegetables on the plate. However, the bacon and anchovy were barely visible because it blended perfectly with the colour of the bread. I think it would be better to see bacon sticking out on the plate when it’s on the menu.

Sourdough toast w Vegemite, Butter & Jam – $6

This is just a plain and simple vegemite toast for your children. The bread might not be suitable for younger kids as toasted sourdough can be too tough for them.

Toasted brioche ice cream sandwich w salted caramel – $13

Salted Caramel Milkshake – $7

Looks like salted caramel is the craze these days. It feels like everywhere we go we see salted caramel milkshake or dessert. In Wilbur’s place, you get both milkshake and dessert!

The final verdict for Wilbur’s Place

Wilbur’s place is probably one of the better brunch cafes that we have ever tasted in Sydney.

Did you know?

The name ‘Wilbur’ was taken from the pig in Charlotte’s Web.

Wilbur’s place is owned by Bourke Street Bakery.

Rating for Wilbur’s Place:

8.0 / 10

Taste: 8.0 / 10

Price: $11 – $19 for big dishes

Place: 7.0 / 10

Details:

36 Llankelly Place, Potts Point 2011

+61 2 9332 2999

http://www.wilbursplace.com/

Jun 12, 2015
West Juliett

Review:

One weekend, my friends took me to a café that I was not quite aware of (it was out of my area). When we arrived at the café, I noticed that it was the café that was always busy when I went past it a few times. The name of the café is West Juliett.

The café described itself as making simple rustic food and coffee. At first I was quite afraid of the queue, but apparently it moved along quite quickly. Since there were three of us, we only ordered three items on the menu.

Breakfast plate of leg ham, ricotta, avocado, poached egg, tomato, toast – $16.90

You got each one of the items stated in the menu in a fashion that reminds me of children lining up their food on the plate. The description on the menu can also serves as a check box: poached egg…tick! Well, butter is not on the list but it was on the plate!

It is obviously rustic… but it is way too simple!

Soft scrambled eggs, cured salmon, sorrel, yoghurt, fennel on toast – $18.90

The soft scrambled eggs dish was more fitting to the rustic description in my imagination. It was simple, yet well presented!

On a side note: the yoghurt was pretty sour to eat on its own.

Poached eggs, avocado, feta, parsley, cress, lemon, dukkah on toast – $16.90

The dish was the best looking out of the three that we ordered on the day. It was full of green vegetables with the poached eggs and toast hiding underneath.

All elements in the dish also married up perfectly.

The final verdict for West Juliett

It felt like your typical weekend brunch at West Juliett. I love the fact that despite the queue we actually got the seat quite quickly. The dishes were pretty big. The taste was also there.

Did you know?

We also ordered the coffee but it was quite so-so. The milkshake was also quite ordinary especially when compared to similar restaurants around the area.

Rating for West Juliett:

7.5 / 10

Taste: 7.5 / 10

Price: $11 – $19 for big dishes

Place: 6.5 / 10

Details:

30 Llewellyn Street, Marrickville 2204

+61 2 9519 0101

https://www.facebook.com/westjuliettcafe

Jun 5, 2015
The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2015

Despite the name ‘world’s 50 best restaurants’, the organiser actually named the top 100 restaurants in 2015. They released the list for 51 – 100 a week earlier.

The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2015

The top three is pretty similar when compared to last year. El Celler de Can Roca (from Girona, Catalan, Spain) has retaken the top spot from Noma (from Copenhagen, Denmark) in this year’s 50 best restaurants list. Noma actually dropped two spots to number 3. The runner up is Osteria Francescana from Modena, Italy.

Australian Restaurants in the 50 best restaurants 2015

Once again, Attica from Melbourne is the only restaurant from Australia included in the 50 best restaurants list. Their ranking is steady at 32.

Three more Australian restaurants were included in the top 100 list:

– Quay at 58. Quay is still the only restaurant in the list that we have visited.

– Sepia at 84. In addition to being a debutant on this year’s list. Sepia is also named as the one to watch in 2015. It has certainly been on our list for as long as we can remember!!

– Brae at 87. Brae is a countryside restaurant in Birregurra, Victoria. According to the 2006 census, Birregurra was only inhabited by 688 people!

The list for the top four restaurants in Australia is very similar to the one voted by Australian chefs in Financial Review.

Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2015

Earlier in the year theworlds50best.com released a list of Asia’s 50 best restaurants 2015. Gaggan from Bangkok Thailand is number one on the list.

However, on the world’s 50 best restaurants 2015 released yesterday, Narisawa from Tokyo, Japan actually ranked higher than Gaggan. I am actually not sure how they managed to be ranked differently.

Indonesia’s best restaurant in 2015

Indonesia was represented by one restaurant in 2014. However, not a single restaurant managed to get into the 2015 list.

The full list of 50 Best Restaurants 2015:

1 El Celler de Can Roca, Girona, Spain
2 Osteria Francescana, Modena, Italy
3 Noma, Copenhagen, Denmark
4 Central, Lima, Peru
5 Eleven Madison Park, New York, USA
6 Mugaritz, San Sebastian, Spain
7 Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, London, UK
8 Narisawa, Tokyo, Japan
9 D.O.M, São Paulo, Brazil
10 Gaggan, Bangkok, Thailand
11 Mirazur, Menton, France
12 L’Arpège, Paris, France
13 Asador Etxebarri, Atxondo, Spain
14 Astrid y Gaston, Lima, Peru
15 Steirereck, Vienna, Austria
16 Pujol, Mexico City, Mexico
17 Arzak, San Sebastian, Spain
18 Le Bernardin, New York, USA
19 Azurmendi, Larrabetzu, Spain
20 The Ledbury, London, UK
21 Le Chateaubriand, Paris, France
22 Nahm, Bangkok, Thailand
23 White Rabbit, Moscow, Russia
24 UltraViolet by Paul Pairet, Shanghai, China
25 Faviken, Jarpen, Sweden
26 Alinea, Chicago, USA
27 Piazza Duomo, Alba, Italy
28 The Test Kitchen, Cape Town, South Africa
29 RyuGin, Tokyo, Japan
30 Vendôme, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
31 Restaurant Frantzén, Stockholm, Sweden
32 Attica, Melbourne, Australia
33 Aqua, Wolfsburg, Germany
34 Le Calandre, Rubano, Italy
35 Quintonil, Mexico City, Mexico
36 L’Astrance, Paris
37 Biko, Mexico City, Mexico
38 Amber, Hong Kong
39 Quique Dacosta, Denia, Spain
40 Per Se, New York, USA
41 Mani, São Paulo, Brazil
42 Borago, Santiago, Chile (tied)
42 Tickets, Barcelona, Spain (tied)
44 Maido, Lima, Peru
45 Relae, Copenhagen, Denmark
46 Restaurant Andre, Singapore
47 Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée, Paris, France
48 Schloss Schauenstein, Furstenau, Switzerland
49 Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Pocantico Hills, USA
50 The French Laundry, Yountville, USA

Jun 2, 2015
Pho by An Restaurant

Review:

A friend of mine took us here the first time to enjoy one of the best pho in Sydney, we referred to it as Pho An. An restaurant (this is the entry listed on Urbanspoon/Zomato) only sells pho, with variants of beef and chicken. Despite this limited menu, people are still willing to queue for it.

When I was there, I usually ordered Pho topped with beef combination. It is the most complete combination that includes rare beef, cooked beef, beef tendon and tripe. I also usually order the large portion. The large bowl option is only $1 more expensive than the medium.

The portion is quite big and I usually cannot finish the soup. Personally, I think the taste is not so different than any other good pho restaurants in Sydney.

Pho topped with cooked beef – $14

I guess the good thing about having limited items on the menu is that they can serve the dishes incredibly quickly. But then, you are also expected to leave relatively quickly!

They give you the beansprouts and loads of chilli for free. You could also add a few other side dishes. The one that I usually order is additional meat or rare beef on the side. You can also try its beef tea.

Additional Meat – $4

The final verdict for Pho by An Restaurant

The price of Pho in An Restaurant can be considered pretty high. However, people don’t seem to mind paying that much.

Did you know?

They have quite ‘funny’ charges such as $3.50 for spare bowl to share or $1 take away surcharge. I must say that the take away surcharge is quite funny as you generally pay less money for take away food.

Rating for Pho by An Restaurant:

7.0 / 10

Taste: 7.5 / 10

Price: $14 – $15 for pho

Place: 6.5 / 10

Details:

27 Greenfield Parade, Bankstown, NSW 2200

+61 2 9796 7826

Home

May 26, 2015
Pempek Clovelly

Review:

Generally speaking if you compare it with the price in Indonesia, Indonesian food in Sydney is very expensive! However, if you compare it to Sydney’s food prices, they are still pretty cheap. One restaurant that I frequented is Pempek Clovelly.

Pempek is a traditional fish cake originated from the city of Palembang in Indonesia. The unique aspect of pempek is that it comes with vinegar sauce. The sauce is a combination of palm sugar, garlic, vinegar, salt, and chili. The sauce is an integral part of the pempek dish. So, if you don’t get the sauce right, you will spoil the taste. For those of you who have never tasted pempek before, I must warn you that the dish is sweet and sour. The sweet and sour taste usually dominates the flavour.

These days, you can pretty much get pempek from any big cities in Indonesia. However, it is still considered a rarity in Australia. Pempek Clovelly is one of the few restaurants that sells pempek in Sydney (or Australia).

They have six different pempek: ball, stick, tofu, skin, fish cake with egg (nicknamed ‘the submarine’) and omelette. Personally, I like the submarine and omelette with an extra fish cake skin. Being in Sydney, Pempek Clovelly separated the chili from its vinegar sauce.

Pempek Omelette – $7.50

Pempek Skin – $2.50

In addition to pempek, they also sell quite a variety of dishes that are only priced up to $10. In this occasion we ordered their Chicken Noodles. It was quite a simple chicken noodles with meatballs, mushrooms and veggies.

The final verdict for Pempek Clovelly

Being a specialist in pempek, Pempek Clovelly definitely delivered one of the best pempek I have ever tasted. Pempek is a sweet and sour fish cake. So you might need to adjust your taste palate to enjoy it.

Rating for Pempek Clovelly:

7.0 / 10

Taste: 7.5 / 10

Price: $2.50 – $7.50 per piece

Place: 6.5 / 10

Details:

198 Anzac Parade, NSW 2033

+61 2 9697 0009

abc

May 20, 2015
2015 Top 100 Restaurants in Australia by Financial Review

This year, the Australian Financial Review started publishing the Top 100 restaurants in Australia. Instead of being judged by food critics / food bloggers / some random people, the list was actually made by the top 500 chefs in Australia. Being at the top of the list means that your peers agreed that your restaurant is the best in Australia. I am pretty sure that’s the best recognition that you could possibly get.

Sepia is at the top of this list of 2015 Top 100 Restaurants in Australia. Its chef, Martin Benn is also recognised as Australia’s Top Chef. On this occasion, Australian Financial Review also asked the public to vote for their top Australian restaurant with an award called The People’s Award. The People’s Award winner for 2015 is Catalina Restaurant.

All About Food have written a review for only eight of the top 100 restaurants:

Quay at number 3, Mr Wong at number 9, Tetsuya’s at number 10, Rockpool at number 12, Bentley (at the old venue) at number 13, Ester at number 14, Est at number 25, and Marque at number 33.

The number of top 100 restaurants by state:

NSW 45
VIC 37
SA 5
WA 5
QLD 4
TAS 3
ACT 1

They also have the more extensive top 500 restaurants in Australia if you are interested to know.

The full list of 2015 Top 100 Restaurants in Australia by Financial Review

1. Sepia, NSW
2. Attica, VIC
3. Quay, NSW
4. Brae, Birregurra, VIC
5. Cutler & Co, VIC
6. Vue de Monde, VIC
7. Cumulus Inc, VIC
8. Sixpenny, NSW
9. Mr Wong, NSW
10. Tetsuya’s, NSW
11. Flower Drum, VIC
12. Rockpool, NSW
13. Bentley Restaurant & Bar, NSW
14. Ester, NSW
15. MoVida, VIC
16. Momofuku Seiobo, NSW
17. Garagistes (closed April 2015), TAS
18. The Town Mouse, VIC
19. Cafe Paci, NSW
20. Cafe Di Stasio, VIC
21. 10 William St, NSW
22. Saint Crispin, VIC
23. Porteno, NSW
24. Supernormal, VIC
25. Est, NSW
26. The Bridge Room, NSW
27. Estelle, VIC
28. Lee Ho Fook, VIC
29. Rockpool Bar & Grill (Sydney), NSW
30. Lake House, Daylesford, VIC
31. Biota Dining, Bowral, NSW
32. Billy Kwong, NSW
33. Marque, NSW
34. Franklin, TAS
35. Fratelli Paradiso, NSW
36. Esquire, QLD
37. Golden Century, NSW
38. Monopole, NSW
39. Sean’s Panaroma, NSW
40. France-Soir, VIC
41. Chin Chin, VIC
42. Rockpool Bar & Grill (Melbourne), VIC
43. Coda, VIC
44. Magill Estate Restaurant, SA
45. Restaurant Amuse, WA
46. Bar Lourinha, VIC
47. Orana, SA
48. The Apollo, NSW
49. Lau’s Family Kitchen, VIC
50. Ezard, VIC
51. Pilu at Freshwater, NSW
52. Icebergs Dining Room & Bar, NSW
53. Wasabi Restaurant & Bar, QLD
54. Pei Modern (Melbourne), VIC
55. Yoshii, NSW
56. Moon Park, NSW
57. Fish Face, NSW
58. Guillaume, NSW
59. LuMi, NSW
60. Africola, SA
61. Spice Temple (Sydney), NSW
62. Provenance, Beechworth, VIC
63. Pendolino, NSW
64. Cho Cho San, NSW
65. Il Bacaro, VIC
66. Hentley Farm, Seppeltsfield, SA
67. Ormeggio at the Spit, NSW
68. Nomad, NSW
69. Tonka, VIC
70. Grossi Florentino, VIC
71. Urbane, QLD
72. Oscillate Wildly, NSW
73. Sokyo, NSW
74. Gerard’s Bistro, QLD
75. ARIA Restaurant, NSW
76. Gingerboy, VIC
77. Vasse Felix Restaurant, Cowaramup, WA
78. Luxembourg, VIC
79. Belle’s Hot Chicken, VIC
80. The European, VIC
81. Ms G’s, NSW
82. Bodega, NSW
83. Movida, NSW
84. Moon Under Water, VIC
85. Ethos Eat Drink, TAS
86. Izakaya Den, VIC
87. Print Hall Bar & Dining Room, WA
88. ACME, NSW
89. Spice Temple (Melbourne), VIC
90. Longrain (Melbourne), VIC
91. Epocha, VIC
92. Peel St, SA
93. El Publico, WA
94. Ten Minutes By Tractor, Main Ridge, VIC
95. Aubergine, ACT
96. Longrain (Sydney), NSW
97. 4Fourteen, NSW
98. Buon Ricordo, NSW
99. Da Noi, VIC
100. Lalla Rookh, WA

May 19, 2015