Tag: Article

These posts do not carry the usual ratings. It can also come from different authors.

Bórn by Tapavino

It’s been more than 2 years since I last wrote about my experience dining… around the first time the pandemic hit this world 🙁

We are slowly moving back to the new normal and started to eat out again with friends and families… even coming to the office on a more regular basis.

For this edition, I went to Born by Tapavino, for a company lunch. Born by Tapavino is located in Barangaroo, Sydney.

The Menu at Born by Tapavino

Their lunch set menu is priced at $65 pp with an option to add Jamon Croqueta for $6 pp.

They provided a shared-plate set menu that consisted of 1 snack, 4 tapas, and 1 substantial with a side. There was also the dessert of the day: Pavlova 🙂

They also have the a la carte menu available if you’re not really with a big group of people.

Jamon Serrano with Sourdough bread

For the group, they actually served a very generous amount of Jamon Serrano!

The sourdough bread was the one that stole the show for us. They were so very warm and delicious that we actually had to order some extra!

Manchego Churros, Tomato Jam

I believe the churros were the fastest dish devoured by the group on that day!

They were very nice and perfect bite size… it’s a shame we couldn’t have some more extras like the bread 🙂

Galician Octopus, Kipfler Potatoes

I love how they cooked the octopus, Galician style with generous sprinkles of paprika!

They also put substantial amount of potatoes on the plate… which made us struggle towards the end to finish the set menu… good struggle tho 🙂

Gambas al Ajillo, Garlic Prawns

This dish doesn’t need an introduction. Pretty much a staple in most if not all Spanish Tapas.

Did we say we order extra bread? To dip into the garlic sauce!

Char-grilled Chicken + Patatas, Chilli Salt and Sherry Mayo

More potatoes… different kinds but equally good!

The chicken was super juicy with very tasty salsa sauce!

Dessert del Dia – Pavlova

I couldn’t really enjoy this to the fullest because I had to go to another meeting. However, the one scoop I had was very good!

The Final Verdict for Born By Tapavino

It was a very good lunch set menu at Born By Tapavino.

Do you think I should go?

If you do it on a weekday, you might want to clear out the rest of the day for meetings. The set menu was super filling and it might take a while to go through them all.

Rating:

Una’s Darlinghurst

8.5 / 10

Taste: 8.5 / 10

Price: $65 Lunch Set Menu

Place: 8.0 / 10

Details:

9A 23 Barangaroo Avenue, Barangaroo NSW 2000, Sydney

+61 2 8072 7387

https://www.borntapavino.com.au/

Sep 29, 2022
Celebrating Indonesia Independence Day at P’Nut Zetland

P’Nut collaborated with the Indonesian consulate to host an event to celebrate Indonesia’s Independence Day. On this occasion, they had a few special dishes native to Indonesia and also some that are generally available in South East Asian restaurants.

We went to one of their restaurants, P’Nut Zetland. The restaurant is located in the East Village shopping center in Zetland. Half of the restaurant was transformed into a cooking demo area and also some large tables for showcasing their dishes.

They had a few substantial dishes: Beef Rendang, gado-gado and nasi goreng served in a cute mini wok.

P’Nut Zetland also showcased some of their mainstays in the restaurant like prawn dumplings, spicy fried chicken, mee goreng and pad see ew.

These next two dishes weren’t exactly part of the offerings from P’Nut. They were brought in by the Indonesian Consulate.

Two famous Indonesian snacks: Martabak and Terang Bulan (some also called it Sweet Martabak). Maybe ‘snack’ is a bit deceiving as both were super filling. You might know martabak in different shape and form as they are usually available in an Indian restaurant.

Terang bulan is more like a thick pancake with mouth-watering toppings like chocolate and cheese.

P’Nut Zetland cooking demonstration

To close out the event, chef P’Nut performed a cooking demonstration of an Indonesian favourite: Nasi goreng.

He masterfully showed us how to create a restaurant-grade nasi goreng pretty much from scratch!

The consulate also enlisted the help of an Indonesian Chef, Harjo from Medan Ciak. He created one of my favourite Indonesian desserts: Klepon.

Klepon is a sweet rice balls (like a mochi) with coconut and palm sugar. He gave us a few handy tips on how to make the best (well, in our case, a more edible) klepon!

I must say this is one of the most interesting invitation I have ever attended. In addition to showcasing what they have, P’Nut Zetland is also embracing the diversity of Indonesian dishes.

Details:
East Village Shopping Centre T9, 2 Defries Avenue
Zetland 2017
+61 2 9662 2905

https://www.pnut.com.au/

Sep 6, 2019
Gunners Barracks Wedding

Gunners Barracks Wedding Reception:

This is the second time that we went to Gunners Barracks for a wedding celebration. They used to be called ‘The Tea Room at Gunners Barracks‘. Gunners Barracks is located on a waterfront in Mosman. I’m sure there are a lot of websites that talked about ‘Gunners Barracks Wedding‘, but we are here to talk about the food.

There were two sets of entree, main course and desserts for this occasion. Of course, a handful of canapes and free-flowing refreshments were also on the menu.

Entree

Tuna Sashimi, Avocado, White Soy, Nori

Rather than the normal sashimi, the first set of entree was actually a lightly seared tuna with a few cuts of avocado and sprinkled with seeds and some Asian greens. It was quite a simplistic start to the lunch service for those having the tuna.

Crispy Pork Belly, Pineapple Jam, Asian Leaves

On the contrary, the second set of entree was quite on the heavy side, crispy pork belly. Instead of the usual Apple jam, they used pineapple jam.

Main

Roasted Fillet of Beef, Potato Gratin, Broccolini, Pepper & Thyme Jus

I would call the first main Steak… I’m not sure why they called it ‘fillet of beef’ as it kinda looked like grilled meat. They chose to cook the steak more in the medium-to-medium-well range, which unfortunately wasn’t my cup of tea.

Pan Fried Tasmanian Salmon, Calamari, Crushed Peas, Sauce Vierge

The Tasmanian salmon, on the other hand, was exquisite. It was quite a delightful dish! The addition of calamari and sauce vierge further enhanced its taste.

Dessert

Dark Chocolate Fondant, Cornflake Ice Cream, Crumbs

Considering that I’m not a big fan of chocolate (yep, I’m weird…), the decision on who would pick the fondant was quite straightforward.

The presentation of lava cake was more on the dry side… akin to the sashimi entree.

Sticky Date Pudding, Vanilla Ice Cream, Butterscotch Sauce

The sticky date pudding, on the other hand, was drenched in butterscotch sauce and super creamy vanilla ice cream. It was pretty heavy and I felt guilty after finishing it… but it was very good.

What do we think about Gunners Barracks Wedding Reception?

Gunners Barracks is probably one of the best venues in Sydney (or Australia) to hold a wedding reception.

View this post on Instagram

Tuna sashimi from one of the best wedding venues in Sydney, Gunners Barracks #sashimi #tuna #wedding #lunch #celebration #celebrate #sydney #weekend #AllAboutFoodBlog

A post shared by All About Food Blog (@aaf_blog) on Sep 28, 2018 at 8:51pm PDT

Details:

End of Suakin Drive, Mosman 2088

+61 2 8962 5900

https://gunnersbarracks.com.au/

Oct 12, 2018
Good Food Guide 2019
Good Food Guide 2019 is upon us! This is the second year that they do the award nationally.

The winner of this year’s good food guide restaurant of the year is Restaurant Orana in Adelaide, South Australia.

Other Awards in this year’s Good Food Guide 2019

Best new restaurant of the year is Laura at Point Leo Estate in Victoria by Phil Wood.

Peter Gilmore from Quay in NSW has won the Chef of The Year award. Quay is a three-chef-hat restaurant 17 years in a row!

Brae in Victoria was awarded the Regional Restaurant of the Year in 2019. Its head chef is Dan Hunter.

Stefano de Pieri from Stefano’s Cantina in Victoria received the Legend Award.

Young Chef of the year award was given to Jodie Odrowaz from Iki Jime in Victoria.

Kylie Javier Ashton (Momofuku Seiobo, Sydney) won the Service Excellence Award.

Food for Good award was given to #SydneyDoesntSuck campaign by the City of Sydney. This campaign aims at reducing plastic straws in Sydney.

Bar of the year is The Dolphin Wine Room in NSW.

Sommelier of the year went to Travis Howe from Carlton Wine Room in Victoria.

If you want a good wine, you should go to Otto Brisbane in Queensland as they won this year’s Wine List of the year.

The regional wine list of the year went to Wickens at the Royal Mail in Dunkeld, Victoria.

List of NSW restaurants with hats in Good Food Guide 2019

Three hats

There are three restaurants in NSW awarded with three hats as listed in the Good Food Guide 2019 website:
- Quay – 2003, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2013. Quay’s chef, Peter Gilmore, won this year’s Chef of the year.
- Momofuku Seiobo.
- Sixpenny. We went to sixpenny earlier this year and it was so far the best restaurant we went to this year.
The same three restaurants as last year (Attica, Brae, Minamishima) in Victoria and Restaurant Orana in South Australia also received three hat status.

As listed from the website, the rest of the hats are as follows:

Two hats

Aria, Automata, Bennelong, Bentley Restaurant & Bar, Biota Dining, Bert’s Bar and Brasserie, The Bridge Room, Cirrus, Est., Ester, Firedoor, Fleet, Fred’s, Icebergs Dining Room & Bar, Lucio’s, LuMi Dining, Monopole, Mr. Wong, Muse Restaurant, Ormeggio at The Spit, Oscillate Wildly, Paper Daisy, Pilu at Freshwater, Porteño, Restaurant Hubert, Rockpool Bar & Grill, Saint Peter, Tetsuya’s, Yellow

One hat – Sydney

10 William St, A1 Canteen, Acme, The Apollo, Bacco Osteria, The Bathers’ Pavilion, Billy Kwong, Bistro Guillaume, Ble Restaurant, The Boathouse on Blackwattle Bay, Bodega, Buon Ricordo, Catalina, Chin Chin, China Doll, Cho Cho San, Continental Deli Bar Bistro, Cottage Point Inn, The Dolphin Hotel, Felix, Fratelli Paradiso, The Gantry, Glass Brasserie, Hartsyard, Hotel Centennial, Izakaya Fujiyama, Jonah’s, Kepos and Co, Kepos Street Kitchen, Lankan Filling Station, LP’s Quality Meats, Nomad, Otto Ristorante, Paper Bird, Poly, Queen Chow, The Restaurant Pendolino, Rising Sun Workshop, Rosetta Ristorante, Sagra, Sake Restaurant and Bar (Double Bay), Sean’s Panorama, Sokyo, Sotto Sopra, Spice Temple, Stanbuli, Sushi e, Three Blue Ducks (Bronte), Uccello, Yan

One hat – Regional

The Argyle Inn, Bistro Molines, Bistro Officina, The Byron at Byron Resort, Caveau, Clementine, Fumo, Harvest, Lolli Redini, Margan Restaurant, Muse Kitchen, Pearls on the Beach, Restaurant Mason, Shelter, St. Isidore, The Stunned Mullet, Subo, The Zin House

The following restaurants lost their hat status

Aki’s, Banksii, Beach Byron Bay, Bellevue, Bistro Rex, Da Orazio Pizza & Porchetta, Darley’s, Eschalot, Long Chim, Ms. G’s, The Paddington, Rocker, Tonic, Town Restaurant & Cafe

The following restaurants closed permanently

4Fourteen, The Antipodean, Jade Temple

Note: Green is a new entry to the list. Orange is the one who lost a hat
Oct 9, 2018
2018 Top 100 Restaurants in Australia by Financial Review

Last week, the Australian Financial Review published the 2018 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.

Brae is at the top of this list of 2018 Top 100 Restaurants in Australia. Australia’s Top Chef award is given to chef Josh Niland from Saint Peter in Paddington in New South Wales.

From the 2018 top 100 restaurants in Australia list, All About Food have only been to 10 of them:
– Ester at number 2
– Sixpenny at number 7
– Mr Wong at number 17
– Quay at number 24
– The Bridge Room at number 27
– Tetsuya’s at number 29
– Golden Century at number 38
– est. at number 52
– Bentley (at the old venue) at number 59
– Sokyo at number 97

The number of top 100 restaurants by state:

NSW 41
VIC 31
SA 13
TAS 5
WA 4
QLD 4
ACT 2

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

The full list of 2018 Top 100 Restaurants in Australia by Financial Review

1 Brae, Birregurra – VIC Top Restaurant in VIC 2018, Top Service 2018
2 Ester – NSW Top Restaurant in NSW 2018
3 Saint Peter – NSW Top Chef 2018
4 Attica – VIC
5 Africola – SA Top Restaurant in SA 2018
6 Momofuku Seiobo – NSW
7 Sixpenny – NSW
8 Embla – VIC
9 Sepia – NSW
10 Fleet, Brunswick Heads – NSW
11 Firedoor – NSW Winner of The Rare Medium Award 2018
12 Igni, Geelong – VIC
13 LuMi Dining – NSW
14 Franklin – TAS Top Restaurant in TAS 2018
15 Fred’s – NSW
16 Restaurant Hubert – NSW
17 Mr Wong – NSW
18 Flower Drum – VIC
19 Tipo 00 – VIC
20 Anchovy – VIC
21 Bennelong – NSW
22 Fratelli Paradiso – NSW
23 Orana – SA
24 Quay – NSW
25 Automata – NSW
26 Billy Kwong – NSW
27 The Bridge Room – NSW
28 10 William St – NSW
29 Tetsuya’s – NSW
30 The Apollo – NSW
31 Cirrus Dining – NSW
32 Agrarian Kitchen Eatery – TAS Top Newcomer 2018
33 Supernormal – VIC
34 LP’s Quality Meats – NSW
35 Minamishima – VIC
36 Sean’s Panaroma – NSW
37 Cutler & Co – VIC
38 Golden Century – NSW
39 Cumulus Inc. – VIC
40 Gerard’s Bistro – QLD Top Restaurant in QLD 2018
41 Hentley Farm, Seppeltsfield – SA
42 Lee Ho Fook – VIC
43 Paper Bird – NSW
44 Ramblr – VIC
45 Templo – TAS
46 Biota Dining, Bowral – NSW
47 Gauge – QLD
48 The Summertown Aristologist, Summertown – SA
49 Amaru – VIC
50 Bar Lourinhã – VIC
51 Wasabi Restaurant and Bar, Noosa Heads – QLD
52 est. – NSW
53 Icebergs Dining Room and Bar – NSW
54 Marion – VIC
55 Oakridge Restaurant, Coldstream – VIC
56 Oscillate Wildly – NSW
57 Paper Daisy, Cabarita Beach – NSW
58 Aubergine – ACT Top Restaurant in ACT 2018
59 Bentley Restaurant & Bar – NSW
60 Dinner by Heston Blumenthal – VIC
61 France-Soir – VIC
62 Kisumé – VIC
63 Lulu La Delizia – WA Top Restaurant in WA 2018
64 Magill Estate Restaurant – SA
65 Ezard – VIC
66 French Saloon – VIC
67 Ides – VIC
68 Osteria Oggi – SA
69 Pt. Leo Estate, Merricks – VIC
70 Rockpool Bar & Grill, Sydney – NSW
71 Stanbuli – NSW
72 Cafe Di Stasio – VIC
73 Chin Chin, Sydney – NSW
74 Cho Cho San – NSW
75 Estelle by Scott Pickett – VIC
76 Fico – TAS
77 Fino at Seppeltsfield, Seppeltsfield – SA
78 MoVida, Melbourne – VIC
79 nel. – NSW
80 Ormeggio at the Spit – NSW
81 Porteño – NSW
82 Botanic Gardens Restaurant – SA
83 Millbrook Winery Restaurant, Jarrahdale – WA
84 Monster – ACT
85 Peel St – SA
86 Pilu at Freshwater – NSW
87 The Pot by Emma McCaskill – SA
88 The Salopian Inn, McLaren Vale – SA
89 Aloft – TAS
90 Chin Chin, Melbourne – VIC
91 Provenance, Beechworth – VIC
92 Shōbōsho – SA
93 Vue de Monde – VIC
94 Yarri Restaurant + Bar, Dunsborough – WA
95 Aria, Sydney – NSW
96 Long Chim, Perth – WA
97 Sokyo – NSW
98 Rick Shores, Burleigh Heads – QLD
99 Lûmé – VIC
100 FermentAsian, Tanunda – SA

Jul 10, 2018
The 7 Best Restaurants in Peru
The 7 Best Restaurants in Peru

The following article is a guest post from AllTheRooms.com.

From the Amazon to the Andes, Peru specializes in dishes that draw on the fresh produce of the country’s distinct areas. Peruvian cuisine is one of the finest in the world, with its incredible ceviche and South American and Asian fusions that are a result of centuries of migration.

Its capital, Lima, is known for its amazing seafood and ceviche, freshly caught from the Pacific Ocean. Meanwhile, inland in the Andean mountains, the cuisine is known for its variety of potatoes, fresh river trout and quinoa-based dishes. Moving even further into the country’s interior to the Amazon, you can find fish cooked in banana leaves with exotic, Amazonian fruit sauces. We’ve selected the 7 best restaurants in Peru for you to try.
1. Amaz, Lima
Photo by ámaZ Restaurante

For a taste of the Amazon, head to Amaz in Lima. Dishes on the menu include snails, coconut rice and plantains cooked with traditional Amazonian techniques. The restaurant also has succulent fish dishes with fruity and spicy sauces. There’s an exotic cocktail menu to accompany your meal, so be sure to sample a few. And if you need a place to crash after, you can check out all accommodation options in Lima.
1. Huaca Pullana, Lima
Photo by Restaurant Huaca Pullana

If you’ve ever wanted to dine amongst pre-Inca ruins than you should head to Huaca Pullana in Lima, which is on the sight of ruins with the same name. It’s a magical dining experience where you can eat on the restaurant’s terrace and gaze at the ruins. Don’t be shy and go for the roasted guinea pig, which is a traditional Peruvian dish. If you’re not the adventurous type, there are plates such as lobster risotto, seabass or aji de gallina, which is a Peruvian specialty of chicken cooked in a spicy, yellow pepper sauce.
1. La Lucha Sangucheria, Lima and Arequipa
Photo by La Lucha Sangucheria Criolla

No trip to Peru is complete without eating a sandwich in a sangucheria. Peru is known for its excellent sandwich scene, with tons of sandwich shops in the main cities. La Lucha has restaurants in Arequipa and Lima. The bread is perfectly fresh, with a nice crispy outer edge. Meanwhile, there are tons of delicious fillings to try and it’s a great option for vegetarians and meat-eaters alike.
1. Pachapapa, Cusco
Photo by Pachapapa cocina cusqueña y más

Pachapapa restaurant is located in the heart of the hipster San Blas district in Cusco. It serves up delicious, traditional Andean dishes, including locally sourced trout, roasted guinea pig and skewers of alpaca meat. The restaurant’s interior features traditional Cuzqueño decor and it feels like you’ve stepped into a local’s house.
1. Salamanto Restaurante, Arequipa
Photo by Salamanto Restaurante

Salamanto Restaurante in Arequipa serves ancestral dishes cooked with a modern twist. It’s an incredible fusion of old and new, as the restaurant uses ancient techniques to prepare the cuisine. Order a seven or ten-course tasting menu, which features plates such as alpaca and trout cooked in quirky sauces that will blow your mind.
1. Jardin Secreto, Cusco
Photo by Jardin Cusqueño

Jardin Secreto is a casual restaurant offering up local cuisine, and if you’re looking for a quick Andean bite, it’s a great option. It serves up Peruvian staples including grilled trout, lomo saltado, which is strips of beef that have been stir-fried with onions, chili and vegetables, and quinoa soups. In the evenings there’s live Andean folk music, to really get you in the mood.
1. La Mar
Photo by La Mar

No trip to Peru would be complete without sampling its national dish: ceviche. La Mar, in the trendy neighborhood of Miraflores in Lima, serves up tasty ceviche in a high-end restaurant atmosphere. The ceviche is to die for. Be sure to pair your meal with a Chilcano or pisco sour cocktail.
Feb 28, 2018