Pony Lounge and Dining – Review

I arrived at  Pony Lounge & Dining situated in the Rocks with some trepidation. On occasion I am expected to like or at very least be willing to try just about everything food related. But morally I can’t eat horse, I grew up riding and loving them. I also really don’t like black pudding and Sean Connolly once made me eat  it on the radio show while we were live. It was awful and I am now scarred for life. So to my total relief and joy I read through the Pony Lounge and Dining menu to discover that they do serve lots of wonderful sustainable produce like Kurabuta Pork, Veal, Thirlmere Chicken, Mirrool Creek Lamb but thankfully no pony.

Pony Lounge and Dining Emphasises Good Produce

I interviewed Executive Head Chef Damien Heads on the show and discovered a man who is working very hard. With two demanding restaurants on either side of the bridge as well as a young family he arrived at the studio with a tiny parcel of food. Naturally I hinted I might be a little hungry and he mumbled that they had done so many covers the night before they had almost run out of food. What he did bring was the Seared Sirloin – Soy, Lime, Chilli and Lemongrass dressing. It worked very well with the wine and I was left wanting more.

Damian Heads

My dinner guest was the dynamic, energized and passionate Claudia Bowman from McIntosh and Bowman the cheesemongers. Claudia loves good food so she was the perfect guest. Plus I am cooking up a new exciting venture and I knew she would be a great sounding board. The rocks would not usually be on my list of  food destinations. However in the past few months I have had two very good, reasonably prices meals here. One at Baroque and now at Pony Lounge and Dining.

Sashimi Yellowfin Tuna Spring Roll with Green Soybean Sauce

We started with Sydney Rock Oysters $3.60 each, trying both the natural and the Nham Jim Dressing, Crisp Eschalot. I always love a meal when it begins on the right note and fat creamy oysters are the way to start the magic. We then moved onto the small plates of which there are around 16 dishes. My favourite was the Sashimi Yellowfin Tuna Spring Roll with Green Soybean Sauce $16.50. Good textures with a great balance of crispy and spicy.

The team hard at work

The Tortellini of Slow Cooked Beef Cheek, Heirloom Tomato, Broccoli and Tarragon ($24 entrée, $32 main) was delicious; I was starting to regret the suggestion of sharing everything. The waitress was very knowledgeable about where the produce came from and was happy to assist us with her favourite choices, which made the ordering process a breeze.

The mains are all meaty and hearty

The Firstlight NZ Wagyu Sirloin, with Potato Dauphinoise, Eschalots and De Puy Lentils $46, was very good. Our chips could have been slightly crispier but the meat was tender and full of flavour. I know the supplier of this product personally and I know that he is very particular about quality so these animals live well and the results are in the eating.

The dessert menu is short and sweet with fresh delights

Dessert is the the moment of truth and my Apple Flan, Apple Caramel and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream $15 was delicious, as good was Claudia’s Dark Chocolate Pudding, Salted Peanut Brittle and Espresso Ice Cream $14.80. I did have a little food envy when I saw hers.

The Rocks on the left, Neutral Bay on the right

The interior is long and thin but warm and comfortable, the atmosphere is buzzy and the wine list good. My ideal evening would be going to Wine Odyssey across the cobbles for a pre-dinner drink and then having several Pony dishes to share. On the other hand if I were going to hang out with my North Shore friends Pony in Neutral Bay would be a very good option.

Good ethically produced, sustainable produce puts this restaurant on my top 10 recommends. Well worth the dinner out. www.ponydining.com.au

The Rocks
Cnr 14-15 Kendall Lane and Argyle Street
The Rocks, Sydney
T: (02) 9252 7797
Open: Daily 12pm-3pm, 6pm-11pm
[email protected]
Neutral Bay
12-25 Grosvenor St, Neutral Bay
T: (02) 9904 3400, Sydney
[email protected]
Open: Lunch Thursday – Sunday 12.00 – 3pm
Dinner Monday – Sunday 6p, – late
Breakfast Sundays from 8am
Published on July 27, 2011 in General and Limited Table. 3 Comments Tags: , , , , .

Honest to Goodness

Matt Ward from the company Honest to Goodness was on the show on Saturday. I love a guest whose home lifestyles mirrors their product beliefs. Organic all the way for this family.

Matt & Karen

The Honest to Goodness products are very good for you, many of them include super foods which have far reaching health benefits. The products are all selected and hand packed so there is no production line here. This is a small-dedicated group of real foodies who are more interested in how to offer a healthy, tasty way to live than watching the bottom line. Karen Matt’s wife advocates buyer co-ops to make organic living and eating affordable and believes it brings back community spirit to the food process. There website contains loads of great info  and it is well worth a look. www.goodness.com.au

Hand packed and no preservatives

The delicious list of products is impressive from honey and adult trail mix to flour and berries. They stock the new incaberries which hail from South America, these taste fantastic and are another great antioxidant superfood. You can find Honest to Goodness at the markets and online visit here www.goodness.com.au for locations, information and if you bump into Matt and Karen let them know I sent you.

Published on July 25, 2011 in General and Limited Table. Closed Tags: , , , , , , , , .

Bistro Ortolan – Review

When the idea of doing an interview with Paul McGrath from Bistro Ortolan for Bastille Day was proposed I was hesitant. If I was going to do something then I wanted it to be with a really good restaurant not one I had never even heard of. OOPS! My mistake, it is not a good restaurant; it’s a great restaurant. I was in the money. What’s more, I felt like I was really special, as it seemed like everyone else had missed this coup.

Paul & Jenny McGrath

Run by husband and wife team Paul and Jenny McGrath, Bistro Ortolan deserves its two hats, having kept them on for the past three years. Great restaurants are better than great dates; the waiters and sommeliers treat you with utmost respect, laugh at your jokes, and pander to you. The restaurant envelops you in warmth and delights you visually. Then you journey through all the senses, taste, touch, smell getting to great heights as the delicious morsels slip down your throat and after all that you don’t even have to kick them out of bed!

Where we sat - Upstairs Bistro Ortolan

So onto the serious stuff. The venue is located in Marion Street in Leichhardt, it is French and classy in an understated way. The locals love it and I would imagine want to keep it for themselves.  The tables are covered in quality linen and crystal candleholders twinkle at you suggestively. There are two dining rooms, one downstairs as you enter and one upstairs with a more private sunroom where I am sure you could hold a private function. There are no sad corner tables or as I refer to them, Siberian tables. Each seat is carefully considered so you get privacy and comfort but you are still surrounded by a warm atmosphere.

Perfect Vegetables being prepped

There is great attention to detail from the cutlery and crockery to the beautifully plated dishes. My BFF Janine and I started with Sesame rolled loin of Yellowfin Tuna with a petite salad nicoise and softly cooked quails egg $26. When the dish arrives it looks beautiful, tiny perfectly crafted fresh produce morsels carefully placed to visually delight and then you get the taste sensation. Balance and technique come together like an orchestra. Brandade and cured fillet of house-salted ling with baby fennel and seaweed brioche $28, follows with Janine starting to look less likely to share.

Rare spice roasted sirloin of Cervena venison

The stand out main and only because this was mine was the Rare, spice-roasted sirloin of Cervena venison with a fricassée of glazed winter vegetables, foie gras and game pie $45. Warm and wintery with an unctuous jus poured at the table. The dish was generous for this type of restaurant and apparently the locals make sure it all stays very real.

Dessert Roasted Banana and salted Caramel Bombe Alaska

Chestnut, chocolate and Pedro Ximénez ‘Bombe Alaska’ with roasted banana and walnut dacquoise $18 followed but my Cadeau of poire belle Hélène with warm chocolate $18 was indeed delicious, the final moment to a beautiful meal when you know that you would rather stab your BFF in the hand with the fork than share. There is a good selection of cheese on offer and the wine matches for each dish were spot on.

2006 First Drop JR Gantos Cabernet Sauv Touriga Nacional - McLaren Vale SA

When you have a sommelier like Philippe Lebrun, who is a French national, engage you in a wine matching journey the pursuit of the perfect match becomes one of the most exciting parts of the meal, and our journey was as good as the Tour de France. There is beauty, symmetry and perfect balance in this kitchen; Paul is an artist who understands flavour, texture and really works with his superb produce. I realized at the end of this meal that BFF Janine and I had little time to do our usual laugh and cry dinner routine. Most of the time we just closed our eyes and sighed with pleasure.

Bistro Ortolan is now on my top 5 list.

Just make sure you ask how much the specials are before you order when they are full of the good things like fresh truffles and foie gras you can expect to pay a bit more.

Where: 134 Marion St., Leichhardt, Sydney
Times: Dinner: Tuesday to Saturday (6 to 10) – a la carte and degustation.
BYO: permitted Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays (max. 1 bottle per person. No BYO for groups of 8 and over)
Corkage: $15 per bottle
Email: [email protected]
Bookings: recommended 02 9568 4610

Published on July 19, 2011 in General and Limited Table. 2 Comments

One Hell of a Bird!

In Africa, the idea of a Game Farm immediately makes me think of beautiful Lions, Elephants and Buck. So you can understand my confusion when I interviewed Scott Evans and Karl Fraser from Game Farm and discovered it was all in the birds. I sighed with relief and got into some very good game bird eating.

I love a man who can cook on the go, sort of reminds me of when I was little and I still believed in the idea of the knight in shining armour. So Karl impressed me with his ability to cook delicious marinated quail breast on a tiny, portable stove in the studio kitchen. I could not get enough of the quail breasts, delicate, easy to cook, tender and great as an entree. Add a little soy, garlic, ginger, olive oil and a touch of lemon juice to the quail breasts, let them stand for a couple of hours (in the fridge) and then pop them on the barbie or in a pan. A little exotic and seriously tasty, serve with a toothpick. I proudly cooked them for my BFF Janine and my son when I came home from the show. He said I was a MasterChef. Got to love the six year old. BFF loved them too. If the quail breasts don’t inspire you go for the whole quail.

Braised Quail with Dates and Leeks

I was lucky enough to come home with a goody bag and I asked Camilla van Beuningen (who is a great chef and was the food editor for the FoodinFocus magazine), how to cook duck breasts.  It was so simple but to do them well it is important to score the fat and to make sure you season well. I got it just right, add a potato rosti and a berry jus and another MasterChef moment was created! I also loved the spatchcock which I poached and turned into a healthy salad.

Spatchcock with White Wine Lemon and Rosemary

I asked Scott about his treatment of the birds. I like to know that like any living thing, while alive they are having a good time and the answer was yes, these birds live the life, happy, fat and juicy. Plus I discovered that Australian birds and that includes all chickens are all hormone free and have been for 40 years. Now there is a good question for trivia. For more information on food myths visit www.abc.net.au/landline/stories/s543233.htm

Game Farm offer access to their Gourmet Club where you can download  the most beautiful magazine style newsletters. They have gorgeous photography, helpful recipes and product information. To subscribe, locate stockists and for recipe ideas click here www.gamefarm.com.au

Recipe

Duck with Spiced Citrus Sauce

Duck with Spiced Citrus Sauce

Ingredients
2 Game Farm Duck breasts
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground Sichuan peppercorns

Citrus sauce
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoons fish sauce
3 star anise
1 cinnamon quill
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
(about 2 small limes)
1 orange, skin removed and cut into fillets

Method
Preheat oven to 200°C.
Using a small, sharp knife score the skin of the duck breasts soak into the breasts and spread the salt and pepper over each duck breast.
Heat a non-stick oven-proof frying pan over medium heat.
Add the duck, skin-side down, and cook for 3-4 minute.
Turn the breasts over and place the pan in the oven for a further 7-10 minutes.
Remove from the oven, cover with foil and set aside for 5 minutes to rest.
Meanwhile, make the sauce.
Combine the water, sugar and ginger in a small saucepan and bring to the boil.
Reduce heat and allow to simmer, stirring occasionally for about 7 minutes to reduce slightly.
Add fish sauce and spices and simmer for a further 2 minutes.
Stir through lime juice and orange and remove from heat.
Slice the duck, place onto heated serving plates and pour sauce over.
Serve with steamed asparagus or another seasonal vegetable

Published on July 14, 2011 in General and Limited Table. 1 Comment

Baroque Bistro – Review

I love a restaurant that it is true to itself. There are so many “maybe” restaurants out there with confused food orientation. So often I am told that a restaurant is a little Italian with a touch of French Indian and the décor has Asian overtones. Really? So it was with some joy that I sat down to sample the food at Baroque Bistro in the Rocks. I then hosted my wonderful friend Justin Walters from Cuttings NSW on my show  – he always brings the best wines and I had the boys from Baroque Bistro who brought in some great food and an assortment of to-die-for macarons.

I am and always have been a very lazy ‘blogger’ I love the radio show, can talk the hind legs of a donkey and fall in and out of love with every chef that comes onto the show. So while I try really hard to update and sometimes am fantastic at it I usually suck at the written information highway. It is therefore good that Baroque has some excellent photos and that every Tom, Dick and Martha is featuring them at the moment. I did enjoy the restaurant experience hence the effort.

Here are a few good reasons to visit Baroque Bistro and Patisserie

The two head chefs are very accomplished. French born Jean Michel Raynaud is a multi award-winning pastry chef who began his incredible career under the tutelage of master patissier, Robert Schicci in Marseille and his exceptional talents for pulling sugar, piping and chocolate carving ensured his meteoric rise to head pastry chef by the age of 20. He has worked in some of the world’s most recognized institutions including famous 3-Michelin starred French restaurant “Le Petit Nice”.

Jean Michel

Peter Robertson has done a stint with French master Tony Bilson. Overseas he enjoyed a spell at Heston Blumenthal’s internationally applauded, 3-Michelin starred restaurant, The Fat Duck, as well as at progressive institution Tom Aikens. Time in Parisian institution Aux Lyonnais under bistro-cooking maestro Alain Ducasse followed, capitalising on Peter’s Bilson’s experience and further consolidated his love for producing top quality French-bistro fare.

Peter

What I loved about both of them was that in my studio they got right into the food and the wine and knew how to have a laugh. In my book a chef has to have a sense of humour and if they can flirt even better. The food is also very reasonably priced which makes a change especially down in the Rocks. My dinner at Baroque consisted of some of the dishes they have just included on their Les Quatre Saisons De Baroque Seasonal Event which took place this week. Baroque Bistro joined with Tscharke wines and the Sydney Youth Orchestra for an inspired evening of food, music and wine. I recently listened to the youth orchestra at the Sydney Town Hall and was blown away by their exquisite music.

My BFF (my 6 year old son recently told me what that means) Janine who is so often my food companion (that is how I keep her loving me, free food) and I were treated to some very good fare. Top quality seasonal ingredients (let me just say that today if a restaurant is not preparing seasonal produce eat somewhere else). The food was balanced and interesting and you got a sense of where Peter had cut his teeth in terms of his technique. I always know that it is a good meal when  Janine and I spend most of our night making gooey sounds with intermittent bouts of tears and then peels of laughter.

The décor is right up my alley too, beautiful elements housed in a deconstructed heritage listed building, glass and copper shine and reflect the warm tones highlighting the quirky space. There was overall good attention to detail and the food presentation was impressive. The wine list worked well with the French Bistro cuisine.

The textured dessert was heavenly. Sex on a plate! and the beautiful Macarons were worth their weight in gold and  even though I was sure that I was very full I managed to gulp down three. They crack, ooze and have that wonderful slightly chewy bite to them. The Chai flavour was my favourite but I know they have some additional seasonal specials and they are all worth a go.

The restaurant is really worth a visit and the patisserie is fantastic.

Contact Baroque on (02) 9241 4811, for bookings. www.baroquebistro.com.au 88 George Street (cnr of Hickson Road), The Rocks Sydney

Published on June 3, 2011 in General. 3 Comments

Bringing the farmers market to your door

I interviewed the delightful Carla Penn on the FoodinFocus radio show who has recently launched the efarmersmarket.com.au

Not only is she as cute as a button and speaks like a speed racer she is very passionate about her business. A posse of young food enthusiasts set out around the country to corner the best in farmers market produce and bring it directly to your door. How very lucky we are!

Look out for the $150 hamper Giveaway coming this week!

10 things you need to know about the efarmersmarket.com.au

1. In an ideal world everyone would buy Australian owned and made products. Now through the efarmersmarket you can. All the produce is 100% made in Australia.

All products are Australian Made

2. With a range of 750 all-Australian products, eFarmersMarket carefully and individually selects every product that features on the website. Bring in posse of young travelling foodies.

3. The website works in the usual online shopping format, where customers can browse different categories and add items to their cart as they go along.

4. The website also allows shoppers to meet the producers, hear their story and truly know where their food comes from much better than reading the ingredients on the label and guessing.

These are very sexy moist brownies

5. A huge variety of products are available from an antipasto range through to chocolates and sweets, with sections specifically for organic and gluten free products.

6. Products are handmade – often with ingredients grown on their own farm or in their local town. All the products you find on eFarmersMarket are made in small batches by artisan producers. Some are so small they are not even able to open an account with Australia Post.

7. A Meal Box comes with a recipe card, products and a shopping list for additional ingredients required, such as meat and staples. Good food made very simple.

8. All orders are delivered within 48 hours.

9. All orders come with a flat delivery fee of $13 anywhere in Australia.

Cognac Raisins need I say more

10. Products I tried and loved.
A) The brownies are delicious, moist, melt-in-the-mouth morsels.
B) The Dukah which is Asian inspired. Dip fresh bread into Lemon Myrtle Olive Oil and then into the Dukah for a Asian, Aussie twist.
C) Oh and don’t forget the hand made chocolates.

For more information, please visit www.efarmersmarket.com.au.

Published on May 22, 2011 in General. 1 Comment

Helm Bar Cheese Tasting

I interviewed Claudia Bowman (nee McIntosh), of the ‘McIntosh & Bowman’ cheese partnership a few weeks ago. Claudia is delightful. Her passion for cheese is immense and for the past 4 years she has immersed herself in cheese focused activities around the world.

The gorgeus cheese on offer at the Helm Bar Event, 8 March

Now she has joined forces with the Helm Bar to host an exclusively Australian wine & cheese appreciation evening. The event will also see the launch of a new Australian cheese menu that will be permanently on offer for Helm patrons to enjoy in the future. Guests of this educational evening will be given the opportunity to experiment and enjoy the four premium Australian farmhouse cheeses expertly selected and matched to complementary Australian wines by host Claudia.

Assortment of Cheeses

In addition to talking through and tasting these uniquely Australian matches, guests will learn insider tips and tricks to help them discover how to make the perfect cheese and wine match. At just $35 per person, this is the perfect event to learn more about the art of wine and cheese matching from the best in the business. The event is taking place on Tuesday, March 8, at 6.30p. The Helm Bar can be located at Aquarium Wharf, Wheat Road, Darling Harbour, NSW 2000 Australia. Ph: 02 9290 1571.
See more info on Claudia at www.mcintoshandbowman.com

Published on March 5, 2011 in General. Closed

Recipe – Flaked Salmon & Fresh Avocado Pasta

Avocado complements the creamy sauce and salmon well. It also adds a fresh green colour as a contrast to the dish.
Serves: 10

AVO SALMON PASTA

Ingredients
900g spaghetti
800g fresh salmon (skinless and boneless)
100ml olive oil
1.2 l cream
100g baby spinach
100g baby capers
½ bunch dill (chopped)
½ bunch parsley (chopped)
5 avocado (diced)
Salt and pepper to taste


Method

1. Cook pasta, drain and set aside.

2. Heat oil in a fry pan, season salmon add to hot pan and roast until medium, allow to cool and flake.

3. Bring cream to the boil and reduce by half, add spinach, capers, salmon, pasta then the herbs and avocado, season and serve.

Published on February 14, 2011 in General. Closed

Avocados – Fast Facts You Want to Know

I love avocados in fact I am almost sure I could be called an addict. I become slightly hysterical at the thought that I may not have a ripe one for my salad, toast, fish dish. My only problem was that until very recently the idea of eating these delectable fruits in summer made me feel so guilty. I really try to practice what I preach and eat seasonally. So it was with guilt that I have indulged thinking that the avo season was only in winter.  However I had Stewart White the Vice President of the Australian Association of Food Professionals on the show and he thankfully put me straight.

Try Avo as a Smoothie

  • Avocados are originally from Central/South America.
  • Word ‘avocado’ derives from the Aztec name for the fruit – ahuacatl – meaning ‘fertility fruit’.
  • The first avocado seeds arrived in Australia in 1840, and were planted in the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney.
  • Australia is the 19th biggest producer of avocados in the world. The top three are: 1. Mexico 2. Indonesia 3. USA.
  • In South East Asia and some South American countries, avocados are eaten with sugar or used in sweet dishes like smoothies.
  • The Hass variety makes up almost 80% (79%) of our avocados in Australia and is available almost all year round. Australian avocados are predominately grown in Queensland.
  • While the Hass variety can be sourced throughout the year, Australian Avocados are actually in season during the winter months, which is when they are at their most economical.
  • Other avocado varieties are commonly referred to as ‘green skins’ as they do not turn a deep purple black colour when ripening as Hass do.  Some green skin varieties available in Australia are Shepard, Reed and Wurtz.
  • Far from being relegated to café style sandwiches and wraps, avocados are very versatile and can easily be a star ingredient in at any given meal opportunity, including warm dishes.
  • A simple way of using fresh avocados is to add the fruit to the dish later in the cooking process by warming through just before serving.
  • Cooking with avocado is easy with knowhow. They are suited to a range of cooking styles including grilling, frying, baking and as well as warming.
  • A common misconception is that cooked avocados will have a bitter flavour. This will not occur if the fruit is handled correctly; instead, the avocado will add a creamy, nutty element to the dish.
  • Avocadoss are full of healthy fat – monounsaturated.
  • They contain more potassium than a banana.
  • Are high in fibre in fact  one of the highest sources found in fruit
  • Offer one of the richest sources of glutathione, a powerful antioxidant shown to block 30 different carcinogenics.
  • Contain more than 25 essential vitamins and minerals: Vitamin A, B, B6, C and E. Vitamin E prevents dangerous cholesterol from being oxidised and deposited on artery walls.
  • Because of the water and fibre content, avocados are filling so are appealing to people who are weight conscious.
  • Avocados are gluten free and can also be used as a substitute for dairy and animal fats, so can be used to create dishes for those with allergens or vegetarians / vegans.

WOW now if I could make some other good addict choices in my life ill be living the life!

One Question though, if they are so wonderful and we know they are why is it that so few if any top restaurants that are not Asian or Fish offer Avo in any form on their menu?

Published on February 14, 2011 in General. Closed

Seared Salmon Fillet on Avocado Pea Mash and Avocado Chimichurri

This Avocado Pea Mash is delicious and so easy to make.

Serves: 4 (Fish)

Ingredients

4 x 180g salmon fillet, boned
2 tbsp olive oil
400g green peas
1 tbsp chopped parsley
3–4 tbsp chopped mint
1 tbsp avocado oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 avocados (halved, peeled and chopped)
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Avocado Pea Mash

Method

1. Make avocado chimichurri (see recipe below). Set aside.

2. Boil peas for 3 minutes and drain.

3. Add peas, avocado oil, lemon juice and 1 avocado to a bowl. Using a stick blender, make a rough purée. Fold in the remaining avocado and chopped herbs and season with salt and pepper. Taste for flavour, and add more mint if needed. Keep warm.

4. In a skillet, heat olive oil till smoking. Sear salmon, skin side down and till crispy, approximately 2 minutes on each side, or finish in 200 °C oven. Serve on top of 2 tbsp of pea and avocado mash, with 20ml serve of avocado chimichurri on top.

Note: The salmon can also be barbecued or oven roasted. The mash makes approximately 620ml / 15 x 40 ml serves.

Avocado Chimichurri

Note: Makes approximately 28 x 20 ml serves

Ingredients

1 bunch coriander
½ cup rice or white wine vinegar
1 bunch flat leaf parsley, no stems
1 tbsp (2–3 cloves) garlic, chopped
1 tbsp oregano, fresh
¼ cup lime juice
1 jalapeno chilli, roasted, deseeded
2 avocados, diced
Salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup water
¼ cup olive oil

Method

1. Roast the jalapeno chilli over an open flame till blackened, then place in a plastic bag to sweat for 5 minutes.

2. Slice the chilli in half, deseed and remove blackened skin.

3. In a blender, combine all the ingredients except the oil. While the blender is running, slowly add the oil to thicken. Add a bit more warm water if necessary to thin. Reserve for service.

Published on February 14, 2011 in General. Closed