161 Food + Drink, Sydenham

Lamb and beef meetballs

I wasn't expecting to find a slice of Sydney in Sydenham, but café 161 Food + Drink, complete with antipodean waitress from the 'Gong, provided just that.

We'd been shopping for tiles over the road and, based on a recommendation from friend Laura, headed to 161 for lunch. The small café had a counter and tables made from reclaimed Victorian doors. It sounds a little bit hipster, but didn't feel like the type of place that was trying too hard and the doors probably came from the reclamation shop further up the road.

Overhearing someone order a Vegemite scroll, Becks immediately wanted a taste of the homeland so we asked for one too. The scroll contained a generous amount of Vegemite providing its own unique savoury taste. If Paul Holloywood was giving a verdict, he definitely would have said 'under baked' but that wasn't bothering Becks one bit.

Heuvos rancheros

I ordered the the lamb and beef meatballs with couscous (£7) from their compact sounding brunch menu, hoping it would be one of their more substantial options after my morning run. It was a tasty little number with five tender meatballs and a flavoursome tomato sauce. It wasn't as generous as I was hoping for and definitely could have done with more couscous to make it more substantial.

Becks had the huevos rancheros (£6.50). A fried egg topped with a little chilli, black beans and avocado were sitting on top of a tortilla at the bottom of the bowl. I didn't get to try the huevos, but the reports were good. It similarly wasn't a generous portion.

Strawberry and vanilla cake

We debated whether or not to have a slice of cake, but were pleased that we were tempted by the strawberry and vanilla cake. The cake was much lighter than I expected it to be and the strawberries provided a lovely summer hit without making it too wet.

It's just a shame we don't live closer by.

161 Food + Drink
161 Kirkdale

Sydenham

London

SE26 4QJ

Granger & Co, Clerkenwell, London

Fresh goat’s cheese, tarragon, dill, chilli & flatbreads

"Why do they have to put chill in everything? This only a simple tagliatelle, why is there chilli in it?"

We've all had that slight 'oh no' feeling when first being seated at a restaurant. The tables are a bit too close together for that romantic meal / gossipy catch up you were hoping for and the people that you are sitting a little too close to, frankly, look like they might be a bit annoying.

As we were seated at Granger & Co last Saturday night we had that feeling. One of the first (not particularly annoying) comments from our neighbours made was about the level of chilli in the food. Come On! This is Bill Granger, that icon of Sydney cooking who knocks out plate after plate of perfect scrambled eggs and ricotta hotcakes. If a dish has chilli in it, it's there for a reason.

Miso aubergine, fried tofu & shiso

However, it turns out their our neighbours were right. There was a complete overload of chilli, making appearance in all of the six small plates we shared.

Yes, it was meant to be there in the Korean Fried Chicken (which was the best dish of the night for me) but in other dishes it just felt a bit lazy. Like they'd thrown some chilli in because they couldn't think of any other seasonings. The  spiced lamb, aubergine tahini, halloumi, ricotta, parsley & pomegranate pizzetta could have really been lifted by some lemon zest or fresh mint, but instead was sprinkled with the default dried chilli.

Kim chee, spinach & ricotta dumplings, toasted chilli oil

It sounds like I am being quite down on Granger & Co, and in a way I am. Bills in Sydney hold some great memories for me and is a place I love going to and I was hoping that the London outpost of the same chain would be just as good.

The menu was in the classic Bill Granger style sounding light and fresh with a heavy dose of Asian fusion mixed in. There were some fun dishes, like the Korean Fried Chicken, where you could make your own lettuce parcels of chicken, herbs, lime juice and chilli sauce. The fresh goats cheese & flatbread was a winning start and I was pleasantly surprised by the French toast tiramisu dessert I had. I liked the rosehip & mint punch. Our waitress was knowledgable and friendly and there were awesome Aesop toiletries in the bathrooms.

Korean fried chicken, iceberg lettuce, spring onion & chilli sesame

However, too many of the dishes missed for me. Apart from the over abundance of chilli, the wrappers on the spinach and ricotta dumplings were too thick and doughy and the others didn't really come together as I hoped they would. I thought the pricing was a bit funny too, with all of the dishes nearly the same price, but the chicken a large portion and the charred baby corn just six pieces.

I was hoping to find a place where I could close my eyes and taste Sydney when I'm feeling a little homesick, but sadly it didn't happen for me.

Charred baby corn, mayo & parmesan

Spiced lamb, aubergine tahini, halloumi, ricotta, parsley & pomegranate pizzetta

Tiramisu french toast, cherries & cacao nib almond brittle

Chilled pandan rice pudding & poached fruit

Granger & Co 50 Sekforde Street London EC1R 0HA

Meat pie taste off!

Pie Face Steak Pie

At the end of our bánh mì taste test we decided that a Top Aussie lunchtime snack would be next. Does it get any more Australian than the meat pie?

I picked up a couple of contenders from Pie Face and Simon collected the rivals from Mick's Bakehouse.

Mick's Bakehouse - steak pie

First up were the steak pies.

Mick's bakehouse ($5.90) had superior pastry and a thicker gravy which made it easy to cut and share. It seemed to be a mixture of mince and pieces of steak (which had been cut reasonably fine). There was a lot of pepper in the pie which I found a little overwhelming.

Pie Face ($5.75) had a wetter gravy which made it messy to eat. The pie had larger chunks of steak which felt more substantial. Pepper was also the dominate flavour, but there was less than in Mick's pie which was my preference.

Round one to Pie Face.

Mick's Bakehouse - chicken pie

Next up where the chicken and mushroom pies.

The pie from Mick's Bakehouse again had superior pastry and a thicker consistency which made it easy to eat and share. I preferred the flavour of Mick's pie too.

The pie of the day goes to Mick's Bakehouse.

Snag Stand - Backyarder

All pied out, but still hungry we headed to the Snag Stand to pick up a couple of hot dogs.

We started with the Backyarder ($8.90) a beef dog with coleslaw and cheese. I wasn't a fan of this snag. The coleslaw and cheese was an odd combination. Perhaps it would have been better if the cheese was melted?

Snag Stand -Toulouse

The Toulouse ($10.90) was next up after receiving a recommendation that it was one of their most popular hot dogs.

The pork sausage is served with onions, mushrooms and truffle aioli on a brioche bun. It was a good dog although not as spicy as a classic Toulouse should be. The brioche bun was too sweet for me.

It was a rather filling lunch in the end! The snags were an unexpected bonus and fitted in with our Top Aussie theme. However, it was all about the pies for me. Pie Face and Mick's Bakehouse were pretty closely matched, with Mick just stealing it.


Mick's Bakehouse
188 Pitt St
Level 5, Westfield Sydney
NSW, 2000


Snag Stand
188 Pitt St

Level 5, Westfield Sydney
NSW, 2000


Pie Face
109 Pitt St
Sydney
NSW, 2000

Restaurant Review: Spencer Guthrie, Newtown

 

I got the distinct impression that the crew at Spencer Guthrie don't like being compared with Newtown's other smart diner Bloodwood. 

Comparisons are inevitable. They both occupy the same section of King St (the restaurants are practically opposite each other), serve similar Modern Australian fayre and are in approximately the same price bracket. 

However, I can also see that they are different beasts and comparisons are a little unfair. Spencer Guthrie is smaller, doesn't have a bar (in fact currently doesn't have a licence) and has an air of formality, trying to serve (almost) hatted food. Bloodwood is the cheeky younger brother.

Service was impeccable during the evening. The waiting staff were incredibly knowledgeable about the food and efficient in their service. At the end of the meal we sat around chatting for an hour finishing our wine. We were the last table to leave the restaurant and the kitchen had virtually packed up for the evening, but they never once tried to usher us out of the door.

I enjoy it when the kitchen is on show. Although we didn't a fantastic view from our table, it adds a certain theatre to the restaurant.  I think the kitchen should also be lauded for seeking to use sustainable produce.

The first of many run club + friends farewell diners

Sadly, my list of grumbles is pretty long. They obviously don't like taking group bookings. We were slapped with a minimum spend which got inflated when we added a couple of extra people to the table. Having now visited the restaurant I can see that it lends itself much better to smaller tables, but if that is the case why take group bookings at all?

I also found the $75 minimum spend off putting from the start. They weren't even full on a Wednesday night so I didn't really see the point.

The food certainly demonstrated a lot of technique, quality ingredients and great presentation. However, for my palate it just missed the mark. There wasn't enough of the roasted chilli or lime in the ceviche to give it the necessary zing. And the beef cheeks could have used more of the wonderful jus. We're only talking small margins, but unfortunately they count. All of the men at the table left hungry too. Not a great sign when you've each had three courses.

The final nail in the coffin for me was the value for money. We spent $90 a head and it was BYO! A service charge slapped on top of the minimum spend didn't help. At Bloodwood (there is the comparison again) a similar sized group spend $90 per head, left royally stuffed and we'd drunk seven bottles of wine.

For me there is no comparison between Spencer Guthrie and Bloodwood. Not because you shouldn't make one, but because in my experience, Bloodwood is so much better.

Ceviche of kingfish with pickled cauliflower, lime and roasted chilli - $20

I would have preferred the ceviche to be more like the Kinfish I had at Deli Bottega in Bondi. The roasted cauliflower, chilli and lime didn't do enough to excite me palate.

Braised beef cheeks, white bean puree, caramelised fennel & olives - $30

The braised beef cheeks were meltingly tender. For me the star of the dish was the intense jus around the plate. It helped bring everything together and give the flavour a lift. It is just a shame there wasn't more of it!

Soft apple cream, poached rhubarb, butter crumbs & malt ice cream - $15

I'm not sure if it was the wine or the dessert itself, but I have to admit I don't have any memories on the twist of a rhubarb crumble.

Some food porn of dishes not tasted by me:

Seasonal betroot, goats cheese, walnuts and fresh horseraddish - $19

Lamb leg, parsnip puree, roasted eggplant and potatoes - $31

Chewy meringue, glazed figs and coffee chantilly - $15

Spencer Guthrie

399 King Street

Newtown

NSW

2042

Restaurant Review: Deli Bottega, Bondi

My final full week in Sydney was about as cramming as much in as possible. I was burning the candle at both ends and loving every minute of it.

My running friend Kendall suggested a drink at Icebergs to start off the week. Sadly they are closed on Mondays. However, the thought of a final trip to the beach had me hooked, so on the Wednesday night Kish and I headed out to Bondi.

We started with a drink at Icebergs. Practically deserted we had our pick of seats (and egg shape capsules hanging from the ceiling) from which to soak up the views of Bondi. Panoramic views of the beach are unfortunately interupted by the high number of pillars in the room.

After reading enthusiastic reviews from Tori, Bondi Hardware was on my wish list for dinner. However, I baulked at the idea of a forty five minute wait. Deciding to check out other local options we stumbled upon the busy looking Deli Bottega. It was a fortuitous find.

Luckily another couple were just leaving and the friendly waiters soon has us seated. One of the waiters pulled up a chair to our table, talked us through the menu and all of the special dishes. It could have been overly familiar, but instead fitted in with a relaxed, yet knowledgeable, style of service.

We ordered largely from the specials menu, starting with the Kingfish crudo with chilli, ponzu, avocado and crouton crumbs ($22). I've no idea how they packed so much intense olive oil flavour into the crouton crumbs, but I'm pleased they did. The croutons provided the main textural element to the dish and added an enhanced flavour. There was sufficient chilli to keep things interesting too.

 

Seared scallops with granny smith apple and green papaya coleslaw

Next to come out of the kitchen was the Seared scallops with granny smith apple and green papaya coleslaw ($22). The scallops were perfectly cooked. However, neither Kish or I could detect much green papaya in the coleslaw. 

The scallops found themselves eclipsed during the evening by the Kingfish and Zuchinni. More a reflection on how good the other dishes were, rather than a poor reflection on the scallops.

 

Zuchinni salad with olive, onions, persion feta, tomato and lemon olive oil

The Zuchinni salad with olive, onions, persion feta, tomato and lemon olive oil ($16) was the star dish of the evening. The ribbons of zuchinni were given a freshness by the lemon olive oil. The impossibly fine dice of olive provided bite and the feta a richness. A wonderfully balanced dish that left us wanting more.

Crispy pocket of egg, pepper and tuna on green salad 

Our final plate was an opinion divider. I enjoyed the Crispy pocket of egg, capsicum and tuna on green salad ($16), but Kish wasn't as much of a fan. Tasting the components in isolation I could see her point. However, if you had a bite of the (not so crisp) pocket, salad and dressing together it worked quite well for my palate. Yes, the capsicum flavour dominated and it would have been nice of the salad leaves has been dressed rather than put on the plate bare, but I kinda liked it.

Deli Bottega is a fun and quirky little venue. The friendly and attentive staff and high quality dishes coming out of the kitchen make this place one to remember next time you are in Bondi. Which for me sadly might be quite some time unfortunately....


Deli Bottega
144-148 Glenayr Avenue
Bondi Beach
NSW
2026

Restaurant Review: Runcible Spoon, Camperdown

Over dinner at Bakery Nights, Lucie suggested that I add Runcible Spoon in Camperdown to my wish list.

I feared I wouldn't have time to visit Runcible Spoon before I left Sydney, but a hastily arranged lunch with friends provided the perfect opportunity. My friends ended up bailing but I decided to visit solo anyway. I'm pleased that I did.

The hard concrete lines of the modern cafe are softened by an ample number of plants in an eclectic array of containers. It was a bit of a hipster hangout, but not offensively so.

I sadly arrived too late for the special Cinco de Mayo menu but I liked the idea that they had one at all.

I found the chalk board menus slightly hard to follow. The breakfast and lunch dishes weren't clearly distinguished. I presume everything is served all day?

I was drawn to the Thai style eggs with nam jim, tomato, pork belly and jasmine rice ($18). While waiting for my order feared I could be in for a horrible interpretation of Thai food. Thankfully that wasn't the case.

Two fried eggs were served on a salad with a fragrant nam jim dressing. Accompanied by pork belly with a spicy crust and rice on the side made it a hearty meal.

The two tear drop shaped eggs were joined together at the top and had an almost batter like crust along one edge. It made me think that they could have been poached and then flash fried in very hot oil? However they did it, there was a lot of technique shown across the whole plate.

I'm pleased that I made it to Runcible Spoon. If the rest of the menu is as good as the Thai style eggs then this cafe would be a real treat. Just a shame I won't be in Sydney long enough to find out....


Runcible Spoon
27 Barr St 
Camperdown 
NSW 
2050

Restaurant Review: Bloodwood, Newtown

Smoked ham hoc terrine, homemade pickles, 

chicken liver parfait and marinated olives

Last Friday I was invited to Bloodwood by my running friend Jennie. Our group of ten was given the large downstairs table. It felt like we had a private dining room, perfect for parties.

We started off with some wine recommended by sommelier Gabrielle Webster. Tattooed and nothing like my preconceived idea of a sommelier, she refreshingly recommended us towards some of the cheaper options on the wine list. Very nice they were too.

We had the generous nine course banquet menu ($50 per head). The food ranged from Asian, Mediterranean, South American and Modern Australian right through to British. Rather than suffering from the lack of a unifying theme the food just flowed. I think good food always works together, and it was good.

Whether it was the warmed and spiced olives or the homemade pickles, the simple was done very well. The freshness of the pear and fennel salad and the cuttlefish and cucumber salad helped lighten up the menu.

The more substantial beef brisket was a favourite and then there was the wonderfully rich chocolate torte to finish off the evening.

The standard of the evening was very high, but I prefer the crunchier polenta chips at Bakery Nights over the ones at Bloodwood. The spicy lima beans and guindillas accompanying the pork pintxo were a treat, but the pork itself could have been more tender.

Vegetarians and celiacs were catered for with aplomb.

The courses were brought out closely together and my stomach was groaning tying to expand so quickly. A more relaxed pace would have enhanced the experience.

Before going to Bloodwood the consensus among my friends seemed to be great food, but a bit expensive. The banquet menu of nine courses for $50 was an absolute steal and worth every cent. So much so, I've added Bloodwood to my Top Eats page.

 

Polenta chips with gorgonzola dipping sauce

Pork pintxo, lima beans and guindillas

 

Fregola and pear salad, fennel, confit tomato, beetroot crisps

 

Grilled cuttlefish, cucumber, herb salad

 

Pork and king prawn, black fungus, hot and sour sauce

 

Grilled rainbow trout (gluten free option)

 

Coorong angus beef brisket, spaetzle, cauliflower and beans

Chocolate torte, caramel mousse and peanut crunch

 

Bloodwood trifle

Poached peach (gluten free option)

The damage, $823.50 for ten

Bloodwood
416 King St
Newtown
Sydney, 2042