PERMANENTLY OUT

Sake, The Rocks

There are restaurants around town that simply everyone recommends. You know, those talked about places where the food has the x-factor, the staff mix friendliness perfectly with attentiveness and where you come away from a lunch or dinner with the feeling that somehow anyone who wasn’t with you has had a lesser experience. Sake is one of those places and unlike many new kids on the block it has proved itself with significant staying power and consistently good food and service. It’s liked amongst casual diners and business professionals alike and after a recent long lunch there it is easy to see why.

A slew of people I know rate the karaage at Sake (photo below) as the best in Sydney but I find it hard to choose between Sake and Izakaya Fujiyama. Sake’s is lighter, spicier and more modern, while Izakaya Fujiyama’s is the classic Japanese style, the original deep fry, if you will. But I digress, as will you when you arrive at the lavish fit-out and enchanting bar slash restaurant housed on Argyle Street in The Rocks. Hosted by the equally enchanting Kavea, who some may remember from Tank night club days, a visit to Sake is the culinary equivalent of a long, warm hug.

A great way to start your journey is with freshly shucked oysters with Japanese salsa which is a prelude to the South American hints you see creeping into some of the dishes. The crescendo of these combinations and the dish you must try is the kingfish jalapeno, a wonderful modern take on sashimi with a dalliance of spice, soy and coriander. It’s spectacular in a way that is completely separate to the karaage although in no way less impressive. The delectable balance of opposites is evident throughout the menu with hot following cold, spicy mingling with salty, Japan with South America, and all washed down with a glass or two of Capanno Pinot Gris 2009 from the Southern Highlands of NSW. Delightful.

We further indulged with grainfed teriyaki wagyu, a fresh take on your traditional teriyaki beef that’s cooked medium rare and presented on sautéed shiitake mushrooms and buckwheat with yakiniku sauce (a dressing commonly used in Japan on grilled meats). Next up was a melody of tempura with tentsuyu dipping sauce (the classic tempura accompaniment) made up of prawns, fish and various seasonal vegetables. These are traditional Japanese dishes that have been given the “wow” factor through the use of fresh and unusual ingredients, and modern cooking variations. It is the clinical execution of these unique creations that has no doubt earned Sake a chef hat for two consecutive years.

Ending our meal was (obviously) dessert and it is worth saving some room for the chocolate fondant (top photo) comprised of a lusciously warm and moist chocolate pudding sitting at the other end of a plate of white sesame ice cream with a black sesame tuile (like a wafer) and scattered with grounded nuts. The balance of opposites was in full effect with this dessert and it crowned an exceptional lunch with the food rivaled only by the service. Sake has hit on a winning formula that appeals to many palates, and never fails to impress on your next visit, or the one after for that matter. This is Sydney dining par excellence.

Saké Restaurant & Bar
12 Argyle Street
The Rocks NSW 2000
(02) 9259 5656
http://www.sakerestaurant.com.au/ 

Bucket list #12 - Push myself physically and mentally at the same time

By the time this post goes live, I will be several hours into a 100km bushwalk from Brooklyn (north of Sydney) to Mosman along the Great North Walk as part of the Oxfam Trailwalker challenge. I will also tick off #12 on my bucket list - push myself physically and mentally at the same time - by walking for (hopefully) 26 hours non-stop. The hallucinations kick in around midnight in the middle of the National Park. Wish me luck!

Biennale Bar @ Pier 2/3 - Programmed by FBi

Who doesn’t like a pop-up bar? Put it inside a warehouse on a wharf next to the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the location seems like it was created solely for a Facebook check-in, such is the hipness. Bragging rights manifest three-fold when you realise that the bar opens only five times and on each of those occasions is hosted by a different artistic wonder of the local scene.

I’m talking about the Biennale Bar of course and I happened to frequent the night that FBi Radio were hosting. The beats were provided by FBi Radio DJ favourites, the patrons by Sydney’s hippest suburbs and the beer by Asahi. It’s not the worst combination around town and there’s a fair few people interested. The opening night saw the line stretch from the wharf out to Hickson Road past the smashed car in the middle of the roundabout, such was the pull of Filthy Children and the hedonistic lure of the bar itself.

There are two more Friday nights of the Biennale Bar left so change your plans, cancel that date and quit your job because you need to experience this night out. The best part: it’s free. Don’t forget your party pants!

Auburn adventure: Darband Persian Restaurant and Sweets on Queen

If you live in the inner city of Sydney, there comes a time when you realise you may have forgotten your roots and become the food snob that you always feared and/or dreamed. You accept that mains cost $30, that waiters must know the molecular breakdown of asparagus foam and that waiting two hours for a table is the norm. It makes you wonder, doesn’t it? Sometimes I think you need to visit a great restaurant out in the ‘burbs to remember why you eat out in the first place. Wow, even that sounded super snobby but I think you catch my drift. The restaurant that has recently restored my faith is none other than Darband Persian Restaurant in Auburn.

The most striking element of Persian cuisine for me has always been the focus on the rice. The Persian rice cooking method is very much a laborious process and one that takes skill to master. Rice is very much the centre of the dish with meat, and to a lesser extent vegetables, the accompaniment. Flavours of saffron, mint and yoghurt are infused throughout and the chefs at Darband are, I’m told with authority, excellent at recreating the traditional flavours that you would find in Iran. This is why the restaurant is filled with Persians on a Tuesday night, besides this humble food blogger, of course.

Now while rice is nice, meat has always been my favourite. That’s why I picked the Darband Special ($21), a combination of barg, joojeh and koobideh. A combination of what? Well, kebabs cooked over coals basically. Barg (above) is marinated lamb back straps with an onion flavour and was the standout for me. Koobideh keeps the onion/lamb combo rolling but this time with mince. Joojeh is chicken marinated in lemon juice and is super succulent. This is simple, traditional food cooked to perfection based on years of history. At $21 for the most expensive dish that it so generous it is difficult to finish, it is also honest and unassuming.

While Persians might finish their meal with some tea, we decided to move on, both within Auburn and regionally, to Sweets on Queen, a Lebanese sweet shop known for its coffee (aka Ahweh, Kawha or Kahva) and the pièce de résistance, the waterpipe (aka hookah, narghile or Qalyān). Lebanese coffee (above) is super strong and is similar to Turkish coffee, although don’t mention that. Put it this way, you don’t want to have just before bed.

Their chai latte was also very good but the reason we came was the waterpipe (below). Using an entire apple as a filter (in addition to the water) along with apple tobacco makes even this non-smoker enjoy a puff or two. There is something quite calming about sharing a waterpipe amongst friends; it’s reminiscent of a simpler time where people shared stories around tables long into the night rather than on screens while sitting next to each other. Like Darband, Sweets on Queen was very busy on a Tuesday night and the two places are undoubtedly local institutions.

This mid-week adventure to Auburn has restored my faith in the diversity of Sydney cuisine and culture, and confirmed that $20 in Sydney can still go a long way toward a fantastic dinner. Auburn makes for a different night out that I highly recommend. You can even sneak in a visit to Costco if you plan ahead.

Darband Persian Restaurant
9/45 Rawson Street
Auburn NSW 2144
(02) 9646 4466
http://darband.com.au/

Sweets on Queen
Shop 8, 57 Queens Street
Auburn NSW 2144
(02) 9646 4482

McClaren Vale, Adelaide, Goolwa and Hahndorf

Escaping to South Australia has many benefits, both beautiful and surprising. Above is the wharf at Glenelg at sunset but the shiraz of McClaren Vale was the real reason for the trip. Wineries well worth the visit, and there are many, include Tintara, Wirra Wirra, Leconfield, Fox Creek (below), Penny’s Hill and d’Arenberg. I picked up dozens of amazing shiraz from Tintara, Fox Creek and d’Arenberg. At only $10 for delivery back to Sydney, you can’t go wrong. We hired a Tarago and explored the region, starting in Adelaide, staying at Goolwa and ending up at Hahndorf for our last lunch. McClaren Vale was where we spent the majority of our time though and was everyone’s favourite. I’m sorry to say it, but McClaren Vale leaves the Hunter Valley for dead for a red wine lover like me. For a wonderful weekend away in Australia, South Australia is a mighty fine choice.

Eating my way through South Australia

A long weekend away in South Australia is the perfect escape for a busy Sydneysider especially when you spend the majority of your time in McClaren Vale. I can highly recommend the steak at The Kitchen Door at Penny’s Hill winery, which is the home of the very quaffable Mr RIggs shiraz. It’s a great place to wile away a few hours.

The Kitchen Door, Penny’s Hill Winery, 281 Main Road, McLaren Vale SA 5171

The next stop was the wonderful food and wine at The Pot. We began with the Pot Beef tartare and then tried almost everything else. At $65 for the tasting menu, it is a bargain and the passion that emanates from the owner is infectious as he goes from table to table serving wine and mingling. Small but convivial - it’s a cracking little restaurant.

The Pot Food & Wine, 160 King William Road, Hyde Park SA 5061

After dining out so often, we decided to eat in and got a leg of lamb and baked out own roast in a holiday house in the quiet town of Goolwa. It was the best meal of the trip and was made better by the abundance of red wine we collected enroute. You may not have heard of Goolwa, but you would have heard of the Hindmarsh Island bridge controversy, which unfortunately put this town on the map.

The incongruous town that is Hahndorf is a German city smack bang in the middle of wine country. We decided to get into the spirit with some beer steins and a couple of meat platters at The Hahndorf Inn on the main street. The aftermath of this meat explosion is above. It made us feel sick but ticked all the boxes for Bavarian indulgence. Not that good on the plane ride home!

Hahndorf Inn Hotel, 35 Main Street, Hahndorf SA 5245

The Lion Hotel in North Adelaide is a great pub. It serves pub grub at the better end of the scale and at affordable prices. I had the pie of the day but you can get all your standard pub affair. It’s a great place for lunch. And so concludes the our food odyssey through South Australia.

The Lion Hotel, 161 Melbourne Street, North Adelaide SA 5006