Some of my favourite restaurants

SOKYO RESTAURANT, THE STAR

Sokyo is one of my favourite restaurants of all time. The food is a Japanese fusion done amazingly well and there are so many varieties from sushi, sashimi, sushi rolls, robata, tempura, main dishes to great vegetarian options and the most delicious desserts. My favourites from Sokyo are their Tuna crispy rice sushi, Kingfish miso ceviche with crispy potato, Cuttlefish tempura (the texture is amazing!), Scampi sushi, Tamago, Caramelised miso cod, Tofu cheesecake and Goma street (caramelised white chocolate and sesame ice cream dessert). I live close to this place and everytime I walked past by, this place was always busy and buzzing. Sokyo, where the buzz of Tokyo meets a Sydney beat!

Wagyu 9+ short rib tataki with pickled grapes. 

Kingfish belly sashimi and Abalone sashimi. 

The best scampi sushi I've ever had and this tamago (Japanese omelette) is unlike the tamagos I've ever had before. So light and fluffy and almost tastes like cake :) Tamago is one of my favourite things to eat and I always order them whenever I'm at a sushi restaurant, especially at the end of my meal (as they're a little sweet). One of the reason why I like them so much is aside of the fact that they taste good, is that they're so hard to make. It takes so much skill and practice to master this dish so for that reason (I know I'm silly ^^), I always order them at a restaurant (as I can never be able to make one) ^^

Peanut butter fondant and vanilla ice cream. 

The fabulous dessert sampler at Sokyo. I LOVE the dessert at Sokyo as there are so many delicious options and I've had most of them and they are all amazing. It's very rare for a Japanese or Asian restaurant to have these many delicious dessert options and I think this what set Sokyo apart from the other top notch Japanese/ Asian restaurants in Sydney. 

Yuzu Soufflé with passion fruit jelly, crème fraîche ice cream and Tofu cheesecake with thyme sugar, strawberry consommé.

Both desserts are beautiful but the tofu cheesecake has to be one of the best cheesecake I've ever had! So light and no, you don't taste the tofu :)

BENTLEY RESTAURANT & BAR, RADISSON BLU CBD

Bentley restaurant, which now has moved to a bigger, grander space at the Radisson Blu hotel serves modern Australian food. The menu is very innovative and certainly one of the most amazing dining experience I've ever had. I love the interesting, slightly weird food and here I had things that I've never had/seen/heard before and I find that very exciting. Dining here is such an experience! 

Cured bonito, almond pil-pil, purple Brussel sprouts. I really love the texture of the fatty oily fish <3

Pork cheek, garlic and yoghurt purée, radicchio, jamon. Everything about this dish is amazing, the texture of the pork cheek, the jamon crust, the purée, the other condiments. However I tried my dining companion's entree (not in the picture) which is kingfish, celtuce, squid ink, wakame and I have to say that his dish is so good and I even like his slightly more than mine. 

Wagyu skirt steak, broad bean shoots, native plum.  I've had skirt steak before but not as good as this. The texture of this skirt steak is amazing (Yes, I often use the word 'amazing' haha). It's almost like brisket, perfectly medium rare and I love the crust. My dining companion's main (Lamb, cauliflower, caper leaves, buttermilk) is amazing too. I love both of them equally but my dining companion likes his lamb more. I think the flavour of the skirt steak is more vibrant and light while the lamb's flavour is more rich. You can't really compare these dishes actually as they are all unique in its own way. If you're dining with someone in this place, it's actually very easy to share the foods, as the steak and the lamb both come with 2 pieces (as do the kingfish and pork cheek entrées), so you both can eat one piece in each plate and swap each other plate. Yay! :D

Malt cake, Apple, Jerusalem artichoke. This is such an interesting dessert! I love the artichoke chips covered in chocolate, the malt crisp on top is crispy and delicious, the malt cake is moist and the ice cream is smooth and has interesting malty flavour. I also love the fact that this dessert is creamy and satisfying without it being too sweet and sugary. 

I love this restaurant so much. Everyone would enjoy dining here but this place is especially suited for people who's really open-minded about food and open to trying new ingredients and unusual flavour combinations. Service is very friendly and we are also given this amazing miso salted caramel chocolates to close our meal which is probably the best chocolate I've ever had. The caramel filling just burst out in your mouth when you bite into its thin chocolate shell. It's magic! 

BISTRO MONCUR, WOOLLAHRA

Bistro Moncur is one of those places that is filled with regulars. There is a sense of familiarity dining here and even though it is a fine dining restaurant but everyone dining here is such at ease and dressed in a smart casual way. Bistro Moncur is famous for its French classic dishes, such as French onion soufflé gratin, Sirloin steak cafe de Paris, (Barossa) chicken liver pate and pure pork sausages. 

Sirloin steak with cafe de Paris butter. I always order this when I came here. I can't help it. It's one of those things ^^. I always planned to order something else (to try new things!) but seeing almost everyone around me have either this or the Fillet steak with bernaise sauce and enjoying their steaks made me feel like steak and I always get this again as I LOVE the buttery sauce and there are many other places that make good bernaise sauce. 

Bombe Alaska. So pretty!

OTTO RISTORANTE, WOOLOOMOOLOO WHARF

Otto is a beautiful restaurant located at the beautiful Wooloomooloo wharf. I've been here maybe only twice and seated outside overlooking the water and both times I spotted celebrities walking past. The food is of course delicious and the service is very attentive. 

Angus beef carpaccio, truffle dressing, aioli, capers, parmesan, baby rocket. And the chilli salamis at the end of the table. Delicious!

Ravioli of finely sliced pickled beetroot with goat's curd, pistachio and horseradish. What a beautiful looking dish. Tastes even better :)

Hazelnut and white chocolate mousse, gianduja ganache, white chocolate sorbet, peanut butter wafer. White chocolate sorbet sounds so sugary but it tastes really lovely. The whole dessert is rather amazing. 

FRATELLI FRESH/CAFE SOPRA

This restaurant is described as a casual Italian eatery and it has a few branches across Sydney, very popular and serves really good Italian food.  Some of the dishes are quite traditional such as spaghetti alla carbonara and pappardelle with meatballs (which both I love) but their menu is constantly changing. Some of my favourite dishes from this place are the zucchini flowers with 5 Italian cheeses (I think everybody orders this as it is so yummy and you can just get one for $5!), the arancini with taleggio, the cured meat board, caprese salad (so simple but you can really taste the quality of the ingredients), the linguine with lemon, chilli and pangrattato (bread crumbs, *sigh* the simple thing in life is sometimes the best thing!) and the banoffee tart (one of my favourite dessert ever!). Most of the pasta dishes that I ordered in the past are on specials so they are not in the current menu anymore. I've had different types of pastas with ingredients such as lamb neck/duck ragu/oxtails and they are all just so amazing. Great produce, pasta cooked al dente, beautiful olive oil, seasoned well, amazing tasting cheese. 

Fusilli bucati with eggplant, cherry tomatoes and salted ricotta. Sounds and looks so simple yet so delicious. 

Crispy polenta with mushroom and Gorgonzola sauce. Another vegetarian dish. Another great dish :)

Citrus and mascarpone cheesecake with orange granita. I love cheesecake but sometimes I find them too heavy to be had after a meal so I normally only eat cheesecake in the afternoon on its own. However, this is light enough yet very creamy and delicious and the granita is super refreshing. It's not too tart, a bit bitter which I love and nice orange flavour. Overall this is such a light & refreshing yet indulgent dessert to have for a hot sunny summer afternoon. 

Until next time and happy eating! ^^

CAFE SYDNEY & GLASS BRASSERIE

Cafe Sydney and Glass Brasserie are two of my favourite restaurants in Sydney.

CAFE SYDNEY
Cafe Sydney has a cool vibe and sophisticated atmosphere with breathtaking harbour views due to its amazing location on the rooftop of Customs House. The restaurant also has an outdoor terrace and cocktail lounge. I love the cocktails at Cafe Sydney! As someone who normally drinks wine while fine dining, I always order at least 2 cocktails and no wine while dining here because their cocktails are just too good to only have one ;) Cafe Sydney supports a number of cultural events such as Sydney Film Festival And Sydney Festival.


Bombay Bridge is the award winning and one of Cafe Sydney's signature cocktails.
(Bombay Sapphire gin, Dom Benedictine, Creme de Pomme, lemon juice, homemade fig syrup. Served neat with a vanilla sugar rim).
One of my favourite cocktails of all time!


Sour Cherry and Maple Manhattan.
(Rittenhouse rye whiskey, Martini Rosso, maple syrup, sour cherrys, angostura bitters)
What a beautiful combination !


This is the special menu of the day. Everything looks good!!!


My entree is from the special daily menu. Steamed western Australian yabbies, garlic, herb, chilli butter.
OMG I love this. When there is any crustacean dishes on the menu, I normally order them for one of my courses because I love eating them so much:) Man I love Australia as it produces amazing seafood and wide selection of crustaceans. This is such a beautiful dish as the chilli and the seasoning doesn't overpower the yabbies at all. Such a perfect entree, light, fresh, delicious, mouth watering. I'm ready for my main course now :)


For main, I had one of Cafe Sydney's signature dishes. Tandoori roasted Tasmanian ocean trout, spinach bhaji, spiced beans, raita, coconut. Wow. OMG. Beautiful fish, perfectly cooked (the waiter asked how I like my fish to be cooked and I said medium rare) The tandoori seasoning is lovely, it gives a kick but yet not too strong for the fish. I think this is one of my favourite fish dishes cooked in any restaurant. It smells so good too! Lol And I also love the raita and the other condiments.

Cafe Sydney is well known for its chilled crustaceans, fresh oysters shucked to order, crab cakes, fish main dishes and quality cuts of meats due to the freshness of these produces and the strong working relationship the restaurant has with its suppliers.

I also had the goat cheese and spinach naan which is a must-have if you like naan and goat cheese. Even if you don't normally eat naan (prefer sourdough bread) TRY THE GOAT CHEESE AND SPINACH NAAN! They are delicious :)
Unfortunately, I didn't have time for desserts as I had to rush to catch a show at the opera house. However I'm well satisfied and my stomach was full 'enough' so no complain there :)

"We have understood from the day we opened that we are part of the fabric of the city, and we have always embraced being quintessentially Sydney," Director of operations of Cafe Sydney, Jan McKenzie

GLASS BRASSERIE

Glass Brasserie is one of the most beautiful looking restaurant in Sydney, which is located inside The Hilton Hotel. The exquisite and elegant interior is designed by internationally acclaimed New York designer Tony Chi and the restaurant features a 13 metre floor to ceiling glass windows overlooking the historic Queen Victoria Building. The menu, as the restaurant itself described, is simple and elegant, emphasis on fresh, seasonal and local produce prepared following classic French techniques.

My entree is Scallop ceviche, confit potato, elderflower dressing, Atlantic salmon, verjuice dressing, black Tasmanian truffle. I almost always have seafood for entree. This entree is on the special menu of the day and I just A-D-O-R-E everything in it. It has some of my favourite things such as raw scallop, raw atlantic salmon, confit potato. YUM! I also love the two different dressing (I've never had elderflower dressing before so that's also one of the reason for ordering this dish as I love trying new things/new dressings) ^^


For main, I ordered one of Glass Brasserie's signature dishes, which is Pan fried potato gnocchi, corn, asparagus, zucchini, parmesan, lemon thyme.
Very rare (actually never!) that I ordered a vegatarian main in a fine dining restaurant but I am glad I did because this is amazing!


Toffee souffle with Pecan butter ice cream. Ah how could I say no to soufflé?! This souffle is the best souffle I've ever had yet. Besides the fact that the souffle is light and perfect, I also love the flavour combination. I always love pecan butter and I love toffee and thankfully the overall taste is not too sweet for my liking. They are just perfect. I always smile when I eat souffle (Do you?) ^_^ So airy, dreamy, delectable, lovely.

My dining companion and I shared this bottle of Greek wine which is recommended by the sommelier and OMG I've never had a greek wine before, this one is so good! Rich and luscious tasting, the wine has a deep colour and smells beautiful. This wine is a combination of the three Greek indigenous grape varieties. Among them is Limnio, which is the oldest still existing Ancient Greek Variety mentioned by philosopher Aristotle in the 4th century B.C.

HOW COOL IS THAT?!?!
:)

"Great bottles of wine are not produced by accident - they are the result of concerted effort and a mind set that not all wine makers or growers share. If greatness is the desire, then one must make mediocrity the enemy." Quotes from www.nicks.com.au

 

View of Cafe Sydney (photo from www.cafesydney.com)


View of Glass Brasserie (photo from www.glassbrasserie.com.au)

I love love BLUE ANGEL

The Blue Angel restaurant opened its door in Palmer Street in East Sydney in 1961 and specialises in lobster and wagyu beef dishes. The restaurant's celebrity guest in the past include Mohammed Ali, Burt Lancaster and John Howard.

The menu is Italian and French classic (Steak Diane, Spaghetti Marinara, Crepes Suzette) with some Asian influence (Lobster Sashimi, Lobster Peking, Thai Wagyu Beef Salad). If you want to eat lobster, you should probably come here as they serve many variations of lobster dishes (Lobser Marcellus, Lobster Thermidor, Lobster Marco Polo, Lobster Mornay, Lobster Grilled with Lemon butter, Salt and Pepper Lobster with Gruyere and Supreme Sauce, Lobster boiled with mayonnaise, Lobster Ravioli, Lobster Risotto, Lobster Carpaccio). They also use Premium wagyu beef grade 12+ for their steak dishes, from the Striploin, Tenderloin to the classic Italian Filetto Rossini (Steak cooked in marsala wine). Some of the dishes such as Lobster Marco Polo, Crepes Suzette, Steak Diane and Wagyu Tartare are prepared in the dining room in front of you and even the Prosciutto San Daniele is sliced in the dining room. I can't help but feeling amazed when the owner Marcello Marcobello himself prepared my dining companion his Steak Diane and our Crepes Suzette in front of our eyes. And My, what a marvellous dish! I have to say Blue Angel's Steak Diane is the best steak I've ever had in my life anywhere and that says a lot as I've eaten quite a lot of steak and wagyu but this one top all of them off. It is juicy and tender yet so flavourful and meaty and I LOVE the sauce. It cost 60$ but it is worth every cent because it tastes out of this world ! I normally order my steak medium rare, for this Steak Diane, I think it's best to have it rare as it's so thin :)

We have lobster carpaccio for entree. The texture the taste the freshness everything is amazing. When you order the lobster carpaccio, you also get a second course lobster soup from the shell which is flavourful and heartwarming :)

While my dining companion choose his Steak Diane, I choose Spaghetti Marinara for my main. The pasta is perfectly al dente. I seldom order spaghetti when I eat out and always order ravioli, gnocchi or a more interestingly-shaped pasta > < but while eating this dish, I remembered how beautiful spaghetti is when it is done perfectly. The marinara sauce is super delicious and the portion is quite huge but I managed to finish them all so that says a lot ^^

For dessert, we have the Crepes Suzette which is prepared in front of our eyes. I love watching the whole flaming process ^^ and the dessert itself is sublime. The crepes have just the perfect thickness and the combination between the alcohol and the sweetness is just right. It is such a lovely way to end a truly impressive meal at Blue Angel.

"Life is too short for self-hatred and celery sticks."  -- Marilyn Wann

"Great food is like great sex. The more you have the more you want."  -- Gael Greene 

The best lunch I've ever had (at PIER RESTAURANT)

Pier was a premier fine-dining destination in Sydney, well known for its wonderful seafood and equally beautiful view over Rosebay water. 

Sadly, on July 31 2012, Greg Doyle closed Pier for good, after almost 21 years running it and along the way awarded some of Australia's top restaurant award, including the most prized 3 hat in Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide and Gourmet Traveller Restaurant of the year. He wanted a break and travel and Pier under someone else is not an option. The Sailors Club then opened at the same location on August 11, managed by his daughter, Jacqui Lewis and some of Pier's key staffs, including executive chef Steve Skelly and pastry chef Nic Waring.

Pier is such a beautiful restaurant, it is elegantly furnished and the huge glass windows overlooks the marina view which is magical, whether it is day or night. I had a lunch here just a week before they closed their door for good. This is my second time dining at Pier, having had a degustation on my first visit ages ago (before starting my blog) and this time around having a 3 course lunch special meal ($90 including a glass of French Champagne). My dining partner doesn't drink so I drank 2 glasses ^^

Entree John Dory carpaccio. Pretty, delicate and I dare say, is the best carpaccio I've ever had in my life. This dish in its own right worth a visit!

Main And this is the best tuna dish I've ever had too! I love tuna as it is light, yet also quite meaty and when the quality is this fresh, and is done perfectly, uniformly medium rare, just with a touch of salt, the tuna really shines (and sings) and it is just so gorgeous.

I read in smh.com.au that it was during a week working at 2 two-Michelin-star restaurant in Paris in 1994 that Grey Doyle learnt the technique of undercooking fish, so it would be perfectly cooked by the time it hit the diner's mouth.

(My friend's) Dessert Valrhona Chocolate Cremeux. This has jelly, puree, date, dark chocolate mousse, ice cream, salted caramel, crushed macadamia, biscuit crumbs and some other awesome stuffs. Wow. This dessert is fun, brilliant and tasted amazing. I love dessert which has a lot of different stuffs in it (textures, tastes, colour, technique) it makes me all inspired and excited ^^

(My) Dessert Apple and kiwi Valcherin. This dessert is lovely, like a tropical freshness in a plate. It is quietly confident and so different from the decadent chocolate dessert, yet still draws you in and perfect all the same.

Overall my dining experience is exceptional. Pier's food excels and excites and the service is very professional and smooth. It is sad that the restaurant is no longer opens now. This truly is the best lunch I've ever had :)

"Cookery is not chemistry. It is an art. It requires instinct and taste rather than exact measurements."  --Marcel Boulestin

"I visited every three-star restaurant in Australia this year, and as good as each of them was, the meals at Pier, our Restaurant of the Year award-winner, were the ones that really stood out. They were just flawless." --Gourmet Traveller 2008

More restaurants starting with B (BALLA and BISTRODE)

BALLA AT THE STAR

Balla is described as 'a little piece of Milan with Sydney's best view.' I was having lunch there one afternoon and the beautiful view over the Jones Bay Wharf combined with the buzzing lunchtime service create a ambiance that is lovely, yet exciting. The waitstaffs are all very attentive and charming, one of the best dining service I've had recently. One petite lady waitress in particular has a smile on her face all day long and is so lovely I almost want to ask for her number and be her best friend :)

YuM, Bread basket. I love it when they give me a whole basket instead of just one piece :) I normally love butter with my bread as I am a butter-girl but when I am served two different types of amazing breads with some beautiful olive oil, I am not a butter-girl anymore, I am just a happy-girl.

Entree : Slow braised calamari with spinach, chilli and garlic. 

This dish might not look pretty but a perfect example of how you can't judge food by how it looks. It smelled amazing and tasted even more so! The calamari is so tender and the spinach has such a beautiful almost creamy texture. The dish is tasty from the chilli but light enough to be an entree dish (I'm Indonesian so I don't mind at all eating tons of chilli for entree or breakfast) But sometimes by having less chilli you can really taste all the other good-quality ingredients and beautiful seasonings. While dipping the bread to the garlic-y sauce along with the little remaining olive oil left (yes I almost finish them all ^^) while sipping my cocktail, and looking at the gorgeous water on a bright sunny day, the day and my lunch felt so perfect. 

My cocktail is Bella Donna Daiquiri : Havana 7 Anejo rum, Disaronno liquor, fresh lime and a little sugar, shaken vigorously and poured into a cinnamon rimmed glass for a deluxe Las Vegas favourite.

I ordered this for the 'cinnamon rimmed glass'. Lol

Main : Curly pappardelle pasta with snapper sauce.

And I ordered this really because of the word 'curly' ^^ haha but this dish is such a delicious comforting food. I love carbs and pasta to death and this pasta is perfectly cooked all dente and the 'snapper sauce' is rich yet really balanced. I had a glass of white to go with that (not sure what my wine is, I asked the waiter to just bring me a glass of white). I was not patient enough to read the wine list and while busy eating, forgot to ask ^^

Cheese : Pecorino al Tartufo -- aged sheep's milk with black truffle. 

The reason why I was ordering cheese instead of dessert is because I was planning to have gelato messina after (which is just next door) ^^. I was very happy with my choice of cheese, the cheese is quite strong on its own so at the beginning I just ate it with the crisp bread to get my cheese kick of the day and towards the end I ate it with the sweet paste, which make it lovely in a different way (almost in a dessert way). I eat the grapes to occasionally balance off the sweetness of the sweet paste and I also eat the walnuts just because it's there ^_^

I have to say I adore Balla ^_^. The menu is more rusty than sophisticated, and more traditional than experimental, but what do I care if the food is that satisfying! I love traditional food as much as contemporary food (or any type of food), as long as they are all done greatly :)

"Balla could have gone upmarket and fancy but that's not the Manfredi (chef) way. Instead, it brings to Sydney relatively simple, recognisably Italian food built on quality prime ingredients and  a bustle, big-time, business-like dining experience. And, of course, those wonderful floor-to-ceiling windows, open to the view we never knew we had." 

--Terry Durack, Sydney Morning Herald

"Balla is all Manfredi. Manfredi has never lacked vision, and Balla is his vision, splendid, bold, beautiful and fun"

--Gourmet Traveller 

BISTRODE CBD CITY

I dined at Bistrode CBD for the Jeremy Strode '20 years' September menu. In September, Bistrode pays homage to Jeremy Strode's Australian years with a special menu featuring 20 of his renowned dishes, plated and priced as they were.

I love dining at Bistrode CBD. The fine-dining restaurant is so elegant with its crisp white walls, white tablecloths and its lush dining chairs. The menu is of modern British and the foods are equally refined. They make gutsy pub food (such as offals, pig trotters) sophisticated :) The service is that good old-fashioned charm and attentive, knowledgeable and very professional.

Entree : Duck 5 ways (consommé, duck liver pate, duck neck & pistachio sausage, duck breast and duck leg salad). From Pomme, Melbourne, 1998.

Wow, sometimes when you have a 2-way dish, one is surely better than the other but this dish is so impressive because all of them are so superb that it is almost impossible to pick a favourite. But if I have to choose one, I'll say the duck consommé as it has a lot of depth in that tiny little cup and I also seldom have a duck consommé while I more often have a great duck liver pate. But all the others are really good too, the picture really don't show how delicious this whole thing is. I hope the chef bring this dish back as a regular menu. Oh man this dish is a must for any duck-meat-lover out there!

Main : Pork chop, black sausage, black vinegar. From Langtons, Melbourne, 2001.

The pork chop is succulent, I am not big on black sausage but I must say this is the best black sausage I've ever eaten. Maybe because it is also small in portion and it match perfectly with the pork and the vegetable and the sauce. How brilliant when everything compliment one another?!

Dessert : Rhubarb pie and lavender ice cream. From Langtons, Melbourne, 2001.

I had a glass of Rose wine (2011 Spinifex Rose, Barossa Valley - South Australia) with my food  and had a teapot of earl gray tea with my dessert. I love having a cold ice cream with a hot pie. (I love both hot and cold together in dessert such as ice cram with chocolate fondant or soufflé). This slightly salty and quite tart pie goes really nicely with the sweet fragrant ice cream, however I just wish that the ice cream is bigger so I can have an equal portion of ice cream and equal portion of pie T T. But I understand that that is the normal ice cream serving size so I'll shut up now and just eat :)

"The room is as crisp as a new white shirt with the framed black-and-white portraits of great European chefs such as Gordon Ramsey and Fergus Henderson staring down at you"

--Time Out Sydney

"The daily changing menu is studded with all manner of strange animal parts often seen plated up in Britain's cosy gastro-pubs, but that rarely grace Australian tables. Calf's liver, black sausage and roast bone marrow all feature regularly alongside classic pub fare with modern twists, like the deluxe take on corned beef that uses wagyu meat."

--de Groots Best Restaurants of Australia 

Balla and Bistrode CBD are both awarded the coveted one hat in the most current Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2013.

Lunch at BLACK and Dinner at BUZO

LUNCH AT BLACK BY EZARD AT THE STAR

Black by Ezard is a glamourous and beautiful contemporary grill restaurant at the newly renovated The Star. The design and decor of the room is dazzling and drop dead gorgeous. I was having lunch with a girlfriend and I started with a glass of cocktail while waiting for her.

Leisure Suit : London dry gin, elderflower, apple, rosewater, cucumber.
With some delicious brioche and butter. The brioche loaf looked cute too :)

The cocktail list, served to you in an iPad :) I'll come back soon to try the Smoky Diamond and Velvet Martini :) I'm that type of person who choose cocktails based on their names more than what's in it :)

Entree Oysters with yuzu and wakame jelly.

Fresh and lovely. The textures of the jelly and the oysters are quite nice together :)

Main Flat iron Grain fed wagyu MBS 9+ 200 g, green beans, lemon butter, mushroom sauce. With a glass of Cabertnet Sauvignon.
I've read that the kitchen sous-vide the steaks, cooking them (individually vacuum-packed) in a water bath at 54 degrees for up to 1.5 hours before finishing them on a wood-fired grill (steak ordered blue go straight to the grill). The steak is really delicious, I've never actually had this cut of meat (flat iron) before so I don't know how the sous-vide affect the steak, but the steak is super tender and the mushroom sauce compliment the steak really well :) Yum!

Dessert Champagne ice cream, almond shortcake, vanilla custard, raspberry consommé.
This dessert is so pretty and delightful. Light enough for lunch and just perfect to close off a fantastic and fulfilling lunch on a sunny friday.

I love the restaurant and the food. The food come quickly too (don't you like that? I like that) and the service is very professional and excellent. I understand some people don't like the fact that the restaurant sous-vide the steak as they said the meat lose its meatiness (or something) but I appreciate restaurants who do things differently as that is what makes Black unique and the reason why I love eating at different restaurants all the time is because of the way their food is different from one another yet still amazing all the same.

What a breathtaking view (photo from www.ezard.com.au)

The glamorous interior (photo from www.thestar.com.au)

DINNER AT BUZO TRATTORIA WOOLLAHRA

One Sunday evening, I went to Buzo for dinner. I love dining out on Sunday nights (as the restaurants are not too busy and everyone looks happy and chilled) yet not many places open on Sunday night so I'm glad that places, such as Buzo open. Cheers and thank you Buzo.

Entree Spanner crab, ocean trout and mascarpone fritata.

Oh Man, 3 of my favourite things together : crab, egg, and mascarpone. This must be one of the most amazing thing in the world. And the fact that it is so light too, wow, (my hat is off). I finish the whole lot and I wanted more (I'm just greedy I guess). The roe at the top add textures to the creamy dish and I loveeee those pop fishy saltiness. 

Main Vincisgrassi, porcini, mushroom, prosciutto, truffle & parmigiano lasagne.

Wow, while the entree is delicious but light, this lasagne is delicious but also rich, satisfying, sumptuous , indulging, gratifying, comforting. You name it all (and fattening). But I don't care.

Dessert Torta di Verona. Mascarpone, pandoro, raspberry & almond trifle. 

Creamy, super duper yummy. Hit the spot. My dining partner had the warm baked chocolate, almonds & vanilla gelato which is one of the best chocolate dessert I've ever tasted! But I was very happy with my own dessert. ^^

I love the ambiance of the room, it is not big, but very elegantly decorated and lovely. It was such an amazing night. I just gained 50 pounds. But I (still) don't care and I can diet tomorrow (or not). ^^

Black by Ezard and Buzo Trattoria are both awarded the coveted one hat in the most current Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2013.

Love the warm intimate vibe inside the restaurant. Such a perfect cozy bistro for a quiet Sunday night, this is fine dining at its laid-back best :) 

(photo from http://www.pikewithers.com.au/portfolio/hospitality/2/buzo-restaurant/)

"Man shall not live by bread alone." --The Bible 

 "A gourmet who thinks of calories is like a tart, who looks at her watch." -- James Beard