aNarcist
food and drink in sydneyLooking Back…
Aperitif, Kings Cross
I’ve decided to close this blog. It’s been a lot of fun. I got a few ’scoops’ on new restaurants; and went to a few degustation restaurants, putting some pictures to the price tag.
My favourite posts:
- Spice Temple, most popular post.
- Celebrations
(Cru54, Marque, Quay) - Holidays
(Christmas, NYE, Japanese New Year) - Information
(Mino, Monkey Magic, Satsuma) - Saké reviews
(Azuma Kushiyaki, Busshari, Toko) - Writing
(Etch, Sean’s Kitchen, Tabou)
My favourite restaurants/bars:
- Cafe Ish (Café)
- Cru54 (Franco-Spanish)
- Ju-Rin (Japanese)
- Red Chilli 2 (Chinese)
- Rosso Pomodoro (Italian)
- Saap Thai (Cheap & Cheerful)
- Sticky Bar (Bar)
- Zilver (Yum Cha)
I’m also a fan of the new Saké Restaurant & Bar.
Also if you’re in Sydney, be sure to grab a bánh mì and some bowls of phở and laksa. Don’t overlook the Uighur or Burmese restaurants either.
Enjoy!
-Adam
Phở
Anniversary ♥ Quay
Marvellous views in background, but food comes to the fore.
IT’S BEEN A GOOD YEAR, for me and for Quay. I’ve been having the time of my life, eating and drinking around Sydney with my girlfriend. This weekend is our first anniversary, so we wanted to go somewhere special.
And what better place than Quay? Over the last year, the restaurant has taken out every ‘Best Restaurant’ award in the country. It also recently entered the list of the top 50 restaurants in the world.
Best of 2008, in 2009
SATSUMA was one of the most promising restaurants of 2008. I really enjoyed the extensive saké list, the inventive specials and the friendly service. Unfortunately, on my last visit, most of the saké was unavailable, the specials had been taken off, and the service was a little haphazard (except for the delightful waitress who remembered me from a previous visit). The night I was there, they didn’t pour the saké to overflowing, nor did they have the promised warm hand towels. But, I am pleased to say that the food is still really good. The sashimi platter is of fine quality. The fish is well-sourced, well-kept, well-sliced and well-arranged.
Monkey Magic
THE FIRST THING you notice about Monkey Magic is the name. The “Monkey Magic” TV series had quite a cult following, and was many young Australians’ first exposure to Asian culture. That’s probably why last year’s Noodle Markets at Hyde Park had “Monkey” episodes projected onto big screens.
It comes as no surprise, then, that this is one of three restaurants named after the Great Sage Equal of Heaven. In addition to this Japanese restaurant in Surry Hills, there’s also a Thai restaurant in Bondi and a takeaway sushi restaurant in the City. Whether any of them are related, I don’t know.
The Surry Hills restaurant has been open for a few months now, but I can’t find much information about it. It hasn’t been reviewed by any major publication, and its website is under construction. But according to the company that decorated the restaurant’s interior; the owner used to be head chef at Tetsuya’s.
This was not my first visit to the restaurant. I had been before and tried their crab betel leaves, sashimi, sushi, and their oh-so-luscious pork belly dish. I quite enjoyed the food and was rather impressed with their wine and saké list, so I was determined to try their $55 degustation menu.
sushi e (Merivale: Event)
sushi e was the last of my Marches into Merivale. Unlike the others, I didn’t go for the $33 dinner, but instead opted to go for the Special Event. Promoted as “Turning Japanese” night, it promised a “geisha” show and a four-course meal. It could have been a recipe for disaster, but I was pleasantly suprised.
