Eat: Onyx Dessert Lounge

Posted on January 30, 2013 by Natasha J Stewart

One of Adelaide’s most highly anticipated dessert bars, Onyx Dessert Lounge opened in November of last year, but I took my time to visit. To be honest, I didn’t want it to be good. Before I even arrived Onyx left a bad taste in my mouth.

cocktail, onyx dessert lounge

I love all things dessert. I love making them, eating them, looking at them. Everything. But I struggled to get too excited about a place that clearly thought it was so far above the rest. We’ve got a budding network of dessert bars in Adelaide, each has it’s faults, but most also have their own unique charms. The desserts aren’t always groundbreaking, and they’re often more cosy than chic, but they’ve carved out a market that really doesn’t exist interstate. No doubt the already established dessert scene is the reason Onyx is calling Adelaide home in the first place.

Their About Me page feels conceited and condescending, as if we should feel truly blessed that Onyx has come to save us from the shabby dessert places that used to satisfy out sweet cravings.

Putting all that aside, I was still looking forward to dessert at Onyx. I don’t believe in judging something until I’ve tried it, and no PR-ridden website was going to keep me away from desserts and cocktails.

We’d only just been able to get in. We’d plan on arriving without a booking, we were planning an early trip anyway, but mid way through the day they announced they were all booked up. After a quick phone call they said we’d have a table, but funnily when we got there it was completely empty.

The colours are bright, and a little gaudy, but after we settled in I actually warmed to the surroundings. It’s definitely different. The large chairs were comfortable, and a lot better than some of the stools you encounter at late night spots. Yes. The menus are on tablets. We were given one, and it was slow and unresponsive. We were pretty indecisive, so flicking back and forth was not an easy task. Some restaurants integrate tablets well, but Onyx falls a little short.

We ordered 3 savoury dishes, to be followed by three desserts. The SA king prawns and scallops were served in mini cones, with roe popping as you take your first bite. They were beautiful and fun, maybe a little too trendy, but I loved them. We also got the smoked cylinders with edible sand, lovely fresh fish with a strong umami flavour, and sweetness thanks to the seeweed. The smoke billowed inside the glass dome, before being released once placed on the table. A nice bit of food theatre to go along with the evening.

smoked cylinders
The chicken was lightly seasoned, getting it’s kick from the wasabi. Not as enchanting as the other dishes, but we didn’t want to get too swept away.

We managed two cocktails each throughout the night. Despite a poor first choice with the misleading Ice Cream Treacle (Gosling’s black seal rum, white chocolate syrup, vanilla vodka, whisky barrel aged bitters, grated nutmeg, orange twist), I made the top pick with the Balsamic Strawberry Fizz (mint, balsamic glaze, vanilla vodka, strawberry liqueur, strawberries, soda). It was like grabbing a fistful of of the freshest strawberries and plopping them straight into your mouth, just with the added freshness of of mint and soda water. It was pulpy and rich, and I’d happily sip it instead of a mojito next time I’m relaxing poolside.

Vic insisted on the sticky date pudding. It’s a comfort food, and something that many will pick off a menu with glee, but I just always find it so boring. This was the best sticky date pudding I’ve ever eaten. The vanilla ice cream was hidden inside, and it was moist, gooey, and rich. There are times when it pays to listen to your older sister.

We also got the deconstructed pavlova. I’ve had some great deconstructed dishes in the past, this just didn’t hit the mark. It was pleasant enough, but nothing about it really captured the idea of the pavlova. Sometimes deconstructing a dish allows you to have fun with flavours and textures that otherwise wouldn’t work, but I kind of just wished I had a regular pavlova. We polished the plate clean, it just left me wanting.

Finally the bombe alaska, my go-to dessert. I’m always interesting in seeing how it’s presented. Whether the meringue is already toasted, with a ring of alcohol lit around, or whether it’s set alight in front of you. I’m always guiltily a fan of the latter option, I love the charred meringue after it’s gotten that little bit too burt. This was lit before us, but the flame was a bit tamer than some others I’ve seen. Once again a bit of theatre bringing an added spark to the meal.

I’d struggle to really fault the food at Onyx, and the service was also fantastic, but there’s no denying that the big empty room felt a little bit hollow. I’m definitely going back, and I’ll probably keep going back time and time again; the food was skillful, creative, and fun. I just think that they need to realise that their food can carry itself, without the constant need to inform us all of it’s greatness. Drop the PR-speak and give us some real personality.

Onyx isn’t for everyone, it’s more expensive than your average dessert bar, and the chic setting and tablet menus will be all too much for some. What do you think? Is Onyx worth it, or are you struggling to find the love it so clearly thinks it deserves?

Eat: The Brasserie

Posted on December 13, 2012 by Natasha J Stewart

Back onto birthday dinners, and this time I was at the Brasserie with my best friend. We don’t get to catch up as much as we’d like these days. She’s busy, I’m busy. So grabbing dinner with her & her boyfriend was a good way to celebrate my birthday. We’d been to the Brasserie together before, but it was while they were doing renovations, so this time we were down in the proper restaurant.

I met them in the bar, and we decided to start with a cocktail. I chose a lychee cocktail, Roxy went more tropical with passionfruit and pineapple, and Rowan’s kiwi fruit cocktail was set alight. We hadn’t quite finished when we decided to walk over to our table.

We actually all ordered the same thing, a surefire way to eliminate food envy. Usually I try and con people into ordering separate dishes, and I’ll often sacrifice my first choice if someone else wants to have it. Tonight wasn’t about writing a review, or sampling an entire menu (or so we thought), it was simply about enjoying good food with some of my favourite people at one of my favourite restaurants.

We started with the pork belly buns. I’ll admit that I was a little sad to see the Brasserie menus change, they no longer had the details about where the various foods were sourced from. There was still a lot of local produce, so their practices haven’t changed, but I used to enjoy sitting back and dissecting the menu. But, back to the pork belly buns. One of the things I am excited about is that the new menu seems to be having a little bit more fun. It takes on a few ‘trends’ and does them so well.

The pork belly buns were actually quite light, and there was a great freshness that came from the cucumber and the herbs. I would have loved a little more pork belly inside, but hey, is there ever a time that I don’t want more pork belly? At the end of the dish we were craving more, I joked to the waiter that we could order 10 more, but we didn’t want to spoil the rest of the dinner.

Next up were the ribs.

Sticky and sweet, the meat was falling off the bones. I was expecting good things with this dish, considering the delicious ribs I’d eaten the week before at Eat Drink Blog. The style was different, but the meat itself was just as good. We got some green veggies on the side, and the ribs also game with thick wedge like chips. We couldn’t even finish our chips, even though they were crunchy and delicious. The ribs and the pork bun were more than enough, and I was glad I hadn’t ordered a second bun.

Before we could take a look at the dessert menus our waiter came over and told us that the kitchen had a special dessert for my birthday. It’s times like this that I’m thankful I have a second dessert stomach.

We had a sample of every dessert on the menu, all to share between the three of us.

To be honest, we were a little scared. It was epic, and being dessert freaks we knew there was no way we were leaving a speck of dessert on that plate. There was lemon curd and meringue with native Australian berries, delicious caramel filled profiteroles, a hazelnut ice cream sandwich, honey bombe alaska, some kind of cherry ripe dessert, and a creme brulee.

My favourite would be a tie between the bombe alaska (they’re always a favourite of mine), and the filled profiteroles.

We managed to finish the platter, and felt like we would roll out of the door. I remember being amazed by the desserts when we were there for my 21st, but this topped it.

I’m hoping to head back to the Brasserie soon to try some more of their buns. They also do a kim chi and a pulled pork bun, and I’m all for food trends when they’re tasty. It’s a bit disappointing that the kim chi bun isn’t available at lunch, I’d love to be able to go in and order a trio of the buns during the day, I’d feel a little weird going into the restaurant at night just to order three starters by myself.

The Brasserie remains one of my favourite places in Adelaide, but it’s not somewhere I get to very often. Thanks to the Entertainment Card I get there about once a year, and I haven’t been disappointed yet.

Eat: Shiki at the Intercontinental

Posted on December 8, 2012 by Natasha J Stewart

I like birthdays. Well my birthday in particular. It’s the perfect excuse to convince my dad that we need to go out somewhere nice to eat. I spend my actual birthday having dinner at the Adelaide Hilton as part of our food blogging conference, Eat Drink Blog 3, but I had 4 more birthday dinners lined up. I’m always looking for any excuse to catch up with friends/family over food, and this seemed like the perfect excuse.

The first dinner was at Shiki, the Japanese teppanyaki restaurant at the Intercontinental. I first learned about Shiki back in year 10, when I went on a tour of the Hyatt, now the Intercontinental. We were there for a French trip, and were learning about the benefits of learning a second language if you want to get into the hospitality industry. At the time it fuelled a passion to one day own my own hotel. I might not have the same dreams anymore, but I’ve still always been interested in trying out Shiki for myself.

Unfortunately Shiki isn’t the sort of place we can take the entire family, not only because we were doing the $140 degustation, but because there’s not much chance you’ll get any of my nieces eating teppanyaki unless they fry up some chicken nuggets on the iron griddle. So there was just 5 of us: mum, dad, one of my sisters, myself, and the Smiling Foodie. It seemed fitting he come along considering we’re birthday buddies. (We made up for the lack of the rest of the family with a fun picnic at their local park).

First we were given some light soba noodles, which were followed by the sashimi: kingfish, salmon, and tuna. Lucky for me Sam is not a fan of sashimi, so I lucked out and got to enjoy double. They were so fresh, I could have easily had myself another plate.

sashimi

As is usually the case with teppanyaki (unless you’ve got a very large group), you share your bench with other diners. We had a small group who’d obviously been enjoying the wine selection, who were having a great time, and an older English couple who had only just arrived in Adelaide on business. I always enjoy the chance to meet new people, and I find food is the perfect social lubricant.

One of my favourite dishes of the night was the soft-shell mud crab. It’s got the flavour of crab without all the mess, and it’s got that great mix of soft meat and still lightly crunchy shell.

softshellcrab

I always enjoy watching my food being cooked, and it gives you another level of connection with the cooking process. There weren’t any wild antics, we didn’t have food thrown into our mouths, but the flames are always entertaining. In general I found the service to be quite reserved. It was interesting to see what I assumed to be typical Japanese dining etiquette, all the women were served first with dad (the oldest male) receiving his meals last.

At the end of the meal we were lead away to have our dessert, green tea panna cotta with red bean. I’m not sure if the move was supposed to be for our benefit or theirs, whether they were freeing up our spot at the main table or just giving us the opportunity to relax over dessert somewhere a little more secluded. I enjoyed the panna cotta, as I generally do, it was a refreshing end and the matcha flavour wasn’t too bitter.

dessert

Overall I really enjoyed Shiki, but I could personally justify the price. $140 a head + alcohol isn’t a cheap night out, and I definitely won’t be doing the degustation again unless someone else is paying.

P.s. If this doesn’t seem like much food for $140, I haven’t actually covered every dish! You can read all the menus online.

Adelaide Magazine Reader Dinner: Press* Food & Wine

Posted on August 25, 2012 by Natasha J Stewart

Why does no one want to eat with me at Press?

Last Tuesday night was my second Adelaide Magazine Reader Dinner. As soon as I saw the invite I knew I was going. After all, the last dinner (a collaboration between the Adelaide Magazine, the Happy Motel, & McLaren Vale Wineries) still goes down as one of the best nights out I’ve ever had. Then there is Press, one of my favourite restaurants in Adelaide. So I watched my bank balance like a hawk until about a week before the dinner when I knew I could spare the $90 to splurge on a ticket.

But that was it. I bought one ticket. Usually I can convince my sister to come along to things like this, but she was going to be off in Cambodia, and after a chorus of “Oh, I’d love to but I don’t really have the money” I knew I’d be flying solo. It wasn’t until I got the phone call confirming my booking that I started getting a little nervous.

“Hi Natasha, just calling to confirm your booking tonight at Press for … just yourself.”

Suddenly I was imagining myself cooped up in the corner on a lonesome little table. Thankfully this was well and truly a long table event. I ended up on a great table of people, and I can always have a good night surrounded by strangers who love food and drink.

I think it’s pretty safe to say that I’m a fan of anything with the words ‘pork’ and ‘bun’ in the title. From the Asian steamed pork buns I’ve eaten my whole life, to Pearl’s Diner’s sloppy pulled pork bun deliciousness, and now these well known pork buns at Press. They were first on the menu, handed round on trays while people drank and mingled. The sliders seemed like a strange way to start the meal, but no one was really complaining, because the mix of fresh salad, sweet bun, and crispy pork was pretty yum.

Gravlax of salmon, crème fraiche, dill & mustard dressing. Morcilla, apple remoulade. Fennel, witlof, orange, radish, red onion, sumac. Bef carpaccio, fresh horseradish, capers.

local squid, chipotle mayonaise.

The actual meal kicked off with a range of brightly coloured dishes. I’m a very visual eater, if something looks incredible I just can’t wait to actually get it in my mouth. Dinner was set out just like the regular Press menu, with their categories like Raw, Small, Meat, Offal, etc. all getting their chance to jump on your plate.

Our first dishes (the gravlax, carpaccio, & the salad) were all really light and fresh, while the squid and morcilla had a bit more spice. I’d never eaten carpaccio before, but I always love me some raw meat, and I liked the saltiness of the capers. Morcilla was also new to me, and most of the table. We had to do a quick google to double check that it actually was a blood sausage. It usually also comes as part of the offal mixed grill at Press, which I think I might have to choose next time I pop in.

Roast suckling pig with all the trimmings.

As soon as the pig came out people jumped up to get a picture of it. It’s interesting to think that something that makes so many people salivate with hunger, would also put a lot of people off of their food. I was pretty happy with the shot on the left, which was right before the pig was carved up and served to the tables.

This is the dish I first went along to Press for, but after not enough people showed up we had to pass up on the suckling pig and order from the menu instead. It’s pretty clear to see why it’s such a popular dish. The crackling was crisp and the meat was so juicy. This course also came with my favourite wine of the evening, The Alpha Box and Dice ‘blood of jupiter’ sangiovese cabernet.

Beef pie, pea puree.

We also had the beef pies as our main course, I think these were the ones featured on the Adelaide Mag cover a month or so back. I wasn’t bowled over by them, but I did love the presentation. There are just so many other things to eat at Press, so while I enjoyed them I might not order them again.

Rum & Raisin bombe alaska, cinnamon anglaise.

Finally dessert. Which funnily was the course I was least looking forward to. Maybe it’s because for me Press is about meat (and some pretty awesome salads). There were two possibilities for dessert, but you got what you were given. The lemon curd tart is always a nice option, and I’ve had a few bad experiences with rum & raisin desserts in the past that I can’t say I was really looking forward to either.

Then my rum & raisin bombe alaska came out. It was this beautiful meringue beehive sitting in a pool of anglaise sauce. While unfortunately not on fire, it looked lovely. I had a spoonful and kind of fell in love. It wasn’t overpowering like almost every other rum & raisin experience I’ve had, and the meringue was still warm while the inner parfait was so creamy. It almost managed to be one of my favourite dishes of the night.

While I’ve focussed on the food, it was really the people that made this night great. It’s one of the reasons why I love the Adelaide Mag Reader dinners, and while I’ll definitely be buying a ticket to the next one even if I am all alone again at the start. Katie & Jim from the Adelaide Mag are great, and it was great meeting so many other fun and interesting people throughout the night.

If you get an invite to dine at Press, or an Adelaide Mag Reader dinner, jump at the chance.

Eat: Mantra on King William (GFS Dinner)

Posted on July 19, 2012 by Natasha J Stewart

The other week was my second Good Food Society meet up. The last was at Press, when we were set to have their suckling pig, unfortunately lack of response meant instead there were just five of us. We were still at Press Food & Wine, just without the pig. So this was GFS second time round, and this time we were going to Mantra on King William. This time I brought Vic along for the ride.

We started off with an amuse bouche, and then our first course was the scallops. Seared Hervey Bay scallop, sauce vierge, baby basil, proscuitto crisps. The scallops were cooked perfectly, and the procuitto crisps added an interesting crunch. The sauce was nothing amazing, but the whole dish went together nicely. Then the second course came round. Buffalo mozzarella, morels, peas & asparagus open lasagne, crispy egg yolk. This was quite an interesting dish, but I wasn’t in love with it. The crispy egg yolk was great, and very fun, but nothing else really made my tastebuds dance. It was a very earthy dish, but it just wasn’t my thing.

I make it sound like it had all been smooth sailing, but while the food was great and beautifully presented, we’d also been waiting about an hour between courses. With only one glass of wine per course our glasses were running dry and our stomachs were grumbling. That would be my only real criticism of the night. You would think that timing could be a bit better considering we’d booked it all in advance.

How does that song go? A kiss on the hand may be quite continental but pork belly is a girl’s best friend. No? Not quite right? Well I can definitely say pork belly is the way to this girls heart. Milk poached free range Berkshire pork belly, pearl barley, rhubarb, liquorice. This was my favourite dish of the night. The pork belly was just right, with a nice amount of crisp to it, but it was the addition of liquorice that got my attention. It was really interesting, and even those on the table who weren’t liquorish fans enjoyed it. There was also sugar coated aniseed (or something similar) which I thought was a nice touch. The final main was the lamb. Pure Suffolk lamb: pressed shoulder & poached leg, onion soubise, cavolo nero. The pressed shoulder seemed like a really fancy way to say meatloaf, but I really enjoyed it. Although my favourite part of the dish was probably the onion. I’m weird, I know.

And finally dessert. Popping passionfruit marshmallow, ruby grapefruit sponge, basil tapioca. This was a really fresh and light dessert, I can imaging it going down well in summer. I love anything with popping candy (it’s one trend I’m fully embracing), and it was sweet and fruity with that familiar zing. The vegetarians on our table were lucky to get a second dessert instead of one of their dishes, the Belgium chocolate bombe, berries, raspberry fizz, Valrhona pearls. It was the inspiration for me to try my melting chocolate shell dessert the other night.

All in all the food was delicious at Mantra on King William, I think we all just wish that timing was a little more prompt.

Eat: Pearl’s Diner

Posted on July 14, 2012 by Natasha J Stewart

So you’re hard pressed to find someone in Adelaide who hasn’t heard of Burger Theory. Believe me, they do exist and I’ve met a few of them, but they’re a pretty rare species. You might be more likely to find someone who hasn’t heard of Pearl’s Diner. Funnily enough they’re both the work of the brilliant boys Dan & Rob from Burger Theory, but at Pearl’s Diner they join forces with the equally brilliant Aurélie from La Waffle.

The result is a small suburban diner in the unlikely spot of Felixstow, and most days and nights that it’s open it’s filled to the brim.

I’ve been twice now, and I have to admit, I’m a little in love. The menu is pretty basic, much like on the Burger Theory truck, and while the new additions are pretty simple each has it’s purpose. There are those that visit with an undying loyalty to the Burger, but trust me it’s worth branching out and trying it all.

The chili is warm and hearty, perfect for winter, the burgers are as tasty as always and the chips have improved ten-fold. The buttermilk fried chicken is also the best fried chicken I’ve ever tried. It’s not greasy and it’s nice and crispy, if you order a full serve you get some slaw as well but the wing pictured is just a side.

There is one menu item that has stolen my heart, run away with it, and buried it underground in a secret lair – the pork bun with 14hour smoked Berkshire pork.

Seriously it’s hard to resist buying up 100 of these and attempting my own sole-contender pork bun eating contest. From the bun to the pork, it all just melts away in your mouth. Soft, juicy, barbequey, and all round deliciously moreish.

Finally the waffles. La Waffle waffles are the best I’ve ever tasted, and they’re in their full glory here. It’s a lot easier to appreciate a waffle in a diner than it is trying to balance a paper plate on your knee. My only comment is that I think there should be two to a serve, although after 100 pork buns I think I’d have difficulty squeezing in two waffles.

If you head along expect crowds, but also expect delicious comfort food from two of Adelaide’s favourite street food vendors.

Want more convincing? I’ve rounded up a few other reviews just to make you wish you were there now.
Travelling in Mary Janes
D Bites
Weekend Notes (by Hannah)
The Lonely Plate
Liz Bakes Cakes
The Thousands

Shaw + Smith Wine Dinner at the National Wine Centre

Posted on June 15, 2012 by Natasha J Stewart

Wednesday night Vic and I were invited along to the Shaw + Smith Wine Dinner at the National Wine Centre. It was a pretty fitting time for wine, we’d just spent the public holiday down at Sea and Vines but with Shaw + Smith we jumped to a new region: The Adelaide Hills. I’ve been to a few events at the Wine Centre before, for product nights and for charity lunches, but this was my first time going along to one of the wine dinners.

The Shaw + Smith menu. Sashimi of kingfish canapé. Olives, dukkah, and olive oil & balsamic.

We started with a glass of the 2012 Shaw + Smith Sauvignon Blanc and canapés. The sashimi of kingfish, with lime & fennel and horseradish gel, was really light and fresh. We got to have a quick chat before sitting down for the meal and the rest of the wine.

But before we get to that: the bread. It just kept coming, terrible for your hips but amazing for your stomach, taste buds, etc. We were given bread before every course, and while the bread itself was nice, the real reason we enjoyed it so much was because of the dukkah and the balsamic. The dukkah had a rich and salty flavour, and was made in house, and the balsamic was sticky and sweet. We were hoping that they sold them somewhere at the Wine Centre, but unfortunately they don’t.

Michael Hill-Smith. Flowers.

There were 9 people on our table, and I got chatting to the lady next to me, turns out she bakes gourmet pies and sells them at the Murray Bridge Farmers Market every Saturday. *Scribble, scribble*. It’s definitely added to my diary, and how could it not be. As soon as she started talking about rabbit, venison, and beef & Guinness pies I was already drooling.

There was plenty of time to chat at the dinner, and I can’t reiterate how much I love dining with strangers. It’s always interesting to get to know someone for a night, but it’s even better when you’re sharing food and wine. Of course in-between courses we also did a lot of listening, as Michael Hill-Smith took to the microphone to talk to us not only about the wines we we drinking, but Shaw + Smith, their history, and wine in general.

He was funny, and incredibly knowledgeable, it was one of those times where I just had to sit there and soak it up. One of my favourite things with wine (apart from drinking it) is getting to hear from someone directly involved with the wine or the wine making process, because this is usually where you get really see their passion. It’s the same with food, and getting to meet the chefs who create it.

Textures of rabbit. Roasted duck breast & confit leg. House made chocolates. Aged English cheese.

Of course, of course… then there was the food. The first dish (excluding canapés) would have to be my favourite. It was called Textures of Rabbit: with sage buttered gnocchi, jamon iberico, & mustards. The rabbit was delicious, not an inch of it was dry, and the potato gnocchi tasted like it had been soaking in butter for days (in a good way of course). I wanted every mouthful to last so much longer than it did. With the rabbit we had a 2010 Shaw + Smith M3 Chardonnay, and a 2006 Shaw + Smith Aged Release Riesling.

Our main was duck, cooked two ways. It was really interesting having the two pieces of duck on the one plate, each tasting completely different. The confit duck leg sat perfectly on the plate, but the moment my knife touched the meat it just slipped through, and the meat fell off the bone. With the duck we had a 2010 Incognito Pinot Noir and a 2010 Shaw + Smith Pino Noir.

There was no grand dessert, instead we had a selection of house made chocolates, and cheese. Both good accompaniments to wine. With this we had a 2009 Shaw + Smith Shiraz and a 2010 Pre-Release Shaw + Smith Shiraz. After the meal Phillip Pope, the chef at the National Wine Centre, came round to every table, happy to chat about the meals and how he created them.

Overall we had a great night, it was a good chance to try some wines, learn more about the Shaw + Smith winery, and meet some new people.

This was the first dinner of the 2012 Wine Dinner season. The next dinner with Henschke is already sold out, but there are four others. The wine makers involved are D’Arenberg, Charles Melton, Penny’s Hill, and Teusner.

In Sydney with Sony: Day 2

Posted on June 13, 2012 by Natasha J Stewart

My second day in Sydney was rounding up at 4, when I’d hop in the car to the airport to catch the plane back to Adelaide. Before leaving I’d already decided that I’d be having breakfast at fouratefive, but then I spotted bills at the bottom of my hotel and I knew I might have to stretch myself.

So I hopped up early, and made my way down to bills. Laptop in hand so I could take advantage of the hotel internet. I knew exactly what I’d be having: the ricotta hotcakes with banana and honeycomb butter. They were definitely tasty, but they didn’t blow me away. I don’t know if I was expecting a bit more sweetness from the honeycomb butter. All in all I was happy with them, but I’d branch out to try something else next time.

My favourite thing about breakfast at bills was their range of drinks. I like cold drinks. I’m not a huge coffee drinker, and I like tea but I rarely order it out, so I love a good list of cold drinks that doesn’t revolve around milk, soft drinks, or bottled juices. bills have a great range of freshly squeezed juices as well as bills homemade lemonade, ice tea, rosehip and mint punch, and elderflower cordial. I picked the rosehip and mint punch, it was fun, fresh, and spritzy.

Rosehip & mint punch. Ricotta hotcakes with banana & honeycomb butter. Homemade creamed corn w/ poached eggs, crispy bacon, & sourdough bread. Gooey egg.

Of course I’d already committed myself to fouratefive. I was dining on limited time, so I figured there was no halm in popping in for second breakfast. I was embracing my inner hobbit for the day. Everyone thought I was crazy when I chose an outside table, but by this stage the sun was still streaming down through the clouds and I was making the most of it.

After my sweeter breakfast of pancakes I went for the creamed corn instead, with poached eggs and bacon. It was such a warming filling breakfast, and it managed to stay warm from the moment it landed on my table till I took my last mouthful. Too often breakfast ends up cold before you’re even halfway through. I was impressed. fouratefive is a really lovely spot, made better by the friendly people working there. I was eyeing off their pastries but I thought that third breakfast was taking it a bit too far. I still had to leave room for multiple lunches.

Lemon fruit shake. Short rib sandwich. Salmon salad. Mango cupcake.

Wandering through Sydney I also came across Ghermez, a pretty looking cupcake spot. After much deliberation I decided I’d bring a box of six mini cupcakes back to Adelaide, and grab myself a mango cupcake to enjoy there. The cake was soft, light, and moist. I’m still a cream cheese fan, but the butter cream was pretty tasty.

Then it was back to Surry Hills where I first stopped off at Hey Brew Cafe. It’s a small place on Foveaux Street in Surry Hills. I’d passed it the day before and decided I’d have to pop in to have a look. I ummed and ahhed at their sandwiches, but knew I couldn’t go past their short rib sandwich. Japanese beef ribs, purple cabbage kim chi, and honey-dew melon. It was served on a ciabatta, and mmmmmmm. That’s about all I can say. It was juicy, sweet, meaty. Just a really tasty sandwich. Nothing was dry, nothing was bland. I was impressed.

Rounding up my day I was making one last stop, back to bills to finish off a bit more work while I waited for my car to arrive. I had a quick look at their menu and decided on their Salmon Salad with Caramel Coconut Dressing. I was expecting a tasty salad, with some smoked salmon. I thought I would like it, but I really wasn’t prepared. I have to say this my favourite salad out of any I’ve ever eaten. I’m not saying it’s the best, but if you were to put together the perfect salad for me, this would be it.

There was not a hint of smoked salmon in sight, instead a few sizeable chunks of crispy skinned salmon. It had that melt-in-your-mouth texture and a beautiful salmon flavour. Lettuce was also not in the picture, instead leaves of coriander and mint and some healthy sized chunks of cucumber. The grapefruit was a great addition, and the dressing was a delicious Asian style offering.

Breakfast wasn’t quite enough to make me want to rush back to Bill’s, I mainly stopped in to use some WIFI again, but that salad made my trip to Sydney. It’s a firm favourite I’ll be coming back for again, and again, and again, and again.

SAFM Winter Mystery Break in Clare

Posted on May 27, 2012 by Natasha J Stewart

I got a phone call on Thursday from Sam: did I want to get up really early Friday morning to possibly win a night away to one of the 7 Country Club Hotels and Resorts in South Australia. Of course I said yes, packed a bag, and got ready to leave at 6 the next morning. We were having dinner at the Adelaide Meridien Hotel & Apartment; Hayley, Craig, & Rabbit were broadcasting live, and there were around 20 other couples all hoping to win the night away.

Thankfully, we won! But so did all of the other couples there. After the winner was drawn it was announced that we’d all be going away. We were lucky enough to get a night at the Clare Country Club, and with the weather we had over the weekend it was great to get away somewhere full of plenty of cellar doors and warm fires.

We had a two bedroom spa suite. Right by the pool which I’m sure would be lovely in summer, and sat on a lake that would have been great to picnic by. We weren’t getting the chance to enjoy any of these because it rained, and rained, and rained. Instead we hopped from cellar door to cellar door. We drove up to Burra to Thorogoods Apple Wines & Cider cellar door. Their apple wines were interesting, but I’m not sure if they’re something I’d choose to drink too often. They were quite syrupy, with an oaky, earthy, flavour. We didn’t get to try the cider, they don’t open the bottles because otherwise the bubbles will run out. I still picked up two bottles to take home.

The other cellar doors we popped into were Jim Barry Wines, Knappstein Winery & Brewery, and then Annie’s Lane and Crabtree Watervale Wines on our way home. We also popped into the Sevenhill Produce Market on Saturday morning. There were so many jams and pastries, and everything looked delicious. There wasn’t much fresh produce there, but we reckon it was a combination of the rain and the fact that the Clare Gourmet Weekend was the week before.

For lunch we popped into the Wild Saffron Cafe. It was a gourgeous little cafe on the main street, that doubled as a store selling gourmet foods and cute homewares. I ordered salmon and lime fishcakes with a glass noodle salad. It was really light and refreshing. I was a little worried that the fish cakes would be dry, I didn’t quite know what to expect from this cafe, but they were soft and still quite moist, and broke apart easily. There was probably a bit more lime than you’d expect from a Thai salad, but I think it worked, I always like a bit of tang.

We had a main meal included in our prize so we had dinner at Conners, the restaurant at the Clare Country Club. We’d met another couple at breakfast that morning, and had made plans to join each other at dinner that night. Thankfully we bumped into them during the day so we could touch base and get out dinner reservations scheduled for the same time.

While mains were free, I couldn’t help but get an entree as well. King prawns on a guacamole type salsa. The meal was nice, but the prawns were a little overcooked, so I felt it could have been a bit better. The lamb on the other hand was cooked perfectly, still a bit pink, and it was topped with grilled vegetables and greek yoghurt. We of course ordered dessert, so I got the creme brulee, nice and creamy and with a good crack. We probably wouldn’t have eaten there if our mains weren’t free, the restaurant was pretty expensive, and while we all enjoyed our meals I probably wouldn’t have been happy if I was paying for it all.

We really had a great weekend away, and I’d definitely recommend the Clare Country Club to others. This was the first time I’ve been to Clare since I was little, and now I can’t wait to get back there.

Eat: Press Food & Wine

Posted on April 16, 2012 by Natasha J Stewart

One of the things I’ve really gained from food blogging is the confidence to eat alone. When I’ve travelled in the past I’ve settled for cheap fast food across the road, or I’ve grabbed something from the supermarket, rather than finding a nice restaurant. Quite frankly it sucked. These days I couldn’t care less whether I’m with friends, or alone, as long as there’s good food involved.

Which gets me to my declaration: Press, I love you.

The other day I walked into Press, all alone, and asked them to feed me. In other words I asked them if their tasting menu could be eaten for one person. The answer: not really, but they put something together for me and I sat down to enjoy.

The oysters were the freshest oysters I’ve eaten. They were like taking a breath of sea air, seasoned so lightly so that the neutral flavour could come through. The sweetcorn salad was littered with pink peppercorns that popped in your mouth, and had a sweetness to them.

The crab pasta was moreish. There was a peppery bite to it that gave it some extra warmth, this helped as by the time I got to this course it was really starting to cool down outside. I got a PIMMS cocktail which was light and refreshing.

CRACK. This was the perfect end to a really enjoyable meal. The inside was smooth and creamy, but the top had a that signature crack.

It was nice sitting by myself, staring out the window and people watching, but next time I think I might bring a pen or a book along. I didn’t get any of the offal this time, although I enjoyed the brains my first time at Press, so next time I think I might try the offal mixed grill.

You can check out a sample menu on the Press Food & Wine website.

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