Product Review: Domino’s Peri Peri Pizzas

What is it: Domino’s Peri Peri Pizza

How much is it: $8.95 each

Where to order it: http://www.dominos.com.au/menu/pizzas

Contact:  Domino’s – 1300 366 466

* * *

Thanks to Domino’s Australia, I got to try out the new Peri Peri Range, retailing for $8.95 each.

A delivery of three pizzas, a garlic bread, cold Coke and a lover’s lava cake arrived at our door and we were soon stuck into the pizzas!

In the boxes were the Chicken Peri Peri, Beef Peri Peri and Prawn Peri Peri pizzas.

First off, the prawn.

It was bursting with freshness from the fresh, just cooked prawns to the juicy cherry tomatoes and green spinach. Delicious flavours and generous amount of prawns and vegetables.

Next was the beef.

The beef pizza was a little dry. The sauce helped a little but I could do with more sauce due to the dryness of the beef. Not much vegetables on this one- definitely for the guys and kids!

Finally, the chicken.

Soft chicken breast,  fresh vegetables and lots and lots of melted cheese.

A beautiful looking pizza and a very nice tasting one too. I really enjoyed the crispy crust and creamy cheesy centre.

Rating

I give the prawn an 8/10, the chicken a 6/10 and the beef a 6/10.

Disclaimer: TCFB sampled the Peri Peri pizzas courtesy of Domino’s. All opinions expressed on this blog are entirely my own and are not intended to be factual and/or taken as advice. 

New Shanghai, Chatswood Chase ($$)

Address: Lower Ground Level, Chatswood Chase- 345 Victoria Ave, Chatswood NSW

Tel: (02) 9412 3358

Website: http://www.newshanghai.com.au/splash.php

* * *

Wicko and I attended a menu tasting at New Shanghai in Chatswood.

Wicko has started covering a few more events for me as I try to manage work and blogging and transition to being a part-time uni student from March onwards.

This event was particularly appropriate for him  as he went to school in Chatswood so knows the area quite well.  He also is quite a fussy eater so I thought exposing him to something different would be good to develop his blogging palate!

Atmosphere

The restaurant is located in the food court of Chatswood Chase shopping centre, so we decided to park in the centre and walk down.  This was a good idea on the way there, but was a little creepy when we had to walk through the shopping centre in the dark on the way back!

The atmosphere at the restaurant was a little different to what I had expected.

It was a lot darker, almost a little grungy and it gave off a “busy modern city meets traditional tea house” vibe.

The place was packed out with busy diners, quite good for a Wednesday night out of the CBD.

There is a small drinks bar on one side, featuring prints of a smiling Chinese girl and a large printed umbrella.  The colours brighten up the dark space and the slightly faded look gives an “old-yet-new” feel.

There was also a private dining room which was being used when we entered (this photo is from after the meal as I did not want to take a photo while there were people in there).

I loved the red, shiny bamboo wall paper on the walls, an elegant way to brighten up the space.

Wicko and I also liked the glass windows (similar to those at Din Tai Fung), which showed off the skills of the dumpling and bun makers, kneading and rolling away until each dumpling was perfect.

The final touches were the antique-looking carved wooden windows ….

the red windows and bunting….

and the bamboo coloured neutral table settings.

Service

We were looked after by the friendly and pleasant Jerry, the Chatswood Manager who was overseeing the staff taking our orders and delivering food.

After perusing the menu, we ordered drinks.

Some chose pineapple, some Yakult and others pineapple an coconut.

The drinks took a while to come out and all came out at different times but they were really nice and worth the wait.

Wicko chose a Kiwi Blended Ice which was not at all sour, like some of the kiwis you find here. It also contained large chunks of Kiwi on the top.

Kiwi Blended Ice, $5.80

I chose the Lychee Blended Ice, which I found tasted like lychee jelly, rather than fresh lychee, which was not a problem for me as I love lychee jelly anyway!

The drink was refreshing but I would have liked some pearls or jelly in there like at Easyway and Chatime.

Lychee Blended Ice, $5.80

The lovely Georgie, who was sitting next to me, chose the Strawberry Blended Ice, which came out topped with a couple of strawberries and some mint.

Strawberry Blended Ice, $5.80

Food

Food. Boy was there a lot of it.

The menu at New Shanghai is seasonal except for the key basic dishes so in order to try a bit of everything we had both Dim Sim and Mains to share.

We started off with the delicious pillows of pan fried pork buns that were soft on top, crisp on the bottom and full of juicy pork.

Pan Fried Pork Buns (8 pieces), $10.50 

Next were the Xiao Long Bao, pleated dumplings with a delicate and soft skin, these dumplings were bursting with broth and pork flavour. Delicious and quite a generous serving for the price!

Xiao Long Bao (8 pieces), $7.80 

One of the more exciting dishes on the menu and definitely one of my favourites, was the Prawn Wonton tossed with peanut butter, red chilli oil and spice. The creamy, nutty flavour of the peanut butter (which you can see in the middle) was perfect with the spicy chilli and cool cucumber and the prawns were cooked until JUST done!

Prawn Wontons with peanut butter and chilli sauce (10 pieces), $14.80

The steamed Pork Belly Buns were soft and slightly chewy with a tasty sauce, however, the pork was quite dry so I didn’t really like this dish.

Pork Belly Buns, $6.00 (2 pieces)

The pan fried pork dumplings were great as they were so golden and delicious on the bottom, perfect with the vinegar and soy sauce.

Here’s a photo of the bottom of the dumplings:

Pan Fried Pork Dumplings (8 pieces), $9.90

After we had enjoyed the Dim Sim, we moved on to the Braised Tofu and Mushroom in Sweet Soy Sauce.

While I am definitely not a mushroom person and couldn’t handle more than a bite of these slimy looking things, I did enjoy the tofu, the glossy sauce and the braised greens.

Great for the vegetarians!

Braised Tofu and Mushroom in Sweet Soy Sauce, $16.80

Next were the Stir Fried Claims with XO Sauce. The claims were well cooked, the sauce was sweet and a little spicy and the shallots were crunchy and added some freshness and colour.

Wicko also enjoyed his first clam, noting that he had caught one once on a fishing trip by accident.  Nice.

Stir Fried Clam, $15.80

The Steamed Fish with Seaweed was soft and flaky, falling apart easily when prodded with our chopsticks. I’m not 100% sure exactly what the sauce was or how much it cost though as I couldn’t find it on the menu.

My favourite dish, possibly of all time, had to be the Salt and Pepper Soft Shell Crab.  This dish was a winner all round and we enjoyed the super crunchy fried crab, the spicy chili and the well seasoned batter.  The presentation was also nice with some bright colours to lift the look of the dish.

Salt and Pepper Soft Shell Crab, $29.80

Next we had the King Prawn in Ginger and Shallots with Vermicelli.  There were plenty of prawns in this dish, even if they were a little overdone and hard to peel (HOW do you peel prawns with chopsticks and a soup spoon!?).

The ginger and shallot sauce was tasty but I wasn’t a fan of all the noodles at the bottom, a little too much vermicelli for me!

We then had the Salt and Pepper Deep Fried School of Prawns, which were the same as the soft shell crab, except crunchier.

The Sizzling Seafood Hot Pot was next.  A pot full of seafood broth, steaming vegetables, tofu, fish, prawns and squid, this dish was something light that you could enjoy with fried rice of noodles, without feeling super guilty that you just ate all dat fried crab.

The Rainbow Beef was next.  The beef was cut super thin, battered and then fried and coated in a red sweet and sour sauce, leaving it crunchy and sweet.

Rainbow Beef, $17.80

It was served with some steamed plain bread that you were meant to place the beef in, although I only ended up trying a piece of the bread and a couple of pieces of the beef.

The bread was light and pillowy and very cutely shaped so that they looked like little clouds!

Finally, the last dish was the Fried Rice with XO Sauce.  The rice was so flavoursome and colourful and I loved the prawns and egg in there.

A great dish to complement any of the other mains, especially the steamed vegetable and seafood dishes.

Fried Rice in XO Sauce, $11.90

For dessert, we shared HUGE bowls of shaved ice, ice cream, fresh mango and strawberry (yes, fresh!), and some condensed milk.

Despite half the dish being ice, once the ice cream and ice started melting the combination of fruity flavours mixing in with the ice made for a cold and satisfying dessert.

We were surprised to find that all this was only $10.80, however, you are only able to choose either mango or strawberry when you order this at the restaurant.

Fresh Mango or Strawberry Shaved Ice, $10.80

Summary

The food was very tasty and there was so much variety, flavour and technique used in making these dishes.  Great value as well and large serving sizes.

The decor is traditional meets modern, and I loved the glass area where the dumplings and buns were made and the beautiful red and black antique looking features.

Rating

I would rate my experience (out of 10):

• Service-  8
• Food-  8
• Atmosphere- 7.75
• Value – 8

TCFB and Wicko dined complimentarily as guests of Wasamedia and New Shanghai. 

Rabbit Hole Bar & Dining, Sydney CBD ($$)

Address: Basement level, 82 Elizabeth Street, Sydney NSW

Tel: (02) 8084 2505

Website: http://www.rabbitholebar.com.au/

Opening Hours:

Monday to Friday -12.00 pm to late

Saturday- 4.00 pm to late

* * *

Pendulum Communications invited MC and I to Rabbit Hole Bar and Dining’s (RHBD) first birthday party, located underground on Elizabeth Street.

The entry

Celeb guests included Justine Schofield (of MasterChef and Everyday Gourmet fame), Nacho Pop, Sam McMillan and Brittany Cairns, while fellow food bloggers; Simon from Simon Food Favourites, Bob from Jugernauts, and Tina from Food, Booze and Shoes were also in attendance.

Atmosphere

RHBD has a very quaint almost 20’s feel to it with lots of neutral colours and old fashioned cartoons on the walls.

There are two bars: one in the main area, and one in another more intimate space around the corner.  

Main bar

We headed over after work, about 6.30pm and managed to find a table in the room to the left of the main bar area. 

This space had a bar in the middle and featured cushioned seats on one side of the wall and mismatched wooden chairs, large round barrels and stools around the rest of the space, some covered in white rabbit-like fur.

Smaller bar area

It was quite dark and the only light we had came from down lights, mirrors, sky lights and candles which added depth and brightened up the dark spaces.

The place has a quirky and private feel and features mysterious Alice in Wonderland-like accents such as rabbit-related cartoons, flowery cushions in contrast to the dark bar and seats, and “DRINK ME” worthy cocktail concoctions!

The music was quite relaxed and laid back and contributed to the “classy hipster” vibe.

Service

The staff were pretty attentive, walking around to collect empty glasses and to ask if we wanted another drink, and the bar staff were great at pouring the drinks, serving them up with flair and informing us of the ingredients.

Food

Owner Doug Laming has appointed a new chef, Jeremy Metivier who has worked in Michelin star restaurants and who is the driving force behind RHBD’s new French fine dining menu.

The menu included dishes such as:

• Goats Cheese and Beetroot Apples
• Scallops on Beetroot Shortbread with Mango and Beetroot Emulsions
• Mini Wagyu Sliders with Brie Cheese and house made Relish
• Slow Roasted Lamb with Artichoke Puree, Coriander and Wine Jelly
• Salmon Gravlax with Cucumber and Aloe Vera “Snow”
• Chocolate Skulls, with Firm Spicy Pirate Cream and Coconut Cake

Unfortunately, as MC and I were seated on one side, most of the food never made it past the crowd at the front of the room, so we only got to try 3 dishes.

One of the dishes we tried were the Goats Cheese and Beetroot Apples.  This dish was very elegantly presented on a bed of golden crumbs with glossy grapes and peppered balls of goats cheese covered in an almost waxy edible red coating.

The other savoury dish we tried was the Salmon Gravlax appetiser, mini versions of the salmon gravalax, cucumber lake, orange cream and aloe vera snow dish available from the dinner menu.

These were little morsels of heaven; perfectly sliced salmon with a green cucumber jelly, delicate edible decorations of orange, red and white and beautiful purple flowers to garnish.

An exquisite tasting dish which had a flavour that matched its appearance.

Finally, for dessert we enjoyed the Chocolate Skulls– spoons of a spicy custard-like cream with coconut cake rounds, chopped summer fruit and dark chocolate skills with a gold dusting.

These skulls were lit on fire, leaving the custard warm, the chocolate slightly melted and the on watchers in awe!

Overall, while we didn’t get much food to try, the menu looked quite appetising and the dishes that were on offer seemed to be different and well put together.  I can see how this place would appeal to the office works and corporates in the Martin Place and CBD area with its fine dining dishes and creative cocktails.

Drinks  

As RHBD is owned and run by Doug Laming, a “molecular mixologist” (read: awesome cocktail maker who uses physical and chemical modification of ingredients to create interesting drinks), it makes sense that he would put his skills on display and serve up an array of cocktails. 

Some of the cocktails we tried included:

• The Smoked Apple
• Breakfast Bouquet
• The White Cloud Above Mount Gay
• The Wood and Smoke
• You’ve Gone Nuts
• Stolen painkiller

Although we didn’t have much food, we did have a LOT of drinks!  We wanted to try one of each of the ones we saw so we ended up sharing quite a few between us.

First up was the Smoked Apple. It contained  torrontes and pomme verte layered agar apples, Ceylon tea infused cinnamon syrup, rhubarb butters and cloudy apple juice finished with fresh cider, smoked salt and some apple slices.

It was a pleasant looking dish, served in a short glass and while the smokey flavour wasn’t really to my liking, MC enjoyed the fresh flavours and boldness of the drink.

We then shared one of the sweetest drinks, the Breakfast Bouquet.

This drink has larios, gin, double creme de cassis, rose and strawberry jam, wild willow water, fresh lemon and a dash of rhubarb bitters.  It is a complex yet sweet looking cocktail which looked lovely, topped with a rose petal and blueberry.

As you drink the cocktail the scent of the rose petal wafts up and leaves you feeling as though you are walking through a field of roses!  Lame but true.

We also enjoyed a rum and marshmallow foam cocktail which was called the White Cloud Above Mount Gay.

Mount Gay extra old rum is shaken with black pepper, pineapple caramel, fresh lime and more pineapple, and is then poured over marshmallow foam which leaves a white cloud on top.

The drink is another sweet one which, after the previous sweet drinks, we found a little hard to swallow.  While it was interesting to watch it being made, I wasn’t a fan of it as it was a little too sweet.

The Wood and Smoke was an interesting cocktail which the menu says is made from ingredients including Jim Beam Devil’s Cut, Laphroaig single malt whiskey, quassia (bark chips), barberry bark syrup, acid phosphate and bitters.

After shaking up a storm, the bartender pours the slightly cloudy drink over ice, where it settles and turns from creamy to clear.  A cinnamon stick is placed in the drink and is then set alight, giving a woody and smoky scent.

While I preferred the sweeter drinks, MC, a Jim Beam and Jack Daniels fan, enjoyed this smoky, cinnamon flavoured cocktail over the rest.

The You’ve Gone Nuts drink contains Sierra Millenario infused with tonka beans, and shaken with Disaronno amaretto, house-made peanut and cashew syrup and finished with walnut bitters.

The cocktail looks like it is full of lemon juice with a sugar rim but in actual fact, like the other cocktails, it was quite sweet rather than sour.

Finally, the Stolen Painkiller, a first for me, this powdered cocktail tasted like fizzy sherbert pops.  It contained powdered rum, pineapple, coconut and passionfruit powder and was served in half a passionfruit shell.

The interesting presentation and tangy sour taste was a great way to finish off our cocktail tasting and we enjoyed it, although one of the guys seated next to us wasn’t a fan!

Rating

I would rate my experience (out of 10):

• Service-  6
• Food-   5 (what food?)
• Atmosphere- 7
• Value – 7

TCFB dined as a guest of Pendulum Communications and Rabbit Hole Bar & Dining.

 

Streetfest Sydney, Belmore Park

Address: Belmore Park, Eddy Avenue Haymarket

When: First Friday of every month at 5.00pm

Website: http://foodtrucksunited.com.au/

* * *

This article was written especially for TCFB by MC. 

Walking into the Streetfest at Belmore park I was excited and curious to see what my first food-truck-meets-art-show festival would be like. 

The atmosphere was very upbeat and party-ish, with a wide variety of street-artists painting their various styles of art, from portraits to abstract art, with brushes, spray cans and markers.  TCFB even ran into an old school friend (from primary school!)- check out her twitter here.

Overall there was a very urban theme which contrasted with the mixed variety of office-workers, artists and people casually visiting. 

There were two main spaces on either side of the path through the park.  One side had a VIP dance section with ciders and beer available for purchase and the other side had most of the food trucks and a big space in the middle for people to sit down and enjoy their meals.

Unfortunately there wasn’t much seating available, which was a bit frustrating as we were in work clothes and didn’t want to sit in the dirt/grass.

We met the Street Fest Event Manager and also the Street Fest founder, who explained to us that the Streetfest is inspired by US (specifically New York and Los Angeles) style food outlets in vans.  The founder recommended several dishes around the venue, including the porkbelly at the Asian Street Food van, the German kransky and the tacos.

They gave us a couple of food and drink vouchers to try a cider and a plate from one of the trucks and we were off on our way to enjoy the Festival.

We chose to walk around the area first to see what food was available before deciding what to eat. 

There were quite a few trucks serving up hot food and drinks to the hungry visitors.  Some of the trucks included Jafe Jaffles, Agape Organic, Tsuru, AlCarbon, Street Sliders, Cantina Mobil, Urban Pasta and a Cane Juice stall.

After walking around for some time we ordered from the Nepalese Van.

We got the Chicken Momo, basically a Nepalese dumpling, which we ordered with chilli sauce. Despite the Momo’s being slightly dry on the outside, they were well cooked and moist on the inside. The chilli sauce was very tasty and did not dominate the flavour of the chicken.

Shortly afterwards we grabbed some Gaymers Cider, Tropical Flavour, which was served over ice. It was refreshing, slightly sweet without being too overpowering, and had a nice orangey colour to it, almost like lemon lime bitters.

After sitting on the grass for a few minutes we decided to get some Sliders from another stall: Street Sliders.

After a 10 minute wait, we received our sliders; one chicken (brick) and one beef (prime) served with chips (MC’s favourite). We had half a Slider each so we could try them both, and both meats were well cooked with a great texture, juicy interior and lots of flavour.

The chips were crunchy, not quite as good as Three Williams, but they were freshly fried and well salted.

Two sliders and chips, $13.00

During our visit to the Streetfest there was a steady crowd of people coming and going; it wasn’t clear if they were passing through to the station or attending the stalls, but the venue was bustling with people and it was an enjoyable experience.

We are looking forward to the next Streetfest and hope that the number of stalls increases with more variety and hopefully some more spots to sit!

DISCLAIMER:

TCFB dined as a guest of the organisers.

This is a guest post and reflects the reviewers’ own personal opinions. The Casual Food Blogger accepts no responsibility for anything that is said in or caused by this review or anything contained in, caused by, or arising out of, the content of this review.

My food bucket list!

Sydney is full of great restaurants and more and more of them seem to be popping up each day! Shows like Masterchef and My Kitchen Rules contribute to the growing interest in restaurants, chefs and food in general.

Here is a list of some of the Sydney restaurants I am looking forward to trying!:

1. Quay
2. Marque
3. Flying Fish
4. Assiette, Surry Hills
5. Est.
6. Aria
7. Guillame at Bennelong
8. Ms. G’s
9. Pilu at Freshwater, Manly
10. 360 Bar and Dining
11. MissChu
12. Jamie’s Italian
13. Bavarian Bier Cafe
14. Xanthi
15. Mamak- Chatswood and City
16. Zaafran
17. Bentley Restaurant and Bar, Surry Hills
18. Claude’s Woollahra
19. Kazbah
20. Din Tai Fung
21. Hard Rock Cafe
22. Jordan’s Seafood Restaurant
23. The Meat & Wine Co.
24. The Malaya
25. Four in Hand
26. El  Jannah
27. Guylian Chocolate Cafe
28. Lindt Cafe
29. I’m Angus Steakhouse
30. Hurricane’s Grill
31. Ribs n Rump
32. Grill’d Burgers
33. Kingsley’s Steakhouse
34. Nick’s Bar and Grill, Seafood, Steakhouse
35. Rocks Teppanyaki
36. Tetsuya’s
37. Kobe Jones 
38. Ash Street Cellar
39. Danks St. Depot
40. Buon Ricordo, Paddington
41. Adriano Zumbo’s
42. Patisse
43. Opera Bar and Restaurant
44. Cafe Sydney
45. Rockpool Bar and Grill & Rockpool
46. Mad Cow
47. Bather’s Pavillion, Balmoral
48. Sepia
49. Spice Temple
50. Universal, Darlinghurst-closing soon
51. Catalina, Rose Bay
52. Wagamama
53. East Ocean
54. Foveaux
55. Bridge Street Garage
56. Icebergs, Bondi
57. Otto Ristorante
58. Billy Kwong
59. Bodega Tapas restaurant
60. Oscillate Wildly, Newtown
61. Felix
62. Sake restaurant and bar
63. Altitude at the Shangri-La
64. The Cook’s Garden, Turramurra
65. Wildfire
66. Aki’s Indian
67. Jonah’s, Whale Beach
68. Fish Face
69. Tomislav Restaurant
70. Sean’s Panaroma, Bondi
71. Garfish
72. The Sailor’s Club
73. Orto Trading Co
74. The Bridge Room
75. Hartsyard
76. Sous le Soleil
77. Burch and Purchese Melbourne
78. Monopole
79. Darley’s Lilianfel’s
80. Papi Chulo, Manly
81. China Republic
82. Gowings Bar and Grill
83. Palmer & Co
84. MoVida
85. Mr Wong
86. House of Crab
87. Nomad
88. La Maison De L’eclair
89. The Boathouse, Palm Beach
90. Longrain
91. The Fat Duck, UK
92. Blackflower Patisserie
93. Ministry of Crab, Sri Lanka
94. Three Williams, Redfern

Also see High Tea TO DO List.

Keep checking my blog to see my reviews and posts about the restaurants as I tick them off my list!

Sydney Festival 2014

When: 9-26 January 2014

Website: http://www.sydneyfestival.org.au/2014/

* * *

The Sydney Festival has a lot of great events on in and around the city.

It is full of fantastic shows, theatre, dance, live music, art and much more, in locations such as Town Hall, Parramatta and Hyde Park.

One Thursday after work, a bunch of friends and I (including Kat-the-Cat and Kiwi Kompanion) decided to check it out.

We headed over to the festival village at Hyde Park around 6.00pm. At this time it was not too busy and we were able to walk straight in, without any queues. We heard later that there was a huge line to get in around 7.00-7.30pm, so we were happy we got there early!

The festival village is full of great tents and stalls including Jafe’s Jaffles, Food Society, the ever popular Gelato Messina, Woofy’s Hot Dogs and Rekorderlig.

We enjoyed walking around and checking out what was on and the atmosphere in the festival was lively and happening, making it easy to relax and enjoy.

After stopping for a little while at the Food Society stall to check out the menu (the smells coming out of there were mouth watering), we decided to head over to Messina instead as the line for the Food Society was far too long.

Some of the options available (all about $9.00 each) included the messinaweiner- gelato wrapped in a thin pancake, fried and topped with a berry sauce; and the Yeaahh dawg- a gelato hot dog with berry and mango sauce in a brioche bun.

I tried the messinaweiner and my friend tried the Yeaahh dawg.

The messinaweiner was fabulous. The crunchy fried exterior was delicious and perfect with creamy gelato and a rich jammy sauce.

The hot dog was a little disappointing as the ice cream melted easily and the bread was a little bland.  That said, it did look amazingly like a real hot dog!

I also tried some of Kiwi Kompanion’s choc banana sundae, which was, well, a choc banana sundae!  Nothing too special here.

Kat-the-Cat tried the gelatoffee apples.

She said it was interesting but a little hard to eat and tasted like a frozen, creamy apple. She did love the chocolatey exterior though and we all thought it looked pretty cool!

After checking out the Messina stall, we each grabbed a cool drink at Rekorderlig’s tent, where I was surprised to be asked for my ID (I will take that as a compliment!).

At $8.00 a glass or $20.00 a jug (much better value as you get less ice and more drink!), it isn’t cheap but it was definitely worth it on this hot summer day!

I opted for a good old Strawberry-Lime cider, while the popular choice in the group was Passionfruit.

All up, we had a very enjoyable evening and really liked the fun treats at Messina and the cool drinks at Rekorderlig.

If I get another chance to visit I would love to check out the amazing food at Food Society as well.

Definitely suggest checking out the Sydney Festival and at least the Festival Village while it is still open!

If you’ve been to the Sydney Festival, I’d love to hear what you saw and what you thought of it. Please post your comments below!

Kataifi Prawns (serves 3-4 as an entree)

This simple and quick recipe is great for entrees or just a light snack.

It is healthier than tempura prawns or prawn cocktails as it does not involve any frying and looks interesting on the plate.

Ingredients:

• 1 packet kataifi, kept out for a few hours until it is room temperature
• 500gr prawns
• 1 egg
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Seasoning of your choice (I used an African-style rub mix)

Method:

1. Heat oven to 200C.

2. Peel and de-vein prawns, leaving the tails on.

3. Take some kataifi out gently and put it in a small bowl. Separate some of the strands so it is easier to work with.

4. Beat the egg with a fork and add salt, pepper and your choice of seasoning.

5. Lay the kataifi strands out in a long line. Place the prawn at the top of the strand and roll it down to the bottom until covered. Place on an oiled tray.

6. Once all prawns are covered in kataifi, place tray in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes, or until pastry is golden and crispy.

Enjoy!

Criniti’s Darling Harbour, ($$)

Criniti’s, Darling Harbour

Address: Shop 461, 2-10 Darling Drive, Harbourside Shopping Centre,  Darling Harbour NSW 2000

Phone: 1300274 648

Website: http://www.crinitis.com.au/

* * *

A half day at work meant the colleagues and I headed over to Darling Harbour (via monorail) for a day of food, drinks and bonding!

The monorail ride over was something different and as I hadn’t been on a monorail in a while. I thought that it was a great way to get another view of Sydney and although windows and building facades blocked the view some of the way, there was a fantastic view of QVB and Darling Harbour from the monorail.

If only the windows were cleaner and didn’t have pictures on them, we could actually see out of them better to take photos!

I can see why they are planning to take the monorail down this year- there weren’t many people on, the tickets are a little pricey considering you could walk the distance in the same time (it is quite slow), and it is hard to take photos out the window when there are stickers and pictures on them blocking the view.

That said, I wish they would have added it on to a hop on hop off bus price and use it as a bigger tourist attraction as it is definitely a unique part of Sydney.

Atmosphere

After our monorail trip, we walked over the Pyrmont Bridge to Harbourside shopping Centre.

As always, Criniti’s restaurants are very well presented. The decor is fabulous, taking you to Italy with the large woodfired pizza ovens, exposed brickwork and football jerseys.

The gorgeous view of Darling Harbour

On this occasion we visited during the day and sat outside. I had only ever been to Criniti’s at night so it was interesting to see what the place looked like by day.

There was plenty of bright light coming in from the balcony and while the restaurant wasn’t anywhere near as busy as it is at night, there were still quite a few tables of people around us.

Service

Service wasn’t as good as during the night. We had 2 waiters look after our table during our meal and, as we all ordered drinks and food at different times, some taking longer to peruse the menu than others (guilty!), there was some confusion over who had ordered and who had not.

Overall however, they were pleasant and professional.

Food

We all ordered a variety of things.

I went for the Chicken Skewers with Lemon & Herb seasoning. They were served with three delicious sauces which tasted like aioli, chilli and prego. They also came with a fresh half a lemon (I love lemon and the fact that they weren’t stingy with it!), and a large basket of chips which was more than enough for me.

The chicken was juicy and well-seasoned; the meat had really absorbed all the flavour of the marinade. The charred capsicum and onions added some smokiness and the crispy chips definitely hit the spot!

Despite the fact that this dish cost $36.90, which is a fair bit for a casual lunch, there was plenty of chicken in the dish, it was well-cooked, the chips were perfectly crunchy and well salted, and the sauces and dish were presented nicely on the plate. Definitely work the money!

Others in the group ordered a variety of things including:

Beetroot, pumpkin, goats cheese and walnut salad with grilled chicken $19.90 + $9.90 for the chicken

Pizzas from $26.50

The Prego Burger, $21.90

Chicken Schnitzel with chips and salad $33.90

Grilled chicken with side salad, $29.90

The consensus was that Criniti’s had fantastic portions, delicious food, and great presentation. Everyone enjoyed their meals and we left there very full!

Cost

All of our meals + soft drinks came to about $310.

Rating

Overall I would rate my dining experience (out of 10):

• Service- 6.5
• Food- 8.5
• Ambience- 6
• Value – 7.5

Pad Thai (serves 6-8)

This quick pad thai is full of healthy vegetables and proteins and is packed with flavour.

I used a bottle of pad thai mix from my local Asian grocery store but you can either make your own or mix it up using other stir fry pastes or sauces.

Ingredients

• 500g thick rice noodles
• 1/2 small bag bean sprouts
• 1 handful of snow peas, ends broken off
• 2 small bunches pak choy, washed and cut in half vertically
• 1 red capsicum, thinly sliced
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced diagonally
• 1 bottle pad thai paste
• 3 Tbsp kecap manis
• 5 Tablespoons olive or peanut oil
• 500grams chicken breast, cut into cubes (roughly)
• 400grams peeled fresh prawns (tails on)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 50grams chopped cashews to sprinkle on top

Method

1.Prepare vegetables by washing, peeling and chopping (as above).

2. In a large wok, heat 2 tablespoons of oil and fry off onions and garlic.

3. Add chicken and cook for about 5-10 minutes.

4. Add prawns and cook further for about 2-3 minutes or until it changes colour and becomes opaque.

5. Push meat to one side of the pan and add another tablespoon of oil to the pan. Pour in half the pad thai sauce mix and fry off for about 1 minute, then stir and mix into the meat.  Put meat into a separate bowl and drizzle lightly with kecap manis (about 1 tablespoon).

6. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in the empty pan.  Start to add vegetables, tossing as you go. I added the harder vegetables first so they all cook evenly.

7. Again, move vegetables to the side, add the rest of the pad thai mix and fry off for about 20-30 seconds. Then mix into vegetables.

8. Add chopped cashews and mix in.

9. Boil rice noodles until cooked through as per instructions on the packet.

10. Drain water, transfer noodles to a separate bowl and add remaining kecap manis.

11. Place noodles in a dish, top with meat and vegetables.

12. Add beansprouts (you cold also top with sesame seeds) and enjoy!

Barrafina, Wynyard ($$)

Address: Ground Floor, 2 Bligh Street Sydney NSW

Tel: (02) 9231 2551

Website: http://www.barrafina.com.au/barrafina-tapas-bar-location/

* * *

Barrafina tapas invited me and three guests to review the restaurant and try out their new menu.

I had been to Barrafina previously and while the food was tasty, service was quite disjointed and the portion sizes were not fantastic given the price.

This time around I was pleasantly surprised as our experience was much much better and we were impressed by how much things had changed.

Atmosphere

The atmosphere on this particular Wednesday was pretty good.

When we arrived around 6pm it was pretty quiet inside (outside was roaring with the sound of happy post-work diners). By the end of the evening however, the inside was packed out too and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. The decor is quite cute, and hadn’t changed much since I last visited.

There is a lot of yellow, grey and white furniture, which gives the place a very modern and funky atmosphere. The cute illustrations on the wall add some character and remind you that you are in a Spanish restaurant as it features wines, seafood and guitars. My Mum and I really liked the quaint little plants on the windowsill, which added a little colour and life to the place. Overall it is a very nice restaurant with lovely modern decor and a busy atmosphere.

Service

Service was great despite the fact that they were pretty busy, it being a Thursday night.

Our lovely waitresses Camilla and Paloma gave us each a menu and brought out some drinks.

Paloma suggested about 8 plates for 4 people, but we ended up ordering a bit more than that as there were so many new dishes to try. For drinks I had just a diet coke, as they did not have lemon lime bitters.

Mum and Nos, who dined with MC and I, wanted fresh juices but they only had bottled ones, so they settled for bottled apple and orange juices. MC ordered Estrella Dam, a Spanish lager which was recommended by Camilla. Estrella Dam, $8.50

Food

Food at Barrafina had improved a lot since I last visited with MDS.

Last time, MDS and I thought the food was tasty but not very well presented.

This time around, presentation was excellent. Every dish was plated up with flair and attention to detail.

The food was cooked well and was colourful and appealing to the eye.

We were served portions of four items per dish as there were four of us dining that evening.  However, Paloma informed me that most dishes usually have about three items each- something to remember if you decide to dine there- 3 or 6 people would be ideal.

We started off with a light and refreshing dish, the Yellow Fin Tuna.  This was a seared piece of tuna, which was glossy and beautiful in the middle and just cooked on the outside.  The outside had a coating of spices which made it crunchy and salty. There was also a delicious white peach dressing and chilli vinaigrette, and an olive tapenade on top. We all loved this dish and it was a lovely light way to start off the meal.

Yellow Fin Tuna, $16.00

Next we enjoyed the Crisp Zucchini Flowers with Salted Cod Mayo.

Definitely the BEST zucchini flowers I have ever tasted, they were large, golden, crunchy and beautifully presented. The mayo was slightly fishy, but tasted a bit like aioli.

The zucchini stem was small and firm, yet cooked through, and the flowers were delicate and tasty.

Zucchini flowers, $11.00

We asked for the Yamba King Prawns with lemon, confit garlic, chilli and micro herbs ($22.00), which sounded delicious. Unfortunately, they were out of prawns so we had to order something else.

Paloma brought out the Octopus, but after seeing the large tentacles, none of us were keen to try it.  It was nothing to do with the dish, but I just couldn’t fathom putting those little suckers anywhere near my face! Octopus

We decided to swap it for the Queensland Scallops with Chorizo and Sweetcorn Puree. This was a much better option, which we all enjoyed.

The scallops were slightly tough, just slightly, but the crispy chorizo and sweet, chunky corn puree were great with it.

Nos, who doesn’t eat pork, simply ate the scallops with the corn puree, and commented that she loved the texture and taste of the puree.  Queensland Scallops, $24.00

Next up were the Crispy Moroccan Cigars with, sheep’s feta, and charred eggplant puree.

The cigars were very crunchy and had a creamy taste from the sheep feta and a smoky taste from the eggplant puree, which tasted like baba ghanouj.

This is a delicious and tasty dish that I think everyone would enjoy. Crispy Moroccan Cigars, $9.00

We then enjoyed the soft shell crab sliders. MDS and I had tried this previously but I liked them much much more this time.

The bread was sourdough and was soft and fresh. The crab wasn’t as crunchy as it could have been but was still delicious and salty, and I liked the addition of avocado. The harissa mayonnaise was tangy and sweet and the presentation was very cute. Soft Shell Crab Slider, $9.00 

We enjoyed the Jamon Serrano and Manchego Cheese Croquetas with Tomato Salsa. Jamon Serrano is a Spanish cured and salted ham, similar to prosciutto, but made from a different breed of pig.

The croquettes were crispy and golden, almost perfectly round, and very nicely presented.

We enjoyed the creamy taste of the manchego and the little pork bits inside the croquettes. Croquettas, $10

On the recommendation of Paloma we tried the Beetroot Salad, a salad of gold beetroots, Spanish goats cheese, hazelnuts, sherry vinaigrette and baby beetroot puree.

The salad was vibrant and rich in flavour. The golden beetroot was a sweet and pumpkin-like vegetable which was lovely with the light and fluffy puree and tangy vinaigrette. I wasn’t a huge fan of the sheep’s cheese but there wasn’t too much of it in the dish. Beetroot Salad, $13.00

We moved on to the Wagyu Hanger Steak, a 5+ marble score piece of juicy meat, served with seasoned salt and herbs.

The steak was cooked medium-well (my preference) and came out perfectly cooked, juicy and succulent. The meat was already salted and didn’t need any of the salt on the plate. Wagyu steak, $22.00

After this feast, we shared two desserts between the four of us.

First up was the White Chocolate Parfait with Pistachio and Berries.

The ice cream element of the parfait was delicious and creamy but didn’t taste strongly of white chocolate. The crunchy tuile on top was lovely and added a beautiful texture.

We enjoyed the (very fresh and in season) blueberries and the lovely berry sauce. White Chocolate Parfait, $9.00

Next up was the Lime and Mango Crema Catalana with Summer Fruit.

The dish was well presented and my Mum loved the little glass jars.

The lime and mango curd at the bottom was delicious and tangy, almost like passionfruit. The crema catalana, is basically creme brulee. It was creamy and rich, super decadent and perfect with fresh fruits. A lovely way to end the meal. Crema Catalan, $9.00

Rating:

I would rate my experience (out of 10):

• Service- 7
• Food- 8.75
• Ambience- 8
• Value –6.5

TCFB and guests dined as guests of Barrafina tapas, complimentary.