Brazilian Fields, Centennial Park, Sydney NSW 2000
A tasting of Sydney restaurants
Thanks to Ashley Gatte from Stellar* for organising a VIP invitation for me to attend the Taste of Sydney Opening Night including a bloggers preview at 4.45 pm to visit Victor Churchill for some cured meat tastings, Sensology to learn how to make a piña colada and the kitchen tour of Restaurant Balzac plus access to the nicely air conditioned HSBC VIP Lounge where I had a refreshing PIMMS cocktail minus the usual cucumber and some oysters with Vietnamese dressing. It was a busy night of eating for me and I managed to sample 23 (plus 2 other dishes over friday and saturday totally 25) out of the 42 restaurants dishes on offer from the 14 restaurant stands — the majority of them were generously provided to me by the chefs which saved me a fortune in aid of my eating research purposes, thank you so much. Revisiting on friday I also tried the 3 noticeably alcoholic yet refreshing tasting cocktails made to order from Otto Bar along with the Scallops dish from Etch and on saturday I tried the tasty salmon and potato cakes from Bird Cow Fish. Since I didn’t get try all the dishes I can only make recommendations on the selection I sampled but some of the other dishes looked very appetising and if given half a chance I would have happily tried them all.
A Tavola & Omerta’s Potato gnocchi with slow cooked lamb ragu ($12) had nice flavours but for dessert the Ricotta fritters with berries and honey ($8) stole my heart. Chef Miguel Maestre now has Apertif and still churning out large amounts of Paella ($12) with passion on those enormous pans. Freshly cooked up Churros con Chocolate ($8) are worthy of a try. The four Oysters with Vietnamese dressing ($10) from Assiette & District Dining are pretty good value and I’m sure the Spicy Free Range Lilydale Chicken ($10) will be a crowd pleaser although I wish the coleslaw had a more flavoursome dressing. Berowra Waters Inn are doing their popular Chilled Vichyssoise, Oyster Beignets, Salmon Roe ($10) which will set you back $30 in the actual restaurant so it’s a great opportunity to try them. Although I wasn’t a fan of the Fromart Raw Milk Alpage Cheese ($10) which was way too strong on the nose for my liking. The dishes from Bilson's & Number One Wine Bar looked pretty simple in comparison to other restaurant dishes. I enjoyed the flavours in the Apple Tarte Tatin ($10) although it didn’t really have that slightly caramelised crunchy base as hoped and the Merguez with Spiced Cous-Cous & Harissa ($12) was more dense than fluffy in density.
Chef Alex Herbert from Bird Cow Fish was very busy in the kitchen with an abundance of people waiting for their dish orders. The Regal King Salmon & potato fishcakes ($10) caught my eye which I thankfully tried on my revisit on saturday — definitely worth having. I liked the look of the Hiramasa kingfish roasted in jerky & nigella seeds ($12) from Danks Street Depot & Cotton Duck and the cheeky Jared Ingersoll apparently has really good nuts to go with his own branded Cotton Duck Ale. There was no sign of Justin North at Etch & Charlie & Co but his Chips with truffle and parmesan still seem to be drawing the crowds. An easy dish to share without cutlery is the tasty looking Black pepper and curry leaf prawn skewers ($10) from Flying Fish which is freshly cooked to order and bursting with nice flavours. For chocolate lovers you might like Four in Hand’s Dark Chocolate Snickers ($8) although there seemed to be an unfortunate missing ingredient of peanuts to add crunch and flavour as expected. The 12 Hour Braised Lamb Shoulder with Pea and Feta Salad ($12) looked really good and perhaps worthy of a try. My Kitchen Rules judge Manu Feildel is in fine form at L'etoile posing for photos with fans. He’s dish samples are displayed on the counter as a helpful guide for customers which I think all restaurants should adopt. I was hoping he’d be doing more interesting dishes like a mini bouillabaisse, duck confit or crème brûlée but perhaps next year.
Rich enjoyable flavours are to be found in the Dark chocolate and coffee 'Barbajada' with almond crumble ($10) from Ormeggio at the Spit and even though the Acquarello Risotto of beetroot and gorgonzola ($10) looks quite unappealing it promises rich flavours to those who dare. Otto Ristorante wins the trifecta for good looking dishes and the generous serve of Stracci with smoked veal ragout ($10) delivers on taste as well. Paper plates and plastic cutlery don’t to justice to the nicely presented Regal King salmon carpaccio with orange segments ($10) and the Amedei Milk chocolate mousse ($8) is one of my favourite desserts of the festival. Chef Matt Kemp from Restaurant Balzac is one of the first stands you’ll come across as you enter the grounds on the left. For the meat lover at heart you can’t go past the ample sized Crisp Wagyu Beef with Wild Mushroom and Truffle Foam ($12) rich in flavours and his Seared Regal King Salmon ($10) is simply cooked to allow the salmon flavours to stand out in the dish as it should.
A Tavola & Omerta’s Potato gnocchi with slow cooked lamb ragu ($12) had nice flavours but for dessert the Ricotta fritters with berries and honey ($8) stole my heart. Chef Miguel Maestre now has Apertif and still churning out large amounts of Paella ($12) with passion on those enormous pans. Freshly cooked up Churros con Chocolate ($8) are worthy of a try. The four Oysters with Vietnamese dressing ($10) from Assiette & District Dining are pretty good value and I’m sure the Spicy Free Range Lilydale Chicken ($10) will be a crowd pleaser although I wish the coleslaw had a more flavoursome dressing. Berowra Waters Inn are doing their popular Chilled Vichyssoise, Oyster Beignets, Salmon Roe ($10) which will set you back $30 in the actual restaurant so it’s a great opportunity to try them. Although I wasn’t a fan of the Fromart Raw Milk Alpage Cheese ($10) which was way too strong on the nose for my liking. The dishes from Bilson's & Number One Wine Bar looked pretty simple in comparison to other restaurant dishes. I enjoyed the flavours in the Apple Tarte Tatin ($10) although it didn’t really have that slightly caramelised crunchy base as hoped and the Merguez with Spiced Cous-Cous & Harissa ($12) was more dense than fluffy in density.
Chef Alex Herbert from Bird Cow Fish was very busy in the kitchen with an abundance of people waiting for their dish orders. The Regal King Salmon & potato fishcakes ($10) caught my eye which I thankfully tried on my revisit on saturday — definitely worth having. I liked the look of the Hiramasa kingfish roasted in jerky & nigella seeds ($12) from Danks Street Depot & Cotton Duck and the cheeky Jared Ingersoll apparently has really good nuts to go with his own branded Cotton Duck Ale. There was no sign of Justin North at Etch & Charlie & Co but his Chips with truffle and parmesan still seem to be drawing the crowds. An easy dish to share without cutlery is the tasty looking Black pepper and curry leaf prawn skewers ($10) from Flying Fish which is freshly cooked to order and bursting with nice flavours. For chocolate lovers you might like Four in Hand’s Dark Chocolate Snickers ($8) although there seemed to be an unfortunate missing ingredient of peanuts to add crunch and flavour as expected. The 12 Hour Braised Lamb Shoulder with Pea and Feta Salad ($12) looked really good and perhaps worthy of a try. My Kitchen Rules judge Manu Feildel is in fine form at L'etoile posing for photos with fans. He’s dish samples are displayed on the counter as a helpful guide for customers which I think all restaurants should adopt. I was hoping he’d be doing more interesting dishes like a mini bouillabaisse, duck confit or crème brûlée but perhaps next year.
Rich enjoyable flavours are to be found in the Dark chocolate and coffee 'Barbajada' with almond crumble ($10) from Ormeggio at the Spit and even though the Acquarello Risotto of beetroot and gorgonzola ($10) looks quite unappealing it promises rich flavours to those who dare. Otto Ristorante wins the trifecta for good looking dishes and the generous serve of Stracci with smoked veal ragout ($10) delivers on taste as well. Paper plates and plastic cutlery don’t to justice to the nicely presented Regal King salmon carpaccio with orange segments ($10) and the Amedei Milk chocolate mousse ($8) is one of my favourite desserts of the festival. Chef Matt Kemp from Restaurant Balzac is one of the first stands you’ll come across as you enter the grounds on the left. For the meat lover at heart you can’t go past the ample sized Crisp Wagyu Beef with Wild Mushroom and Truffle Foam ($12) rich in flavours and his Seared Regal King Salmon ($10) is simply cooked to allow the salmon flavours to stand out in the dish as it should.
If you’re feeling a bit short on cash after paying for your entry ticket ($25 online, $30 at the door) then there’s some excellent complimentary canapés to be found at the City Tattersalls Club stand where the energetic and friendly staff will welcome you with great enthusiasm — these guys get my best customer service award closely followed by the effervescent and charismatic Chef Miguel Maestre from Aperitif. Also check out the New Zealand stand for free tasting samples of Whitestone cheeses, Regal smoked salmon and Omega Seafood mussels and clams. There’s plenty of other stands providing free tastings including a coffee appreciation session by Nespresso for a caffeine kick to the heart and The Australian Gourmet Traveller Taste Kitchen is providing free live cooking demonstrations by the restaurant chefs of their signature dishes. Free demonstrations by Executive Chef Vincent Gadan of Patisse are also to be found at the De Dietrich Appliances stand and for only $6 you can book yourself into the Jaguar Gourmet Traveller WINE Theatre where you’ll get to sample some wines plus learn a thing or two about them.
Session dates and times:
Session 1: Thursday 10 March: 5:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Session 2: Friday 11 March: Noon - 4 pm
Session 3: Friday 11 March: 5:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Session 4: Saturday 12 March: Noon - 4 pm
Session 5: Saturday 12 March: 5:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Session 6: Sunday 13 March: Noon - 5 pm
Session 2: Friday 11 March: Noon - 4 pm
Session 3: Friday 11 March: 5:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Session 4: Saturday 12 March: Noon - 4 pm
Session 5: Saturday 12 March: 5:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Session 6: Sunday 13 March: Noon - 5 pm
Other visits to Taste of Sydney:
March 2012 / March 2011 / March 2010
March 2012 / March 2011 / March 2010
Other blog reviews of Taste of Sydney 2011:
• Eye Eat
SNAPSHOT REVIEW:
PROS: A taste test of Sydney's top quality restaurants, Meet the chefs in person, Lots of free taste samplings to be found, Free parking available inside the park gates but fills up quickly
CONS: Can end up being quite expensive if you want to try a lot of dishes, Weather permitting, Time limit per session, Can get crowded at times when a restaurant stand is popular, No seating around the restaurant stands, Fake grass tables could be cleared of empty dishes more quickly, High heels don't work too well walking in the grass for the ladies
MUST TRY: Checking out all the dishes and meeting the chefs
—
WALKTHROUGH HIGHLIGHTS VIDEO
RESTAURANT DISHES
A Tavola & Omerta
SIMON FAVOURITE :-)
Chef Eugenio Malale and Me
Dish 1 Oysters with Vietnamese dressing, crispy shallots & coriander ($10) [sampled] — Quite good value for 4 oysters
Dish 2 Spicy Free Range Lilydale Chicken with Lime Aioli and Coleslaw ($10) [sampled] – pretty much the same as I enjoyed at District Dining
Dish 3 Crispy Pork Belly, Cashew Nut Caramel, Watermelon & Mint ($12) [sampled]
Berowra Waters Inn
Bilson's & Number One Wine Bar
Bird Cow Fish
Danks Street Depot & Cotton Duck
Flying Fish
Four in Hand
Ormeggio at the Spit
Berowra Waters Inn
Dish 1 Chilled Vichyssoise, Oyster Beignets, Salmon Roe ($10) [sampled] — Very good value considering it would cost $30 in the restaurant and it's essentially the same thing
Dish 2 Slow Cooked Fillet Of Ocean Trout, 'French Onion Soup' Puree, Peppered Oxtail 'Croustillant' ($12) [sampled] – sadly the fish was a bit undercooked but the overall flavours were good
Dish 3 Fromart Raw Milk Alpage Cheese, Sauvignon Blanc Poached Apple, Beetroot Oil ($10) [sampled] – the cheese was a bit too strong on the nose for my palate
Bilson's & Number One Wine Bar
Dish 1 Chicken Liver Parfait with Brioche and Mesclun Salad ($8)
Dish 3 Apple Tarte Tatin with Calvados Creme Anglaise ($10) [sampled]
Tony Bilson and Me
Bird Cow Fish
Dish 1 Regal King Salmon & potato fishcakes with tartare sauce; fresh lemon ($10) [sampled sat]
SIMON FAVOURITE :-)
Dish 2 Boned and rolled roasted chicken stuffed with mushroom duxelle; pommes puree ($12) — looked pretty good and possibly worth trying
Dish 3 Tiramisu roulade with caramel sauce ($8)
Chef Alex Herbert and Me
Chef Alex Herbert book
Danks Street Depot & Cotton Duck
Dish 1 Stone fruit roasted with home cured pancetta, verjuice & chilli (vegetarian option is served with grana pandano instead of pancetta) ($10)
Dish 2 Hiramasa kingfish roasted in jerky & nigella seeds with heirloom tomatoes & basil ($12) — looked pretty good and maybe worth trying
Dish 3 Chocolate and rhubarb tart with rhubarb cream, chocolate mint and tonka bean ($10)
Chef Jared Ingersoll and Me
Etch & Charlie & Co
Etch & Charlie & Co
Dish 1 Seared scallops with cauliflower bhaji and curry ($10) [sampled fri] – quite nice in flavours
Dish 2 Organic grass fed wagyu burger ($10) – was a pretty small looking burger and you'll get more at Plan B
Chips with truffle and parmesan ($6) – if you miss out you can always try at Westfield Sydney Charlie & Co
Flying Fish
SIMON FAVOURITE :-)
Dish 2 Seared Petuna ocean trout with a white curry sauce, jasmine rice and raw vegetable sambal ($12) – looked pretty good and maybe worth trying
Dish 3 The Wattalapam – Sri Lankan crème caramel with palm treacle and roast cashews ($10) – sounds really interesting
Chef Peter Kuruvita from Flying Fish and Me
Four in Hand
Dish 1 Confit Pork Belly, Squid, Chorizo and Chickpea ($10) [sampled]
Dish 2 12 Hour Braised Lamb Shoulder with Pea and Feta Salad ($12) – looked really good and maybe worth trying
Dish 3 Dark Chocolate Snickers ($8) – nice flavours but needed a peanut factor to make it more like a Snickers, perhaps chopped caramelised peanuts sprinkled on top
Chef Colin Fassnidge and Me
Busy kitchen keeping up with demand
Dish 1 French country style pate with sourdough bread ($10)
Dish 2 Slow cooked shoulder of lamb with smoked potato puree and jus ($12)
Dish 3 Raspberry bavarrois ($8)
Chef Manu Feildel and Me
Ormeggio at the Spit
Dish 1 Beef battuta with eshalots, crispy amaranth and mustard figs ($10)
Dish 2 Acquarello Risotto of beetroot and gorgonzola ($10) [sampled] – doesn't look that appealing but had rich bold flavours
Dish 3 Dark chocolate and coffee 'Barbajada' with almond crumble ($10)
SIMON FAVOURITE :-)
Chef Alessandro Pavoni and Me
Otto Ristorante
Otto Ristorante
Dish 1 Stracci with smoked veal ragout, eschallot puree, bresaola and parmesan ($10) – quite a decent sized portion
SIMON FAVOURITE :-)
Dish 2 Regal King salmon carpaccio with orange segments, citrus and chardonnay vinegar dressing, shaved fennel, salmon roe, baby herbs and crispy salmon skin ($10) – looked really good but sadly was a bit hard to eat and appreciate with the paper plate and plastic cutlery
Dish 3 Amedei Milk chocolate mousse with salted caramel and fresh berries ($8) – the salted caramel really made this dish a winner
SIMON FAVOURITE :-)
Chef Richard Ptacnik and Me
Otto Bar
Dish 2 Campari Passion: Campari, passionfruit and orange juice ($10)
Bartenders
Restaurant Balzac
Dish 1 Crisp Wagyu Beef with Wild Mushroom and Truffle Foam ($12) — definitely for the meat lover and a decent sized portion
WORTH TRYING :-)
Dish 3 Seared Regal King Salmon with a Salad of Pomegranate, Mint and Feta ($10) – looked good and simply cooked to appreciate the salmon flavour
WORTH TRYING :-)
Chef Matt Kemp from Restaurant Balzac and Me
BLOGGERS PREVIEW
Ashley Gatte from Stellar welcoming bloggers on their preview tour
Victor Churchill stand: Darren O'Rourke slicing with the Berkel which is worth a cool $70K — I want one for Christmas
Victor Churchill stand: David Blackmore Wagyu Bresaola 9+ Marble Score tasting sample – this just melts in your mouth
SIMON FAVOURITE :-)
Victor Churchill stand: Tartufo with black truffle tasting sample (around $60 per kg) – nice flavours
Victor Churchill stand: Biltong tasting sample
SIMON FAVOURITE :-)
Victor Churchill Goodie Sample bag
Sensology stand entrance
Sensology Pina Colada made with Barcade 30 ml, Coconut Water 30 ml, Pineapple Juice 30 ml, shaken with ice ($10)
SIMON FAVOURITE :-)
Sensology Goodie Sample Bag
FREE TASTINGS
City Tattersalls Club stand
City Tattersalls Club complimentary samples menu
City Tattersalls Club Apple, Cranberry and Cinnamon Dough Nuts with White Chocolate or Sour Cherry (Free)
SIMON FAVOURITE :-)
Rochester Ginger and Dark Ginger — For lovers of great tasting ginger
Gourmet Traveller Taste Kitchen demonstrations
Barilla stand — Oops technical power problem but great place to see a cook off and taste samples
Nespresso stand — You get to make and try 3 coffees
Johnnie Walker stand
Chef Alex Herbert at the Australian Gourmet Travellers Chef's Table
Be Enlightened stand — Simon's Award for the Most Out of Place Product at a Food Festival
HSBC VIP LOUNGE
Seating outside
Air conditioned inside
Wines on offer
Oysters with Vietnamese dressing
PIMMS and lemonade — very refreshing
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Lots of dishes being consumed although quicker cleanups may be required
Map of Taste of Sydney
Entrance to Taste of Sydney
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