2009: My Year In Entrees/Starters/Amuse Bouches

2009: My Year In Mains

2009: My Year In Desserts

Cakes By Helen Cafe (Bakery) - Haymarket

45 Dixon St, Haymarket

Much to my excitement, I noticed this afternoon that the old Helen Cakes Shop (formerly at the corner of Sussex and Little Hay Streets) has resurfaced in Dixon Street next to Superbowl, and has been rebadged as the more upmarket sounding Cakes By Helen Cafe. The cakes look beautiful! Alas, I was going to dinner and couldn't purchase any treats for later consumption. Perhaps another time .... Welcome back Helen!

It's now a bakery and cafe

View Larger Map

Palace Chinese Restaurant (Chinese) - Sydney

Shop 38, Level 1, 133-145 Castlereagh St, Sydney

Tel 9283 6288 * Email info@palacechinese.com.au

Yum cha hours: 10a.m.-3p.m. Mon-Fri, 10.30a.m.-3p.m. Sat & Sun

Like many Chinese, yum cha was a part of my normal childhood. In fact, one of my earliest memories as a child in Hong Kong was going to yum cha with my grandmother. I was still too young to attend school and she would take me almost daily to meet her friends at their favourite yum cha haunt. Alas, I can't remember much else except for the fact that I didn't want to be bored hanging around old ladies eating food.

Oddly, not much has changed in the yum cha world in the last thirty odd years. In all the restaurants I've experienced yum cha in Australia, the sight of a yum cha trolley being wheeled is still the norm, with the ladies showcasing and describing their goodies in their broken English. In contrast, places like Hong Kong have mainly moved to the simpler ordering system, and the food is delivered to the tables super fresh, which is a big advantage. On the other hand, a trolley laden with food is much more visually and olfactorily appealing, and who can resist a restaurant redolent of the beautiful aromas from freshly steamed and fried dumplings and noodles wafting through the air? Certainly not me!

Still, the variety of yum cha dishes has remained fairly stagnant and been uninspired for the last part of thirty years. Traditional and well known favourites such as siu mai, beef rice noodles, and egg tarts have not evolved and the restaurants tend to rest on their laurels a little too much. Innovation is not a strong point and most new dishes tend to be variants of existing ones. However, there is nothing more comforting to me than slurping silky smooth barbecued pork rice noodles or watching the steam rising from within a lotus leaf sticky rice when it's being unwrapped; luckily for Sydneysiders, most of the yum cha restaurants here are of a pretty good standard.

Palace Chinese Restaurant is one of the newer boys on the yum cha block, and is situated in Piccadilly Tower next to David Jones, away from the safe haven of Chinatown but also away from direct competitors. Its nearest competitor - Sky Phoenix in nearby Pitt Street Mall - is currently closed for renovations and will not reopen until next year. Therefore, Palace is the only yum cha option currently in the centre of Sydney's CBD, making it a magnet for business workers especially during weekday lunchtimes.

The restaurant itself is not particularly big but the space is maximised like most Chinese restaurants, and can seat around 250 diners. Decor is also cookie-cutter Chinese, with lots of red and brown.

Siu Mai

When we arrived on this particular Sunday just after 11a.m., the restaurant was already a third full. Couples, families with children, Asians, Caucasians; the people were eclectic and all were ready with chopsticks and forks in hand as the trolleys rolled by. I was in a small group accompanied by K and B, which is rare because I generally go to yum cha with K only. Having an extra person allowed more food to be sampled, but not much more as we're not particularly voracious consumers.

Char Siu Bao - barbecue pork buns

Most yum cha restaurants are not places to casually and relaxingly enjoy food for hours on end, and Palace is no exception. Trolleys whizz by at a fairly steady pace, and you are often bombarded with food all at once, making it difficult to pace yourself. The staff do not hurry you, but their demeanour suggests they want you to eat and go without excessive delay, and customer turnover is usually quite high.

Pork ribs in black bean sauce

Staff at the Palace are generally friendly without being warm, and most are just adequate in their command of English. What I found amusing was their indecision when confronted with a mixed Asian/Caucasian table; do they speak English only or do they guess and attempt some Cantonese or Mandarin? Both K and B are Caucasian; I was the lone Asian, and I can speak moderately good Cantonese. Most times, I get spoken to as the person in charge, and usually in Cantonese. On this occasion, the trolley lady addressed me in English (a good choice because our table was predominantly English speakers), but I found it hard to understand her and I am not familiar with English descriptions of yum cha dishes (deep fried combination dumpling, for example, which is what exactly?). I asked her in Cantonese "What dishes do you have?", but she still replied in English! I actually had to ask her to speak Cantonese so I knew what the dishes were! It was quite amusing, but good on her for trying to improve her English. This lady has worked there a long time and has a lovely personality among the sea of robotic staff; she also has a stentorian voice which can be heard from all parts of the restaurant, so I generally know what food is in her trolley even before she gets to the table! She's so lush.

Prawn balls with almond coating

Trying new food at yum cha is often difficult for me, because I tend to fill up with all my favourites before I even get to unfamiliar dishes! I find it hard not to order siu mai, har gow, barbecue pork rice noodle, beef noodle, etc. because they're such comforting foods (to me), but there are also times when experimentation does reap some benefits. This time, we were able to order one unfamiliar dish, prawn dumplings coated in almond flakes; it was an unusual textural clash and I'm unsure whether I liked it as the almond flakes made it rather dry, but the prawn was plump, juicy, and tasty. Still, they get points for trying, even though it was still a prawn dumpling (in sheep's clothing?)!

Barbecued pork rice noodle

The other dishes were good, consistent, and delicious. Better than any other yum cha restaurant in Sydney? No, but amongst the best at least. The dishes are generally very fresh out of the kitchen, especially the dishes in the bamboo baskets when you see the steam escape from beneath the lids. Everything is cooked well, the ingredients are fresh, the flavours are clean and unmuddled, and nothing is too oily.

Beef rice noodle

Palace was named by the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide as their favourite yum cha restaurant in Sydney last year, and it proudly (and massively) displays that fact in a window adjacent to the front entrance. Whether it still is I'm unsure, because the current 2010 edition does not have that category, but it's still my preferred yum cha destination because of its uniformly good food and closeness to shopping in the CBD.

Steamed vegetable dumpling

Pan-fried rice noodles with hoi sin and satay sauce

Steamed prawn dumplings

Egg tarts

Mango pancakes

Creme brulee

What makes a good yum cha? Is it just the food? And have the yum cha dishes already reached their zenith? Who will break the mold and be the first to try something different?

Writing this post made me recall one of the best yum cha experiences I've had in Sydney was years ago in Kings Cross at Favela's, which had an all-you-can-eat yum cha on Sunday evenings(!) for about $30 a head. The dishes were not your typical yum cha, and everything was super fresh and uber delicious. It wasn't revolutionary, but it was definitely evolutionary. Alas, it did not last and they no longer have it on the menu, which rather saddens me. However, I hold out hope that something similar will return in the not too distant future, and I'll be ready, futuristic chopsticks in hand!

What we liked: delicious food, better variety than others, efficient service

Favourite dish: barbecued pork rice noodles

View Larger Map

Reviews:

http://www.eatability.com.au/au/sydney/palace-chinese-restaurant/

http://www.bestrestaurants.com.au/restaurants/NSW-Sydney-palace.aspx

Food-related Christmas presents 2009

Love Sweetness The Patisserie at Epping! And they do more than marshmallows!

Marshmallows and more marshmallows

Look at the colours

Sweet chocolate covered peppermint mallows

In it goes

Gorgeous!

Chocolate spoons and dippers. Yum.

I like shortbread no matter what shape they're in!

Hugo's Manly (Italian/Pizza) - Manly

Some restaurants are discreet when it comes to recognition of their awards (Tetsuya's for example), whilst others are extremely effusive (Flower Drum in Melbourne, where their awards are plastered all over the anteroom walls and even on the way to the toilets). For Hugos Manly however, they take a rather novel approach, using their, umm, male toilets. Ahem. That's right, directly above the urinals, Hugos has three A4-sized ads trumpeting their most recent awards for their pizzas. So if you've ever wondered if their pizzas are any good, head on straight to their male toilets. Apologies if you're of the fairer sex, but your toilets may also be a source of their peculiar crowing, but I was not game enough to check.

Hugo's Manly is an offshoot of the popular Pete Evan's owned Hugo's Lounge and Hugo's Bar Pizza in Kings Cross. It is nestled right on the water at Manly's ferry wharf with a fantastic view of Manly Cove and North Harbour. Getting there is rather simple, with the option of driving (although parking will not be easy), catching the bus, or a scenic thirty minute ferry ride from Circular Quay.

The restaurant itself is very modern and as expected, very open to take advantage of the surrounding vista (beach and water). Sitting inside, you can smell the fresh water, watch ferries come and go, and on a hot Sydney summer's day observe beachgoers frolicking about on the small adjacent beach.

All the tables are inside, but al fresco dining is unnecessary in such a beautiful open location. The decor is limited as expected, but at the moment nearing Christmas, there are golden baubles hanging from the ceiling. The wooden furniture and layout lends a typically relaxed beachy feel to the entire dining room.

Pork belly pizza - slow roasted pork belly with sweet and sour onions and radicchio ($28)

The menu is basic, and consists of starters ($3.50-$38), mains ($26-$42), pizzas ($18-$28), and sides ($8). The dishes are mainly Italian, and the pizzas are of the gourmet type; no Hawaiian or Meatlovers here!

We were there for only a light lunch so we ordered a pizza and chips to share. We decided on the intruguing pork belly pizza.

The pizza is of average size and thin-crusted. The pizza base is beautifully crunchy and light, and the amount of topping is spot on. The thin slices of pork belly and the sweet and sour onions and raddichio were wonderfully balanced and light, extremely tasty, and very moreish. It was definitely one of the best pizzas I've had.

Chips with Italian tomato sauce and seeded mustard aioli ($8)

As for the chips, they are, erm, chips. Nice and chunky, they come sparingly salted with two small pots of tomato sauce and aioli. Chips and pizza go very well together for me. :-)

Overall, despite the small lunch, we were impressed by Hugo's. It has a great location, beautiful views, a relaxed atmosphere, and nice pizza and chips. Oh, and their lemon, lime, and bitters was quite good too. It is definitely a place to return to for dinner when our stomachs won't be already half-full with Ben & Jerry's ice cream ....

What we liked: great views, delicious pizza, ambience

Favourite dish: umm, the pork belly pizza

Hugo's Manly

Shop 1, Manly Wharf, East Esplanade, Manly

Tel: (02) 8116 8555

Email: enquires@hugos.com.au

View Larger Map

Cuisine: Italian/Pizza

Chef: Peter Evans

Link: hugos.com.au

Reviews:

http://www.eatability.com.au/au/sydney/hugos-manly/

http://www.smh.com.au/news/entertainment/good-living/restaurant-reviews/hugos-manly/2008/10/15/1223750084560.html

http://yourrestaurants.com.au/guide/?action=venue&venue_url=hugos_manly

http://www.bestrestaurants.com.au/restaurants/NSW-Sydney-hugosmanly.aspx

http://www.notquitenigella.com/2008/11/18/hugos-manly/

Assiette (Contemporary) - Surry Hills

Outside the restaurant

The first time I visited Assiette earlier this year, I was essentially a degustation virgin with no expectations, and I really enjoyed the food and the concept; fast forward six short months and the garnering of a new torque in the SMH Good Food Guide 2010 later, it was time to fully digest (pardon the pun) chef Warren Turnbull's gastronomic creations.

Assiette is located at the corner of Albion and Mary Streets in Surry Hills. Street parking is usually at a premium so close to the city and many spots are available only for one hour at a time, so a little luck is needed to secure a suitable park. Luckily, it is just a short walk from Central railway station, and so it is much easier for those who use public transport into central Sydney.

Inside the restaurant

The restaurant itself is quite small, being a conversion from an old terrace house, and it seats only about 54 people. There is a bar and plenty of wine bottles stacked on one wall, and the open kitchen is also less than roomy. In fact, watching the five chefs go about their business in the cramped confines, I wonder how they produce such beautifully nuanced food without bumping into each other.

Nice decor

The dining room is white on white and brown on brown, and sparingly appointed. There is a big picture of a spoon near the entrance, and three large-framed Art Deco pictures on one wall.

What's on the table

The menu is a reasonably priced a la carte (prices range from $3.50 to $40) or a ten-course degustation ($95; $155 with matching wines). The menu is simple and uncluttered, with a total of 14 savoury dishes and 6 desserts. Looking through the French-inspired menu, words like 'Vietnamese', 'Japanese', 'Indian', and 'Moroccan' unusually pop up, indicating more of a global menu, and this is reinforced by the presence of a congee dish, predominantly an Asian staple. There is nothing pretentious about the dishes' descriptions, with everything clearly described and surprisingly free of esoteric fine dining parlance. Refreshingly, what you see is what you get.

The degustation looks particularly interesting, so there was no way we could pass that up!

Crisp skinned snapper fillet with spanner crab and ginger congee

This snapper fillet dish was eagerly awaited because of the congee component, and it did not disappoint. The presentation is fairly simple, with the pan-fried fish sitting on top of a puddle of spanner crab congee. The fish was firm and tasted good, but what about the congee? The congee was pretty spot-on and was akin to a lighter risotto; it was not the more watery type which I encountered at Quay a few weeks ago. There were little morsels of spanner crab, corn kernels, and julienned ginger in the very tasty congee. The flavours in the congee was balanced very well and it tasted lightly of ginger, which was perfect because ginger can be very strong and overpowering. This was a rather lovely dish full of a nuanced Asian flavour.

Indian spiced pork belly with seared scallops, onion bhajis, and mango chutney puree

The pork belly and scallop dish comes as a plump piece of scallop sat atop of a small strip of pork belly. The scallop was large, juicy, and seared perfectly with a deep vibrant colour on each side; the pork belly was tender and had a thin layer of crackling; the onion bahji stack had great Indian flavour and texture; and the mango chutney puree was sweet and pleasant. The combination works very well and showcases the kitchen's deft use of Indian spices which were not overdone. It was very well executed.

Roasted cutlet of lamb with Moroccan spiced lamb shank, pistachio cous cous, and apricot puree

The lamb dish comes as lamb cooked two-ways, and there is a cutlet as well as shank. The cutlet is cooked to perfection and the the plump, succulent rare meat is so tender. The shank is also lovely and tender, tastes mildly of Moroccan spices, and falls apart quite readily. The sauce and apricot puree are very flavoursome, and holds the dish together very well. The cous cous is cooked very well and with the pistachios is a great flavour and texture combination. The chickpeas were nice and there were not too many of them.

Terrine of Macleay Valley rabbit with carrot, hazelnut salad, and raisin puree

The rabbit dish is wonderfully presented, with a disc of terrine sitting on a carrot puree, and surrounded by four carrots (two tops and two thin ribbons rolled to resemble the tops) and two dots of raisin puree and hazelnuts. The rabbit is firm and very tasty, and its saltiness contrasts well with the sweetness of the carrot and raisin purees.

Pickled beetroot with goats curd, basil jelly, and pine nut vinaigrette

The pickled beetroot comes as a dish awash with the vibrant bright red colour of the popular vegetable, and looks fantastic. Two pickled beetroot pieces sandwich a big dollop of the goats curd, thin ribbons of brick pastry nestles on top, and the basil jelly and pine nut viniagrette sits neatly dotted around the plate. As neither a fan of beetroot or goats curd, I found this dish surprisingly good. The goats curd is pungent but is balanced by the sweetness of the beetroot, and I found myself devouring this rather rapidly. The basil jelly is interesting but doesn't add much to the dish, and the pine nuts are there more for the texture but they taste good. It is another refreshing dish that was light but full of flavour.

Amuse bouche - butter pumpkin soup with parsley oil and fresh chives

This amuse bouche we have changed from the oyster with Vietnamese dressing to a butternut pumpkin soup with parsley oil and fresh chives. The soup is warm, thick, creamy, and deliciously full of pumpkin goodness; the parsley oil and chives adds an extra freshness and texture. It was a great starter even on such a hot Sydney day.

Seared tuna with Japanese radish salad, smoked eel, pork crackling, and basil puree

The tuna course comes presented beautifully, pretty much the standard here at Assiette. The tuna is a rosy pink, very lightly seared, and almost melts in the mouth; the Japanese radish salad is refreshing, with little sweet pieces and slices of radish and cucumber scattered here and there; the eel is interestingly like a rillette, wrapped by a delicate gelatin-like skin to form a roll, and the lovely lightly smoked paste oozes out when cut into by the knife.

Strawberry Champagne cheesecake with strawberry sorbet

This was full of strawberry goodness, from the scrumptious cheesecake to the big pieces of strawberries to the tangy sorbet. It was perhaps a bit too much strawberry, but it was very nice

Granny Smith apple jelly with vanilla syrup and apple granita

Nice little dessert that had a nice balance of sweet and tang. There was apple jelly at the bottom of the shotglass, little hunks of apple floating within, and a cool apple granita on the top, which equals three textures of apple. The menu also described the presence of vanilla syrup but I did not taste it, so it was either too subtle or not in it.

Mango and passionfruit sorbet

This pre-dessert was originally a cheese plate, but we had it changed to a mango and passionfruit sorbet. The sorbet is refreshing and sweet, and there are passionfruit pips (my pet hate) and a few ice chips. However, the pips still have a thin layer of passionfruit flesh around them, making them more palatable. It was a good palate cleanser.

Petits fours - blood orange jelly

I expected a little more than just a single jelly jube, but it did taste really good. However, after having three desserts all fruit-based (mango and passionfruit, apple, and strawberry), I was hoping for a macaron or a chocolate or a non-citrus-based sweet. Maybe next time.

Friday night at the restaurant

Overall, Assiette fully deserves its new two-hatted status. The food is wonderfully flavoured, extremely affordable, and each dish is delightfully presented like a piece of modern art, finely and delicately crafted. The degustation in particular builds beautifully from beginning to end and every dish demands your tastebuds' attention. Coupled with the friendly, efficient service, and the cosy ambience of the cool dining room, Assiette is one of my favourite Sydney dining experiences.

Sign at night, cobwebs included

What we liked: fantastic degustation, friendly service, beautiful food presentation, wonderful global flavours

Favourite dish: Crisp skinned snapper fillet with spanner crab and ginger congee

Assiette

48 Albion Street, Surry Hills

Tel: (02) 9212 7979

Email: reservations@restaurantassiette.com.au

View Larger Map

Cuisine: Contemporary

Chefs: Warren Turnbull and Soren Lascelles

Link: restaurantassiette.com.au

Reviews:

http://www.eatability.com.au/au/sydney/assiette/

http://www.smh.com.au/news/restaurant-reviews/resaurant-assiette/2005/10/18/1129401227742.html

http://yourrestaurants.com.au/guide/?action=venue&venue_url=assiette

http://www.bestrestaurants.com.au/restaurants/NSW-Sydney-assiette.aspx

http://mrchansblog.blogspot.com/2009/09/assiette-degustation-29909.html