Mahjong Room (Chinese) - Surry Hills

 

According to the Bangles, it was "Just another manic Monday", and that's how I felt.

Having booked into Guru restaurant in Surry Hills for dinner, we arrived to find the restaurant dark, and closed. No sign, no trading hours visible, nothing. A quick peek into their website provided no answers, as their website was no longer. Eatability.com lists their hours as daily, and a quick peek into the dining room showed no signs of abandonment. All the tables were neatly set, and everything looked in place. However, I was aware that this restaurant's previous incarnation (the name of which eludes me but it was owned by the same person as Guru) folded quite quickly despite good reviews, and so I was suspicious it had occurred again. But we had no time to investigate any further at this stage, and we needed to eat.

A quick dash around the area failed to find anything open on a Monday or suitably adequate for an hour-and-a-half meal. However, our sanguinity finally led us to Mahjong Room in Crown Street, an apt choice given it's Chinese New Year, right?

Mahjong Room is a dark and deceptively compact restaurant serving Chinese cuisine in a smart and more upmarket setting. There is a small main dining room at the front which holds five square tables, a few tables along the wall in the passageway leading to the toilet at the back, and there is also a private room behind the kitchen. The dining tables can (I imagine) also double up as mahjong tables, and the various Chinese-centric decorations include a picture of Mao Zedong, a Chinese lion dance head, Chinese opera masks, and a kitsch bust of Mao Zedong again. The eclectic assortment of items certainly adds an old-time feel to the ambience, and the hodgepodge of music also adds to the quirkiness, with everything from Chinese lounge music to live Bryan Adams.

The menu is fairly simple but the variety is good, with a small selection of entrees and a large number of mains to choose from. There are even desserts which don't include the hackneyed deep-fried ice cream or mango pudding. Being much later than usual for our dinner, we order only one entree to go with our two mains, leaving room for dessert.

Before the entrees arrive, we are given a small bowl of pickled vegetables to nibble on. This is a nice touch and the sourness of the various pieces (radishes, carrots, cucumbers, etc.) are a good way to stimulate our appetites.

Pickled vegetables

Beijing Sesame Pockets - baked pockets with roast duck, chicken, and spicy preserved radish ($18.50)

The entree of Beijing pockets is one I haven't seen in Sydney, although I don't frequent many eateries of northern Chinese cuisine. I've had this dish in Hong Kong, and it was a good mixture of textures and flavours, so I was encouraged. When they came, the pockets themselves were much smaller than the ones I've had, and we wondered whether these miniature versions would be enough to hold all the lamb and vegetable filling. The answer was no, but the filling was tasty with a touch of spiciness. After we rapidly polished off two pockets each, we were left with a good portion of the filling, and we decided to save that to have with the mains.

A closer look

Crispy San-Dong Chicken in light ginger vinegar sauce ($23)

The first main was a fairly standard san-dong chicken, with pieces of moist, tender chicken in a slightly sweet and vinegary sauce. The skin was not as crispy as some I've had (I prefer crispier skin), and the sauce not as strong, but it was still okay.

Chung Pao Lamb wok-fried in sweet bean and chilli paste with bean sprouts ($23)

The other main was the Chung Pao lamb, and this was great. Big slices of tender lamb in a thick tangy sauce that was nicely balanced with salty, sweet, and sour notes, and this went really well with the rice.

Dessert bowl

Feeling quite full but desiring a bit of dessert because of their interesting menu, we order one each.

Banana Spring Rolls with seasonal fruit

The banana spring rolls came on a pretty plate with ice cream and various pieces of fruit, a nice touch. The rolls were crunchy and the banana inside mushy, but they weren't particularly impressive to these tastebuds. The bits and pieces of fruit were refreshing however and the presentation is good.

Black Sesame & Peanut Dumplings with chrysanthemum tea ($9)

The black sesame and peanut dumplings evoked memories of my teenage years, when my mum would make these treats for my brother and me on the odd occasions we were good. I love the delicate squishiness of the dough which would ooze out the sweet contents when bitten into. These ones are not made by the kitchen but I still liked their subtle sweetness, and they were a good non-stodgy finish to the meal.

Dessert menu

Very dark unisex toilet

Eclectic decorations, including wall scrolls with Chinese characters which look like they've been written by children.

Moody

Satisfied and approaching time for our exit, we stop the camera snapping and leave the remaining two tables in peace. The meal was a good attempt at a more refined Cantonese-style cuisine with other Chinese influences, but it falls short of standards set by more well-known contemporaries such as Billy Kwong. However, the friendly and efficient service combined with the relaxed atmosphere culminates in an enjoyable experience worthy of a repeat visit.

What we liked: good Chinese food menu, service, ambience, dessert selection

Favourite dish: Chung Pao Lamb

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Aperitif (French/Mediterranean) - Kings Cross

 

Despite persistant rain smothering Sydney the past week, we were not deterred from keeping our appointment for B's belated birthday dinner in Kings Cross. Taking advantage of a lucky parking spot on the street just metres from the restaurant, our early arrival meant we could sit in the car, chat, and wait for the deluge to abate. Unfortunately, that did not eventuate, and as 6p.m. approached, we found ourselves arms and legs all akimbo with umbrellas and bags as we scurried to the converted terrace house restaurant called Aperitif.

Situated just around the corner from modern Vietnamese eatery Libertine (post here), Aperitif - appropriately for its name - serves French and Mediterranean cuisine in an opulent setting. As we entered the house, the front part of the dining room is obviously an erstwhile family room, with its fireplace and inviting ambience. As you head down the narrow hallway towards the back of the restaurant, there are cosy little tables in a setting not unlike a hip bar in Barcelona. The dining space is moody, romantic, and dark, with warm lights, chandeliers, dark furniture, a high ceiling, and lots of red. Wisely, there are large mirrors strategically positioned to enhance the space optically, so it does not look like you're dining in a shoebox. There are also alfresco dining tables in the front yard of the house, but these were understandably unused on such a wet evening. The overall relaxed feel is a good match for its relaxed menu, with all dishes designed to be shared.

The menu is extensive and confusing, as there are amuse bouches, oyster dishes, a snail dish, charcuterie dishes, small plates, plats pour deux, one vegetarian dish, sides, bread, cheeses, and desserts. Phew! Besides the plats pour deux, which are shares plates for two, it was difficult to know how proportioned the other dishes were. The waitress kindly informed us that all plates were meant to be shared, and they could adjust the portions available depending on table size. Therefore, for our party of three, we decided on a conservative three small plates, a plats pour deux, and a side. We knew we were going to have dessert (the chocolate fondant was once again keening to me in a lilting voice!), and so playing it safe was a good option.

Duck Neck Confit and Pistachio Terrine ($18)

First to arrive was the cold dish, my choice of the terrine. Three medium-sized discs of pressed duck neck meat and pistachios came with toasted bread, onion jam, and pickles. The terrine was nicely flavoured, especially paired with the tartness and tang of the pickles and onion jam, and its texture contrasted well with the crunch of the bread. To me, it is always good to start off the meal with something cold.

 

Calamari stuffed with Prawns and Chorizo ($22)

K's stuffed squid was next. Having not so long ago a stuffed squid which promised much but delivered an almost inedible result, I was a little hesitant about this choice. Fortunately, my fears were allayed immediately as I cut into the squid; its flesh was tender and the stuffing was moist and tasty. There were six portions to share among the three of us, and each piece was great, even the end piece which is notoriously tough and easy to overcook.

Chilli prawns ($22)

The final entree was the birthday boy's chilli prawns, another dish where the bare menu description caused a little trepidation. It came in a small dish with the large prawns jostling in a pool of rich sauce, their heads and beady gazes fixed on us. There is no accompaniment but we were asked whether we wanted some bread to mop up the sauce, to which we agreed. Discarding the crunchy prawn heads, we tucked into the fleshy bodies with gusto. They were a tad overdone for me, but the flavours were beautiful: rich with tomato notes, balanced with lemon and herbs, and garlicky. The sauce was a little too thin and oily to be soaked up by the bread, but it was good to have a little carbohydrate anyway. B and I both agreed it was the best entree of the night, but K still preferred his squid.

Feeling quite satisfied, we were glad we only ordered one plats pour deux, and being a paella with lots of rice, it should fill us just enough before having the inevitable dessert.

Paella - Spanish rice with chicken and seafood ($48)

Our first paella! Not our first of the night, or the month, or the year, but our first ever! With a combined 140-odd years on the planet, our paella virginity was about to be broken; better late than never huh? It was a decent portion, with assorted seafood (prawns, mussels, calamari, etc.) and chicken pieces crowding the dish. The aroma of the paprika and saffron was heady, and the taste was good. The flavours weren't as rich as I'd assumed it to be, and it was missing the quintessential element of a good paella, the socarrat. I have heard so much about the crunchy caramelised rice soaked with the broth, and its absence at the bottom of the pan was a little disheartening. The crunchiness would have been a good contrast with the mushiness of the rest of the dish, but it was not to be. We will have to experience a more genuine paella another time, another place.

Potato croquettes ($8)

The absence of chips for sides was rectified fairly easily with the potato croquettes, and these were beautiful. Golden and crunchy on the outside, and mushy and soft on the inside. We really wanted more of these little gems!

With room remaining for one last hurrah, we ordered dessert. B and I ordered the chocolate fondant (I'm getting good at this!), and it was going to be a trifecta until the waitress persuaded K to have the chi chis. Having no idea what chi chis were, we were informed of their slight resemblance to churros, except thinner.

Chi Chi with Chocolate Sauce ($14)

K's chi chis were as the waitress described: little deep-fried doughy fingers that look like miniature churros. Dipped into the adjunct saucer of rich chocolate sauce, these were not too sweet and were moreish. K liked them but said he'd much rather the churros we had at Subsolo last month, and I agree.

Chocolate Fondant with White Chocolate Ice Cream ($14)

The chocolate fondant was as usual: rich, delicious, and oh so filling. The outer shell easily succumbed to the spoon to reveal the warm pudding, and the chocolate sauce slowly trickled out of the opening. The accompanying coconut sorbet was good, although I didn't think it was coconut. Like the paella, this was a virginal experience for B, and I have no idea how he survived half a century without ever having this ubiquitous dessert, but again, it's never too late! He was in love with the fondant, and rightly so. He declared his intentions to lick the plate afterwards, but alas that did not eventuate. Drats. 

 

At the end of the meal, it was good to see and hear the outside precipitation had temporarily halted so we could make our way to the car without opening our umbrellas. Before leaving however, I went to the bathroom and found an interesting little room. It was all black tiles, but with a row of clear tiles with the word 'Seven' inscribed (we found out later that a previous restaurant was going to be called Seven, but it never got up and running). It was quite modern with the tap, soap dispenser, and paper towel dispenser all automated, although the soap dispenser was a little temperamental and refused to work properly.

Overall, Aperitif was a pleasant surprise. The au courant tapas plates work a treat, and the food is a good mixture of French and Spanish influences. The flavours were good, even if the paella was a tad disappointing, and the entrees in particular were excellent. The service was friendly and efficient, with the waitress particular helpful and jovial. However, one minor quibble about the service was the presence of the owner, who constantly floated across the dining room floor from the entrance to the back of the restaurant all evening, not doing much (although he did generously fold up everybody's umbrellas and place them neatly into the stand). This was a tad disconcerting, and could detract from the overall mood of the restaurant, as it did for K. Still, a trendy tapas-centric restaurant in the heart of Kings Cross is much welcome, and we should be back.

What we liked: decor, ambience, entrees, desserts

Favourite dish: chilli prawns

 

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Tomislav (Modern Australian) - Darlinghurst

Another week, another eponymous restaurant to visit. This one's called Tomislav, and when I saw the chef's name - Tomislav Martinovic - I thought to myself: "Wasn't he playing against Roger Federer a couple of weeks ago at the Australian Open tennis?". Well, no, but he probably should have; opening a restaurant in Sydney is about as risky as it gets, and I think most people would prefer to face 200km/h-plus cannonballs than the heat of the kitchen. Brave man Mr. Martinovic.

So why should we be interested? For me, four words did the trick: Heston. Blumenthal. Fat. Duck. I'm not sure how long the chef worked at the Fat Duck in London, but even breathing in the rarefied air of the world's best untrained chef should be inspiring, correct? What's more, the cuisine is listed on the website as 'Modern Australian', so if he's learnt any molecular gastronomy skills from Heston, I'm expecting to inhale my meat pie and chips.

The restaurant only opened in early December, but has been fairly anonymous until now, when the Sydney Morning Herald's Terry Durack reviewed it last Tuesday. His praises (he awarded it 15 out of 20) has done wonders (natch), with bookings coming thick and fast since (according to the friendly neophyte waitress).

The restaurant has a neat location at the Kings Cross end of Darlinghurst, and is almost directly above busy William Street, with a view of the iconic Coke sign. It is situated above another eatery though, a Japanese restaurant, and hence the 2/13 address. As the waitress said, the Kirketon Road address is rather misleading though, and can be a little awkward to locate. As well as the view of the Coke sign, you can also catch a glimpse of the top half of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, so it certainly has a unique vista to appreciate: the hustle and bustle of William Street and the gaudiness of the Coke sign on the right versus the serenity of the iconic bridge on the left. The beauty of Sydney in a nutshell.

The dining space is tight and compact, and the indoor area is supplemented by the great verandah area. The concrete floor of the inside melds well with the wooden planks of the alfresco area, and the entire space is very open. The kiitchen too is open, and the proximity of the machinations of the restaurant's engine room is a little disconcerting for some. The decor is very modern and classy, with the quirky touch here and there (white gnome anyone?). There are the traditional small tables inside, and outside there are small communal benches that seat six diners, as well as bar dining benches straddling the edge of the verandah overlooking William Street for those who want to eat and observe.

The menu is focussed and very compact, with only the choice of three starters, five entrees, four mains, two sides, and five desserts (including a cheese course). With a group of five or more people, you are easily able to sample everything on the menu. The menu descriptions however are quite cryptic, so you don't always get what you read.

The bar stools look like foam ear plugs ....

  

Complimentary bread and butter shaped like a potato ....

Even the gnome agrees ....

View from opposite ends

Rangers Valley Sirloin Roll (50g) - toast, wasabi crums ($8)

Despite Terry Durack's recommendation of the tissue-like rice crackers with its quirky vinegar in a spray bottle, we opted for the Rangers Valley sirloin roll instead. This little curiosity came as four little rolls of sirloin sat on thin crisps of baked batter, and topped with Kermit-green wasabi crumbs. The sirloin was tender and very well cooked, and combined with the crunch of the "toast" and the crumbs, was delicious and moreish. Surprisingly, the wasabi was not hot at all, which was good for us.

Basmati Rice Risotto - cured scallops, chives, lemon zest ($18)

My entree of the risotto was beautifully presented, and unusually for a risotto, uses basmati rice instead of the more traditional high starch medium grains like arborio. The cured scallops were thinly sliced, floating on top of the rice in a flower pattern. The dish was flavoursome with its citrus and light soy notes and chives, and both the scallops and rice were perfectly cooked. Definitely one of the bext risottos I've had for a long time because it's less starchy and much lighter.

Poached Comboyne Hen's Egg - mustard, toast, king brown mushrooms ($17)

K's poached hen's egg entree looked similar to a breakfast dish, and even moreso when it comes with mushrooms and "toast"! It's ostensibly a playful nod to the jentacular favourite, and it works well. The egg comes from Comboyne near Port Macquarie and was perfectly poached: squishy, silky, and impossible to eat without a spoon. The giant king brown mushrooms (K thought it was aubergine! Ahem) came as one piece and diced, and was fleshy and tasty. It was just like eating breakfast in a cafe on Sunday morning.

When the mains arrived, we were immediately transported back to the meal we had at Glass Brasserie a few months back. The mains seem to miss something, but we were unable to put our finger on it.

 

Roast Tinder Creek Duck Breast - olive oil sponge, baby beetroots ($29)

My main of duck was certainly unusual: slices of perfectly cooked duck sat on a beetroot smear, with an olive oil sponge and two hunks of vegetable (turnip?) adjacent. The duck was tender, juicy, and with the right amount of skin-to-meat ratio, but because it was thinly sliced, there appeared to be a lot. The olive oil sponge gave the most interesting texture, but it didn't have a strong olive oil taste; I used it mainly to soak up the beetroot sauce instead. The vegetable was delicious and gave the other two textures balance.

O'Connor Scotch Fillet - grilled mango, chives, bone marrow ($30)

The other main of the Terry Durack recommended scotch fillet was presented similarly to my dish, with the beef also being pre-sliced into batons. The big attraction of this dish was the bone marrow, which came in a massive hunk of bone sat upright on the plate. The marrow was - presumably - to be poured over the scotch fillet, but unfortunately, we were not warned of the heat still in the bone. K almost burnt himself as he grabbed the bone, and had to subsequently use his napkin to hold the bone so he could administer the liquid marrow. Scalding aside, the meat was very tender and delicious, and the marrow gave it added richness. The mango sauce was not too cloying and helped cut through the richness somewhat.

 

Too hot to handle and the end result

Crinkle cut chips ($7)

Of course, by now you all know about my chips/fries proclivities, and the presence of crinkle cut chips on the menu certainly had me piqued! After being informed they were not the generic store-bought variety, I knew I needed them. And when they came, they were big, chunky, deliciously golden, and hand cut. I was in chip heaven, until I bit into them - ouch! They were, like the bone marrow bone, hot as hell: probably straight out of the fryer, into the bowl, and out to the table. They were too hot, and amazingly, after about five minutes and halfway through our mains, they were still steaming. Definitely a little too literal a translation of 'hot chips'. Luckily, they were great: crispy on the outside, and mashy on the inside. Yum.

When the waitress enquired whether we wanted to look at desserts, we both harmonised the words "Yes, please!"; she obviously has a lot to learn this girl! The dessert menu is only very small as mentioned previously, but they looked good. I, for once, did not go for the chocolate dish, but that honour still went to K. Hehe. I chose the cheesecake instead, teased by the words 'cheese jelly'.

Vanilla Cheesecake - cheese jelly, mulberry sorbet ($14)

When my cheesecake came, thoughts of Heston Blumenthal entered my head when I spied the 'cake', which looked like Homer Simpson's stomach. It was a big blob of cheesy mousse, sparingly dotted on top with the cheese jelly, and sat on a biscuit base. As soon as my spoon effortlessly carved through the mousse, it reminded me immediately of Rockpool Bar & Grill's Black Forest Trifle inspired by the Fat Duck's BFG. It was super smooth, with an excellent cheese flavour, and the little cubes of cheese jelly were interesting. We loved the combined textures of the three components and this particular interpretation of a cheesecake was divine. In worshipping the cheesecake, we ignored the mulberry sorbet for quite a while, despite its vibrant maroon colour standing out on the plate. It was good, with its strong tang pairing well with the sweetness of the cheesecake. And the little glistening mulberries dotted on the plate were a nice fresh touch.

Dark Chocolate Mousse - toasted hazelnuts, vanilla ice cream ($14)

K's chocolate mousse was also surprising, as it came like a ball with the mousse encased in a delicate shell. The mousse was more like a ganache than mousse, with its rich dense texture and taste. The accompanying vanilla ice cream was strange to see, as it's so rare to see plain old vanilla ice cream in a dessert, but it was creamy and good. We weren't so sure about the presentation though, as the mousse ball and scoop of ice cream were linked by a vanilla ice cream smear. It almost looked like the ice cream ball was originally next to the mousse but slid across the plate to the other side and leaving a trail of ice cream. Peculiar. A special mention must go to the addition of the creative 'Pop Rocks' crumbs to the dish; these were combined with chopped nuts and gave a stimulating popping and fizzing sensation in the mouth.

Overall, we enjoyed Tomislav a lot. The food is very reasonably priced for the quality (no dish is over $30), and combined with the eclectic scenery and friendly efficient service, makes it a great place to dine. If it is a sunny day on a balmy night, definitely aim for a table on the verandah. It is roomier, the view is better, and it is more comfortable temperature-wise (away from the heat of the open kitchen and aided by the breeze). Looks like we won't be seeing T. Martinovic vs R. Federer on the tennis circuit anytime soon after all.

What we liked: alfresco dining, good views, great food, reasonable prices, desserts

Favourite dish: basmati rice risotto

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