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Category Archives: Sydney North

Another Year Wiser at Cottage Point Inn

May 20, 2018Restaurant Reviews, Seven Caesars, Sydney North2018, Cottage Point Inn, Expensive, Fine Dining, Food

Berowra Waters Inn | Sydney North

October 28, 2016Eight Caesars, Restaurant Reviews, Sydney North2014, 2016, Alfresco, berowra waters inn, Expensive, Fine Dining, Food, Modern Australian

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I'm Still Hungry - A Food & Travel Blog by Michael Shen is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Based on the work at https://imstillhungry.net

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Sichuan cold noodles. A staple in, well, Sichuan,

Sichuan cold noodles. A staple in, well, Sichuan, this dish is all about the interrelationship between sweet, salty, hot, sour & earthiness. If you've ever eaten dan dan noodles (no, Japanese tantanmen is not the same), you'll instantly recognise this, albeit with some differences - mainly in the absence of ground pork and that the latter's served hot. But make no mistake, this is a hawwwwwt dish (and I don't mean spice either...well, unless you want it to be), one you'll find on almost every street corner in Sichuan as a ubiquitous snack. . It's dead simple to make, but admittedly does require a bit of effort since there are a number of different components & toppings - you'll get more mileage serving at least four people. You can take shortcuts and make all sorts of subs, like any homecook should be allowed to do, but one thing you really, really shouldn't skip is the chilli oil. In 20 years of eating this, I've come to realise it's really a way to showcase the power and individuality of a master's chilli oil - the dish is almost a flavoured vessel to transfer the good stuff directly to your mouth. For those that can't take spice, it's absolutely possible to make non-spicy chilli oils, but that's an adventure I leave to you. For my particular recipe, check out my IG story highlights. . As for the other components - the spiced soy, aroma water, sesame paste, toppings & spice-brined chicken - yes, you can just use store-bought versions without much further input, but like all things, there are trade-offs. But a tip: use store-bought noodles, something like spaghetti - handmade noodles are actually inferior for this usage (fresh is not always best) as you can't get the same type of clean, al dente mouthfeel that's absolutely critical to cold noodles. And hey, who doesn't want to save time? #ish_homecooked

For some time, I've been screeching - like overpla

For some time, I've been screeching - like overplayed vinyl - that sushi omakase in Sydney badly needs new players entering the scene. With demand constantly dwarfing supply, scoring bookings at the top shops is a task that makes obtaining a RAT look positively effortless. . I'm not so sure I think this way anymore. Despite the pandemic, economics did its thing - a flood of new shops have opened to sate the demand. 'New wave omakase', created by those who see the allure and potential margins in the low staff, low seats & high-cost pp model that exudes exclusivity. Coupled with the blessing that none of the existing shops have closed (notwithstanding the Sano-Sokyo bombshell), you could say that my wish was fulfilled. . It's just a shame that most of the new entrants aren't all that good - right now. Inexperience with 'omakase' - the depth & meaning of the offering, chefs that lack the necessary experience, and perhaps cynically, restauranteurs just out to turn a quick buck on what could be just a fad - these are all plausible, if unprovable explanations. Of course, we all hope that new-venue ‘teething’ will explain away most of the typical issues, but gosh, you can't really get around the fact that to be the best, to be able to charge upwards of $200+, you've got to have the pedigree, the cachet backing you up. . Having said all of this (cut me some slack with the verbosity - I haven't written in a while!), Bay 9 probably has the most potential I've seen out of all the new entrants. Chef Yul Kim's highly untraditional, almost sacrilegious take on the omakase format was an experience that shocked me with how much I enjoyed it. See my IG story highlights for dish details (might play with this format going forward), but suffice to say, despite the inevitable issues that come with this toddler of a venue, it's an experience enjoyable enough that it's the only newcomer I'd put on the repeat list. Throw in a few more nigiri and cut back on some of the more overzealous seasoning and it may well become a restaurant located in a touristy hotspot that's actually worth visiting. #ISH_BayNine (19 Jan; 1 visit) // $195pp

Even a collage of 30 pictures isn't enough. A fitt

Even a collage of 30 pictures isn't enough. A fitting metaphor of the bounty we've been lucky to have this year. Thank you for everything this year @oetoshihiko 今年はお世話になりました。来年も良い年でありますように！🙏 🙏 🙏 . #ISH_SushiOe (visited 8 December; 10 visits) // price pp - 180 AUD (increase to 230 AUD from 2022)

They say this is probably the most photographed di

They say this is probably the most photographed dish in the world. Probably not - can you imagine how many more grainy, blurry photos of Maccas cheeseburgers there are on people's phones? - but I think you get the point. When taking the passage of time into account, Tetsuya's confit of petuna ocean trout is very likely to be the most famous dish to have ever come out of any fine dining restaurant on the planet - no hyperbole. It was a time before the concept of chefs as celebrities, combining exacting French technique with Japanese sensitivity, or the idea you can cook fish without making it look cooked - preserving its unadulterated, scarlet hues. The only thing more famous than this dish, is the restaurant itself. . If you're subconsciously nodding to all this, you know what I'm getting at. If your face is scrunched up along the lines of 'what is this guy smoking, and how do I get some of that', further reading won't be amiss, as there's no chance a restaurant with a shadow as long & deep as Tets can be summarised in one random Instagram pontification. Of course, this is 2021, and it would be falsehood to say Tetsuya Wakuda's original flagship - one that for decades was an incubator for most of Australia's top chef talent - is still generating the same kind of waves. The baton inevitably passes, as it now has to many other capable venues and their illustrious executive chefs. Yeah, Tets is showing its age - in the restaurant as well as the food, but gosh, it's still exciting whenever I revisit. After all, how often do you get to experience history in the contemporary? . #ISH_Tetsuyas (visited 19 November 2021; 4 visits)

LuMi, like every other restaurant in Sydney, has h

LuMi, like every other restaurant in Sydney, has had to take its fair share of shaky steps in adapting to a post-lockdown world. It's still indisputably king of the Japanese-Italian fusion hill, though I'd certainly be lying if I said this was their best menu yet. Like a stock market correction, you gotta buy the dips in order to reach ever greater heights. Even so, it was unabashedly a delicious feed with almost every course delivering something I haven't had before. The croissant, king george whiting and pastas were exceptional standouts. But the most important opinion? The parents digged it - at that point, nothing else really matters. . #ISH_LuMi (visited 30 October 2021; 13 visits)

Chaco Bar may not be running their omakase right n

Chaco Bar may not be running their omakase right now (set menu notwithstanding), but I've always thought their a la carte game is so strong, it's actually a rare case of a restaurant whose omakase offering finishes 2nd place on the podium. . Besides, just look at our order - considering it doesn't even fit onto a 4x4 grid, it's pretty much a choose your own omakase adventure. Or perhaps it's more accurate to say...自分で任せる, ie omakase to you, from you. Be your gift to yourself and live your best life. Or something like that (whatever the kids say these days) 😂 😂 😂 . Dish details in story highlights #ISH_ChacoBar (visited 9 November; 4 visits)

My first visit to Casoni was in September 2019, ov

My first visit to Casoni was in September 2019, over 2 years ago. It was a promising - albeit risky - blend of Korean and Southeast Asian inspired-cooking, underpinned by Italian fundamentals. The pasta was handmade, the flavours were punchy, and the only other restaurant doing anything remotely like it was ACME (oh, how I miss ya). But fusion and risk are bedfellows, and well, you can probably guess what I thought. . The 'new' Casoni - well, not really, as it's still under the auspices of @jowoon_oh117, but new to me - hits different. The food is still very much in line with the intent of its head chefs - Italian, but not as your nonna would recognise, or even acknowledge. But gosh, do the boys continue to dare to be different, and for the most part, are handsomely rewarded. Where else are you going to find a typhoon shelter style spanner crab pasta that harmonises nduja, fermented chilli & konbu? Or a pacherri that's richly flavoured with the deep, almost pungently aromatic flavours of what is a sambal in all but name? Have you had acorn pasta? Potato gnocchi 'churros"? Black garlic sourdough w/miso cultured butter? Did I mention all the pasta is still made in-house? By 18yo @stevenpark_02 no less - he'll go far. . There's still plenty of rough edges, but maybe that's just the cost of admission to this kind of cuisine: there's so much unique goodness here, that even though it's highly unlikely you'll enjoy /every/ dish you order, when the dish slaps, it SLAPS so hard you might just get a concussion. Fusion and risk may be bedfellows, but excitement is very much a part of this ménage à trois. You wouldn't want to miss out, right? 😉 . Recommended orders: -Spaghetti alla chitarra w/uni & bottarga (2nd pic) -Agnolotti w/jerusalem artichoke, brown butter & sage (5) -Burrata w/chilli miso & black garlic sourdough (7 & 8) -Moreton bay bug pacherri (3 - if you think you can stomach the sambal) #ISH_Casoni

Received a beautiful pack of scarlet prawns from @

Received a beautiful pack of scarlet prawns from @derwooblegie recently which is probably a not-so-subtle sign to get me to cook something for once. Decided to go for an easy riff on butter XO noodles (except I used pasta, coz hey, make do with what you've got) that hit the spot...twice (dinner + breakfast the next day 😂). So many lessons learned but man, the principles and ingredients are so sound, even I couldn't stuff it up. 🦐🍝 . Seriously scarlet prawns are so, so good. It's not just the meat or the vibrancy of the red after which they're named, but I'd say the head juice is really where these shine. There's so much of it (the heads are massive) and really boosts the sauce when it's squeezed in. Omgosh 🤤

Last week before the first tranche of restrictions

Last week before the first tranche of restrictions lift. I won't miss much about lockdown, but Choji's hanami set + futomaki (look at how thicccccc they are!!) is going to be up there. Very happy they offered local pickup within 5km allowing me to try this for the first, and last time! 🙏 #ISH_Choji

So many home lockdown bakers, but so few - if any

So many home lockdown bakers, but so few - if any - with the in-your-face bravado of @bloodsbakery's products. This is pastry that unapologetically slaps with flavour, supported with enough butter to kickstart your own creamery. Don't be surprised if, thinking the @maximmushrooms & comté tart would make for a fine a starter, ends up being almost a full meal. In that sense, we're talking good value for money. . And then there's the houjicha custard-stuffed croissant: I'm pretty sure this is the richest, most unctuous example money can buy. Holeeee sheeeet I was buzzed after downing that one! . Definitely not your average pastry. #ish_bloodsbakery #ish_supportlocal

Picked up some tasty goodies from Nodaya the other

Picked up some tasty goodies from Nodaya the other day. Their signature curry pan (hear that crunch in the video) and @raitanoda's signature soft-shell crab tacos round out a couple of very solid dons. Other than some choice air frying, there's pretty much no 'finish at home' shenanigans here - the kind of delicious, no-fuss eating that's been a missing piece in the lockdown repertoire. #ish_nodaya #ish_supportlocalbusiness

It's so bloody difficult to get your hands on anyt

It's so bloody difficult to get your hands on anything @oetoshihiko creates during lockdown that when the chance finally arose to get my hands on what - to me - is a literal treasure box, I felt the urge, the COMPULSION, to try my hand at making sushi rice (i.e. shari). It's official: lockdown's finally gotten to me. . While the temptation to self-depracate the attempt as an utter why-did-I-even-bother-trying failure was stronger than the sharpness of the rice vinegar, the reality is that it turned out...much better than I'd have expected for a first time attempt. This was seriously good - distinct, near al dente grains, a smack of flavour that's overpowering in its lonesome, but married up perfectly with Oe-san's sublime sashimi. Never have I more appreciated the importance of rice here - as if this is any news. . Thank the seafood gods (i.e. @red_claw_seafoods) for @sushioe's sashimi and thank @omakasebyvan for guiding me along the path of shari making. Definitely doing this one again. #ISH_SushiOe

Tomorrow is 中秋节, or the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Tomorrow is 中秋节, or the Mid-Autumn Festival. I confess I don't really know all that much about it, other than its core meaning in thanking the moon(??) for a bountiful harvest. Yeah yeah, kinda shocking, considering this is the most important day in the Chinese calendar other than CNY. But hey, it's hard to focus on the (undoubtedly rich) history when, just like hot cross buns appearing on supermarket shelves before the Christmas decorations have even been taken down yet, so too does the avalanche of mooncakes begin dominating the entrance to every Asian grocer well ahead of the actual day itself. . Anyway I digress. Suffice to say, I've tried a fair few mooncakes, though I need to re-disclaim that I usually swipe left on the stuff (curb your surprise, this is well-documented 😝). Consider it my form of partaking in celebrating the tradition! In any case, some of the best would have to be from @silent.sift, who you probably already know as the perpetually sold out canele bakers. Well if you try their mooncakes, you'll find out why - assuming you can get an order in. Oh, and +100 points for the packaging. It's so cute, I'll even excuse the fact that it's not the year of the rabbit LOL 😂 🐰! . Mooncake types: Harmony - matcha crust w/red bean paste & chestnut centre (vegan) Togetherness - dark choc crust w/organic choc & white choc ganache Blossom - houjicha crust w/black sesame paste & salted egg yolk Jade Bunny - classic crust w/lotus seed paste & salted egg yolk #ISH_SilentSift

I think I've forgotten how to socialise. Can you h

I think I've forgotten how to socialise. Can you hug? What do you even talk about? The weather? Well, actually that was a great topic as at 45min, this picnic set a record for shortest ever, at which mother nature decided to take a dump on us all - the sashimi was barely out of its box! ☔ Undeniably a memorable first taste of freedom (that last pic tho 😂 😂 😂) . Not sure why we're able to enjoy these freedoms while locked-down LGAs with fewer cases & higher vax rates can't...hopefully everyone is allowed to on equal footing as soon as practicable. Until then, feel free to laugh at our misfortune (UPDATE: well that was quick! 😅) . Not a sponsored post or anything, but goods bought for the picnic (in case you needed some inspo): @gourmetlife_ caviar @sydneyfishmarket sashimi/oysters @vics.meat charcuterie @handpickedwines boooooooze @a.p.bread pastries @thida_jiggy tarts (blueberry, strawberry and The Date Tart) @caferumah various kueh @feedmepicnics foccacia charcuterie (gifted) Kimbap by unnamed Korean grocer (thanks @eilxrrr for the informative response) Picnic table by @frenchknothome (y'all eyeing this I know it!) #ISH_SupportLocalBusiness

Honestly if it weren't for pastries I would have a

Honestly if it weren't for pastries I would have almost no content to post during lockdown. You'd think that would be a good thing (and hey you might be right), but I'd probably just end up posting my own cooking, and I'm sure we'd all agree that'd the greater of the two evils. . This week's buttery salvation, changing up from 'the usual spot' to the highly-regarded Nomad. The pastries are as big as they are flavourful: almost everything savoury was off the rocker (and the grapefruit-sized bombolonis were likely epic as well though I gave them away), though perhaps save the dollars for a pie vs the hashbrowns. Actually maybe just plough all your money into the pies & sausage rolls: no doubt some of the best you can buy in the inner city. Yes, I've already been back twice 😝 😝 #ISH_Nomad #ISH_SupportLocalBusiness

If I asked you to name some of Sydney's iconic dis

If I asked you to name some of Sydney's iconic dishes, it would probably be one of the easier things you've had to do this week. But in spite of the abundance of goodness - or perhaps because of it - it takes something truly special to produce an icon, and doubly so for one that stands the test of time. . The Date Tart (yes, all caps, plus the definite article) is one such icon. It was created by Lorraine Godsmark, who was then the pastry chef at Rockpool, long before the restaurant would cast one of the longest shadows over the Sydney dining scene. Neil Perry had yet to develop his ponytail, let alone become a household name; I wasn't even born then! There's some confusion as to when the tart itself was invented - 1984 pops up a fair bit, but Rockpool itself only opened in 1989, so there's a reconciliation to be done here. In any case, both Rockpool and the date tart would in time become the stuff of Sydney dining legend, an impact made doubly powerful as this was considered the golden age of Sydney fine dining. A 30+ year history in this day and age is nothing to scoff at considering the vicissitudes of change. . You've probably eaten many tarts in your life, but few - if any - are like this one. The base will be familiar - a shortcrust yes, albeit one that's exacting and, well, pretty much perfect. Where it gets interesting is the insanely velvety-smooth vanilla bean custard that glides better than high-threadcount mulberry silk. The custard is very much on the light side, as the sweetness comes from an array of semi-dried medjool (I think?) dates, delivering texture and sugary punch in equal measure. The tart is rounded out by the trade secret that makes this date tart The Date Tart - the darkened custard top. The exact recipe to produce this result doesn't seem to be available in the public domain (and fair enough), but there's something about starting the oven high and dropping the temp every 10min, half-turning it at each interval. Whatever - I'm happy to remain in the dark about it, life is more interesting with the occasional mystery. . (continued in comments by my alt account coz I can't pin my own comments LOL)

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I'm Still Hungry - A Food & Travel Blog by Michael Shen is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Based on the work at https://imstillhungry.net