The Village - Invitation to "Ladies lunch"

It was a pleasure for "My Hunger will go on" to be invited to The Village for "Ladies Lunch" in this lovely afternoon. "Ladies Lunch" was a 3-course meal with a glass of sparkling on arrival, and it was indeed as glamorous as the name suggested.

The Village was actually located right opposite of Gastro Park, standing at the edge of Kellett Way at Potts Point. The entrance was a little bit hard to see at first, but I'm sure you won't miss the coloured building and its huge number "1".

The interior was separated into different parts, and it was divided into 2 floors. We stayed at ground floor, where the courtyard, the bar, the private dining room and the high table and chairs were at.

One random thing: we found the patterns of the tables quite amusing, as they reminded us of Menthols...lol

The friendly waitress greeted us and delivered 2 small plates of snacks. I really enjoyed the variety of nuts on the first plate...but only touched 1 piece of the olives (I'm not very good with olives, especially when they have a tangy taste).


So here are the 3-courses of sweet and savoury plates from "Ladies lunch" ($59.00):

Entrée (Share platters to start)
Salt & Pepper Calamari with Parmesan Aioli & fresh Lemon, Sweet corn & Basil cappuccino with Tempura Cauliflower, Rocket Pear & Parmesan salad with Lemon oregano vinaigrette, Butter nut pumpkin Arancini with Buffalo mozzarella & Fresh basil.

The Entrée plate from "Ladies Lunch" was quite impressive, with its neat and refreshing presentation. We dug into the Salt & Pepper Calamari first, and quickly dipped into the sauce. The Calamari was cooked really well as they can be bite off and chew without much efforts, I've only found the sauce was a little too sour for me. Then we had the fresh rocket pears from the salad, along with few sips of the hot corn and cauliflower soup (Oh the soup was perfect! I totally loved the creaminess). The pumpkin balls were so cute as they sat lazily on the sauce, we really liked that combination.

Main
Crispy skinned confit chicken with Warm potato & Shallot salad with Red wine jus.

With the main dishes, you get a choice between the two, so we decided to try one of each. I loved how the chicken was so succulent and everything was delivered at the perfect temperature. The juice just seemed to drip off the edges and landed mischievously onto the plate.

Seared Fillet of Huon Salmon with marinated fetta, rocked & parmesan salad.

This was probably our favourite dish for the day, as we couldn't describe how wonderful that feeling was to crack the crispy skin. We loved every bit of it as the salmon simply melted into our mouths, leaving us with the craving for more of it.

The Village Dessert Tasting Plate - Selection of The Village signature desserts

I was so happy to see the dessert plate finally arrived, despite the fact I was so full up to this point (seriously, girls will always have room for their desserts!). It was such an adorable and delightful plate, decorated by a variety of colours and shapes. We decided to start off with a less sweet dessert which was the small lemon meringue, and it was really nice as it was soft. Then we moved onto the Nutella tart, and they weren't as sweet as we thought but rather with a tiny hint of bitterness. After that, the moment I've been waiting for has finally come: the White chocolate Panna Cotta. Oh Dear God, it was so good (although very funny as it tend to stick to the plate, as if it doesn't want to be eaten lol), definitely my favourite out of all the desserts. It was very sweet but somewhat gentle rather than an overwhelming sweetness. Lastly, we finished off the plate with three Macarons, the only thing I didn't like was their filling seemed almost invisible.


Thank you very much again to Lilian and The Village for inviting "My Hunger will go on" to this lovely "Ladies Lunch". If anyone is curious, it's served on Saturday only from 12pm onwards (minimum 3 guests or more) but is flexible for other days for group of 15 or more. Reservations are essential so make sure you grab your girls and book them in for a fantastic time!

In addition, they also have event and corporate packages at reasonable prices, so whether you are looking for a 2 hour cocktail course or a complete day package, do check out The Village at this lively location of Potts Point :)


Address:
1 Kellett Way, Potts Point NSW 2011

Phone number:
02 8084 6057

Opening time:
Tue - Thu  5pm till late
Fri  5pm - 3am
Sat  12pm - 3am
Mon and Sun  CLOSED

Website:
http://www.the-village.com.au/index.html

Giveaway (Groupon vouchers x 2) - Hole in the Wall Espresso

Thank you for entering the competition everyone! 2 Winners have been selected to be DAVID OSSINGTON (new winner has been selected as previous winner did not provide an email address) and KRISTINA LAM. Congratulations!

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Hi all the wonderful readers out there! Thanks to Groupon, "My Hunger will go on" is going to give away 2 x $5.00 vouchers to spend at Hole in the Wall Espresso (CBD) in which includes a sandwich or wrap and bottle of water.There are 20 choices of fillings to choose from, and you can also create an account and order from their website to avoid the queue (must be collected before 3.45pm).

(Image from http://www.groupon.com.au/deals/sydney/Hole-in-the-Wall-Espresso/717047460)


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What do you have to do?

Just simply comment under this post with your name, email address, which post you liked the most from this blog and why.

2 winners will be announced on Thu 20th July 2013 and vouchers will be send to the emails provided.


For more information regarding to this deal, please check out HERE.


"My Hunger will go on" shall be looking forward to your comments!! Good luck!


*Apologies that this giveaway is only available to Sydney residents
*These vouchers are valid till 21st Aug 2013

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Address:
Foyer 229-231 Macquarie Street
Sydney 2000

Opening time:
Mon to Fri 7am - 4pm


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THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED

Black Star Pastry

Opposite of Newtown station, there was an open area which leads to Australia Street. If you walk a little bit more, you will find this small but incredibly popular place called the "Black Star Pastry". After winning so many awards and recognitions, it certainly gained a wide range of customers from all around the areas. So on this particular cloudy yet delightful day, Bun and I finally arrived here to hunt down that extraordinary-looking piece of cake...

Pretty much the indoor area was completely full once we arrived there, and the seats outside were also taken. We saw quite a few tourists going in and out with different types of cakes, and we got even more excited while waiting in the long line.

We saw a couple of interesting cakes, and some chocolate flavours almost tempted me to grab them. BUT NO! We were there for a reason...

Lamb Shank + Red Wine Pie $7.80

Before we go on with the cake, Bun started on the pie that made he fell in love at first sight. Yes, it was Lamb Shank, one of his favourite types of meat! I couldn't really tell the filling was actually Lamb Shank, it still tasted a little like beef, but the mixture was totally delicious! The pastry layer was great, with a few extra crunchy bits on the pointy edges.



Strawberry, Rose and Watermelon cake $7.00

Here it is! Our most wanted piece of cake from Black Star Pastry! Indeed like...OH MY GOD! Both me and Bun never really tried cakes with fresh watermelon (we have probably only tried mango, strawberry, kiwifruit etc), and not to mention the addition of flowery scent. The strawberries were huge and fresh, combined with syrupy tastes and naughty textures. The layers of cream and dacquoise created that contrast of nutty and soft sensation in the mouth, along with the boost of watermelon flavours. The overall combination was like a masterpiece, it was one of the most creative cakes we've ever seen. I would strongly recommend this to all the people out there, this unbelievably light-taste cake would be amazing for any type of occasion! (Hint: wedding cake? XD)



Address:
277 Australia Street, Newtown NSW

Phone number:
02 9557 8656

Opening time:
7 days  7am - 5pm


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Kitchen by Mike

Good morning Mike! We are coming to the Kitchen! Yes, that's Mike McEnearney, the former head chef of Rockpool. This place was full of fresh and colourful produce, and not to mention it literally WAS like a huge kitchen! It had no menus, so you would see a long line heading towards the food counter and a lively crowd laughing in the background.

This place was huge with ceilings staying high above the crowd, along with the cracks of woods and beams of sunlight coming from every direction.

They had several pots stuck in between the wires in front of the windows, and they have created funny shadows when the backlight came into the window.

We spotted food, lots and lots of them sitting in different plates behind the glasses, as if they were screaming "Eat me pleeeease!" We also spotted a cute staff member trying to cut the bread. Little things like those somehow amused us on this sunny morning.

After a little while, we have finally finished selecting our foods on the plates. As soon as we grabbed our dishes, we rushed outside as we felt the indoor area could turn into a giant heater in this sort of day.


We found this tin containing the cutlery, and it was somewhat fascinating as it reminded me of something found in a random 70's show.

 

Crispy pork belly with piccalilli $15.00 + Iceberg lettuce, tamarind and jalapenos $4.50

Onto the food! Here was my plate...I regret not taking a close up photo of the pork belly though, I guess I was too hungry this time! The pork belly was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! Try imagining placing a chunky cracker into your mouth and then chomp down as hard as you could. That was exactly what the top skin sounded like! Then the tender and juicy meat came in, along with the burning sensation of piccalilli...I was so sad to finish this dish, it was like one of the most delicious things you could have.




Jerk "jamaican" chicken, and corn $14.00

This dish definitely didn't stand out as much when compared with the pork belly, so I guess the pork belly took the entire spotlight. I found the chicken was too ordinary, although it was cooked really well without much excess oil. It was just something very predictable, no highlights and no disappointments.


There is something exciting about places that have turned factories and warehouses to restaurants/cafes, where people can eat at different settings. Another thing is about the extra combination, whether it's a little shop or an outdoor garden, they seem to have added some entertainment for the customers. Last thing to mention is...we realised a development proposal at their exit, saying that they might be able to open for dinner in the future!! (YAY!)



Address:
85 Dunning Ave, Rosebery NSW

Phone number:
02 9045 0910

Opening time:
Mon - Fri  7am - 4pm
Sat & Sun  8am - 4pm
Lunch finishes at 3pm everyday, and coffee & cake finishes at 4pm everyday.


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The Grounds of Alexandria

Landed in the middle of the semi-industrial Alexandria, you saw a huge Warehouse and found out it was actually one of the ultimate destinations for Cafe and bakery lovers. There was The Grounds of Alexandria, with an everlasting long queue and a large garden with grown produce and herbs.

We noticed the bicycle parking spot, but also the parking spot for dogs? I would actually really love to see a cute bull dog sitting there though...

 

This place was vibrant, full of enthusiastic customers sipping away the coffees roasted by The Ground of Alexandria. It could be a quite noisy place for some people, and we pretty much had to talk really loud in there so we could actually hear eachother.

We were sitting in front of the roasting machines, along with constant garden decorations falling into our eye sights.



The Grounds of Alexandria had some really colourful furniture, contrasting with the rusty walls and poles at the background. They even had their own sign post right beside the garden, so it made us felt like we were in some foreign land.



With the menu on a clipboard, cutlery in a tin and water in a milk bottle, we were ready to begin a very exciting Breakfast.

Watermelon, Pineapple and mint juice  $7.00

This was a very interesting drink, as we haven't seen this combination before. The juice turned out to be sourer than we thought, as the Pineapple flavour has beaten the sweetness of the Watermelon. But to our surprise, a thin stream of minty taste rushed into our throats like a snowflake in a cold winter, and then stayed for 5 seconds until it was melted.




Regular Mocha  $3.50

This Mocha was very sweet, with a thin layer of foam and less aroma than I expected. I found it less amusing than the Watermelon juice, but I loved the combination of this drink on a green plate, it was just like a beautiful plant growing happily in the garden.




Turkish Style Eggs (Soft poached eggs in a rich tomato sauce with cannellini beans, spinach, pistachios, labneh yoghurt and toast) $16.00

I picked this purely because of the sound of "beans in tomato sauce", as this was one of my favourite combinations. Also I seriously couldn't resist "poached egg" these days, I felt so much satisfaction as I watched the yolk running out after a gentle poke, and it was almost similar to the feelings of how a kid won a bunch of lollies. I loved the combination of textures with the slippery spinach, the crunchy pistachios and the soft labneh yoghurt, together they lie on the toast and formed an excellent piece of art. Every bit of it fulfilled my desire for a perfect breakfast on a lazy morning, and it had the power to give you plenty of smiles on your face.




The Grounds breakfast board (double smoked ham, avocado, fresh tomato, Persian feta, two poached eggs, house made pesto and toasted sourdough)  $19.00 (with added Bacon $4.50)

Bun decided to order something BIG, and indeed the breakfast board was big enough to fulfil his appetite. The combination of meat, pesto and feta had a pleasant taste on the sourdough, and you could always add Bacon if you felt like more meat. It was a great dish that included a bit of everything, and the portion was very reasonable.

We went to check out the garden after eating, and we found this little piggy lying there with a lazy face. Awwww it was so cute!

I loved these little random decorations around the garden, as they made the garden seemed adorable and lively.

BBQ and Donuts?

The Grounds of Alexandria have grown seasonal produce for their menu, so you could spot a range of different plants inside the garden.



I'd like to end this post with this picture above, as it reminded me of some fairytale. I was so mesmerized by the bottles hanging down from the ceiling, wondering if a strong breeze of wind would make them bump into each other and form some lovely music notes.

We'd say...we loved the food there, the bustling atmosphere and the dreamy garden that felt like a journey of Alice in Wonderland.



Address:
7A/2 Huntley Street
Alexandria NSW

Phone number:
02 9699 2225

Opening time:
Mon to Fri 7am - 4pm
Sat to Sun 7.30am - 4pm
Breakfast:
Mon to Fri 7am - 11.30am
Sat to Sun 7.30am - 11.30am
Lunch:
Mon to Fri  Noon - 3pm
Sat to Sun  Noon - 3.30pm


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The debut of Rekorderlig Passionfruit Cider - Taste of Sydney 2013

"My Hunger will go on" was lucky to be invited by Rekorderlig Cider (Thank you Ellie for the invitation!) to Taste of Sydney 2013 (14-17 March 2013), a fun festival at Centennial Park to appreciate and taste various restaurant foods, wines, and attend cooking shows.

We got there on Friday evening for 5.30pm opening, and we were amazed by the number of people heading there for the extraordinary culinary experience.

Rekorderlig Cider is the exclusive Cider sponsor for Taste of Sydney 2013, their custom built Beautifully Swedish "Rekorderlig Star" bar aimed to provide a relaxing, exciting, and engaging experience for their guests. There are multiple bean bags, table tennis and fuse ball for the guests to enjoy while they sip away any of eight sensational flavours.



Rekorderlig Cider's impressive range of flavours (From left to right): Apple, Apple & Blackcurrant, Mango & Raspberry, Wild Berries, Pear, Orange & Ginger, Strawberry-Lime, Passionfruit


We were absolutely thrilled after hearing about the debut of the new flavour from Rekorderlig Cider, as our last experience with Mango-Raspberry flavour had been great!


After finding the perfect spot to indulge, the Orange & Ginger (Left) and Passionfruit (Right) ciders arrived at our table. Firstly, the Orange & Ginger flavour somewhat reminded us of Ginger beer. It was bitter, yet with a slight sourness of the Orange. If you don't love too much sweetness, or perhaps you prefer something more stimulating, I would highly recommend this flavour. As with the new Passionfruit flavour, I found it had a very light taste with a mixture of sweetness and tanginess. It was more refreshing compared to the Orange & Ginger flavour, and a lot gentler on the taste bud. As I drank the Passionfruit flavour, I could picture myself sitting at a beach, enjoying a cool breeze and listening to the voices of the ocean. A memorable food or beverage can always arouse vivid imaginations, just like a good book that can take your mind to some amazing places.

Personality I actually loved Strawberry-Lime flavour the most, it tasted really sweet like a candy melting in your mouth. If I could use something to describe that flavour, I'd say it was like a young innocent girl, searching to fall in love at first sight.




Apart from the wonderful experience at Rekorderlig Cider, we managed to go around to different pop-up restaurants to taste some delicious and unique dishes.



The roast pig outside "Four in Hand" stand really grabbed our full attention, maybe because we had a low resistance towards food that were cooked on the spot, especially meat. With the colour of that pig, the constant smoke, and inevitable inhalation of the aroma, we rushed our way to get our first plate.

So there I was, opening mouth wide and enjoying as much as I could.

Spit roast suckling pig with coleslaw and hot sauce $12.00

The suckling pig was unbelievably soft, and they fell into pieces every time as they were lifted up by the fork. Every bit was cooked perfectly, and they combined well with the creamy hot sauce. Along with the Coleslaw and potatoes on the side, it was a great dish to start off the journey!

Later on we continued our search for innovative dishes around the area, and we found some great ones as below:

BBQ Prawn skewers with black pepper, curry leaf sauce and Sri Lankan pickle $10.00 (Peter Kuruvita's Seafood BBQ)

The flavours were strong, with all the spices circulating your mouth to give you that everlasting pleasure. I loved how the prawns were so fresh and fulfilling, each bite fit into the mouth perfectly. The only thing we wished for was...more prawns on the skew! (Clearly we craved for more)


Turmeric Chicken with rice noodles, wild ginger & Thai basil $8.00 (Longrain)

This was one of the cheaper dish compared with the others, but the standard was definitely equivalent to or above the rest. I loved how chilli this dish turned out to be, and the way that each ingredient mixed well for that burst of flavour. The noodles were flat, slippery and chewy, which I found quite interesting.






ICON DISH - Deboned roasted sheep head with local garlic and cherry tomatoes tandir $14.00 (Efendy)

One of the icon dishes we ate for the day was at Efendy, where we bought the deboned roasted sheep head. I had no idea how we came to try out this dish, it was certainly something outside our usual preference. We have ate chicken head, duck head, pig head, but sheep head? Really? I guess we were curious. It turned out that we enjoyed some parts and not so much of the others. The brain was a strange experience for us, as the texture was very squishy and tasted a little bit like liver. However, the rest were great, for instance the tongue was very thick and tender, and most parts were juicy and fully soaked with amazing spices.

ICON DISH - Twice baked cheese Souffle $22.00

The second icon dish we tried was at "Claude's", purely because I couldn't resist the sound of "Twice baked CHEESE Souffle". But I was actually a little disappointed at the result, as it turned out to be very different to how I thought it would be. The cheese has melted to the right stage, but I imagined it would be puffed up instead of flatten down. The taste was still awesome, but I guess double cheese was a bit too much for me at the time.

On the side note, we saw Poh (from Season one of Masterchef)! She was demonstrating some interesting dishes and how to cook them.  Unfortunately we ran out of time and decided to grab one of her recipes instead. Later we thought...we soooo should have watched or even tried the dishes!

Salted Caramel Macaroon $4.00 (Croquembouche Patisserie)

On our way of exiting, we managed to use the last 4 Crowns on a Macaroon from Croquembouche Patisserie. While I was eating that, somehow I was comparing it with Ladurée. It was certainly bigger, and felt thicker too. But the flavour was bitterer, and the filling was slightly slimy. Not too bad I'd say, and it was nice to finish off the festival with it.





For these people who still wanted to have a look, you can purchase tickets at the door (Please check their official website for more information on tickets). You can either choose to buy Crowns (the currency used inside the festival, 1 Crown = $1) from outside or inside. I'd suggest you grab a Menu card and work out what you want to eat first, as it does get quite overwhelming with all the wonderful selections around!

Have fun exploring!!!!



Address:
Brazillian Field (Centre of Centennial Park, near Loch Avenue and Dickens Drive)
Centennial Park


Opening times:
You can still make it to the following times!!!

Sat 16th March
Dinner 5.30 - 9.30pm

Sun 17th March
Lunch 12pm - 5pm
Dinner will be CLOSED


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