Gastro Park

After being away from my computer for so long, I am finally back for a post from awhile ago. That night was actually my birthday, so we went to Gastro Park! I have always been admiring (and drooling in front of) the pictures of different dishes from this restaurant, so it was really nice to see and taste the real thing!

 

I really liked how the restaurant was presented, it felt like I could turn around at any point and find some artistic objects. I've heard about how creative the dishes were like, so I was really looking forward to the 7-course degustation.



Firstly we started off with a selection of snacks:

Mmmm...talking about crunchy things...yum yum. I found it really fascinating that they were placed on a stone rather than an actual plate.

We got a little cheese stick, and I felt like waving it and let the wind blow on it! Somehow it reminded me of those spirits gathering stick thingy from an ancient temple...lol

Sourdough bread

Ofcourse, how can we not have sourdough bread in a degustation? Except this one came in an extraordinary presentation that almost reminded me of a rock, a wave and bits of glittering diamonds floating in the black sea.

Foie gras, cherry, rhubarb, toasted grain.

Ok, I won't lie, when I first saw this, I thought it was some kind of animal lying on a rock plate. First thing came into my mind was "lobster", then some random bug with long legs. It was visually surprising, and definitely challenges your tastebuds.

Spanner crab, carrot, endive, pork pebbles.

By this time of the meal, I already knew that every dish will turn out to be an artwork. I was very pleased at how well they balanced the colours and textures for each dish. This one was a little mischievous, almost like something we usually see in children books, where the plants grow in all sorts of directions. I loved that combination of spanner crab and pork pebbles, it's that perfect almost of saltiness that stimulates your senses.

Roast scallop, cauliflower tofu, leaves & crisp, lobster reduction.

Comparing to the last few dishes, this was a little bit less outstanding in appearance. Yet the satisfactions from its taste did not disappoint us at all. We especially liked the cauliflower tofu, as it was like the softest food on Earth.

Liquid butternut gnocchi, shimeji, mushroom consommé.

When this came, I was like "nooooo! Egg yolks!!" (Yes egg yolk is not one of my favourite), but then I realised what it was suppose to be. Gnocchi, yep, you got it, it was POTATO. I carefully placed one in my mouth, then closing it, and then...BITE. Oh that sudden juicy feeling down the throat, it was somewhere closer than heaven. I loved it, and it was definitely my favourite of the night.

Crispy scaled jewfish, smoked potato puree, calamari crackling, ink sauce.

We got a choice between two main dishes, so I decided to go with the crispy jewfish. Those scales were so crunchy and they make quite a bit of noises as you chew on them. I liked the idea of calamari crackling, as it was a completely refreshing taste. The only thing I didn't quite enjoy was the ink sauce...I found it a little too heavy in the taste for me.

Salted bush baltarra lamb sirloin, cabbages, blood pudding, aged sherry vinegar.

Bun picked this one...just because it's meat...? It was a simple dish, but the combination of the lamb and vinegar was quite a good one.

Chocolate, honeycomb, vanilla sphere, cardamom, saffron, ginger.

We also got to pick a dessert out of the two, so Bun decided to go with this one as he found it amusing to crack eggs. That initial crack took a little while, and then all you see was an explosion of all the sweet goodies, flowing out eagerly into the bowl. It was a little sweet but still a really nice dessert.

Cooked & raw cherries, red wine pear, bolero snow, hibiscus ice cream, sesame sponge.

I actually regret a little about picking this one after I've seen how entertaining Bun's dessert was. Although it was nice, I wished it had something more to it. I think my favourite part of this dish was actually the sesame sponge, and I found the idea pretty interesting mmm...


Overall I really liked this place, particularly its creative dishes! I would highly recommend this restaurant to people, you can order either a 7-course or 10-course tasting menu...mmm I wonder what's the 10-course is like?


Address:
5-9 Roslyn Street, Kingscross NSW

Phone:
02 8068 1017

Opening time:
Lunch
Thu - Sat  from 12 noon
Dinner
Tue - Sat  from 6pm till late

Sepia

It was Bun's birthday, so we have decided to try Sepia for this special occasion. The restaurant was located near Darling Harbour, so it was nice that we could take a walk after dinner.

The initial impression that Sepia gave me was that the staffs had great manners, and the decorations somewhat combined the Japanese and Western styles. The seats and tables were in dark colours, with merely a small amount of dim lights above our heads and a candle light on our table. I spotted a tree near the back wall, it reminded me of cherry blossom. We were given the beverage menu, and slowly anticipated the upcoming degustation menu for a Saturday night.


(Menu as of Saturday 3rd August 2013)


House made chevre, rye, smoked roe, pickled seaweed

Here was our Amuse bouche, numerous of round roe sat comfortably on the chevre (goat cheese), along with the sprinkle of rye and pickled seaweed hanging around. There's something I love about goat cheese, the creaminess and the freshness of roe seemed to go well together in a funny way.




Sashimi of Southern Blue Fin tuna, steamed Japanese omelette, white soy jelly dashi onion cream, puffed buckwheat, green apple and wasabi

This was such a refreshing little dish, and I love it when sashimi combines with any kind of jelly textures. The slippery soy jelly dashi has gone down the throat with the cooling tuna, together with the spongy omelette, in which they have created such a fulfilling moment. This dish made me feel like I was at the bottom of a deep ocean, searching for that scene where fish and other sea creatures swimming wildly.




Sashimi of bonito, flavours of roasted chicken, umeboshi, upland cress, green tea, nori

This was quite an unique dish where crispy chicken skin was combined to the seafood flavours. I found the taste was a little complex, especially with the addition of green tea powder. But Bun seemed to love it as he crunch down the chicken like the sound of those Kettle chips.




Yabby, seaweed puree, ginger, shellfish and blood orange emulsion, sorrel

LOL I totally didn't expected this but here we are, a cute little yabby snuggling on the plate. That first bite was totally satisfying along with the great sensations of blood orange emulsion. Although...I personally don't like ginger very much, so when I tasted that subtle hint of ginger, it made me shiver a little.




Sea scallop, sudachi, grain mustard and ox cheek dashi mousse, potato and garlic crumb

This has got to be my 2nd favourite dish for the night, as I loved every single bit of it. It was mushy and creamy, with a beautiful aroma coming from the crumbs. The textures contrasted with each other, making that mouthful more exciting than usual.




Charcoal grilled wagyu rump, sea urchin and wasabi butter, garlic chive mustard leaves, ponzu

TA-DA! My favourite dish of the night, Wagyu beef!!!! Oh god, I can never resist the meat dishes can I? But what I want to say here was...I couldn't believe how perfect the wagyu was cooked. I usually eat median rare, and I found the meat were often not juicy enough. When my teeth sank into this one here, I was really about to cry in tears. Not to mention the sauce made it even better! I think I can just have this for the rest of the night...




Seared Mandagery Creek venison, boudin noir, chocolate crumb, macadamia nut yoghurt blackcurrant, shichimi pepper

Comparing to the Wagyu, the next dish definitely didn't seem as outstanding. I wonder if it was because of the type of meat itself, the venison seemed rather harder to chew off. In general, we didn't have too much memories of this dish, as I think it was because all our attentions have been absorbed with the previous one...

Frozen strawberry, sheep yoghurt sorbet, Champagne cream wild strawberry sherbet

When this dish arrived, we stared at each other and questioned how this was made. I found it very fascinating and I loved the bright colour it came in. When I cracked it open, we found the heaven of creaminess inside. This definitely created a little highlight of the meal, and it has put a smile on both of our faces.




Soft poached meringue, truffle ice cream, hazelnut praline, malt

For some weird reason, I always found the texture of meringue a bit odd. Not surprised that this pre-dessert gave me the same feeling. Although I liked the little pieces of hazelnut praline spread around the meringue, they were quite amusing to chew on.




Soft chocolate, hazelnut and almond, orange and thyme cream, sour cherry sorbet cocoa brandy jellies, green tea, licorice, chocolate twigs

So this was the legendary "Winter chocolate forest" that Sepia is famous for, as depicted to be one of the top 10 dessert in Sydney from Good Food Guide. We are not really sure what words and phrases to use here for its description, but it was "different" to what we had pictured. I loved the presentation of it, and they really did remind me of a forest. However, I found a million of different texture, taste and temperature pieces exploding simultaneously in my mouth, in which made me no longer understand what was I suppose to taste? On the other hand, it could be that we were so bloated by the time we reached this last dish, thus the flavours just didn't seem very appealing to us as expected.


PS. The waiter congratulated us for finishing the dishes (YEEEHAAA!)


Address:
201 Sussex St, Sydney NSW

Phone number:
02 9283 1990

Opening time:
Tue - Sat  Dinner from 6pm
Fri and Sat Lunch from 12pm
Note: For Fri dinner and Sat lunch and dinner, Sepia offer degustation menu only.


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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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Café Cre Asion

For any tea lovers out there, I’d definitely recommend Marco Polo from Mariage Fréres originated from France in 1854. It is made with the blend of fragrances of Chinese and Tibetan flowers, and the gentle aroma will certainly take your mind, heart, and soul to somewhere far away.

On this particular day, we have embarked a journey to search for this legendary French tea in Sydney. Then we have come across this small café with limited seating called Cre Asion, tucked inside from the main road and hidden under a tall grey building. While many knew that it is probably one of the best places in Sydney for creative Macaroons, they are also a friendly place for coffee, sandwiches, premium Japanese and French tea.

Sitting at the front counter were the amazing display of colourful Macaroons, we should really try them next time!

 

I loved the interior design, whether it's the chairs, tables, walls, colours, artworks, and arrangements. They were quite inspiring!


Iced coffee $5.00

The Ice Coffee had milk served separately and we thought this was quite a different approach. It gave you the flexibility to determine the amount of coffee you'd like to add in...for strong coffee lovers, just pour the whole thing in!!!


Marco Polo Vert (Green tea) $6.50

Marco Polo green tea was just as fascinating as I thought, as the initial sip released a strong flowery scent and yet the green tea created the smooth sensation. I really thought I couldn't find anywhere that sell this tea in Sydney, but looks like we don't have to worry about that anymore :P



Crushed Avocado and Preserved lemon with toast $7.00

We loved the fresh Avocado with tints of lemon flavours, and the fact they smudge so perfectly on the toasts. They were something really simple but this is probably what you really needed on a lazy morning.



Sandwiches (with Soy braised free range chicken, grilled flat-mushroom, parsley, lettuce, pickled ginger and house made mayo) $11.00

The Sandwiches were lovely too, as the combination of ingredients created the tender textures with flavoursome tastes. I liked the mixture of mushroom and chicken, they were warm and matches eachother very well.


The food and drink actually came quicker than we thought, and they were all served fresh with the correct temperature.  You can really sit there all morning or afternoon, letting the atmosphere, the food, and drinks carry all your worries away. Or perhaps a Macaroon is all you need, to allow yourself immerse in the pool of sweetness.



Address:
21 Alberta Street, Sydney NSW

Phone number:
0404 941 528

Opening time:
Mon - Fri   8am - 4pm
Sat  9am - 4pm
Sun Closed


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N2 Extreme Gelato, Chinatown

Whoa!? Random science lab in Chinatown? What on earth are those bottles? Nitrogen? Wait a minute, look at those people working on those unknown machines! No, this is not some mad science project going on, it's N2 Extreme Gelato.

Look at those flasks full of different colours, mmm how amusing? Time for some Chemistry lesson?

 

We immediately noticed these staff members wearing lab coats and thick black frame glasses, getting ready for some dramatic actions. Something else we noticed were the funny illustrations on the black board behind them, it was like some naughty student sneaked into the classroom and did them on impulse.

 

 So the process here is using liquid nitrogen (N2) to freeze those ingredients into lovely scoop of Gelato ice cream. We were so amused by the scene, as it felt like we were back to the science labs in school and ready to create some magnificent explosions! HOHOHO!

 

 1 scoop $6.00

 

After examining the brainstorm of flavours, we decided to go with the "safer" choice which was "Coconut and something else" (even though that "something else" part made us abit suspicious). We happily watched the staff made our little scoop and we couldn't wait to try it.

 

Here it is! Our very first experience of N2 Extreme Gelato! It tasted so smooth with flakes of coconuts on the top to add abit of texture. We thought it was very different to the ice creams we normally had.

 

We'd love to go back there to try some other flavours in summer, and since the menu changes, who knows what we will come across next time?

 

 

Address:

43/1 Dixon Street

Sydney, NSW

 

Opening hours:

Daily 2pm - 11pm

 

Summer:

Daily 12am - 12pm

 

Website:

http://n2extremegelato.com.au/



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