Review: Wonderbao

Shop 4/19-37 A’Beckett St
CBD, VIC 3000
(03) 9654 7887
http://www.wonderbaokitchen.com.au/

Were you ever one of those kids who brought lunch to school only to get baffled stares or reactions like, ‘dude, what is that?’ I, for one, generated many a baffled stare as I pulled out not a ham and cheese sandwich from my Hello Kitty lunchbox, but something completely foreign to my four square buddies. Every so often, my mom would send me off to school with a mammoth steamed pork bun with the works – Chinese sausage, quail egg, vermicelli noodles, you name it, it was in there. Needless to say, I tried to bolt that thing down before anybody noticed and started berating me with questions.

It’s crazy how times have changed. These days, Aussie natives twirl chopsticks around with dizzying technique (well, maybe I’m the only one impressed because I’m absolutely hopeless at using them). Chinese cuisine no longer simply equates to fried rice and spring rolls. There even seems to be some sort of bao revival in full swing, with up and comers Wonderbao and Bao Now winning over hungry Melburnians left, right and centre.

My sister – who’s an interior design student at RMIT – had heard all about Wonderbao and was just as keen as I was to try it out, so, one Friday, we meandered our way through the city’s cobblestoned laneways to see what all the fuss was about. And to see how these bao or ‘siopao’ (as Filipinos like to call them) measured up to the ones we enjoyed growing up.

The space is absolutely tiny! Even though it wasn’t particularly busy when we got there – which was about three in the afternoon – we still had to wait a while for the five or so stools by the window to free up. That… and we weren’t feeling hipster enough to sit on the plastic crates outside.

Wonderbao’s menu is simple but caters to just about everybody. There are vegetarian and sweet options to tickle everyone’s pickle.

First up, we ordered two of the char siu bao (2.0 each), my personal favourite. I’m thrilled to report that they didn’t disappoint – the meat was deliciously sticky and sweet. On top of that, the ratio of BBQ pork to bao was perfect, and the bun itself was nice and soft. We followed these up with one of the braised pork belly gua bao (3.8). For anyone, like me, who has never had an open style bao before, behold – the Asian taco! The braised meat was beautifully tender and packed so much flavour, along with the pickled mustard, crushed peanuts and coriander sprigs. The super-thick layer of fat was slightly off-putting, though.

Braised pork belly gua bao (3.8), char siu bao (2.0)

The roast pork belly gua bao (also 3.8) reminded me a little of the banh mi that we buy from our favourite Springvale bakery. Filled with cucumber, pickled carrots, daikon and hoisin sauce, this number played the sourness of the pickled carrots off the sweetness of the hoisin sauce nicely. The pork belly skin, however, was crazy salty for some reason. I had to slurp down the rest of my lychee F.O.B drink (1.6) – as the menu explicitly labelled it, not trying to be racist, promise! – like there was no tomorrow.

Roast pork belly gua bao (3.8), char siu bao (2.0)

Overall, the tasty treats on offer at Wonderbao were  heaps better than I expected, despite a few hiccups. They definitely make for cheap, on-the-go snacks for RMIT students and commuters alike. About ten years too late, but who am I to complain? Pork buns for everyone, I say!

Review: two birds one stone

12 Claremont Street
South Yarra, VIC 3141
(03) 9827 1228
www.twobirdsonestonecafe.com.au/

I’m not a morning person. It takes me a good hour of snoozing my alarm (I usually have two or three set and spaced 10 minutes apart), walking into walls and a splash of ice-cold water to wake up. And even then, I’m still halfway in lala-land or trying to figure out what I was dreaming about before my alarm so rudely interrupted.

There are two things that will unmistakably have me up and at’em before my phone starts quacking at me. One is me falling out of my bed, which, admittedly, doesn’t happen often. Actually, it’s only happened once, but suffice to say, I got up. Maybe I should get someone to push me out of bed every morning. Or not. Pretty sure I bruised my butt the first time. The second – a far more pleasant and common occurrence – is the promise of brunch. /end long-winding psycho babble.

C and I decided to head over to South Yarra and kick off the 2013 brunch series at two birds one stone (every fibre of my being is fighting the urge to capitalise each of those starting letters!). We arrived just before midday and were able to score a booth between the outgoing breakfast and incoming lunch crowds. I hadn’t even ordered and I already liked what I saw – the café was bright and airy, with clean, varnished counter tops and random bursts of teal. The guys who brought us Three Bags Full are doing well – not only have they heated things up along Claremont Street with this little gem, they’ve just opened up shop in Richmond with Top Paddock.

As always, C started off with a skinny latte (3.8), which, according to her, was nothing special. We’re yet to find a cup of Joe that really knocks her socks off. I, for one, could not stop gushing over the Tiffany blue cups and saucers – they were too cute! They definitely gave the otherwise sparse space a bit of warmth and colour.

Latte (3.8)

My hot chocolate (4.0) was more lukewarm than hot, but nice and chocolatey. I loved the detail of the chocolate powder dusted over the top.

Hot chocolate (4.0)

‘Breakfast served all day’ is my all-time favourite phrase next to ‘Sale on now!’. So, of course, my heart did a little flip-flop as my eyes skimmed across the same words atop the menu. C ventured down the sweet route and ordered the twice-cooked marmalade French toast with oranges and vanilla panna cotta (16.5). The bit of French toast that I was lucky enough to try practically melted in my mouth. It was the perfect balance of flavours; not too eggy, but not overly sweet. And finished off with the vanilla panna cotta (which was more like a quenelle of a really thick cream) – incredible! An absolute ripper of a dish, no question.

Twice-cooked marmalade French toast with oranges and vanilla panna cotta (16.5)

While C tended to her sweet tooth, I ordered off the specials menu and wolfed down the smashed peas with crispy pancetta, chèvre and poached eggs on toast (16.5). My egg was poached beautifully – the yolk oozed out like a boss as I cut into it with my knife and fork. The smashed peas were a great alternative to avocado and went nicely with the salty pancetta. The only issue was that it could have done with another slice of toast! The slice flying solo on my plate could barely hold it together, it was like the peas, pancetta and poached egg were playing stacks on.

Smashed peas with crispy pancetta, chèvre and poached eggs on toast (16.5)

I couldn’t leave without taking a few of the apple and pistachio crumble muffins (4.5 each) home. There’s no photographic evidence to suggest this actually happened… because they were in my belly before I could whip out my camera. But hey, I defy anyone to resist a cupcake that good-looking. The apple filling was deliciously sweet, the vanilla bean frosting was spot on and the pistachio crumble gave it great texture. Not to mention they were fresh from the oven – the cake was so lovely and fluffy, I wanted to die. Not unlike Agnes in Despicable Me

For a morning feed that’s sure to please, check out two birds one stone. The menu boasts variety, the space is fresh and funky, and that twice-cooked French toast… well, let’s just say I’d be more than happy to wake up and smell the marmalade any day

Review: Joomak

Basement 407-409 Swanston Street 
Melbourne CBD, VIC 3000
(03) 9663 7123

Happy 2013, everyone! OK, so it’s like the second last week of January, but you know what I mean. I feel like I need to dust the cobwebs off this blog, it’s been that long since I last posted. The last few weeks have been a little nuts, what with all the present hunting and festivities and crying over the state of my bank account. And the food. Holy cow. I’m pretty sure I ate my weight’s worth in food over the Christmas break.

Of course, that didn’t stop me from ringing in the new year doing what I do considerably well – eat. And what better way to celebrate than with Korean food? Some friends and I forewent the usual Victoria Street haunts for something closer to the fireworks and found ourselves at Joomak – an unsuspecting, hole-in-the-wall type place nestled in the RMIT district on Swanston.

I didn’t really know what to expect as I traipsed – hesitantly – down the stairs into the basement of the seedy-looking building. But I knew I had stumbled onto a hidden gem upon taking in the uber-cute private booths, neon string lights and kitschy spool chairs. Joomak also oozed a very cool, relaxed vibe, which I dug. Everyone looked like they were right at home.

Our party of five was one member too many for a booth, so we were seated at a corner table. A round of Soju (15.0 a bottle) kicked off the celebrations. Soju is like the Korean alternative to vodka but a little sweeter and more rounded out in taste. Well, as far as I could tell, anyway. Being designated driver on NYE probably wasn’t the best idea, but hey, at least there aren’t any deplorable Facebook photos.

Chum-Churum soju (15.0 a bottle)

The chicken drumettes (15.0) that made their way over to us next almost evaporated into thin air, they were snatched up so quickly! I reached for a second, only to find an empty plate and everyone else munching/avoiding eye contact. Sneaky buggers. The one I did have was crunchy and juicy and went down an absolute treat. Those Koreans sure know their chicken! Hallah over in West Melbourne do it one better, though. I could live on that stuff.

Chicken drumettes (15.0)

Complimentary banchan

Our seafood pancake (17.0) was a generous serving of prawns, mussels, carrots and spring onions. It was nice and thin, and full of flavour. Plus, it wasn’t batter-y like some okonomiyaki I’ve had in the past, which was a welcome change.

Seafood pancake (17.0)

We also ordered ourselves a Kimchi and pork pancake (17.0). The spicy Kimchi flavour wasn’t all there and the shredded pork was scarce, but it was still pretty delicious. We still had the complimentary banchan (traditional Korean side dishes) that came complete with some exceptional Kimchi, so no biggie.

Kimchi and pork pancake (17.0)

The pan-fried spicy squid (19.0) arrived at our table on a steaming hot plate. I’m usually a self-confessed chilli wuss, but with it being NYE and I decided that I couldn’t wuss out this time. While I ended up scraping some of the sauce off, it was fairly manageable (in tiny doses, between large gulps of my lemon lime and bitters). The squid was lovely and tender.

Pan-fried spicy squid (19.0)

Trying to squeeze in all the food we could before we each embarked on our doomed resolutions to eat less in the new year (yeah, that’s never gonna happen), our last pick from the Joomak menu was the cheese egg roll with fish roe (14.0). Anyone who has an acquired taste for eggs and tomato sauce (or anybody who is Filipino) will probably like this number. As soon as our waitress laid it down, there was a stunned silence, followed by a simultaneous ‘whoaaa’. It didn’t disappoint, either. The eggs were light and fluffy, and the cheese was wonderful in all of its melted, gooey glory. We gobbled that thing up like there was no tomorrow.

Cheese egg roll with fish roe (14.0)

I was kinda bummed that there was no BBQ component to dinner, but I’d happily go back to Joomak (and the strawberry rice wine that we apparently missed out on). Service was genuine and friendly, and the food was pretty good, too. No matter what the occasion, the Korean dining experience is always fun – and best shared with friends.

Review: Taste of Melbourne 2012

Taste of Melbourne is the ultimate event for any camera toting, wine swilling, gourmet cheese sniffing foodie. Or, you know, any human being with functioning taste buds. For anybody who hasn’t had the chance to go, Taste brings together some of the city’s best restaurants to showcase their signature dishes. The festival also gives exhibitors the chance to flaunt local food, wine and produce.

This year, the annual celebration of food and drink made the move from the Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton to the lakeside location of Albert Park. G and I had purchased tickets for the Sunday session in advance, which was all well and good – except we had no idea what the weather would be like! We were so lucky in that not only did it turn out to be a beautiful, sunny afternoon – we also got an extra hour to take in the sights, as it was the longest and last session of the lot.

The Botanical

We thought we’d get our bearings first and take a little stroll around, so we could note down restaurants and stalls we wanted to hit up before digging in, but weakness struck at our first stop. I could already tell my book of Crowns (the unique currency used across all Taste festivals) was going to last all of five seconds. Plus, the Botanical’s menu was pretty banging. The crumbed pressed confit pork medallions with apple and fennel coleslaw (8 Crowns) was my first pick. The pork medallions were so succulent and juicy, and went down a treat with the creamy slaw. The fennel and mustard seeds gave the dish a bit of extra kick.

Crumbed pressed confit pork medallions with apple and fennel coleslaw (8 Crowns)

We also nabbed ourselves a lamb burger with truffled mayonnaise (10 Crowns). It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t a standout. The sad, lone leaf of iceberg lettuce made for a lacklustre burger. The lamb was moist and nicely seasoned, though, and the truffled mayonnaise gave us a little bang for our buck.

Lamb burger with truffled mayonnaise (10 Crowns)

Malaysia Kitchen

G and I were lucky enough to sit in on the Malaysia Kitchen presentation with MasterChef heavyweight Poh Ling Yeow. I could watch cooking shows all day long, Poh’s Kitchen included, so it was way cool to see her cook up a storm. She’s just as exuberant and chatty in person as she is on TV.

The cooking demonstration itself was really enlightening; we learnt about common ingredients used across the Malaysian cuisine as well as the different processes involved in making a kickass sambal. Poh and the Malaysia Kitchen team are all for making Malaysian cooking more user-friendly and accessible to the Australian community. It wasn’t long before her pineapple and prawn curry had the crowd oohing and aahing and clamouring for a bite!

Sensology Presents ‘The Art of Cocktail Making’

Next on the mental list of must-dos was a visit to the Sensology tent. I’ve always wanted to learn how to make a mean cocktail and I was so bummed when I missed out on this the last time I was at Taste. For just 10 Crowns, you get an exclusive look into the tricks of the bartending trade and you get to reap the fruits of your labour by taking your drink with you.

By the time we got there, we had just missed the Mojito session, so we booked ourselves in for the 1.30 Southside class. I didn’t even know what a Southside was before signing up – turns out it’s like a mojito, but with gin instead of rum.

The Sensology team really know what they’re doing! They got everyone involved and pumped up (ok, maybe it was the gin, but still, we had a blast) and the tutorial was really easy to follow.

Shakin’ it like a polaroid picture! (Photo courtesy of Taste of Melbourne)

Even though we may or may not have poured in more gin than we were supposed to, these bad boys were pretty delish!

Mamasita

FREAKIN’ FINALLY! This is probably the closest I’ve ever gotten to the actual restaurant – I’ve struck out every single time in the past with Mamasita. I mean, seriously, what’s a girl gotta do to get some tacos around here?! Naturally, half the festival’s patrons seemed to be gathered at the Mamasita stall, so it took us a while to locate the end of the queue and even longer to get to the front of it. But after some confusion and moving around in circles, we eventually clawed our way from the crowd victorious!

Mamasita’s famed elotes callejeros (6 Crowns) were being doled out faster than you can say olé! The street style corn was a little more on the charred side than I would have liked, but boy, was it good. The chipotle mayo and parmesan packed an amazing flavour punch that was salty, sweet, sour and spicy all at the same time.

Elotes callejeros (6 Crowns)

The taco de pescado or fish taco (8 Crowns) struck me as a weird concept, but it worked. The fish was lovely and moist and complemented the red onion salsa and achiote paste rather than overpowering them.

Taco de pescado (8 Crowns)

Over the din of the crowd, the guy at the counter mistook our request for the bean taco as a request for the ‘beef taco’ – so he gave us the braised ox taco (8 Crowns) instead. I’m sure there’s logic in there somewhere. In any case, the combination of the tender meat and the zingy pickled vegetables was unreal. Not totally mind-blowing dishes, but good enough that I might just have the patience to wait around for a table at Mamasita next time I’m around.

Taco de lengua (8 Crowns)

Saké

The afternoon was absolutely flying by! We still had some serious eating to do, but not enough time do it all, so the game plan was to hit up as many stalls as we could in rapid succession. Saké was our next stop. I’m a sucker for pork belly anything, so of course, we had to give the tonkatsu cups a whirl.

The deliciously crunchy panko-crumbed pork belly went so well with the tangy miso mustard, and the addition of the purple cabbage and baby butter lettuce leaves made for a pretty picture. The asking price was a little steep, though (8 Crowns for two cups), considering they were absolutely miniscule.

Tonkatsu cups – panko fried pork belly, mustard miso and barbecue sauce served in a lettuce cup (8 Crowns)

The Aylesbury

We saw a few of the dorper lamb ribs with pea and mint (6 Crowns) floating around and after scanning frantically through the menu, we found ourselves at The Aylesbury.

The lamb was cooked beautifully and fell off the bone with the gentlest of tugs. The only issue I had was that the fat hadn’t been rendered down enough, which made it unbelievably greasy. Didn’t stop me from licking that rib clean

Dorper lamb ribs with pea and mint (6 Crowns)

Cointreau Fizz

In need of another drink, G and I followed the trail of ridiculously cute cocktails in conical flasks to the Cointreau Fizz tent. We got to watch the bartenders make our drinks, fancy tricks and all.

G went for the strawberry and mint variation, while I settled on the cucumber and basil. All I remember is the massive Cointreau hit! Sadly, the cucumber and basil was lost in amidst all of the alcohol.

Strawberry and mint Cointreau Fizz, Cucumber and basil Cointreau Fizz (8 Crowns each)

Livingroom

At this point, we started jonesing for something sweet. The desserts on offer at Taste this year were off the chain – far more impressive than most of the savoury dishes, in my opinion. Round one of dessert saw us paying a visit to the Livingroom tent and treating ourselves to their warm chocolate mousse with toasted marshmallows and caramel popcorn (8 Crowns). The cup that it came in couldn’t have been bigger than your average shot glass, but given how wonderfully rich and sweet the chocolate was, I couldn’t complain. The consistency of the mousse was more like a thick Belgian hot chocolate and the gooey marshmallows were the bomb diggity.

Warm chocolate mousse with toasted marshmallows and caramel popcorn (8 Crowns)

Mr. Hive Kitchen & Bar

Mr. Hive Kitchen & Bar has been on my ‘to visit’ list for quite some time now but I haven’t had the chance to swing by yet, so I was pretty stoked when I saw them in the line-up for Taste this year. Their summer berry Eton mess (6 Crowns) was probably my favourite dessert of the day. For lack of a better description, it was like eating a fruity cloud (it sounds so lame when I put it like that) but so much better. A truly wonderful summer dessert!

Summer berry Eton mess (6 Crowns)

Mr. Hive’s chocolate bar (8 Crowns) wasn’t actually on the menu, but I guess they had a few left over from their dessert degustation and wanted to sell them. Good thing they were, too, because it was a little slice of heaven. I’m totally itching to go to the real thing now!

Mr. Hive’s chocolate bar (8 Crowns)

Libertine

The Point had run out of cheesecake (nooooo), so off to Libertine we went. Their apple and frangipane tartine, with maple and honeycomb (8 Crowns) was to die for. The puff pastry was warm and flaky and mopped up the honeycomb ice-cream like a boss.

Apple and frangipane tartine, with maple and honeycomb (8 Crowns)

Burch & Purchese

Our last stop on the Taste circuit was Burch & Purchese. We didn’t know that they were exhibiting until we saw some people carrying the pretty B & P bags around. Darren Purchese is the nicest guy ever! It was great to see him manning the B & P stall and chatting away with customers. I was even lucky enough to get a photo with him!

Then we did some damage! B & P’s ice-cream range is too awesome for me to put into words. I picked up a chocolate chip cookie dough, while G chose a raspberry explosion (8 Crowns each). It was like biting into a real cookie! There were actual chunks of cookie dough in the ice cream, which was unreal.

Raspberry explosion, chocolate chip cookie dough (8 Crowns each)

Scrounging up the last of our Crowns, we also picked up a slab of their popcorn and honeycomb rubble (14 Crowns) and a few meringue clouds (2 Crowns each) to take home.

What a way to end such a fantastic event – on a colossal sugar high! This year’s line-up of restaurants was phenomenal and the food was spectacular across the board. Even though the five hours honestly felt like five minutes, we learnt heaps and had so much fun. I absolutely can’t wait to see what Taste of Melbourne 2013 brings to the table!

Review: Adriano Zumbo Pâtissier

Shop 1, Café Court
The Star
80 Pyrmont St
Pyrmont, NSW 2009
adrianozumbo.com/the-star-pyrmont/

G and I couldn’t wrap up our Sydney weekender without another dose of Adriano Zumbo. If there’s a dessert train within walking/driving/flying distance, I will move mountains to get on that train. And if there’s UNLIMITED SOFT SERVE (that got your attention, didn’t it?) aboard that dessert train, then I’m never getting off. Ever.

By this point in the trip, we had pretty much eaten our weight’s worth in food, so we were feeling a little queasy to say the least. But as soon as we saw the hot pink neon signs, the crazy awesome macaron display and the dessert train chug-chuggin’ away, all signs of nausea miraculously disappeared.

We didn’t have to wait too long before two seats were made available. I couldn’t stop jiggling around in my seat, I was so psyched! If you haven’t had a chance to swing by Adriano Zumbo at The Star yet, dessert prices are indicated by plate colour. White plates are $5, pink plates are $6 and black plates (reserved for macarons and petits gateau) are $10.

The hazelnut dacquoise (5.0) was my first pick. It tasted like a ferrero rocher in cake form. The spongy meringue was slightly crunchy on the outside, but soft and moist on the inside, and went perfectly with the silky smooth hazelnut mousse. Yum!

Hazelnut Dacquoise (5.0)

Continuing with the confectionary-turned-dessert theme, we tried the violet crunchie (6.0) next. A beautifully deconstructed version of the classic chocolate bars, the honeycomb flavour rang through and through. The chunk on top was melt-in-your-mouth awesome.

Violet Crunchie (6.0)

The cherry and coconut concoction (6.0) was probably my least favourite dessert of the day. Perhaps it’s because I have an aversion to Cherry Ripes? Which is weird because I like chocolate, and I like cherries – I just don’t like them together. This number was more sour than sweet, which I was a little put off by, but I’m nitpicking here. It was still an enjoyable dessert.

Cherry & Coconut (6.0)

Comfortably full at this stage, G and I ummed and aahed over whether to call it a day. Then one of the wait staff (bless her) asked us if we wanted a never-ending bowl of soft-serve. To which the natural response was, “Um. Only heck yes!” And out came an epic bowl of chocolate-raspberry soft serve (5.0). It was chocolatey indulgence with a fresh, fruity twist. Mind you, we could barely get through that bowl, but hot damn, it was good.

Chocolate-raspberry soft serve (5.0)

We decided to give the macarons a miss since we had already sampled almost every flavour at the Manly store. We did, however, see this beast on our way out. I totally should have taken one home.

Adriano Zumbo at The Star is truly an experience like no other. His sweet works of art are made with such finesse and imagination. Forget trains of the steam or sushi variety; dessert trains are what’s up.

Review: Jamie’s Italian

107 Pitt Street
Sydney, NSW
(02) 8240 9000
jamiesitalian.com.au

This new wave of ‘no bookings’ restaurants drives me bonkers. If you’ve ever stood in a queue snaking down the stairs and around the corner from Melbourne hotspots like Mamasita or Chin Chin while your stomach attempts to eat itself, you can probably understand where I’m coming from. And even if you are more likely to score a table closer to bed time than dinner time, nine times out of ten, I’d rather try my luck elsewhere and call it a day.

The one person I will make an exception for, though, is Jamie Oliver. Well, the closest thing we get to him in Australia, anyway. Jamie’s Italian was a non-negotiable on our list of Sydney restaurants to hit up. I’d heard rave reviews and knew I’d regret not going more than the inevitable wait. Having spent most of the day down at Bondi, G and I rocked up at peak hour but were delighted to find that the queue wasn’t as long as we had imagined. Everything seemed to be going swimmingly; we were shuffling forward at a consistent pace and there were free nibbles to keep us waiting patrons happy.

By the time we got to the front of the queue, I was so giddy with excitement that I almost missed the front of house casually mention that we had a two-hour wait ahead of us. Say what?! Yep. Two hours. Apparently 170 other eager beavers had beaten us to the chase that night. I vaguely remember leaving my name and number, before stumbling out in a daze.

We found ourselves walking all the way to Chinatown, and spent the next two hours at the night markets. We ended up getting so distracted by the festivities (and the dude in the panda suit) that I realised I had missed a call from an unknown number. Nooo, I thought, as my stomach made a weird churning sound. There is no way in hell I’m waiting another two hours to eat dinner. Frantically, I tried to find a number for Jamie’s, but to no avail. On an impulse, G and I jumped into a taxi and made our way back downtown to the restaurant. I had some sort of pleading speech halfway made up and was ready to blurt it out to the front of house so he’d take pity on us. Instead he asked, “What was the name under?” And before we knew it, we were being led to our table. Insert fist pump here

Drinking on an empty stomach probably wasn’t the best idea, but we saw the cocktail menu and couldn’t resist! G ordered an ultra refreshing mojito (14.0) and I ordered a Tuscan Sunset (16.5); a concoction of Frangelico, tequila and lemonade. The tequila kick made me extra chatty that night

Mojito (14.0), Tuscan Sunset (16.5)

The complimentary Italian bread selection (housemade rosemary focaccia, carta di musica, ciabatta and breadsticks served with extra virgin olive oil and aged balsamic) took a while to get to us, but was delightful regardless.

Complimentary Italian bread selection

A friend of mine who went up to Sydney earlier this year recommended we get the polenta chips (8.5) – and for good reason. The chips were crispy little golden nuggets of perfection. The addition of the rosemary salt and parmesan gave the polenta a bit of lift – perhaps a little heavy on the salt, but enjoyable nonetheless.

Crispy polenta chips with rosemary salt and parmesan (8.5)

G was eyeing the courgette fritto (12.5) – a ricotta and mozzarella stuffed zucchini flower with rocket pesto and roasted tomatoes – so we ordered that to start as well. The cheesy insides of the zucchini flower went so well with the freshness of the pesto. Jamie certainly has a knack for throwing simple flavours together and making them shine.

Courgette fritti – ricotta and mozzarella stuffed zucchini flowers with rocket pesto and roasted tomatoes (12.5)

The only downside to the menu at Jamie’s is that it makes you want to order EVERYTHING. We eventually decided we couldn’t go past the pasta. Fresh pasta is made on the premises every day. Of course, it isn’t your average pasta menu. Even the spag bol sounds fancy. G went for the buffalo ricotta ravioli (21.0), which went hand in hand with her mojito. The intense lemon and mint sauce cut through the creaminess of the ricotta beautifully.

Buffalo ricotta ravioli (21.0)

Wanting to see what all the fuss was about, I ordered the truffle tagliatelle (24.0) and popped my truffle cherry that night. The first few bites were heaven; the nutmeg, parmesan and butter sauce was unlike anything I’d ever had before. And the truffle – well, it’s hard to describe how a truffle tastes because it’s a quite a rarity, as far as food goes. I kept thinking it was going to taste like a mushroom because it kinda looked like one, but it didn’t. Unfortunately, it was such a full-bodied dish that I could barely get through half of it. I should have ordered a side salad or something because the house bread only served to mop up the incredibly rich flavours of the dish. Still, I can’t say I regret ordering it.

Truffle tagliatelle (24.0)

We were so stuffed, we couldn’t even fathom the thought of dessert after our mains. Instead, we joked about having to roll to each other out the door and relished the fact that the two-hour wait had definitely been worth it. Service, we noted, was lovely despite the late hour. But most importantly, the food was fabulous. It was simple, honest and full of flavour – the way food should be.

Review: The Tea Room, QVB

455 George St
Level 2, Queen Victoria Building
Sydney, NSW 2000
(02) 9283 7279
thetearoom.com.au

I usually try to steer clear of anything excessively girly or swarming with snooty society matrons, but I think I may have found a reason to set my prejudices aside. High tea may be archaic and elitist and pretentious, but at the end of the day you get a cake stand filled with miniature desserts and sandwiches with the crusts cut off for you. What’s not to like?  G and I have been itching to try out high tea for a while now, and thought it would be a great idea to pencil it in for our trip to Sydney. After a bit of research and some blog-trawling, we settled on The Tea Room at the beautiful Queen Victoria Building and booked ourselves a mid-morning session.

From the intricate details in the ceiling to the Royal Albert china doled out during service, The Tea Room is all class and whisks you away to a different time where bustling kitchens and harried waiters are non-existent. Of course, it was all we could do not to let a few high-pitched squeals loose/jump around like lunatics/make passing comments with truly awful British accents, but somehow we managed to keep it together.

Seated at a table by one of the windows, we were greeted with views of the Pyrmont Bridge and a menu with a kickass tea selection. If you’re something of a tea whiz and don’t mind paying a little extra, there’s also a ‘tea for connoisseurs’ range. We settled on a pot of the Wokou Garden (6.0), an organic green tea “carefully handcrafted to accentuate the delicate sweetness of spring.” It had a very mild but pleasant flavour that complemented our afternoon tea well.

Wokou Garden (6.0)

Speaking of, The Tea Room offers a number of afternoon tea packages, including sparkling wine (44.0), cocktail (51.0), champagne (57.0) and gluten-free options. Not caring much for intoxicating substances so early in the day, we went with the traditional afternoon tea (39.0). One can expect to pay a little more on weekends.

The scones that arrived shortly at our table were absolutely mammoth! No complaints here, though – they were the bomb diggity. Warm and soft on the inside, with a slightly crunchy exterior – I couldn’t fault them even if I tried. Of course, what’s a scone without strawberry preserve and cream? If I were stuck on a desert island with only one thing to sustain me, these would top the list without a doubt.

Equally delicious were the polenta and truffle oil tartlets; the combination of the smooth, creamy polenta and the richness of the truffle oil was so, so good. I could snack on those bad boys all day. The only drawback was the fact that they were tiny! The finger sandwiches were good, but nothing special compared to the rest of the spread. The shaved ham and roquette number was quite tasty, but the tuna and tomato not so much.

After clearing the second tier, we switched to dessert mode and set our sights on the top tier petit fours; a sticky citrus and almond cupcake, a fruit and custard tart and a mini opera gateau, all of which were unbearably cute. Almost too cute to eat! The opera gateau was superb; it tasted like tiramisu minus the coffee, which I quite liked. The mint chocolate garnish emblazoned with the crest was a nice touch.

We were surprisingly full by this stage, but the bottom tier beckoned. The pistachio macarons were a bit of a letdown; there was no pistachio flavour whatsoever and they were super sweet. The lemon meringue boats and passionfruit melting moments, however, more than made up for the macaron faux pas. Not to mention we’d already had our fair share of macarons the day before, so we weren’t too fussed.

All things considered, our first afternoon tea experience has probably set the bar high for all future afternoon tea experiences. I can’t praise The Tea Room enough; the service was top-notch and the food was sensational.

Review: Adriano Zumbo

Shop 1A, 40 East Esplanade
Manly, NSW 2095
(02) 9810 7318
adrianozumbo.com

If you’re ever in Sydney and looking for something to while the afternoon away, hop on a Manly-bound ferry down at Circular Quay. For a $14 return ticket, the 30-minute journey gives you some of the city’s best views. Make sure you get a seat out on the front deck and soak up some sunshine along the way!

G and I were incredibly lucky to fly in on a perfect 33 degree day and we couldn’t think of anything better to do with our afternoon than kicking it on the beach. We weren’t meaning to stop by the Manly edition of Adriano Zumbo’s macaron enterprise as we knew a certain dessert train was waiting for us to hop on at The Star, but then again, how could we not?

We spent a good ten minutes walking up and down East Esplanade on the hunt for the infamous Zumbarons. I even dug out my phone and started following the moving blue dot on Google maps only to find ourselves staring at a brick wall. Long story short, look for the kayak rental store across the road from the Manly Wharf Hotel – Zumbo’s patisserie in the back.

We walked in with the intention of buying three or four, so naturally we ended up walking out with nine or ten. Clearly, my resolve is a little shaky when it comes to these bite-sized beauties. If macarons aren’t your thing, the Manly store also carries a number of cakes, pastries and tarts to tickle your pickle. Not a croquembouche in sight, though

There’s a seating area next door, but we ended up taking them down to Chinatown to the pier and downed them like fish and chips.

G and I had a blast taste testing each macaron! The flavours were so distinct, I could have blindfolded myself and named them all accordingly. My favourite one by far was the Salted Butter Popcorn. It was like reaching into a real bucket of popcorn, but so much better. The sweet, marshmallow-esque filling complemented the slightly salty, popcorn-coated macaron shells like a dream. The Malted Milkshake came in at a close second. The vibrant turquoise and shimmery exterior was a little counter-intuitive, but the malty flavour was certainly there. Yum. We also picked up a Salt and Vinegar Zumbaron on a whim, which wasn’t nearly half as disgusting as I imagined it would be The balsamic was very pronounced, but not overwhelmingly so. Definitely one to try if you’re up for something a little different!

From left to right: Malted Milkshake, Pineapple & Lime, Peach Iced Tea, Salted Butter Caramel, Choc Mint, Salted Butter Popcorn, Musk, Chocolate Doughnut, Lamington (2.5 each)

If you’d asked me what a macaron was three years ago, I probably would have pointed you in the direction of some French car model or obscure article of clothing. Thanks largely to Adriano Zumbo, though, macarons are now something of an institution in Australia. I take my hat off to him – the guy is a mastermind when it comes to crazy, innovative flavours and insanely beautiful desserts.