Jasmyne Tea

A Fond Farewell to Cotton Duck, Surry Hills

Alas, all good things must come to an end.

When I heard that Cotton Duck was closing its doors on the 31st of March, I quickly made a reservation. I brought Stephen and our work friend Nha, and we all decided beforehand to go for the 6-course degustation ($80). I chose to order matching wines as well ($110), the plan being that Stephen and I would share because he was driving; therefore I felt justified ordering a cocktail to begin.

I felt less justified at the end of the night when I bumped my head getting into the car with Stephen: I was raging drunk. Oh well. It was a send off, after all! (Because I became intoxicated I can't read the notes I made afterwards, and the menu has been taken off the website, so unfortunately I have no idea what the wines were).

As we walked into the restaurant, we came face-to-face with the greenery and designer ceiling sculpture that the place is so famous for. We were seated in a quiet section of the restaurant and plied with menus and drinks.

Cucumber Drink

Stephen started with a refreshing, non-alcoholic drink that consisted of aloe vera and shreds of cucumber.

Lychee Cocktail

Nha chose a more tropical lychee cocktail, which she said was quite strong on the alcohol.

Blackcurrent Cocktail

My cocktail was sweet and fruity, with a slight alcoholic bite. A twist of lime balanced the sweetness perfectly.

Chickpea Puree with Flatbread

We started with an appetiser of flatbread, which was fluffy and light with little pockets of crispiness, and a chickpea puree that was thick in texture, but went beautifully with the bread.  The wine was quite dry and tart, and was the only glass I didn't finish.

Roasted Prawns, Poached Leek, Garum and Caviar Lentils

Our first course was a two-parter. The first plate that came out as a linear masterpiece: small, plump roasted prawns were scattered across a baton of poached leek, along with perfectly cooked caviar lentils. All this was accentuated with garum, a type of fermented fish sauce common in ancient Greece and Rome.

Pork, Cucumber, Beetroot

The pork was diced into incredibly small pieces, and then prepared in a way that sort of made it taste preserved. The cucumber was arranged into a neat stack, and a couple of slices of pickled beetroot graced the plate as well. The wine I was given here was slightly less dry, but could not be called sweet by any means.

Soft Corn & Polenta Pudding

This polenta pudding was wrapped in a net of soft, gooey tilsit cheese and served over a little pile of grilled corn. It was definitely interesting to cut into the cheese and receive a dolop of wobbly pudding!

Duck Ravioli

We weren't really impressed with this dish. While the duck was tender and the parcels full to capacity with it, the broth was flavourless and the ravioli wrappers a little tough.

Ratatouille

This was the Cotton Duck version of ratatouille, a chilled, roasted vegetable soup with cherry tomato halves and a good slice of Persian feta. I liked the slick of balsamic vinegar, but overall i found this dish a little lackluster. I distinctly remember enjoying the rosé it came with though - it was light, sweet and refreshing.

Cape Grim Sporalli Dorsai

This was a spectacular cut of meat. Our waitress told us Sporalli Dorsai is a cut of meat above the sirloin, and it was cooked to medium rare perfection. Served with garlic chips, red onion and a jus, it was an ode to the perfectly cooked cut of beef, and the red it was served with was an excellent match.

The steak was served as a share platter with roasted new potatoes and crispy beans and peas.

Sheeps Milk Yoghurt, Wild Fennel Sherbert & Organic Blueberry Meringue

The pre-dessert was extremely interesting, a play on textures and flavours that was a lot of fun to eat. The fennel sherbert fizzed a little on the tongue, while the whipped sheep's milk yoghurt was slightly tangy and melted in the mouth. Little drops of blueberry meringue completed the airiness of this dish. I was given a honey-mead for this course, which was really sweet without being cloying, and was perfectly tailored to suit.

Sugar Plum Tart

Our final course was a sugar plum tart to share between the three of us. The plums were whole, de-seeded and wondrously warm and juicy with cooking. The crust left a little to be desired, being a little over-cooked, but that was made all better by the drizzle of fresh cream over the top.

Our evening at  Cotton Duck was full of good times and gastronomical adventure, and it's sad to see this one go. Despite the quality of this restaurant and many other like it, the competition is just too fierce in Surry Hills and it's very hard to continue to provide this level of service and quality at prices people like us will pay. However, there is still Danks Street Depo to look forward to, and I very much look forward to trying their Rueben sandwich with wagyu.

Cotton Duck (Closed)

Formerly at 50 Holt St,
Surry Hills, NSW
2010

 

Circa Espresso, Parramatta

Nothing irks me more than suffering through a forty minute bus ride and two separate train trips to get to a restaurant, just to find it closed. This happened the first time I tried to visit Circa Espresso, leading to an incredibly mediocre meal at Liana's. At the time there hadn't been much information on the interwebs for this cafe, and I didn't know that it wasn't open on Sundays.

Circa has a sort of whimsical, eclectic charm that appealed to me. There are shelves full of mismatched books and comics, and a hat rack with cool berets and top-hats. The cafe is situated in an old loading bay, and the seating spreads out down the driveway. The walls are covered in graffiti murals, the kitchen is long and narrow, and the menus are located inside old-school novels. In a word? Cool.

We found seats inside, right next to the kitchen, and ordered our meals. Our drinks arrived first, and the tables were so small that they nearly took up the entire thing.

Chai Tea - $3.50

The Chai Tea came in an adorable little cast iron teapot, enough for 2 cups. The tea leaves had been soaked in honey, then infused with piping hot milk. INSANELY good.


Cappucino - $3.50

The cuppucino was made with Little Marionette beans, and was a quality brew. The cup was massive, and the coffee was robust and strong enough to make you pay attention, but not so strong that it made the mouth pucker.

Scrambled Eggs with Salmon - $9.00

The scrambled eggs were copious, and beautifully light and fluffy. They were perfectly seasoned, and served with a respectable amount of smoked salmon on a thick slab of bread.

French Toast with Poached Rhubarb & Labne - $8.00

The French toast was an impressive dish. The toast itself was a large slice, fried til crunchy on the outside and bordering on gooey on the inside. The poached rhubarb was tart and zingy, the labne countering it beautifully with its creamy texture and mild flavour. Pistachios added more of a Middle Eastern feel to this dish.

Baked Eggs with Sucuk, Danish Feta, Tomato & Chili - $8.00

I felt a bit smug when my dish came it - it was easily the most interesting and attractive dish on the table. The soft, baked eggs were accompanied by pieces of spicy Turkish sausage, dotted with chunks of smooth, creamy feta, and enhanced by baked cherry tomato halves. Topped with some herbs and a spicy tomato sauce, I was immensly happy.

Bacon and Egg Sandwich with Tomato Relish - $6.00

They were out of bacon for this dish, so they substituted with a salami of excellent quality. Along with fried eggs and a house-made tomato relish, this was all stacked on lovely, soft Turkish bread.

Although the place was hard to find, and isn't open on Sundays at the moment, I really enjoyed eating here, and look forward to doing so in the near future. With such superb food, prices, and atmosphere, let's just say that Circa is forgiven for these little issues. Even with so far for me to travel, it's worth the trip!

Circa Espresso

21 Wentworth St
Parramatta, NSW
2150

Courtney's Brasserie, Parramatta

Firstly, Stephen and I are going to be jointly writing this post as we both enjoyed dining here so much. Stephen's words will be italicised.

Secondly, HAPPY 4TH ANNIVERSARY TO STEPHEN, MY SWEETNESS. It feels like only yesterday we were working together at KFC, while you were cracking on to me like a sleezy boss. I'm glad I didn't file a sexual harrasment claim. <3

~

We weren't really planning on blogging this restaurant. Stephen normally doesn't like me to whip out the camera on our anniversary, preferring instead to spend some actual quality time together without people staring at us like we'd just sprouted a second head. But then I saw the place, and I pulled out the camera I had stashed away just in case, siting the fact that it wasn't REALLY our anniversary (we were celebrating early) and so I could take all the photos I wanted.

Courtney's Brasserie has been operating for 27 years in this historic cottage, but for the last two years its focus has been on organic, sustainable produce, and almost every ingredient is bought directly from farmers within a 200km radius of the restaurant. This place is definitely low profile, and the only way I'd even heard about it was when Miss Piggy suggested it on Twitter.

The restaurant is off Church St, which is probably why a lot of people don't know about it, hiding about 10 minutes down Phillip St.

The decor in this restaurant was very traditional, in keeping with the outside of the cottage, but the neutral tones and clean lines gave it a modern edge. We were welcomed in by our host, who was lovely and friendly, and given menus.

 
Our host told us that the menu changes daily depending on what ingredients they're able to procure, and pointed out a chalkboard that wrapped around the back walls of the room. They depicted the journey that the food we were eating that night had taken.


Tomato Prosciutto & Basil Bruschetta - $3.90 (Per Portion)

This bruschetta was unlike any other I've had before. There was the usual, a lightly toasted slice of bread topped with tomato, basil, spanish onion and balsamic vinegar, but the slices of prusciutto added a new dimension to the simple dish.

Willobrae Goat's Cheese & Balsamic Roasted Beetroot Tart with Honey Hazelnuts

We were pleasantly surprised with a complimetary taste of the Goat's Cheese & Beetroot Tart that had been sent out by the chef. The beetroot was roasted in balsamic vinegar, giving it a deliciously caramelised flavour and just a hint of tartness. The goat's cheese was ridiculously smooth and creamy, and the honeyed hazelnuts went beautifully. Also special mention for the casing, it was light and crisp and suited the dish perfectly.

Courtney's Own Organic Chicken Sausage with Ricotta Gnocchi & Sage Nut Butter - $18.90

The gnocchi were amazingly smooth and light, not offering the knife any resistance as they were cut in half. The combination of the gnocchi, parmesan cheese and sage nut butter was divine. As for the the sausage, I did not know what to expect. I've never ordered a sausage from a restuarant before (besides the odd German). The casing enclosed succulant ground chicken that was perfectly seasoned.

Wild Mudgee Rabbit Tasting Plate - $18.90

I was tossing up between a few entrees, when Stephen pointed out that I might as well have the rabbit, since he'd never let me bring that meat into our house (bad experiences, poor lad). I've never had rabbit in this manner before, normally my dad would trap one and then roast it whole. The rib was so tiny, it was amazing, but the morsel of rabbit meat on the end was big on flavour. The loin was wrapped in salty prosciutto and cooked with the sous vide method, so it was deliciously falling apart, and the roasted ballotine leg didn't let me down either.

Roasted Beef Fillet with Baby Lentils - $29.90

I'll start off with saying that my deepest regret of the night was ordering the steak medium. In saying that, it was still extraordinarily tender, and cooked perfectly to the request - if only I had chosen medium-rare.  The lentils and pea puree added a wonderful contrast and accompanied the steak well.  I'm not particularly a fan of mushrooms (a long childhood nightmare that's not appropriate to be discussed whilst food is the topic), however, I was eating these unaccompanied with no problem, they were excellent. The combination of all aspects, meat, lentils, mushrooms, pea puree and jus, resulted in a mouth explosion of texture and tantalising flavour (and I'm now salivating).

Pork Belly with Mashed Potato, Sauteed Cabbage, Caramelised Apple and Crackling - $27.90

I NEVER order pork belly at a restaurant, simply because I'm more attracted to other dishes on the menu, but this time I decided to go for it. The tender, almost-pink slices of pork were nestled on a bed of just crunchy cabbage, and the potato was pureed to perfection. The caramelised apple lent a sweet angle to this dish, and the crackling was a pleasure to eat - they could hear me from the other side of the restaurant.

Chocolate and Hazelnut Parfait - $13.90

The host brought out a dessert list; we were incredibly full, so we decided to share this parfait.  The chef kindly portioned the dish for the two of us. The macaroons had a hard and crunchy shell with a slightly chewy interior and coupled with some parfait went down well. The parfait alone was firm, yet creamy and the taste of chocolate and hazelnut was well balanced. The glass tuille was brittle and sweet and added contrast and texture to the dish. 

It was such a shame that only 3 couples came in that night for dinner (it was a Tuesday) - this place should definitely be more well known, because the food is the best in Parramatta in our humble opinions, and they deserve much more recognition than they receive right now. Stephen was hoping that we could hold our reception here (yes, the wedding plans have started), but alas, they're courtyard was too small. We left full, happy, and feeling very welcome to come back. It's exactly the right kind of dining experience for our anniversary dinner.

I also thought I should add after a short discussion with the host on the way out, the chef is able to cater for food requirements (i.e. Gluten intolerance) with sufficient notice, I'll definitely be bringing some of my research colleagues here.

Courtney's Brasserie

70 Phillip St
Parramatta, NSW
2150

Phone: 9635 3288

Lamb and Barley Soup

I love Kylie Kwong's It Tastes Better. It's a cookbook that also features some of Kylie's favourite suppliers of sustainable produce, and most of the recipes inside are really simple, the better to feature the ingredients shown.

I especially found Virginia Kurtz's Lamb & Barley Soup appealing. It looks warm and comforting, and I just so happen to love barley, so I asked Stephen to give it a go on one of his cooking days - the results were astounding.

Lamb & Barley Soup
*Adapted from Kylie Kwong's It Tastes Better

INGREDIENTS

Lamb Stock
1 kg lamb neck, meat cut into chunks and bone included
6 litres of water
1 large white onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 celery stick, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon salt flakes

Soup
3 tablespoons evo oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon of salt flakes
150g pearl barley
150g split peas
2 carrots, diced
3 small parsnips, diced
2 turnips, diced
1 swede, diced
1 white onion, sliced
2 sticks celery, chopped
freshly ground black pepper
flat leaf parsely to garnish

1. Bring all of the stock ingredients to the boil, skim, then reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours. Strain stock, saving the lamb meat. Pull the meat apart into small pieces and set aside.

2. Heat olive oil in a large pot and fry garlic and salt until aromatic. Add the parley, split peas and lamb and three litres of stock and bring to the boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Add vegetables and cook for a further 30 minutes.

4. Season to taste, add parsely and serve with bread.

Funky Bar, Newtown

Won't you take me to - Funky BAAAAR. Sorry, personal moment.

When Roxy and I went to the Enmore Theatre to see Elbow (it was INSANE), we met up beforehand for drinks and dinner. We walked a little way down King Street from the station, examining menus, until we reached the front of Funky Bar - the chilled vibe, crystal chandeliers, and the promise of a Hubba Bubba cocktail lured us in.

Our waitress was a bubbly girl wearing a short black dress and a top hat, and she led us to a small table in the middle of the bar, gave us menus, and told us to give her a wave when we were ready to order. I was struck by her buoyant yet professional attitude, and her ability to know exactly when we'd be needing her assistance - I'd barely looked up from the menu before she flounced over and asked what drink I'd like.

While we were waiting on our orders, I admired this kick-ass wallpaper which I hope to one day have in my bedroom.

Citrus Hubba Bubba - $16.00

Apparantly the Head Mixologist at Funky Bar, Preshanth Pillay, makes all of the syrups in house (and guards the recipes zealously), which I find extremely impressive. The Citrus Hubba Bubba actually tasted like the chewing gum from my childhood, except the extreme sweetness was countered by the contreau and gin in this drink.

Fairy Floss Martini - $16.00

Roxy and I then tried the Fairy Floss Martini, which we didn't find quite as interesting as the previous drink, but the sweet cotton candy flavour was definitely there - the taste of ethenol was simply stronger in this drink, and there wasn't as much contrast in flavour.

Atlantic Salmon - $26.00

Roxy ordered the Atlantic Salmon, which was panfried to flaky perfection and served with an olive crust and vegetables, including fennel, spinach, and tomato.

Vegetable Risotto - $22.00

In this dish, the arborio rice was perfectly cooked until soft, but with a slight bite, and was studded with zucchini, tomato, onion and spinach, and topped with parmesan. I didn't actually start out hungry at the beginning of our night, but you know I ate that all up :)

Heading South - $16.00

I'm going to be honest and say that I don't remember this cocktail, it was Roxy's and I was pretty tipsy, I don't remember what she said about it - my bad!

Espresso Martini - $16.00

My espresso martini was an invigorating concoction of Bailey's, Kahlua, and (obviously) espresso. It was smooth going down, and was actually pretty reminiscent of a good iced coffee.

Funky Bar is a fantastic place for a Friday night after-work drink, and we would have stayed to see the band they had lined up at 8pm, but we had a prior engagement with Guy Garvey to attend. The food is divine, with a varied menu and many dishes designed to share, and the drinks are out of this world - not too expensive, but incredibly good quality.

Funky Bar

256 King St
Newtown, NSW
2042

Phone: 02 9557 9755

http://funkybarsydney.com.au

Orange Blossom Panna Cotta

When I first found a bottle of orange blossom water, I was ecstatic. I was making lists of things I could make with it, I was telling all of my friends about it, and I was looking forward to the myriad of posts I would write about it. Fast forward to 6 months later, and I had done absolutely nothing with orange blossom. That little bottle got lost in the pantry beneath jars of jam, packets of coffee beans, and tins of chickpeas. My dreams of orange blossom glory had been swept to the wayside in a flurry of real life activity.

Luckily, Stephen found time to resurrect said dreams in the form of an Orange Blossom Panna Cotta recipe from Masterchef Vol. 2. The panna cotta is accompanied by blood orange syrup and pain perdu (French toast), and we swapped the katalfi pastry in the original recipe for orange blossom pashmak (Persian fairy floss). Our panna cotta didn't turn out to be quite the same shape, but it was still thick and luscious and creamy. The pain perdu was crisp on the edges and nice and gooey towards the middle, and the tangy blood orange syrup cut through the sweetness of the rest of the dish.

Orange Blossom Panna Cotta with Pain Perdu & Blood Orange Syrup
*Adapted from Masterchef Australia Vol. 2

1 packet orange blossom pashmak

Panna Cotta
200mL milk
55g caster sugar
3 1/2 leaves gold-strength gelatine
200 mL pouring cream
3 tsp orange blossom water

Blood Orange Syrup
180mL freshly squeezed blood orange juice
55g caster sugar

Paid Perdu
16mL milk
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
160mL pouring cream
3 eggs yolks
2 tbs caster sugar
4 thick slices brioche

1. For the panna cotta, combine the milk and sugar in a small saucepan over a low heat and stir for a couple of minutes until sugar has dissolved. Meanwhile, place the gelatine in a bowl of cold water for 3 minutes, then squeeze out the water and add to the pan. Stir to dissolve. Add the cream and orange blossom water and stir, then take off the heat and pour into four moulds. Refrigerate for 4 - 6 hours until set.

2. For the syrup, mix the orange juice and sugar in a small saucepan over a low heat (without boiling) and mix until sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil and reduce for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until liquid is thicker.

3. To make the pain perdu, mix the milk, vanilla, and cream in a small saucepan. Over a low heat bring it to a simmer, then take it off the heat and remove the vanilla bean. Whisk together the egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl until thick, then pour the hot cream mixture into the egg, whisking constantly.

4. Soak the brioche slices for 10 - 30 seconds in the custard mixture, then just before serving, melt some butter in a pan over a medium heat and fry on each side for two minutes until golden brown.

5. To assemble, pour the syrup into 4 shallow dishes. Place the pain perdu in the middle of each bowl, then turn the panna cotta out onto the top. Finish with a pinch of pashmak.

Chicken & Pumpkin Pasta Bake

While I am a fan of complicated recipes that take hours to replicate and use rare and unusual ingredients, sometimes I crave simplicity. I occasionally get sick of all the rich food and lack of kitchen space, and instead make something that's big on flavour with a minimum amount of ingredients (and a minimum amount of dishes to wash later). I wasn't going to post this recipe when I first added it to my dinner roster, because I didn't think it was worthy, but that completely changed when I tried it for the first time: the sweet, moreish flavour of the pumpkin was tempered by the zingy burst of wholegrain mustard, which in turn is soothed by the ricotta cheese and creamy pasta. It's become a favourite, which is why I'm sharing it here.

Chicken & Pumpkin Pasta Bake
*Adapted from the Masterchef website

INGREDIENTS

500g butternut pumpkin
500g sweet potato
3 cups cooked pasta (we used penne and spiral)
300mL light thickened cream
1 heaped tablespoon wholegrain mustard
2 cups shredded pre-cooked chicken
150g smooth ricotta

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Peel the pumpkin and sweet potato, and cut into 2 cm pieces. Place pumpkin on a tray lined with baking paper, sprinkle lightly with olive oil, and bake for 25 minutes or until tender.

2. Add the cooked pasta, chicken, mustard, cream, and pumpkin to a casserole dish and mix until incorporated. Crumble with ricotta, then season with salt and pepper.

3. Place the dish under a preheated grill, and leave to grill for 5 - 10 minutes or until top is golden.

Serves 4 - 6.

Eating House, Berrima

I love going on road trips with Stephen. I sit in the passenger seat watching kilometre after kilometre of highway roll by, listen to "Be Yourself" by Audioslave (an excellent driving song) at full blast, and talking to Stephen about random things that pop into my head.

We went to Berrima for my birthday, because last time I'd been there I saw this awesome pair of gloves (so of course I made Stephen drive an hour and a half to get them). After exploring the shops for a bit, we decided to look for somewhere to have lunch.

Eating House caught my eye - there was no sign, but I could see people inside, and waitresses bustling about. We tentatively opened the door, feeling a bit self-conscious (in case we were actually walking into someone's house), but we were instantly set at ease by the bustling, efficient waitress/cook who gave us lunch menus and gave us a seat away from the mother's club that had set up HQ on one side of the room. While looking over the menu, we eyed the cottage chic decor with admiration:

Regular Flat White - $3.50

We started with coffee to warm up a bit (it was FREEZING in Berrima). The blend was robust and bracing, and just what we needed to thaw out a bit.

Farmer's Pie - $19.20

Stephen ordered the Farmer's Pie, which is basically a chicken pot pie served with hand cut chips and seasonal vegetables. It was simple, but elegantly served. The chicken was served baked in a large ramekin, cooked in a creamy sauce that was studded with herbs. The chips were crunchy and wide, betraying their rustic origins, and the vegetables, steamed broccolini and mashed sweet potato, were perfect accompaniments.

Lamb Burger - $22.70

I went for the lamb burger. The meat patty was cooked through, yet still lovely and juicy, with a slight bite of pepper at the end of a mouthful. Below the patty was salad, and above was eggplant, sweet potato, and herb pesto. The bun wasn't anything special, but luckily it wasn't too big, because that really would have been too much with everything else going on.

We went to the counter to pay, and saw they had some fresh danishes and croissants for sale, but we really couldn't fit anything else in after all that food.

Eating House really is a hidden gem, but I just hope they get a sign or something, it really is a bit hard to find. Once you do though, it's totally worth it - good quality comfort food, synonymous with Berrima, at an affordable price.

What's your favourite driving song?

 

Eating House

28 Old Hume Highway
Berrima, NSW
2577

Phone: 02 4877 1125

Summer House, Fairfield

HAPPY BIIIIIRTHDAAAYY TOOOOO MEEEEEEE :)

Monday was my 21st birthday, and because it's fallen on such an awkward day, I'm having a birth-week celebration instead. Over the weekend my Daddy Dearest came up from Albury, then on Monday my marvelous work friends decorated my desk and bought me a mud cake from Michel's Pattisserie, which was surprisingly not half bad:

Then that night after work, Stephen and I picked up my mum and my brother and went to Summer House, another lovely restaurant in the beautiful Fairfield RSL. My mother is a woman of simple taste, and my brother will eat ANYTHING, so I felt that the Modern Australian, casual dining atmosphere of this restaurant would suit us perfectly.

We were the first ones in the restaurant, but our host showed us to our table with impeccable manner, and told us that they were having a mid-week special which offered three courses for $28. What I was after wasn't offered on the specials menu, and it was my birthday, so I opted out, but my dining companians went for the bargain.

Garlic Bread - $6.50 & Cheese and Chive Bread - $7.00

We started with some bread: the garlic bread, a classic, was well executed and tasty, with the garlic evident but not overwhelming, and the cheese and chive bread was redolent with sharp, rich cheese and freshened with tasty chives.

Salt and Pepper Calimari  - Part of the Specials Menu (normally $15.50)

The calimari dish was quite substantial for an entree, with my brother already starting to feel full after finishing it. Large chunks of squid were battered and deep fried to perfection, and served with a spicy house-made chilli sauce. I would have preferred smaller pieces of calimari, but that's just nitpicking.

Crushed Cherry Tomato and Ricotta Bruschetta - Part of the Specials Menu (normally $8.50)

My mum went for the bruschetta. It was made with all fresh ingredients, and made with creamy ricotta instead of the regular feta, but otherwise it was a fairly simple starter.

Angus Rump Fillet with Green Peppercorn Sauce - Part of the Specials Menu (normally $27.90)

Stephen ordered this medium, and it was cooked perfectly. The moist, tender beef was smothered in a punchy green peppercorn sauce, and accompanied by kipfler potatoes and seasonal vegetables tossed in butter. Stephen felt that there was a little too much sauce, and I'm inclined to agree, but each element of this dish was cooked well.

Herb and Lemon Crusted Chicken - Part of the Specials Menu (normally $22.00)

Both my mum and brother chose this dish, one with vegetables and one with salad. Both were served with kipfler potatoes. The chicken itself was deliciously moist, and the simple, classic flavours of lemon and herbs went really well with the dish, but we found the way the chicken was crumbed a bit odd - it fell off really easily, and soon all the crumbing was left on the plate, making a bit of a mess.

Fish & Chips 'Old Style' - $23.50

I ordered this because I was curious as to what 'Old Style' actually was. My fish and chips were served in a paper cone, like you might get in a corner store, but my host shook them out onto a plate before I could take a photo. I still thought it was a nice touch. The fish, beer battered flathead, was so crisp on the outside and perfectly flaky on the inside. The handcut chips were also wonderfully crisp, and I have a feeling they were at least twice-cooked. Honourable mention for the tartare sauce, it was amazing!

Creme Brulee - Part of the Specials Menu (normally $11.90)

The creme brulee left us talking and wondering how the HELL they got it so light, because it was seriously smooth, glossy and light as a feather! The glassy, toffee shell was thin and oh-so crisp, and the custard was lightly flavoured with vanilla seeds.

I found this presentation to be so lovely! I only casually mentioned that it was my birthday as they asked if we were celebrating anything (I'm also really impressed that they spelled my name correctly, I didn't spell it over the phone when I booked!).

Panacotta with Orange Granita - $11.90

The panacotta somehow achieved a balance between thick and light, was beautifully creamy and smooth, and lightly flavoured with vanilla. The orange granita melted slowly on the tongue and imparted its flavour to the panacotta.

Earl Grey - $4.00

We finished our meal with tea, then paid our bill. We found the $28 specials to be really good value, and we left absolutely stuffed. I'm glad I chose to come here for my birthday, and other than some small, very minor things, I could find fault with nothing at this restaurant.

Summer House

Fairfield RSL
14 Anzac Pde
Fairfield, NSW
2165

Phone: 9727 9718

www.fairfieldrsl.com.au

3one7, Parramatta - A Second Chance

One of my first restaurant reviews was at 3one7, and boy was I disappointed. The service was super slow and unprofessional, and the food wasn't 100%. Now, this was one of the first restaurants Stephen and I went to as a couple, and their gnocchi with aurora sauce opened our eyes to a whole new world of culinary delight, so I thought I'd go back there to give them a second chance - after all, that review was performed at 2:30pm on a Monday. Maybe they'd do better with a dinner service?

We decided to have dinner here on Tuesday for our friend Gita's going away dinner (she's going to Kenya to get married - how exciting!), and when we arrived the place was buzzing. Luckily we made a booking, otherwise we would have had to sit outside, and it was raining and windy. We were shown to our table and given menus. Unfortunately the waitress we had kept coming back every two minutes, trying to rush us into ordering, which WASN'T happening because Gita couldn't eat anything with meat or egg in it, and our other friend AK could only eat Halal meat.

Bruschetta with Feta Cheese - $8.90

This was one dish that the four of us could eat, and it was executed well. The tomato, basil and red onion were very fresh, the garlic not overpowering, and the feta was smooth and creamy. The bread it was on was a good thickness, and was well toasted.

Pesto Risotto (without chicken) - $19.90

This risotto was packed full of flavour with the house-made pesto and the mushrooms. The sundried tomato added some interesting texture, but there was a lot of sauce in the dish compared to the amount of rice and it made it a little difficult to eat.

Margherita Pizza - $16.90

We ordered the most basic of pizzas that everyone on our table could eat, and it was predictably tasty. The base was thin and crispy at the crusts, and it was covered in sweet tomato sauce, mild mozzarella and thin strips of fragrant basil.

Creamy Garlic Prawns - $25.90

The prawns in this dish were plump and fresh, but the sauce lacked depth in terms of flavour - all I could taste was garlic, and it was pretty weak at that. The rice came in a sticky, brick-shaped clump that wasn't particularly appealing.


Gnocchi with Aurora Sauce - $18.90

This is the dish that started Stephen and I on our culinary adventure all those years ago, and it didn't disappoint (I know it's a humble dish of gnocchi, but at the time we would only eat our parent's cooking or fast food). The gnocchi were firm little pillows of starchy goodness, and the sauce was a tasty mix of napoletana sauce, mozzarella cheese and cream.

Veal Prosciutto - $28.90

This dish was a little disappointing - the veal was a little tough, which is not what you expect when you order veal, however the prosciutto that was cooked between the layers of veal added some nice flavour. The new potatoes were fine and the vegetables were crispy, but the veal let the dish down.

I really had hoped that 3one7 would have improved since the last time we were there, but again, we were disappointed. It seems they're really good at the simple dishes, but anything involving more than 5 ingredients and the skill and quality starts to deteriorate. I guess all I can derive from our experiences here is that we've grown in our tastes and standards; I'll always appreciate this restaurant for broadening our horizons as youngsters, but next time I'm in the area, I'll probably pass on by.

3one7

317 Church St,
Parramatta, NSW
2150

Phone: 1300 317 317