Taste the Mediterranean with Bakers Delight and De Bortoli Wines Launch

Recently I was invited to the launch night promoting the new Meditteranean Delights Turkish breads from Bakers Delight and exploring a broad range of wines from De Bortolli Wines. This event was held inside a intimate dining room at Cafe Nice in Circular Quay. When you stepped inside, it feels like you have been transported to the Mediterranean or even an exotic place somewhere in Turkey especially with the cushions, lamps, aromas and a tray of various herbs and spices to taste.

For a limited time only, Bakers Delight has released a new line of Mediterranean Delights Turkish breads which are Sea Salt Flakes and Chilli and Garlic. Both types of bread were soft, chewy, light and flavoursome. The Chilli and Garlic did have a slow and spicy hit after a few bites while the Sea Salt Flakes was mild and not too salty though it was still flavoursome on its own. We got the chance to sample both types of bread from this range with a variety of dips including the delicious olive oils from River Flats Estate and La Barre plus La Barre's special blood plum vinegar.

Sea Salt Flakes Bread with Olive Oil and Vinegar 

Chilli and Garlic Bread

Throughout the evening, we were treated to a selection of canapes served with bread from the Mediterranean Delights range. My personal faves that got me grabbing for seconds were the creamy, sweet Pate de foie de canard with fig paste and the simple yet tasty Prosciutto di parma and Reggiano. 

Antipasti platter with a selection of dips and vegetables

Baby peas with goat's cheese and mint 

Pissaladiere 

Prosciutto di parma and Reggiano 

Pate de foie de canard with fig paste

Braised peppers and white anchovies

There was also the chance to try a couple of dishes from Cafe Nice including the succulent and creamy duck pate accompanied with a couple of slices of sourdough bread. It was tough sharing this one plate with a group of us but we managed to sample enough to enjoy the taste and flavour of this classic French dish. And this is coming from a former fussy eater who avoided pate during her childhood.

Duck pate with sourdough bread

The other dish we tried was a Salad Nicoise, a healthier alternative after eating a dish like duck pate. There were loads of fresh ingredients to take in with this colourful bowl of greens though the star would have to be the soft boiled egg. 

Salad Nicoise

There was also a selection of wines from De Bortoli Wines available for tasting that night. While we sample each glass, there was also a sommeliere who explained the differences between each wine from this brand. Personally I'm not a wine expert so here's some notes I was able to gain from each glass on the night, courtesy of De Bortoli Wines.

2013 BellaRiva Pinot Grigio - this white wine (seen above) was light and aromatic in flavour. It has a fine, pear-like, fruity and nutty taste with a bright colour and good texture and complexity. Perfect to drink on its own.

NV Rococo Yarra Valley Premium Cuvee

NV Rococo Yarra Valley Premium Cuvee - this was served as a sparkling wine on the night and was noted for its pale colour with green tinges. It had a biscuit-like aroma with citrus and white pear type of flavour with a soft creamy textured palate. It wasn't as light as the Pinot Grigio but it had a sweetness that complemented well with the canapes served that evening. 

2013 BellaRiva Merlot

2013 BellaRiva Merlot - this had a dark red with purple appearance. The overall palate was a soft, smooth and juicy texture with rich flavours where you could sense black fruits in the ingredients. This was personally my favourite from the night with its smooth, fruity yet balanced flavour. I can imagine this would be ideal to have with red meats.

2011 BellaRiva Sangiovese Merlot

2011 BellaRiva Sangiovese Merlot - this was a red wine with good garnet edge. Unlike the Merlot, this wine had a rustic, complex and earthy aromas. It has a dry, brooding, autumnal and savoury palate that would be suitable for a meal on a cool night paired with rich dishes such as red meats and pasta.

All in all, it was a cozy and fun evening catching up with other fellow bloggers as well as meeting the team from Bakers Delight and De Bortoli Wines. While I wasn't hopping on a plane anytime soon, the event really felt like I was back in Europe exploring the classic Mediterranean dishes and sipping lots of wine especially with the lovely, vibrant atmosphere. 

Bakers Delight's Sea Salt Flakes and Chilli and Garlic Turkish breads from the Mediterranean Delights range are currently available for four weeks only so remember to head to your local Bakers Delight branch for a sample before its too late. 

Disclaimer: The Random Foodie attended the Taste the Mediterranean Launch event, courtesy of Keep Left PR. Opinions are however, my own.

The Carlisle Bar, Potts Point

A few years ago, I attended a friend's birthday at Favela nightclub in the Kings Cross/Potts Point area back in the days. Recently, this spot has been transformed into a New York inspired bar catered for late night catch up drinks, shared plates, social functions and loads of cocktails. Quite similar to the nearby Love on Top only the venue itself is larger in comparison. It's a split-level venue with the front bar, main bar in the middle and the VIP room at the back of the bar. Bonus points for having plenty of couches around the bar if you need to sit down during the night. 

Late last month, I was kindly invited to a blogger degustation to discover the tapas and cocktail drinks that the Carlisle Bar offer. While the weather that night was insane, it didn't damper our spirits as we mingle and chill out while the live entertainment from Angelina Ciccotti (singer) and Adrian Petlevanny (guitarist) plays in the background. It was super awesome hanging out with so many lovely bloggers as well as getting to know those I haven't met till this night. 

The Carlisle Bar food menu was curated by celebrity chef, Chrys Xipolitas with a combination of Mediterranean flavours with an Asian flair. This was certainly evident in the four course degustation menu that was available for all of us to try on the night. We also got to sample (by that I mean drink the whole glass lol) a generous selection of cocktails from the cocktail menu led by bar manager, Benjamin Hickey. It is a bar after all. Of course we will be drinking! :P 

We started the night off with a few shared plates. The Carlisle Plate was a Greek inspired shared plate consisting of fresh pita breads, trio of dips, feta cheese and marinated olives. Let's just say I got way too addicted to the olives as always. And piling up as many toppings as I want onto the soft pita bread was fun and messy.

Carlisle Plate ($24.00)

If you are vegetarian then you can grab your fill with the Vegetarian Teasers plate. This includes chargrilled eggplant, zucchini, capsicum, marinated artichokes, semi-dried tomatoes and (more) olives served with crusty bread. These were too slippery to handle without a fork or even a toothpick as opposed to a spoon. Very tasty though. While it is quite pricey, I believe it is designed to share between two people so it's not too much.

Vegetarians Teasers ($26.00)

My personal favourite from the starter treats were the tortilla chips. The chips itself were quite crispy but what got me super nuts was the chunky and zesty guacamole (consisting of avocado with coriander chilli and lime) dip. Considering the massive number of bloggers, I know that sharing is caring but it was incredibly addictive after one bite. And the chilli was quite mild - to my standards anyway.

Tortilla Chips ($16.00)

Not soon after the shared starter plates were taken away that the four course degustation began. One of my favourite dishes of the night was the grilled haloumi cheese with purple grape and balsamic reuction. Apparently the haloumi recipe was made by an 86 year old Greek grandmother who distributed her recipe to only three people in Sydney including Chrys Xipolitas (curious to know who the other two were though). It is no surprise why she intended to keep this recipe as secret as possible. It was creamy, bouncy yet light in taste and well matched with the grape and balsamic for the extra sweet flavour. It wasn't too cheesy nor was it very salty which was what I personally preferred. 

Grilled Haloumi topped with grape and a balsamic reduction ($14.00)

In this degustation, there was a glass of cocktail paired with each designated meal. Each cocktail listed under The Carlisle Cocktails menu was priced at $18.00. The haloumi was paired with the Clover Club. This consisted of Aviation gin, lemon, raspberry and egg white. This was quite sweet, fruity and tangy which I enjoyed. It was also interestingly combined with thyme as a garnish inside the cocktail.  

The Clover Club

The next dish coming up was the lightly floured and fried prawn cutlets. Personally I found these to be light and just as addictive as the olives with its crumbled and crispy coating. This was served with a trio of dipping sauces including sweet chilli plum, soy teriyaki and  wasabi aioli (this was not spicy at all btw). Felt like wanting more after finishing my share. Reminded me of the salt and pepper prawns/squids that you would regularly spot at various Asian restaurants.

Lightly floured and fried prawn cutlets served with a trio of dipping sauces ($18.00)

The second course was paired with Eastside Fizz, a Manhattan-inspired cocktail containing Beefeater gin, lime, mint, Perrier water and sweetness. This was equally light, sweet and fizzy like a champagne. Very refreshing to have if you want a low-key night since the alcohol didn't taste as strong.

Eastside Fizz

The third course of spicy chicken thighs was juicy, tender, well cooked though the overall flavours didn't excite me too much compared to the first two courses. Plus I was more keen on drinking at this point of the night so my memory was quite fuzzy. From what I could recall, the spicy chicken wasn't too spicy though there was a slight hit. Maybe my spicy tolerance really has increased or I was a bit too tipsy to notice. This was marinated and BBQ'd with a secret sauce which has got us curious. You can definitely see the Asian inspired aspect of the menu with this course with the use of marinated spices and accompanying sauce. 

Marinated Spicy Chicken and thigh fillets, marinated in the chef's secret sauce and BBQ'd ($16.00)

YAY MORE DRINKS! The South of the Border cocktail was actually very strong compared to the previous drinks. This consisted of tequila (jebus), Mezcal, passionfruit, lime and vanilla. If you want a stronger drink to kickstart a crazy night then this is definitely the one for you. Unfortunately for me, I had work the next day because it was a Wednesday. Fadedddd...

By this point I felt like eating something meaty so it was good to know that the beef tenderloin was the final course (though I was also hoping for dessert but all good). The beef tenderloin was soft, flavoursome and peppery thanks to the meat being rolled in various peppers, BBQ'd, sliced and served medium rare - my ideal way of eating meat. This was plated with the savoury bourbon jus and crunchy garlic crisps. Quite tasty from what I could remember.

Beef Tenderloin - rolled in mixed peppers, barbequed and served medium rare with Bourbon Jus and Garlic Crisps ($24.00)

The final cocktail for the degustation was the sassy Blood and Sand (ok not the name of course but just look at the drink!). This contains various exotic ingredients including chivas, cherry herring, Antica formula, Ardbeg and fresh orange. This was also very strong, sweet and sour thanks to those many unusual ingredients. This was probably why I spent the following day at work quite hungover.

Blood and Sand

All in all, it was a fun night catching up (and possibly embarrassing myself) with many fellow bloggers on a weekday night while exploring the food at this new bar. Compared to other events, I thought this night was well-organised with dishes delivered reasonably on time and having the dishes on display in an underground room with better lighting. The venue was spacious so it was also not too crowded thus making it easy to mingle. While I don't know what it's like on a Friday or Saturday night, the overall vibe was cool, classy, chilled and relaxing with dark lighting throughout most of the venue. Wouldn't mind coming back another night for a drink or four on the weekend. 

Disclaimer: The Random Foodie attended the launch event, courtesy of Bonnie Wu of The Carlisle Bar. Opinions remain personal.

Don't forget to hit up The Random Foodie on Facebook for more photos on various dinner outings and events as well as the occasional news.

The Carlisle Bar
2 Kellett Way, Potts Point NSW 2011
(02) 9331 0058
http://www.thecarlislebar.com.au/
Thurs-Sun: 6:00pm - late
Mon-Wed: Closed

Ester, Chippendale

There is something unique about Chippendale's newish restaurant, Ester. Perhaps it was the minimal, simple decor or maybe it's the Modern Australian-inspired cuisine with a bit of Mediterranean flavours thrown in that has wowed us on the night. This is no surprise coming from the same team who owns Vini, Berta and 121 BC in Surry Hills along with Mat Lindsay (ex-Billy Kwong) and Nic Wong (ex-Bodega and Billy Kwong) taking over the kitchen. Yup you know you are onto a good thing here.

Located in one of the many quiet and hidden streets of Chippendale, it was a bit of a walk from Railway Square than we expected but still close to the main streets of Broadway. Inside, we notice a rather busy crowd with a relatively social atmosphere. The service was very friendly to us on the night. Even though we agreed to finish everything by a certain time so other customers can claim our table, the staff was happy to accommodate us to the bar so we can continue ordering desserts later on. Similar to their sister restaurants, Ester has an impressive range of wine for your beverage needs.

As with most restaurants and bars opening up these days, the dishes at Ester are designed to be shared which is perfect for CC and I to try as many as possible. And we still didn't get bloated by the end! Well only slightly. What's even more special about Ester is their wood-fired oven which became an essential feature for most items on the wood-fired focused menu.

We were treated with complimentary fried chickpeas which were surprisingly addictive. I'm usually not a huge fan of chickpeas but I couldn't stop gobbling these crunchy treats up! Seasoned with salt and rosemary, you just cannot get enough of this. Was pretty bummed when it was all gone.

Complimentary Fried Chickpeas

We were interested in trying out the squid balls (me thinking it was something similar to arancini balls) but were quite stunned by the presentation of the dish when it arrived to us. Both CC and I were staring at each other with the same thought in mind: "Dude, this looks like s***". Thankfully the taste was a million times better than we expected. While it did have a chewy texture, I enjoyed the squid ink flavour which reminded me of eating squid ink risotto and pasta at various Italian restaurants. We were quite puzzled by its name though since the shape clearly did not resemble a ball...

Squid Ink Balls ($12.00)

Our waiter recommended this dish to us as an individual-sized snack when we were deciding. It may appear to be simple especially with the crustless bread but the flavour does work wonders to our taste buds. The mayo sauce tasted lovely on that soft bread. Sure blood sausage does not sound appealing when you think about it but the taste wasn't strong so you will think that it's just a normal sausage eventually. Altogether, it was yummy and perfect for a quick bite.

Blood Sausage Sanga ($6.00 pp)

If there is a dish that I would consider as the winner of the night, it has gotta be the bone marrow with XO. Generally I love any dish involving bone marrow but Ester's version is a beast. What I loved about this bone marrow was how easy it was to scoop it out compared to similar versions at other restaurants. I didn't imagine how well it tasted with XO but it actually gave it an immense flavour boost that makes me want to eat CC's share. I'm actually surprised this was listed under Snacks because the portion size is a bit bigger in my opinion especially with the crusty toasted bread. Perhaps a small plate? Either way, each bite of this dish was like heaven for us.

Bone Marrow / XO ($16.00)

Bone Marrow Porn

I go crazy over any dish that has crab on the menu so I ordered it immediately without knowing how it would actually turn out. Initially we thought it would be presented in some form of ready-to-eat pickled crab meat or attached to the shell in a way that would be easy for us to take the meat out. Even with the metal tools, it was difficult for us to grab the crab meat out of the hard shell so this was time-consuming for us in the end. On the other hand, the crab meat that we managed to take out was well-cooked and delicious but would probably not order this again unless we figure out a faster way to take the meat apart with those tools or our hands or it was presented in a different and easier way. 

Blue Swimmer Crab / Salt and Pepper ($24.00)

Thankfully, the steak was much easier to handle and share with its neat and thick slices. The meat was cooked medium-rare so it was soft, tender and juicy. It also came with a slab of bagna cauda, which is a sauce consisting of anchovies, garlic, olive oil and butter. The sauce tasted creamy and too buttery for my liking but CC said this was one of her fave dishes of the day along with the bone marrow. The slices of radishes were a refreshing contrast to the otherwise meaty and buttery plate. 

Steak / Bagna Cauda / Radish ($30.00)

Despite all those dishes, we weren't too bloated as we thought we would be. Enough reason to grab dessert. We were curious about the Three Milks which consists of ricotta panna cotta, sheep's milk foam and a smear of dulce de leche cream. It even has a dab of olive oil, rosemary leaves and biscuit crumbs for a little more crunch to a very creamy dish. It's very unique and somewhat light in texture. If you love your creamy, milky and cheesy desserts with a nit of sticky sweetness then this is the dish for you. 

Three Milks ($11.00)

The salted caramel semi-freddo may looked simple as a nicely-formed round ball but the flavour and texture is on a different level. There was that grainy texture from the black sesame crumbs combined with the creamy taste and the caramel saltiness as well as sweetness.

Salted-caramel semi-freddo ($4.00)

The food that Ester serves was clearly not what we've seen before at most other restaurants in Sydney and that's what we really liked about it. Every dish was full of surprises whether it was really delicious, slightly frustrating or just plain odd. While the prices aren't the cheapest, the dishes were focused on sharing so this will do less damage to your wallet. The vibe was incredibly busy for a restaurant on a quiet location on a weekday. I could only imagine how packed this would get for dinner on a Friday or Saturday night. Can't wait to go back for that bone marrow omggg.

Ester
52 Meagher Street, Chippendale NSW 2008
(02) 8068 8279
http://ester-restaurant.com.au/
Lunch: Thurs - Fri 12:00pm to 3:00pm
Dinner: Tues - Fri 6:00pm to late (5:30pm for drinks), Sat 6:00pm to late