Ton Ton Takeaway Chifley, Sydney CBD

After the closure of Ton Ton Ramen at Regent Place, you could be forgiven for thinking that it was gone for good. Fear not! Another branch remains open at Chifley Plaza close to Martin Place. Unlike Regent Place which seems to be aimed at the student crowd and tourists wandering in the Town Hall area, this takeaway shop is dominated by nearby office workers looking for a quick lunch. But hey at least it's still open (for lunch only) if you are a massive fan of their food!

I was going to choose the signature Ton Ton ramen but then I spotted the $10 lunch deal with ramen, 3 gyoza pork dumplings and a choice of a bottle of water or a can of lemonade for $10. Sounds too good to be true? On this occasion, the ramen they had on offer for the $10 lunch deal was miso ramen - one of my faves :).

Miso ramen - Miso-paste flavoured soup topped with BBQ Pork ($9.00)

When I got the ramen, I've noticed that the noodles were buried underneath an epic pile of bean sprouts, shallots, char siu (BBQ pork), sesame seeds and nori. The broth was quite rich and thick but not to Gumshara Ramen's level of thickness. For a miso-paste soup, the broth wasn't as flavoursome as I hoped. However, I did enjoy the BBQ pork which was melting in my mouth. The moist and soft BBQ pork and the firm ramen noodles made up for an otherwise fairly average broth. Maybe it's just my personal preference lol. The serving size is huge so it should keep you satisfied for a few hours or much longer if you have everything from the bowl.

What was really disappointing was the pork gyoza dumplings. I was expecting them to be piping hot with a firm texture. I reckon these dumplings were out in the open for a few hours because it was way too cold, soft and lumpy. 

Pork gyoza dumplings (can't remember price on its own)

Considering the terrible weather we've had lately, I decided to make another visit to Ton Ton Takeaway (only a good 5-7 minutes walk from work) to try out the TonTon Ramen. While it was a tad oily, it was more flavoursome than the miso ramen with a nice but relatively minor spicy hit that I loved. While it's not your average tonkotsu ramen particularly when it comes to flavour, ingredients and richness (especially Gumshara); it does hit the spot on a cold, wintery day. Once again, the pork was soft and the noodles were bitey though an oozy egg would be perfect for this ramen.

TonTon Ramen - a special 'Tonkotsu' soup - mildly spiced thick pork broth topped with BBQ pork ($9.80)

Though I thought that the miso ramen wasn't the best that I've taste, I am still eager to try out the many other ramen options on the menu including the Chicken Kara-age ramen, spicy miso ramen and the Kogashi Ninniku (black sesame) ramen. There is a decent variety of choices on what to eat at Ton Ton Takeaway. Not only do you get noodles like ramen, udon and soba noodles, you could also get rice dishes like rice bowls, teriyaki and curry dishes. For a generous serving, the prices are very cheap at less than $10 for nearly every dish on the menu for anyone who is on a budget. While there is a wait because of the hectic lunch hours and the busy office workers in the area, it is fast paced so you don't need to wait too long to get your feed. Or if you are free all day, I'd recommend going in non-peak lunch hours (before 12:15pm and after 1:30-2pm) so you won't need to wait too long at all. 

Ton Ton Ramen
Level 1, F1, Chifley Plaza
2 Chifley Square Sydney NSW 2000
(02) 9222 9960
http://www.tontontakeaway.com.au/chifley/default.aspx?page=12

Pepper Lunch, Sydney CBD

This was one of those places that I've dined at numerous times when I used to work closer to World Square. Since leaving that workplace, I have probably been there only a couple of times since then. Nevertheless for me it's an oldie but a goodie because it always brings me back memories of my regular visits years ago.

While it is identified as a Japanese fast food chain with branches spanning across Asia and Australia, this wasn't what I had in mind whenever I go inside this eatery. Mainly because my idea of fast food is anything involving Maccas, KFC etc. When going inside, the decor of the restaurant screams yellow everywhere. Though you can't help smelling the aroma of the food emanated from the hotplates. Yum! 

One of my favourite dishes here is the curry beef. I love the savoury and saucy texture that you get from the curry paste and it just really makes the plain white rice taste so much better. The star of the show is of course the hot plate. According to Pepper Lunch, these special hot plates were created in Japan that were heated to 260 degrees Celsius by an electromagnetic cooker and then remains hot for a while to keep the food well cooked. Just remember to be careful with the hot plate when stirring because tiny hot juices can bounce and hit your skin when it's extremely hot! You can then cook the meat based on your preference. Whether it is rare or well done, I always thought that the beef was juicy and succulent every time I have this dish. It is important to mix the sauce throughout the rice instead of leaving it like a lump in the middle (like I used to do so many times in the past) as it gives it a decent kick of flavour. You can also add garlic soy sauce or sweet sauce to add to the meal. The serving is fairly large and I felt bloated but satisfied after eating this. 

Curry pepper rice ($9.90) - Before shot

Mixing all the ingredients

Like fast food restaurants, you get the choice of miso soup or drink for $2.50 extra. And if you want to upsize your rice to large size then it's $1.00 extra. 

Curry Pepper Rice - After shot

Recently, I was catching up with V after work on a Friday night. We originally planned to eat at Chefs Gallery after our previous failed attempt last time. Once again, we were met with a ridiculously long queue of at least 30 people waiting to get inside. After checking out a few more places, we eventually settled with Pepper Lunch because of the prices and it was less packed. 

While I originally wanted to get the curry pepper rice again, I was keen on something low carb that night and was drooling at the thought of two different cuts of beef in one dish. Thought that both cuts were tender, hearty and incredibly juicy. The veggies on the side helped in balancing your taste buds with the amount of meat on the plate. Overall I thought it was delicious and a great option if you are looking for something that is low carb or just not a fan of rice at all.

Cut steak and hamburger ($13.80)

V was initially in the mood for seafood so he chose the salmon pepper rice. I tried a bit of it and thought it tasted decent but V said that he wished he tried the beef version instead after tasting the beef cuts in my dish.

Salmon pepper rice ($11.00)

If you are looking for a reasonably cheap meal with quick service then this is one of those places. It can get very busy at lunch and sometimes there is a queue when you order the food but compared to many other places, it doesn't take that long and most of the cooking is done by you. It's simple, efficient, tasty and conveniently located near Event Cinemas on George Street, Town Hall Station, World Square and other shops in the area.

Pepper Lunch
537 George Street, Sydney NSW 2000
(02) 9264 3555
http://www.pepperlunch.com.au/eng/home/

Chiado Restaurant and Wine Bar, Potts Point

I love best kept secrets. It's those hidden gems that make Sydney or any other city special. Chiado restaurant seems to fall into this category with the location being hidden away from the insane nightlife of the Cross and tucked into the much more quiet Kellett Street. I have rarely been to Portuguese restaurants in Sydney. Before this night, my exposure to Portuguese cuisine has been through Portuguese chicken in fast food places. Whether those eateries are considered as authentic is a whole different story.

We were supposed to be dining at Hugos Bar Pizza for MT's birthday party but due to overbooking and a bit of disorganisation on a Saturday night, our booking got cancelled. After calling heaps of restaurants in the area at the very last minute, we eventually settled with the recently opened Chiado who gladly let us make a booking for a group of 8-10 ppl. This is partly why I love best kept secrets :p.  

Since it was a large group, we ordered for the banquet menu which is $40 per person. Because of the lack of website (except for the Facebook page), we really had no idea what to expect that night. I did have a look at the A La Carte menu and was already drooling by some of the dishes they have. 

After receiving our complimentary bread (sorry no photo), this dish showed up. I wasn't sure which dish it was when I looked back at the menu but it looks like a croquette or a crumbed empanada. Loved the breadcrumbed coating and thought that the filling of prawns and some kind of creamy and lumpy white sauce had a rustic texture.

Rissois de Camarao - Portuguese prawn empanadas ($13.00)

While the beef was soft and tender, we thought that the red wine sauce was too strong for our liking. Tried dipping the bread in the sauce and the only thing we could taste was red wine.

Pica Pau - Cubed beef in red wine and garlic sauce ($10.00)

I love mixing the poached egg with anything in my dish so seeing this put a smile on my face. The broad beans were a bit too soft for my liking but the oozy poached egg was amazingly cooked and added a nice eggy flavour to the beans. I also loved the chorico which was well-cooked and added a tasty meaty touch to this dish. Great comfort food on a cold day.

Favas com Chourico - soft broad beans with homemade smoked chorico and topped with a slow cooked poached egg and truffle oil ($16.00)

I'm a sucker when it comes to oxtail so imagine my reaction when this plate arrived to the table. The presentation reminded me of the way some dishes were presented at fine dining restaurant but with a much bigger serving size. The veggies and the tender oxtail were cooked to perfection and the legumes added a grainy texture to the plate. While I was satisfied with this dish, I was getting too full possibly from the other dishes and perhaps the sangria as well. 

Rabo de boi - Oxtail prepared in a stew and served with celery and legumes ($26.00)

While half of us had the ox tail, the other half had the soft shell crab dish. I only tried a little bit but thought it tasted very creamy like risotto. 

Arroz de Caranguejo - soft shell crab on a bed of seafood infused rice ($28.00) 

We were sooo stuffed by the end but as CC often says "I have that spare stomach for desserts". Thankfully this wasn't too filling for us. It reminded me of a creme brulee tart with the creamy custard and the flaky pastry. I don't eat Portuguese tarts very often but I think this dessert is a winner for me.

Pastel de Nata - Portuguese tart ($6.00)

It was interesting leaving the noisy and messy Bayswater Road and entering into the quiet, intimate and leafy Kellett Street. As you walked past, you wouldn't have immediately notice the restaurant from the outside as it looked a bit like a terrace house based on the surrounding buildings. Inside, it was also fairly intimate but we made lots of noise in the restaurant that night due to our crazy antics (thanks sangria!). For those who are not familiar with Portuguese cuisine, I'd say this restaurant has done a decent job in introducing us to a wide selection of traditional dishes from that culture. I'd definitely recommend this restaurant not just because it is perfect as a way to introduce us to Portuguese cuisine but it is just something we barely see around in Sydney. It certainly got me curious all night. And presenting us the bill in a Portuguese passport was a nice and pretty hilarious touch. 

Moving to Portugal LOL

Chiado Restaurant and Wine Bar

50 Murray Street, Pyrmont NSW 2009 (formerly at 3 Kellett St, Potts Point)

(02) 9357 7706

FB page: https://www.facebook.com/BocaLocaRestaurant

Don't forget to enter my AntiOx giveaway to win one of two packs of AntiOx chocolate and snack bars valued at $30!

Product Review & Giveaway: AntiOx Snack Bars and Chocolate

Product talk by Nuffnang

UPDATE: The winners are finally announced! Congrats to Tina@foodfortina and Olivia@Mademoiselle in Sydney for winning the AntiOx prize packs! I'll try to get in contact with you over the next few days on getting your packages or just email me your mailing address to annetran@gmail[dot]com by 31st July 2013. Otherwise we'll have to pick a new winner. Happy snacking!

Hey lovelies! Hungry for the latest restaurant, bar, cafe or foodie trend but you also want to stay fit and healthy? Also are you obsessed with sweets and desserts? Me too! Read on guys :).

I bet you will be wondering what AntiOx really is. You may also be wondering on whether chocolate can ever be considered as something healthy to eat. But seriously...can it?

For those who either know me personally or kept up to date with me on instagram or Twitter, you may know that I have been getting fit. After many many years of delaying action for my weight loss, I finally decided to go to the gym and start eating healthy (sort of). Trying to go on a diet while maintaining this food blog has been incredibly tough especially with so many cool restaurants and bars serving extremely delicious and very unhealthy food (like fried chicken, chips and pasta OMGGG). As of the last 4 months, the weight loss has been surprisingly successful so far. Since it's winter, it has been challenging in trying to stay fit during the colder months and have been falling back into hot comfort food instead of colder salads and wraps but I'm sure when summer arrives, the cold salads will be worth it. 

Before shot: December 2012

After shot: June 2013

Which brings me to this. I love chocolate. Especially dark chocolate. Unfortunately, chocolate has that bad stigma when it comes to dieting and weight loss but it is one of my biggest guilty pleasures. Recently there has been news in fitness magazines and articles about dark chocolate being classified as a superfood full on antioxidents thanks to the amount of cocoa. Daily intake of natural antioxidants including fruits, grains and seeds are essential for your body because it boosts your immune system and will help in fighting free radicals that causes poor health especially in the cold winter weather. AntiOx chocolate and snack bars will take care of giving you that boost of antioxidants with 70% cocoa and superfruits and ancient grains (like acai, goji, chia and quinoa) in the mixture.They are also very delicious and sweet...without artificial sweeteners! While I know some people who don't like dark chocolate due to the taste, I think you have been missing out as it is actually quite good for you (in moderation of course!). 

In fact, AntiOx Chocolate and Snack Bars use Stevia, which is a natural plant-based sweetener. This means that the chocolate used here is actually sugar free and quite light in comparison to other chocolate available in shops. When sampling the AntiOx chocolate, I found it to be quite fruity and you can immediately taste the cocoa as you bite into the piece. It may not be Lindt but it's a naturally sweet and healthier alternative for whenever you get chocolate cravings. AntiOx chocolate is available in two varieties: Acai (this type of berries has more antioxidants than other known berries) and Goji (rich with vitamins especially vitamin C, antioxidants and essential minerals). While this is predominantly dark chocolate, you can taste the Acai/Goji fruits as you chew into each piece. If you're not a fan of green tea but you would like to improve your immune system, you will be happy to know that the amount of antioxidant’s of goji and acai berries combined with the 70% of cocoa in dark chocolate is the equivalent of 12 cups of green tea! Guilt free and happy days!

AntiOx Chocolate - Acai

 

AntiOx Chocolate - Goji

I absolutely loved the snack bars not just because of its dark chocolate coating, but also its fruity berry filling inside similar to a muesli bar. I've been taking these delicious treats to work whenever I get hungry for a morning or afternoon snack. They do have a decent amount of sweetness thanks to the berries packed into the bar but it's all natural. Perfect for a snack to have while you are at work and your stomach starts to rumble. The AntiOx snack bars comes in three flavours: Acai, Goji (see above) and Chia & Quinoa. Both of the Acai and Goji snack bars were full of soft, chewy and flavoursome goodness. The Chia and Quinoa snack bar has more crispy bits like chia seeds and quinoa seeds but it still retains that chewy and fruity texture. The latter is the ideal choice if you would like to have a boost in calcium, protein, iron, fibre, omega-3 and vitamins B and E.

AntiOx Snack Bar - Acai

AntiOx Chocolate - Goji

AntiOx Chocolate - Chia and Quinoa

 

The fruity bits!

Now for some free giveaways!!!

Thanks to Nuffnang and Vitality Brands, there are two (yes two!) prize packs of AntiOx products to giveaway (valued at over $30) to my super lovely and sweet readers. 

Giveaway pack:

6 x AntiOx snack bars and

4 x AntiOx chocolates

When was the last time you got LOTS of freeeeee chocolate? Especially chocolate full of antioxidants?

To enter into this competition, simply answer the following question by leaving a comment below on this post: 

Giveaway question: Why do you want to try the new AntiOx snack bars and chocolate?

Entries are open until Friday 28th June 2013 at 5:00pm AEST so start getting creative with your responses and submit your entries before you miss out!
Remember to include your email address or any preferred contact (Twitter, blog, Facebook etc) so you can be notified if you win one of the prizes. The winner will be decided based on the most creative response by the judges. Please also check the Terms and conditions of giveaway when you enter (don't worry it's not long at all!). 

Unfortunately to my international readers, this competition is open to Australian residents only. Sorry guys :(.

For more info on AntiOx goodies, hit up their AntiOx Facebook page. They are also doing a Winter Snack Bar Giveaway where you can get a free snack bar if you sign up to be a member. You can also find these products in the health food section of supermarkets, health food stores and pharmacies.

Happy and healthy snacking everyone!

Disclaimer: The Random Foodie was provided with samples of AntiOx Snack Bars and Chocolate courtesy of Nuffnang and Vitality Brands. No payment was received. Everything in this post is based on personal opinion and experiences. Especially for the love of chocolate.

Le Pub, Sydney CBD

Back in my uni days, I used to check out Red Eye Records at least once a week at their old King Street store. Next door to Red Eve was St Patricks Tavern, which operated as an Irish pub. Years later, Red Eye Records moved to York Street close to QVB (thankfully still open) while St Patrick's Tavern closed down due to renovations and new management under Gallagher Hotels. In October last year, Le Pub opened in that same spot with a focus on delivering French bistro cuisine. While Le Pub still retained that noisy pub-like atmosphere especially on Friday and Saturday nights (and the pokie room is still there), it was the food that takes the venue up a notch especially after winning the 'Three Schooner' Award at Sydney's Good Pub Food Guide 2013.

While I walk past Le Pub fairly often, it was CC who suggested to check this out one night after seeing the menu. When I saw the logo for Le Pub, it immediately reminded me of the Paris Metro train station logos. When we were given our menus, we were indecisive. Really indecisive. Everything on the menu looks good to try and it didn't help when the waitress said that the Beef Bourguignon pie might be too big and the Confit de Canard (duck leg confit) would be too small. Bonus points for the staff being incredibly patient with our indecisiveness.

When we saw snails on the menu, we knew we had to try these sneaky little buggers. It was a while since I've had snails so there was a slight trouble with getting the snails out of the shell using the metal tongs. They were tasty though I think it really needs more garlic and herb butter so I can dip the toasted baguette bread. I guess for me, the garlic and herb butter was what I like the most when eating snails.We did think that the toasted bread was crustier than what we usually get.

Escargots de Bourgogne - snails, garlic, fresh herb butter and baguette ($15.00)
 

Lamb neck with quinoa and herb crumb sounds fascinating and slightly healthier in my books so after much debating, I decided on this dish. Although one of the lamb pieces needed a bit of effort on the knife; the rest of the dish was quite tender, full of flavour and beautifully presented. Also, the quinoa crumb gives the lamb a crunchier texture. Would have liked it if the quinoa stuck to the lamb instead of falling everywhere on the board but that would be pretty hard.  
 

Collet D'Agneau - lamb neck with quinoa and herb crumb, cauliflower puree, shaved cauliflower and pea salad ($26.00)

After much decision making, CC decided on the seafood dish of Pan fried Barramundi fillet with Potato Dauphinoise, Sous vide onions and Caper Veloute based on the recommendation by the waitress. CC gave this dish a thumbs up for the crunchy and flaky skin and the soft fillet. Personally I am a big fan of green salsas and from what I've tried, it worked well with the barramundi fillet.  

Poisson du Marche ($28.00)

We were quite full but we knew we had to try the desserts from checking out the menu. CC had her eyes on the Pots de Creme and we were definitely pleased with that choice. While it looked like a creme brulee, it didn't have that hard toffee top. The custard was so luscious, sweet and creamy. I wanted to have more of it but that will make me too greedy since I have already ordered another dessert. We were quite puzzled on whether the flowers on the almond praline were edible. Despite that, the crunchy almond praline was perfect to have with the creamy custard. Definitely recommend this dessert.

Pots De Creme - Honey Pots De Creme with Almond Praline ($16.00)

My choice was the Tarte Au Chocolat Cacahuete, which is a chocolate and peanut brittle tart with edible chocolate soil and magic gold dust...yes edible magic gold dust! I loved this dessert as well as it has everything I loved - chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate! It was fun cutting up the tart especially when the knife hits the bottom so you can taste the creamy, rich chocolate mousse with the flaky chocolate and peanut tart. There was so much to take in with this dessert from the chewy nougats to the caramel sauce. I enjoyed mixing everything on this plate together just to excite and test my tastebuds. As for the 'magic gold dust', a highlight for us was when I accidentally blow into the nougat coated with lots of gold dust while I was talking. Soon it was flying everywhere on our plates like Tinkerbell sprinkling lots of dust so we can fly! I tried to blow into it again but it didn't work. Wished we had taken a photo of this.

 

Tarte Au Chocolat Cacahuete ($16.00)

While most of the food didn't seem to be traditionally French (except for the snails of course), it was still delicious for us. I reckon the food was basically French cuisine with a twist - and we loved it. The desserts were a hit for us that night and we're keen on coming back to try the confit duck and the beef bourguignon pie. In fact, we were already talking about coming back here just last week so another visit will definitely be happening soon.

Le Pub
66 King Street, Sydney NSW 2000
(02) 9262 3277
http://www.lepub.com.au/

Bloodwood, Newtown

Back in 2010 when Bloodwood first opened, Newtown was full of Thai restaurants on every corner. Not that it was a bad thing. It does have a lot of charm especially for the locals. A few years later, Newtown has changed rapidly with at least 4 frozen yoghurt franchises opening within 6 months, loads of Mexican restaurants, many shops I've seen from back in my uni days closing down, and a diverse range of new restaurants opening around Newtown. Plus Enmore has looked much busier and more vibrant now than it was 5 years ago. But that's for another day.

Located on the quieter side of King Street at Newtown, the restaurant has a vibrant and noisy atmosphere which gets packed even on weekdays. You often need to wait to get a table since they don't do bookings for groups of less than 8 people. The interior decor of the restaurant has a dark, industrial vibe with light bulbs hanging on strings and even some recycled doors hanging aimlessly from the ceiling. Even the Bloodwood sign was from a recycled door (how did I not notice this?)! We found space in the bar area at the front and ended up eating there while everyone else just used it to wait for the available tables upstairs or in the outdoor courtyard. Unfortunately due to the dim lighting, the photos turned out really dark which was too annoying for us. So sorry about the photos!

In Bloodwood's early days, I used to go here regularly especially for their polenta chips. I think it was because of these chunky polenta chips that you now see it on numerous restaurant/bar/pub menus since then. Seriously, back then it was sooo hard to find this dish on any restaurant menu and now it's everywhere! Of course there's a reason why Bloodwood's polenta chips are the best. They are crispy on the outside but the inside was incredibly soft, fluffy and luscious like marshmallows! it's also not too salty and we detected a hint of parmesan cheese in the polenta chips. It was so good though it also gets you full pretty quickly. I have also noticed that lots of restaurants serve polenta chips with gorgonzola sauce. Not sure why though. I don't mind using it as a dip but it does have a strong, creamy, cheesy taste which stays in your mouth for a while.

Polenta chips with gorgonzola sauce ($9.00)

If there is anything that could sum up Bloodwood's vision, this dish would be one of them. I'd challenge you to find another dish like this elsewhere (but if you do, please let me know :D). It was colourful, well-cooked and made from a combination of seasonal ingredients that you wouldn't expect to work well together. I absolutely loved the incredibly crumbled and crunchy coating of the lamb nuggets which is combined with pistachio nuts so you can detect a nutty taste from the coating. Combining that with the braised, soft lamb inside the coating and you get a winning dish that is perfect for a winter night. I even liked the garnish of sliced radishes on top of the nuggets. I do wish there was more jus on the plate so I can mop it up with the lamb nuggets. 

Braised lamb nuggets, pistachio crumbs, jalapeno, green olive and pickled chilli ($17.00)

More food porn!

Be careful with these little feisty ones. They will blow up your taste buds. I'm serious.

I was intrigued by the words 'confit pork belly' when deciding on what other dish to get. The front staff said that it basically a salad. Since we were looking for something a bit more healthy, we went along with this dish. I enjoyed this dish as it was fresh and full of good veggies which takes away the oil and starch flavours. Personally, I thought that the confit pork bely looks and tastes more like pancetta or bacon but this was definitely not a bad thing at all. Yum. It was fairly spicy from the roasted chilli and CC couldn't handle it after a few bites.

Confit pork belly chips, cucumber, pearl onion, watercress, roast chilli ($21.00)

When I saw this dish, the first thing I thought was hearty, comfort food. Perfect for a cold winter night. The size of this meal was substantial compared to the other dishes on the menu but it was enough for us to share. CC adored this dish so much because the tender, easy to fall apart meat, juicy beetroot and the butter beans took away the spiciness from the last dish. We actually thought the beef reminded us of the Vietnamese beef stew that we were used to having at home all the time (bo kho anyone?). While it may look a bit more plain compared to Bloodwood's other dishes, the taste does matter. Though it was rich from the size of the beef brisket and the overall amount of oil and butter in the dish.

Coorong Angus beef brisket, beetroot, butter beans ($30.00)

We weren't sure on whether to get dessert after all that food but then we asked to see the dessert menu and we knew we had to get something. And after trying this, we were so glad that we got dessert. I'm a big fan of tarts and cakes with a crunchy, biscuit base so this has got the thumbs up for me. Again it was a rich dish from the amount of chocolate but the caramel, peanuts and the banana mousse helped in balancing the flavours of this dish

Chocolate, caramel, peanut torte with banana mousse ($14.00)

The trifle. Oh yes the Bloodwood trifle. You have retro images of the trifle in your head and wonder how this will taste especially with all the ingredients. It looked amazingly neat when it was presented in a wine glass to us. I didn't expect to enjoy this dessert but I really did. It was light, sweet, creamy, fruity and quite chunky like a cold porridge only tastier and combined with the incredibly smooth yoghurt mascarpone. I have noticed that they regularly change the fruit for the trifle based on seasonal availability (this time it was grapes). I especially enjoyed eating the cake bits in the trifle and can even taste the alcohol from the champagne anglaise and the port wine jelly. 

Bloodwood trifle - grapes, pound cake, port wine jelly, champagne anglaise, yoghurt marscarpone ($14.00)

Since the atmosphere was extremely noisy and busy, the service was not as attentive as we would have liked though they were friendly. Despite that, we had a really enjoyable experience and very willing to come back since the menu changes regularly based on seasonal produce. As the food is inspired by the combination of European, Asian and even Modern Australian cuisine, it really goes beyond the usual palates with unusual combinations of various ingredients that you may not see at any other restaurants in Sydney. This is no surprise since the chefs used to work at Claude's, another restaurant renowned for its fusion of European (French) and Asian cuisine. They are also made to share so bring your mates along to try as many dishes as possible.

Bloodwood

416 King Street,Newtown NSW 2042
(02) 9557 7699
http://www.bloodwoodnewtown.com/