Work in Progress, Sydney CBD

I do love a good pop-up but sometimes you forget about it and then it's gone. It's even harder trying to go through the entire menu before the pop up close its doors. So imagine my relief when I heard that Patrick Friesen's (Papi Chulo) pop-up restaurant at Work in Progress has extended beyond the initial duration of March into Merivale. While it's still temporary for the time being, who knows what would happen in the long term. Just look at Cafe Paci (and I STILL haven't been there!).

Pork and Prawn Wontons, strange flavour, Sichuan pepper ($12.00, 4pc) 

The cuisine served at Work in Progress has a fusion of various Asian cuisines with a modern twist with a strong emphasis on their signature Korean fried chicken (more on that later). It also operates as a noodle bar with a small selection of Modern Chinese dishes. One of these was the Pork and Prawn wontons, which was offered as a snack. It was slightly spicy thanks to the Sichuan pepper and the "strange flavour" sauce which seems to have a bit of soya sauce, spices and peanuts among its many ingredients. While the silky wontons were slippery to handle, they were plump, firm and juicy to demolish before the main dishes arrive. The only downside was that the price for $12 for 4 pieces seemed quite steep especially when you can get double the amount for cheaper at other dumpling establishments. 

Shallot Pancake ($6.00)

While the shallot pancake was half the price of the dumplings, it was actually much more filling so the value for money in this dish was pretty damn good. You can easily get full on this dish if you order it for yourself. While it was nice to dig into the crispy thin layers of pastry, it was too salty than how I preferred. 

Curried Wagyu Brisket Lo Mien ($16.00)

Initially a limited time only dish, the Curried wagyu brisket lo mien noodles was upgraded to permanent menu status due to popular demand especially in the foodie scene (sadly the snow crab tobiko lo mien noodles had to be removed as well. Why not keep both? :p). Gotta say that I'm really glad that this dish is now on the menu. The egg noodles were a tad thicker, which was how I liked my egg noodles even though it's harder to find compared to the thinner variation. Plus the wagyu beef was amazingly soft, tender and the broth was rich, creamy and flavoursome. Would definitely order this again.

Sichuan Duck and Tofu Lo Mein ($16.00)

Speaking of thin noodles, this popular variation can be found on the other noodle bar dishes in this limited menu. It was quite spicy but still bearable enough especially if you want a bit of heat from this crazy weather lately (urghhh). Generous serving size too.

Combo #88 - Half n Half Fried Chicken: ginger nuoc cham, and chilli with peanuts ($18.00)

And now for that crispy fried chicken! At 8 pieces, this was surprisingly easy to devour if you are super hungry and this was the only dish you order for yourself on the night. It also came with a side dish of pickled daikon and kim chi, which ended up being handy once you need more than just fried chicken in your mouth. The chilli chicken with peanuts was sticky, sweet and slightly spicy, though it was easier to manage and also milder than the one I had at NaruOne. While the ginger nuoc cham fried chicken looked insatiably crispy, there wasn't too much of that earth shattering crunch that I was hoping to expect in the batter after looking at countless photos. Despite that, the chicken was well cooked, juicy and still crispy enough to devour the entire plate.

This is a restaurant that I would often find myself after work, whether it's for the food or a drink from their extensive cocktails and wine menu. Since it is a Merivale venture, it's no surprise that the prices were on the more expensive side. With its limited range of food options on the menu, it's an ideal place to get a large group of friends or colleagues together to share and try the entire menu in one sitting. 

Work in Progress
50 King Street, Sydney NSW 2000
(02) 9240 3000
http://merivale.com.au/wipbar
Mon-Fri: 12:00pm - 3:00pm, 6:00pm - 10:00pm (Bar: 12:00pm - late)

Papi Chulo, Manly

Ever been to a restaurant where you really want to eat everything off the menu? If you stomach can handle it of course. That was how I felt when I finally made the ferry trip to Manly to check out Merivale's first North Shore restaurant, Papi Chulo, for a food blogger gathering. On a relatively sunny afternoon (which ended up being horrendously windy later on), I met up with Irene's Getting Fat, iFat Food Chronicles, Nessy Eater, Polyphagia, A Swoonful of Sugar and Milkteaxx to try as many meaty dishes as we could handle. Also we bumped into the girls from Next Stop Food and Journey From Within who were celebrating a birthday at a nearby table.

If you prefer public transport over driving, you can literally get to this restaurant a mere moments after leaving the ferry wharf. Tremendous scenery of the beach side which would be perfect for a nice sunny day. When I got inside, I was immediately stunned at how packed the restaurant really was a 12:30pm. We were seated very close to the kitchen so we could perve check out some of the delicious dishes getting delivered to the tables

El Mani ($8.00)

While I did not get the chance to try this drink, the others said that this blend of chocolate sauce, caramel peanut butter and vanilla ice cream was quite rich, creamy and incredibly sweet.  I was particularly drooling at the chocolate biscuits floating on top. Looks nice to have on a warm day.

Smoked Hot Wings with Comeback Sauce ($16.00)

I usually have don't have a huge reaction when it comes to chicken wings but oh my gawd these hot wings were absolutely incredible! The skin was crisp and golden while the meat was well-cooked to our liking. It was no wonder why this was so popular with everyone at the table. And that comeback sauce! While it wasn't too spicy, it still had that zesty, smokey, chipotle-esque kick which excites your taste buds. No surprise that I was keen to use this sauce on everything.

Curly Fries ($9.00)

I do love a good serving of curly fries. We don't see these babies enough around Sydney. The fries were very crunchy and seasoned with various spices though given its heavy carb content and the amount of food coming up, I didn't eat too much of it. Great to share and perfect with that amazing comeback sauce!

Smoked Wagyu Brisket - 300gm ($34.00)

Sure enough, we all fell silent the moment this gorgeous piece of meat showed up at our table. Gotta admit, the food delivery was incredibly fast with many dishes showing up at the same time. Seriously though, look at the marbling on that smoky beef! So soft, tender and ridiculously juicy, it makes you want to drool all over the table. I'm speechless as I'm writing this actually. Just look at that photo!

Papi Chulo BBQ Platter ($86.00 - serves 2-4 people)

Just when you can't get enough of beef brisket, we ordered even more of this cut as well as a sample of different types of meat in this restaurant's signature BBQ platter. This includes a half rack of lamb ribs and 150gm each of wagyu brisket, chopped pork and pork belly served with pickles and soft bread. The lamb ribs were very tasty and easy to cut through. It also didn't have that strong taste that seems to turn some people off lamb...well I didn't think it was strong but that's me. You just can't help but feel the happiness when the meat fell off the bone so quickly. The pork belly was succulent fatty goodness that melts in your mouth. Even though there's a thick slab of fat, it's a total guilty pleasure especially with its incredible softness and the seasoned flavour. And that chopped pork (I think it's pulled pork? Looks like it) is sooooo addictive! Had a sweet, saucy and tangy taste that keeps me getting more than my share especially when it came down to leftovers.

Papi Chulo Burger - grain fed beef, bacon, American cheese, tomato, lettuce, pickles, soft bun ($18.00)

By the time the Papi Chulo burger showed up, most of us were feeling full from all the meaty goodness. I was still ok by this point so I grabbed my share. The beef patty had that medium-rare pinkish colour as we attempt to split the burger to share. While this did not stand out compared to the other dishes - most likely because we were too full, I still loved that crispy bacon as well as the soft (though filling) bun.

Plate of colourful pickles and other veggies

If you are getting meat sweats just by reading this post, fear not. We also got a complimentary plate of colourful pickles and other assorted veggies which came with the meat platter. While they were quite sour, they were a nice relief from all the meats, carbs and fatty oils that we have eaten so far. 

Smoked Wagyu Brisket Sandwich - spicy celery pickle, caramelised onion, horseradish mayo, fried egg, soft bun ($18.00)

M arrived late when we finished nearly everything so she ordered a smoked wagyu brisket sandwich (which looked very much like a burger). Although we couldn't eat anymore savoury food, we cannot help but feel the food envy at the layers of beef brisket and egg in that burger. Could only imagine how good this would have tasted.

Pear and Rhubarb Cobbler, Ginger Crumble, Creme Anglaise, Orange and Ginger Ice-Cream ($14.00) 

Just when you and I thought that we have given up, think again. There is still that mysterious favourite room for dessert. Three desserts actually. Yeah we couldn't decide so we tried them all to share. The pear and rhubarb cobbler was warm and not too sweet or sour. While there was a decent amount of creaminess due to the creme anglaise and ginger ice cream, it was combined with the ginger crumble and chunks of pear and rhubarb. Compared to the other desserts, this was lighter with well-balanced flavours and textures which was why this was a favourite sweet dish for pretty much everyone at the table.

Banana Split - fresh split banana, chocolate fudge, peanut praline, banana ice cream, peanut butter ice cream, cherry jam, whipped cream, glace cherry ($14.00)

The banana split especially at a restaurant like Papi Chulo would certainly bring out your inner child. With all that creaminess from the peanut butter and banana ice creams and the whipped cream, it was certainly a decadent and rich dessert. The fresh bananas, chocolate fudge and crumbled peanut praline added a good amount of crunch to what was otherwise an intense creamy dessert. 

Warm Chocolate Chip Cookie with vanilla malt ice cream, butterscotch sauce, macademia brittle ($14.00)

Personally I really loved the above dessert mainly due to my preference towards anything sweet involving softly baked chocolate chip cookies. This was rich and very sweet due to the amount of chocolate, the indulging scoop of melting vanilla malt ice-cream and the thick and warm butterscotch sauce but the softness of the cookie won me over instantly. Plus that crumbled macademia brittle made it even more addictive for me. Would order this again next time especially on a cool day.

While we clearly had our fill for lunch, there was still so much more that I want to try from the menu. Especially the cuban sandwich, the pea guacamole, those potatoes and gravy (and bone marrow!) or even get my hands on one of the smoked BBQ meats again. The vibe was incredibly busy and the service seemed prompt and attentive to our needs. One of my very few qualms was the pricing since it generally leaned toward the more expensive side. Though this is standard for most Merivale restaurants. If only Manly was closer for me to get to because I could definitely see myself making regular visits to try everything on the menu especially for birthdays, farewells and other special occasions.

Papi Chulo
22-23 Manly Wharf, Manly NSW 2095
(02) 9240 3000
http://merivale.com.au/papichulo/
Mon-Fri: 12:00pm - 10:30pm
Sat: 11:30am - 10:30pm
Sun: 11:30am - 9:00pm

March into Merivale 2014 Launch Night, Sydney CBD

It's that time of the year again when there are so many food festivals to check out that your tummy will explode. I know mine is right now. At this time of the year there will be NSW Food and Wine Festival, the newly launched ArgyleXchange Festival, Bars March, Taste of Sydney and March into Merivale. Can you feel your stomach going mad right now? This is of course about the March into Merivale launch which was the start of countless special deals and food events happening from 12 February to 11th April 2014.

The weather wasn't as great especially later in the evening but that didn't damper our spirits. There was so much good food and drinks to enjoy. As always, the festival was incredibly packed that it was hard to move around and the queues for some of the stands can be notoriously long and insane. Due to the lack of seating areas, you also had to stand up eating, which can be messy.

This year's theme is 'Born to Cook' featuring kiddie versions of Merivale chefs including the likes of Dan Hong, Jeremy Strode and Peter Doyle in the festival booklet (sooooo cute!!!). This theme is inspired by personal childhood foodie memories recounted by the Merivale chefs, which you can read about in the booklet.

At the launch night if you need to top up your tokens card, you pay $35 for 8 tokens or $15 for 3 tokens. One of the changes that I really loved at this year's launch was that most dishes this year only costed 1 token. There were a few larger dishes that were 2 tokens but most of them decreased to 1 token at the later hours of the night so keep an eye out for that next year.

This year, March into Merivale Launch Night has also seemed to incorporate Saturday night's Pacha club night into their live entertainment with dancers entertaining the crowd in the main room. There were also DJs and street musicians entertaining diners across the venue.

Of course there were heaps of delicious food to same throughout the evening. Most of them were really packed so it was a struggle taking photos in that crowd. Unfortunately many of the photos didn't turn out too well. 

Ash Street Cellar

Chicken and beef empanada

Cuban Sandwich

Kingfish Ceviche

The Beresford Hotel

Half Shell Scallops, Caper and Horseradish, Lemon Butter 

Preparing the seared tuna

Seared Tuna, Brown Rice, Vegetable Salad

Gnocchi, Roast Lamb Shoulder Ragu, Parsley and Parmesan

Bistrode CBD

House smoked Salmon, Melba Toast and Pepe Saya Creme Fraiche 

Suckling Pig

El Loco

Secret Taco

Black Bean Queso Fresco and Huilacoche Quesadilla

Kingfish Tostada

Est

Yellow Box Honey Mousse, Fresh Figs, Orange Caramel and Honeycomb

Felix

Herb-crusted Lamb Shoulder, Slow Cooked Tomato and Caramelised Onion - FAVE

The Fish Shop

Poached Salmon, Beetroot, Cos and Boiled Egg Salad

Fish n Chips

Ivy Poolclub

Margherita Pizza (San Marzano Tomatoes, Buffalo Mozzarella, Basil)

Merivale Events and Desserts

Macaron Tower 

8-Hour Smoked Pastrami 

Mr Wong

Scallops with Ginger and Shallot Dressing

Duck Spring Roll 

Scallop and Prawn Shu Mai Dumpling

Salt and Pepper Lamb Cutlet

Ms G's

Mini Snow Crab Tostada with Green Papaya, Guacamole and Chilli and Lime Dressing - FAVE

Palings

Chicken and Avocado Salad, Pickled Cucumber, Watercress, Cashews and Chilli Oil

Sticky Lamb Rib, Grilled Tomato and Fennel Salad

Pumpkin, Pea and Parmesan Arancini with Aioli

Bert's Mini Beef Pie with House-made BBQ Sauce - FAVE

I didn't end up taking any pics of the food at the Papi Chulo stand but this newest Merivale restaurant from Manly delivered some delicious American-style food such as pulled pork shoulder and slaw roll and smoked hot wings.

Sushi E

Whole Yellow Fin Tuna - 3 Ways: Sashimi, Sushi Roll and Nigiri, Ceviche 

Uccello

Pork Belly Rolls

One of the most notoriously packed stands was Lorraine's Patisserie because seriously who doesn't love desserts? And yes they really were worth the wait and the messy queues.

Macademia and Salted Caramel Chocolate Tart - FAVE

Lime and Strawberry with White Chocolate Ice Cream (can't remember the actual name but CC really loved this!) - FAVE

With more than 60 events happening for March into Merivale 2014, you better book fast because they do sell out very quickly. Check out the $33 meal deals happening in the duration of the festival at all of their venues including the 3-star Est. 

Here's some of my top picks for this year (in random order):
1. Just Desserts presented by Foxtel's Lifestyle Food - featuring dessert stations from Mr Wong, Ms G's, est and Lorraine's Patisserie. If you saw the crazy queues at Lorraine's Patisserie stand or you have tried the desserts at the other restaurants, you know how epic this will be. 
2. European Laneway - twilight street festival held on Ash Street laneway. Similar to the launch event where you receive tokens to sample various dishes.
3. Things on Sticks - kid-friendly event for food on sticks. Also check out the menu for a Merivale favourite ;)
4. Hands on activities including the Taco Challenge (if you are up for a food eating competition), Mixology 101 (cocktail masterclass) and Mozza-making (learn how to make burrata and mozzarella)!
5. Generation Next with Gourmet Traveller - trying out the dishes made by upcoming chefs from across Australia. $10 per ticket goes to the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation.
6. Where There's Smoke - if you want to try Papi Chulo but Manly is a trek for you and you love your meat. In partnership with Palings, Papi Chulo is heading across the bridge to let you sample their renowned meat dishes. 
7. Spanish Inquisition - exploring regional Spanish cuisine with Peter Doyle of Est
8. Fiesta El Loco - a fiesta event consisting of Mexican food, markets, live music, tequila and margaritas.

You better hurry before it ends on 11 April 2014. Happy wining and dining everyone!

Disclaimer: The Random Foodie attended March into Merivale 2014 as a guest of Merivale. Opinions remain personal.

For more info on March into Merivale events and special deals, go to http://merivale.com.au/