Vic's Meat Market at Sydney Fish Market, Pyrmont

Happy 2015 readers! How fast has the last year flown? Too quickly right? Still doesn't feel like the new year for me. Anyways, friends would know that no matter how many times I attempt to be a vegetarian, I would always be a meat lover at heart. So I was super excited when I first heard that Vic's Meat Market is coming to Sydney Fish Market. 

Coming from the same company as the renowned Victor Churchill, Vic's Meat Market has a butchery and an American-inspired smoked meat house (known as Kong's Cave) in one space. The fit out of the venue was similar to a canteen with limited seating and various ingredients laid out separately (similar to Subway and Mad Mex) so you can watch the staff member preparing the food before it gets into your mouth. During one of my lunch breaks, I made a quick (albeit very rushed) visit to check out the delicious sandwiches that they offer.

Pulled Pork Sandwich ($10.00)

While I love pulled pork, there have been a few moments where it can be a let down mainly because of its dryness. However this time, I was blown away by how amazing it tasted. So much flavour especially with the tender and shredded pulled pork and copious amounts of barbecue sauce complemented with the mustard pickle slaw. I have to say that this is probably the best pulled pork sandwich/burger I've ever had around Sydney! 

Beef Brisket Sandwich ($10.00)

After seeing other customers ordering the beef brisket sandwich, I knew I had to give this a go too. Just like the pulled pork sandwich, I was equally blown away by the beef brisket. The brisket was thick, juicy and fatty that melts in your mouth so easily at each bite you take. The best was digging into the crisp yet juicy fatty bits at the end of the beef...so bad but oh my gawd it's too damn good not to resist. It's just how it should be. In both sandwiches, the bun was slightly sweet yet consistently light, soft and fluffy. 

If sandwiches aren't your thing, Vic's Meat Market also has ribs and smoked chicken wings to satisfy your hunger. Pricing was generally pretty affordable if you order the sandwiches, burgers and chicken wings (ranging $8.00-$10.00) however if you get the ribs, that will set you back at least $25.00. The food gets prepared very fast so I was able to get here and back to work in less than 45 mins (including waiting for the tram) while checking out the scenery. While I was busy rushing back to work, check out the butcher next door for a good dose of meat shopping. Had a quick look while I was there and I almost didn't want to leave after seeing all the meaty goodness. If you are not a vegetarian (sorry vegetarians), it's a great place for a quick bite if you happen to be around the Fish Markets area. Looking forward to making a few more visits just for those sandwiches again. 

Vic's Meat Market
Sydney Fish Market
Bank Street, Pyrmont NSW 2009
(02) 8570 8570
http://www.vicsmeatmarket.com.au/
Butchery: Mon-Sun: 8:00am - 5:00pm
Kong's Cave Smokehouse: Mon-Sun: 10:00am - 3:00pm (or until sold out)

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!

The Little Snail, Pyrmont

Many apologies for my recent lack of action on The Random Foodie. Over the last month, I have finally started my diet (low carb...no pasta *cries*) and I have also started my full time job in the heart of the city. Not to mention daily trips to the gym near where I live straight after work! So yes, life has been one crazy rollercoaster for me.

Back in Year 8, I used to study French whereby we were supposed to be on an excursion to The Little Snail like many year groups before us. For some weird reason, we never got the chance to dine there. Since then, I was keen on checking this place out whenever I get the chance though it does seem to be on the more expensive scale. Finally, a friend decided to have her birthday dinner at this restaurant. Amazingly, it has been around since 1966! This is interesting to know considering the many recent restaurant closures over the past 12 months.

The weather was absolutely terrible that day - and by terrible I mean it was notoriously hot in the early-mid 40s and then extremely cold and windy in the evening. So going inside after a worse than horrible public transport experience was a mighty relief. It certainly has a romantic atmosphere with the dim lighting, elegant decor, that intriguing spiral stairs and you have the choice of seating in the top or bottom level. We went with the 3-course dinner for $59 option as it is a really good deal especially when you compare some of the dishes with the individual A La Carte prices. 

The majority of us chose to have snails for the entree dish. I shared a couple with others since there was so many snails on the table. The snails tasted similar to the ones in France which is pretty good and I definitely enjoyed having it with the garlic butter sauce. While some weren't too keen on the idea of eating snails for the first time, I would be glad to eat all the snails after trying a couple as it does a good job in making it well cooked and not too chewy. Had I ordered this dish, I also would have gladly dunked the bread into that garlic sauce until it's gone.

Escargot de Bourgogne

Because there was so much I wanted to try from the entrees menu, I went with something different from the majority. Upon seeing the word 'crab', I ended up choosing the Boulette de Fruits de Me (Salmon prawns and blue swimmer crab, steamed, served on tomato and chervil veloute). I thought it tasted too creamy for my liking and the salmon has overpowered the rest of the dish that I could barely taste the crab. 

Boulette de Fruits de Mar

 Not sure how French this dish really is. But the calamari does look pretty tasty. The friend who had this dish seemed to enjoy it.

Salt and Pepper Squid

I found it interesting that this was listed under Entrees. Anyway, the friend who had this dish opted for a main size version but I always found Bouillabaisse to be a reasonably sized meal. From what I've tried, it was quite tangy and zesty and the bread is very useful to scoop up that lovely soup. Will definitely recommended this for a future visit.

Bouillabaisse de Marseille

 I wasn't too sure about the idea of eating kangaroo meat but some of us were keen to try it. This did look appetising and got the thumbs up by my fellow diners. They also said that the kangaroo meat was soft and tender to their liking. The garlic pommes (potato) puree mixed with the honey bordelaise sauce would have surely been the highlight for me.

Kangaroo fillet on garlic pommes purée with Dijon mustard and honey bordelaise sauce 

I love my lamb and I needed some spinach into my diet so this sounds like something I want to try. While the presentation of sliced lamb piled neatly like dominos was appealing, the lamb seemed to be a little bit tough when I ate it. Not as tender as I would have liked. This did not deter me from the dish as it tasted really good with the jus. The thyme jus seems to have a heavy texture which worked well with the meat, greens. I also enjoyed the thinly-sliced potatoes which were cooked just right as it wasn't too hard but it definitely wasn't too soft either.

Loin of lamb with wilted baby spinach, maple glazed pommes boulangères & thyme jus

Yay desserts! When my friend ordered the Handmade Profiteroles with creme patisserie and mint chocolate sauce, the first thought I had was a croquembouche tower full of profiteroles. Of course, it was presented as a single profiterole on a bed of mint chocolate sauce, topped with cream and a pretty little chocolate garnish. Did not try this but it looked quite creamy when my friend was trying it out. I seriously wanted that dish mainly for that chocolate ganache alone haha.

Handmade Profiteroles with crème patisserie and mint chocolate sauce

I went with the Chef-churned Hazelnut and Praline Ice Cream which I find to be quite divine. The ice cream has a sweet and crunchy texture from the hazelnut and praline combined with the shortbread base. It is then topped with the sticky Grand Marnier caramel toffee, which adds to the presentation. The taste is quite rich but the delightful combination of creamy, smooth and crunchy ingredients has made this as one of the highlights of my dinner. My only minor issue was cutting through the biscuit but in the end it still tasted good especially when combined with the ice cream. 

Chef-churned Hazelnut and Praline Ice Cream

Overall, the dinner was very enjoyable for everyone. Some of the food didn't seem too French compared to other French restaurants I've been to. In fact there were a few I've spotted on the other tables that seems to belong to a Modern Australian restaurant. But if they've been around for 45+ years, then they must have been doing something good to keep going strong till this day. I am pleased that I have finally got the chance to try out The Little Snail after so long and it does have its charm with its statues and the classy vibe. More importantly, there were some dishes that I am keen to try at my next visit - especially those snails. 

The Little Snail
50 Murray Street
Pyrmont NSW 2009
(02) 9212 7512
http://www.thelittlesnail.com.au/

Adriano Zumbo Patissier, Pyrmont

Zumbo does not need much of an intoduction unless you are not a fan of sweets or macarons. His new concept store at The Star is no exception to what he can do. It is more convenient than trekking all the way to Balmain, Rozelle or Manly and it opens til late which is even better for those who cannot wake up early in the morning on weekends like myself. It is also more spacious than the stores in Rozelle and Balmain which means less lines and more space to walk around. This patissier also looks very pretty with the neon lights, space-like decor. Today's occasion was my belated bday outing with L as well as her end of uni celebrations (congrats babe!!!).


In the patissier room opened from 11am, his cakes are on display in lamp-shaped jars for everyone to check out all of his works. There is also a section of the patisserie dedicated to his macarons where each flavour is sealed inside an a glass case similar to the ones you would use in an emergency situation

Also from 6pm, this store opens its other room containing the dessert train where different dessert dishes including his infamous macarons glide along and we can select what we want to have on the train. Kinda like a sushi train.

During our visit, we've seen some of his creative works

Decorand fondant

Pecanne

Some of the wild and wacky:

Snowmanorr

Whizz fizz

Some of the funniest:

Man goes peanuts...

And some that made you go whaaaat?


We all know that pictures tell a thousand words so here's what we have checked out at Zumbo. Caution: epic sugar cravings may occur after seeing these photos. You have been warned.

Dessert train menu

Citron tart

Passionfruit tart

Can't remember :(

I think this one is the hazlenut dacquoise

Macarons or "Zumborons" (clockwise from left: cola, salted caramel and milo)

√ caramel

Chocolate coffee brulee

More zumborons! (coconut, passionfruit & tonka bean, watermelon and orange)

Chocolate namelaka

Limited edition Christmas zumborons

The macaron has a softer texture and literally melts in your mouth!

And let's not forget this...

I didn't get a good photo of the inside of the V8 cake but the many layers turned this cake into a sensational feast for your tastebuds!

Adriano Zumbo Patissier
Shop 1, Cafe Court, The Star
80 Pyrmont Street, Pyrmont
http://adrianozumbo.com/