Single O CBD Launch Event, Sydney CBD

If you are a CBD worker and a fan of the coffee from Single Origin Roasters but you don't have the time to check out its original Surry Hills cafe and the Botany branch, you will be very pleased to hear that it has now opened its doors on York Street in Sydney CBD. Unlike the other branches, Single O CBD is take away only, although you can chill out in the standing area on the side of the cafe.

Kombucha on tap - finger lime and ginger infused ($4.50)

Regular tea samples were offered at the counter throughout the evening. Apparently, Single O CBD is the first cafe in Sydney to offer the Japanese inspired Kombucha tea and the Cascara coffee cherry tea. While the Kombucha had a sparkling and slightly sweet flavour, the Cascara was bold, deep and intense. For the Single Origin coffee lovers, the cafe is currently serving their Reservoir blend (great with milk-based coffees), plus selected blends from Columbia, Tanzania and Ethiopia as well as the "filter of the week" for something a bit more random.

Sparkling Cascara on tap - coffee cherry tea ($4.50)

All the guests were treated to samples of delicacies that will be on offer at the cafe. My personal faves include their ham, cheese and pickled veg toastie, the mini bacon and egg rolls, braised beef sliders and the espresso buttered banana bread.

"Mr Croque" - leg ham, cheddar bechamel, pickled veg toastie ($11.00)

Avocado, fetta, cherry tomatoes, rye toast ($12.00)

A variation of the "Breakkie box" - poached eggs, flatbread, coriander salad, hummus ($12.00)

Braised beef cheek, pickles, slaw, brioche bun ($15.00)

Bacon roll, red eye mayo, fried egg, tomato apple ketchup ($12.00)

Banana bread, espresso butter ($6.00)

Thanks to the neighbouring bar "The Barbershop", we were also treated to their salted caramel espresso martini. There's a strong sense of coffee in this cocktail with a hint of sweet stickiness from the salted caramel. Sadly this isn't on the menu but I'm pretty sure The Barbershop will be happy to make it for you if you ask.

Salted Caramel Espresso Martini (not available at Single O CBD)

It's quite easy to miss Single O CBD due to its tiny space, but that's what makes hole in the wall cafes special. While the menu is limited, the cafe does all day breakfast, which is a major bonus if you don't have time to stop for a quick breakkie in the morning. My only qualm at this stage is that they do not have skim milk in case that's how you prefer your milk (which rules out nearly everyone at my office). Hopefully it will show up once the cafe settles in its new location. Despite that, it's a great way to discover or rediscover the excellent 3-cup awarded coffee that Single Origin Roasters has to offer in this side of the city.

Disclaimer 1: The Random Foodie attended the Single O CBD Launch Night as a guest. 
Disclaimer 2: The sample serving size of the food in this post does not reflect the actual size of the food served at the cafe. Prices reflect on the full size of the above menu items offered at the cafe.

Single O CBD
89 York Street, Sydney NSW 2000
(02) 9279 2677
Mon-Fri: 6:30am - 4:00pm
 

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)

Original Meatball Company, Sydney CBD

After my visit to The Meatball and Wine Bar in Melbourne, I was looking forward to the meatball trend making its way to Sydney eventually. Sure enough, this has arrived sooner than I expected with opening of The Original Meatball Company (OMC) back in July with lengthy queues of hungry office workers getting excited over free (meat)balls. 

I was greeted at the door by Dominic, who is one of the co-owners of OMC (along with Jay Lyon) and also the former owner of the widely renowned Gelatissimo. While it's interesting seeing him swapping gelato for meatballs, it was lovely speaking with him about his vision of bringing a meatball-dedicated eatery to Sydney after his trip to New York. Although the queues were much less intense than the opening days, it was still quite busy due to the peak lunch hour. The space was small with limited seating so it's usually ideal to grab take-away.

It was cool watching the action of the open kitchen as the staff dishes out lots of meatballs and packing them into the buns with other fillings and sauces. I also got to check out the making of the OMC signature poutine fries with ragu and Parmesan cream sauce. Looks like a guilty pleasure.  

The Yankee ($11.90)

There was so much to try even from the balls on a bun (aka 'Heroes') menu alone especially with the many available fillings. The first dish that I tasted was The Yankee, which contains beef balls, American mustard, ketchup, cheddar cheese, sweet pickles, onion and shredded iceberg lettuce served on a brioche bun. Reminded me of those traditional American hot dogs that you would get on the streets of New York. The beef balls were juicy and tender qhile the overall bun had a zesty, sour and sweet flavour from the many ingredients. Very messy to handle. 

Mamma's Balls ($10.90)

The other dish I tried was the Italian-inspired Mamma's Balls that consists of pork and veal balls with ragu, melted provolone cheese, dressed rocket lead served on a rustic white bun. While there was less ingredients that the Yankee, it was just as tasty with the fragrant pork and veal meatballs, the fresh but strong-flavoured rocket and that damn oozy cheese. 

The Geisha ($10.90)

Sadly, my stomach gave way on my first visit so I returned again recently to try a couple other dishes. If the buns were too much for you to handle especially when you are cutting down carbs, OMC has a generous selection of salad bowls to choose from. Based on the staff recommendation, I decided on The Geisha. This is a Japanese-inspired dish which includes chicken balls with teriyaki sauce, Japanese mayo, cucumber, toasted sesame seeds, served on shredded iceberg lettuce. The chicken balls were tasty and had an interesting flavour from the teriyaki sauce that reminded me of a meaty takoyaki. The salad was quite creamy particularly from the mayo though the lettuce does give an added crunch.

Cookie Crumble Shake: Dark Chocolate Chip Cookie with Milk Chocolate Ice Cream ($5.90)

The one thing I regretted not trying on the first visit was the Cookie Crumble milkshakes. You get the choice of playing mix and match with cookies (dark choc chip, macadamia and white choc chip, sticky date, brandy snap) and ice cream (milk choc, classic vanilla, salted caramel, espresso) for this shake. You also decide on whether you want to get one of each for $5.90, 2 cookies of your choice with one scoop of ice cream  for $6.90, or 3 cookies and 2 scoops of ice cream for $8.90. I played it simple and went with Dark Chocolate Chip cookie with Milk Chocolate ice cream. Very surprised at how much I enjoyed this shake. So thick, creamy and not too sweet with lots of cookie chunks settling at the base that tasted even better when mixed with ice cream. Should try the shake with salted caramel ice cream next time.

While the Meatball and Wine Bar has a bar-like atmosphere that would have been suitable for after work drinks or late night dining, OMC is primarily aimed as a casual lunch spot for those working around the area - though it does open for dinner on Thursday and Friday evenings. The service was quick and friendly from my experience so far and the prices are reasonable since you can get full on one of their dishes alone. It is located on the same block as Baker Bros so you can also grab your coffee while digging into the meatballs whether you are eating at this joint or taking your lunch back to work.

Disclaimer: The Random Foodie dined as a guest of Original Meatball Company, courtesy of Carlii from Carlii Lyons Public Relations. The Random Foodie also made a further visit where The Geisha Salad Bowl and the Cookie Crumble Shake were independently paid for. Opinions are however, my own.

Original Meatball Company
Shop 3, 56-58 York Street, Sydney NSW 2000
(02) 8213 0213
http://originalmeatballcompany.com.au/
Mon-Wed: 9:00am - 4:00pm
Thurs-Fri: 9:00am - 9:30pm

Tapavino, Sydney CBD

Ever been to a restaurant where you had to pay a service fee because you made a large group booking? I know surcharges still exist in some restaurants, bars and cafes for group bookings and Sunday trading. But is it really worth it?

CC and I were looking forward to trying out Tapavino simply because we loved tapas and sangria and the prices didn't look too bad. It was also CC's birthday so tapas, sangria and it's close to the Ivy = winning combination! 

Since it was a Friday night, it was no surprise that the bar was incredibly packed and noisy. Because we already did a booking, we didn't have to wait long to be seated upstairs. The top floor is reserved for those who made a booking while the walk ins are seated at the ground floor. There was a cool and noisy vibe with dark lighting (sorry for the terrible photos), which is great for after work drinks and dinner for those working around the CBD. Initially it was very quiet upstairs but as the night goes on, the floor was busy, packed and cramped for us when we need to go to the restroom. Because there was about 14 of us, we had to go with the set menu of $58 per person (excluding drinks) for groups of 9 people or more. This is a good deal considering the generous selection of 10 Spanish dishes to share on the set menu. 

There was a very extensive selection of wines to choose from. When we looked at the wine menu, there was literally pages and pages (about 30 pages?) of various wines listed including the delightful sherry. As usual, we all decided on a glass of sangria. Unfortunately we could only buy sangria per glass instead of a jug but that didn't bother us at the time. Was fruity but not as strong compared to other sangria drinks in the past.

Sangria ($11 per glass)

We started off with a bowl of warm mixed Spanish olives dosed with olive oil matched with a pickled chilli. While we thought that the olives were a bit salty, they were still addictive for us (me especially) to gobble them up before they disappear. Very pleased with the olives here actually.

Warm Spanish Olives and Padron Pepper ($6.00)

The follow up dish had a rustic texture with the pile of chopped eggplants with a dollop of goat's curd on top. The goat's curd had a strong milky and creamy taste that matched well with the saucy and tangy eggplant and the crispy tostada (which was actually a slice of crusty toasted bread).

Galician-style Eggplant, Goats Curd, Tostado ($14)

I really enjoyed the cow's milk cheese and toasted walnuts in vine leaves with toasted sourdough dish as it was a bundle of surprises. When it came to our table, I thought it was going to be stuffed with rice or assorted veggies. After cutting through, a smother of melted stringy cheese poured out from the vine leaves. I wish I could upload my before shot but it was too blurry. Lovely to have to warm yourself on a cool and windy day.

Goat's cheese and toasted walnuts in vine leaves a la plancha with toasted sourdough ($14)

And if you cannot get enough goat cheese, there is yet another dish coming up. But oh my god that jamon serrano! I could eat jamon all day and still won't get sick of it. The beetroot complemented well with the cheesy and creamy goats curd with the extra laer of flavour and texture. I could see this dish being perfect with a few slices of Will certainly come back to try the many other jamon dishes on Bar Jamon section of the A La Carte menu especially the one with the mushroom and black truffled tart with shaved manchego and the 'Pata Negra' jamon iberico.

Jamon Serrano, baby Beetroot and Goat's Curd ($18)

We were getting a meaty and goat cheese overload so we were relieved to see fresh seafood dish like the one below. It was actually the highlight dish for most of us thanks to the light, soft and refreshing tuna seasoned with the zesty, crushed almond and the sherry dressing. I think a few of us felt a tad tipsy because of the sherry dressing at this point (or the sangria was catching up to us). Definitely a dish I would recommend at this wine bar. 

Yellow Fin Tuna 'Cruda', crushed spiced almonds and sherry dressing ($22.00)

By this point we were already getting full and we are still only halfway through the menu! Thank goodness for shared plates! The first look of this dish took me back to my trip to Barcelona where I saw so many similar looking dishes with familiar flavours and ingredients. The braised chicken was so soft that in falls apart as you bite into the meat. Due to the tomato salsa and the pimenton mayo, the flavour for the dish was tangy but not too overwhelming for the taste buds. Can definitely imagine having this dish somewhere in Spain right now.

I love anything with salsa verde so having this and a squeeze of lemon with a rather substantial-sized beef short-rib made it easier for us to chow down our servings. Very tender and flavoursome. 

Braised Beef Ribs with Salsa Verde ($28.00)

I do love a good fennel salad especially after all the meat and cheese. There were bits of manchego scattered on this plate but the fennel was that light touch that we really needed. 

Shaved Fennel, Mint and Manchego Ensalada (about $10.00)

I was initially excited about this rich and dense dessert because I love chocolate but the salty and olive oil taste were too weird and strange for us to enjoy. And I liked savoury chocolate such as mole poblano. Probably good to try if you want to have something more unusual for your dessert.

Chocolate Terrine, Olive Oil and Salt Flakes ($12.00)

Thankfully, our other dessert was a crowd pleaser. Loved the light and sweet taste delivered from the strawberries. It also had a creamy texture which was matched with the crunchy macademia nut. Some of us were not too keen to share this dessert at all. 

Macademia Nut, Crema de Flan, Strawberries ($10.00)

Now everything went reasonably smoothly until it came to the bill. For group bookings at Tapavino, you need to pay an 8% service charge on top of the total bill which is mentioned on the Bookings page on the website. Personally, I don't mind paying the service fee however the issues that got up our sleeve was that apart from the friendly front of house wait staff looking after the bookings and tables, the rest of the service experience was average and not too friendly to us on the night. Plus we weren't even allowed to have the birthday cake inside the restaurant due to restaurant policy. So to pay $58 per person for the set menu because of our large group plus an 8% service fee is a lot of money to spend especially since drinks are not included. 

Despite the service and the shock from the service fee, we all still enjoyed the food here. Tapavino was actually mentioned as one of the more affordable places to eat around the CBD (with a mention in the 2014 Good Food Under $30 guide) but I would say that it actually is cheaper if it was a small group sharing a good number of plates since there would be no surcharge. We all had a really good time because of the incredibly tasty Spanish food. In fact, I thought it was one of the better Spanish restaurants that I have experienced. I wouldn't make a group booking here but I will still come back to try the food on the main menu and a few glasses of wine with a smaller group for a catch up or after work drinks.

So tell me readers: have you ever paid a service fee/surcharge when you dined at a restaurant, cafe or bar? How was the overall experience if you had to pay for that?

Tapavino
6-8 Bulletin Place, Sydney NSW 2000
(02) 9247 3221
http://www.tapavino.com.au/
Mon-Fri: 12:00pm - 11:30pm

The Crisp, Sydney CBD

When I used to work closer to Museum station, it was easier for me to have lunch at some of the slightly cheaper food courts and surrounding restaurants that were closer to Haymarket and Chinatown. One of the food courts that was located in the Museum and Lower Town Hall Station side of the city was the extremely hidden Telstra food court. Even if you walk past 1000 times, you still wouldn't know unless you happen to work around the area and needed a short cut when you are rushing back from lunch. That's how I originally found out that this food court exist when my former colleague and I were trying to find lunch close to work. Back then the shops at this food court didn't seem to interest us at the time so we walked elsewhere. 

Fast forward to a few months ago when I received an invite to try the new burger joint at this same food court. Since I haven't been working in this area for a while, it was quite hard to find this food court again. Also it was pretty far from where I work now so it was even more harder for me to get the chance to try out the food especially since it's only open on weekdays for breakfast and lunch only. Plus it closes over the Christmas break so it's definitely catering for the office workers in the vicinity. Looking at the menu, the food sounds tasty and cheap. It also promoted itself to be the "healthiest, naughtiest and tastiest", which is intriguing. Healthy burgers really?

  
Judging by the lunchtime crowd standing in front of this stall, the food must be pretty good. The breads were sourced from the Sonoma Bakery Company which has got me very keen cos those guys really do make really yummy, freshly made bread. Even though I ordered a burger combo I have noticed that everyone was ordering salads here, which looked really delicious. The salad were also much quicker to make compared to the burgers, which took about 15 minutes to be ready.

Sonoma Bread

Gotta love chips that have a crunchy outer texture and fluffy potato inside. The servings were It was so addictive that I gobbled them up very quickly. Can't recall if there was sauce available but I reckon it would be amazing to dip these crunchy morsels into one of those condiments. 

Chips ($3.00)

Yes I know I should have ordered a salad or a sandwich but all of the burger options look so tempting and delicious that I gave into the guilt. The burger options were split into 'Classic Burgers'  ($8.00) and 'Crisp Burgers' ($9.00) with fries and/or drink combo depending on your preference. You even get a choice of bread for your bun including white, rye, brioche or wholemeal. I opted for the rye after seeing the dark colour of the bun (I always wanted to try something different hehe). 

The Crisp Burger ($9.00 for burger, $11.00 with chips, $12.50 with chips and drink)

After much pondering I eventually chose the Crisp burger which was recommended by the Crisp staff. Seriously there are so many different options for wagyu burgers at this joint, it's crazy. The serving size was generous, moreish, filling and messy to handle at one sitting. The rye bun was fresh, soft and fluffy, which was what I really loved in this burger. While it wasn't healthy, the wagyu beef was juicy and worked well together with the stakcs of lettuce and melted vintage cheese. While it was hard to pick up the whole burger without everything falling apart, it satisfied my hunger and got me full enough to last the rest of the day.

The Crisp Burger - seasoned wagyu beef pattie, lettuce, tomato, aged vintage cheddar, balsamic onion marinade and herb aioli

If you are trying to find the healthier aspect of the company's slogan, you get to make your own salads from $6.00 or choose from the pre-made salads available on the menu for only $9 or $10.50 if you want to get a drink as well for a salad combo. You can also get sandwiches which were priced between $6-$8. 
 

While it felt rushed especially with the lunchtime crowd, I wouldn't mind ordering more food from Crisp if I was working much closer. If only it opened for dinner or even on weekends. The prices are cheap and the food satisfied my hunger especially with the servings. It was so delicious that when I was eating some leftovers at work, my colleagues were getting cravings from the smell alone. Will come back to try the salads since nearly everyone was ordering them while I was waiting for my food (gotta be health conscious right guys?). 

Disclaimer: The Random Foodie dined as a guest of The Crisp. Opinions remain personal.

The Crisp
Telstra Plaza, 324-330 Pitt Street
Sydney NSW 2000
0416 545 343 (if you want to pre-order before 12:30pm)
http://www.thecrisp.com.au/
Breakfast: Mon-Fri 8:00am - 11:00am
Lunch: Mon-Fri 11:00am - 2:30pm