Movida Sydney, Surry Hills

Those who know me will know that one of the cuisines I've had a soft spot since this blog's beginnings has been Spanish food. I could go for pintxos and tapas any day now. So it's no surprise that I've been dreaming on having a lovely Spanish feast at Movida Sydney ever since I heard that owner, Frank Camorra first announced its opening in Surry Hills a few years ago. Although it has been a while since it first opened, it was still quite busy especially later in the week. Since this visit occurred on a Wednesday evening, CC and I managed to snag a table without any trouble. 

Sangria ($26.00 for small jug)

This visit happened just after I started my new job in Pyrmont so this calls for a celebration. And sangria as always. We decided to get a jug to share between the to of us. Definitely one of the better sangria drinks I've had. Wasn't too strong but certainly fresh and fruity.

Bread and Spanish olive oil

We started off with a good serving of sourdough bread. While CC didn't eat much of the bread (saving her stomach for the other dishes), I was happy enough to divulge into the fluffy bread and dip it into the olive oil. So simple yet so addictive. My waistline will hate me for this. Usually it's complimentary but at the time, they were doing the Bread for Change initiative where the bread was charged for an extra $1.00.  

Anchoa ($4.80 each)

The Artisan Cantabrian Anchovy with Smoked Tomato Sorbet was one that I've been keen to try before coming to the restaurant and is also one of Movida's signature dishes. We didn't think it would work well together but it actually did. Who would think that a dollop of chilled, savoury tomato sorbet spread across the salty anchovy and cracker would make quite a pair?

Mejillones con Esparragos ($22.50)

The Steamed Mussels with Iberico Jamon and Asparagus was one of the specials available on the night we were there. CC was especially keen on trying this from the moment she spotted this on the specials menu. The mussells were well-steamed and the jamon had a warm, juicy texture. Again this was a delicious dish that we both enjoyed. 

Pastel de Codorniz ($12.50)

While I wasn't too excited about ordering this dish at first (CC was keen though), I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. The crumbled Quail and Morcilla tasted succulent with the crispy puff pastry. Enjoyed mixing it up with the dark and tangy Agridulce sauce.

Cecina ($25.50)

Of course the dish that you MUST try has gotta be the Cecina also known as the Air cured Wagyu Beef with Truffle Foam and Poached Egg. So much cured meat and eggy goodness. The waitress told us that we needed to fold the wagyu beef and then mix it up together (or something along those lines...) so we were a bit puzzled when it came down to handling it. Was quite messy but it tasted so good with all those layers of beef and the creaminess from the truffle foam and the gooey poached egg. For a person who is generally not a fan of creamy stuff, this is too good to ignore.

Croqueta de Puchero - 2 pieces ($8.50)

At this point, we were surprisingly keen for another savoury dish so we went with the Croqueta of Pork Belly, Beef and Chicken. While I do love croquettes, I have been disappointed with my share of croquettes in the past especially those that were overly buttery and creamy. While it was still slightly creamy, there was that meaty flavour matched with the crunchy batter that got us addicted for more and more! Definitely the best croquette dish I've had in a looong time!

Churros con Chocolate ($14.50)

We were slightly getting full by this point but that didn't stop us for getting dessert. Can you believe that we nearly forgot about getting the churros?! Sure enough, we were glad to skip Messina and stick with getting dessert here because they were worth it. The churros were light, soft and fluffy while being slightly crispy even when dipped into the sweet, rich and warm chocolate. CC said she liked these churros more than El Loco, which is a big call because that has been our fave churros joint until now.

We were satisfied and full (but not to the point of food coma) from the dishes we've had that night. The waitress who served us was attentive, not to mention quirky and rrandom which gave us a good laugh. The prices are expensive though but the food was worth it and there are a good selection of larger dishes that will fill you up if you are not keen to share dishes. Would recommend this as a restaurant for special occasions due to the pricing of the dishes. Despite that, I'm still looking forward to returning to try the many other dishes especially those from the "Embutidos" or Cured meats menu whether it's in Sydney or one of the many branches back in Melbourne.

Movida Sydney
50 Holt Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010
(02) 8964 7642
http://movida.com.au/sydney/
Mon-Sat: 12:00pm - late

Naked For Satan - Fitzroy, Melbourne

Since my trip to Spain in 2012, I became a huge fan of pintxos (or Spanish finger food on a stick). So I was sad to hear that The Carrington, one of the very few places in Sydney that serves pintxos, has ceased serving these bite sized snacks for good and has now altered the menu to Latin American dishes. But that's for another review. When I heard that Melbourne has a pintxos and vodka bar known as Naked for Satan, I knew I had to include it in my list of places to eat for my trip. Though it was a bit hard trying to convince some of my friends that it was not a venue involving naked people and Satanism.

The venue does not do bookings and it was a Saturday night so the best thing to do is rock up. Once we were inside, the atmosphere was crazy but there was no front of house staff to put you on a waiting list. So we had to wait or look around for a table and luckily there was a group about to leave. There was a hip, casual and buzzing vibe inside the bar with lots of cool kids mingling around and posters of naked people lingering around the walls to keep up with the name. Oh and dim lighting. Sorry about the pics. 

The pintxos bar is similar to a buffet, only much more delicious! Very cheap too at only $2 per pintxos and if you show up during weekday lunch or have dinner on the less busy nights, then it's only $1! Great place if you are on a budget though if you like chowing down pintxo after pintxo like me then it's easy to get carried away. Basically, you get whichever dish you want with the provided tongs onto your plate and make sure you keep the toothpicks which will be used to pay later on when you are done. We weren't sure if this was an effective method since it's easy to lose more than a few toothpicks and pay less for your feed (especially if you are drunk or a tightarse) but apparently it seems to work. 

Seafood with Prawn and Capsicum 

The Imaya - Garlic, Cherry Tomato, White Anchovy, Parsley - FAVE

Wagyu Bresaola - FAVE

Tortilla (Egg, Potato and Onions) with Aioli

Smoked Chilli Mussels and Chickpea

Sundried Tomato with Cispy Pancetta and Peas- FAVE

Smoked Salmon with Pickled Onion - FAVE

Pissaladiere - Onions, Anchovy and Olive

Smoked Duck with Relish - quite sweet actually

Black eyed Bean Salad with Carrot

As you can see, I definitely got carried away with the pintxos because they were so tasty and addictive. While there were so many with generous and perhaps unusual toppings, my pick of the bunch was actually the fresh and simple smoked salmon and the plain-looking wagyu bresola. Seriously, I could eat cured meat on a slice bread all day and never get sick of it. Even got seconds! Another top pick of mine was the sun-dried tomato with pancetta and peas because the overall flavours worked so well together...and of course the pancetta! Everything else were just as delicious though my least fave would have to be the Pissaladiere because of its strong and salty flavours and the grainy texture. There was also a few that were tasty but I reckon woul be even better if they were delivered hot to our table such as the Tortilla with Aioli. 

Croquette

Empanada

Speaking of which, you often get waiters carrying plates of hot pintxos delivered to your table where you get the option of grabbing that bite or not. Very similar to what you see at yum cha but with a Spanish touch. Really enjoyed the creamy and cheesy croquette and the empanada. Wished I had the stomach to try more of the hot pintxos.

Chorizo, Cream Cheese and Green Chilli

I didn't end up trying the above dish but most of my friends did and reckon this deserves a shoutout. This was one of their faves out of the pintxos for them even though they thought it was slightly spicy. A couple of them even got seconds for this plate. 

Rich Chocolate Rum Ball with Pistachio

Within the platter of savoury dishes, you can even find a few sweet pintxos when you are feel like having dessert. The rich chocolate rum ball had an intense, bitter but sweet flavour that you would usually expect from truffles. Very nice to have after eating so many savoury pintxos.

We didn't end up checking out their rooftop area 'Naked in the Sky' because of the long queues to get to that space nor did we end up trying out the signature vodka (we ended up having sangria as usual). While the service was friendly, we wished that there was a person at the front taking names down and call us back later since it was incredibly packed and messy. Other than that, this bar reminded me of the restaurants in my Barcelona trip  eating up all the pintxos. It's a great place to chill and mingle with your friends while nibbling on these snacks. And it's super cheap which will make your wallet happy. If I lived in Melbourne or have more trips in the near future, I will definitely be returning to try more pintxos and to make a visit to Naked in the Sky. I do love a good rooftop bar.

Naked for Satan
285 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy VIC 3065
(03) 9416 2238
http://www.nakedforsatan.com.au/
Sun-Thurs: 12:00pm - 12:00am
Fri-Sat: 12:00pm - 1:00am

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

Barrafina Tapas Bar, Sydney CBD

I have mentioned in the past that I am a big fan of tapas and pintxos. So when I spotted this bright yellow cafe one day after a job interview last year, it has been on my mind to check it out ever since. While it's in the CBD, its location on Bligh Street is fairly low key compared to the many other streets of Sydney so it was easy for me to forget where it was. Fast forward many months later and I spotted the cafe during my lunch break and keen to give it a go after spotting the menu. It also has the same name as another Spanish restaurant, Barrafina in London, which has its own cookbook so this convinced me to check it out.

While most restaurants operate for lunch and dinner, Barrafina Tapas operates all day for breakfast, lunch and dinner (depending on the days). When I arrived here for lunch, you can see the breakfast menu listed on the blackboard near the kitchen. This is available until 11am though.

When entering inside, the first thing I notice was the colour scheme and the contemporary modern decor of the restaurant. Everything screamed 'yellow, black and white' as you look at the layout from the sign outside to the yellow bar stools. At first it was fairly quiet but as it reaches peak hour for lunches, the atmosphere was vibrant and noisy with colleagues from workplaces nearby gathering together for a work lunch or a casual meeting. With the atmosphere of the place and the simple yet funky decor, it feels like stepping into a cafe in Barcelona especially in the La Rambla strip.

When I spotted the pan co tomate baguette rubbed with vine tomatoes, garlic and olive oil, I knew I had to order this as I loved the ones I had in Spain. It was similar to a bruschetta but with the tomato rubbed into the bread rather than piling on top. The flavours worked so well together though the bread was very crunchy. Perfect to have as pintxos!

Pan con tomate ($4.30)

This dish had the rustic feel that we love from Spanish plates especially with the chunky romesco salsa, grilled chorizo sausages and the tangy caremelised onions cooked with pedro ximenez (aka sherry) wine. While I did not spot much onions on this plate, the sherry wine was pretty strong in the dish. Dipping the sausages into the romesco sauce was my highlight. They all tasted so good together. 

Chorizo ala Plancha ($14.00)

Fried chicken isn't something I would usually see on a Spanish tapas menu but I was craving for buttermilk fried chicken so I didn't care. It was lightly crumbled and not too crispy like Hartsyard or Arisun but they were still freaking delicious and crunchy enough to satisfy me. At $13.00 for around 5 pieces, this is a good cheap eat compared to many other restaurants and bars serving fried chicken these days. While I won't call it the best fried chicken in Sydney, it was delicious enough to enjoy with your mates especially on a cold day.

Crisp buttermilk chicken, chilli salt, alioli, lemon ($13.00)

Went back for another lunch recently for a few more dishes. This dish reminded me of the sliders at The Carrington (now that I thought about it, the whole menu is fairly similar). Really enjoyed the crispy and juicy soft shell crab. The avocado mousse was a nice creamy yet zesty touch while the bun was a tad chewy but still soft and fluffy.

 Soft shell chilli crab slider, avocado mousse, smoked paprika mayo ($8.60)

Thought this was a somewhat heavy dish but again quite delicious. I loved the crumbly and crispy batter a well as the scattering of paprika for a bit of variety in the overall flavour. Will recommend this dish either on your own (if you only order one dish for yourself) or sharing with mates. 

Lightly floured calamares, aioli, lemon ($13.00)

Considering some of the battered food available, a ceviche is a welcoming relief for the palate and the health conscious mind. The servings was smaller than I expected considering the price compared to the other dishes on the menu. Still, I thought this was one of my favourites with its light and fresh ingredients. On this occasion, this meal reminded me of the dishes I spotted at local restaurants near my hotel in the Eixample district on my first day of Barcelona. So good to try! Just wish that the size of this dish was bigger.

Ceviche of yellow fin tuna, lime, mint, tomato, avocado creme, chilli, eschallots ($22.00)

I'd recommend this place for their mostly authentic food. The atmosphere was buzzing and the prices for most of the food were fairly reasonable, if not, a bit more cheaper than what you would get at many tapas restaurants across Sydney. While service can be friendly at times, the speed of the service may vary. Most of the time, the food was delivered fairly quickly but it can also take a while as well. Also when I requested an extra dish after initially ordering two dishes at first, the front at house person I told this to clearly looked annoyed that I decided to order more. Very keen on heading back to try some of their other dishes including the jamon iberico, the braised beef cheeks, scallops with chorizos, and the fried whitebait.

Barrafina Tapas Bar

2 Bligh Street, Sydney NSW 2000

(02) 9231 2551