Taste the Mediterranean with Bakers Delight and De Bortoli Wines Launch

Recently I was invited to the launch night promoting the new Meditteranean Delights Turkish breads from Bakers Delight and exploring a broad range of wines from De Bortolli Wines. This event was held inside a intimate dining room at Cafe Nice in Circular Quay. When you stepped inside, it feels like you have been transported to the Mediterranean or even an exotic place somewhere in Turkey especially with the cushions, lamps, aromas and a tray of various herbs and spices to taste.

For a limited time only, Bakers Delight has released a new line of Mediterranean Delights Turkish breads which are Sea Salt Flakes and Chilli and Garlic. Both types of bread were soft, chewy, light and flavoursome. The Chilli and Garlic did have a slow and spicy hit after a few bites while the Sea Salt Flakes was mild and not too salty though it was still flavoursome on its own. We got the chance to sample both types of bread from this range with a variety of dips including the delicious olive oils from River Flats Estate and La Barre plus La Barre's special blood plum vinegar.

Sea Salt Flakes Bread with Olive Oil and Vinegar 

Chilli and Garlic Bread

Throughout the evening, we were treated to a selection of canapes served with bread from the Mediterranean Delights range. My personal faves that got me grabbing for seconds were the creamy, sweet Pate de foie de canard with fig paste and the simple yet tasty Prosciutto di parma and Reggiano. 

Antipasti platter with a selection of dips and vegetables

Baby peas with goat's cheese and mint 

Pissaladiere 

Prosciutto di parma and Reggiano 

Pate de foie de canard with fig paste

Braised peppers and white anchovies

There was also the chance to try a couple of dishes from Cafe Nice including the succulent and creamy duck pate accompanied with a couple of slices of sourdough bread. It was tough sharing this one plate with a group of us but we managed to sample enough to enjoy the taste and flavour of this classic French dish. And this is coming from a former fussy eater who avoided pate during her childhood.

Duck pate with sourdough bread

The other dish we tried was a Salad Nicoise, a healthier alternative after eating a dish like duck pate. There were loads of fresh ingredients to take in with this colourful bowl of greens though the star would have to be the soft boiled egg. 

Salad Nicoise

There was also a selection of wines from De Bortoli Wines available for tasting that night. While we sample each glass, there was also a sommeliere who explained the differences between each wine from this brand. Personally I'm not a wine expert so here's some notes I was able to gain from each glass on the night, courtesy of De Bortoli Wines.

2013 BellaRiva Pinot Grigio - this white wine (seen above) was light and aromatic in flavour. It has a fine, pear-like, fruity and nutty taste with a bright colour and good texture and complexity. Perfect to drink on its own.

NV Rococo Yarra Valley Premium Cuvee

NV Rococo Yarra Valley Premium Cuvee - this was served as a sparkling wine on the night and was noted for its pale colour with green tinges. It had a biscuit-like aroma with citrus and white pear type of flavour with a soft creamy textured palate. It wasn't as light as the Pinot Grigio but it had a sweetness that complemented well with the canapes served that evening. 

2013 BellaRiva Merlot

2013 BellaRiva Merlot - this had a dark red with purple appearance. The overall palate was a soft, smooth and juicy texture with rich flavours where you could sense black fruits in the ingredients. This was personally my favourite from the night with its smooth, fruity yet balanced flavour. I can imagine this would be ideal to have with red meats.

2011 BellaRiva Sangiovese Merlot

2011 BellaRiva Sangiovese Merlot - this was a red wine with good garnet edge. Unlike the Merlot, this wine had a rustic, complex and earthy aromas. It has a dry, brooding, autumnal and savoury palate that would be suitable for a meal on a cool night paired with rich dishes such as red meats and pasta.

All in all, it was a cozy and fun evening catching up with other fellow bloggers as well as meeting the team from Bakers Delight and De Bortoli Wines. While I wasn't hopping on a plane anytime soon, the event really felt like I was back in Europe exploring the classic Mediterranean dishes and sipping lots of wine especially with the lovely, vibrant atmosphere. 

Bakers Delight's Sea Salt Flakes and Chilli and Garlic Turkish breads from the Mediterranean Delights range are currently available for four weeks only so remember to head to your local Bakers Delight branch for a sample before its too late. 

Disclaimer: The Random Foodie attended the Taste the Mediterranean Launch event, courtesy of Keep Left PR. Opinions are however, my own.

SoCal, Neutral Bay

A while ago, one of my friends commented that I should cover restaurants from different regions of Sydney such as South Sydney like Hurstville or Beverly Hills or up north like Crows Nest, Chatswood, Epping, Eastwood and Neutral Bay. Recently, I was invited to check out CaliMex restaurant bar, SoCal, in Neutral Bay for their first ever SoCal Sydney Social event with many other fellow Sydney food bloggers. I was very excited about this event as it has been on my wishlist for a while especially for their Southern Californian-inspired dishes and drinks.

SoCal is owned by Hamish Watts and Ben Carroll from Applejack Hospitality, the same company that also managed The Botanist at Kirribilli and Bondi Hardware at Bondi Beach. It was their first social event hosted by head chef, Zac Smart, and bar manager, Joe Worthington where we got the chance to delve into a 6-course degustation of Mexican dishes and matching glasses of wine or cocktail. Since the bar was located upstairs, it was initially hard to find until you spot a SoCal sign on the door. Inside there was a buzzing, noisy vibe with a packed out floor. And it was only a Tuesday night! While most of the venue had dim lighting, the lighting at dining room at the back (where we were all seated) was not too bad despite the pink and purple lighting.

Corn Chips with pico de gallo, guacamole and corn salsa

Upon entering the dining room, there was already a bowl of corn chips with a trip of tantalising dips. Although this was made to share, it was no surprise how addicted I was with this starter plate - especially the zesty guacamole.

Classic Margarita Carafes

Each course of meal this evening was paired with a glass of wine or cocktail so it was no surprise how tipsy I was by the end of the night. When I stepped inside, there was already a glass of classic margarita handed to me as I dig into the corn chips and salsa.

Before the six course degustation was served, we got to check out SoCal's Bar Manager, Joe Worthington, working his magic with his cocktail creations. Here, he demonstrates his signature "Joe's Super Amazing Mystery Interactive Cocktail Experience".

Crab and Sopressatta Tostadas

And now the feast begins! I was really excited about the crab and sopresatta (cured Italian dry salami) tostadas especially after trying similar ones at other restaurants and loving each one. This was no exception. Thin and crispy tortillas topped with a generous amount of creamy crab and sporessata. The filling was slightly spicy from the chilli mixed inside though it was quite mild in my opinion. Would definitely order this again just for myself.

Joe's Super Amazing Mystery Interactive Cocktail Experience

After watching the cocktail demonstration, we were geed up to taste the final product. Quite sweet with a decent layer of egg white foam on top and a citrus scent from the peeled oranges.

Chicken Sliders: marinated chicken breast with avocado and chorizo

Next we had the chicken sliders which had a generous amount of creamy avocado and chorizo packed inside the soft, glazed brioche bun. There was plenty of flavour coming from this slider especially from the tangy sauce and the juicy chicken breast. The taste was definitely worth the messiness. 

Frisco Pisco

The sliders were paired with the Frisco Pisco which was chilli-infused and mixed with egg white, elderflower liqueur, lime, sugar and muddled cucumber. With its strong and thick texture, this drink was quite a mouthful to handle when I tried to slurp it down.

Seared Salmon with broccolini, chilli and coriander salsa verde

The seared salmon was well cooked with crispy skin and topped with thin sweet potato chips, a bed of broccolini and small dollops of salsa verde. While the salmon was a bit mild until you add the salsa verde, it's an ideal option to have on your own if you are looking for a fresh and healthier dish.

Dry Creek, Fume Blanc, Sonoma CA

The next three dishes were paired with white and red wines made from different regions of California. It's like getting a taste of the Golden State without the plane ticket.

Slow roasted Lamb Shoulder with Faro, Freekeh, Quinoa and Kale

Lamb shoulder, quinoa and kale. Who would have thought they tasted so good together? It was juicy, soft and incredibly tender to the point where it pulls apart so easily. Even with the unusual ingredients and the abundance of grainy textures, the whole dish was full of flavour to the point when I was keen for seconds. If you love lamb, I would certainly recommend this dish. This was paired with a glass of Pinot Noir from Mendocino, California.

Bliss, Pinot Noir, Mendocino, CA (sorry for the pic)

Scotch Fillet with Chimmichurri

The savoury dishes ended with a plate of scotch fillet with chimmichurri and a side of mushroom salad. The scotch fillet was cooked medium rare which delivered a chewy yet tender texture. Lots of fatty bits. What impressed me was the amount of chimmichurri salsa coated on top of the fillet which added lots of colour and flavour to the overall dish.

Mushroom Salad

With all that meat and seafood, it was nice to dig into a bowl of veggies to balance everything out. There was a decent amount of various mushrooms, salads, nuts and mixed beans which worked well to deliver crunchy and chewy textures. It was also surprisingly spicy though it's mild enough that it won't put off those who can't handle it. 

Dry Creek 'Heritage' Zinfadel, Sonoma, CA - full bodied and rich that complements well with the meat

Chocolate, Pistachio and Tequila Brownie with Chipotle Cream 

Lately I've been obsessed with baking brownies so I was very excited about indulging into SoCal's version of this classic dessert. With all the spices and unusual ingredients from many of the dishes, you would expect that the dessert will sooth your taste buds with a sugar hit. While the brownies do have an intensely sweet taste, there was a hint of spice coming from the chipotle cream. I admired the soft gooey insides with the crunchy pistachios as well as the crispiness from the outside layers though it was rich and decadent to handle especially after all that food. You can imagine that with tequila hidden inside, this was not your usual brownies.

Salted Caramel Espresso Martini

To round off the night, everyone received a glass of Salted Caramel Espresso Martini which includes a mix of Ketel One, Galliano Ristretto, salted caramel and a double shot of espresso with honeycomb dipped in the middle. Personally, I thought that this was one of the stand out drinks especially with the intensity of the liquor and epsresso and the sweetness and salted flavours from the caramel and honeycomb. Would love to order another glass if I wasn't feeling very tipsy at this point.

While Neutral Bay isn't a place that I would go to that often, there's so many CaliMex dishes from their regular menu that will encourage me to make another trip over the bridge. The service was very friendly and attentive and the atmosphere had that vibrant yet laid back feel throughout the evening. While the prices aren't cheap, the dishes are made to share so bring a few friends to try as many dishes as possible. If you live or work around the North Shore area; I would suggest SoCal for post-work dinner and drinks, special occasions or even a casual night out up north since it opens late. 

Disclaimer: The Random Foodie dined as a guest of SoCal, courtesy of Pendulum Communications. Opinions are however, my own.

SoCal
1 Young Street, Neutral Bay NSW 2089
(02) 9904 5691
http://socalsydney.com.au/
Mon-Tue: 4:00pm - 12:00am
Wed-Thurs: 12:00pm - 1:00am
Fri-Sat: 12:00pm - 2:00am
Sun: 12:00pm - 12:00am

Paper Plane Cafe, Parramatta

I'm not a morning person. When it's the weekend, I always treasure sleeping in. Sometimes until midday. The problem with that is missing out on yummy brunch meals which are predominantly located in the Inner West, Inner Sydney and Eastern Suburbs. So whenever I see a new cafe opening up around Western Sydney, I literally get ecstatic. With Circa Cafe putting Parramatta in the cafe spotlight when they won the SMH Cafe of the Year Award last year, it was no surprise that more cafes are popping up in this city lately. This includes Paper Plane Cafe which had only started earlier this year and have already gotten a mention in this year's Cafe Guide. So when an old friend wanted to catch up in Parramatta recently, I knew that was a good chance to give this place a shot since they do all day breakfast. Win!

Once I stepped inside, it felt like I was in a cafe in Surry Hills with pots and plants scattered around the place, minimalist furniture, a rusty bike at the corner and flowers in jars at the table. On the day I went (about a month ago actually), it wasn't busy though I have heard that there are waits for tables on weekends now. You can either look at the menu on the blackboard or opt for the paper menu on your lap. While there are some cafes in Parramatta with a rather small menu of about one page or even less, Paper Plane Cafe offers a really generous selection with its menu spread across 5 pages. And that's not including the drinks.

Watermelon and Lime Fresh Juice ($5.00)

Even the juices served in rectangular jars reminded me of the inner west cafes. Already had coffee earlier so grabbed myself a watermelon and lime juice. Very fruity, naturally sweet and quite thick to drink actually. It was a bit hard drinking with the paper straw, which got soggy quickly so I ended up asking for a new one. 

Chorizo Hot Pot ($14.50)

After lots of time scrolling through the extensive menu (and wondering about what the 'bad boys' are. They are chips by the way), I decided to get the chorizo hot pot since it's very similar to baked eggs and I have been craving for baked eggs lately. This consists of chorizo and eggs baked in spicy tomato sauce and topped with fresh rocket, feta and a side of crusty bread. Three slices of crusty bread actually. It was an enormous serving that would definitely be suitable for sharing between two people. Loved eating the spicy and juicy chorizo sausages with the fairly runny eggs. The feta had a mild taste which complements well with the rich tomato sauce. Was very surprised that I was able to finish most of this since I was struggling halfway especially with the bread.

Chicken Caesar Salad ($11.95)

My friend A decided to go for a healthier option with the chicken caesar salad. This was a surprisingly generous dish loaded with mixed leaf salad, tomato, chicken, boiled egg and parmesan cheese with a Caesar dressing. It was certainly not a light salad since A wasn't able to finish it but it looked very delicious and fresh from my view especially the firm tomatoes and the boiled eggs.

With all of the dishes priced at less than $20, you can guarantee good value for money especially with the servings we've got from our dishes. The service was friendly and accommodating to our needs without any attitude. Loved the pop culture inspired tip tally located at the back of the cafe (Game of Thrones v Breaking Bad anyone?). Would love to go back to try some of their other dishes including the Midnight Cuban, the Reuben, Portobello Eggs Benedict and the Truffled Eggs. They also have thick fries known as "Bad Boys" on the menu, which got us guessing for a while. With its all day breakfast and weekend trading hours, you can expect Paper Plane Cafe to become one of the next top cafes to check out in Parramatta's ever-happening cafe scene.

Paper Plane Cafe
5/2 Horwood Place, Parramatta NSW 2150
0400 888 772
https://www.facebook.com/cafepaperplane
Mon-Fri: 8:00am - 3:00pm
Sat-Sun: 9:00am - 3:00pm
Kitchen closes at 2:00pm

Mexican Chorizo at Taco Mafia, Surry Hills [CLOSED]

We all know about chorizos right? Especially the ones that you would often see as tapas at Spanish restaurants. But what about Mexican chorizo? If you think that Spanish chorizo and Mexican chorizo are the same, think again. This is actually rarer to find in Sydney with Taco Mafia being one of those very few eateries that stocks this meat. Not too long ago, I got the chance to taste the difference as well as trying out the food that Taco Mafia serves.

The fit-out was similar to what you would see at places like Guzman y Gomez and Mad Mex except that Taco Mafia is an independent-owned (and I think also family-owned) store located on Elizabeth Street close to Domino's. It's promoted for delivering "Mean Mexican" cuisine which was clearly shown from the Mexican gangland-inspired decor from the posters to the red splashes on the white stools and the car doors ridden with bullet holes. Unfortunately, I made the mistake of eating a generous-sized meal at lunch so by the time I got to Taco Mafia, I was still very full so two visits were made to get a better idea on what they serve.

Hibiscus tea

Was treated to a cup of hibiscus tea which was only offered as a special on the day. When I returned to Taco Mafia later, this was unavailable on the special menu. For those who are not familiar with this, it's made from hibiscus flower that was imported from Mexico. It had a light, fruity and not too sweet taste so it is an ideal drink for the warmer weather. 

Taco Truck Tacos - L: Chipotle Pork, R: Chicken Tinja (Individual: $3.00, 3 x tacos: $9.90)

There are three different types of tacos available at Taco Mafia. You could get the option of "Taco truck" tacos, soft tacos and crispy tacos. I ended up ordering the taco truck tacos which were soft corn tortillas consisting of a meat filling of your choice, coriander and chopped tomatoes and onion. On this occasion, I got to try the flavours listed on the Specials blackboard which were chipotle pork and chicken tinja. The chipotle pork was made in-house and had a soft and not too spicy flavour. The Central Mexican-inspired chicken tinja was a bit spicier with its shredded chicken breast and thigh cooked with a tomato, onion and chilli sauce base. This was served with corn chips and house-made guacamole on the side.

Mexican Chorizo 

But what about the Mexican chorizo? On this visit, I was given the chance to check out the difference in the Mexican chorizo. Unlike the more common Spanish chorizo which is firm and mild; Mexican chorizo is much softer, spicier and can only be used when the skin is removed as shown above. While you can have Spanish chorizo as a cured meat, Mexican chorizo can only be eaten once it's cooked.

Corn chip with chorizo 

As you can see, it has a spicy and strong flavour with a crumbly texture that is similar to minced meat only with lots of seasoning. Great to have with crispy corn chips as a dip.

Cooking the Mexican Chorizo at home

I got the chance to try out the chorizo at home. Simply remove the skin and spread the meat across the pan. Cook the chorizo for about 3 minutes or until it's brown. One thing to note is that the smokey chorizo scent when cooking was too strong to handle especially with the intense spices. It works well with lots of recipes such as quesadilla, refried beans and chorizo, scrambled eggs, breakfast burritos and even on pizza or a Mexican chorizo fondue! Check out the Goyos Mexican Chorizo website for recipes and where this delicacy is stocked in Australia. Currently Taco Mafia is the only restaurant that stocks this in Sydney however you can also find it at Casa Margarita at Polkobin in the Hunter Valley. 

Special Burrito - Chorizo ($13.90) 

Because I was unable to eat any other dishes on my first visit due to a heavy lunch, I decided to make a further visit to try the chorizo burrito. You could get a regular burrito with the same fillings as the tacos as well as cheese, rice, chopped tomato and onions and pinto beans for $10.90. You could up-size to a super burrito with guacamole and sour cream included in the filling for $12.90 or a special burrito for $13.90 with different flavours listed on the blackboard that are only available for a limited time. While I opted for no sour cream, I actually found that the sour cream and guacamole would be beneficial to sooth the spicy flavours of the chorizo. Was very delicious though I thought that the size was a bit small given the price. Definitely had no trouble finishing this up. This also came with a small serving of corn chips on the side.

The staff was friendly and accommodating on both of my visits. While it was quiet, hopefully with this review it may not be the case since they do appear to be true to their word with serving authentic Mexican cuisine. Especially when they offer chicken fajitas and chicken mole for the occasional specials. Apart from the special chorizo burrito, most of the other items on the menu were quite cheap actually. For example, the chicken fajitas on a plate on the special menu is actually cheaper than most places serving the same dish! And they do deliveries to Sydney CBD and Surry Hills if you are craving for Mexican food at work for lunch or even dinner if you end up staying back late.

Disclaimer: The Random Foodie dined as a guest of Taco Mafia on her first visit, courtesy of Bill from Goyo's Mexican Chorizo. A further visit was also made to Taco Mafia on a later date where the burrito was independently paid for. Opinions remain personal. 

Taco Mafia 
232a Elizabeth Street, Sydney NSW 2010
(02) 9212 5222
http://www.tacomafia.com.au/
Mon-Fri: 7:00am - 9:00pm
Sat: 8:00am - 9:00pm
Sun: Closed