Grano - Wetherill Park, NSW

I did mention that the Mrs and I had eaten out quite a bit lately...in the midst of adapting to living with another person and enjoying married life, I really hadn't had the time to sort all my photos and write about places. I really should have written about this place ages ago but alas, here we are. For our Valentine's day celebration, the Mrs had come up with a suggestion for a place that she'd seen on Instagram. Since the Mrs rarely ever comes up with suggestions for locations, I took this opportunity immediately and booked a spot for two that day.


Situated on the corner of the industrial part of Wetherill Park, you'd never imagine from the surrounding location that such a well fitted out and romantic restaurant would be right there. They take that industrial fit out and run with it by overlaying a simplistic but charming old school italian vibe to it (complete with tomato cans and old cupboards). We start our night off with a couple of cocktails which is in my opinion: always the best way to start off a celebration. To me though, they were a slight bit too sweet as you couldn't really taste the alcohol. Great for a first date and getting your date talkative though.

For Entrees, we chose to have the zucchini flowers and polpette. The zucchini flowers were crispy and really nicely seasoned, sitting on top of a bed of simple bed of roquette and cherry tomatoes. A drizzle of balsamic glaze is then added with some freshly grated parmesan. The lighter of the two entrees, the crunch factor from the coating and the slightly peppery roquette gives you a really good palate cleanse.

Very shortly after we finished our first entree, our second order also arrived at our table: the polpette or calabrese style meatballs were delicious...plump, juicy balls of beef swim in this tart yet savoury tomato based sauce. The sauce is really simple: fresh tomatoes seasoned very slightly to bring out the sweetness and tartness with maybe just a bit of basil in it. The meatballs are cooked perfectly...red in the centre but definitely cooked through...they retain their shape and meatiness but have a certain tender elasticity. You also get slices of toasted bread to act as the "scarpetta" which means "little shoe", the piece of carb provided to help you sop up the sauce.

For mains, the Mrs and I were allowed to pick a dish each to which I picked the prosciutto e funghi pizza. I picked this because well...I love pizza, especially when it comes out of a wood fire oven. I don't know if my pictures are adequate enough to display how great this piece of pie is...smoky and delicate...the pizza crust is a perfect balance between doughy and crispy. Personally, there was a bit too much roquette on top which meant the thin, salty slices of prosciutto got lost amongst the green but I really, really didn't mind. It was definitely still a delicious pizza.

As Suze calls it...the "Upskirt" shot

The definite favourite of the night was this: the spaghetti al cartoccio. This was the dish that made the Mrs want to come here and boy, I'm so glad she found it. A paper bag is brought to the table on a wooden cutting board with a grilled chilli on the side. You may have seen it on Instagram but the does not compare to actually experiencing the spectacular unveiling in person. As you open that baked bag, the aroma of olive oil, seafood and garlic rise through the air, tempting you to look at the contents and salivate. Each strand of spaghetti is covered in generous lashing of this flavoured oil sauce and each bite yield this wonderful, al-dente snap...seriously, one of the most impressive pasta dishes I've had.

Normally, the Mrs and I actively avoid desserts...as if we hadn't gorged enough, we avoid further ingesting additional sugar that we have no means of working off later. This time though, seeing that it's Valentine's day, the Mrs specifically requested that we order dessert...in particular, she wanted to eat the cannoli. They do it a little special here at Grano: it's all D-I-Y...what this means is that you get two freshly fried cannoli shells dusted in icing sugar, a piping bag packed full of that ricotta flavoured cream and some chocolate sauce. It's entirely up to your discretion on how much ricotta cream you pipe inside, a little or a lot...or just put the bag in your mouth and squeeze. All up to you.

I mentioned it again and again during dinner that night but nothing makes me happier than to see great places like Grano open up in areas that are out of the beaten path. Wetherill Park is a great place to expand and open up at the moment as the population in Western Sydney need more places like this where they can go eat out and enjoy life. It was a really, really enjoyable dinner and since the Mrs works so close to Wetherill Park, I'm looking forward to eventually taking our friends there.

Nomad - Surry Hills, NSW

I'm really glad that the Mrs and I are super corny. Despite having just been married, we both still care deeply about our dating anniversary and make an effort to book dinner in celebration. Yes, part of it may be an excuse to dine at really good restaurants and eat great food but still, a large part of it is because we'd both like to uphold a meaningful tradition. This month, being 6 years to the day that I got together with her, I took her out to a restaurant that I've been wanting to go for a while: Nomad. 

I knew almost nothing about Nomad other than the fact that they produced a number of great chefs...needless to say, I had no idea what was in store for us. We arrived 15 minutes earlier than our booking time and they were kind enough to accommodate us which already set our night off to a good start. We were then seated at a small, intimate table where we had great lighting and a good view of the open plan kitchen...second tick of approval. Quickly thereafter, we were attended to by a very friendly, helpful and jovial floor staff member. Not only did he bother to converse with us (you'd be surprised how often that's not done), he really helped in sorting us out and picking the appropriate amount of food to order (a lot)...hats off to you good sir!

We started our night with an order of okra which really surprised me in how good it was. I like okra but the carnivore in me tends to shun any attempt to appreciate vegetables...this dish made that same carnivore stop and do a double take. Smokey, salty and with a nice aniseed-ey flavour (from what I guess is the fennel seed), it's the perfect way to pique your appetite for the coming feast. I especially liked the peppery element which came on gradually and left a tingling sensation on your tongue...very fascinating.

Our second snack came shortly after and quickly became on of my (our) favourites of the night: smoked brisket empanadas. A golden, thin and crunchy dumpling that yields this meaty, rich and fatty beef that is not only moist but ever so moreish. They also provide a jar of hot sauce for you to add an additional but of heat and vinegar to cut through the richness.

Just when I thought I couldn't be more impressed, then came the small dish that almost stole the show: zucchini flowers served with pecorino and truffle honey...oh man, this was good. The coating on the zucchini flowers was so airy and delicate that it cracked and crunched with the lightest bite. The pungent smell of truffle wafts through the air but gives is veiled behind velvet smooth honey and pecorino cheese.

The food just kept getting better and better as we moved onto the kingfish ceviche with finger lime and coriander crackers. The Mrs is normally not a big fan of ceviche as it can occasionally get slimy depending on the freshness of the fish but this was spot on, cubes of the freshest hiramasa is mixed with tiny pieces of finger lime, chopped coriander, chilli flakes and delicious avocado cream and then eaten on herby, crunchy crackers. It was the most refreshing thong to have on a scorching hot Sydney night.

Our feast then hit a crescendo with the main: the ranger valley hanger steak served with squid ink aioli, grilled cucumber and mustard. The wait staff who brought this dish to our table expressed his passionate love for this cut of beef and after we ate some, we agreed with him. Imagine the richness and fullness of flavour that you get in brisket, compacted into a tender, meat steak...that's how good this is. Nomad does this particularly well as it was cooked to a perfect pink middle and had a delicious crust on the outside. I also thoroughly enjoyed the grilled cucumber as I never thought of cucumber as something you could enjoy as a side to steak...really crisp and clean which worked really well in cleansing your palate for the next bite of steak.

As an additional side to our steak, we also ordered a side of cauliflower which was fried and served with middle-eastern accents, to which I mean labne. The herb and cauliflower was rather tart by themselves but have it with a decent dollop of that middle-eastern yogurt and it becomes sensational: creamy, savoury and equally meaty to the steak, if you aren't completely stuff by this point you will be.

In certain ways, my dinner at Nomad was very reminiscent of the amazing experience I had at RONIN in Hong Kong: both were examples of amazing food served by passionate and lovely people. Both were genuinely wonderful experiences that I'd be happy to have again and again. I'm glad that our 2016 is getting off to a good start. Despite both of us having moved out and having more responsibility thrust upon us, neither of us has been really cranky with each other (yet). I'm so grateful that we both have the energy and resources to go out and enjoy a nice night out like this every now and again. 

Ghostboy Cantina - Chinatown, NSW

At the moment, I'm making a mad scramble to catch up on my posts. I've been eating out so much recently and I've let the content build up. I really, really don't like leaving things too long as I find I can't visualise the flavours as well the longer I leave it. That said, there are places you eat at that you can't really forget...such a Ghostboy Cantina. You will rarely find a place which has you dreaming about it each and every day.

Although it wasn't too long ago that I dined with them, I feel like it's appropriate for me to write about them since they left such a deep impression on me. Firstly, their name is mad hilarious! I literally figured out the meaning as I was standing there waiting for my tacos...you see, Ghostboy is located near the back of the Dixon House food court which is in the middle of Chinatown. As if not the most out of place store there, they take it a step further by making a tongue-in-cheek prod at that fact: when translated to Cantonese, ghostboy become gwai zai or "white boy"...yes, as in young Caucasian lad.

That said, the titular "gwai zai" is mad impressive: Toby Wilson, who was the previous owner and head barista of Wedge Espresso in Glebe has a magic ability of seamlessly blending Asiatic and Latin flavours and presenting it in a bite size package of absolute flavour. I managed to sample all their current offerings by visiting twice over the course of two weeks. On my first visit, I was stressed for time so I could only really order takeaway. 

I chose to order the beef and pork with an order of fries knowing that I'd be back for their cauliflower taco. You'd assume that being takeaway, it wouldn't be as good anymore but no, you'd be wrong...it's still bloody fantastic. I bit down on the beef taco and as I do, the thin, double layered flour tortilla (which is actually toasted peking duck wrapper) gave way to the tender, rich beef. All the other ingredients: the onion, coriander, salsa and bean sprouts combine in your mouth and just for a moment, a familiar joy floods my mouth as I feel the sensation of a delicious bowl of pho compounded into one, single bite. I just stand there...smiling like a dork.

From my second visit

I think I ate the tacos in the wrong order because after the beef, the pork (which, according to Instagram is actually the crowd favourite) just really didn't bring me the same happiness. I mean, it's still a great package: fatty pulled pork sits on top of the same toasted wrapper with crisp, fresh and sweet peach cubes, basil, salsa roja and verde...still a great taco but just not at decadent and moreish as the beef.

On my second visit (last weekend), I shared some tacos with the Mrs and my good mate. There, I had the beef and pork again but this time, we also ordered the cauli. This led to another mind-blowing moment because the cauli was also intensely delicious!! Fried florets of cauliflower, salsa verde, onions, herbs and this amazing cashew and macadamia cream...all topped with fried shallots. If you don't like vegetables...you will after to take a bite of this.

Both times I've visited, I also made it a point to order the fries which were great (well seasoned and slightly tart) but really, when you have tacos as amazing and well made as the ones described above...nothing else matters.

Toby has stated in an interview that he doesn't know how long Ghostboy will stay around but Toby, if you are reading this: you're doing amazing work and I'm sure hoping you'll be around for a long, long time.

Thai Riffic on street - Parramatta, NSW

If you follow me on instagram, you'll notice that I've been eating out at places without posting about it here. What's going on? Living with someone else (and taking care of an apartment) has simply meant that I've had less and less time to sit down and put pen to paper (so to speak). But now that I'm back in Australia, I plan to post as frequently as I can to try and catch up cause we've got some good things coming soon!

As many of you know, I've since moved from the southern side of Sydney to the west and I've become a proud and happy resident of Parramatta. Where we live, we're never too far from really, really good food which is absolutely amazing! One of the places that we've been lucky enough to try in recent days is Thairiffic on the street. Located underneath the Westfield cinemas, this conveniently located restaurant (which is a part of a larger chain of Thai Riffic eateries) offers the usual fragrant, delicious Thai fare but also brings many street eats to the west.

The Mrs and I popped in for lunch one afternoon after not being able the decide on what to eat (trust me, the abundant choices in Parramatta can get debilitating). After being seated, we skimmed over the menu and noticed quite a few dishes that you don't regularly find in Thai eateries around the area. So, we quickly placed our order and waited patiently for it our opportunity to sample the delicacies.

I ordered one of my favourite Thai street food items: guay teaw neua toon which is a rich and deep flavoured beef broth served with beef balls, thin rice noodles and tender chunks of braised beef. If you like pho, you'll definitely like this soup noodle as the flavour profiles are really similar: you have the aniseed from the cloves and star anise and the herbaceous aromatic smell of coriander. The springy beef balls provide that texturally pleasant meaty element which is furthered by the big, chunks of fall apart beef. It is significantly sweeter than Pho but you'll learn to relish this sweetness as you hastily slurp those thin strands of rice noodles.

The Mrs ordered the khao mun goong ob mor din which was a claypot rice of sorts with rice stir-fried in a spicy shrimp sauce and served with plump, juicy prawns, fish roe and an onsen egg. Be warned: when they say spicy, they mean spicy. Each grain of rice is coated in this moreish, fiery sauce which made my tongue tingle with joy. This dish isn't particularly generous with the prawns but they do give you really big ones that are cooked to perfection. This dish was also way too spicy for the Mrs so she had to switch with me.

She didn't really like my dish all too much either (too sweet for her) so for compensation, she ordered an extra order of barbecued ox tongue. The ox tongue was grilled really well and took on a charred, crispy exterior...really highlighting the rich, fatty meat but texturally speaking, this was one of the chewier ones I've eaten. Still, they do the dipping sauce really well here so it was a delight to dip the ox tongue in the sweet and savoury sauce.

Again, our apologies for not having updated the blog in a while but we've been kinda busy (really, we have!) and as we go out and explore all that this wonderful area has to offer, I'll be sure to double my efforts and post as frequently as I can to catch up! Stay tuned!

RONIN - Central, Hong Kong

As I mentioned in the previous post: I came to Hong Kong to eat. As someone who hails from this great city, I can tell you with certainty that aside from eating, you won't be doing much else other than shopping and walking but I digress...I came to Hong Kong to eat, in particular at two very well known restaurants: Ho Lee Fook and Ronin. With Ho Lee Fook done and dusted, that only leaves my meal at RONIN which I highly, highly anticipated. Let me tell you the lengths I went to to secure my place: I made sure I locked down this dinner first thing when planning the itinerary and waited more than a year and 3 months till the day we could make a booking (they only take bookings two weeks ahead)...this was DEFINITELY happening. So, after returning from a wonderful, magical and unforgettable trip to Palawan, Philippines...I arrived back in HK with only one goal: to enjoy my meal at RONIN. My dear readers...let me tell you about the best meal I've had in my life (so far).

The Mrs and I aren't exactly nocturnal creatures (any more) so knowing that we wouldn't be exploring around Central after dinner, I opted for the earlier session. The Mrs knew I was taking her to RONIN but she didn't know much about the place at the time...I on the other hand, knew all about the place. I find it difficult to define what RONIN is but to put it simply, it's this quaint little Japanese style whisky bar that's hidden away at the end of On Wo Lane and is discreetly located behind this sliding door that's the same colour as the rest of the building. Slide open the door and you'll be welcomed into a dining area that seats about 14 people and more standing. If you're looking for an intimate dining experience...RONIN is the place for you. If not, their sibling restaurants Yardbird (which I've also been to) and Sundays Grocer offer a more casual affair

Service is attentive to a tee the moment you walk in the door and from an Australian's standpoint, you're really taken aback by how much the staff take care of you. Once seated, the Mrs and I quickly skim over the menu after we've ordered some drinks. The Mrs was feeling kinda (really) unwell so tea worked best for her. I felt much better than I did on my last day in the Philippines so I decided to celebrate with beer. For a comprehensive meal, the service staff suggested that we picked 3 or 4 items from the raw section, one or two from the smaller items and finish with a larger item and so, that's exactly what we did.

Shortly after we placed our order, the kitchen sent out our first small appetisers which were blanched leaves of some form of Chinese vegetable (it's one I always have at dinner but can never translate) and it's served in a nice, cold and crisp dashi stock and garnished with grated yuzu rind. Supremely appetising is the best and most apt description I can think of as each bite cleansed your palate and awakened your senses, allowing you to anticipate and look forward to the coming feast. I found myself thinking "if this small yet potent appetiser is any indication of how tonight is going to play out, I'm definitely going to be happy diner"...believe me, I was not wrong.

After that came our selection from the raw list. Being that the Mrs was feeling a bit crook, I opted to select less from the raw section and supplement by ordering more for later. Of the selections we made, the kanpachi and smoked mackerel came highly recommended. As suggested by the staff, we started with the simplest fish (the one on the bottom right) and worked counterclockwise to the top. Clean, fresh and delicate is how I would describe the first fish, being the only one served traditionally with soy sauce and fresh wasabi.Then came the lightly smoked mackerel with persimmon which was firmer, smokier (duh) but had a light and sweet aftertaste as well as a crunch factor from the slices of persimmon. And finally, the kanpachi...this was our server's favourite and for good reason: it's friggin amazing. Imagine this: the fish is so unbelievable good it melts in your mouth as you chew it and the sweet relish that sits on top elevates the savoury umami packed flavour as you swallow....un-friggin-believably good.

So, by this point: the Mrs had woken up a little from her illness and livened up to the meal. Next came our first smaller item: the insta-famous flower crab and uni. I could not come to RONIN and not order this...especially me, being the uni-fiend that I am. The Mrs was apprehensive to have this as she'd recently learned of the real purpose this orange blob served in the sea urchin...oh well, more for me! A pile of cold, sweet flower crab meat sits neatly on top of the top shell of the crab with 3 pieces of uni garnishing it all. Though simplistic in nature, each component is so fresh and so tasty that you can taste each individual layer merge as it combines in your mouth.

Next came the octopus and kagoshima beef which was grilled kushiyaki style and served with a bit of fresh wasabi. Although equally impressive, this was the dish that was a bit meh to me...the octopus was tender and flavoursome and the kagoshima beef was deeply rich and satisfying,...I personally think this one lost out texturally as the transition from tender yet chewy to melting-on-your-tongue and back really confused me...by themselves though each bit was epicly good.

The last of our smaller bites to come was this gratin of eggplant, yuba skin and pepper puree topped with shiso leaf. The Mrs had the first bite and as I looked into her face and saw no reaction, I quickly dove in to do my own assessment...ambushed. T'was great (the Mrs likes to hold back her reaction to sucker punch me with flavour). Thin slivers of soft yuba skin float around in this peppery, sweet puree mixed in with smokey bits of eggplant and given a fresh, minty and herbaceous kick by the shiso garnish...I could have this for dinner every night and not get sick of it.

By this point, the Mrs and I are equally stuffed but we despite being at capacity, our (my) anticipation for the coming dishes pushes our bellies forward. At this point, I'd like to highlight the fact that I didn't just gorge myself on unbelievably delicious food...I also got educated. RONIN has a very extensive whisky offering and you can't really come into such a well stocked establishment and not try some...it's our honeymoon right? I wasn't initially planning on drinking much whisky...my ignorance and perceived lack of appreciation meant I feared wasting it. Still, as we watched one the bar staff prepare an ice ball, I started explaining the purpose of the ice ball to the Mrs (from what I learnt from the anime Bartender and watching Anthony Bourdain cruise around Japan). I'd like to think that he heard me and decided to come over reinforce my understanding with his professional expertise. Some small talk and a bit of laughs later, I ended up omakase'ing drinks which is how I ended up with a highball and one of the best glasses of whisky I'd EVER had...I think it was the "Mars"...I think.

So back on topic: our "mains" so to speak...oh boy, where do I even begin. Well, I'll begin with the sea bream karaage that we ordered since it came first. Nuggets of golden fried sea bream meat sits on top of this delicately carved fish bone (that's also been fried)....this is all served with a bonito flavoured dipping sauce that's spiced with pickled jalapenos. Each piece of fried fish is so delicate yet meaty...and then you dip it into the sauce and it all changes as the bronze liquid coats the thin batter of the fish and you get this acidity that cuts through it all. Piece by piece, bone by bone...we demolish this dish until literally...nothing is left. I am normally really picky with my fish (I hate picking out pin bones so I avoid eating fish altogether) but this dish made me eat all the collars and bones. That's a testament to how good it is.

Now, I swing around the word "piece-de-resistance" a lot...I generally use it to describe the most impressive dish of the night...the crown jewel if you will. No where is it more true than at RONIN for this next dish: Kagoshima beef served with maitake mushrooms, egg yolk and sukiyaki sauce...seriously, I die. This is what RONIN is super well-known for and the fish I've waited years to experience and trust me, it did not disappoint. Rich, moreish and all manner of orgasmically good stuff goes into your mouth...you chew and savour and the joy just doesn't end. Each slice of raw beef is so marbled, tender and melty that by itself it'd be a delight. But alas, no...you're overwhelmed by layer after layer of decadence from the egg yolk to the earthy, meaty mushrooms to the aromatic and crispy garlic slices and then finished by that sweet, savoury, umami-packed sauce. oh...em...gee...mind-blown...can no longer maintain eloquence.

So, stuffed beyond measure and more impressed than imaginable. I leave RONIN a satisfied and happy man. With food blogging, the longer you leave a post without writing it, the more your memory of that meal fades as you forget the taste but as I sit here writing this, I'm amazed at how much impact this meal has left on me as I still vividly remember each dish and flavour I sampled...that, my friends, should be a true testament to how good they are.

I've said this on instagram and I'll say it again here: RONIN doesn't include the service charge meaning you tip based on how well you were served. If I had unlimited resources, I'd tip more than I did but if I didn't tip enough or if I offended, please forgive me as I really had no measure of what was appropriate. The guys and girls at RONIN were beyond fantastic and by every measure and every standard of the industry, they deserve all the attention and praise they get...bravo RONIN, bravo.