ACME - Rushcutters Bay, NSW

One of the benefits of being a couple is that you can have a differing opinion from your significant other and it can be totally okay!....most days. This logic applies almost in every superficial facet of your life: clothing, music tastes and of course, food. To give you a little context on why I'm going the #deep introduction: I can get somewhat salty (sensitive) when things don't go my way...for example, when I put a lot of effort into planning and thinking about where to take the Mrs on a special day and when it doesn't turn out to be absolutely perfect. In retrospect though, after thinking about it for a few days, our differing opinions about our meal actually helps me to appreciate my experience a lot more.

Such is the case with our recent visit to ACME. Now, to make things clear: I'm not trying to say that we had a bad meal at ACME. In fact, we had a comparatively good time and were very well taken care of but throughout, there were a couple of things that did throw the Mrs off (more on that later). I've personally known about ACME for a while now but the Mrs only really found out about it when we watched the first Sydney based Chef's Night Out video from MUNCHIES. In the video, you sort of get a glimpse of head chef, Mitch Orr prepare the signature dish: the macaroni with pig's head and egg yolk (which he described as sorta being like filipino sisig). Being the proud Filipina she is, she became rather interested in the dish and thus really wanted to try it. Since then, I guess the idea of eating at ACME just kept stewing in our heads, slowly but surely getting us more and more excited about eventually eating there. So, sure enough, the perfect opportunity came up when I was tasked with finding a venue for our Valentine's day dinner.

Unfortunately however, the only option for night was a pre-paid $100 per head dinner for a special chef's "crush me" menu. Not deterred by that fact that we wouldn't be able to try the dish that we'd been craving, I quickly made my reservation and paid for the meal, thinking that "hey, if they're so highly rated and well liked...no matter what they serve, it's gotta be good!". Valentine's day being a Tuesday, the Mrs and I decide to meet in the city after work and head over to Kings Cross station where the restaurant is just a short walk (do not ever try to find parking in the area...near impossible)

We're one of the first couples seated as we walk in 6pm on the dot. To my surprise, we're given an almost ideal position at the restaurant: this little island in the middle of the dining room right by the stairs where we get a perfect spot to watch the dishes come off the pass. The staff are super attentive and make us feel right at home where we quickly get settled, order some drinks and quietly anticipate our meals to come.

First course to come was a small appetiser called Jat'z Amore (such a punny name...I love it!) which consisted of basil pesto, sliced bocconcini, a slightly roasted half of a cherry tomato on a Jat'z cracker. I personally loved this dish as I could see the humor and ingenuity of the name and the pure simplicity of this dish but I believe this is one of the things that threw the Mrs off a bit. As she puts it, she felt it little odd to be served Jat'z biscuits on a $100 per head meal when a box of Jat'z costs $2 at Coles.

After that, the second course to come was fried chicken wings ala Moon Park. Now, I never got to try Moon Park before they permanently closed down but if this was any indication of how good they were, I had a definite feeling that I would have loved to dine there. The outside coating was crunchy and savoury whilst the inside was succulent, juicy and very flavoursome. The coating was intensely umami packed which led me to believe there may have been some sort of soy-based glaze used....or it could have been the sesame seeds.

The third course consisted of figs, stracciatella cheese and wakame. Compared to the previous course, this dish was milder but creamier and in terms of overall, each individual component and flavour profile is allowed to be more pronounced. It was at this point that I was able to identify a bit of an ongoing theme for that night's dinner...the composition of each dish had been thoroughly thought out with each element engineered in a way which highlights the individuality and natural flavours of the ingredients. This alone, to me, justified the premium I paid for the meal.

The course after had to be the absolute highlight of my night: marron with tomato butter and caviar. I mean, come on...how could you not love marron? Truly, it's the royalty of the crustacean world with flavours so intense it rivals the mud crab and with flesh so tender and meaty, you would almost believe that you're eating lobster or scampi. I guess that's why any restaurant who's doing anything spectacular with food is currently serving this stuff....never comes cheap either but always totally worth it. The butter had a really intense and almost bisque-like quality to it which was really accentuated by the herbaceous flavours of the chive and the luxurious yet mellow salinity of the caviar.

The next course was another great dish...spaghetti and meatballs alla "Lady and the Tramp". Perhaps the most impressive part of the dish was how incredibly well prepared the pasta was. Al-dente is not even apt enough to describe the amount of spring and chew the pasta had. The sauce of the pasta had a simplicity and purity about it...sweet, tangy and refreshingly tart. Finally, the meatballs were rich and deliciously meaty...sorta wished there were more of them.

After the carbs came the protein...unfortunately, this is probably why the Mrs didn't enjoy her dinner as much as I had anticipated her to. I made the assumption that she genuinely liked duck meat since she never seems to have a problem eating peking duck at my Parent's place. Turns out, that's the only duck that she seems to like. Traditional western preparation of duck (medium rare) is a bit too gamey and chewy for her liking. As a result...I ended up eating both pieces of the duck but I actually have no problems with it since I'm accustomed to eating French cuisine. I actually found this a rather interesting dish as I could have sworn that there was some Chinese black vinegar used in the sauce....it had a rather familiar pungent fragrance and taste to it which I found really enlightening!

Dessert happens to be where I was a little bit let down. Dessert consisted of two dishes: assorted fruits with champagne jelly as well as a chocolate fudge slice. I'm guessing the intention of the first dessert was to replicate the taste of a flute of high class champagne but I found the jelly to be a bit heavy on the alcoholic flavour. Have it with the fruits though and you start to appreciate the natural sweetness of the fresh produce. The chocolate fudge came as a welcome bit of richness as the deep, bittersweet flavour of cacao really helped round off the meal in a nice way.

Without a doubt, the Mrs and I had a wonderful meal at ACME. Despite not being able to try the dish we had anticipated for some time, it was our (my) choice to proceed with the dinner plans and I can definitely say that I wasn't disappointed in the slightest with the quality and presentation of the items. For the Mrs, I believe that it was truly the duck dish that threw her off and being the frugal, value conscious consumer she is, she's reached the point in her life where it takes more for her to justify the cost of eating out at slightly fancier venues. For me though, I think every dollar I paid at ACME was well justified. In the video Foraged, Mitch explains the difficulties and costs of running a restaurant. Coming from a family raised on my father's hard work as a chef and myself having worked a large portion of my younger years as kitchen staff....I understand the hardships of running restaurants and how little the staff get paid comparative to how hard or how many hours they work. We do live in the 2nd most expensive city in the world so even if it seems like a high premium to pay, I just think of it as paying for the hours of hard work and dedication Mitch and his team put into getting to where they are.

Chaco Bar and Belle's Hot Chicken - Barangaroo, NSW

Sometimes, I find myself thinking that I'm glad to be alive during this time of culinary vibrancy in Sydney. When I was much younger, good food just wasn't a priority to people (at least the ones I knew). It was often hard to say that we had any really good food offerings unless you were happy to pay exorbitant amounts of money for a meal. That's all changed in recent years as we've come to put much more emphasis on good food and wine. Generally speaking, we're still a bit slower than everyone else in importing new ideas but luckily, it seems that ideas are very happy to come to us! Take for example: Belle's hot chicken, Melbourne most famous fried chicken joint. A short walk from Wynyard station, Belle's is a great place to go and grab a bite to eat, especially since Chaco Bar had opened their ramen pop up right next door!

It's been some time since they've set up shop at Wulugul Walk in Barangaroo but they're still as popular as ever as the Friday night we decided to go, so much so that we could barely find a spot to sit and eat! Tip for those planning a visit: Don't go when all the office workers are there grabbing a bite to eat and drink...TGIF is a very real thing. Fortunately, we came early so whilst a lot of office workers had just started drinking, a lot of the late-to-midday session diners have just started finishing up. Since it was cold and I care about ramen more than I care about anything, we decided to start on Chaco bar's ramen.

We ordered as soon as one of us were able to find a tiny spot to sit down at. We were rather hungry at that point but fortunately, the ramen came out really quickly. I'd wanted to try Chaco's ramen for ages since there's been rave review from when they started serving Ramen at their proper location. After tasting the ramen that night, I can definitely understand why. I've been fortunate enough to sample most of the ramen shops in Sydney and I have to say, I'm definitely loving Chaco bar's rendition. I ordered the Fish Salt which was the lighter of the two we ordered: light and viscous but holding a smooth and delicate flavour, the broth had a really nice peppery kick to it...I really, really liked the simplicity of this bowl of noodles. The roast pork was thinner than I've had at other places and therefore was slightly underwhelming but the noodles...oh.dear.lord the noodles were GREAT. Long, slightly wavy and vibrantly yellow...they had the best snap I've had in Sydney...very toothsome.

The Mrs got to have the Fat Soy ramen which I have to admit would have been my preferred option (but I gave it to her cause I love her). The soup wasn't thick like the other popular ramen spots in Sydney but still had a deep, rich, umami packed flavour...especially with the abundant pork fat that sat on top of the soup like a thick blanket. If I had one gripe, it was that I didn't get my ramen in a proper bowl but an enviro-disposable cardboard bowl...loses a bit of the heat and effect if you don't dig in straight away...but not a huge deal since it'll return to their proper store soon and I can go have it there!

We also had the gyoza as well which was actually really nice! Big, juicy and plump dumplings with a nice curry-like spicy kick to it.

Right after we had finished our ramen, we wasted no time at all and went to order our fried chicken! And then again, in no time at all, we were seated with hot, freshly fried poultry in front of us. The Mrs and I decided to share a portion of the chicken wings at medium spice with a side of fries and Mississippi comeback sauce. The chicken was really, really juicy and as you bite down on it, the hot chicken juices encased in the crispy coating starts dribbling down making it a very messy (and potentially dangerous) yet fun eating experience. Though very, VERY delicious...I can't say that it's something I'd pine over. I think Sydney has well and truly caught up in our fried chicken game and we have our own competitive offerings which I think are equally as good. For me, though the chicken was very crispy, I found my wings a bit lacking in that I was looking for the crispy protruding nubbins of goodness as you would find in KFC's Hot and Spicy or BUTTER's fried chicken only to find a rather flat surface area. I think we also picked the wrong spice level...Medium was a little bit too mild for us. Not to mention, I found myself very dehydrated after which suggested to me that it was over seasoned. I almost felt like the spice powder coated the back on my throat in a thick layer of dry seasoning.

Wanting to complete the MUCHIES night, the Mrs and I (along with her younger brother who I neglected to mention was with us the whole time) headed to Regents Place for some dessert. Being a Friday night, the place was already packing but we still managed to find a seat at Choc Pot. I personally think that after all the delicious food we had, there's no better way to end the night than to blow out and have a decadent chocolate banana crepe. Overall, I really do think we had a great night...Wurugul Walk is a great place to go to grab a bite to eat though I would suggest going when no one else is there (during the day). There are just more options open during the day (Short Stop donuts...) and you're not competing for a spot to sit. I can't wait till ramen goes back to the Darlinghurst location so that we can go and grab a nice, proper bowl of noodles!

BUTTER - Surry Hills, NSW

I mentioned that I had a disappointing experience with southern fried chicken lately right? Worry not, this disappointment quickly disappeared when I had the opportunity to dine at BUTTER a couple of weeks ago. Ever since they opened up, I'd been dying to hit up BUTTER but I hadn't had the opportunity to (I'd walked past the outside heaps of times but never got the chance to dine there with the Mrs). We finally got our chance a couple of weeks ago when my sister invited us out for drinks in the city. We decided to head out and hour or two earlier to the city so we could grab dinner before drinks. Ever since the George St closure, the city has become a horrid place to try and find parking (it was pretty bad before but now it's just unbearable). Surry Hills still has some parking but if possible, I'd suggest avoiding the drive altogether.

We got to BUTTER around 5:30pm and despite being Saturday, it was still pretty quiet (in terms of the expected crowd).This place is in no way "quiet", as soon as you walk past the gigantic glass wall of flashy sneakers, you hear gangster rap fill the room with a strong bass line and the rapid succinct flow of the wordsmiths. Everything from the deliberate neon lights to the menu and beyond points to one theme: this place makes you feel like a baller. The same decadence can be identified in their menu.

Being just the two of us, we opted against getting the size 13s ($60 worth of fried chicken served in a shoebox) but instead, the Mrs left me to order the appropriate amount of food for the two of us. To that end, I opted to grab a 3 pac, chicken sandwich and fries. To quench my thirst, I also decided to grab a melon slushie. To be honest: I could have done without the slushie...it taste very much like the artificial watermelon lollies and whilst it was an interesting flavour to begin with, it lost its charm rather quickly and left me wanting a more refreshing alternative.

In my opinion, southern fried chicken needs to meet 3 basic requirements: the batter needs to be extremely crunchy (lots of little crunchy bits sticking out), the coating needs to have a strong taste of the spice mixture used and the meat needs to be white meat (I'm normally all for coloured but in this one case, it needs to be white meat). BUTTER definitely meets these requirements and more...in fact, I don't think I've had southern fried chicken as good as they make it at BUTTER (maybe Hartsyard?). The chicken meat is so wonderfully juicy and tender and it's covered in this spectacularly crunchy shell. You get four choices of hot sauce ranging from O.G to some super hot level I'm tempted to try one day. Since the Mrs was having the 3 pac, I decided to keep it light and pick the O.G. I'll be honest, I appreciate hot sauce with my chicken but this tasted wayyyy too much like the korean chilli sauce that you have with noodles. If it actually tasted a bit different, I think I could have appreciated it much more. The slaw was really good though! Creamy and crunchy, it does initially taste just like KFC slaw but as you continue to savour it, other layers come in and make it a much more interesting experience.

Now, the next dish I've been craving for ages. It perfectly encapsulates the experience that is BUTTER...decadent and excessive but in all the right ways...utter and absolute gratification born in the form of the chicken sandwich. The same delicious fried chicken is wedged in between a milk bun that's been soaked in this delicious dashi butter with a pickle or two. As you take each bite, the crunchy batter, chicken juice, succulent chicken meat, fluffy milk bread and smooth, savoury butter all intertwine and make this overwhelming reaction of deliciousness. This reaction extends and permeates your entire body until it hits your stomach...and eventually clogs your blood vessels. Seriously, if you love heavy, thick flavours then this is the ultimate sandwich for you.

We also had the fries which were great in that they were really well seasoned but I could have done with not having the smoked aioli...too tart in my opinion and didn't really add to my experience. Overall, I really, really enjoyed my night at BUTTER. In fact, in the weeks since, I've recommended it to everyone and a few have found their ideal restaurant in BUTTER. If you too, love fried chicken, champers and rap music...I'd definitely recommend giving BUTTER a try.

Paramount Coffee Project - Surry Hills, NSW

The Mrs has been wanting to go to Paramount Coffee Project for years but we've just never had the chance. I mean, with so many new and exciting places opening up all the time, our list of ever expanding options just grows and grows right? Luckily, a couple of Sundays ago, we had a little breathing space to go out for a shopping spree. Since a majority of Surry Hills eateries weren't open for business, you're effectively left with the ones that are. As if following some kind of god given sign, we walked in, put our name down and waited for a table.

Paramount has been a popular lunch/brunch destination for some time now and you really see why when you walk in. I remember this being one of the first places I saw the minimalist white and wood industrial outfit that's become so popular recently.  The wide open space gives it a really inviting atmosphere and despite the frantic pace, you can feel comfortable tucked away in a corner having a private conversation.

As with any brunch, we ordered coffee as soon as we sat down. Maybe owing to how busy it was that weekend, our coffees didn't come out until we decided to order food (which was sometime after we'd seated and got comfortable). I wasn't sure if it was just me or if I was losing my palate but I really couldn't taste anything special or outstanding about the coffee at paramount. Granted, I remember it being creamy and nutty but it lacked depth for me.

We were seated right next to the little window where food went through the pass and so we could see when our dishes came out. The Mrs ordered the soft baked eggs which came out in a little clay ramekin. A good dollop of creamy labneh sat on top of a red chorizo sauce and green relish. This also came with a slice of sourdough toast, the Mrs at a bit and said that it wasn't suiting her palate as it was a bit too spicy. Good for me because I didn't much enjoy my dish so we swapped.

I ordered the southern fried chicken and waffles which on paper sounded like the most substantial and satisfying meal. I was rather disappointed with my first bite as the combination came across far too sweet for my liking. I suspect that there was maple syrup added to the waffles which in addition with the maple hinted gravy, overpowered the chicken a fair bit. I was also disappointed inthe batter of the chicken in that it lacked the crunch and spice you typically expect from southern fried chicken. The chicken itself was juicy and full of chicken flavour but the choice to use coloured meat may have affected the texture of the chicken. I knew I should have gone with my gut feeling and ordered the cheesesteak but, in the end, the Mrs ended up liking my dish more which meant it all worked out in the end.

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you'll know that I'm rarely this negative about food in general  (to be fair: it was still a good, hearty delicious meal) but I think the two years of anticipation really set us up for a bit of a let down. Though, that said, I'm also very willing to return since I'm convinced that the fault lied with me ordering the wrong thing. I've also recently had my southern fried chicken craving satisfied so if I do return, I'd be happy to try the other things they have on offer.

Night Noodle Markets 2015 - Sydney, NSW

A couple posts ago, I did say mention that I liked avoiding the crowds...I may have lied. Can you really blame me though? When one of the biggest foodie events comes around, you don't really say no. I really didn't think I'd be attending the Night Noodle Markets this year but miraculously, the Mrs made the suggestion when her friends all decided to go. So, soon as the both of us finished work, we met up in the city and proceeded to Hyde park before the crowds formed. Being that it was the final week, the amount of people visiting has already decreased but I'm still really glad we decided to head into the markets before everyone else. This way, the Mrs and I could sample all the delicious offerings with minimal wait times before everyone came.

The Mrs and I started our night off with a couple of skewers from Daniel San, which I assume is a new addition to the line up since I didn't notice them last year. We bought one pork and one chicken skewer so that we could sample both. I personally liked the chicken better (I love chicken yakitori) but the Mrs thought the pork was better. I do agree that the pork did take on the marinade and glaze better but I'll always like chicken better...there's just something about smokey, grilled chicken meat on a stick which makes life amazing.

Seeing that the traffic had started to slowly trickle in, the Mrs and I thought it'd be a good idea to grab a table. We quickly found a large enough table and sat down in preparation for the arrival of our friends, which I took as an opportune time to scope out the other goods. By now, it's no secret that the Mrs loves Malaysian food so I quickly ran up to Mamak and ordered two servings of Roti Canai (one for me, one for her). Mamak's roti is always amazing...super doughy, fluffy and crispy, this combination is best served when dipped straight into that vibrant and fragrant orange curry....tear apart, dip, devour and repeat for maximum enjoyment.

I noticed that next to Mamak, Harajuku Gyoza had set up stall and being the mad gyoza fanatic that I am, I just couldn't help but order some for myself. For me, this was the biggest surprise of the night as I didn't really expect much from the gyoza...but it was absolutely, positively delicious. Gyoza is one of those commodities which is so readily available that it's hard to differentiate one from the other but this one...leagues above the competition. The crisp, crunchy bottom covers the juicy dumpling's filling which explodes with flavour as you bite into it. My experience was something straight out of a certain food-related manga...the nuanced and delicate flavours of this particular dish brought me to heaven and back...this is the one dish I legitimately wanted to go back for seconds for.

As our friends arrived, we were able to leave the table behind and go explore. The Mrs and I settled on Bao Stop as our next stall (the Mrs was interested in the fried chicken whilst I was more interested in the Peking Duck fries). I didn't actually order the fries in the end but I did order a trifecta and the chicken which was just as good. As we were in the line, the rain slowly but surely started to pour which was really not pleasant but for the sake of food, we (I) stood resilient as we waited. After we received our orders, I quickly dashed back to the group, making sure to shield the food with my body on the way. Unfortunately, it took us all a while to get to a comfortable spot and the sad thing about baos is that they tend to stick to the cardboard if you leave them there for too long. This made the whole eating experience rather messy but that was in no way detrimental to the food. The baos tasted great but I have to say the chicken stole the show...I'd say, rather ingenious the way they turned the distinct taste of XO sauce into a sweet and tangy glaze.

Didn't mention these...Korean style tacos

Apologies for the shaky focus...hard to hold still trying to dodge the rain.

Our friends saw our food and decided to venture off to the same location for their share. I was fortunate enough to be able to still try the Peking duck fries which they brought back. In retrospect, kind of glad I didn't order them because whilst I do love deep fried shoestring fries, the taste of gamey duck and hoisin only reminded me of the real deal therefore making me want that more.

Again, sorry...the rain really doesn't contribute to high aperture photos

At that point, the rain had started to clear up which signalled the continuation of the festivities. The group decided it'd then be a good idea to go and grab some ramen burgers from ONE tea lounge's stall. I abstained from this venture because I was very full at that point but nonetheless, we headed over and surprisingly quickly, ordered and recieved our food. I have to say, I am slightly disappointed in the ramen burger this year. We had the full ramen burger last year and that was absolutely delicious but as per their restaurant's menu, this year's offering was made in slider form. I think my preference is still for the mess that is the full sized burger though.

Additional to the sliders, one of our group members also purchased the fried ice cream baos. They came in various asiatic flavours (green tea, red bean and black sesame). I managed to get a taste of the green tea and I'll be honest, I wasn't really a fan. The deep fried bao just seemed a bit too bland for me and whilst they did pair it with ice cream and other sweet treats, the matcha flavour really wasn't as intense as I would have liked meaning the whole package just came across as mildly lacking.

At the end of the day, as much as I don't appreciate crowds...I'm still really glad that I got to go enjoy the Night Noodle Markets. The stalls only come around once a year and with the abundant selection of delicious samplings, you really can't go wrong if you spend a night out with great, fun people at the markets.