Ester Restaurant - Chippendale, NSW

It's always the new year that brings out the best intentions in us. Something about...starting a fresh, clean slate and all this "new year, new me" stuff. Realistically, it's not any different from the last 365 days you've just experienced but somehow, you feel more motivated, more invigorated and more certain that this year, you will fulfill your tasks and achieve your goals. Such is the wave of emotions I was overcome with this new year. The passing of another year had me thinking about how quickly 2016 had passed and how little I managed to achieve blogging-wise...and it did not make me feel happy at all. I reflected on the fact that my blog had been around for awhile now (longer than any of my previous attempts) in fact, just today I found out that we've been active for more than 2 years.

So long story short: I'm back once again after my hiatus and I've recharged my blogging batteries for now. I have saved up a small collection of places we've dined at and as I've done before, I will make an attempt to write multiple posts until I've caught up. Today, I'd like to reminisce about the spectacular dinner the Mrs and I had at Ester. You'd think that being married and not having any kids (yet) would mean that the two of us would be able to share intimate dinner moments more often...well, you'd be mistaken. So therefore, in light of how rare the opportunity is, we tend to cherish the nights where we've committed to going out for a fancy dinner.

To be honest I've heard nothing but good news about Ester and the work they do but I could not have prepared myself for what followed. I met the Mrs after work where we decided to bum around at Central Park before heading over. At this point, the Mrs had yet to decipher where exactly I was taking her but she soon figured out (with the help of Zomato of course...). Arriving promptly for our dinner reservation, we were seating almost at the centre of the dining room that had yet to be filled with eager guests. This provided us with ample solitude to mull over the decisions of what we would order and how much we would indulge that night.

Upon arrival, each table is given a light snack to open up your appetite and help ease our hungry stomachs into readiness. A small plate of crisp, roasted chickpeas perfumed with aromatic herbs and a touch of salinity that begs you to go for more. The Mrs opted to not have any alcohol that night but I on the other hand, decided to settle in with a nice glass of Nikka from the barrel (after very little coercion from our delightful hostess).

Opting not to go for the set menu, we ordered a multitude of items which we believed best suited our palates. First to come was the fermented potato bread with salmon roe and dashi jelly. By far, the MOST impressive starter/bread service I've ever had in my life...the wood fired oven that you can see most prominently in the kitchen is a sure-fire sign that whatever comes out of that furnace would be delicious and that, to be honest, is barely sufficient to describe this bread. Cut open that savoury and smoky crust and you will find the most pliable, soft and doughy bread in existence. Slather a mild amount of the salmon roe combination onto the bread and put it in your mouth for an instantaneous umami explosion. This is the dish I would start and end my meal with...stuff dessert!

Shortly after came the roasted oysters with horseradish emulsion which were absolutely sublime! Admittingly, the mild shell-cutting-the-edge-of-my-mouth incident did dull my enjoyment ever so slightly however, I just couldn't get over how well the flavours melded together! The oysters were plump and buttery and the emulsion just gave it a really nice contrasting element.

There was a dish on the menu that I had to order for myself which was the blood sausage sanga. The Mrs isn't the biggest fan of blood sausage but I am a willing sucker for anything of the sort. This did not disappoint because not only was the sausage delicious, the slice of square bread it rested on was also impressively moist and soft...I'm sensing a common theme here.

The next two dishes to come were definitely for the Mrs however: salt baked crab and the marron with salt and pepper sauce. The Mrs adores crustaceans and shellfish (what she gets for being inducted into a Chinese family) but even I had to admit that the crab was mighty impressive in it's simplicity. The flesh of the crab was unbelievably sweet which I can only assume lends part to the fact that the baking of the crab in salt assists with. There was a crab roe dipping sauce that was provided but I remember barely touching it at all as the inherent flavours of the crab was more that sufficient. I almost felt bad for wasting a beautiful sauce that someone put so much effort into making! I personally was more impressed with the marron...smaller than the tasmanian lobsters I'm used to having but much larger than yabbies, the marron provided just enough succulent meat to whet your desire but sadly, not enough to satisfy it...not something for people with a huge appetite for seafood. The sauce was very, very impressive though...not an overpowering saltiness and a rather decent and refreshing kick from the pepper.

To round off our meal, we had ordered the flank steak with smoked cream and kombu. We then paired this with their house cauliflower with almond sauce and mint. Flank steak is definitely not my favourite cut of beef but my word, this was done well. Cut against the grain (like any good flank should be), the meat just tears away so easily...and then melts in your mouth when consumed...not something I would expect with flank. Every other element on the dish was designed to heighten your bovine experience...the smoked cream, the jus and the side of pickled daikon all served to take that humble piece of meat and make it heavenly.

Though the beef was great, the "designed-to-be-shared" portion sizing left the glutton in me wanting more. Fortunately, this is where the delectable side of roasted cauliflower comes in. I know from my experience with the many delicious cauliflower dishes I've had but prior to all this gourmet eating, I never could have imagined that the humble and unassuming cauliflower could taste so good and satisfying....but it totally does! The almond sauce was really rich in flavour and I really enjoyed the fresh, herbaceousness from the mint.

Overall, our night at Ester can be summed up in one word: impressive. At that price range, Ester is a standout amongst a lot of equally impressive eateries mainly for their service, their technique and how each dish complimented and elevated the next. There was literally no crescendo....it just kept going up and up. And if you're fortunate enough to find yourself sitting at one of their tables, please...double down on that potato bread.

Brewristas - Glebe

Hello everyone!

Firstly, we'd like to thank each and every reader who comes by our little blog, we've recently been trying to blog more frequently (so that we can get a into the habit of posting and so that our list of places to blog about doesn't grow any more) and we're definitely noticing the increased views we're getting so that's good! It's such a humbling experience knowing that people come and find genuine interest in our lives so we definitely appreciate you taking the time to read about our adventures. We hope that we can continue to consistently provide good content regularly so stay tuned!

As Autumn begins to get into full swing and the weather become a bit colder each and every morning, it becomes increasingly harder to wake up. That said though, I still managed drag myself out of bed and take the Mrs on a brunch date. She's always been so lovely and supportive that I thought that she deserved a bit of treat. With that in mind, we got dressed in our Easter Monday best and drove all the way to Glebe to try out a place that's been on our list for some time now: Brewristas.

Parking really wasn't hard to find as there's plenty of street parking all along Glebe Point Rd and on the off chance that you just can't find any parking, Broadway has free 2hr parking so that definitely helps (it's not a far walk either!). 

Walk in and you'll notice that the place is rather expansive with a back area that looks very comfortable. We opted to take the first seats that became available. That wasn't any detriment though as we got to see all the people come and go. The unfortunate result of visiting on a public holiday was that the staff would be exceptionally busy meaning it took some time before our coffee and food would arrived. I didn't particularly have a problem with it as I personally like watching people do their thing but the Mrs wasn't nearly as patient. 

*Action shot!*

The Mrs had ordered her standard coffee which was done spectacularly however I opted for a pour over with the house beans.

Quality takes time and attention to detail. That I understood and so when my coffee came, I was all the more appreciative of it. Brownie points for the impeccably dressed Kevin and his wonderful explanation of the coffee and the way to enjoy it!

Our food eventually came (the staff acknowledged the wait and apologised for it so all was well in my books) and boy did the dishes look pretty. The cold eggplant and vegetable stack was delightfully fresh which made it an appetizing Autumn dish as the flavor of the pesto wasn't all too overpowering and there was the balsamic glaze there to cut through it all. The bits of chorizo (an additional $3) and boccocini also complimented the dish well.

Now, Kevin's balls...oh so delicious. The flavor that these four small balls pack is immense. The combination of the tofu and pork which is deep fried and encrusted with bits of Shin Ramyun and covered in a good amount of spicy mayo....a match made in heaven if there was ever a more apt description. My only wish was that there were more of it to go around. I don't think any adjective I label it with could give it the justice it deserves so if you're ever visiting, trust me: order one order for each diner. You will fight over these.....or you might be smart enough to order more, I don't know. 

Brewristas is definitely a place to come and spend an afternoon, ideally you'd shoot for a day where it's less busy but with how these guys are doing, I honestly don't think their popularity with the Sydney crowd is set to fizzle anytime soon. 

Would we return? For the balls? yes. Most definitely yes.

Recommendations? Order the balls...make sure you've ordered enough so you won't need to share. Oh and sit in the back so you have a clear view of the brewing station.

Areas of improvement? If they provided more balls for the price that would be great but I guess that's just an indication of how impressive they were.

Devon Cafe - Surry Hills

The Mrs loves brunch. Like...I'm not even joking when I say it's almost an obsession with her. I'm lucky in that she uses as Android phone and not an Apple as if she had the opportunity to use Matchbook, all our time and resources would be devoted to trying each and every cafe in Sydney.

It's pretty obvious I don't appreciate brunch as much as she does.That said, I will say that Devon cafe was thoroughly impressive. Then again, that much is expected...I mean they are the Devon cafe. These guys are definitely in the top tier. Think along the lines of the equivalent of LA Lakers of the Sydney brunch game. And with their second location having not-so-recently opened up in Waterloo, it's rather hard to deny their popularity. 

We decided to visit one weekend as I had promised the Mrs I would take her to one of her desired locations. Being the smart cookie I was, I thought I'd go out early and grab a table (back when we went, it was still a single location and hence they got packed super easily). That said, they have their system down pat so I wouldn't worry too much about excessive wait times. 

We were seated promptly and having been given ample time to skim over the menu during our (my) wait, we swiftly ordered and eagerly awaited our food. The coffee came first which was nice as it gave me something to sip on while we waited. In this situation, I chose to order a pour over which was a good choice as I wasn't feeling particularly milky that day. Coffee was really good, as expected.

Shortly after, our orders arrived at our table. The Mrs ordered the famous Eggs Blini and I had ordered the baked eggs with an extra side of morcilla (I wanted to go double but the Mrs stopped me). The Eggs Blini was presented beautifully, the vibrant colors definitely did well in appealing to the diner's eyes first. However, I personally can't say that the interplay of flavors held up as much as the initial appearance did. In my opinion, the blini was a tad too sweet which didn't work as nicely when paired with the flavor of fish from the trout and Ikura roe which definitely stood out more. 

I can safely say that I ordered the better dish as the eggs were done perfectly and the sauce was the perfect amount of savory tartness which helped cut through the moorish pieces of morcilla sausage. The thick cut toast provided was also perfect for sopping up any remaining sauce. 

In my opinion, Devon cafe is definitely worth the visit. Their street cred is well deserved and with their current menu, now would be a great time to go and try it out. 

Would we return? I don't have a choice, the Mrs will make me.

Recommendations? I don't think we can make recommendations as we haven't been since the menu change but looking at their current menu, I would go with the Soft Shell Crab Roll ala Japanois.....Oh and they have flavored Cronuts at Danks *wink wink*

Areas of improvement? Their game is pretty tight, can't say I'm aware of any aspect they need improvement on.

Ballers Polpetteria - Enmore

It's been some time since I've finished high school (and university) yet I still stubbornly hold on to my bad habit of completing tasks at the last second. That said, better late than never right?

As promised, we'd do two posts a week until the backlog is done and at the rate we're going we should be finished with the belated blogs soon. First post tonight will be about a nice little place called Ballers.

One evening, the Mrs and I decided to go out for dinner however we hadn't really decided on a place, so we decided the best course of action was of course to drive to a random suburb and see what was available. We somehow ended up at Enmore (I subconsciously direct myself to the inner city all the time because that's where I'm overwhelmed with the abundant options) but at that point in time we still hadn't decided yet and I was getting seriously hangry, so the Mrs suggested we park the car and have a stroll. By some stroke of luck, the parking spot we got allowed us to walk by this nice and cozy new joint called Ballers.

The store decor was so hip and trendy that we we're immediately drawn into the place and come on, I'd never really pass up any opportunity to stuff my face with meatballs. We ordered our dishes and decided to sit in the back where you get a clear view of the open kitchen. This in my opinion was the ideal location to sit as we got a clear view of the inner workings and we also got to have a conversation with the kitchen staff (which is something both the Mrs and I love doing)

The run from the kitchen to the tables was quite quick which was nice, although as at the point of time when we visited, they had only just been open for a month or so, the service staff were still trying to get a handle on things. It was also cause of this that they didn't have any alcohol available yet (though that hardly diminishes the experience) it would have been nice to have a beer with my balls.

We ordered two meals (beef and special meatballs both with the special sauce, meatballs come with a slice of baguette bread as standard) along with fries and mash. The meatballs were delightful as they were decently sized and had a real substance to the texture. The worst thing when it comes to meatballs is when you get more bread crumbs than meat.

Ballers definitely knows how to pack in the meat as every bite was meaty and juicy. The special meatballs were good however, the real winner would be the beef meatballs. If you had to choose, go beef. Just trust me, you will understand when you taste it. The special sauce was the right amount of tomato tang balanced out and exemplified with a good kick. Put the meat and sauce together and you just can't help but want more.

Their sides were also fantastic, fries were seasoned incredibly well with a nice herbaceous element and the mash was creamy, buttery and smooth. If the Mrs (queen of mash) herself approves, you know you've done well.

After a delightful meal, we were advised that we were able to leave our mark in the toilet where a mural of sorts was slowly building from the growing fan-base they had. Quick to get our stamp in, we dashed to the back and scribbled our names there (if you happen to go in, have a look around, you'll see our tag there)

Would we return? Definitely,

Recommendations? Again, go beef. Just trust me on this. 

Areas of improvement? When we went, the menu was a little difficult to decipher (they may have fixed this issue already) which meant that a little explaining needed to be done before we could order but that just adds to the charm as you could say it leaves you no choice but to make friends with the staff.

The Mister's Test Kitchen - Ramen

Hello all!

As promised, we're trying to get into the habit of posting on a regular basis so here is the second post of the night.

Just to shake things up a bit, I thought I'd share with you all my experiences gained from trail and error in the kitchen. If it's one thing I love more than eating, it's feeding people with the food I make. Nothing makes me happier than when someone says my food is delicious (must be an inherited trait, my dad is the exact same)

So one fine evening with nothing better to do, I decided I would try to make ramen. I knew this was long process and I had prepared adequately for the road ahead. Rather than make Tonkotsu though, I decided to make Torigara. My primary reasoning behind this decision was that I personally believed that Miso ramen (my absolute favorite ramen) is better suited to chicken stock because pork stock tends to overpower the already heavy dish (also, you just can't get pork leg bones at 8PM)


I went out and bought a whole chicken, some spring onions, one brown onion, a carrot, garlic, ginger, white peppercorns, pork rashers (for the Chashu) and a lot of soy sauce. Oh and eggs, so many eggs.

The chicken was dissected quite roughly and put into the stock pot. After covering the chicken with water, I brought that to a steady boil before I added the other ingredients. And here is where I made my first mistake: stock takes times and dedication. If you're not willing to put in the work, don't try to make stock. My mistake was that I would leave everything in the pot and that would be fine. What I didn't do was par-boil the chicken and clean it out. This simple step will result in a cleaner stock.

So back to the stock, I steadily added all the ingredients and boiled it over a controlled flame pretty much until I needed to go to sleep.

While that was boiling away, I mixed equal parts soy sauce, cooking sake and mirin to make the ajitsuke tamago. To make these eggs, simply put the eggs in cold water and bring the water to a boil. After the water boils, time the eggs for 4 minutes and then bathe in cold water. Peel the eggs and submerge in the marinade (which I heated in the microwave prior and chilled) preferably overnight. Even without ramen, these eggs are delectable with some rice and bonito flakes.

So back to the stock, being exhausted from watching over the stock, I poured it all into my sous-vide machine and let the slow cooker function take care of the rest.

The next morning I woke up to continue the preparation.

But first, I decided to make myself some breakfast. That's when I came up with the idea of making a Longanisa McMuffin. Longanisa is this sweet and spicy filipino sausage that you can find in most filipino stores. All I did was take the meat out of the casing, form it into a puck, fry it off in a frying pan with an egg on the side and whack it on a buttered and toasted english muffin. This was probably my proudest moment of the two days I spent cooking.

The stock had been stewing overnight and had since become rather flavorsome. When it came time to server the Mrs some delicious ramen, I realised I made my second mistake - I needed to source some legitimate noodles. Ramen noodles are NOT egg based noodles. Instead, their yellow hue comes from the fact that they are made with alkaline water. This means that not any yellow looking Japanese noodle would do. A mistake I realised later on in serving the ramen.

My third mistake was that I got tired and made a half-arsed effort with the Chashu and didn't braise it for long enough. If you're going to spend the time making ramen, put in some TLC and braise the pork properly. The pork should fall apart at the touch but instead mine was tough from not spending enough time in the cooking process. Pro-tip: put the pork INTO the stock and cooking it along with the stock. Once it's cooking to your desired texture, take it out and dip it into the marinade overnight. That way the chashu gets it's signature soft-pillowy bite and still gets the flavour treatment it needs.

My Final mistake was with the Tare. Ramen has multiple components: the stock, the noodles and the tare which is the sauce base differentiating each flavor (shoyu, miso, shio etc.). Whatever you do, do NOT make the shoyu tare the night before. Refrigerated tare will turn sour. Instead, keep the braising liquid or marinading liquid which you marinaded the chashu in. When it comes time to serve your Shoyu ramen, reduce the liquid until it becomes a thick, umami-packed sauce that you can thin out with the stock.

Overall, the Mrs was impressed with all the effort put in (she was being really nice) but word of advice: do not attempt to make ramen unless you have the balls to follow through until the end. Attention to detail is everything.