This is mostly applied to women in Sydney, although I reckon you’ll find these problems are prevalent elsewhere too. Girls, why do you wear the following?
- Uggs? I always get the “they’re comfy” answer but the same girls will also jump at a nice pair of heels. Que?
- Pleather tights. It is horrible when the weakass material gets stretched out and you get this saggy ass look.
- The Pocahontas headband. Just confuses me. Ethnically and politically.
- High waisted bottoms. Your waist is where your waist is, not where your tits are.
- Jeggings. Super stretch anything already looks bad as pants. Why do you want fake denim that is overstretched and wear them underwear as outerwear style?
- Shorts/Short Skirts in cold weather with leggings underneath. I mean mid thigh at the longest as well. Wrong weather concepts hello?
- Rabens. Not just girls but people still wear these? The Chinese slave children who make these welcome your charity. $20???
- Crocs. These are like Uggs, only uglier.
- Titless chicks wearing maxi dresses. If you ain’t aphrodite, you can’t wear it babe.
- Country Road duffles. Why does everyone, boy or girl buy these? It’s like the only CR item that anyone buys??? They ain’t cheap either.
I guess I probably know a little too much about chick fashion but I really cannot stand to see most of the shit up there. It’s not that they can’t look good on some girls but most people do it all wrong and some are just totally whack. Guys have shit fashion trends too but they tend to look awful most of the time anyway and I don’t look at guys. I want to delight in the beauty and splendour of the female form and not avert my gaze because it’s shrouded in sartorial depravity.
Do me a favor and burn that shit.
My parents’ visit provided the perfect opportunity to fleece them and expand my food universe. I brought them to Single Origin & Campos for Coffee, a decent butcher in Hudson Meats, Chef’s Warehouse, T2, Garfish for more fish and il Baretto for Duck Ragu Papardelle. (Haha! Everything’s food related!) Yet, to me, the highlight was Formaggi Ocello’s outlet in Surry Hills. An Italian cheesemonger, it was superbly stocked with hard and soft and blue and washed cheeses that I’ve never even heard of, nevermind smelt or tasted. I finally did get the chance at last. Beautiful Pecorino with Truffles was heaven. Returning soon for more smelly action. They also stock all the good Oz/European stuff as well as some other deli stuffs. But the Italian cheeses are the stars of the show.
Rose Bay is about 10 or 15 minutes from the city, away from the hustle and bustle and the hoons but it doesn’t display too much opulence despite its reputation as a well to do neighborhood. It’s understated, until you realize that those houses are actually really massive and there’s quite a lot of boats on the water. Still, you don’t notice it.
Pier sits atop an actual pier, jutting out onto Rose Bay itself. Glass lining either side, it’s incredibly subtle and elegant. On first glance, you wouldn’t think it’s necessarily home to a 3 hat diner. No you have to notice the idea behind how it’s sited and how it’s designed around the location itself. You’re dining almost out on the water, with a view that’s nondescript and perhaps unspectacular. You’re not going to see the opera house bathed in the glow of the city lights. It’s just a rather tranquil, minimalist approach to a restaurant. You feel like you’re almost on the water, but you’re completely dry. At once caught in some wonderful intermediary between land and sea, natural and man made.
Which is Pier from start to finish, every minutiae, every detail, every nuance. Some people won’t get it at all. They want the fireworks and the pizazz and the big bangs and the foams and the sperificacions and service that sucks up or whatever. No. Pier is for the people who appreciate the simple, underappreciated things in life. The delicate lightness of being. A certain refined sense of life beyond the ordinary brusqueness with which we approach things.
I suppose my opinion is clouded by several factors. One. I’ve just graduated culinary college and my parents came over for a visit. Two. I didn’t pay a cent HHAHAHAHAHAHAH! Three. I love seafood. Four. I’m into this quiet, suppressed expressionist vibe right now. Even then, you’d have to be really thick to not appreciate the flavors and the beauty on the plate.
I’m greeted by the waitstaff by name, a pleasant little surprise despite the obviousness of the situation. It shows I was expected and that they care. We sit at the table and get some still water whilst we browse the menu. As we eat, the restaurant fills up half full. Yet, they purposely keep all the customers on one side of the long room, allowing the other side to retain an unspoiled view of the boats on the bay awash in the light of the setting sun. Like a fading vesper hinting at what was to come.
We opted for the 8 course degu. With matching wines. Plus 6 oysters each. 3 rock, 3 coffin bay. Plus coffee. Damages were insane. Yet, it felt completely worth it. It was, I must confess, the best meal I have had to this point in my life. I sincerely hope it will not be the best ever. I know there is even better. Yet, I still feel Pier deserves its place in the culinary world as something beautiful and something I can truly appreciate. It’s so me. The fact that it’s seafood, the delicate nature, the thoughtfulness, the attention to detail… It’s no mind altering experience but it’s what a really awesome restaurant should be.
We start with oysters. I devour them before I remember to pull my camera. I went from left to right, rock then coffin then rock and so on. Starting au naturel, then adding lemon then mignonette at the end. They’re superbly fresh. But they’re also just oysters. I want moar!!!
First course was a canape straight from Thomas Keller. King salmon tartare with capers sitting on a cone made of wonton skin. The variation being the wonton skin swopped for the tuile in Keller’s original. The fish is fresh, you can tell with each firm little bite, despite the fact that it’s tiny little cubes. The capers lend this saltiness that is intended. As a palate opener and not as a dish in its own right. I realize this only after the meal. The ultra crisp wonton skin also adds to that effect as the gustatory actions are driven into work and attention. One side detail were the holders for these. Ours came in a set of three, whilst the people dining at other tables had a holder specifically designed for 2 cones because they were a couple. Another group had 2 sets of 2. If it were a holder with 4 cones, they’d have to pass it around, which would be silly.
2nd course was Carpaccio of John Dory with Tomato, Lime Vinaigrette, Cracked White Pepper and Soft Herbs. I loved the presentation. It led you on to start from the outside, untouched fish to the slices sitting within the dressing, giving the dish a certain evolution of flavor as you went along. It was delightful. I flipped each slice into a tiny little packet and placed it into the orifice. It is deceptively simple. Once in the mouth, you get a full burst of fish and herbs, brought on in no small part with a good dose of sea salt. The John Dory just strong enough to handle the herbs and still dominate in its own right. When I got to the dressing, it simply transgressed to the next level. The lime brightening up the palate and the oil helping the flavors to linger in the mouth just that bit longer. Every single apprehension I had was wiped away. Immediately I realized this was going to be so freakin’ awesome. I suppose it helped immensely that we started with a biggish white. A 2007 Castro Martin Albarino from Rias Baixas in Spain. Peaches and apples. Perfectly complimentary to the dish and so drinkable on its own.
3rd course. Tian of Spanner Crab with Scallop Ceviche, Pea Salad and Pea Jus. This upped the ante. The crab was sweet and tender. Delightful little morsels amplified in flavor with the very similar sweetness from the fresh peas. These were unbelievable. Then you get the textural link, with the crab and the pea jus provided a similar, brushy/hairy feeling at the top of the mouth. The scallop provided contrast with its smooth slickness. Then the matching Sauvignon Blanc gave it just the right acid kick.
4th course. Pan Roasted Scallops with Sauteed Veal Sweetbreads, Shimeji Mushrooms & Cauliflower Tofu. I usually baulk at repeat ingredients but this scallop and the one before felt like alternate universes. This was a course in full texture with increasing flavor. Perfectly roasted scallops just browned on the outside were given a splendid depth from the richness of the sweetbread and the savoryness of the mushroom jus. The cauliflower tofu reflected the scallops even more so and felt similar to the matching wine. Here, the wine matched in terms of viscosity, rather than flavor as the principle. Interesting and incredibly delicious.
5th course. Crispy Skinned Murray Cod wth Caramelised Witlof, Jamon Serrano, Dutch Carrots and Bitter Orange. Iberico would have swamped the fish, overpowering it. The mildly bitter/astringent aspect from the witlof and orange was countered by the fact that they were also sweet. The carrots also provided another sweet accent, only in high contrast crunchy versus creamy puree. The puree itself was beautifully scented with orange. The dish was sublime. A perfect marriage of multiple textures and flavors that seemed like a cohesive whole. Another added extra was the unremarkable pinot noir that lifted the dish all the more. Most whites would not have been able to take on the mantle this dish proffers. This dish exemplifies how well the sommelier works with head chefs Greg Doyle and Grant King.
6th course. This merged the savory and sweet worlds. Roquefort Cheesecake with Pear Gel, Celery, Maple Syrup, Fig and Grissini Sticks. I can’t explain fully why there isn’t a hint of blue in the cheese. Or how the thing was so damn good. Suffice to say that it was so damn good. The orangey dessert wine that went with this was phenom.
7th Course. A light as air Carrot Sponge. Possibly an aerated genoise served with some cream cheese, peanuts and cream cheese frosting. I remember the frosting having a sherbet-esque taste and how the sponge was lighter than souffle. Excuses for the blur photo! As an exercise in lightness, this was perfect, given we were almost at the end and getting full. Yet, despite the near nothingness, it was still full on flavor.
Last and final course. A spectacular finish from Katrina Kanetani. Rum Braised Bananas with Rum Sponge, Coconut Sorbet, Almond Brittle, Cocoa Powder and Tamarind Jelly. Resplendent in its marriage of textures, flavors and presented amazingly. This is one where you need a little bit of everything in one awesome mouthful. This came with a Chenin Blanc but I swiped that mostly with the carrot cake already!
And to finish for good, a cappuccino with some orange marshmallows!
Thanks Mom & Dad!
The term providore is like really trendy now. As in, if you flipped through the pages of Good Living, the Sydney Morning Herald’s Tuesday supplement for all things food related, you’d probably read it 21287 times in a sentence. So I had this tiny little bit of the creeps when I was walking to find Fourth Village Providore in Mosman. I was afraid it was going to be this overpriced beast of a retail store filled with yuppie scum who make espuma sandwiches on Saturday evenings to impress girls. Then I realized I was a wannabe yuppie scum that wanted to make espuma sandwiches to impress my tummy and duly walked in the door.
The place is located off the main road and on a quieter side street. You can tell from the off that Italian products are big there. A huge wall of risottos and pastas in all kinds of shapes, cannolis packed in boxes, sauces and an array of prosciutto hanging behind a counter. But I was here for the cheese. Which I found and was impressed with. They have a very good selection of local and imported cheeses, including some which they proudly announce as being in Australia for the first time. I also loved the fact that my favorite crackers from the Fine Cheese Co were like, on sale, at $6.50.
There wasn’t anyone to help me out in the cold and musty cheese room and I suppose an Asian “kid” wearing a cap with slim jeans and sneakers doesn’t look like your average wannabe gourmand. Anyway, I chanced upon a real camembert. A petit camembert from Isigny Ste Mere, in Normandy. Which I look forward to. It’s actually warming up next to me right now.
It’s certainly not your run of the mill deli and I reckon it would give Simon Johnson etc a decent run for their money. At the very least, it’s like on the way to work for me. I’m certainly returning for more merch in the near future.
Incu are bringing UK fast fashion giants Topshop to Sydney, where they’ll take over the second floor of Incu Paddo. I’m still waiting for a Uniqlo or H&M to open. Somewhere like 5 metres from my house would be good.
The mother of all tripels. The first one to use the term to denote a strong pale ale. I had a glass at the Belgian Beer Cafe and it was marvellous. Deep golden in color with a cloudy appearance, it started off matte then brightened with strong fruit/floral flavor and aroma and dissipated into the long hoppy finish. The Westmalle Tripel is definitely one of the finest beers I’ve had to date. At $14.20, it felt like value for money, what with the 9.5 % alcohol that sat deceptively within the delicious liquor. The beer also came in a nice goblet that had this pattern debossed on the side, some leaves and a fleur de lys or something like that. My mate called it a pair of nuts and a stick and I concurred.
On a side note, this was my second visit to the joint. Previously I had the superb Orval and their specialty, mussels. This time round, we were told the mussels were all gone and we had to wait 40 minutes for a pathetic plate of cheese balls. During which time, I wondered why my 4 beers cost me more than it should. I promptly went to the bar and went to check things out. The babe behind was totally nice or I think I was smitten or something. I can’t remember although i totally remember her face and how nice she was, smiling and stuff. I should go back. For the awesome beers of course. Oh and uh, on Wednesdays, mussels are half price, which is why they were all out today. October is coming after all and German beer is weak compared to the Belgian variety. Yes, I’m going for another round next week and a phone number on the side.
No one died I think but even at home, I can feel this dustyness in the air and my castle’s all closed up as well. There’s been this immense dust storm in Sydney that’s blanketed the city in a red haze. It’s like someone exploded Uluru or summat. Check these beautiful if eerie pictures from the Sydney Morning Herald’s online edition. IT’S THE END OF THE WORLD!
So how come I watched a pseudo post apocalyptic film with a red overcast filter? OMG! I can tellz da futur!
After talking for yonks about going someplace nice, we finally bit the bullet on Wednesday. The push was made by the release of the 25th anniversary edition of the Good Food Guide for 2010. So we flipped through and lusted after the various places. I was still sore that I’d planned to go to Pier on my birthday but failed due to a mash of problems. In the end, we settled for the alphabetical approach.
Which is how we picked Assiette, a little diner with a bit of history to the place. It’s located in Surry Hills and seats about 50 plus people with a cramped kitchen. The place used to be the old Becasse and Assiette’s chef, together with Justin North and several others were all a part of the team that worked under Liam Tomlin back in the day when Banc ruled the roost in the Sydney dining scene. But that’s history and since then, Warren Turnbull has launched his own joint and had been a one hatter for a while now. Until this year that is, because they moved up a notch. Just so you know, we went for Assiette over say… Aria, because we liked that it would be more intimate and cosy.
The decor is simple, mostly white, with 3 cutesy, slightly edgy pictures adorning the back wall mildly remniscent of Un Chien Andalou. A screen made up of twisted bits of wood proffered the open kitchen a bit of privacy to concentrate. And that they did, with the head chef at the front and our table the biggest one right next to him. Our waiter got us some sample menus of the degu that we were to be having and we opted for an NZ Pinot Gris. Much to our surprise, it also happened to be one of the recommended pairings with the 2nd course. It went well with most of the stuff we had and it was quite delish by itself.
And we’re off! First course is an oyster with an Asian style dressing (palm sugar, fish sauce etc) and some deep fried shallots.
Round 2! Seared tuna rolled in parsley, smoked eel in cucumber agar agar, basil puree, baby radish, moar cucumber, pork crackling and pickled eggplant. A touch confusing but texturally interesting I suppose. I just didn’t know where to start. Crackling is superb.
Oh yes now we’re talkin! Beetroot w goat’s curd, basil gelee, golden beetroot reduction and a pine nut vinaigrette plus some fried pastry strips. The goat’s cheese had chives running throughout and the dish tasted like god mode sour cream and onion.
Next up is cured wagyu with white asparagus, artichoke, croutons, mayo, PX reduction, summer truffle and a crispy quail’s egg. PX reduction plus truffle plus quail yolk is win. Beef is a chewfest so it’s not to everyone’s liking.
Defo one of the highlights. Macleay Valley rabbit terrine w foie gras, textures of carrot, hazelnut and sultana puree. First off, the sultana puree was interesting as it deepened the overall sweetness. The carrot puree you see sitting below the terrine is super smooth. My mate tells me they pass stuff through the sieve twice. It’s so light and delicately flavored plus I am not a carrot fan but I was licking it up. That’s just the start. The terrine is loose and moist, unlike the shit you expect from a centuries old cooking method. The other surprise is the melt level of the foie gras. Pure heaven. We’re halfway in at this point and I realize just how far away I am from this level of precision. That little carrot is perfectly al dente and I mean perfect. The foie gras is perfect cooked. The terrine is perfect. Everything up to this stage in terms of technical execution and in fact for the remainder of the night is pure excellence. There’s zero faults. Scary.
The 6th course is a more rustic one. Pan fried barramundi with parsnip puree, chorizo, chickpeas, mussels, a bouillabaise sauce and some veg. The skin is shard like. The flesh spot on. It’s still almost raw in the middle, which is perfect. The chorizo and chickpeas give a depth and the bouillabaise is the first hint at the deep flavors they can accomplish whilst still making the dishes terrifically delicate.
My fave of the night, the one that took me near transcendence. Roast lamb cutlet, braised lamb neck, cube of potato, eggplant puree, tomato salsa, a provencal ratatouille, olive powder and more basil puree. Constant reappearance of the basil and the seeming normality of the dish belies the wonderment that is to ensue. It is superb. I started with the veg and it turned out to be the highlight of the highlight. Amazing once it hit my tongue. The tartness of the tomatoes yielded to a rich melding of flavor. Sweet, savory, bright yet deep in waves and altogether. And the zucchini still had bite. Astounding. I move onto the potato and it’s perfectly tender, painted with the barest buerre noisette. Next up I lick at the eggplant puree and again it is so smooth it’s incredible and it is the best baba ganoush type thing I have had. The lamb neck was crusted and fried but braised beforehand so you get this contrast of crispy and super tender. It also had an acidic kick via the tomato salsa on top of it. The star of the show for most people though, woulda been the lamb cutlet. My friend who normally doesn’t eat lamb at all, hesitated slightly but relented and enjoyed it. It was pink and perfect. I’m gettin repetitive now but everything really is 10.0 10.0 10.0. This I would tell people to order and enjoy. It’s supreme.
The 8th course arrives and we’re almost getting full. It’s a blue cheese course with rosemary lavosh, walnuts in syrup and muscatels. The combo is nice but we’re just waiting for the real dessert.
The 9th course we forget to photograph again. It was a panna cotta with grape compote and champagne granita. Not my thing. Came in a tiny glass and the granita just melted into water, dodgifying the beautifully finished custard below. Grapes coulda been poached longer in my book.
Finally, we reach the end. It’s been an awesome journey. The finish is a strawberry cheesecake with strawberry sorbet and moar berries in coulis. The glaze on the cake is beautiful and so clean. The cake itself, delightful texture. You can’t pick it up with your hands, it’ll just break. Even on the plate, it wobbled slightly. Flavorwise, it was nothing new, but again, everything was what it should be. Perfect.
If I have any complaints, it was that it just lacked a bit of pizazz. Too much of the menu relied on trad combo moves. It was like watching someone play street fighter with the sure win but difficult to execute moves executed perfectly. Service, ambience, the setting, the food, the pacing, the portion sizes, the cutlery, the flavors, the textures, the colors, presentation, everything was spot on. You can’t fault it one inch. Well, I don’t like the granita on my panna cotta but that’s maybe a personal thing. Ok, maybe I didn’t really enjoy dessert all that much given the recurring texture and the too simple flavors. Still, if this is a new 2 hatter, I am intrigued and yearning to try more places. Would I return? Perhaps. This would be a great place to take a date or a business partner when you just can’t screw up because they won’t. For 90% of people, read non-chefs and wannabe foodies, this is an astounding meal, make no bones. But I now anticipate just what it is that makes a restaurant “world class”. I couldna hav started my journey into gastronomy any better.
When I was young, we used to go to this place in Holland Village in Singapore for some zi char. It wasn’t that the place was super special or anything but we typically had the same dishes and were used to it. It’s now taken over by a food court-ish type place but we used to always get some venison and tofu with egg on a hot plate and some misc veg. Anyway, long story short, it was situated along Lorong Liput. However, I had or perhaps my parents had some obsessive desire to call it Lorliput in reference to Gulliver’s Travels. A Singaporeanization for little rhyme or reason.
But the real story has got scant anything to do with some obscure and pointless childhood memory other than the name. The title of my post is the name of a cafe in Bondi, owned in part by a Japanese friend of mine.
The cafe is a small place, located in a residential zone in Bondi and quite a ways from the beach. There’s plenty other cafes about 100m away on a busier part of the street but Liliputien still manages to stand out. Whether its in the slightly mangled Janglish spelling for Phun Jabi Chai or that they claim to make things with <3 or in the awesome pieces of pottery used as serving dishes. The coffee is a mean brew and they offer a small selection of pastries. The main draw is my friend’s “baby” as he puts it, the croissant. On first inspection, it seems a tad overbaked, sitting in a cutesy wooden edged, glass cabinet. Yet when I bite into it, my unease was swept away. It’s so crispy on the outside, you’d be forgiven for thinking it was deep fried. Yet the very centre remains delightfully moist and fluffy. It’s a damn good croissant and I don’t really care if there are that much better in France or wherever. The same could be said of his sweet sourdough toast. Superbly moist inside and it’s all because everything’s baked on the day itself, right before my mate heads down to school. When he finishes up, he’s right back in the cafe as well so that’s dedication for you.
The interior of the shop shows off his kookier side, with an LP of The Sound of Music sitting on a shelf and the burlap coffee sacks adorning the walls. It feels very cosy and easy to relax in. I must say, I know the guy and all but not all that well. His cafe though, is a wonderful little place that has a guy running it that will probably go onto bigger and better things. I honestly rate the stuff on offer really well and I’d go as far as to say that most other cafes in Sydney suck in comparison.
Lilliputien 112 O’Brien Street Bondi NSW 2026Directions: From Bondi Beach itself, look for the Platypus store. It’s on the corner of Roscoe Street and Campbell Parade. Walk up Roscoe Street, which filters onto O’Brien Street and keep walking up for another 5 minutes till you see this green leaf thingamajig on the front of a shop.
Filed under: Design, Drink, Sydney | Tags: jars, minimalist, plusminuszero, productlust, t2, tea
Not the movie with the governor of California no. T2’s the name for a chain of tea shops. They sell a very good variety of loose leaf greens, blacks and red teas as well as chai and fruit teas but what I really like is their “stuff”. There’s a store near where I live and it’s a little haphazardly decorated and jarringly messy all in a good way. There’s a counter in the middle, with dark shelves everywhere laden with teas sorted by type. Then there’s round tables swamped with all manner of tea related bric a brac, from Japanese cast iron pots and stainless steel mesh strainers to Turkish style cups with loud printed patterns.
The packaging and their identity design stands out too. Simple helvetica is something everyone uses but there’s not too much to oversell the tea, with no cheesy nonsense like idyllic pictures of slave children working the fields in Sri Lanka on the dawn’s first light on the day of the solstice. It just tells you exactly what tea is contained within, with only color separating the varieties.
One of my fave things costs like $3.50 and its just a small amber colored glass jar with a black screwcap. It’s used to keep your tea in and it’s so simple and superclean, airtight plus the coloring helps keep the tea from harsh light. I am envisioning a whole row of these babies lining my desk in future next to a plusminuszero kettle.
&
= Tannic heaven.
Truth be told, it does reek of a certain white yuppie stench but I was so taken by the great service that I forked over the slightly high price of $12 for some organic sencha. They did not have a non organic version. Definitely going back for some rooibos, which I sampled and was delish. Still, I have quite a bit of tea to go through.
