Sunday, August 17, 2014

Baroque - The Rocks

I lived in the city for almost 5 years and it is actually quiet surprising that somehow I never heard about Baroque. It's only mention was recent, when I moved over to the Inner-West, a friend of mine asked me to join him for dinner at Baroque. The curious me was straight on to the internet to checkout this place and interestingly it looked pretty good.

So the date and time were set and us, a bunch of hungry five arrived at this French establishment. The first foot in and my senses were put to a test straight away. While the dazzling and colourful desserts were the first to catch my attention, it was the open plan kitchen, right in front, which had me salivating from the get go.

The boys in typical French fashion started with a bottle of Shiraz whereas the girls ordered cocktails.







For a first-time oyster eater, they went down really well. The aroma was super-fresh, instantly transporting you to the sea.


The steamed mussels served in a sauce of white wine, garlic and cream had nice ethereal and earthy flavours.


The roasted lamb rump with confit lamb rib, broccoli puree and black barley was another exciting dish.
The lamb was served rare, soft and you could see the juices drop off. The lamb rib on the other hand had a crispy texture through grilling and the addition of barley. The smokiness from the grilling gave the dish some strong flavours. Overall, I enjoyed having this dish.


The highlight of the main menu was the sauteed snapper with lobster, saffron and mussel broth served with garlic croutons and rouille. The abundance of flavours in the dish, the soft and moist snapper and the sparkling orange and yellow colours from the saffron provide this dish with great X-factor.


The Steak Frites (Tajima Wagyu) included a perfectly seasoned steak topped with caramelised shallots. Fries don't lie! The shoestring fries were crispy and great to munch.


To warm down the post meal craziness, a coffee always comes handy.


Never has first bite been so shattering. Smooth and crisp, all the macarons (Salted caramel, rose and peanut butter) were delicious. Gastronomically amazing!


French desserts are all about indulgence and they trigger gluttony. The Pompadour, glossy and draped in red was simple irresistible. Raspberry mousse combined with passion fruit cremeux and almond nougatine.


The Le Roi Soleil had a similar texture to the Pompadour but was more subtle on flavours. The key ingredients were mango and mandarine.



The most decadent one of the lot was the Zulu. A dessert that seduces you to enjoy the richness of dark chocolate ganache, fluffiness of the chocolate mousse and finally gives you heart wrenching moments from the salted caramel. Yum!


A lot of art goes into the making of French food. Thankfully, Baroque has mastered it.



Baroque Bistro Bar Patisserie

88 George St
The Rocks NSW 2000

Tel No: +61 2 9241 4811

Website for more info: Baroque


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Sunday, August 10, 2014

Paper Plane Cafe - Parramatta

My prediction is that Parramatta will soon be declared the cafe capital of Sydney West. The once empty
and quiet streets on weekend mornings are now swarming with coffee and brekkie lovers. Tapping on to this market is Paper Plane Cafe. A boutique cafe and eatery that matches the offering from the best city cafes but more importantly has got its heart in the right place.

It is surrounded by layers of sunshine and brightness, enough to kill the winter chill. While you enjoy that warm and appeasing coffee, read and get motivated by the messages of love and appreciation depicted through those large chalkboard walls.

Draped in colours it still manages to maintain its simplicity. Vibrant, relaxed and easy-going can't ask for more on a weekend morning.



We arrived around 10ish and hence were not able to try the lunch menu, however the breakfast menu was very promising.

Saturday morning deserves a big meal and the "Big Breakfast" offers just that. Served on a wooden platter and decorated in vibrant colours, this was a calming and filling meal. The greens from the rockets, protein and flavour fix from the bacon and chorizo, the greasiness from the hash brownie, the veggie fix from the sautéed mushrooms and tomatoes and finally the must for any breakfast, sunny side up eggs and sourdough toast, this was a complete meal. Even writing about it makes me hungry!



The popular dish at the moment seems to be the Portobello Eggs Benedict. The dish was a little messy but tasted delicious. One can't really go wrong with poached eggs on top of a sourdough bread. The key ingredient of the dish was definitely the mushroom stuffed with feta and pesto. The saltiness from the feta combined with the smokiness from the mushroom and blended with those strong basil flavours from the pesto provided a tiny dish which itself was a bit stunning. The hollandaise sauce wasn't as rich as I expected it to be. It was a bit subtle on the butter.



Another dish which might personally have been a bit bland for me, but for the health freaks out there would do wonders. It was packed with smashed avocado and peas, the goats cheese was tasty and the tomatoes dressed in lemon juice provided some juiciness. The eggs were poached perfectly.



I am no coffee connoisseur, but the coffee was just average. 


Something to refresh you and wipe out the strong flavours was the Peach Melba Iced Tea. Not too sweet and freshly homemade!


Paper Plane Cafe is still finding it's feet so be patient if the staff sounds a bit confused or your order gets a bit delayed. Digesting success in such a short time might make them hungry for more! Good for us, because we were born to eat!

Paper Plane Cafe

Shop 5/2 Horwood Place
Parramatta NSW 2150

Tel No: +61 400 888 772




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Sunday, August 3, 2014

Urban Tadka - Terrey Hills

Glamour and grandeur, these are words synonymous with the Indian restaurant I visited recently. These are also qualities you expect from an award winning restaurant. Urban Tadka is not only an Indian restaurant that serves authentic Indian cuisine, but it also creates an envelope of warm and relaxed atmosphere that makes your dining experience memorable. The sheer size of the restaurant combined with the tranquil location of Terrey Hills, provides a resort style experience.



Celebrating our friends anniversary, we were looking for a place that was high on hospitality and Urban Tadka definitely rose beyond our expectations.

Looking at the restaurant getting packed quickly, we wasted no time in ordering starters.

The poppadums served with a mint chutney were crunchy and a great accompaniment to the drinks while we waited for our entrees to arrive.



The Urban Tadka mixed sampler had a variety of Indian style street food tapas. The Samosa, deep fried pastry with a savoury potato filling was hot, crispy and flavourful. The deep fried veg croquets made up of onions, spinach and mix vegetables simply melted in your mouth and were packed with spices. The Lakhnawi Seekh kebabs were a blend of chicken and lamb mince mixed with herbs and rolled on skewers to provide you with a finger licking dish. The best on the platter was the Murg Tikka. These delicately cooked boneless pieces of chicken were soft, tender and was loaded with phenomenal flavours.



The dishes also had eye catching names. Patiala ka Murg Saag, tender pieces of chicken cooked with fenugreek and spinach was rich and nourishing. The thick gravy was both silky and mildly spiced up with the chicken cooked perfectly.



Another striking dish was the Rajasthani Lamb do Piaza. Slow cooked lamb was generously spiced, glossy, red hued and embodied with pronounced flavours. This was a sinfully spicy and delectable dish. Loved it.



To balance out the bold flavours from the other mains was the sweet and creamy Daal Makhni. Black lentils with Kidney beans are cooked slowly overnight with fresh and exotic ingredients that includes tomatoes, ginger, garlic and onions. The slow cooking ensured that the marriage of flavours lasts until it is devoured by its patrons.



My stomach was full but that one compartment was still craving for desserts.

The Kulfi's (homemade Indian Ice-cream but more dense and creamier), Rose and Pistachio flavoured kulfi's, both were able to satisfy my cravings. The rich and creamy texture will have you coming back for more.




In winter a warm dessert just feels right. The Gulab Jamun, a sweet dumpling that was flavoured in a warm honey and rose syrup was simply divine.



No wonder it recently won the best Australian Indian restaurant award.



Urban Tadka

321 Mona Vale Road
Terrey Hills NSW 2084

Tel No: +61 2 9986 1040

Website for more info: Urban Tadka




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Saturday, August 2, 2014

Tapavino - Sydney CBD


After enjoying a couple of newly invented cocktails at the Bulletin Place Bar we make our way to the recent talk of the town, Tapavino. We arrived sharp at 8pm and were accompanied by the waitress upstairs. We walked through a buzzing restaurant, wooden beams holding up the first floor and hundreds of wines stacked adjacent to the walls. Elegant and classy, the first impressions got a big tick from all of us.

To satiate our massive appetite for quality wine we started going through the exhaustive selection of wines. Confused to the core and bumbling on the cocktails we had a couple of minutes back, we decided to keep it easy and order Sangria. We only wished if they had an option of jugs rather than glasses. The sangria was not the best I have tried in the past. This one was more fruity and watery. 



The first dish to arrive was a combination of avocado, crab and chilli tostado. It just seem to me that would could have been an amazing blend of flavours from the zing of mint, tanginess of lemon and the sweetness from the crab was simply reduced to an overload of avocado on top of a crunchy toast. Not so delighted!



The warm potatoes with rosemary, caramelised onions and salt was purely a simple dish served on a crispy flatbread coca. I really missed my spicy tomatoes.



Finally, the lamb tapas got me cheering a bit. The braised lamb shoulder was juicy, tender, flavoursome and melted in your mouth. The yogurt and pomegranate added sweetness to balance the spiciness from the lamb.


Another cracker of a dish was the braised chicken with paprika mayo and tomato salsa. The appearance of the dish made it drool-worthy. The first bite and the chicken falls apart, endorsing the quality of the dish. The hotness of the dish was apt and didn't overpower the richness of the tomato salsa.



What can be a better palate cleanser than a bowl of hot smoked trout, rocket, grapefruit segments and piquillo pepper ensalada. The vibrant, citrusy and tangy flavours from the grapefruit mingled with the smokiness of the trout presented a fresh and likeable dish.



The warm cow cheese with walnuts in vine leaves was salty but had a tranquillising effect. A great accompaniment for a conversation starter. 



The braised chorizo served in a red pepper based sauce with black olives was the final dish to arrive. The chorizo was packed with garlic and herbs but could have done a bit better with an extra kick of spice.


Tapavino might not find my love, but it does find my appreciation for being a bit different from the run of the mill Spanish joints out there.


Tapa Vino

6 Bulletin Place
Sydney NSW 2000

Tel No: +61 2 9247 3221

Website for more info: Tapavino





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