I couldn’t have been more relieved to hear this: his Quay cookbook – though an amazing visual read – is quite limited in what it offers the humble home cook. I wondered whether my foodie companions felt the same, as we sat in on this special masterclass organised by Electrolux.

Tackling the tricky category of seafood which many shy away from (myself included), Peter set out to show us how quick and easy it is to prepare seafood at home with two simple recipes: seared scallops with lime creme fraiche and sauce vierge and steamed snapper with soy and ginger.

Peter offers these tips:

* For scallops, the key is to sear quickly and evenly on a hot pan. The middle should still be glassy.

* One trick to cooking scallops is to line them up on a sheet of baking paper and wack it straight onto a hot pan.

* For steamed fish, Peter uses a pin boned snapper, which he squares off so the fillet cooks evenly. Steaming is a very delicate and healthy way of cooking fish requiring no oil at all.

* Microherbs and flowers make all the difference to the presentation of a dish by adding that special gourmet touch!

It’s a joy to watch Peter in the kitchen – he makes it all look so darn effortless, tossing ingredients together like an orchestrated symphony. His knack for turning simple ingredients into elaborate creations has earned him the awe and respect of diners around the world. You also see just how much Peter enjoys induction cooking. In fact, most of the entrees at Quay are prepared at a dedicated induction station in the kitchen.

The masterclass ended with a sinfully decadent caramelised French toast, which he confesses he has never made for his wife but will need it one day for when he’s in the dog house.

As Peter bid farewell, we all sat down for a five course degustation at a beautifully elaborate long table with the harbour lights surrounding us.

I’ve always been a fan of the produce Peter selects for his menu and tonight is no different – from the rich bluefin tuna belly and marbled Berkshire pig jowl to the crimson confection of vegetables that is the starter – each is a decadent highlight.

Southern Tuna, toro, pink turnips, jamon de bellota juniper, wasabi flowers

Slow braised Berkshire pig jowl, maltose crackling, prunes, cauliflower cream, perfumed with prune kernel oil

Salad of pickled rhubarb, endive, beetroot, purple carrot, rosa radish, kohlrabi, sheeps milk curd, pomegranate molasses, violets

What Peter does with textures is also quite intriguing. Take the corturnix quail breast for instance, slow cooking gives the quail a delicate, chewy, almost raw quality, yet it sits on a bed of creamy chestnut purée, milk skin and a crunchy mix of quinoa and walnuts. What a delightful and unusual contrast!

Slow cooked coturnix quail breast, pumpernickel, walnuts, quinoa, truffle, chestnuts, milk skin

While my companions were disappointed not to see the snow egg on the menu, the amazing caramelised white chocolate in the dessert certainly made an impression. The chocolate nibs had a dulce de leche taste about them with the aroma of roasted nuts, I could really see myself getting hooked on these!

Warm vanilla and palm blossom brioche, caramelized white chocolate, amaretto cream, walnuts and prune sorbet

Many thanks to Open Haus and Electrolux for the great evening, I certainly will be pulling out Peter’s recipes for the warmer months ahead!

Located next door to Berta, this tiny 22 square cafe is owned by Yu Sasaki, a trained chef who cut his teeth at the steamy kitchens in Universal.

Though small, Cre Asion pumps out regular batches of macarons throughout the day. This ensures the supply is fresh, moist and in tip top form – all hallmarks of a good macaron.

Zumbo fans will enjoy Cre Asion’s selection of weird and wonderful flavours, including white miso, bamboo charcoal and black sesame, wasabi and grapefruit, yuzu and red bean. All flavours are made from scratch using real ingredients, which shows in the end result. Macarons are priced at $2.70 each, $19 for 8 or $30 for a box of 14.

If you’re lucky enough to nab a seat in this cafe, you’ll love all the thoughtful touches, such as the pashmina throws, the charcoal blocks in the water jugs (to catch the impurities, Yu tells me) and the fully expandable glass walls – perfect for the summer or when the crowds get unbearable!

Big props to Chocolatesuze for discovering this gem!

Café Cre Asion
21 Alberta Street, Surry Hills
www.creasionmacaron.com

Open from 7am to 4pm Monday to Friday and from 8.30am to 4pm on Saturdays

We began our recent meal with a pressed terrine of confit duck and foie gras – a combination that’s hard to beat, even more so with the addition of balsamic caramel and jellied consommé. I’m quietly amazed at the thin ribbons of king brown mushrooms, which add a whole different texture to the dish.

The dish I was most keen on trying was the snapper with crispy scales. Chefs normally groom each fillet meticulously for scales but Grant King has done the exact opposite and left the scales untouched. The scales are satisfyingly crisp and add a layer of crunchy perfection to the moist fillet of snapper. If seafood is King’s passion, then this dish is his homage to the sea. The odd splashes of murky ink sauce ties everything together beautifully.

Each course at Gastro Park is a piece of art, deserving a display case in MOMA than on a plate. The lamb saddle showered with flowers and cauliflower snowflakes looks more like a woodland forest in the autumn than a humble meat and veg dish. Mushrooms get top billing in this dish and there’s plenty to choose from, in all shapes and forms too (including the genius mushroom wires). The shantarelle, king browns, shimigi and enoki layered together add heady umami flavours to the soft buttery cuts of lamb.

We ended our meal with a chocolate, honeycomb and mandarin sphere. It wasn’t my first choice but rightfully swayed after a thumbs up from our waiter. The dish appeared swirling in dry ice, with the same sort of wonder as the opening scene of a Cirque du Soleil show. When we cracked open the sphere, a velvety cream poured out and enveloped the crumbs of gingerbread, the mini macarons and the salted caramel cubes in a custard landslide. It was bliss on a plate!

Go on, if you want to see what a home run looks like, give Gastro Park a buzz now. I’m now somewhat saddened that Gastro Park has ruined me for the rest of the year, I don’t think anything else will live up to it.

Gastro Park
5-9 Roslyn Street
Potts Point
# 02 8068 1017
www.gastropark.com.au

Sepia was at the top of my ‘to dine’ list and when that opportunity finally came around last week, I already had it pegged alongside the best.

Yet, four courses in, I got worried.

The first few courses failed to strike a chord with me, whether it was the combination of ingredients, the textures or the lack of seasoning. Starting with the amuse bouche of cuttlefish, I found it too fruity and lacking in acid.

Slow poached cuttlefish with passionfruit, baby cucumber and ton buri caviar

The oysters with rice wine vinaigrette followed and again it was too sweet and syrupy for my liking.

Rock oysters with rice wine vinaigrette

The tuna also suffered from underseasoning, the flavours were too subtle for me and the result felt muddled. My dislike of goats cheese probably didn’t help either. While the flavours weren’t quite what I expected, I was amazed by the construction of this dish – simple in concept yet unspeakably elegant

Yellow fin tuna, dashi jelly and goats cheese fromage blanc

I was also let down by the scallops, which were a little rubbery and lacked any distinct taste. The chickpeas felt misplaced among the pumpkin purée and puffed rice.

Miso marinated scallop with a Japanese pumpkin puree, puffed rice and chickpeas

The turning point of our meal came when the spanner crab risotto arrived, a dish considered by many to be among Martin Benn’s best work. It was heedy and herbaceous, with just the right balance of ingredients and flavours. The buckwheat risotto was a nice touch, adding bite and texture to the dish. I loved the little flakes of crabmeat and the foam, which turned into a rich sauce when mixed in with the risotto.

Queensland spanner crab risotto with shellfish essence and tarragon butter

The mulloway was next and the sheer presentation of the dish was enough to blow me away. As the waiter walked us through the long list of components, we were later pleased to find that they didn’t overpower the fish, rather, they formed a nice complement to the lead. It’s magical when a complex combination of ingredients such as these pay off.

Palm Island mulloway, sake infused trout roe, lemon curd, squid ink, shiso leaves and lentil sprouts

Our favourite dish of the night was the duck breast. Cooked to a medium rare, it was tender, juicy and incredibly flavourful. The sweet and sour confit eggplant was a nice addition, as was the sour cream.

Roast duck, confit eggplant, eggplant puree, honey finger lime sauce and sour cream

Next up was the venison, a protein I’ve never had before. Again, cooked to a perfect rare, the venison was tender, with a richer, more intense flavour than beef. This could’ve had something to do with the boudin noir which was quite heavy and bitter.

Slow roasted venison, boudin noir and lemon mayo

While it may have taken me a while to warm up to Sepia, our dinner did end on a high note. Before a quick palate cleanser of rock melon, coconut tapioca and lemon sorbet, we readied ourselves for the ‘Forest Floor’.

Rock melon, coconut tapioca and lemon sorbet

This spectacular Heston Blumenthal-esque creation was too special for words. On a bed of chocolate soil (it alone enough to make me squeal), lay finger lime pearls, matcha powder, blackcurrant cubes, elderflowers and candied fennel leaves which had a beautiful sweet woodsy fragrance. As you loosened the ‘topsoil’, there was a velvety chocolate ganache and lavender cream. It is the single most impressive dessert I have ever had!

Forest floor

The finale was a new dessert creation known as “Japanese Stones”. Inside each of the stones were scoops of ice cream, including cherry, coconut and chocolate. The dish was finished off with a dusting of black sesame and green tea moss.

Japanese stones

Sepia has taught me a valuable lesson and that’s to not let expectations get in the way of a great meal. Next time you’re out, leave expectations at the door and simply let the chef dazzle you with their best work.

The degustation dinner at Sepia is priced at $140 per person. A special tasting menu is also available on Saturday nights.

Sepia
Darling Park
201 Sussex Street
Sydney
# 02 9283 1900
www.sepiarestaurant.com.au

Perhaps it’s the name, but Cotton Duck is a little different to how I imagined it – the decor is refined, minimalist and almost industrial in its use of recycled timber and polished concrete floors. I’m especially taken by the lighting fixture of paper coils and light bulbs (it’s strangely identical to the one on display at Jared Ingersoll’s pop-up restaurant at the Powerhouse Museum a few years back).

The menu at Cotton Duck has changed slightly since its opening last year and showcases a selection of thoughtful a la carte dishes. We begin with some crusty bread, still warm on arrival, and a glass of apple cider.

My salad Lyonnaise was a nice way to start, although nowhere near as good as the version at Cutler & Co. The salad combines perfectly picked frisee lettuce leaves with a sprinkling of panchetta, croutons and a tangy vinaigrette. But it’s the warm runny egg that really brings the dish to life.

Salad Lyonnaise friseè, lardons of home cured pancetta & a soft biodynamic egg - $16

Across the table, Mr. Taste was quietly digging into his corn pudding. I sneak in a mouthful and quickly realise why he’s stayed so silent. The dish was a corn-on-corn sensory extravaganza. I couldn’t decide what was better: the velvety pudding, the sweet corn broth or the topping of roasted kernels!

Corn pudding, roasted corn and baby corn in a corn broth - $15

We settled on two very fine looking slabs of meat for our mains. Although the veal scotch fillet was a little over the ‘rare’ we requested, the fillet was juicy and well flavoured. The veal lay on a bed of creamy choron sauce, while the fluffy handcut chips, stacked Jenga style, helped soak up all its goodness.

Grass fed veal scotch fillet with chips and choron sauce - $24

My pork loin was on the drier side but nicely flavoured nonetheless. The crackling was rendered to a perfect crunch and thin enough to slice without sending pieces flying over to the next table. Yet the highlight of the dish were the tomatoes, which were incredibly sweet and reminded me of apple sauce.

Limerick free range pork loin, soubise and sweet vinegar tomatoes - $24

We ended our meal with a sorbet trio of very ‘grown up’ flavours. The coconut and kaffir was my pick of the bunch, while Mr. Taste favoured the blood orange. We weren’t so sure about the apricot and cardomom, which was a weird combination and didn’t quite hit the mark.

Sorbet trio - $12

Cotton Duck turned out to be a nice surprise and we were very impressed with the offering. It’s an affordable and guilt free meal that will put a smile on your face.

Cotton Duck
50 Holt Street
Surry Hills, NSW
# 02 8399 0250
www.danksstreetdepot.com.au

Bang Bang Cafe, which sits on quiet terrace strip in Surry Hills, has got their coffee on lock. Strong, full-bodied with a smooth finish, the Campos blend really shines under the hands of the in-house barista. When the coffee is this good, you really don’t care about much else on the menu.

Yet Bang Bang pulls through on the food front too. The menu is quite extensive, mixing classics like eggs on toast with the slightly zany such as green eggs and ham.

My favourite thing to order is the sweet corn frittatas, which comes topped with poached eggs, crispy fried pancetta and a heavy helping of maple syrup. It may sound a little ‘out there’ but the combination is suprisingly good.

Sweetcorn fritters topped wih poached eggs, crispy pancetta and maple syrup. $16

English Breakfast: shulz bacon, free range pork sausage, 2 fried eggs, Bang Bang baked beans, bubble and squeak with roast tomato and sourdough toast. $17.50

Eggs Benedict with smoked atlantic salmon. $16.50

Bang Bang: coffee worth visiting for, food worth staying for.

Bang Bang Espresso Bar and Cafe
113 Reservoir Street
Surry Hills NSW
# 02 9281 0018

The Champagne Chef’s Table is a celebration dinner that features five of Luke Mangan’s signature dishes, perfectly paired with five exceptional Veuve Clicquot champagnes. Set at the glass chef’s table, diners are spoilt with their own Veuve Clicquot champagne station and sparkling silverware by Georg Jensen. It’s a special way to celebrate birthdays and anniversaries.

glass brasserie is a stunning restaurant, with tall ceilings, immaculate settings and circular banquettes. There may not be stunning water views or acid-bright furniture, but glass is a restaurant you want to visit and keep coming back to.

The chef’s table is located right next to the glass kitchen, which sits seamlessly at the far end of the restaurant. It’s always interesting to watch the kitchen at work, and as it’s a tame Monday night, the mood is more cordial than chaos.

After brief introductions, we are presented with a silver George Jensen platter. The sourdough is an unusual combination at first inspection (sultanas? in bread? at dinner?) but it turns out to be a happy marriage of flavours. I slather the bread with the creamy Lescure butter and indulge in a few slices before our entree arrives.

We begin our abbreviated Champagne Chef’s Table experience with the Hiramasa Kingfish sashimi, a staple Luke Mangan dish. The fish is cut very finely and layered in a ginger and eschallot dressing. The sweetness of the dressing initially throws me off, as there’s no acid to balance the flavour. But together with the feta and rocket, this dish takes on a new dimension. I am won over by the creamy soft texture of the Persian feta, which is nothing like the crumbly supermarket variety.

The entree is paired with the Veuve Clicquot Vintage 2002, which is a full bodied champagne with a dark golden colour. The champagne really does round out the flavours in the Kingfish and our pairing is off to a good start.

Given the relatively simple presentation of the entree, we are surprised when our second course arrives. With lilac borag flowers and glossy baby zucchinis, this dish looks like spring on a plate. It’s also exclusive to the Champagne Chef’s Table and not available on the a la carte menu.

The duck breast is beautifully cooked with maple and lavender – it is juicy and supple at the centre with a slight crust around the outside. The almond puree is so incredibly finely milled that it slips down like cream. The addition of zucchini and fig bring some seasonality to the dish but also balances out the flavours in the duck very nicely.

Our second course is paired with the Veuve Clicquot Vintage Rose 2004, which is a little heavier and is designed to replicate a full bodied red, such as Pinot Noir or Cabernet Savignon.

The dessert of creme brulee is very generous in portion, and reminds me of the creme brulee I had in Paris before Mr. Taste popped the question. The top layer of caramelised sugar has a slight bitterness, which is a quality I really look forward to in burnt sugar. The custard has a beautiful vanilla flavour, which is complemented by the wonderful nutty aroma of the macadamia biscotti.

The creme brulee is paired with a Demi Sec, which is one of the few bottles left worldwide. glass has purchased all 12 and saved it for special occasions, such as these. It is spritely, with a subtle hint of sweetness and acidity – almost like a prosecco.

The concept of a five-course meal paired with champagne is a little dangerous, especially on a week night, but it is the silly season after all and we thoroughly enjoyed the treat.

The five-course Champagne Chef’s Table dinner is priced at $299 per person and is available now until the end of December.

glass brasserie
Level 2, Hilton Hotel Sydney
488 George Street
# 02 9265 6068
www.glassbrasserie.com.au

Once we stepped inside the hotel, we sheepishly ate our words.

The Cortile, though only a lobby lounge was impressive in its own quiet way. The hanging light features and sandstone arcades brought a real sense of elegance and drama. You can’t say that about many lobby lounges!

Not long after we sat down, our dessert arrived. It was a triple chocolate gateau with homemade amarena cherry, orange honeycomb and a Bailey’s macaron. This dessert was full on – rich, heavy and sweet. We could only afford a few bites each, before pushing the plate away to seek refuge in the accompanying glass of Brown Brothers Orange Muscat & Flora, which was light and refreshing.

We were deeply disappointed with the macarons, which must’ve been made well in advance as they had lost their freshness. The shell was dry and unforgiving, nothing like the fluffy soft macarons we expected.

Yet the biggest slap in the face was paying $7 for a very average cup of coffee. In fact, half the coffee was foam – I paid $7 for half a cup of coffee and air!

I can’t say I had the best experience with this Sugar Hit, though other bloggers have raved about the Sugar Hit here. Tread with caution is my advice!

Cortile Lounge
InterContinental Sydney
117 Macquarie Street
Sydney NSW 2000
# 02 9240 1396
www.sydney.intercontinental.com

That’s the only way I can describe the food at Berta. Each dish leaves you hanging and longing for more. I had been saving my first visit to this effortlessly cool restaurant for months and managed to make a last minute date with a friend for a long overdue catch-up.

Berta is noisy, but there is a undeniable charm about the place. The staff are friendly and efficient with their service – especially with the line of patrons at the bar eyeing off customers who call for their bill. That said, we had no trouble getting a table despite their no bookings policy (I suggest arriving around 6pm for a guaranteed seat).

We began our meal with some scallops. These little parcels of flavour explode in your mouth: you didn’t see it coming, you can’t fathom how it happened, you just know you want more. Served in their shell, the scallops are just cooked, though still soft in the middle. Swirling in the olive oil are sprinkles of bread crumbs and parsley. Subtle five spice flavours also seep through, adding a nice unexpected contrast to the dish.

Scallop sugna breadcrumbs $4.5 each

The duck mandilli (or duck ‘handkerchief’, as our waitress explains) features braised duck wrapped in pillows of pasta sheets. There is a very intriguing flavour in the broth which I can’t quite decipher, which adds a rich and spicy earthiness to the dish that’s really quite appealing. My money is on the olives.

Duck mandilli de saea olive $24

We couldn’t resist ordering braised chuck steak, which is listed on the menu simply as ‘beef’, a rather amusing yet modest undersell. The meat is supple and gives way with the gentle push of the fork, but is not the ‘fall apart tender’ that I expect. It has bite and texture to it, which grows on me. The cauliflower puree is velvety smooth and soaks up the surrounding sauce.

Beef $30

The vege dish of snowpea, broad bean and horseradish is so simple, you wonder why you haven’t had it before. The vegetables are cooked to a perfect crunch and dressed with what seems like a cheesy parsley butter sauce.

Snowpeas broadbean horseradish $15

We finish on a dessert of chocolate hazelnut parfait, which is essentially a chocolate and hazelnut semifreddo with a scoop of pear sorbet on top. It is an interesting combination and the chocolate wins me over. It is so rich and creamy – even better than Lindt’s 70% dark, which is my go-to dark chocolate ice cream.

Chocolate hazelnut parfait $14

I have been won over by Berta and there’s no denying other Sydney foodies feel the same: less than 3 months from opening, Berta was nominated for Best New Restaurant in the 2011 Good Food Guide. If this is just the beginning, I see great things on the cards for this little gem!

Berta
17-19 Alberta Lane
Surry Hills
NSW 2000
www.berta.com.au
Open Monday through to Saturdays from 5pm to late.

An 11.4kg suckling pig rolled in on a trolley somehow trumps all of the above.

A group of bloggers recently attended a ‘Pig & Pinot’ dinner at Chophouse, a moody North American inspired steakhouse located in the inner city.

The dinner was hosted by the restaurant’s General Manager, Adam Heathcote, who gave us an entree into what Chophouse does best: quality produce that’s sourced direct from the fields and retains its freshness and integrity.

Adam addressed the issue of educating the public about food. It seems that mass production and genetic modification has really brainwashed our conceptions of what food should look and taste like. One example is heirloom carrots, which is purple in colour – not orange.

Adam’s passion and dedication towards fresh local produce is truly inspiring. Chophouse’s black truffles, for instance, is sourced from the Southern Highlands, which makes them incredibly fresh having been out of the ground for less than 24 hours. I think it’s fantastic to see Chophouse support local suppliers, paticularly while they’re in their infancy.

The Mt. Lowe truffle featured on our ceviche of Hervey Bay sea scallops, which was served on the shell. It was very subtle, though the smell and taste was there. The scallops were luscious in texture, sweet on the tongue. That said, I wasn’t entirely satisfied with this dish as a ceviche, I felt it was lacking in acid and possibly a little extra dressing.

We also tasted an entree of jamon and Italian buffalo milk mozzarella. I found it a little difficult to evaluate this dish as I’m not really a jamon fan. In terms of flavour, I thought it was a nicely balanced dish, highlighted with the addition of roasted fennel, onion and almonds. I particularly liked the onion, which was beautifully rendered with balsamic. There was no rawness at all, only a smokey sweetness that was so incrediby surprising. I don’t think I’ve had onion that well cooked before!

When the big ticket item rolled around, we all went a little pork mad. Executive Chef, David Clarke carved several platefuls of the suckling pig, topped with plenty of crackling. Though it was obvious that the highly sought after parts were the nose, tail and ears.

Accompanying the sucking pig was a caesar salad ‘wedge’, a cauliflower gratin and green beans. The caesar salad was my pick of the three – so refreshing to see caesar presented so well in a restaurant. No sloppy bowl affairs at Chophouse, it’s all class!

Our dinner ended with a dessert of caramelised banana cheesecake. I thought it was a simple dessert with very little fanfare – until Adam brought over bottles of Hennessy and Grapa. I don’t think I’ve ever had dessert paired with 43% alcohol before. The Grapa was intriguing, very floral and spicy, but much too heavy for my liking. Interesting concept though.

We also devoured slices of Chophouse’s signature chocolate block, served on a wooden board with a mini cleaver. The block is made in house using a combination of milk and dark chocolate from Lindt. It was the perfect coffee accompaniment.

Chophouse will shortly be launching a 1920′s inspired New York carvery with a rotating daily special. The menu is yet to be finalised, but suckling pig is definitely on the cards. Stay tuned!

Chophouse
25 Bligh Street
Sydney City
NSW 2000
# 1300 246 748
www.chophouse.com.au

Open Monday to Friday from 12pm until late and Saturday from 6pm until late.