G’day folks,

My friend and prolific aussie blogger Neerav Bhatt asked me a question on Twitter tonight, which needs more than 140 characters to answer.

Neerav asks “who are the best Sydney foodie bloggers/tweeters with the biggest audience numbers?” I don’t have access to the audience numbers for these bloggers (I’m sure they would be happy to provide them Neerav) so I am listing the bloggers that I admire, plus I would recommend vistiing the link lists on each blog to see which blogs these foodies admire too.

I admire these Sydney-based bloggers because they are active, posting regular updates.  The quality of the writing is excellent, and they take fantastic photos.

Thoughts from Becca (@frombecca – 23,261 followers)

Not Quite Nigella (@notquitenigella – 2243 followers)

Fig & Cherry (@figandcherry – 1431 followers)

Grab Your Fork (@grabyourfork – 1133 followers)

Fooderati (@fooderati – 1051 f0llowers)

Lemon Pi (@lemonpi – 804 followers)

I Am Obsessed with Food (@reemski – 841 followers)

Chocolatesuze (@chocolatesuze – 676 followers)

Eat Show & Tell (@howardt – 355 followers)

The Sydney Tarts (@aptronym – 218 followers)

An acquaintance of mine has for some time been telling me about a French restaurant in Sydney’s Neutral Bay, which offers membership to diners (at no charge) then offers members a $70 8-course desgustation menu.  Plus its BYO with no corkage charge.  Well, I was intrigued.  That seemed too good to be true.

Sydney’s fine-dining establishments such as Guillaume at Bennelong (7 courses $180), Quay (4 courses $145), Marque (8 courses $145), and Aria (7 courses $160) , to name but a few, offer degustation menus at double this price and beyond.   Of course, these fine-diners have been acclaimed  by the SMH Good Food Guide in the last year, earning 2 or 3 hats so it is perhaps an unfair comparison to make with Mrs Top.  It is worth noting that there are other French restaurants in Sydney offering the multi-course tasting menu option such as the highly regarded Bistro Ortolan ($110 + $10 corkage per bottle)  Nevertheless I took a party of 4 diners there last week, and I was impressed.

Firstly the service was excellent – a very attentive and charming young French waiter ensured that we were looked after, whisking our wine away to keep chilled, then returning quickly with wine bucket and serving our wine.  I left some wine behind at the restaurant and the manager called me to inform as such – how many restaurants would do that?  Impressive.  Special mention must go to Marko, the manager there – he was charming and always available to us, even given the restaurant was completely full.

Of course, the food was fresh and delicious – it was a seafood night and we were served up prawns, mussels, crab and lobster soup, fish fillet in garlic white wine sauce, an sorbet at “intermission” the a delicious berry creme brulee for dessert.  In fact, from their website here is the menu from our evening:

Roulade de saumon St. Tropez

Roulade of salmon filled with spinach, goat’s cheese & herbs

Soupe de Poissons Provencal

Rich lobster, blue swimmer crab and seafood soup. Pastis perfumed

Coctail Fruit de mer

Classic French Prawn cocktail

Coquilles St. Jacques provencales

Scallops seared in saffron, tomatoe sauce, mushroom jullienne

Sorbet

Passionfruit, Apple & Rose Sorbet

Poisson d’Antibes au beurre blanc

Fillet of Barramundi served in white wine sauce, chive & pepper

Crème d’airelle brulée

The French caramelized classic, enhanced with blueberries & peach snapps

It was a fantastic night out – and once again special mention must be made to the value on offer here.  I urge you to enquire about membership of this restaurant (no charge to join) and enjoy fine-dining at very reasonable prices.

Mrs Top French Regional Cuisine

242 Military Road
Neutral Bay, Sydney, NSW, 2089, Australia
info@mrs-top.com
P: +61 2 9909 1969
http://www.mrs-top.com

Link to Google Map

Last night I had one of those serendipitous dining moments where you are not sure what to expect, you go into a new suburb, walk into the venue, and are pleasantly surprised by what you find.  In this case it was an old pub called The Welcome Hotel in the inner-west suburb of Rozelle, near Balmain, in Sydney.

Established in 1877, The Welcome Hotel is in a quiet part of the neighbourhood, on the corner at the bottom of a hill.  As you arrive, it’s quite dark, but there is a warm glow coming from within, and the slight buzz of people eating and drinking – the sound of a community enjoying themselves.  As you walk in,  it felt like that scene in The Lord of the Rings – The Fellowship of the Ring, when Gandald first walks into Bilbo’s Hobbit house – warm, cozy and inviting.  

The atmosphere in the immediate bar area reminded me of Sydney’s Zeitgeist cafe (Tropicana) because of the eclectic mix of people, both young and old – a real sense of community.  Something you’d be unlikely to see in one of the trendy Paddington pubs on a Saturday night (except perhaps The Bellevue Hotel in Hargrave St – do they still do the $10 Bangers and Mash there?  Probably, but likely to be $20+ now  

Through to the back of the pub is the dining room – a more formal indoor area (complete with white tablecloths – impressive) and the informal courtyard dining area (where I was) – perfect for larger groups as they have space for a very long communal table which could accomodate 30 people easily.   Now, about the food.  It was of a very high standard – my friends, who are regulars here, really rated it, and they were right.  The food is described on their website as “contemporary European with a distrinct Irish influence” and I would go on to describe it as “typical Mod-Oz” cuisine – I note the website has a detailed menu online so go and check it out.  The presentation was excellent too, with attentive service from the friendly staff.  Actually I arrived late in the evening and enjoyed dessert (a mixture of sorbet and gelato with fresh strawberries – delicious) followed by an espresso – fresh and hot.  Good quality here.  The cheese plate, I observed to be well presented with fruit, lavosh-style biscuit bread and a generous serving of brie.  I note also from their website that the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2009 says “This is pub dining as it should be” – I have to agree. 

I look forward to dining here and trying more dishes – I would definitely recommend the Welcome Hotel for a great night out.

The Welcome Hotel
91 Evans Street
Rozelle, Sydney, NSW, 2039, Australia
info@thewelcomehotel.com
P: +61 2 9810 1323
http://www.thewelcomehotel.com/

Link to Google Map

Earlier this week I posted on the unique and exciting Iggy’s Bread, producing quality sourdough bread and bagels in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.  Further south, just a few minutes from the airport in Banksmeadow, is the award winning artisan bread-bakers Brasserie Bread.  For lovers of fine food and coffee, be sure to put this on your list of must-sees  For some time now, Brasserie Bread have been offering free children’s baking classes  (booked out months in advance)   Now, this award-winning bakery is opening its doors to the public, offering adult training classes in the ancient art of bread-making.  I was fortunate enough to be able to attend one recently.  It was a fantstic class.

Brasserie Bread run an exceptional operation – everything they do, they do with passion, using quality ingredients and service with a smile.  I believe this is due to the vision, experience and passion that permeates through the organisation from the founders of the company,  Michael Klausen and Tony Pappas.  I have met Michael on several occasions, and anyone who has enjoyed fine dining in Sydney for many years will remember Bayswater Brasserie and Boathouse on Blackwattle Bay (still trading today, vist their site here)  - their successful partnership began at these fine establishments.

Now, about that baking class.  Having employed a charming and knowledgeable food educator and trainer named Don, you’re in good hands from the moment the 3 hour class begins.  Firstly, coffee orders are taken (using the excellent Allpress coffee) and Mark or one of the other teriffic cafe staffers heads out to prepare the coffee.  A brief history of artisan bread-making is discussed, followed by an overview of the ingredients you will use.  it’s fascinating learning about the sourdough starter, it’s origins and importance in the whole process (the starter is nurtured and “grown” daily and improves with age)  The class is very interactive, with approximately 10 people per course everyone gets a chance to ask questions.  It’s extremely hands on, and you will awken muscles in your arms through some enthusiastic kneading of the dough into various shapes including dinner rolls, baguettes and brioche-shaped.  Everything is prepared by you then baked, then you get to take it home at the end to enjoy – and its delicious.

As if this wasn’t enough, you are then taken on a tour through the entire commercial bakery – and boy is it impressive.   Don explains all aspects of the process of getting that fresh loaf into your hands, and you get to see all the bakers in action.  It’s incredible.  There’s some imperssive technology too, with large, new ovens and sophisticated handling machinery helping out with handling the large volumes – but essentially this is hand-made bread – true artisan bread-making, with the bakers handling every aspect of the preparation process.

Finally, what everyone has been waiting for after a few hours of vigorous bread-makng and learning – the tasting.  Once again, Brasserie Bread excels here – Don explains all the varieties of bread they make, and a generous tasting platter including cheeses and antipasto is brought out for us all to enjoy.   There’s some new bread recently put on the menu too – I particularly enjoyed the Quimoa (pronounced “kin-wah” – a Soy and Linseed-style organic sourdough) 

Brasserie Bread is running the courses throughout the remainder of 2008 – and I would expect next year and beyond.  For anyone who enjoys cooking, good food and coffee, this is not to be missed.  There is a calendar up on the site here  Anyone who has attended the course or has any questions please leave a comment and I will get back to you shortly.

Brasserie Bread
1737 Botany Road
Banksmeasow, Sydney, NSW, Australia
info@brasseriebread.com.au
For training specifically: training@brasseriebread.com.au
P: +61 2 9666 6845
http://www.brasseriebread.com.au
Link to Google Map

Last week Good Living reported on Iggy’s bakery – it was a wonderful, inspirational story about a family of bakers who have had great success in Cambridge (Massachusetts, USA) and have now moved to Sydney and opened a new bakery.  I’d recommend visting their USA website, clicking on “US” then “History” to see the background of the lovely Ludmilla and Igor and their successful business.  The website, incidentally, is a nice looking site, and it’s interesting to compare with Brasserie Bread’s very informative and well presented site, here.

Today I paid a quick visit to Iggy’s Bakery in Bronte.  It’s in the old Hanks Jam premises on Belgrave St, across the road from the lovely Favoloso Cafe (worthy of a seaprate blog post – note to self  I was served by a friendly chap named Ivan, who apparently had only arrived from Boston yesterday.  He’s a family friend and very knowledgeable about Iggy’s bread.  I briefly met Iggy himself, a charming fellow, and his lovely wife Ludmilla, who was extremely warm, welcoming and I am sure Ludmilla, who takes care of the customer service side of the business whilst Iggy does the baking, is a big part of the reason for their success.   These people really care about people and their craft.

First of all, I tried the bagels – they were larger than the bagels I’m used to, from the popular Wellington Cake Shop.  The good news is they are excellent.  There were several varieties, including poppyseed and sesame seed – and they will definitely give the Wellington Cake Shop some healthy competition.  In fact, I think I prefer these bagels.  Ivan informed me they are steamed, not boiled, as Iggy does not believe in boiling bagels.  I will need to research further into that particular debate – suffice to say Iggy’s bagels wont disappoint.  Full of flavour with a rich, heavy consistency – they will be a welcome addition to breakfast tomorrow, toasted with some Plum jam.

Secondly, the sourdough bread – solid and heavy too with a lovely flavour, just delicious.  There were several sizes available in round loaves and a “ficelle” - from the French, meaning a half-baguette, very thin.

Iggy’s Bakery is a welcome addition to Sydney’s artisan bread-making community.

Iggy’s Down Under Pty Ltd

Hours: Wednesday to Saturday, 8am-4pm
49 Belgrave St
Bronte, Sydney, NSW  2024
Phone: 02 9369 1650
USA Website
Link to Google Map

G’day folks, Tony here, repoting on a one of the best value suburban Chinese BBQ restaurants I have come across.  I first heard about Cheung Sing Restaurant back in June 2008 after reading this SMH review.  Finally we stopped by to pick up some takeaway this week and we weren’t disappointed.

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G’day folks, Tony here with an excellent Thai takeaway experience had in Newtown.

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G’day folks, Tony here, back again to talk about a recent dinner had at this restauarant/pub in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.  Excellent food and service, especially considering it was a busy Thursday night and we were a group of 12 diners celebrating a birthday.

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Hey there, Tony here, just enjoyed a Father’s Day breakfast at this Coogee beach institution.  Breakfast here done well.

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G’day folks, Tony here reporting on another quality Italian meal in Sydney.  I recently celebrated my anniversary over dinner at Haberfield’s Dolcissimo Restaurant.  Well, I was not disappointed.  I couldn’t help myself by reading a few Eatability reviews prior to dining there, so it was with mixed emotions that I commenced the evening, as some of the reviewers weren’t too happy with the service, some even unhappy with the food.

As far as I’m concerned, it was a perfect dinner.  Coming in at around $70 for two plus wine (licensed and BYO), it was exceptional value too.  In some Sydney city-east and eastern suburbs equivalent restaurants you’d pay 50% more at least, and likely for poorer quality food.

So what did we eat.  For starters, how about home-made whitebait fritters, and classic penne carbonara.  The fritters were so light they melted in your mouth, complemented by a green salad and mayonnaise.  Just delicious.  The carbonara was rich, creamy, and balanced – not gluggy nor too sweet – with the pasta cooked perfectly, retaining a slight bite to it (al dente)

For “Secondi” we enjoyed the Gamberi pizza, complemented with a rocket and parmesan salad.  Sublimely good pizza.  Thin crust, simply done with large fresh prawns, garlic and chilli, with mozzarella cheese lightly seasoned with chopped parsley.  One of the nicest pizzas I’ve ever had.

For “Dolci” we enjoyed a made to order Cannoli – sweet ricotta filled biscuit with crushed almonds.  We shared that – then each enjoyed some of the finest gelato in Sydney – pistachio, chocolate, vanilla, Zabaglione and coffee flavours.  These guys can justifiably say “Sydney’s finest Gelato” (no offence Ciccio, your gelato rocks, but this is very good)

Haberfield is a gem of a suburb spoilt for choice in Italian food and culture here in Sydney.   It’s so accessible now from the city and east via the Cross City Tunnel – about 25 minutes from the airport.  Earlier I blogged about Napoli in Bocca, just a few doors up from Dolcissimo.  Years ago I visited La Disfida and I noticed it too is still busy so I hope to get back there soon too.  To have 3 top Italian restaurants all busy in one small neighbourhood, really says something about the quality and value to be found.  Happy Haberfield Eating all!

Dolcissimo
96-98 Ramsay Street Haberfield (corner Dalhousie Street), +61 2 9716 4444
http://www.dolcissimo.com.au/
Link to Google Map