long lunching at its best... and with a view!

One of Sydney's hidden treasures, The Theatre Bar At The End of The Wharf (TTBATEOTW) is located on Pier 4 at Walsh Bay (within Sydney Theatre company). The interiors have a paired-back, industrial chic feel, but as soon as you walk in you can't help but be mesmerised by the jaw-dropping views of Sydney Harbour. The ambiance is casual yet sophisticated, which was completely reflected by the friendly staff.

Normally TTBATEOTW specialises in Modern Australian share plates, however when you're lucky enough to attend a private lunch on the large balcony, you experience the delicious food from Fresh Catering. We had the three-course set menu partnered with the premium beverage package (Cockfighters Ghost Sparkling Wine, Optimiste Pinot Gris and Optimiste Marquis).

We started with the Spiced Tuna, preserved lemon puree, fennel, caper & sherry which was ridiculously tasty. I honestly didn't have high expectations just from reading the menu, but I was blown away. The ingredients and flavours were the perfect accompaniment to each other. Yum!!

Our main was the Beef fillet, beetroot puree, horseradish cream with tatsoi. Three words - cooked to perfection. I may have finished my meal before it was even placed in front of me... It looked fantastic, and tasted even better.

Again the dessert I wasn't necessarily looking forward to. As much as I love chocolate and rhubarb, I don't tend to gravitate towards tarts as they're too rich. The Chocolate fudge tart, roasted rhubarb & strawberries was insane. Like Christmas on a plate. So, so, so tasty.

I was absolutely blown away by the this venue. Every single dish was amazing, the wine was incredible, the company was far too much fun, and that view!!! Would love to come back and see whether the a la carte and share plates are to the same standard...

Restaurant: The Theatre Bar At The End of The Wharf
Total price (for 27 people): Food: $2396; Beverages: $980
Hours: Mon - Fri 9.30pm to late; Sat 12pm to late
Must order: Spiced tuna entree

kingfish, haloumi, churros... yes.

Nomad is one of those places that I have always wanted to go to. It has such a great reputation, the meals look amazing and the menu sounds delectable. Not to mention it's on a street surrounded by some pretty incredible restaurants...

Known for its Australian-only wine list, local produce and traditional culinary skills, co-owners Al Yzabek (formerly Toko) and Rebecca Littlemore opened Nomad in November 2013. Chef Nathan Sasi (previously of Heston Blumental's Diner, Moro in London, Sean's Panaroma and est.) uses traditional cooking methods such as pickling, curing, smoking and fermenting.

I went to Nomad last weekend with 12 of my girlfriends, and we were lucky enough to be seated in the private area - right next to the wine bar (on purpose perhaps?) and the glass room dedicated to cheese and charcuterie. The lighting was fantastic, atmosphere great and service good, considering we were a loud group of girls.

Due to the size of our party, we had to have the Feed Me menu, which included Woodfired sourdough with black salt butter; Nomad pickles & olives; Selection of housemade Nomad charcuteri; Raw kingfish with harissa, blood orange and fennel; Goat's cheese churros with truffle honey; Nomad jersey milk haloumi with BBQ zucchini, pinenuts and raisins; BBQ carrots with almond dukkah and labne; BBQ lamb rump with Moroccan eggplant and sheeps yoghurt; and Daintree Estate chocolate cake, Iranian apricot and Nomad creme fraiche.

The kingfish, haloumi, churros and BBQ rump were the standouts, but to be honest I left feeling a little underwhelmed. There was such hype coming here, and don't get me wrong the food was really nice, but it just didn't have that 'wow factor' I was expecting from a restaurant with one chefs hat.

Would I go back? Perhaps... Only to try the a la carte menu though.

Restaurant: Nomad
Total price (for 13ppl): Food: $845; Beverages: $450
Hours: Lunch Wed-Sat 12-2.30pm; Dinner Mon-Sat 6pm-late
Must order: Goat's cheese churros with truffle honey

a slice of paradise

The highly anticipated renovation of Norths Bowlo reopened as The Greens mid-November 2014. I've been there three times now - for a cheeky evening drink two days after opening, a birthday party two weeks after and for a long lunch with some friends this past weekend. Each time proved why there is such a buzz surrounding it.

I learnt the first time that you can't venture to The Greens without ordering the food... so for lunch we ordered a selection from the menu: lamb neck cooked in pastry with smoked carrot, yoghurt & garden peas; twice cooked chicken breast with sweet corn, braised leeks & almonds; wagyu beef burger with American cheese, pickles, lettuce, tomato, chips & smokey sauce. All meals were as expected - looking fabulous, cooked to perfection and very more-ish.

From the husband and wife duo - Nathan and Lily Fason (formerly Executive and Head Chef at The Grounds), to the incredible family-friendly indoor/outdoor space; the extensive cocktail menu and that view(!) - The Greens is quite possible my favourite local. A pity it isn't open for breakfast though...

Cafe: The Greens
Total price: Approx $100 (for 4ppl incl. drinks)
Hours of the kitchen: 12-3pm; 5.30-9.30pm
Must order: Twice cooked chicken breast + watermelon fizz
Coffee: Double Roasters

a fresh concept to dining

For a bit of a change, my family decided to buy each other the 'progressive dining experience' at The InterContinental Sydney. It was exclusively on offer through Lime&Tonic during Sydney's Good Food Month and we, luckily, snapped up three vouchers. Hands down one of the best nights, experiences and Christmas presents we've ever had.

The culinary journey takes place in the stunning five star hotel, where Executive Chef Tamas Pamer takes us through his seasonal three-course menu in three different restaurants. Starting in the private room at the 'Cortile Lounge', we were greeted with a glass of Bimbadgen sparkling wine by the most incredible and friendly staff one would expect at such a venue. Our entree of Tasmanian Ocean Trout with baby summer vegetables, stone fruits, seaweed, pepe saya and buttermilk was well and truly beyond expectations. Incredibly fresh and very seasonal; the flavours, textures and presentation were second to none.

We took the heritage-listed elevator up to the second floor (we didn't really need to take the lift, but how could we say no!?) to our next venue 'One One Seven'. We were escorted to our private booth where our glass of Moppity Brothers At Large Shiraz was waiting for us. It didn't take long for the crowd-favourite to come out... Marble Score II Wagyu with shitake, black sesame cake, slow cooked short rib, darling mills' leaves and sunchoke. One word. Delectable.

We also had our peach jasmine sorbet palate cleanser here. Let me tell you... I have never in my life seen such a show-stopping, extravagant affair for such a meal. Dry ingredients + liquid hydrogen + sorbet + mortar & pestle = the most incredible palate cleanser EVER. The bar is well and truly raised...

We had to get buzzed up to the decadent 'Club InterContinental Lounge' located on level 33, where incomparable and absolutely breathtaking views of Sydney Harbour can be seen. From the astonishing view to the awe-inspiring dessert... we were literally lost for words. We had the Fairy floss, chestnut cream, cassis, shortbread, french meringue & vanilla chantilly delight, however I'll let the photos do the talking!

Such an extraordinary dining experience, and we will definitely be buying this experience should it be on again in 2015. And if it is, I highly recommend you buy as many vouchers as possible!

Restaurant: InterContinental Sydney
Total price: Approx. $600 (for 6ppl, including wine)
Hours: Various hours of operation for each restaurant. Please refer to their website
Must order: The entire experience! (but our favourite was the Marble Score II Wagyu)

finally got there

I've heard great things about Jamie's Italian and tried to go here for dinner a couple of times without booking, only to be told to wait up to an one hour for a table for two. At which point, I turn around and don't look back. If you're patient enough you can have drinks at the bar with your table buzzer in hand, but generally I'm too hungry to wait that long.

It seems that an early dinner works in your favour... third time lucky, we arrived at 6.30pm to find absolutely no queue, and a table for two in the middle of the restaurant.

Jaime's Italian was conceived over four years ago, and has since launched 30 restaurants around the world; with Sydney CBD opening early 2012 and forming part of the The Keystone Group. From the exterior it looks quite small, but don't be fooled. It has two stories and can house up to 200 patrons! The interiors are very Jamie Oliver - rustic, natural, precise, minimalist. The seating area does seem quite tight, but this seems to be an issue more for the waiters.

The menu has a vast selection of Italian dishes: antipasti, ravioli, pasta and risotto; all of which focus on using sustainable, seasonal and regional ingredients. The wine menu is extensive with a large range of Italian wines, but the 'Espresso Martini' and 'Blueberry & Basil Smash' caught our eye (I'd miss the later next time around).

We went with the waitresses recommendations and ordered the prawn linguine, buffalo ricotta ravioli and the one of the specials - Jamie's signature porchetta. The meals were delicious, fresh and cooked to perfection; however I felt they were on the smaller side... especially for some of the prices we paid. My favourite was the ravioli - perhaps because it was light, extremely tasty and melted in the mouth.

The dessert menu wasn't huge and I think it lacked a bit of creativity. The only dish that caught our eye was the 'Epic Brownie': warm fudge brownie with salted caramel ice-cream & caramelised amaretti popcorn (it was actually suppose to come with ameretto ice-cream, but the waitress suggested we try the salted caramel). The various textures worked, but the flavours just didn't gel all that well for me. Maybe we should have kept the ameretto ice-cream...? I guess it was only $10 though, and in restaurant standards that's really cheap.

  

Would I recommend it? Yes, although it's definitely not the top (or even middle) of my list. Would I line up? Absolutely not.

Restaurant: Jamie's Italian, Sydney
Total price: Approx $120 (for 2ppl including cocktails)
Hours: 11.30am - 11.00pm
Must order: Buffalo ricotta ravioli

middle eastern show-stopper

To me Middle Eastern means big and bold, yet intricate and detailed. For some reason I absolutely love love love their traditional interiors (lights, lanterns, use of bright colours) but I'm just not a huge fan of their food. Whether it's the intense flavours or the amount of oil that is used, the food just doesn't agree with my tastebuds. Never-the-less my girlfriends and I went to the highly acclaimed (accordingly to my friends and work colleagues) Kazbah in Balmain for dinner.

The restaurant is either child-friendly or encourages you to bring out your inner-child, with crayons provided (regardless of whether you're with children) for the paper table covers. The interiors and service are as expected - intricate, colourful and exotic with some show-stopping performances. Pouring the water was an art in itself. I wish I got a photo of it, but I'll just point you to another photo online so you can see what I mean. It's incredible and let me tell you, I was in awe.

For starters we ordered the dips and mixed bread (of course) and the grilled haloumi cheese (of course). You can never go wrong with these two dishes, right? And they didn't disappoint. We also ordered the clams with chilli, garlic and tomato sauce (yum!), and the ham and cheese grilled black truffle sandwich, which to be honest seemed a little odd to be sitting on a dinner menu!? Not quite sure why we ordered this - could have been the mention of 'truffle' - but needless to say, I wouldn't order that again.


We chose the lemon baharat chicken and lamb kafta shish kebabs, as well as the slow-cooked lamb shoulder for our mains. They were nice, nothing to write home about though. Especially for the price that we paid. Our sides included the fattoush salad and the Mediterranean potatoes twice-cooked with rosemary, capsicum and onion.

The Kazbah Bomb, which has it's own separate line and is bold on the menu, is one of the reasons why people come here. It is THE show-stopping dish, and one must order it (even if one doesn't like Turkish Delight). Not only does this dessert come with Turkish Delight ice-cream, sponge, soft meringue and blueberries; but it is doused with currant vodka and on flames when presented to your table. It's pretty incredible! We also ordered the scrumptious banana split with banana and chocolate macaroons, Chantilly cream, vanilla bean ice-cream and a salted toffee sauce.

Although my friends love it and I do recommend coming here for the experience itself, I personally won't be going back there in a hurry (unless it's for breakfast, which I'm willing to give it another try). It's just unfortunately not my cup of tea... Oh and on that note, if you like tea, finish the evening with 'Kasbah Love' - Carcade (Egyptian hibiscus), rose buds & cinnamon.

Restaurant: Kazbah Balmain
Total price: Approx. $300 (for 5ppl, including wine)
Hours: 8am-3pm;11.30am-3pm; 5.30pm-9.30pm; closed Mondays
Must order: Kazbah Bomb

lunch, dinner or weekend retreat

Jonah's is one of those places everyone always talks about... Stunning views. Sumptuous food. Sophisticated atmosphere.

Offering contemporary Australian cuisine with breathtaking views over the Pacific Ocean, this restaurant is everything attached to it's name and much, much more. As soon as you walk in you're mesmerised by the view.

The formal waitstaff are quick to greet you, and escort you to your table. Try and book a booth - they are by far the best seats in the house, especially for spotting the celebrities who are dining!

Executive Chef Peter Ridland focuses on fresh, seasonal produce with an emphasis on seafood. The wine list is very extensive with 5,000 bottles to choose from, featuring the best from Australia and around the world.

The a la carte menu took our eye (degustation prices start from $170pp + $70pp matching wines). For my entree I ordered North Atlantic Scallops sautéed with Ibérico jamón, spiced rock melon cloud, puffed quinoa and melon dressing. So light, so tasty!

I couldn't go past the Western Australian Cone Bay Barramundi for my main - roasted and served with sautéed wild mushroom, pancetta, cauliflower purée, cavolo nero and forestière sauce. The fish was cooked perfectly, however this meal - especially the sauce - was a little heavy for me.

Apart from the incredible view, the dessert menu was by far my highlight. I can't go past anything on the menu that mentions coconut or rhubarb... My husband ordered the chocolate and rosemary delice with coconut sorbet. It was rich, but the sorbet created the perfect balance.

I ordered the rhubarb and vanilla soufflé with green apple sorbet and crème anglaise. Upon presenting the dish, the waitstaff pour the crème anglaise into the oh-so fluffy souffle. And the sorbet, again, the perfect accompaniment.

The desserts. were. divine.

Maintaining a chef's hat for the past 7 years, Jonah's is the complete package. Next time however, I would make an entire weekend of it. This beautiful ocean retreat belongs to the Relais & Chateaux Group and offers seaplane transfers. For something special or just because...

Restaurant: Jonah's

Total price: Approx. $700 (for 4ppl incl. wine)

Hours: Dinner from 6pm

Must order: Rhubarb and vanilla soufflé