Chophouse

Where can you go for a decent steak in Sydney? - One place I tend to avoid is Darling Harbour, a stereotypical tourist trap.

Where I do go though is off the beaten track, Chophouse on Bligh Street. Personally I like to sit outside under the trees and watch out over the buildings down the hill as darkness falls - the buildings are arranged in a very comic-book fashion, all stacked neatly one behind the other.

The inside area is very neat too, with hints of abatoir in a rustic setting. But that's not why you come here - that would be for a steak, or ribs, or the like. And for that, I'll give them a 9/10 for the efforts they've made on my numerous visits.

If only the restaurant in Hamilton of the same name where as good!

Chophouse - Sydney NSW, March 2011

Bligh Street, Sydney, NSW, March 2011

Ottoman Cuisine

Naming a restaurant after a style of food is something I'd not be inclined to do. However, Ottoman Cuisine in both Sydney and Canberra lives up to it's eponymous style.

I have dined at the Sydney restaurant at Walsh bay many times, and yesterday visited the 'original' Ottoman cuisine in Barton, Canberra.

Needless to say, I was impressed again by their food. Almost as much as I was impressed by the fact they had to start a second wall for their awards as they ran out of space on their first (there are almost 20 consecutive years of Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide plates for example).

The chef/owner Serif Kaya has certainly done a good job, both restaurants are immaculate in terms of both venue and staff, and the food is undescribably good - certainely not something you can even remotely compare to the average Turkish restaurant, let alone kebab shop. In particular there is something about that wonderful fluffy pide.

I'd easy rate last night's meal of mantar, kofte and pide with a 10/10. These restaurants definately qualify among my all time favourites. Particularly with the views from Walsh bay.

One Beef Tiger

It tends to be the case that as I get more tired on business trips, I go more to extremes when it comes to food - be that cheap and cheerful, or horrendously expensive.

This picture should instantly reveal which category this one falls into.

Beef Tiger - Hannah's Pies, Ultimo, Sydney, NSW - March 2011

That would be a Beef Tiger from Hannah's Pies in Ultimo, NSW. Never heard of a "Tiger Pie"? Well, it's a steak pie, covered with potato mash, mushy peas, and gravy. Yum!

So where are these wonderful concoctions made? Here, in this factory. Note the window to buy the pies from on the right. Not many food miles there.

Hannah' Pies, Ultimo, Sydney, NSW - March 2011

As an aside, Hannah's Pies actually manufactures the pies that are sold in Harry's Cafe de Wheels in Woolloomooloo too (along with all the less icon Harry's's).

All up, a tasty pie. 7/10. And less than ten bucks too!

Tourist trap restuarants...

When I'm in a foreign city, I tend to avoid the obvious tourist areas when it comes to places to eat. In Sydney, that means Darling Harbour, Circular Quay, and The Rocks.

Why do I avoid these areas when it comes to food? Because they don't need to rely on repeat business, and some tourists can't pick a restuarant to save themselves.

This evening I walked down to Walsh Bay with the intent to dine at one of my favorite Sydney restuarants, Ottoman Cuisine - except, of course, for the simple fact they weren't open. No big deal though - I'll just go somewhere else I thought.

So, I walked around, under the bridge, past the YouTube orchestra who where playing under a tarpaulin, and into the rocks.

Reading the menu at Cafe Vintage it seemed like a reasonable place to eat (though the menu is almost impossible to read outside in the dimmly lit alley), so I went inside to grab a table. The table I was given had not yet been cleaned (which they dealt to within a minute, so I can forgive that), and there was rubbish on the floor near my table (which remained there, and was still there when I left).

Cafe Vintage, The Rocks, NSW

What really sucked me in to this place in the first place was the fact that Patatas Bravas appeared on the menu. It's always the first snack I order from my favourite Christchurch Restuarant, the Curator's House.

Anyway, I ordered the Patatas and a steak. The patatas where fine (though a bit more paprika would've been more to my taste), but the steak was god-awful. I knew I was in trouble when it arrived. Here's what it looked like:

Cafe Vintage, The Rocks, NSW

The steak meal comprised three boiled potatoes, with a nasty steak on top (you know, the one you get if you just pick a random steak from the bargain section of the supermarket freezer), some brown gravy ("pepper sauce" on the menu, I think it might have been OXO), a sprig of parsley. The steak had a few tough bits for good measure too.

I'll be generous and give this place a three out of ten (3/10). The atmosphere in the old building is kinda neat, but they really should clean the place up and offer a steak meal that's better than what can be had at many Sydney pubs for ten bucks.

Brunch is the most difficult of meals to procure... but it can be done

The problem with breakfast (or should I say brunch in a lazy weekend context) is that there really isn't the diversity that I'd like there to be.

It seems far to many people are happy with some sort of variation on the traditional English breakfast, that is, one based around bacon, eggs and bread.

Now, I have no problem with that, (unless the holandaise sauce on eggs benedict comes from a cash and carry), but, it gets boring real quick.

So this morning I went in search of something a little bit different, and settled on Toast in Surrey Hills (no, not toast to eat, but a cafe named Toast, on Resevoir Street). What I actually ate was a Morrocan Breakfast (flat bread, pouched eggs, hummus, dukkah, garlic coriander spuds, and I added haloumi).

Toast Cafe, Surrey Hills, NSW

It goes without saying that it was a very good breakfast, and my long Macciato came out exactly as I wanted it to be too (there seems to be some confusion amoungst barristas as to what a Macciato actually is some days - but these guys know!).

While today has been the first time I've been there, for my brekky today, I couldn't fault them one bit. It hit the spot, was sufficiently out of the norm, and well spiced. The coffee was perfect, the cafe immaculate, and the staff prompt and friendly. 10/10. www.toastcafe.com.au

Toast Cafe, Resevior St, Surrey Hills, NSW - 20 March 2011

How can you go wrong high quality Mexican fast food?

So I'm in Sydney, and I enjoy Mexican food - there is one place I walk to for that very reason - and that place is Mad Mex in Darlinghurst (of course, Mad Mex is turning up all over the show now, being a franchise).

They of course have all my favourite Mexican snacks, burritos, tacos, nachos and their ilk, and of course, everything is prepared fresh, and is ready to eat almost instantly.

In my opinion, any dish from here is money well spent, particularly as most dishes are around ten bucks - how can you go wrong? 8/10 given value and quality. Having said that, I dread to think what this place will be like in a few years - franchises have a habit of deteriorating as their popularity grows, Burgerfuel being one good example of that.

Mad Mex

Mad Mex Darlinghurst NSW, March 2011