Chiswick, Woollahra

Well hello there! Pardon my extended absence from this little corner of the internet (again) but rest assured all is well and we can save the stories for another time. Now that the nights are getting colder we empty fridgers are at our element - finding the comfort food that makes you want to hug the person next to you.

Together with our friends Mr&Mrs Macaroni - this evening's double date took us to the leafy suburb of Woollahra to check out Matt Moran and Peter Sullivan's newest Sydney establishment - Chiswick. Unlike most of our spontaneous adventures here, we actually booked a few weeks in advance. It truly is a popular new addition as we had a 3 week wait to secure a 6pm booking on a Wednesday night! But thankfully there was great wine ahead of us in this French-provinical garden style restaurant. With wall length windows looking straight out into the manicured gardens - the scene was set for a very homely and cozy atmosphere sans the feminine vibe.

There were 6 sections of the menu and it was wonderful to see unpretentious and simple dishes on offer. Listed were a selection of nibbles and small plates as well as mains which were all under $39 with share plates under $60. Our waitress advised us that servings were quite generous so we devised a plan to tackle as many dishes as possible. 

Our Small Plates: Steak Tartare $18 and Pulled veal ravioli with soybeans $20

The ravioli was interesting as one would automatically assume that it would be coated in a thick pasta sugo - not in this case. The little parcels of veal were tossed with beans, capers and a light shiso flavour making it very fresh and tangy. Absolutely unexpected but all the more wonderful.

My friend Mrs Macaroni told me that she judges restaurants by the taste of their chips and we were both in our element when the side of Hand Cut chips came out. The black garlic aioli is the stuff my dreams are made out of - no word of a lie here, the creamy garlic goodness nearly led me to the open kitchen where I could steal a bottle. 

Hand cut chips $9 and Shared Dish - Fish and Prawn Pie $58

District Dining, Surry Hills

The Empty Fridge night out can be classified into two nights. The after work or late night food crawl, The ridiculously boozy meal or the more civilised of the latter - Date Night. One very rainy (and by this I mean torrential) night we managed to score a late booking at District Dining, a restaurant in the "to eat" list since it opened late last year. We were down for some casual, fun, relaxed but above all else - delicious dining. As it turned out, District Dining ticked all these boxes.

Fruits of the Vine 2010 'Le Grenache' Barossa Valley $55, Sourdough Bread $4

Of course date night isn't complete without a good bottle of Vino - come on friends, you should know this comes standard with us by now. Our delightful waiter, Joe (I hope that was his name, as that was the name on the Bill) suggested we taste the 'Le Grenache' because we wanted to eat as much as we could from the menu. As always, we were looking a medium bodied red that went well with anything. Joe was spot on with this recommendation as it was more savoury and not overly fruity. This was a lovely drop and since that night we have been spotting it all over town so it seems to be quite popular! A winter favourite!

Snacktime Platter of Fried Goodness to start

Now we were faced with an assortment of dishes to order and Joe steps in again during decision time. The ethos behind District Dining is that their dishes are meant to be shared and enjoyed together. I have not been to Assiette which is Chef Warren Turnbull's 2 Hat restaurant (also in the..district) but I have been told that this is his less formal but equally tasty offering. Each dish on the menu makes my mouth water - its my kind of food - real, delicious and fun food that piques your tastebuds after ordering. District Dining is not a place where you have to google what exactly a e pied de cochon is and act like you knew that when it arrives at the table. Without being too formal, there is still a casual elegance about.

Crispy Quail Eggs served with Tarragon Mayonaise $14

Of course the word crispy before anything warrants an order and my grin widens as it arrives. I find it quite ingenious that these golden balls of goodness are kept upright in the original plastic containers that the quail eggs would have been encased in. Served with a dollop of tarragon mayonaise I generously slathered this on bite after bite. A runny yolk also provided some creamy goodness.

Beef Chimichanga with Curry Avocado $10

Duke Bistro, Surry Hills

Late one evening we stumbled up the inconspicuous stairs to the side of the Flinders hotel; on a mission to make it to Duke and duke it out with the promise of awesome food,  imagine the horror to be told that we had no chance of getting a table that evening. Not too disenchanted we thought we would save it for another night, we here at the Empty Fridge are used to the new and cool places around Surry Hills not taking bookings, Duke being one such cool place. Luckily though one of us Empty Fridgers had the sense to call ahead a few weeks later (good work Gianna.) and managed to get a table at a reasonable hour on a balmy Friday night. 

Having heard nothing but good things about Duke we were really keen to try it out. Not only does it have one of the coolest names but the food has been touted as some of the best in the Sydney food and bar scene. With fried chicken on the menu and plenty of alcohol, it's pretty hard to get any better of a mix. Somethings are meant to be together, it is our belief that fried chicken and anything alcoholic just works and makes the world go around. However there is more to the Duke menu than fried chicken - with ex Tet's chef Thomas Lim and 2010's Young Chef of the year Mitch Orr in the helm they truly keep things exciting. There were  a number of delectable dishes that are well worth making the trip out to try including Smoked Eel with Saba and Pancetta but being indecisive we relied solely on our waitress' suggestions.

So what does the Empty Fridge duo do best when they are at a bar or anywhere licenced at all? Well they order a drink or four of course but being on their best behaviour (both of us had made the mistake of driving) we ordered some Monteith's Apple Cider ($8.50) and an Italian Highball - Campari, grapefruit and Fever Tree Tonic ($16). Refreshing drinks for a warm night and before anyone makes the assumption - the photo above is a bottle of water; served in a gin bottle, keeping in line with the Duke's left of centre approach to the dining experience. There is a wordly wine selection available, plus a mean cocktail list to match. Why oh Why did we drive? 

 

The bistro has a really cool vibe with a mixture of cool lights adorned with old veuve bottles and of course a boars head by the bar. It really is a pretty cool place and rightly so given that it's a right smack bang in the middle of Surry Hills hipster scene, with heaps of Sydney's cool kids coming out to eat and have a drink. Yes even Sydney's hipsters eat believe it or not, how can't they when the food on offer is as cool as Duke's.

Greenhouse by Joost, Pop-up restaurant - Campbells Cove

Sustainability is one of those words thrown around quite a bit in this day and age. Save water, recycle, shut off your lights are just a few terms that come to mind. So when the opportunity came along to go and check out Greenhouse by Joost; a sustainable pop-up restaurant, it was too good an opportunity to pass up.  We were so excited to go; one Friday night early in February, we took a drive to The Rocks. After half an hour of looking for parking in Campbells Cove, we were faced with a half-finished Greenhouse. Yes - someone forgot to check if it was open already. Oops. So a few weeks after on one sunny Sunday afternoon we returned - it was Joost Juice time.

Without a doubt Greenhouse by Joost occupies some of the most prestigious real estate in Sydney. With awe inspiring views of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge it is well worth the trip. You would be hard pressed to find a better place to come wine & dine or just chill with a few friends. Either way everyone should come and visit and see but hurry because at the end of March it's all over. 

Before delving into the food and booze its important to take a step back and talk about the admirable ideas behind Greenhouse by Joost. At the heart of the project is sustainability and creating a functional restaurant structure with positive impact on the environment. Sustainability is one of the areas I am passionate about; partly due to my work and being green star certified but because I share the belief that we are responsible in ensuring that future generations get the chance to enjoy what many of us take for granted - our environment.

Cocktail of the Day $16 and Pip Squeak Cider $10

Greenhouse by Joost has zero waste. One of the key aspects of the project. Everything in the premises is recycled. From the t-shirts worn by the staff, conveyor belt flooring, glassware comprised of recycled jam jars and beveled glass bottles. Even the cooking oil is reused to power a generator onsite. A lot of the design elements centre around the ability to be reused. The building itself is designed to be dismantled and packed into shipping containers to be built elsewhere around the world.  An example of eco-friendly architecture that can have multiple applications. As well as being the best spot in the house, the rooftop garden is used to grow some of  ingredients in the food served downstairs. Also all organic waste is composted and used in the garden. It's simply an awesome concept that has come to fruition and such a shame that its temporary.

Rockpool Bar and Grill, Sydney CBD

Did we just stumble onto a piece of Gotham City in Sydney? On the eve of my Birthday my very own partner in crime took me out to dinner to Neil Perry's Rockpool Bar and Grill. This is a restaurant that has forever been on my hit list and standing in front of the colossal art deco building on 66 Hunter St we were both in awe. Keeping with the Gotham theme I will be referring to myself as Batman - it's my birthday so I can do whatever I want. Gianna is just Gianna. Im Batman. Ha. Actually Gianna, you can be Penguin. 

Here at the Empty Fridge, we consider birthdays a perfect excuse to go all out on our dining escapades. I think the evil Penguin had extended celebrations this year, and not to be outdone - this was the first of several birthday outings. Lucky me. I am Batman.  

From the minute you step into Rockpool you can't help but feel amazed by the space inside. It is the very picture of opulence. My alter ego Bruce Wayne felt at ease in the dark and opulent surrounds. I am a sucker for all things marble with the exception of lions - I may be Greek but seeing as though I am Batman I much prefer Gargoyles. 

What I loved was that from the minute we were seated I felt so comfortable for a change. I mean as simple as it may sound I really think that having a comfortable chair with the right height and cushyness makes the world of difference when dining anywhere - especially after wearing a Batsuit all day - and boy does Rockpool deliver on that front.  After fighting crime all day and numerous encounters with the evil Penguin the appetite was bordering on voracious. Out comes the menu and immediately we are drawn to a few standouts. Kurobuta being the keyword. We start with the Kurobuta prosciutto and Capocollo, Rodriguez Chorizo, Blackmores Wagyu Bresola with pickles -$25. 

Moncur Terrace, Woollahra (Let's do Brunch - SIFF 2010)

Yes, its all about Back-to-Back Brunches here at The Empty Fridge, and on a beautiful sunny saturday morning in Sydney we headed for a yummy brekky feed at Moncur Terrace.


As we were walking through leafy Woollahra, we were practically melting! It honestly felt like the middle of summer at 11 am, and there were several sun-hungry people who had their beach bags in tow and walked past us heading towards Bondi. Although I would have loved to spend the morning laying at the beach, we were hungry for some Brunch - the sun will still be out the rest of the day, we thought.

Moncur Terrace is a very casual and relaxed Bistro at the Woollahara Hotel. As we sit down inside the now sun-filled outdoor garden area, we can't help but joke that it's the poor-man's Bistro Moncur.. especially as we are here on a mission to try their $25 'Let's do Brunch Special'. This makes choosing what to eat that much easier - and my $25 "meal" came with a glass of Brown Brothers Prosecco. Champagne or Sparkling wine Breakfasts are perfectly fine in my books. However, you can choose between a glass of Prosecco, a glass of Coopers light, bottle of  Aqua Panna still water or San Pellegrino Sparkling Mineral water if you prefer.

Demos's asks me: "I know it's not even midday yet - but they have Peroni on tap here". As I look around, our fellow brunch-ers are already hitting the vino and the beers - so let the man have his Peroni! Although I would have preferred a coffee with my meal, the Prosecco is a light and crisp prelude - I'm not a fan of Prosecco at the best of times (I have this weird aversion to anything overly carbonated, I don't drink cola at all!) but I enjoyed sipping my breakfast bubbles under the very very hot sun. Oh yes, we should re-name this blog to "Dezza and Gezza - the boozehounds" 

The dish that Bistro Moncur offer for the "Let's do Brunch" event are their Sweet Corn Fritters with Barossa Bacon, Poached egg, Avocado and caramelized onion on toasted sonoma bread. My main concern when having corn fritters is that some places might add a sneaky bit of coriander in the batter, and coriander is my kryptonite. So because of this silly food allergy of mine I always have to check and yay! I have the green light!

Look at that perfectly poached runny egg! Corn Fritters are my absolute favourite breakfast dish and the the Moncur Terrace version is absolutely delicious!  The fritters batter itself is sweet - like a hotcake - and not floury at all. The kernels of sweet corn are a welcome burst of flavour, and I smash up some avocado to go with it - creamy goodness! The caramelized onion were sweet and mushy, and spread like a thick butter on the bread. Bacon always adds that salty punch, and this is a very lean piece. I could have done with an extra rasher and a bigger piece of bread, but its all about quality here and not quantity so I cant be Ms. greedy guts. Besides, I need to practice my portion control  ;D

Wagyu Burger - $23.00

Demos decides to skip a traditional breakfast meal as soon as he see's Wagyu Beef Burger on the Menu - with a his beer in hand he has such a huge grin on his face as soon as this towering burger arrives. 

 This has to be one of the better Wagyu burgers we have had. At $23 dollars, it does not dissapoint with its melt in your mouth patty. The minced wagyu rump is absolutely delicious and juicy. It is perfectly seasoned and stacked with all the trimmings - pickles, beetroot, tomatoes...everything you can see in the cross section above was delicious down to the last crumb of the bun. Demos even cut me a little quarted and plonked it on my plate "There - that way you can't say I dont share." True love is sharing your Wagyu Burger, and not just the shoestring fries on the side.

Yes, my inner child cannot help it when there is a squeeze-y bottle of ketchup nearby

 Although Moncur Terrace offers just one yummy dish with minimal bells and whistles for the Brunch Special, the quality was top notch and I would visit again to try the other dishes they had on offer. By the time we finished our meal though, the storm clouds were hovering around us - which was very confusing as we were still a little sunburnt from sitting in the sunshine while enjoying our awesome meal. Lucky for us, the torrential downpour started as soon as we got into our cars. Our afternoon of sitting by the pool went up in smoke, but at least our tummies were satisfied. Win Win. 

Other Posts on "Let's to Brunch" - Sydney International Food Festival 2010

- Signorelli Gastronomia, Oct 2010

- Bitton Gourmet Cafe, Oct 2010

The Woollahra Hotel, 116 Queen St Woollahra 2025 02-93279777

http://www.woollahrahotel.com.au