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

10 William St - The Wine bar with no name & amazing food, Paddington

Extended Birthdays, Date Night, Wine Bars and Italian Food are things we hold dear to our hearts here at  the Empty Fridge.  We have been wanting to try this "mysterious" new establishment in Paddington since it opened, walking past it everyday as I go to and from work. From the day it opened its doors - the number of patrons just kept growing. I remember distinctly walking past on the first day of trade, looking at the front window and thinking "Has anyone actually noticed that a pigeon is just casually sitting on the pane?" No need to contact the Department of Food Safety and Sanitation, the Pigeon is stuffed. 

Once seated, we knew we were in for quite a treat. The downstairs bar area is always crowded, so we head to the second level which is still empty at 5.35 pm on a Friday. We were here quite early, don't judge  - you have to be as it gets packed in no time, and secondly - lucky Gianna, works just a few doors down. We decided to come here before we were to kick off Demos' birthday drinks at the Beresford in Surry Hills, trying to get as much to eat before the boozing was to begin. This was a good idea - it ended up being one boozy night.

Toko, Paddington Sydney- $3 Mad Mondays

No matter what you do, there will always be something about Mondays. It's usually the day of the week when you get stuck in hellish traffic, forget something at home, stuff something up or leave the house with mis-matched socks. Its a scientific fact that humans, by nature, will always whinge about Mondays - coming up with terms like 'Monday-itis' and songs like 'Manic Monday' - its proven. If the thought itself is giving you the heeby geebies - then snap out of, because I would like to share with you the best thing about my least favorite day of the week. 

Behold - the infamous Mad Monday at Toko - where $3 plates of awesome sushi can really turn your day around and provide you with the sustinence you need to start the week. As you see on the photo's above - here at Toko ,they know how resuscitate anyone from the post-weekend lull .

 So yes, you read right - on Mondays, each plate on the conveyour belt, or small japanese a la carte dishes are at the bargain basement price of $3.00. And that is why I have an extra spring in my step. The day can't all be bad when there is delicious sushi involved right?

Usually there is a line out the front from noon, as the seats fill in quickly. Our strategy at work is getting there s few minutes before 12  (my office building is just behind Oxford Street so its 3 minute walk in heels). On every visit are greeted by the super friendly and bubbly manager – Hera. She is so efficient and once you step inside the first question is “How many babe?” so that she can organize seats for your group.

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

The Wine Library, Paddington

Please don't get the wrong idea about me because for doing two consecutive posts on Wine Bars.. its not like that, really.. I promise - I have a valid explanation!

And if thats not enough, I actually visited the new Wine Library in Paddington twice in one day. All in good reason though..its was a Friday (hooray) and I celebrated my birthday last Sunday the 12th of September, so this was a kick off to the epic birthday weekend that was to come. Thats the excuse i'm going with.

The Wine Library is a new addition to the Woolhara end of Oxford St. The beauty of Paddington is that a place which would seem like a tiny shoebox from the frontage actually expands further and further back. They worked their work magic on this property - a well designed space that has a serviced bar, a few tables in the back section, an awesome cured meat closet (you'll see what I mean later..) as well as access to a garden courtyard. 

I've driven past on numerous occasions at night and wondered "What is that new place, why is it always busy and why haven't I been??" Luckily for me, its a hop skip and jump from the office - a perfect venue for a quick friday birthday lunch with my lovely G-Star girls! They are just as excited as I am to try this new place and to get away from our desks!!

Lunchtime was not busy at all, we grab a table in the back section with the awesome view of the "Meat Closet". A small tiled room displaying the imported cured meats and tempting everyones tastebuds! One can only guess that this little tiled room used to be a bathroom.. creative indeed! 

The photo on the right..wow where do I even start? My Epic birthday lunch aka everything Gianna could wish for on a plate - A stracchino and black truffle quesadilla. This right here made my birthday. It was ridicuously creamy, but with the right amount of saltiness. My fellow eaters were baffled as to how I could consume a dish so rich on my own! I love truffles - the smell, the flavour - I would order anything with truffles if it was on the menu. This is Wine Library's version of a truffle grilled cheese sandwich. If someone asked me what I would have as a final meal, this quesadilla would be on the list.

We were impressed by the quality of the wine list (finally, a place for proper wine in Paddo!) as well as the super friendly service. Maybe it was the midday red wine, the excitement, or it may have been the quesadilla that I didn't even think to take any more photo's at lunchtime. I figured I would be back soon, "Ill make my mental notes and take more proper photo's then". 

Fast Forward to 6 or so hours later. After some after work Birthday drinks and pizza at the London Pub on William Street (another Paddington Favorite) I was back, and this time with Demos in tow. I simply could not resist going back and to share the excitement with my other half. We were worried that we would'nt be able to get a seat because the small space was completely full! The bar simply transforms at night, dimply lit by the lights behind the bar and the bottle cut outs on the wall and ceiling. I absolutely love the attention to detail that was put into the interior. After a 5 minute wait we were seated at the bar with a perfect view of the wine selection and the open food prep area. 5 minute wait on a Friday night? Pinch me i'm dreaming!

We start off with the Sweet Potato Crisps ($5.00) and the bowl was empty in about two minutes flat. Such a morish snack, a tastier but probably an equally naughty version of the Smiths Thins chips - but not as salty of course! It went so well with the wine we chose. Demos tried the Delas Cotes du Ventous 2007 a red wine from Rhone Valley, France ($10/glass) and I wanted to try the Moric Blaufrankish 2007 from Austria ($14/glass) 

I spotted "Truffles" on the Menu again and this time its with the Chicken Terrine with Truffles and Pistachio and Pickles on the side ($13) A small portion, but still enough for two people to share and have a taste. The bread that comes with it is delicious - and looking around I notice that every dish comes with a different type of bread. This particular sourdough compliments the dish, which is packed full of flavour unlike some of the terrines I have tried before. Im glad we ordered this! Good things come in small servings!

Looking over the Menu, I still am a little bit confused as to what cusine this restaurant serves. Wine Library is the little sister of the very popular Buzo Italian restaurant in Woolhara, so there is a strong Italian presence. However, there seem to be a few mediterranean and spanish influences as well. One of the specials this evening was a Lamb Kafta with traditional Tzaziki ($3.50 /each). With Demothenis aka Iron Chef Greek proclaiming that this had to be one of the best Tzaziki dips he has ever tasted we knew we were on to a good thing. 

The night is never complete until the Jamon comes out. Wine Library does a mean Salumi selection - The Embuditos Y Queso ($20) is a selection of cured meats with a cheese. It also comes with a serve of Pan Con Tomate, a crunchy toasted sourdough soaked in tomato, garlic and olive oil. The meats were sliced   tissue paper thin and we received a selection of prosciutto, salami and coppa. Delicious indeed, although I would avoid this place if you are anti carbs because there is so much bread EVERYWHERE! No doubt we'll be back again - most likely this friday. It was a perfect start to an awesome birthday weekend.. and there will be more birthday meals to share. Its wednesday night and I still havent fully recharged (and digested) after the weekend of fun and food! 

Its only mid-week and I find myself counting down to Friday. It feels like a longer than usual week, but at least I have another visit to The Wine Library to look forward to! If you are in the area, feel free to drop me a line - I will love any excuse to run over for a glass of red..or two. 

Hey, don't judge me - i'm still on Birthday mode. 

The Wine Library, 18 Oxford St Woollahra (02) 9382 1600 

Open for Breakfast, Lunch and Late