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when newlyweds return from their hungrymoon, they become Newlyfeds

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What cheese is that?

July 29, 2015 by Hayley Leave a Comment

How to learn to eat, to drink, and to learn — all at the same time

As we arrived at The Australian Hotel, Claudia Bowman, International Cheese Expert and self proclaimed “curd nerd” called the attention of the group waiting outside the Wine Emporium and told us not to eat cheese. This could have been rather confusing, given that we had arrived at the ‘What Cheese is That?’ cheese appreciation class, had she not then explained that some people start eating the cheese before the class starts.

NF_CheeseCourse_1

The Wine Emporium at The Australian Hotel in The Rocks

Sipping on some bubbles we entered the small room, lined with wine racks, and claimed our space atop a plate of eight cheeses, a glass of red, a glass of white and a beer. After a brief and informative introduction to cheese involving sheep stomach and enzymes, and concluding with Claudia singing “the rest is history” we were introduced to the seven types of cheese (see below).

Bubbles!

Bubbles!

Beer option

Beer option 

Now, time to strap yourself in and feel the cheese…

Buffalo Mozzarella – Buffalo Milk, Shaw River VIC

A fresh cheese, originally made for evenly melting when cooked, could not have been more delicately flavoured. A soft milky cheese Claudia recommended not pairing it with any of the beverages and given how mild it was I could see how this was a wise decision. Passionate about the heritage and the designation origin of cheese, Claudia explained that a buffalo mozzarella not from the Campania region of Italy should be referred to and labelled as Fiore di Latte, a rule legally subscribed to by EU and nowhere else.

Starting at 12 O'Clock is the Buffalo Mozzarella, centre is the Pastilla Nash

Starting at 12 O’Clock is the Buffalo Mozzarella, centre is the Pastilla Nash

Meredith Ash Rolled – Goat Milk, Meredith VIC

Being an ash rolled goats cheese, Claudia identified this cheese as “7. Processed”, clarifying that the simple “process” of rolling the cheese in ash is was aligns it so.

Beginning our accompanying experiment with this cheese was such an impressive and insightful selection as it showed so clearly the difference that a wine or beer can make to the cheese you are tasting. When tried on a clean palate this cheese was citrusy, clean and creamy. After the shiraz though it completely lost the citric tang and was a sweet and crazy creamy morsel. The “before wine” citrus taste of this cheese was up there with my faves.

Meredith Ash Rolled Goat's Cheese

Meredith Ash Rolled Goat’s Cheese

Holy Goat Matured Skyla – Goat Milk, Sutton Grange VIC

This ones was the most expensive taste upon our plates. Given that it costs $200 per kilo it wasn’t the best on the plate, saying that it was still very delicious. A salty and bitter taste that paired perfectly with chocolate brownie. After tasting this cheese on its own you would not have thought this would taste so bloody good with chocolate, but it worked! Given the strong bitterness it also paired well with the Pastilla Nash (Fig and walnut log).

Chocolate Brownie to pair with the cheeses

Chocolate Brownie to pair with the cheeses 

McLaren Vale Camembert – Cow Milk, Adelaide Hills SA

The first of two Camemberts this first sampler is an Australian variety. The rind has a distinct chlorine scent but paired with the shiraz it was soft and creamy. Certainly this was one, if not THE best Australian Camembert I have had but the French one…

Rouzaire Camembert French – Cow Milk, Normandy FRA

The French Camembert was unbelievable. From memory this is the first French Camembert I have tasted and to date I would say the best full stop. As someone who loves cauliflower, the smell and nuttiness to the taste was quite exquisite, paired well with a sweet wine. Matured on straw matting, a factor that Claudia mentioned may be difficult with Australian health standards, might just be a winner and frankly I’ll risk it for this cheese.

Pyengana Cheddar – Cow Milk, Pyengana TAS

A cloth-bound cheddar matured for 36 months this cheese was crumbly with a bite. Not intended for cooking, which isn’t going to stop me, this cheese is put through a “cheddaring” process, hence the name. Applying pressure to the curd, cutting it and pressing it again is the reason this cheese crumbles. Despite being the most expensive to make this Tassie cheddar is a thrifty $120 per kilo. Paired with an equally bitey Shiraz or (*shivvers*) whisky.

Testun Al Barolo – Mixed Milk, Piedmont ITA

A processed cheese soaked in a barrel of wine pulp, this was quite an experience. The grape pulp had dried into crispy flakes amongst the semi-hard cheese. With a fruity, pineapple-esque taste it only made sense to pair with the shiraz.

NF_CheeseCourse_16

Testun Al Barolo and Epoisses

Epoisses – Cow Milk, Burgundy FRA

A washed rind cheese this soft, creamy and smelly French cheese was prefaced that it’s “bark is bigger than its bite”. This was certainly the case. Being gifted to us, along with 2 beers, to compensate for the booking error, the cheese stunk up my whole car. Paired with the sweet wine it was not the pungent mouthful as the smell would suggest, it turned out to be quite mild.

A wheel of Epoisses and a couple of beers to wash it down.

Overall

Rating: 9 out of 10

Pros

  • Learnt a buttload and exposed to remarkable new things
  • A great social experience (Would recommend for couples and groups)
  • Claudia’s personal insights, anecdotes and showmanship were marvellously entertaining and educational
  • Very personal and professional when approaching the confusion with our booking

Cons

  • Confusion with our initial booking (which was rectified and shouldn’t happen again with their new booking system)
  • Beverage details not listed on our tasting sheet
  • Left with an insatiable lust for cheese and a gross desire to eat the cheese other patrons had left on their plates
  • Small room which, had the class been totally booked out, would have been rather cosy (saying that it complemented the pungent smell of cheese)

Details

Phone: 0422 728 505
Website: http://mcintoshandbowman.com/
Booking: claudia@mcintoshandbowman.com

Filed Under: Food Adventure, Newlyfeds, Sydney Tagged With: australian hotel, Cheese, cheese course, Claudia Bowman, The Rocks, wine emporium

Righetto Osteria Romana, Haberfield

January 3, 2015 by Hayley Leave a Comment

A Haberfield Italian Experience

There was quite mixed opinions about this restaurant after my family and I dined here for my brother’s birthday. There was some fun, some rudeness but ultimately decent food.

The Meal
Having ordered two platters of Buffalo Mozzarella and Prosciutto we were disappointed to hear they were out of prosciutto and were consoled with platters of Caprese alongside our Suppli. Caprese salad is both mine and Darryn’s favourite salad so it was not hard to impress us. The tomatoes were seasonally ripe and refreshing and the mozzarella soft and milky. What more could you want?

A photo of Caprese Salad from Righetto in Haberfield

Caprese Salad

Being Italian cuisine, and with guests, we opted to ordering our own dishes (not something my family usually does, especially when dining out). I ordered a special, the Lamb Cutlets, which was a good size but really not much more than a plate of lamb. It is obvious they have a good meat supplier but being a little undercooked for my liking the quality was a little lost me. As a side I ordered the salad, which, along with Darryn’s main, took close to an hour to bring out. As it became obvious that our dishes had been forgotten Darryn got the attention of the wait staff to inform them. I wouldn’t say they were “rude”, a fact I am sure Darryn disagrees with, but they were definitely dismissive and unapologetic. Making excuses as opposed to immediately rectifying. When my salad did eventuate it was basic but fresh.

A photo of Lamb Cutlets from Righetto in Haberfield

Lamb Cutlets

My advice would be to stick to complex and traditional Italian dishes, full of tomatoes and basil as this seems to be their strong suit. Pinching a small amount of Darryn’s dish, Polpette, soon escalated as I began moving much of the herby, tasty plate of three large pork and beef meatballs onto my plate and mopping up the rich tomato sauce with my remaining bread. I would argue that this meal redeemed any frustration from the service. This was forgiveness was only reinforced by the next course. 

A photo of Polpette meatballs from Righetto in Haberfield

Polpette

Dessert was perfect. Taking advantage of the abundance of berries this season the dessert special was a berrylicious version of the traditional Tiramisu. Layered with Savoiardi biscuits, raspberries (similar to the Summer Berry Tiramisu) and a marscopne cream. The raspberries we summery, sweet but hung onto a delightful tang and served as a “sour” relief from the sweet cream, a relief from the sweet.

A photo of Berry Tiramisu from Righetto in Haberfield

Berry Tiramisu

The Atmosphere
We came to Righetto for my brother’s 17th birthday and for this celebratory purpose it was very fun. Staff members would come out of the kitchen throughout the evening singing, dancing and smashing pots and pans together to Italian tunes. This, in addition to the special treatment my brother received as the birthday boy made the night very memorable. It did however make conversation borderline impossible. I have, what Darryn describes as “dog hearing” and was seated in the middle of the table perhaps assisting my positive outlook of the evening. Darryn was very frustrated. He was essentially excluded from any table conversation for the evening.

A photo of restaurant decor from Righetto in Haberfield

Restaurant decor

 

A photo of restaurant decor from Righetto in Haberfield

More fun restaurant decor

 

A photo of dancing and singing at Righetto in Haberfield

Dancing and singing

 

A photo of masked musician from Righetto in Haberfield

Masked musician

This restaurant was quite a battle to consider. Really great aspects seemed to be closely followed by disappointing negatives.

Overall
Rating: 6 out of 10

Pros:
Made the birthday boy feel very special
Gave us a couple of rounds of free limoncello shots
Dessert!

Cons:
Music was too loud (especially for Darryn)
They forgot a couple of dishes and were not apologetic

Details
Address: 103 Ramsay Street, HABERFIELD NSW 2045
Phone: (02) 9799 5500
Website: http://www.righetto.com.au/
Booking: bookings@righetto.com.au or dimmi

Filed Under: Italian, Newlyfeds, Restaurant Review, Sydney

Il Goloso, Haberfield

December 20, 2014 by Hayley 1 Comment

Arguably the best pizza sauce in Sydney

Everyone knows when people help you move house you must repay them with pizza and, if age-appropriate, a case of beer. Well, when my family helped Darryn and I move into our current apartment in Ashfield, we were required to fulfil our pizza and beer promise. This is when we first called Il Goloso in Haberfield. Since then we have rarely strayed and, when we have, it was to our disappointment.

The Meal
It is only recently that we have started ordering the Insalata Caprese. It is Darryn’s and my favourite salad and what is not to like, it is one third buffalo mozzarella! The Caprese from Il Goloso is not the best we have had, for a couple of reasons. The first being that there is never EVER enough basil. We are lucky if there is three leaves in a serving. The tomatoes are generally not fully ripe. This last time we ordered we were sure they would be red and juicy, as this season has been a good one for tomatoes, alas they were not. However, credit must be given to the mild and soft buffalo mozzarella and the fruity olive oil used, which is delicate and not too sharp for the mozzarella. The bed of rocket is a nice touch too.

A photo of Insalata Caprese or Caprese Salad from Il Goloso Haberfield

Insalata Caprese

The Bruschetta Pizza is a recent addition to our regular order. While it can be quite salty and oily, the toppings of fresh tomato and basil cuts right through this. The base in this pizza is exquisite! A wood fire, crispy and bubbly base with small patches of burnt bits and a crunchy crust.

A photo of Bruschetta Pizza from Il Goloso in Haberfield

Bruschetta Pizza

The Gustosa pizza is a new one for us this time around. Each time we try to order something new. Similarly to the Bruschetta Pizza the base of the Gustosa is bubbly with the burnt tips, however not as crispy. The tomato sauce on Il Goloso rosse pizzas is divine. You can taste the ingredients; garlic, tomatoes, herbs. It is not a sauce of acidic tomato paste masked with a bit of sweetness. The toppings on the Gustosa, mushrooms, salami, bocconcini, basil and the topping that made it; onion! Lots and lots of soft caramelised onion.

A photo of Gustosa a pizza from Il Goloso in Haberfield

Gustosa

Diavola; this one is old faithful and my favourite on the Il Goloso menu. To be honest it is a glorified pepperoni pizza. Topped with bocconcini, salami and chilli oil this is the only remotely spicy dish on the menu, but my gosh is it good. The salami when hit by the heat of the wood fire start to crisp on top of the pizza and release their own oils to combine with the chilli oil. I find that this one above all others lets you really enjoy the pleasure that is Goloso’s sauce. Perhaps with limited toppings (in terms of variety not serving size) the tomato sauce is encouraged and not overwhelmed.

A photo of Diavola a pizza from Il Goloso in Haberfield

Diavola

Overall
Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Pros:
Best pizza sauce
Really quick delivery
Generous with servings and toppings (especially the buffalo mozzarella)

Cons:
Too close and easy for health reason
Not enough basil in the caprese

Details
Address: 60 Dalhousie Street, HABERFIELD, NSW 2045
Phone: (02) 9716 4344
Website: http://www.goloso.com.au/
Booking: info@goloso.com.au or dimmi

Filed Under: Italian, Newlyfeds, Restaurant Review, Sydney

The Colonial, Darlinghurst – British Indian Cuisine

December 17, 2014 by Hayley Leave a Comment

A great Indian dining experience

It was a surprise to see the restaurant was quite empty, especially for 8pm on a Saturday night. We had made a reservation as we were celebrating our 3 month anniversary and didn’t want to miss out, this was not at all necessary.

As we tend to do, Darryn and I significantly over-ordered. We always forget the rather large size of Indian servings, however this meant that we had more dishes to taste. It also meant we had leftovers to take away, a fact that greatly excited hungry Darryn the next morning.

A photo of the Drink menu of The Colonial British Indian Cuisine in Darlinghurst

Darlinghurst British Indian Cuisine

Cocktails
These were quite a disappointment, I will give props for the effort gone into designing cocktails that were interesting and with an Indian flavour, but it just didn’t work.

I have been to The Colonial before, for my hens party (if you must ask), and was completely delighted by the Tamarind Martini. It was dry, tangy and the woman serving me was so proud of her addition of Blue Curacao to the bottom of that cocktail that it was very difficult not to enjoy the whole experience.

A photo of two indian style cocktails from The Colonial British Indian Cuisine in Darlinghurst

Corrito and Vodka Shikanjvi

After attempting to order the Tamarind Martini again, only to hear that they were out of tamarind (at an INDIAN RESTAURANT!) Darryn and I ordered the Corrito and Vodka Shikanjvi. Both sounded promising, the Corrito boasting Bacardi Rum, muddled lime, coriander leaves, Indian spices and Tobasco with ice and Coke. This was the barely drinkable of the two. Those who know Darryn and myself know that we can handle our chilli, a fact we will address a little later, however this drink had the burn of drinking a six-pack of Matso’s Chilli Beer to yourself. I said to Darryn at the time that it was “like drinking a winter cold”. The one redeeming feature was the limey mojitoeque  taste that followed.

The Vodka Shikanjvi, with Absolut Vodka, lime, mint, and Indian spices, was something we were not willing to drink any more than a couple of sips of and this was only to try and identify why it tasted so familiar. This drink was sweet and salty, really salty. Darryn likened it to Indian chips in a drink, a taste that he dislikes. I, on the other hand, found it reminiscent of Ayran, a salted yoghurt drink from Turkey, or a very salty salted lassi. Unable to finish the staff were kind enough to remove the cost of this cocktail from our bill.

Giving up on cocktails, we were relieved when our Kingfishers arrived; from here it was all positive.

A photo of two bottles of Kingfisher beer from The Colonial British Indian cuisine in Darlinghurst

Kingfisher – Indian Beer

The Meal
The food was amazing, each dish had its own flavour, there were levels to each of them and they tasted like the fresh herbs and spices used to make them. A real delight in Indian cuisine.

We will start with Garlic Naan and Pulao Rice, get these out of the way and onto the really tasty stuff. The naan was a little disappointing, given last time it was so hot and fresh, it seemed pretty cold and not as toasty. That being said, it worked to our favour as it meant we could leave room for our mains. The rice was a great base to the strong flavours that we drenched it with; a great long grain and nicely separated. Next time we will have to try the Pea Pulao, an alternative rice base, chock full of green peas. But enough about these…

A photo of garlic naan at The Colonial British Indian Cuisine in Darlinghurst restaurant

Garlic Naan ($3.50)

As we ordered, the waitress asked if we wanted our dishes mild, medium, or hot and (as we always do) we asked for hot. There was a small gasp and eye-widening from our waitress as she double checked our request, before suggesting we order some raita for the side. This led us to believe that perhaps ordering hot was a mistake, but we stuck with it as often people underestimate our “chilli bone” as Darryn calls it. As we ate our meals, not bothered by chilli, we pondered whether our request for hot had been ignored, for our own good, or whether we are just powerful and were underestimated.

A photo of Goan Fish Curry from The Colonial British Indian Cuisine in Darlinghurst

Goan Fish Curry ($19.90)

Goan Fish Curry is a dish that Darryn cooks at home, and while this was not as good as hubby’s, it was quite wonderful. The fish did not have a very fishy taste and separated nicely to be coated in the marvellous gravy. Not as coconutty as I have had elsewhere but the subtlety of the fish lent itself to a less intense gravy.

A photo of Kandhari Gobi, a cauliflower curry from The Colonial Bristish Indian Cuisine in Darlinghurst

Kandhari Gobi ($12.90)

Kandhari Gobi was our attempt to steer away from Aloo Gobi (one of my faves) and try something at least a little different. It turned out to be quite close in taste to Aloo Gobi just without potato. Perhaps cauliflower serves as some great equaliser in Indian cuisine. Regardless, this was a great dish. Not very much gravy in this one, enough to coat the cauliflower and pick up a little rice.

A photo of Pumpkin Masala from The Colonial, a British Indian Restaurant in Darlinghurst

Pumpkin Masala ($14.90)

Pumpkin Masala was spectacular. The pumpkin was caramelised on the outside giving the dish a delightful sweetness. This dish turned out to be the hottest of the four, not by any means overwhelming, still allowing the pumpkin flavour to command each mouthful. Darryn thought this was the best dish cold the next morning.

A photo of Kochi Prawn indian dish from The Colonial in Darlinghurst

Kochi Prawn ($19.90)

Kochi Prawn was my absolute favourite and that is saying a lot given how much I enjoyed the other mains. The prawns were huge and tasty, really tasty! The gravy was coconutty and sprinkled with curry leaf and mustard seed tarka that not only lingered in our mouth but got stuck in our teeth, which turned out to be quite enjoyable.

A photo of the restaurant interior and bar at The Colonial British Indian Cuisine in Darlinghurst

Darlinghurst Restaurant

 

Overall
Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Pros:
The quality and freshness of the food
Meals and drinks were served quickly but not in a pushy manner
Clean and comfortable atmosphere with lovely wait staff

Cons:
Music was a little too loud (it was turned down later in the evening)
The garlic naan was a little cold
Cocktails not up our alley

 

Details
Address: 118 Crown Street DARLINGHURST NSW 2010
Phone: (02) 8084 6700
Website: http://www.thecolonialrestaurant.com.au/
Booking: bookings@thecolonialrestaurant.com.au

Filed Under: Indian, Restaurant Review, Sydney

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