I do love a good Italian cabbage salad - more refined than a coleslaw and more punchy than your diet-friendly green salad; when laid on top of a thin bed of San Daniele prosciutto and mixed with reggiano, it definitely gives an instant wow factor (and cholesterol) to the start of your meal.

I prefer to use savoy cabbage, as it is more flavourful and with a firmer, crunchy texture perfect for fine cuts. I must admit, as much as I would like to improve my knife work, using a mandolin to shread cabbage makes it so much more consistent and quicker to prepare.

Half Savoy cabbage
90% EVO 10% lemon olive oil
black pepper to season
40ml balsamic glaze
300g reggiano parmesean
10 slices prosciutto San Daniele

Combine all ingredients except prosciutto in a mixing bowl, toss evenly. Lay prosciutto on a serving dish and cover with cabbage salad. Serve immediately.

I was very fortunate to attend this year’s Iron Chef dinner, after missing out the previous two events (the last one I went to was in 2005?). The evening was beautifully organised, as per usual, with live screens that cross over to the action in the kitchen, with Tomo, the presenter who translated and spoke with the Chefs throughout the night, so that we were all ‘part of the action’. Two lucky diners got to enter the kitchen and learn how to prepare dishes from Chef Sakai and Chef Chen. To be honest, since it was the last night of a three night affair, I’m quite sure all the chefs were drunk and really just enjoying themselves!

The highlight of the night for me would’ve been the shark’s fin, which Chef Kenichi brought with him from Japan to serve on our plates along with a boneless braised chicken wing. It was a different style to the chinese soup that I am used to, and it was one full piece of baby fin, rather than slivers of “noodles”. The flavours were robust against the delicate textures. His tan-tan noodles however, was a little disappointing if you had ever eaten a proper one in China – still very very good, but probably not something I would serve at the end of an eight course degustation.

I also quite liked the Madiera paired with Chef Sakai’s dumplings (apparently the lamb takes two days to prepare) - it’s a little different but it works well. His steamed snapper wrapped in cabbage was very pleasant but lacked the complexity from the amount of different flavours he used.

Galileo’s new executive chef Yomada did a beautifully presented crab meat with avocado, very similar to a dish I once loved at the now closed restaurant Ampersand. The tarte tatin as the dessert had a great combination of textures (the crispness of the pastry, the caramelized mint ’shell’, pached fruits, ice cream), but again – nothing mindblowing.

Perhaps I’m being too critical, but at $595 a head, I would rather dine at Per Se again. However, the quality of all the ingredients used, and the professionalism(especially back of house) was commendable.

Welcome Cocktail
Guavatini

Canapes



(the egg is sliced off with a very sharp knife!)
1996 Duval-Leroy Brut, Vertus, Champagne, France

Seasonal Crab Meat With Avocado, Tomato Coulis
By Galileo’s Chef Yomoda

2007 Franz Kunstler ‘Estate’ Riesling, Rheingau, Germany

Consomme Of Lamb & Chinese Dumplings
By French Iron Chef Sakai

10 Year Old Madeira, Henriques & Henriques, Madeira, Portugal

Steamed Snapper And Lentil Puree, Shellfish Butter Sauce
By French Iron Chef Sakai

2006 Howard Park Chardonnay, Great Southern, Western Australia

Mouka Shark’s Fin With Soya Sauce Gravy
By Chinese Iron Chef Chen

2007 Kiltynane Estate ‘Prellminaire’ Blanc De Noir, Yarra Valley, Victoria

Roasted Tajima Wagyu Beef Ala Blancharu
By Chef Haru (sorry I started eating it before I took a photo! Marble score 9+)

2006 Aimsfield Pinot Noir, Central Otago, South Island, New Zealand

Szechwan Tan Tan Noodles
By Chinese Iron Chef Chen

‘Mystery Wine’

Apple Tarte Tatin With Mango Sauce
By Galileo’s Chef Yomoda

2006 Nigl Gruner Veltliner Eiswein, Kamptal, Austria

The tables next to us: Tony Bilson, Tetsuya Wakuda

Kenichi and I
Photo source: Visual Eyes

Good service should be rewarded – I must admit, I was acting like a spoilt princess when I found out that the ‘outdoor table for 9′ that I booked ended up set by the entrance to the restaurant. The server saw the disappointment in my face and with his own initiative, ended up re-setting the outdoor area for us. I am a true believer that the service before the meal is crucial to the customer experience and it really depends on that first impression. You could have mind-blowing food, but if someone isn’t happy to begin with, they most probably will not enjoy the rest of the meal. This was probably something that was recognised right away and corrected. I wish more mid-ranged restaurants in Sydney would do this!

The food was beautiful, and we were amongst heaters on a crisp, cool Saturday afternoon in the courtyard of a Victorian terrace house with sandstone walls. Both the chef and the waiter were attentive to our needs (even though it was a quiet day, there were only two other tables in the restaurant that day), the food was delicate and the flavours were rich – just the way the French like it. I had no qualms with my 33% tip, well deserved – albeit a little painful for the wallet. I guess I felt bad for being difficult.

The wine list had my new favorite white for the moment - Vouvray (Chenin Blanc) from the Loire Valley alongside other French wines. Divine.

Escargots a la Bourguignonne $14
Snails with garlic butter and puff pastry

Souffle d’ecrevisses au gruyere $22
Twice baked Moreton bay bug & gruyere souffle

Salade au chevre chaud $15
Spinach salad with pears and warm goat’s cheese

Duck Rilette (special of the day)

Soupe du jour $14
Celeriac and Salsify soup with parsley toast

Saint-Jacques et crevettes a l’ail $35
Grilled scallops wrapped in prosciutto & garlic prawns (I thought of PetiteTokyo when I ordered this!)

Faux Fillet $29
Angus sirloin with bearnaise sauce & fries

Supreme de canard et son choux farci au porto $35
Pan-fried duck breast & stuffed cabbage with a port sauce

Plat Du Jour
Veal shank and lamb pie

Puree de pommes de terre $8

Creme brulee $14
Vanilla creme brulee

Profiteroles au chocolat $15
Chocolate profiteroles with vanilla ice cream

Tarte tatin $15
Apple tatin with ice cream

Delicioux!

The complimentary focaccia is pulled from a copper pan and sliced as you sit down. It’s accompanied by a terracotta saucer filled with chilli-infused olive oil. Such small details give A Tavola (meaning “to the table”) its warmth.

The small printed menu is short – two olive spuntini (snacks), three entrees, three pasta, three salads. It’s supplemented by a daily blackboard, mostly inspired by the pasta made that morning, although it may also include impossibly tender pork fillet ($38) fanned over caramelised fennel wedges with agrodolce (sweet and sharp) braised red cabbage and a generous dollop of superb salsa verde. If you’re lucky, the blackboard might begin with calamari fritti ($19) to rival Fratelli Paradiso’s legendary Sant’Andrea version. This bowl of lightly dusted squid is crisp yet supple, salty yet sweet, with nothing more than roasted garlic aioli and a lemon slice to squeeze over the tiny rings. (source)

The chef makes three fresh pasta daily but also uses a trio of dried Italian pasta for some dishes. From our table we can see the freshly made papparadelle hanging on a wooden rod across the front of the kitchen, waiting to be cooked.

The waitress explains to me that the risotto of the day is hand made fresh daily, and takes over 25 minutes of constant stirring over heat before it is served. Serving two (even though the three of us still could not finish it) it has a rich, aromatic sauce of different slippery wild mushrooms which compliments the al dente texture of the risotto. Topped with Saltimbocca – which is a pancetta wrapped pork cooked in butter, is so tender it melts in the mouth. Highly recommended, though I was told that you have to be very lucky to see it appear on the blackboard.

I think this one is a winner – we were too full to sample the desserts, but there is definitely more opportunities to come. HIGHLY recommended!

348 Victoria St, Darlinghurst, NSW (02) 9331 7871, www.atavola.com.au Dinner Mon-Sat, lunch Fri. Licensed and BYO.

Dammit I can’t believe I’ll be working on Saturday and cannot attend:

Ultimo Wine Centre Annual Champagne Tasting 2007

 

Always the best Champagne tasting in Sydney!

 

Saturday 1st December – 12 midday until 5pm

Billecart-Salmon, Taittinger, Bollinger, Laurent Perrier, Devaux, Delamotte, Gosset, Louis Roederer, Brice, Phillipponet & more…

Tags: A tavola, cabbage, carpaccio, Champagne, dessert, dinner, italian, mushroom, NSW, pasta, salad, salmon, snacks, sydney
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It’s just another evening where I am once again, feeling a little under the weather with a very sore throat. My version of Borsch is reminiscent of my childhood days in Hong Kong, where a tomato based soup is more commonly used instead of beets. The bone & marrow of the ossobuco gives it that extra earty?flavour – alongside young vegetables, it is especially sweet.

Ingredients:

Half baby savoy cabbage, finely chopped

10 x organic baby carrots, finely diced

Half a brown onion, finely diced

One clove garlic, halved in centre

One cob of sweet corn

One organic zucchini, finely diced

Ossobuco(2 pieces – around 500g)

350ml organic tomato puree

350ml beef stock

500ml water

1.     Cover the ossobuco with water in a large pot and bring to the boil

2.     After one or two minutes of boiling, discard the liquid (clears broth of impurities)

3.     Add beef stock and water into the pot again, on medium heat, add all vegetable ingredients

4.     Gently stir in tomato puree

5.     Simmer for around two hours

6.     Add salt, pepper and chilli oil to taste

I removed the corn, and diced the beef before serving. And the bone marrow is to die for! Time for bed…

I ordered on Sunday, still in bed with my hair frazzled, and it was delivered fresh to my door on Monday night afterwork. They even gave me a free loaf of Sonoma olive sourdough. And the delivery charge was free!

The Dutch Cream potatoes were freshly plucked from the soil that morning – it took so long to scrub, but I’m sure it will be well worth the effort. I also bought Red cabbage, Daikon, Bok Choy, organic soy sauce, eggs and dark chocolate. For meats I bought some pork ribs, breakfast sausages, and osso buco. They were sold out of the White perch fillets that day (which would’ve been awesome in my congee). I also bought a jar of organic tomato paste, which looks very homemade in a glass jar, so I can use that in a pasta whenever I’m feeling lazy.

So a plug for a father-son (Pete & Geoff?) owned small business: great service, friendly and freshness guarenteed.

Doorstep Organics: www.doorstep.com.au delivers Sydney-wide. Big props from me, and I don’t even know them personally!

While I love the frozen variety from Asian supermarkets, I just never know the quality of meat they use, or the amount of MSG in their fillings… so it seems like an unhealthy snack. Making your own and freezing them will last for months, and saves so much money in the process!

Again… I didn’t really follow a recipe, but here’s what I remember:

300g minced pork (lean – if you prefer)

Use a teaspoon full of the mixture and lay a small pile into the centre of the dumpling wrap.

or:

Voila! A healthy, quick snack… store in the freezer for up to 3 months! Mine? Well someone (very well deserved, albeit a bit of a corny salesman) finished off the batch. And just an official thank you to you both (co-owners of my couch)… I owe you two so much, for everything you’ve helped out during this stage in my life.