It’s hard to find anything in Japan that isn’t efficient and calculated. The trains run on time, the people word hard and the toilets do things to you that you never thought possible. Yes, it can said that Japan is a wondrous place and when it comes to food, Japan is world leader in cuisine that makes you say, ‘My God, I can’t believe that’s not cooked’.

So when I was asked to go along to the recent Sake Masterclass in Sydney’s Ocean Room restaurant, featuring a six course degustation designed by Chef Raita Noda, I ready for some quality of the seas. However, when I discovered that each dish would have matching Sake, designed by Premier Sake Master Toshi Maeda, I knew that I was in for something else.

Upon arrival at the quaint harbour side location of Sydney’s famed Ocean Room restaurant, we were treated to an appetiser of fresh Rock Oysters with lemon and sake in elegant bamboo cups.

Under the instruction of our Sake MC, we were told to taste our servings of salmon caviar, smoked cod and white anchovies and notice the differences in taste when drinking white wine or sake. I didn’t expect that I would find the sake fit the meal like a glass slipper. The white wine was abrasive and out of place and highlighted the calculated nature of the sake addition. The roles that both the dish and the sake played, in this case were of equal importance.

Next up, we were treated to glowing Sake Jelly King Crab served sous-vide with cured white turnips with sake and sour plum jelly. Once again, guests were treated to excellently accompanying sake, the gold medal award winning Eikun Ichigin Junmai Daiginjo from Kyoto, a smooth and textured match.

The following course, named ‘East meets West’, was an indulgent selection of Flash sakura smoked ocean trout with houji-tea with ocean trout pearls vinaigrette, lightly poached “arai” Crystal Bay prawn sashimi with green chilli and shiso salsa, fresh cuttle fish and Tasmanian Sea urchin ravioli with coriander infused oil.

This was an incredibly well presented dish featuring sealed test tubes of vinaigrette for the smoked ocean trout that sat encased in glass until the very last moment, a cute wisp of smoke rising once the dish was released.

As a fiend for prawns, I found the Crystal Bay prawn a real treat.

Our next treat arrived and was revealed as the Blue fin tuna sashimi that had been prepared in five unique ways, once again with matching Sake to compliment.

The fives styles were:

1. Seared akami with foie gras, ponzu jelly and momiji radish
2. Seared toro with shiso julienne, sesame and lime juice
3. Zuke akami with dry natto, negi miso and leek julienne
4. Oil blanched toro with fresh wasabi, soy and kombu
5. Marinated chutoro with truffle, caviar and spicy daikon.

I don’t know how you feel about Tuna, but to put it simply, I’m a fan. So when this elegantly displayed tray rolled out with five different selections, I compare the feeling I had to what a puppy must feel every moment of the day. Ecstatic does not say enough, but will have to do.

Picking a favourite is difficult in this situation, but I think I would have to say that the Seared toro with shiso julienne, sesame and lime juice was a stand out. There was no schism between taste and presentation. Both were top drawer and my compliments to the chef.

Soon after, there arrived a true surprise. A frozen sake shot with Umeshu plum wine and yuzu zest as a refresher. This was a welcome arrival as, not only was it a delicious iced treat, but it was also like a reset button for my tastebuds. If vodka has the jelly shooter, then the sake equivalent was defined that night with the frozen sake shot. In fact, I want another one and I want it now!

My last meal of the night was the Sansho pepper roasted aged Angus beef with ginjyo scented jus and flame seared Roquefort cheese. While this was probably the least interesting dish of the evening, though I am comparing it to the life changing seafood delicacies that preceded it, which is tough to beat with any closing dish.

As a man, I will never turn down a steak and the addition of Roquefort cheese was smooth match. What was most intriguing was that this was the first steak I’ve ever eaten with sake. While I would normally never place the two together, I found that once again the sake was perfectly matched and functioned to enhance the flavour of the meat.

It was at this time that I thanked my fellow guests for the enjoyable conversation, donned my suit jacket and set off into the night on my journey home (my head somewhat cloudy thanks to all the sake). It had been quite the evening and I think it’s safe to say that everyone in attendance had a renewed appreciation for that subtle, and often misunderstood drink known as sake.

Domo Arigato.

- Nicolas Mesker

We are by no means dissing the larger clubs out there, but it is nice to know you can have the same quality (if not better) of cocktails and food without adhering to guest-lists, dress codes, and that huge bouncer who knows your name… for all those nights when we are too tired to be fabulous

Little smitten – small bars winning women over

BY RACHEL OLDING

Raising jars to small bars … Amanda Ibrahim, 28, and Megan Khoury, 31, enjoy a drink after work at the Grasshopper Bar on Temperance Lane in the Sydney CBD.Photo: Kate Geraghty

Tired of being hassled by drunk men, women are ditching pubs and nightclubs for small bars.

For Megan Khoury, 31, the new small bars feel safer and are more civilised.

”Guys can’t get away with just swaggering up to you and making some bad call,” she said. ”I choose the small, funky, intimate bars to have that personalised experience with the staff, and to feel comfortable.”

Her co-worker Amanda Ibrahim, 28, said the friendly vibe was important: ”Larger places like the Ivy are not as casual and they’re almost a bit sleazy. In the small bar environment, it’s really just about the company you’re with and having nice drinks and food without pretentiousness.”

Their favourite bars are Sticky Bar, Balcony Bar and the quirky Grasshopper Bar where drinks are served in recycled jars.

Click here to continue reading on SMH.com.au

Hidden in an alleyway so mysterious even a search on Google maps won’t help you, Grasshopper is a little haven in the centre of the Sydney CBD joining the small bar trend. You can find it in Temperance Lane, just off George street, in between RM Williams and Oakley shopfronts and not too far from the giant Apple store.

Grasshopper was no accidental concoction, created by Marty, Bel and Toubs – the same masterminds behind establishments such as The Lincoln, A Tavola, and more recently the 7metre pop up bar, they too are supporting Sydney’s laneway projects and adding that touch of ghetto chic culture into our otherwise commercially dull metropolitan. You’ll find the entrance when you see the splay of green grass across the top of the door like a putt putt golf course. A casual restaurant upstairs, a dark cosy cocktail bar downstairs led by one of Sydney’s finest drink fixer John Toubia.

We headed to Grasshopper for a casual Friday work lunch. The menu is simple (entree, mains, salads and sides – all 3 items each) and great combination of hearty and healthy options.

A bottle of Pinot Grigio arrives and we start with the pork and parsley terrine as a shared entree. It was rusticly textured, with shredded and chunky pork meat well supported by its flavourful jelly and served with minced gerkins and parsley aioli. Generous slices of freshly grilled sourdough with olive oil makes this a pleasure to share.

For mains, I personally craved for the steak au poivre (the aroma of it was the first thing that hits you when you walk down Temperance Lane) but decided on the more waistline friendly quinoa salad. The salads are availabe in both entree and main sizes, the main served with grilled chicken, drizzled with a deliciously delicate pesto.

The ‘Prawn cocktail’ (also under the salad section) chosen by Megan was freshly delightful and great value, a more modern twist of a prawn cocktail that the usual cocktail sauce and avocado in a glass with prawn tails hanging off the edge. It is wholesomely deconstructed to a dish freshly grilled king prawns, butter lettuce, avocado puree and salsa which would shine even more with a stronger citrus note.

The lamb was just magnificent! A lamb trio of the chop, the rump and a third part that I did not have a bite of, it was thoroughly enjoyed by Henny with plenty of “would you like some potatoes with that butter and cream” mash. The meat falls apart and melts wonderfully with the mash, accompanied with green peas and a dark gravy of its natural juices.

We had our hearts set on the selection of cheeses and a chocolate pistachio tart for dessert, but the best comes to those who wait. We’ll be back in the evening next time! And we’re looking forward to try Johnny’s cocktails (all of them).

Grasshopper
Temperance Lane, Sydney NSW 2000
Tel: (02) 9947 9025
Open 12pm – 1am Monday to Fridays (Saturday available for functions)

We started off with some Fat Duck-esque ‘Rice crackers’ where the flavour is spritzed with a sea salt and vinegar atomiser, almost like a deep fried quilted tissue.

The Rangers Valley sirloin roll on toast and wasabi crumbs also makes a great accompaniment for your pre-drinks, just like beef tataki in bite sized pieces

The freshly shucked rock oystrers with lemon ice and soy dressing was ever so refreshing, the lemon ice like a fine powdered snow atop a creamy oyster.

Martinovic’s play on Asian flavours in the roast Red Gate farmed quail with chilli, coriander and roast pineapple creates a tongue in cheek joke about naff Asian takeaway food. His use of humour in his menu and invoking your memories and nostalgia must be something he’s picked up from Heston, but Martinov shows you that you don’t have to do it with a giant conch and an iPod to get the point across.

The sweetness from the grilled QLD king prawn celery perfectly balanced with the tartness of the apple dressing  with avocado.

this is one of my personal favorites: The poached Comboyne hen’s egg is apparently cooked in a waterbath for 70 minutes at 62 degrees until it reaches a texture like panna cotta, served with mustard, grilled king brown mushrooms and paper thin “toast”. Incredible!

The roast tinder creek duck breast was cooked pink to perfection, served with olive oil sponge, baby beetroots, sliced and perfect for sharing. I could’ve sworn he’s borrowed the sponge cake recipe from Ferran, where the batter is siphoned with nitrous oxide into a plastic cup and microwaved! (but correct me if I’m wrong)

The O’Connor scotch fillet with grilled mango, chives and bone marrow was also a winner and equally great for sharing, but I suggest you claim dibs and bagsies on the bone marrow!

The egg pappardelle was presented beautifully with Jannei goat’s curd, broccolini and anchovy, but it was over shadowed by the showmanship of the other dishes on offer. There is also no vegetarian options available on the menu, unless this was ordered sans anchovy.

Let’s move on to our crinkle cut chips! These were triple cooked to achieve the perfect crunch on the outside and the soft steaming potato inside. It was truly like eating mash wrapped inside potato crisps. As you can see we’ve ordered way too much for ourselves, and even when the table was being cleared, I held onto the bowl of chips with separation anxiety.

Yes. However full we were, we make sure every last piece was stomached.

This leaves room for only one dessert on the menu:

The vanilla cheesecake topped with cheese jelly, mulberry sorbet was a fun way to finish the meal. The cheesecake was whipped into the lightest of textures, with the shortbread crumbs smashed against the airy cloud as you chew with the “cheese jelly” cubes. We felt like a kid eating candy for the first time.

We also saw the fig carpaccio on the dessert menu, which used to be one of my favorite desserts at Koi. I was wondering where it had gone when I visited Koi again recently – well now we’ve found it again, it left with the chef.

Kitchen hard at work

There’s no reason why nouveau scientific cooking has to be served in a posh restaurant with white tablecloths and a 1 month waiting list. Martinovic brings the “perfect food” right down to an accessible casual setting, which is what I enjoyed most about my dinner. His spontaneous approach to cooking and importance to have a great time creating his dishes really shine through. Never stop having fun, I say!

Michel Roux Snr

Michel and Albert have trained over 800 young chefs (many of whom are now world famous) with the Roux Scholarship, which is considered the ultimate British competition for chefs.

With both Michel and Albert’s sons taking over their respective restaurants, Michel is now a celebrated published author, teaching the art of cooking to amateur home cooks through his collection of how-to books that are easy to understand, and known to be a bible of homemade sauces and pastry.

Roux is known for staging sauces as the main star of the dish instead of a garnish, and his use of pastry, both savoury and sweet is just delightful.

His degustation menu at Altitude was classical French and our tastebuds were instantly transformed back to a time where rich buttered sauces, mouseelines and layers of sweetness mingled with traditional French culinary rules.

Well, without further ado… may I let the photos speak for themselves:

Chilled avocado soup, served with a sea trout tartar and yellow peach, garnished with a Charolais soft cheese crouton

Flaked mud crab with melon and fresh almonds served with marinated prawns

Poached egg in a pastry case with asparagus tips and a mousseline sauce

Pan fried scallops served on a bed of lime scented carrot mousseline and satay sauce

Poached fillet of sole filled with lobster mousse

Roasted loin of lamb stuffed with aubergine confit and grilled pine kernels “gateau” of moussaka and a light saffron flavoured jus

Roasted Thirlmere duck with a lemon thyme jus, potato and garlic mousseline

Refreshing lemon dessert on a crisp biscuit base, sweet basil sorbet

The one thing that stands out most from this menu was Michel’s use of pastry. It was made to pure perfection – buttery, flakey, light as air, and a textural highlight. This was most evident in the pastry case with poached egg and clearly our table’s favorite dish of the night.

It was a truly enjoyable experience, though it was a shame that dinner took well over 5 hours. Even Mr. Tony Bilson himself on the table next to us received no faster service. Mr Roux did find time to come by for a moment of friendly chit chat, like the French grandfather we never had, his eyes twinkling with kindness.

The one thing I do admire most is how both him and his brother were able to pass their knowledge and empire for their sons to take over with great success. Who wouldn’t want to learn from a master such as Michel Roux?

When my friend Adam Lane (ex Ivy Teppanyaki / Nobu London) told me about the new venture “Love Lunch” he’s involved in, I was immediately warmed to the idea. Love Lunch specializes in organic, low fat, dairy, gluten and meat free meals that are delivered to your door step.

Does this mean I can have my cake, and eat it too? (The cake being gluten free, of course!)

Little did I know, “Adam’s friend Annalise” was actually the famous model/actress, Annalise Braakensiek. Over 10 years ago when I used to sell gourmet olive oils and expensive French truffles at Olivier’s & Co, I used to admire her amazing figure (evident from a healthy organic diet?) when she frequents the neighbouring salon upstairs to have her long blonde locks styled.

Annalise grew up on a biodynamic farm where access to fresh organic produce was so easy, she began cooking at a very early age. With support from her uni friend Bill Granger, she has decided to launch Love Lunch as a proper business venture.

At this early stage, it is only available on a weekly basis. An email is sent out by Annalise every Thursday with her weekly dish, and I place my order by Friday. She then shops accordingly, personally selecting delicious premium organic seasonal produce, and cooks up lovely meals, ready for Tuesday deliveries.

Last week’s love lunch was:

Low fat Malaysian mixed veggie and tofu curry- LOW FAT!!! Yes, I use organic malt free soy and rice milk instead of coconut cream, no oil, and no animal fats…just seasonal organic veggies and non GMO tofu, traditional Malaysian spices, fresh ginger, lemongrass and kaffir lime from our garden, and of course, always my main ingredient: lots of LOVE!

Served on a bed of steamed jasmine rice, sprinkled with fresh coriander and a wedge of lemon or lime (I’ll see whichever is better at the organic markets on Saturday) to squeeze over just before devouring.

I ordered 5 to be delivered (fresh!) to my office and my creative colleagues prepared some papadums (cooked with the microwave, burnt a few and also set off the smoke alarms, oops), sliced cucumbers and yogurt dip.

The feedback was all positive! I never knew curry tasted so good made with soy & rice milk – the flavours were rich and the spices were fragrantly balanced. The chilli had a good kick and my colleague loved the fresh herbs on top.

All the packaging is environmentally friendly too!

To read more about Love Lunch visit: http://www.lovelunch.com.au

[edit]

This was one of our favorites from November 2009:

Quinoa and roast vegetable salad – of 100% certified organic quinoa. A gluten free, cholesterol free, high in both calcium and protein ancient grain from the Andes, (for those of you not familiar with it, its similar to cous cous) and certified organic roast pumpkin and seasonal veggies, baby spinach, rocket, Rosnay organic kalamata olives, and my home made dressing of Rosnay organic olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Maldon salt and cracked pepper, fresh herbs from our garden and of course, always my main ingredient, lots of LOVE! (This is a vegan dish.)

We started off with some spuntini (snacks) – a warm bowl of marinated olives and my absolute favorite cheese from the formaggi selection. The stracchino was served with honey, dried figs, walnuts, sliced pear and toasted sourdough. Delightful.

STRACCHINO, OLIVE MARINATE

[left] Stracchino – Lombardia, cow’s milk, soft, creamy, mild. [right] Mixed olives marinated in extra virgin olive oil, citrus zests and herbs. Served warm or chilled.

For antipasti, I can never resist anything with truffle purée, so I opted for the deboned quail. The meat of the quail was cooked to perfection, the silky flesh against the rich dark truffle and port jus.

QUAGLIA RIPIENA AL TARTUFO

Deboned whole quail filled with a truffle purée, served with warm balsamic salad, saffron potatoes and port jus.

TERRINA DI MELANZANE

Layer of eggplants with parmesan and basil, served with crisp-fried zucchini flowers.

I should note that there was a good variety of vegetarian options on the menu. The eggplant terrine looked very impressive in presentation, but my friend did wish it was a warm dish as the eggplants were a little bland and flavourless. The smokiness that one usually gets with grilled eggplants did not shine through.

CAPRESE DI BUFALA

Classic caprese with Italian buffalo mozzarella and Roma tomatoes, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and herbs.

For our main courses:

RISOTTO CON SCAMPI

Risotto in scampi bisque with scampi meat, red wine braised, julienned radicchio and terragon. Garnished with whole steamed scampi.

This dish has a lot of potential, but I do realise that with the size restrictions of the kitchen, my risotto was lukewarm by the time it arrived on the table and it lacked the sticky texture that risotto brings when freshly stirred on the stove (I could tell from the condensation on the plate that it had been covered for a while). The flavours were perfect and I love the addition of julienned radicchio. I’m keen to go back and give it one more try.

TORTELLI DI ASPARAGI

Tortelli filled with asparagus purée and fresh ricotta, served with montasio fondue and oven roasted cherry tomato compote.

Another vegetarian option which was very nicely prepared with fresh green flavours and a perfectly al dente pasta shell.

“CARNI”

ANATRA DUE COTTURE

Slow-roasted, deboned duck leg rolled in prosciutto, served with roast duck breast, celeriac purée, sautéed asparagus and honey sauce.

The carnivores of our group thoroughly enjoyed this rich and flavoursome dish. Dark sauces with honey, garnished with currants, with duck and prosciutto – perfect with a big glass of Shiraz.

“DOLCI”

TORTINO AL CIOCCOLATO CALDO

Tortino filled with warm chocolate, served with berries and vanilla sauce. But wait for it… the warn gooey centre makes you weak at the knees every time.

TORTINO (centre)

and the classic:

TIRAMISU

Classic Italian tiramisu, garnished with a dried sugared grapefruit slice, deep fried mint leaf and fresh strawberries. What a perfect way to finish!

The wall lamps are clusters of amethyst grapes which I quite like.

Crystal wall lamp

Bacco Wine Bar
Shop 3
2 Chifley Sq
Sydney 2000 NSW

Phone: (02) 9223 9552

A highlight though, was a dish I had at the wedding – and I rarely eat anything amazing at weddings, due to everything being luke warm, dry and overcooked.

Shark fin soup, served on a layer of steamed egg (chawanmushi style) with crab meat. You can’t see the steamed egg in the photo as it rests on the bottom of the plate, but the silky egg and crab meat complements the thick, rich soup. Garnished with a full piece of shark’s fin, goji berries and “silver” bean sprouts. Decadent and divine!

I wish I could’ve stayed longer! I did stop by a restaurant named “Devi’s Corner” which was recommended by the hotel concierge to have really good Nasi Lemak, thought it really wasn’t anything to write home about, as the Malaysian place down the road from my office in Sydney would’ve done an equally (if not better) job.

2 courses $63, 3 courses $75, sides $14 (which I thought was rather pricey)

steak tartare with pommes gaufrette
 

Scallops gently sealed and served on corn puree, with a tombe of Jamon Iberico and corn kernels, Jerez sherry vinegar and chicken jus.
 

Rissotto with baby leeks, peas, asparagus, spinach, fennel, zucchini, a touch of pesto and Reggiano parmesan
 

Sides of Paris mash (I call it, “would you like some potato with your butter sir?”) and Vine ripen tomato with avocado
  

and a photo I took of the brilliant French actress, who danced gracefully non-stop for 70 minutes. Not bad for a 45 year old!

Smoked mussels in thai marinade served on cos lettuce leaf

Chilled Blue Swimmer Crab & Crystal Bay Prawn Remoulade with Pickled Cucumber

Greenwell Point Rock Oysters natural

Seagrass Kilpatrick with Fresh Lemon

Special of the day: Ocean trout

Grainfed Eye Fillet with Lyonnaise Potatoes and bernaise sauce

Rocket, Reggiano Parmesan Salad

Jaffa Affogatto

Wicked Nutty Belgian Chocolate Terrine with Chocolate Ice Cream

• 13 Currambene St
  Huskisson 2540 NSW
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