If only my dinner companion could hear me better, I was explaining that Pizza Madre was a relatively new-to-the-scene Pizzeria, whose shtick was ‘locally sourced’. And they meant it.

Even my Negroni ($16) was made with Australian ‘Red Okar’, rather than the classic Campari. The flavour of the Negroni (and thought that went into selecting its alternative ingredient), was appreciated. The fact that it came premixed, was less appreciated.

The Pizzas impressed, even for a purist such as myself. I had my doubts about what clearly looked in photographs to be a Neapolitan style Pizza (is there any other kind?), being made with sourdough starter. Nonetheless, it worked better than I’d expected.

As the self proclaimed purist, I went with the Smoked Mozzarella, Tomato, Basil and Oregano ($21), and my date, the Eggplant with Black Olive, Elephant Garlic Oil and Buttermilk Ricotta ($24). This proved a perfect sample of the ‘simple’ to ‘less simple’ flavour spectrum.

Both Pizzas were produced to a very high standard, and the non-conventional methods and ingredients used only served to galvanise my appreciation further.

While some might argue Pizza Madre is a less Italian style Pizzeria, I would note that Italian food philosophy, being grounded deeply in local produce and seasonality, might suggest that this pocket of the Sydney Pizza scene is arguably more Italian than the ‘classic’ places.

It’s still no Lucio’s, but certainly one to check out in my opinion.

Pizza Madre

2/205 Victoria Rd,

Marrickville

NSW 2204

I’d arrived late for lunch the day before, and had begrudgingly sipped my coffee, with my beady eye and pursed lids fixated on the lonely kitchen as if to scorn its closure. Little did I know my anger would – in actuality – reach its peak the following day, when I returned to eat.

Luckily we missed the lunch rush, and tables were a plenty, making 2pm on a Thursday afternoon, an ideal time to visit. West Juliett’s sensibly varied, and seemingly local (enough) clientele of lower middle class GenX workers and early parents is equally as refreshing as its simple, elegant, but not-so-trendy-its-stupid decor.

The Sauteed Mushrooms ($18.50) benefitted from the marriage of some winning flavour champions, including (but not limited to) Salsa Verde, Goat’s Curd and Cured Egg Yolk. I added a poached egg on top ($3) because I could.

My sidekick indulged in the Salmon Benedict ($19), including the obligatory perfectly poached eggs and salmon, spinach, capers and a truffle hollandaise with a sprinkling of Cayenne. She added fried Halloumi on the side ($5) because she’s a bad girl. The net result, again exceeding our flavour expectations.

I was also pleased to learn that this cute inner-west landmark was run by a husband and wife team, the latter of which I met upon my exit as she approached me to pat my dog. She was gracious and affable. Nothing worse than another 27 year old owner with skinny jeans and pony tail who is too cool to chat with customers and still thinks The Clash is a good band.

Whether you’re in the hood or not, check out this gem.

West Juliett

30 Llewellyn Street

Marrickville

NSW 2204

Celebrating this milestone at Lumi Bar & Dining proved a prudent choice on this evening. My years of intention to seek out this illustrious establishment, alongside a reasonable amount of laziness, were quickly answered with bewilderment and shame, for not having acted upon my instincts more swiftly. Turns out, this place kicks arse.

Casual seating and an open kitchen borders this quaint, yet up-market establishment. A welcomed change to the sterile environments often associated with those possessing two or more Chef’s Hats.

The restaurant offers ten and seven course tasting menus. We opted for seven, as it featured the Lamb, and we’re both bonkers for Lamb.

Beginning with some Sydney Rock Oysters (just because), was an enjoyable start considering the harbour views this waterside restaurant boasts. Served with a decent Vinaigrette if you’re interested.

Things begin to get interesting when the ‘snacks’ arrive though. The ‘Mochi’, resembling a Japanese Rice Cake, made from Parmesan, melts in your mouth like a marshmallow, with all the goodness you’d associate with the flavour of Reggiano.

The Chicken Liver and Pumpkin Cannoli challenged my preconceptions of Pâté’s limitations.

The Moreton Bay Bug, with Caramelised Cream & Jerusalem Artichoke, was the perfect ‘extremes of contrasts’ dish, soft and crunchy, sweet and savoury, ugly but beautiful… all at the same time.

Any waiter who brings me bread like this at any point during the meal gets a gold star.

Make way for the star of the evening. The Miso-Strone (I know, I’m not too fond of the name either), is possibly one of the most stunning and delicate things I’ve had the pleasure of consuming. The separation of flavour between each vegetable is seamless and the broth (served almost tepid), is liquid gold. By far the standout, and a triumph of modern culinary ingenuity.

Headliners aside, some of the support acts played some really good sets. When was the last time your Ham and Pea soup looked and tasted this good?

The Tagliolini with Calamari & ‘Nduja (Google it), reminded me that the choice between Tagliatelle and Linguine doesn’t always have to be so difficult. Especially not when presented as well as this.

Fittingly, our shared favourite protein didn’t disappoint, but as I gazed out of window during this course, I couldn’t suppress the fond memories of my Miso-Strone from all those twenty minutes ago. A single tear dropped from my face, further seasoning the Lamb with Carrot and Lime Kosho.

I’m going to stop here to be polite to you, and insist that the spinning of the earth got in the way of the lighting at this point, and as much as I loved a dining experience that enjoyed both daylight and sunset, it doesn’t make for good photos.

Thankfully, it was only the desert that suffered. As we definitely did not.

Lumi Bar & Dining: Take a date, or a potential future mate.

Lumi Bar & Dining

56 Pirrama Road

Pyrmont

NSW 2009

Often when something so simple is done to perfection, it surprises you even more than if it were a dish you’d never had before. After my first Robuchon steak, I felt as though I’d never really had a steak before. It turned out this was my first time trying mashed potatoes! How about that? This time round, I seek to prove my bewilderment to my skeptical yet open-minded carnivorous girlfriend.

We begin with entrees as a direct result of whythefucknot?

I swing curiously toward the unbelievably decadent Egg dish subtitled “Cocotte en “Carbonara” Onctueuse” which is basically a Carbonara sauce in a martini glass. Sounds heavy. Is.

My scamp wisely selects the ‘La Langoustine’ (en ravioli truffé à l’étuvée de chou vert), which is basically a Scampi Ravioli stuffed with green cabbage. Let’s just say she’s lucky there were two of them.

The steaks arrive. Beneath the seemingly unnecessary (albeit meticulous) presentation, lies one of the best pieces of beef you’ll find anywhere.

With a handful of options, we decide to split the difference.

The famous Pomme Puree – a stalwart at any sagacious L’Atelier diner’s table – proved the only element with the ability to distract my mind from the main.

Finally, as much as the “Le Chocolat ‘Sensation’ avec un sorbet bitter sur un crémeaux Araguani.” looks like a living-room piece from a 1908s unrenovated bachelor pad, a shout-out has to go to its rich but balanced flavour.

Come & drop some coin.

L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon

Address: Hôtel du Pont Royal

5 Rue Montalembert

75007 Paris, France

Selecting an appropriate aperitif in the Buttered Fashioned (Butter infused bourbon with honey and bitters) seemed appropriate, as my date stuck with a Whiskey Sour.

We observe the condiments placed in a spice rack in front of us, with a suggestion of ‘Choose Your Weapon’. A decision best left until our first dog arrives.

To my bewilderment, the first Dog in our ‘Dogustation’ was the ‘Balmain Bug’, which I couldn’t help referring to as the ‘Balmain Pug’. A reference any socially lucid inner-westerner will understand. It remained my favourite for the evening. Particularly when paired with the home-made Tartar Sauce, the obvious go-to on the rack.

Switching to beer for the next chapter paired well with the French Merguez sausage, and I began to feel a little on the full side. Notwithstanding, after a primal glare from my date, it was clear she wasn’t finished. Fortuitously, the third course of ‘Cumberland Dog’  (I’ll let you figure that out), enjoyed with the smoky BBQ and Whiskey infused mustard, presented as her favourite. An opinion I respected.

Lucky she got her way and I didn’t end up in the actual dog house later that night.

This is happening every Thursday, and you can get one of these gourmet Dogs with a drink to pair for just $19.

The Owl House

97 Crown Street

Darlinghurst, NSW

Before we get onto the devilishly decadent dish that is Aligot, and who we are presumably to blame for this culinary catastrophe, let me tell you something about this fish.

This might be one of the best pieces of fish I’ve ever tasted. A simple, but incredible cut (Poisson du Jour), on a bed of ratatouille, lightly drenched in some jus I didn’t have the time to ask about, as a result of shoving it in my face faster than I could think.

So glad I got that out of my system. Now onto the Aligot.

So the basic gist of this is; Some asshole, many years ago, decided that mashed potato wasn’t amazing enough, and insisted on a dish in which it was blended with Tomme de Laguiole cheese, into a kind of sticky goop that would have people like me dreaming of it constantly after tasting it. Prick.

We order the Sausage of Parlan & Aligot to get a real taste of this stuff. Even as I type up this review, my hooks are banging heavier on the keyboard, spiralling me into a murderous rage.

Suffice to say I recommend this restaurant and dish, to anyone with the wiggle room to become as furious as I was when eating here.

Oh P.S. They also brought out a mean plate of Chocolate Mousse that knocked my socks off. As if the rest of the meal wasn’t decadent enough.

I’m out.

L’Ambassade d’Auvergne

Address: 22 Rue du Grenier-Saint-Lazare

75003 Paris, France

http://www.ambassade-auvergne.com/fr/

As we poked our heads through the tiny door of the minimalist slate and sandstone entrance of this Ginza Temple of Gastronomy, we were rapidly ushered to the humble, ten-seater sushi bar, as though we had a reservation.

Apart from a couple of (presumably monied) locals, tucked away in the corner, it was us versus the chef, as we were placed directly in front of his cramped station. He looked me square in the face and with a dead look in his eyes, exclaimed; “Just Sushi”. Part question, part instruction. I was in no position to argue. I nodded in response. He was the one holding the knife after all.

Despite the language barrier, we promptly received the impression that this was not a-la-carte, due to the absence of menu provided. This eating style is called “Omakase”. It worked quite simply; He makes sushi. He shoots it over the bar. You eat it.

Fine by me.

Putting their best foot forward with the Toro, was a shrewd move in my opinion. Other highlights included the Uni, Iku and Anago. Ok, sorry I’ll make with the photos.

Sushiko Honten maintains its reputation as one of the best and oldest Sushiyas in town. All pieces were impeccably and expertly prepared, with the perfect balance of feature to rice, and some of the freshest cuts of fish Tokyo has to offer.

Be warned, the price tag is heavy. For two people, with an hour & a half sit-in-delicious-silence style ordeal, you’ll be in for around $350aud without breaking a sweat, or ordering a drink.

Sushiko Honten

Address: 6 Chome-3-8 Ginza, Chuo, Tokyo 104-0061, Japan

Lyon has swiftly become a favourite after this last visit, as the city has seemed to undergo a kind of welcomed metamorphosis. Its stalwart untouchable reputation for gastronomy, is shifting in form, from the traditional bouchons or michelin-star establishments, to more casual dining, trendy bars, and cheap eats. Enter Hookie, stage left.

Here are some of my picks;

Le Jean Moulin

Culinary sprouter Grégoire Baratier, head chefs this quaint 40 seater, with an upstairs designed presumably for the vertically challenged.

For the quality of their wares, you won’t find a more reasonably priced restaurant, with three course lunches and dinners starting from under €26. WTF? Eat there.

Le Sud

On my last visit to Lyon I dined at Paul Bocuse’s illustrious “L’Auberge du Pont de Collonges”, which – while impressive – lacked the casual ambience of which I’m partial too, and was a tad on the stuffy side.

Bocuse remedies this with one of his spin-off restaurants ‘Le Sud’, a fish-heavy dining experience, in a seemingly more Italian style.

Enjoy your meal outside with views over the Rhone, and help ‘Le Sud’ give a big ass-kicking to overly busy old-fashioned wallpaper and antiquitous decor.

Le Comptoir du Vin

Want somewhere with old-world adorable charm, where the Owner/Operator/Chef has been running things his way since François Hollande was shitting his pants? Look no further than ‘Le Comptoir du Vin’.

After taking our seats, we made our way over to the unbelievably tiny kitchen so see what was cooking. It became obvious that the answer to that question was; ‘Whatever the Chef wanted”. Accordingly, we let him decide which way our evening was headed. Do this, and you will not be disappointed.

Daniel et Denise

I couldn’t bring myself to write a blog post on Lyon without including at least one Bouchon (much less leave the city without having visited one). This time we chose ‘Daniel et Denise’, a widely acclaimed lunch house in the 3rd arrondissement, which didn’t disappoint.

Traditional dishes of perfectly (and I mean perfectly) cooked Roast Chicken and Pan-seared Poisson were punctuated with decedent sides.

When you’re this close to the Dauphine region, it would be foolish not to indulge in some St. Marcellin cheese afterwards, or as my gorgeous date did, try to order something presented as beautifully as her good self, in the strawberry affair pictured below.

King Marcel

If you – like me – are a total burger slut, after a few days frolicking through the exotic delicacies of the Rhone region, you may develop a hankering for some good old fashioned smash-food . If you find yourself in Lyon when this occurs, I recommend a stroll through the second arrondissement until you stumble across ‘King Marcel’.  

Restaurant Tetedoie

I’m always partial to a bit of ‘view-while-you-wine’ (provided it doesn’t become a venue’s primary selling-point), so upon recommendation, we head up the Fourvière to suss out what Restaurant Tetedoie has to offer, besides one of the best views overlooking the city.

Turns out, if you’re looking for some casual Tapas and drinks, one could opt to sit outside and soak up the views over a glass (or seven) of their impeccably selected wines. Every single one of which i loved. A couple, enough to write down and consider importing.

Tetdoie is also no slouch in the food department. There’s a full bells-and-whistles restaurant upstairs complete with terrace, so if you’re hungrier than we were, try the view with an added five metre altitude… just remember to book ahead.

L’Antiquaire

This bar could possibly be a large contributing factor for me, one day, packing my bags and moving to Lyon. With its stunningly antiquitous interiors, comfortable lighting, and an array of talent behind the bar, L’Antiquaire maintains a ‘locals’ vibe in a seemingly clandestine venue.

I was certainly torn between enjoying my perfectly balanced Martini on the terrace outside – looking onto the quiet Lyonnaise street, accompanied with obligatory cigarette – or at a booth inside with a selection of marinated olives. In the end the solution was simple. Order two.

Le Florian

Another great cocktail bar in the historic 5th arrondissement that contributes to Lyon becoming a date-night paradise.

Nestled in a lively quadrangle, surrounded by a labyrinth of bars and restaurants, escape the clamoured crowds seated outside and enjoy the charming interior, a lot of which dates back to when everybody on earth was pretty much in no way related to you.

Armed with my (admittedly less than adequate) ‘point and shoot’ camera, my lady in crime and I met with Jackie and her ever-colourful and loquacious partner Craig, on the evening of the 7th November 2016.

I thought perhaps we could collaborate on a review of the ‘Modern Middle Eastern’ Mess hall, and after a few failed – yet optimistic – ideas of how we would achieve this, a simple email exchange was decided upon, as the simplest mode of a collaborative review. I begin my exchange to Jackie, as below;

Email Exchange

Dear Jackie,

Let me start by saying it was wonderful (as always) to catch up the other night. I do hope this last week have given you time to reflect on the positives and negatives of our experience at ‘Nour’, Monday evening.

Before touching the topic of the food, I’d like to know your opinions on the welcomed lack of ‘hipsterdom’ we seemed to encounter at the restaurant. Apart from what was possibly the most hipster cutlery I’ve ever been furnished with (Do you remember the words ‘Rose Distressed Copper’ being mentioned at any stage?), and the fact that Ibby Moubadder resembled a young Jason Schwartzman, I think the similarities to a Wes Anderson film end there. Ok Maybe the colour scheme.

The decor and use of lights seemed almost reactionary to the onslaught of trendy eateries, while maintaining an element of class and cool. I liked it.

I think you and Sydney both won the cocktail war, with your marginally more masculine beverages, whilst Craig and I sat around like Carrie and Samantha with our fruity aperitifs.

The Pacific Oysters ($5 ea) were Oysters, but I would submit that the real fun began when the Cauliflower Falafel ($18) was brought to the table. My ex-flatmate was a great cook of traditional Lebanese dishes, and I’ve always been a fan of what they do with the vegetable. This dish presented a nod of respect to traditional flavours, with the modern yet modest twist of run falafel mix to the flat side of the cauliflower. Very cool.

I’ll leave it for you to shed some light on the other dishes and hopefully we can get to the bottom of whether ‘No baba ganoush’ was really a bright idea, and subsequently whether it fit with the theme of this new establishment.

Regards

Tom

Hey Tom,

Great to dine with you and Sydney in a space utterly devoid of hipster affectations! Maybe they’re just preempting new trends though – because since our adventure into distressed rose copper cutlery, I’ve now encountered a brass version… however I digress.

I liked the décor, it felt modern and open, and with the emphasis on letting light into the dining room at both ends, I suspect Nour would also be a pleasant lunch spot. Ibby Moubadder was indeed handsome and well composed on the floor, dealing with our baba ganoush related-ribbing with aplomb.

Updating a cuisine that we’re very familiar with can be fraught with peril – it’s hard for every update to be better than the original – but I think Nour nailed it with Baby Prawn Felafel ($18/4). No more vacillating between dry or under-cooked centres when there’s a prawn taking up the middle!

And didn’t I catch Sydney scraping up the remaining smoked black tahini for you onto bread? How do you feel about them having a chef solely there to man their bread oven, ensuring we were kept well supplied with pillowy warm pita? Is it taking ‘do one thing and do it well’ a step too far?

And before we take on baba, did you think it’s odd that hummus wasn’t tarred with the same brush? It made a pretty standard appearance – livened up with some pomegranate and lime – under those pleasantly pink slices of Za’atar Smoked Goat ($21), as I recall. (I appreciated that they were well rested slices too – I hate things bleeding on my hummus.) Do you think this favouritism is likely to inflame tensions in the Middle East?

I look forward to your thoughts,

Jackie

Thanks for your response Jackie. I agree wholeheartedly about the Baby Prawn Felafel. What a winner! The Arabic Lamb Tartar ($22) was nice enough (and gluten free – which was a bit of a lol), but the Lamb Shoulder 400g ($39) pleased me more, I must say.

I’m not sure a dedicated ‘bread chef’ is entirely necessary, but with the amount of covers Nour seats, it’s obvious they have big dreams. Perhaps it is necessary.

Vis-a-vis the Baba / Hummus speculation; I think it’s probably hard enough distancing yourself from one all-time favourite, before even considering to denounce more. You may not make friends with salad – but without hummus – you could make notable enemies. 

I’ll leave it to your next email to sum up the review, but i’ll just suggest as a topic – Baklava Our Way ($15). Discuss

Tom

Yo Tom, 

Sorry for the radio silence… club night weekend. Speaking of clubs, I think the most exciting thing about dessert at Nour was that your super-famous Starfuckers DJ status meant we got sent it all for nix. Loving being your plus one for a change!

While I know the avocado ice cream interior gave Sydney some serious consternation, I was a bit of a fan of the Middle Eastern Bombe Alaska ($16) set on a kataifi pastry bed.

I thought the Camel Milk Mouhalabieh ($17) was clever, with an added a level of funkiness that cut against the sweet; but did they really need to deconstruct the baklava… my two cents worth says, probably not.

They won me on wine though… and I’ve already made another booking.

So where are we dining next? 

Jackie

Nour

3/490 Crown St, Surry Hills NSW 2010

http://noursydney.com/

This increasingly commercialised restaurant (we bought a t-shirt for lols at 20 euros) is still serving up the goods, since however-the-fuck-long it’s been around.

The slender entrance with parenthesis of exposed brick (legit, non-hipster style) and floral tiling, festooned with all manner of knick-knacks, turns your focus gently to the hot-coal grill and ridiculously small kitchen at it’s vanishing point… suggesting a well loved meal is being prepared.

Some dishes are so good they make me angry. Then there are those that make me furious. The Boudin Noir (€ 5.20) from Chez Robert et Louise, is one of those dishes.

But as you may have guessed, what we’re really here for, is the Côte de Bœuf pour deux (€40).

This massive hunk of beef rib is served with sliced baguette, sautéed potatoes, and an obligatory salad of decently dressed lettuce leaves. This thing will knock your socks off. Humbly presented with sea salt and small tub of mustard, it makes you understand; when a steak is served on a large enough, wooden chopping board… these people mean business.

Chez Robert et Louise

64 Rue Vieille du Temple

75003 Paris

France

]]> http://www.lookmumnohands.com.au/2016/10/05/chez-robert-et-louise/feed/ 0