A new chef and some creative daily specials make this a worthwhile place to check out.
How King’s Cross and Bayswater Road have changed. It used to be a little buzz of activity, between Bayswater Fitness and Hugo’s Lounge, Bar and Pizzeria, and other cool restaurants nearby. I’ve read about the woes of those in the area, and I know a number of restaurants have had to shut down. So, it was interesting to check out Uliveto, who’ve got the entire ground level alcove, underneath an apartment block (and the former site of Hugo’s).
Apparently, Uliveto has been around for ages, and I see from some reviews on the net that it had a good reputation for pastries and latte art! But there’s a new chef in town… Daff’s taken over and is putting his own mark on the place.
And it’s very much worth checking out. The atmosphere is classic inner Sydney, lots of outdoors seating and potted palms, and on a sunny Tuesday at lunchtime, when we were there, there could be not much nicer a venue, combining the buzz of the Eastern Suburbs (and a parade of gym-fit men and women walking by) with a tropical, relaxed feel. It was far enough away from the Cross to feel its energy (including through the posters for the nighttime activity in the venue…) but not be in the thick of it (’cause I really don’t like the thick of the Cross). It’s not that there’s a view, or you’re by the ocean, and you are below a big apartment building, but for some reason, I found the vibe very nice. It just seems very inner city Sydney.
Truthfully, the menu looked very typical. While I was impressed with the prices (a good few dollars cheaper per main than some of the pricy cafes in Surry Hills), the offerings looked pretty safe. But then I noticed the special’s board, and had a hard time deciding between the blue swimmer crab eggs benedict and what I chose: fresh corn bread with poached eggs and avocado. But even what was on the menu was absolutely fine.
My lunch companion said that it’s not so easy to get a Smoked Salmon Salad right, so it took us a little while to try to figure out: why did it taste so good? Maybe the bits of roe? Or the perfectly light dressing. Whatever, the combo of textures and flavours was pretty much perfect.
As was the case for my dish, with eggs, crisp bacon, and yum: corn bread. Did I mention corn bread?
Service was top-notch and we had a nice chat with the chef too. And we drank some wine. At lunch. Because we could.
All in all, great food, lovely atmosphere, top-notch service. I’ll be back. Try it out – and order from that special’s board!
Uliveto shouted me for my meal (thanks Uliveto!) but the opinions expressed in this review are mine.
I was thinking that the decor was trippy hipster, but I read that it, in fact, is based on the highlands of Papua New Guinea, a coffee region. I stumbled across this place coming back from Chinatown and because on the way over, the line-up outside of Single Origin was INSANE. Hidden away on Foster Street, this was a much mellower affair but still with a nice buzz. My latte was everything it should be: rich, earthy and flavoursome, but the smile and friendly greeting from the barista (and waitress) make me want to go back for more than coffee. Looks like a nice place for a relaxed lunch. I’ll be there… soon.
Hurrah! Lao food comes to the Eastern Suburbs. It’s a must try for foodies in search of new flavours.
Sticky rice is a staple: this is a favourite of mine, and it’s not so easy to find in Sydney Thai restaurants. Larb, above, is another speciality, mince meat (in this case beef) with chili, ground rice, and herbs.
A dish of fresh vegetables with spicy dips is a staple, as are spicy and sour soups, papaya salads, and the use of beautiful fresh herbs.
On Monday night, my better half and I were treated to a banquet of dishes and flavours. A few of the dishes will be unfamiliar to the Western palate but I encourage you to be adventuresome.
A slender piece of beef jerky contrasted in texture with some fresh papaya salad and green beans. Below, a delicious crispy rice salad in a lettuce leaf, Nam Kao, was a subtle, sticky version of the Chinese lettuce wrap.
The Hor Mak Gai will seem familiar for some from Thai restaurants, the glossy, rich sauce on perfectly tender chicken (cooked in a banana leaf) is pretty special indeed.
I’m not sure whether this will be a usual serving size of dessert, but since the restaurant is situated in the heart of gay Sydney, this is the right size of dessert for gay gym bunnies 
It looks like the restaurant will be offering more traditional Thai food, along with the Lao specialties, so hopefully, there will be enough to please everyone, so they don’t have had to smooth away the interesting edges for those more used to neighbourhood Thai restaurants.
Surprisingly fabulous dumplings hidden upstairs on King Street, Newtown.
I mean: c’mon. Dumplings with faces on them. Gotta love that. With a perfect crispy dough wrapper on these (and a delicate rice wrapper on the ones I didn’t get a photo of), we were very impressed with the food here, particularly since we’d hoped to try vegan fish and chips that night at Bliss N’ Chips, but ended up drinking too long at Newtown’s various tempting bars.
The space is sleek and chic, feeling rather upmarket compared to many Newtown eateries. The salt and pepper tofu were perfect popcorn-like bits of meat-free goodness. Me want to go back.
It really was quite a special meal. Matching amazing drinks from Young Henrys to a meal where the star was the venison, and the producer, Mandagery Creek, gave a little introduction to themselves and their work.
The flavours of the night were rich and hearty, matching the various ales and stouts. We ate and drank heartily. A great night, and not expensive either. Pei Modern goes on my list of high recommendations for both visitors to Sydney and friends!
Wow, has the Dolphin ever changed! I’ve been there for many a casual meal and drink over the years; now, taken over from the team behind Icebergs, there is much to explore. First of all, there are three different eating arrangements: casual bar food with mostly pizza and a handful of other options; a fancier restaurant (packed out on the Sunday night we went) and a wine bar, which has some very tricky and complicated (and pricy) snacks to go along with your wine. Meanwhile, the space has been completely redone. I was a little worried at the first photos online; it looks like a messy imitation of Keith Haring, but in person, the spaces look pretty cool and engaging. We kind of like the Christo wrapped-up bar thing going on.
It’s hard to give a proper review for such a simple menu, and where I’ve admittedly only had the coffee. Or perhaps it makes the review more proper by just focusing on one thing. Coffee! I’m not sure why I like this place so much, and there’s lots of other competition on the street.
But with only a handful of seats and groovy design, friendly service and excellent coffee, I find myself going back here whenever I’m in the neighbourhood. And, as I discovered the last time I was there, you can sit down and be in the range of the Pokemon Go gym at the Quaker House on Devonshire Street. Fuel up on caffeine and battle away!
On arriving in Sydney (more years ago than I’ll mention), I found it pretty wonderful to be introduced to Malaysian cuisine. I wasn’t familiar with it from growing up in Vancouver, 
nor knew it from my travels. The Cantonese-influenced dishes were recognisable, but the classic Char Kway Teow was not exactly the same as the version Mom made, or that we’d eat in a Cantonese noodle house. It had stronger spices, and I think that’s the difference in general: more sweet tones, stickier sauces, stronger flavours.
I was too curious to pass up the banquet menu, though we chose to add a duck dish to it… There are a lot of dishes listed on the banquet menu so I wasn’t sure how they’d fit them all in, but it was basically smaller portions of everything – which was a good thing, considering the extra dish we ordered.
Having just a bit of many things is not always the best approach. It doesn’t necessarily let the flavours sing out, and so the duck, a full order, split between two of us, ridiculously tender and in a thick salty sauce, was a highlight.
I’ve had a bit of a funny experience with trying to get into Cornerstone. I wanted to try it for breakfast a few times but arrived too early at the market on Saturday. Another time, some fashion event seemed to take over the restaurant. And another time, after a show, the kitchen had closed.
But I did manage to get in for breakfast, snacks and drinks at various occasions. Still, this time (Friday night), I actually wanted to pay attention. How’s the food?
