So, sometimes the food diary provides not current advice but an archive of the delightful food that Sydney can offer. Because in this case, Ume is changing its format, and after long being an elegant, delicious, multi-course affair, it is going to be a bar with casual bar food.
It sort of makes me feel like I should have eaten here more often, as it really was interesting food. We had the full tasting menus with matching wines and sake. Somehow, I got my better half drunk on gin and tonics before we arrives, so the extra alcohol here rather tipped him over.
But I really enjoyed the food – and the alcohol pairings too. The one proviso was that while we liked everything, quite a bit, we couldn’t find a particular standout dish, something really memorable. S. did quite like the dumpling in broth that started us off though:
And I did find the dessert, with icy bits, and different textures tasty and interesting. But perhaps that was the style: refined and not showy. In any case, farewell Ume (fine dining) and I’ll look forward to trying your next incarnation.
Just a little after a year since I went to the Tim Ho Wan in Chatswood, I stumble across a new branch of Tim Ho Wan in the Westfield mall in the CBD. It’s a much smaller version, with only a handful of tables, and it’s relatively tiny.
I suspect that their menu is quite reduced as well. But who cares? Those char siu (BBQ pork) buns are TO DIE FOR, and along with the salt and pepper squid, some yummy dumplings, and one of my favourites: turnip cake (which my pal liked, surprisingly, I worry that the texture of it is just too weird for non-Asian people), this was a very cheery lunch surprise.
Managed to book in for a special Entertainment Card dinner, Black by Ezard with wines by Penfolds. The only way to get into one of these is to book right away, so I was glad to be on my toes. I’d heard good things about Black… and wasn’t disappointed.
Though I was surprised that the event was group dining. Davy and I sat next to the charming Barbara and George who were apparently regular at these kinds of dinners. First off, let’s talk about the wine. I was worried, with the modest amounts they were pouring that we might not get a lot of wine over the course of the evening. Boy, was I wrong. Penfolds is a great vineyard, and I found all the wine during the night consistent and tasty. Our first course, above, was a Jerusalem Artichoke cream. Absolutely delicious though I’m not sure I could taste the jerusalemn artichoke. We also were served warm, flaky brioche to start with… which was sensational.
I missed taking a photo of the beef tartare, which was very nice, but this butter poached prawn: wow. A generous biteful. A rich sauce, and as you can see: the presentation is lovely, there’s a real interplay of textures and colour, but there was a rich and luxurious focus to each of the courses. 
And finally, the Poire William dessert, rather more complicated but an interesting array of textures and flavours.
I remember, back in the days, going into an old-style butcher’s, East European, with interesting jars and cans of things, and an array of meat behind the counter. I can’t remember if I got anything, as it was a bit unfamiliar to me, but I loved that it was there!
I moved onto a Japanese white beer that had a cute owl on the label. My pal stuck with a darker beer that he was surprised cost $12 for the bottle, but had a second so obviously liked it.
So, apparently donuts are a thing again.
In less than a year Doughnut Time has spawned a multimillion-dollar business and a staff of 80 people in Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Melbourne and Sydney.
A quick casual lunch with the fabulous Andy G who works nearby. How can you not like a restaurant called Sushi Hero II, advertising itself as a ‘conveying sushi bar’?
I was surprised how many dishes looked Chinese, including the tasty shrimp dumplings that I had. So, possibly this is a bit of an Asian fusion conveyor belt restaurant. The dishes I chose were nice enough.