I've eaten how much?

I've just worked out that since I started GrabYourFork in April 2004, I've posted:

142 reviews on 121 restaurants across Sydney.

That means that during 20 months based in Sydney (subtract two months for gallivanting across Japan, Hong Kong and New York), I've been posting an average of:

7 Sydney restaurant reviews per month.

That doesn't factor in the huge backlog of posts sitting on my hard drive, or the (admittedly few) times I've indulgently left the camera in the handbag and eaten in non-reporting bliss.

No wonder the waistline is expanding.

And what have I generally been raving on about? Here's a word cloud of current GYF content:



For the record, the most posted about restaurants (each with three appearances) have been East Ocean, Oscillate Wildly, Pier 26 and Rise.

Get your own word cloud here.

Zilver Seafood Restaurant, Haymarket

The beauty of yum cha is its reliable welcome of harried chaos. The room will be a-clatter with chopsticks and conversation, the waitstaff will be rushed off their feet re-filling teapots and dispensing chilli sauce, and the trolley ladies will harangue you incessantly with the last of the cabbage-filled spring rolls.

Zilver is nothing like that.



Zilver used to be Silver, as in Silver Spring, but now the S has become a Z and the interiors have gone from nice to "noice". The approach from the downstairs escalators (which had to be relocated to accommodate the $3m refurbishment) is bereft of any tacky red and gold ornaments, instead the logo, signage and decor are now all modern, sleek and sophisticated. It feels so clean and crisp and understated, it feels so terribly... North Shore.



There's a bit of industry buzz about the new-look Zilver though. Henry Tang and wife Chillie have finally inherited the reins from Henry's father, and helping them realise their vision of "a new vision in Chinese cuisine" is executive chef Jack Ng, a Hong Kong-born chef with over thirty years experience.



The theme of sophistication continues within: a sleek and modern black granite bar flanks one side of the restaurant, opening out to sturdy bronze mosaic pillars, ornate fish tanks and a reassuringly familiar red feature wall with red lanterns hanging overhead. It feels like a Chinese restaurant, and yet it's not. It's akin to stepping into a real life lay see lucky red envelope. It's Chinese all right, but just not as we know it!

Tables are topped with cloths of slate gray, and the upholstered silk seating is soft and *gasp* actually comfortable. The table feels unnaturally high though, and I'm sure it's due to the chairs being a wee bit lower than usual.

A yum cha trolley soon comes our way. The offerings are familiar and generally well-executed. The har gow prawn dumplings are plump and shiny, the gow choi gow garlic chive dumpling are pleasant. Har cheung fun prawn long noodles come with vein still attached (much to the consternation of my dining companion) and the fatty bone-chewing satisfaction of pai gwut pork ribs are tasty but could perhaps do with a little more black bean and a heavier scattering of chilli.

Nothing makes me really sit up and gasp with delight, although the appearance of orange fish roe on the siu mai makes me realise that yes, the usual grated carrot atop the yellow-robed pork dumplings are just a cheap imitation of its original concept.


Har gow (prawn dumplings)
Large dim sum dish - $4.80


Gow choi gow (garlic chive and scallop dumplings)
Medium dim sum dish - $4.20


Siu mai (steamed pork dumplings)
Medium dim sum dish - $4.20

The siu mai are spicier than usual encounters, with more than a sprinkling of pepper and perhaps a touch of five spice. For those not content with trolley offerings, a perspex menu holder on each table advertises alternative fare available a la carte, upmarket Chinese offerings like steamed sea cucumber dumpling and fish maw in hot pot, moving to the positively exotic: prawn balls filled with cheese, for instance, and stir fried beef stick with peach.

As we peruse the menu, we soon encounter Zilver Service (like Silver Service, with a Zee) as a helpful hostess silently and suddenly materialises by our table with a smile.

"Do you need any help with the menu?" she asks politely in non-accented perfect English.

We graciously defer, and with a humble nod and short bow she departs with a pleasant request to "please let her know if we require any assistance."

You could say that I'm slightly shocked by this display of customer service, politeness and pro-active hospitality. In a Chinese restaurant? At yum cha? No!

Ten minutes and two bamboo steamers later, another impeccably attired female staff member appears by our side.

"How has your meal been today?" she enquires with concern. "Have you enjoyed it?"

I almost choke on my dumpling as Rebecca nods agreeably.

"I'm an Adviser," the woman explains. "I'm here to help with the menu and your selection of dishes. Please, if there's anything on the menu you need help with, or if you require any advice in any way, then please, do let me know," she says, smiling sweetly.

This feels so surreal. Am I really in Chinatown, or have I stepped into the Singapore Raffles Hotel?

Where is the surliness? The grimacing? The I've-got-better-people-to-tend-to-than-you attitude?

I can only sigh. What has my beloved yum cha become?


Pai kwut (steamed pork ribs with black bean and chilli)
Medium dim sum dish - $4.20


Har cheung fun (prawn long noodle)
Extra large dim sum dish - $5.80





Zilver Seafood Restaurant
Level 1, 477 Pitt Street, Haymarket, Sydney, Australia
(Sydney Central building, corner Hay Street)
Tel: +61 (02) 9211 2232

Lunch Mon - Fri 10am - 3pm, Sat - Sun 9am - 3pm
Dinner 7 days 5.30pm - 11pm

This post has been submitted as part of the online foodblogger event, Dine & Dish #6: Amazing Graze. Check out the wrap-up of "small dish dining" around the world, presented by our reservations host Sarah, of The Delicious Life.

Related GrabYourFork posts:
Zilver, January 2007

Paddy Maguires, Haymarket

Fillet steak with chips and salad $22.00


I love pub grub.

The best pub grub is usually found in nondescript watering holes with a sighing barman and a dour-faced cook sneaking a ciggie out the back. Some of my favourite meals have been in pubs, especially in England and Ireland, where stodgy comfort food is the one redeeming joy for invariably inclement weather.

In Sydney, as in all cities around the world, Irish-themed pubs abound, although our mild temperatures and cafe culture mean we don't get the cosy comfy lounges, the open crackling fireplaces or evocative landscape paintings on the walls.


Caesar salad with chicken $14.00

Paddy Maguires in Sydney's Haymarket merges elements of Irish cosiness with Aussie practicality. It's central location means it's popular with backpackers, university students, public servants and officer workers. It's a chain pub, but the food is fairly reasonable, the servings are generous and there's plenty of seating both in- and outdoors.

I was happy with my steak, chips and salad the other day--happier still because I had actually ordered (and paid for) a steak sandwich. A $22 lunch for $14 was a value meal indeed!

Chicken Caesar was scoffed down by my lunchtime companion with visible glee. After enduring a month of American Caesars with plastic Parmesan, buckets of dressing and no egg to be seen, I was almost tempted to dig a fork in myself.

But I had my own hunk of meat to attend to, a meal so generous I couldn't even finish it. Now that is serious.

There's a selection of imported beers on tap: Guinness, Kilkenny, Speight's, Stella Artois, Kronenburg 1664 and Bulmer's Cider. We've had some issues with the Guinness not being poured properly but a selection of ales (James Squire Amber and Golden ales on tap, and VB Original and Newcastle Brown bottled) usually offer sufficient distraction.



Paddy Maguires
Corner George and Hay Streets, Haymarket, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9212 2111

Monday - Thursday 9.30am - 1am
Friday - Saturday 9.30am - 3am
Sunday - 9.30am - 12midnight

Related GrabYourFork posts:
Paddy Maguires, May 06

Five Food Challenges

Sue tagged me for the Five Food Challenges meme a couple of weeks back. I know, I've taken a while to respond. Don't you love procrastination too?

Helen's Five Food Challenges for 2006

Bake bread
Every celebrity chef / foodblogger / toddler I know waxes lyrical about how satisfying it is to bake your own bread. I love baking cakes but for some reason I have this trepidation when it comes to yeast. I've made pizza dough, uh, twice but the whole kneading, proving, bashing thing always sounds like waaay too much work. I need to do it though. You could say I've got something to prove...

Make risotto
Another easy one I should've done ages ago. No excuses except a morbid fear of soggy rice (an Asian's worst nightmare!)

Resist sugar
I have a terrible sweet tooth. I looove sugar. Yes sucrose, and glucose and yes, you fructose as well. Moderation is key, but I must stop that terrible habit of having something sweet after dinner, after lunch, after, ah, breakfast, and with my morning coffee as well.

Eat because I'm hungry
Food is not a cure for boredom.
Constantly opening the fridge door will not trigger a spontaneous theatrical performance by the leftovers within.
Rummaging for chocolate will not solve writer's block.

Hunt and gather
Food grows in soil, flourishes in water and geez, it can run damn fast away from you when it senses a growling stomach. Perhaps I'm not quite ready to skin my own kangaroo but I think we all forget that food takes time and, for most of us anyway, food bleeds. I should spend more time hunting and gathering my food personally so I can really appreciate every mouthful. It's been a long time since I've been cherry picking, fishing and pig shooting (pass me ma gun Jed).

I tag cherryripe, Chickpea, J, Julia and Oseary.

Rendezvous Cafe, Burwood

Eating breakfast out always poses a menu dilemma for me: do I follow my head and choose savoury, or do I go with my heart and wallow in sweet?

The easy, of course, is to do both, and that's where a little covert activity in tactical menu negotiation always comes in handy!

Our rendezvous took place at, funnily enough, Rendezvous, at Burwood Westfield Shoppingtown, in Sydney's inner west. It's your typical trendy suburban cafe in ubiquitous shades of chocolate brown interspersed with splashes of chrome.


Super breakfast $13.90
Bacon, sausages, fried eggs, mushrooms, tomatoes, fries and toast (scrambled or poached eggs 50c extra)

I’ve conned my way into half a share of the Super Breakfast-- a trucker’s delight of fat-drenched protein. The sausage is standard issue, although thoughtfully sliced in half lengthways for extra browning purposes. There's bacon aplenty: a couple of meaty mid-pieces and several streaky rashers fried to a satisfying crisp.

We pass on the fries (for breakfast?) and opt for extra toast instead, although the automatic slathering of greasy butter on our bread probably has the same fat content as any bucket of deep-fried potato sticks. The extra toast is perfect, however, for dipping into the sunny runny yolks of our glossy fried eggs, and the cholesterol blow-out is surely kept in check by the grilled tomato and the scoop of B12-packed mushrooms cooked in… ah, yes, more artery-clogging butter.


Pancakes with banana, walnuts and ice cream $8.90

We move onto pancakes, topped with chunks of banana and toasted walnuts. The pancakes look and taste the biz, soft and fluffy with a pleasing sun-drenched complexion of Bondi golden brown.

It's a simple pairing but deliciously ingenious nonetheless - the smooth creaminess of the banana is a perfect foil for the slight bitter crunch of the walnuts. To sweeten the deal there's a drizzle of syrup, a light dusting of icing sugar and a scoop of sugary ice cream on the side as well.

The head and the heart are often engaged in battle, but the two-course breakfast is surely the simplest way to satisfy them both.

Rendezvous Cafe
Shop 358, Level 2
Westfield Burwood
100 Burwood Road, Burwood, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9745 1712

Breakfast served all day.

What's On In Sydney

For those who keep forgetting to check the side panel =)

Every Fri til 30 June 2006: Chinatown Night Market

This weekend
Sat 18 Feb: Northside Produce Market
Sat 18 Feb: Ashfield Gourmet Market
Sat 18 Feb: Farmers Market, Entertainment Quarter
Sat 18 Feb: Orange Grove Markets
Sun 19 Feb: Scandinavian Sunday, Maritime Museum
Sun 19 Feb: South American Festival, Bondi Beach

Next weekend
Sat 25 Feb: Kings Cross Organic Market
Sat 25 Feb: Ashfield Gourmet Market
Sat 25 Feb: Farmers Market, Entertainment Quarter
Sat 25 Feb: Orange Grove Markets
Sun 26 Feb: Boulevarde Market: Party, party, party!
Sun 26 Feb: TropFest, The Domain

Things to look forward to
Sat 04 Mar: Good Living Growers Market, Pyrmont
Sun 12 Mar: Bairro Portugues Food & Wine Fair, Petersham
Sun 19 Mar: St Patrick's Day Parade
Sun 02 Apr: Italian Festa, Norton Street

Oscillate Wildly, Newtown

The November 2005 edition of Australian Gourmet Traveller ran a reviewer competition open to all readers--the winning entrant would join the reviewing team for the Australian Restaurant Guide 2007 (cue Homer-Simpson-like daydream coupled with hopeful hyperventilation). Alas I didn't win (obviously... otherwise I'd be writing this in giant font, not tiny) but I thought I'd share my entry anyway. And of course congratulations to the winner, Melbournian Brett Seargent. I'm so jealous!

The brief: Write a 500-word review based on a real and recent experience in an Australian restaurant.


Oscillate Wildly, Newtown

I'm not sure whether he's Korean or Chinese, but the boy is Asian, his pants are around his ankles, and he's relieving himself with glee.

The cheeky mural adjoining Oscillate Wildly's outdoor bathroom always makes me smile. Apparently the mural was painted by the previous owner, and it's stayed there ever since.

It's this kind of dauntless honesty which exemplifies the Oscillate Wildly experience. Heading back to my table means stepping into the kitchen and conducting a brief sideways crabwalk past hissing pots and pans. It feels strangely exciting and awe-inspiring too.

Oscillate Wildly is undoubtedly small. The floorspace fits thirty patrons at a squeeze but rather than claustrophobic, it's cosy and comforting and warmly intimate too. There's a black and white chequerboard floor, wrought iron chairs and a gentle flicker of candles on each table.

Central to the experience is the smoothly efficient owner and maitre'd Ross Godfrey. Like the host of a thirty-person dinner party, Ross flits from table to table throughout the evening, topping up water bottles and making small talk with guests. It's generally a couples brigade, huddled together over a rapidly emptying bottle of wine (the restaurant is BYO) with a smattering of tables filled with urban arty professionals.

There seem to be plenty of regulars which isn't surprising, as Saturday nights are often booked out weeks in advance. Amidst the gentle hubbub and inevitable Smiths soundtrack, Ross welcomes newcomers, explains the menu without a hint of pretension, and cracks open paper-bagged wine bottles with ease. His laughter is heard from various corners of the room, but in the next minute he is standing beside you, preparing to lay your main meal onto the table with an ironic flourish.

Friendly service aside, the food is the real star here. Kangaroo may be stuffed with cloves, oxtail made into agnolotti, or quail stuffed with pistachio. The offerings are adventurous and different, but thoughtfully considered rather than excessively fanciful.

The rich gamey fattiness of crisp fried duck is offset by roasted chunks of celeriac and a dark fruity reduction of creme de cassis and raspberries. Fat discs of fresh scallops are seared briefly and scattered with a birds nest of crunchy twigs made from leek. And home-smoked salmon isn't just marketing-speak. It really is smoked on the premises. "My flat upstairs stank of mesquite chips all day," Ross says with a smile.

Desserts take equal billing in the tastebud tantalising stakes. A chocolate terrine is richly decadent with thick comforting layers of panforte and strong espresso flavours. It's an adult dessert, strong and robust without being sickly sweet.

A delicately wobbly panna cotta is its polar opposite but similarly alluring. Soft and satiny, it's infused with warming nuances of cardamon and crowned with a sticky brittle of chilli and almond.

Elements of the menu change every two weeks with a completely new menu every two months; which gives me greater cause to smile than the cheeky boy out the back.

OSCILLATE WILDLY
275 Australia St, Newtown, NSW, (02) 9517 4700.
Unlicensed and BYO (corkage $3pp).
Dinner, Tue-Sat. Major cards.

Prices: entrees, $15; main courses, $23; desserts, $10; 3 courses, $45.
Vegetarian: one entree, one main.
Noise: medium.
Wheelchair access: no.

Plus: creative menu at laughably affordable prices, delightfully warm and welcoming host.
Minus: limited table space.

...ENDS/

Related GrabYourFork posts:
Oscillate Wildly, October 2005
Oscillate Wildly, January 2005

Mohr and Mohr, Surry Hills

EDIT: Mohr and Mohr has now closed.

On the Mohr and Mohr website, Hans Mohr is declared "iron chef of home-style German, Scandinavian and French".

There was no sign of Chairman Kaga when we made a visit, but should Mohr ever appear on a rising platform in Kitchen Stadium, it might just be a sardine or duck liver he'd be holding aloft.


Cured West Australian sardines $14.50
Served with apple, pickled cucumber and onion cream

A happy bunch of foodies assembled here recently one balmy eve. Between seventeen of us (indeed!) we almost managed to order the entire menu, which meant me scrambling on my feet to take photos, and you sitting back to enjoy the feast.

Our entrees arrived with minimal fuss and maximum speed (maybe he has been practising at Kitchen Stadium). The gravalax was firm, fresh and tasty; the tomato salad simple but vibrant. My favourite dishes of the night were the duck terrine--a thick slab of gamey flavours studded with fluoro pistachio--and the cured West Australian sardines which were salty yet sweet and surprisingly light.



Mixed entree platter $25.00
Selection of gravalax, terrine, sardine, Parma ham, melon for sharing between two

Duck terrine $10.50
with caper berries and wardolf salad

The mixed entree platter offers everything good. Ribbons of prosciutto nestle with chunks of sweet melon, a pillow of smoked trout exhibits a pleasing spiciness, and eggplant and roasted peppers are smoky and delicious.


Gravalax $14.50
With potato cakes and mustard dill dressing


Salad of tomato, rock and goat fetta $9.50
With basil and olive oil vinaigrette

We order almost everything off the mains menu (noone elects for the pork platter). There is some disappointment from the recipients of the cassoulet (too salty) and saute of mixed fish (too bland) but the dory with grapes is waxed lyrical with glee.


Dory with pine nuts, grapes and gratin potatoes $24.00


Scotch fillet $24.00
With Bearnaise sauce and chips


Cassoulet $22.00
Duck, braised lamb in tomato and lima beans with sausages and kassler


Lamb shanks $23.00
With broad beans, mashed potato and baked pumpkin


Roast pork belly $22.00
With mashed potatoes, sauerkraut and glazed apple

I have the roast pork belly which was surprisingly meaty with earthshattering crackling. I also partake in the rudder fish which is a little spongier in texture than I'm expecting, but the mango salsa, although a little reliant on cucumber, is sweet and refreshing.


Rudder fish with mango salsa $24.00
Mohr’s favourite


Saute of mixed fish $25.00
In saffron sauce with snow peas, cherry tomatoes and potatoes


Grilled salmon $24.00
With bokchoi, new potatoes and green peppercorn sauce


Sausages with onion sauce and mash $18.00


Chicken dumplings in spiced Oriental broth $18.00

Desserts are a triumph with spoons divebombing everywhichway to guarantee a mouthful. The chocolate marquis is satisfyingly rich, and the cherry pancakes, dense with fruit, is apparently a German specialty.


Duo of white and dark chocolate marbled mousse $11.50


Rhubarb and apple crumble $11.50


Creme caramel with orange segments $10.50


Tiramisu with coffee anglaise $11.50


Cherry pancake cream and ice cream $11.50


Chocolate marquis with hazelnut sauce $11.50

As a group dinner venue I couldn't have asked for much more. The space is simple and uncluttered, staff friendly and accommodating for a rambunctious crowd. Central location, mild on the pocket, and a diverse bistro menu with touches of magic.

Mohr and Mohr CLOSED
204 Devonshire Street, Surry Hills, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 8399 0887

Lunch Mon-Fri 12pm-3pm
Brunch Sat-Sun 8.30am-3.30pm
Dinner Mon-Sun 6pm-10pm

BYO and licensed

Chinese New Year Parade 2006, Sydney

It was the annual Chinese New Year parade on Sunday 5 February 2006.

In addition to the regular dragon dancers, Chinese scouts and young soccer players, parade spectators were treated to a jaw-dropping mobile performance by visiting Chinese acrobats, drummers, dancers, stilt performers and jugglers, here to promote the upcoming 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.



























Don't forget the Lantern Festival on tonight at Star City and the last day of Dragon Boat Races at Darling Harbour tomorrow.

Related GrabYourFork posts:
Chinese New Year markets Jan 06
Chinese New Year eve: the build-up Jan 06
Chinese New Year eve: the feast Jan 06
Chinese New Year Parade: Part I Feb 05
Chinese New Year Parade: Part II Feb 05