Doyles at Sydney Fish Markets, Pyrmont

Is there a better Friday lunch than fish and chips at the Sydney Fish Market?



We joined the gaggle of tourists, families, seafood shoppers and business workers in the hustle and bustle of oceanic offerings. Fiery orange-red lobsters, cascading mountains of shiny fresh prawns and soft satin pillows of sashimi tuna and salmon fought for my eye. The oyster-shucking man patiently prised open bivalve after bivalve as the tap ran non-stop. "Touch at own risk" warned the handwritten signs over the live mud crabs trussed up with string.


Oysters kilpatrick, Singapore crab claw and fish fillet

But the takeaway counter at Doyles won us over in the end. B feasted on oysters kilpatrick, fish fillet and a Singapore crab claw. The crab claw looked messy, deep-fried in batter and coated in a sticky honey glaze and sesame seeds. It was eaten clean though, despite the lack of a nutcracker.


Char-grilled barramundi with salad $11.90

Geet chose the healthy option, a grilled barramundi fillet resting on a generous bed of salad.


Doyles famous fish and chips $15.90
Beer-battered south coast flathead (cooked to order)

And me? How could I resist Doyles premier famous fish and chips, beer-battered flat-head from the south coast cooked to order and served with chips.

Today's Catch trumpeted the blackboard sign. Beware of Argentina flathead, beware of cheaper inferior imported fillets elsewhere, it continued.

It didn't take too long to prepare, and within five minutes we were feasting on the jetty aside, watched keenly by sqwawking seagulls and the giant waddling pelicans.



I ate all four fillets of fish, fresh and sweet with the skin reassuringly left on. The batter wasn't particularly beery, and a little oily in parts, but there was plenty of delicious crunch.


Boysenberry and rainbow ice cream $5.00

A conclusion of ice cream (the rainbow tasted of mild vanilla rather than the bubblegum I was expecting) only made our day sweeter.




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Doyles at Sydney Fish Markets
Gipps Street, Pyrmont, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9552 4339

Lunch 7 days 11am-3pm

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Sydney Fish Markets

At Bangkok, Haymarket Chinatown

Nam Prik Krapi $12.90
Shrimp paste chilli sauce with prawn crackers

I've never trusted hip Asian restaurants. Fancy chairs and slick logos make me think my money is paying more for overheads than the overly-sweet and under-spiced food on my fancy white plate.

But you can't always judge a book by its cover.

@Bangkok has funky white tables and plush ottoman stools in rich chocolate brown. So I'm delightfully surprised to find the dishes here are uncompromised in flavour and enthusiastic with heat.

The Nam Prik Krapi chilli sauce is pure fire on the tongue; the Som Thum green papaya salad packs a punch.


Som Tum $12.90
Green papaya salad with salted duck eggs


Khao Tang na Bangkok $12.90

Khao Tang is a thick creamy paste of shrimp and chilli that we ladle generously onto fragrant prawn crackers.


Hoy Jor $8.90
Minced prawn and pork with water chestnuts
wrapped in tofu skin, steamed and deep-fried

Hoy Jor--made from prawn, pork and water chestnuts--is rolled up with bean curd sheets and deep-fried until the skin blisters.


Yum Sam Grob $15.90
Thai salad with deep-fried dried squid, prawn and fish maw

My favourite dish is the Yum Sam Grob, a seafood salad made with cuttlefish, prawn and fish maw. Dried cuttlefish jerky is deep-fried until super crispy, the fish maw (the gas bladder that allows fish to float) has also been deep-fried to a golden puff that reminds me of pork crackling. We've excluded the prawns due to a guest allergy.

The dressing on top is typically Thai - a perfect balance of sweet, sour, salty and hot. A jumble of shallots, coriander, mint, chilli and kaffir lime leaves make you know you're alive. White radish, carrot and lettuce leaves cool the tongue, roasted peanuts and sesame seeds add extra crunch.


Pad Pak Ruam Mit $12.90
Vegetables stir fried with garlic and oyster sauce


Nam Tok Pla Salmon $15.90
Grilled salmon with fish sauce

Nam Tok Pla Salmon is sweet with fish sauce, and I'm a sucker for the Khai Yeaw Ma Ka Prow Grob, a chilli pork mince stir fry garnished with deep-fried whole basil leaves.


Khai Yeaw Ma Ka Prow Grob $15.90
Thousand year old eggs topped with
stir-fried minced pork, chilli, garlic and basil


Pla Muek Nueng Manow (not on the regular menu, so ask)
Whole baby squid

The Pla Muek Nueng Manow is the crowd pleaser, two whole baby squid dressed in a spectacular riot of colour. The squid has been cooked until just tender, bathed in a garlic and lime dressing and sprinkled liberally with chilli.

I've learnt my lesson now. Eat first. Judge later.


@Bangkok (At Bangkok Restaurant)
Shop G11, Capitol Square Building
730-742 George Street, Haymarket Chinatown, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9211 5232

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Easy Peasy Peanut Butter Biscuits

Homemade peanut butter biscuits

Despite the current schoolyard crisis around peanut allergies, I can't imagine a childhood without peanut butter. Peanut butter sandwiches eaten with a glass of milk; peanut butter on warm toast with thick slices of banana; peanut butter and strawberry jam on fluffy white bread; peanut butter on thick rounds of rice cake slathered generously with butter...

These peanut butter biscuits are easy peasy to make and travel and keep well too. The omission of flour means these biscuits are rich and buttery, with a strong peanut flavour. Have a glass of milk on hand and enjoy the trip down memory lane.


Easy Peasy Peanut Butter Biscuits

1 cup crunchy peanut butter
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 180C.
Mix peanut butter and sugar until combined. Add egg and incorporate well.
Allow to rest for five minutes.
Roll small walnut-sized balls and place onto lined baking trays.
Flatten gently with a fork to create a criss-cross pattern.
Bake for about 12 minutes or until golden.
Leave on tray for 2 minutes to harden slightly, before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

Makes about 22.

Variation: Reduce sugar to 1/2 cup and add 1/2 a teaspoon of salt. Drizzle top of cooled biscuits with melted chocolate, or coat them with chocolate on the bottom.

Oyster orgy, Mooney Mooney

Did somebody order oysters?



A happy bivalve-loving crew headed to Mooney Mooney last weekend, a picturesque spot on the Central Coast that overlooks the Hawkesbury River. It wasn't that far really. Less than 50 kilometres north of Sydney, most of our driving time was spent trying to get out.


Wadham Oysters

A corrugated iron shack was where our oyster deal took place. Between 9 of us, we ordered 9 dozen. Broken Bay Pacifics. It'll take about ten minutes to shuck those, we were told.

We waited outside and kicked at the mountain of abandoned oyster shells. Crunch crunch, they complained.


Oysters ready for shucking

The white posts in the river were a tantalising reminder that only a brave swim separated us from the oyster farms below. The minutes ticked by until... success! A flurry of plastic bags and an outbreak of smiles.


Sink debris

Plans for a picnic in the local park were abandoned when the wind chill factor froze us cold. Instead an indoor luncheon at Kt's parents' up the road. Homecooked goodies emerged from car boots and backpacks. Bakery boxes cluttered the counter top and breads of all different kinds littered the chopping board.

And oysters? Yes, there were a few!


Homemade antipasti by K


Breadboard with sourdough and homemade Irish soda bread


Oysters


Homemade antipasti by K


Homemade marinated chicken wings by K


Broken Bay Pacific oyster

I had oysters with lemon juice, with Thai garlic dipping sauce, with homemade green chilli paste, and others not adulterated at all. I found them a little mild but then I've always been a devout Sydney Rock oyster fan, resplendent in briney minerals and the taste of the sea.


Homemade Irish soda bread by M

M's famous Irish soda bread was probably a tastier highlight. It was heavy and dense with a wonderful nuttiness in both the oat dusted crust and moist insides. It was delicious slathered with butter and, upon M's suggestion, even better dressed with a dollop of honey.


Cherry clafoutis

Desserts were another force to be reckoned with: cherry clafoutis, homemade meringues, a sweet sticky orange syrup cake and slices of tiger roll, named for its tiger-striped crust.


Homemade meringues by X


Tiger roll sponge cake from Bread Top


Homemade peanut butter biscuits by me

I brought along a tin of homemade peanut butter biscuits (recipe here).

I wish I'd brought along an extra stomach too.


Broken Bay Pacific Oysters from Les Wadham
10 Kowan Road, Mooney Mooney
Tel: +61 (02) 9985 9704

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Marrickville Festival 2007

Chorizo in a roll $5.50
from Mojo Picon

It's been a while between posts, which is why I'm only just getting around to posting pictures from the Marrickville Festival which took place two weeks ago.

Marrickville has always been a vibrant ethnically diverse community, but wandering through the crowds it was clear that it's a suburb definitely on the way up. Modern apartment blocks have brought a proliferation of trendy cafes, and although there are still plenty of Vietnamese butchers and Asian grocery stores, I did feel a little wistful for the Fosseys and Scarf's days of yore.


Giant bubbles

But then so too has Marrickville Festival grown in size and variety. Jumping castles, amusement rides, a music stage, reptile shows and all manner of food, drink and fairy floss kept the kids (and kids at heart) entertained and happy.

I liked the giant bubble man the best. A bucket of detergent and a length of rope was all he needed. Sometimes the simplest things are the biggest delight of all.



The Marrickville Festival takes place once a year, usually in mid-September.

This year's Festival was held on Sunday, September 9, 2007.

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Mickey's, Newtown

Banoffee pie $9.50

I first discovered banoffee pie in the UK and it's a dessert that's still relatively hard to find in Sydney. In the past I've resorted to making my own, but nothing quite makes my heart flutter like finding it on a Sydney menu.

Mickey's is a fairly new cafe addition to the constantly changing King Street strip. There's a collection of sweet things in the glass cabinet at the front but we're primarily swayed by the huge u-shaped booth seating, and I've just spotted the banoffee pie on the menu.

We collapse in a giggling heap on the soft padded seating, moving cushions out of the way as we settle ourselves in. All four of us end up ordering the banoffee pie, so tantalising is my description.

It's a messy dessert to cut, so when our orders arrive, the thick sweet pastry crust has been hacked into a somewhat jagged affair. But all is forgiven with that first mouthful: pillows of cream, satiny slices of banana, rich lashings of caramel and the sturdy contrast of crisp sweet pastry.

Lazy puddles of thick chocolate sauce are an added bonus. And the garnish of strawberry and orange surely make this a fruit salad, no?

Mickey's
232 King Street, Newtown, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9565 2300

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Prague Czech Beer Restaurant, Potts Point

Juicy roast pork knuckle $18.90
served with pickled cucumbers, horseradish, mustard and bread

EDIT: Prague Czech Beer Restaurant has closed

My pork knuckle arrives on a chopping board. With cutlery jammed in deep. It's just as well I'm sitting down or I'd have swooned.


Crunchy fried and stuffed mushrooms $8.90
with blue cheese and tartare sauce

The night had already started off well at Prague Czech Beer Restaurant. We'd shared a platter of fried stuffed mushrooms, golden brown nuggets filled with fresh mushrooms and oozing blue cheese.

Deciding on our mains had been much much harder. Twenty five different mains were on offer, most offering pork.


Golden roasted Doung duck $21.90
based on an old traditional Czech recipe
served with red cabbage, sauerkraut, bread and potato dumplings

J stuck with old faithful, the golden roasted Doung duck, crispy in skin and tender within. Fat stodgy discs of bread dumplings were the perfect sponges for mopping up duck gravy. The mounds of red cabbage and sauerkraut helped counteract the richness of the dish.

My pork knuckle was, oh, divine. The enormous beast of a bone was clad in gloriously moist meat that flaked off with the touch of a fork. Its armour of crackling was no match for my knife. I even gnawed at the bone.


Marinated pears in wine on vanilla glaze $8.50

A short interim soon cleared way for dessert. J partook of the marinated pears, whose spectacular presentation made us all think (and crave) matchstick custard slices.


Hot raspberry on vanilla ice cream $7.90

Hot raspberry on vanilla ice cream includes a very generous serve of fruit, not to mention its very funky presentation glass.


Apple strudel with walnuts and ice cream $7.50

I stuck with old faithful, the apple strudel with walnuts and ice cream. The apple mixture wasn't as sweet as I'm used to, although were plenty of walnuts.

The beers here ($6.50 for 500ml) are a little more expensive than Doma Bohemian Beer Cafe ($5.50 for 500ml), but if you're a pork knuckle fan like me, you won't be complaining.


Prague Czech Beer Restaurant (CLOSED)
42 Kellett Street, Potts Point, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9368 0898

Monday to Friday 5pm-midnight
Saturday 12pm-midnight
Sunday 12pm-10pm

Kai in the City, Wellington

I have an obsession with whole roasted animals. Hangis, spits, pits... they all fascinate me in their celebration of meat. I was keen to try traditional Maori food when I was in Wellington, New Zealand but unfortunately Wellington ain't so close to Rotorua, where most hangis are offered (primarily catered for the tourist market, admittedly).

But some online research did uncover a Maori restaurant in Wellington called Kai in the City.


Paraoa Maori bread

It's a small and humble restaurant that sits practically opposite Cafe Bastille. The plain wooden tables are simple and nestled together, with a glimpse of the chef's mise-en-place possible in the semi-open kitchen.

After placing my order, I'm served a basket of complimentary paraoa Maori bread to accompany my drink (feijoa juice, of course). The cubes of bread are like a cross between a brioche and a Vienna loaf: soft, dense and fluffy with a hint of Manuka honey sweetness.


Tangaroa platter $40.00

The tangaroa platter seems like the best way to try a little bit of everything. A large square plate is laden with assorted seafood nibbles including kuku (mussel), kuku and kina kohere (mussel and sea egg fritter), piripiri prawns, tio repe (oysters), hupa kaimoana (seafood soup), pikopiko (young fern shoot) dip, smoked eel pate, creme fraiche and piripiri oil with more paraoa (Maori bread).

The oysters are fresh and fragrant, the mussels are plump and tender. I develop quite an liking for the smoked eel pate and the pikopiko fern shoot dip too. The soup is thick and hearty, each shot glass packed with chunks of scallop, mussel and prawn. The mussel fritter is a bit like eating a mussel pancake, and though the prawns are sweet, they're not as fiery as I thought they'd be.

The main meals are plated elegantly with a reasonable portion size. This is the only modern Maori restaurant in the world, I'm told almost conspiratorially by the friendly diner sitting next to me.

Do you eat here often? I ask, and he smiles in response. Five minutes later he gets up, chats to the kitchen and then grabs a guitar. He's the restaurant songman, and soon he has the entire dining room singing Pokarekare Ana, a traditional Maori song with lyric cheat sheets for everyone.

It's a warm and friendly atmosphere and each table has to perform a solo. But everyone joins in and as each table leaves for the evening there's a cheerful flurry of farewells at the door.

Everyone waves back with smiles all around.

Kai in the City
21 Majorbanks Street, Wellington, New Zealand
Tel: +64 (04) 801 5006

Tuesday to Sunday 5pm till late
Closed on Mondays






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