Halloween Dessert Degustation at Studio Neon, Waterloo

There are two cheap and easy ways to make fake blood. Green detergent mixed with red food colouring is perfect for splattering all over your next Halloween outfit. For fresh trails of blood running down your face, use golden syrup mixed with red food colouring and a touch of black. It will be ridiculously sticky, but it will trickle and glisten realistically.

And if you do happen to be wearing a blood soaked t-shirt, with your face and arms smeared enthusiastically in fake blood, noone will bat an eyelid if you're walking from Central to Redfern. I know because I did this last Friday night, initially a little worried that I would freak out passersby, and then worried because noone seemed fazed in the slightest.

But it was a weekend for Halloween festivities, and I was headed (in costume) to the Halloween Dessert Degustation, a pop-up event by food bloggers Billy, Karen and Phuoc.


Dining room at Studio Neon

For two days, Billy, Karen and Phuoc have been cooking in preparation for the event held at Studio Neon, a quirky hire space with mismatched chairs, a massive communal table and an awesome speaker display along one wall. There are two sittings, and after pushing out six courses in two hours for the first session, Billy confesses that the second session is much more relaxed, primarily because there is no time deadline, and also that fact they'd already had one complete run-through.


Phuoc, Karen and Billy

Thirty-two guests assemble for the second session, unsure of what to expect but ready for a ghoulish feast.


Billy handing out the petit fours

Tonight's degustation would be in reverse, starting with petit fours and progressing through desserts to savouries.


Petit fours: pineapple marshmallows by Karen; balsamic vinegar strawberry pate de fruit by Phuoc; and black sesame and charcoal powder macarons with pumpkin and blue cheese filling

Petit fours are a group contribution: fluffy pineapple marshmallows by Karen, sugar-crusted balsamic vinegar strawberry pate de fruit by Phuoc, and black sesame and charcoal powder macarons with an intriguing pumpkin and blue cheese filling by Billy.


Ghoulish cocktails

A bar to the side keeps everyone liquored up with spooky cocktails. Dry ice adds theatrics to the Transfusion cocktail, but I love the naming of the Human Sacrifice, with three jelly babies skewered across the top!


Phuoc plating her deconstructed apple crumble

The open kitchen gives everyone a chance to watch the plating process, even if at times there are more photographers than cooks hovering around the pass! The level of organisation and communication is particularly impressive - everyone knows what they have to do, and pitch in seamlessly when required.


Billy and Phuoc


Deconstructed apple crumble by Phuoc: Apple and green tea sorbet, popping candy crumble, mille feuille and apple jelly

Desserts kick off with a deconstructed apple crumble by Phuoc. It's an elaborate construction, a scoop of icy cold apple and green tea sorbet, a crisp tile of mille feuille pastry, slippery curls of apple jelly and a bed of macadamia crumble with the surprise addition of pop rocks that crackle in the mouth.


Phuoc making apple juice pearls

There's a splash of molecular gastronomy too, with apple juice pearls created using a process of spherification.


Pouring moscato into the test tubes


Apple pearls with moscato

Test tubes of apple pearls topped up with moscato provide a fizzy and refreshing complement to the apple crumble.


A Frolic in the Dirt by Karen: Chocolate parfait with minted chocolate dirt, caramelised white chocolate and long pepper infused cherries

The second dessert is by Karen, a bowl of chocolate soil littered with caramelised white chocolate and cherries infused with long pepper. Digging deep in the bowl reveals a hidden core of chocolate parfait. There's an occasional flash of mint in the soil which we discover is courtesy of crushed up Fisherman's Friend tablets!


The hardest working but often overlooked pillars in the kitchen - the dishwashers!


Lamb ribs

By this point everyone is hankering for something savoury, and unlike the first session, we switch to savouries slightly earlier.


Mexican smoked Saddleback pulled pork and Asian style chilli and soy lamb ribs with balsamic braised red cabbage, apple puree with walnut and cauliflower puree

The savoury main is a hearty platter of pulled pork with braised red cabbage and a sweet puree of apple with toasted walnuts. The lamb ribs, cooked Asian style with chilli and soy, are amazingly tender but it's the creamy smooth cauliflower puree that has everyone sinking into gastronomic bliss.


Pumpkin soup with red pepper oil and pork crackling

The final savoury, or reverse entree, is a nutty pumpkin soup served in dainty tea cups. Pork crackling shards make for deliciously crunchy croutons.


Karen plating Billy's Snow White dessert

The finale is Billy's dessert, a dish that involves almost everyone scooping, dabbing or dotting various components on the plate.


Billy, Phuoc and Shaun


Raspberry mousse, oat crumbs, lychee and rosewater gel, pistachio praline, freeze dried raspberry

It's pink, delicate and pretty but before we know it, boxes are hauled out from nowhere and then the real big guns come out!


Snow White by Billy: Raspberry mousse, oat crumbs, lychee and rosewater gel, pistachio praline, freeze dried raspberry, white chocolate dome

White chocolate domes are gingerly placed over each plate, hiding the contents from view.


Snow White army

The 60 white chocolate domes took eight hours to make, according to Billy, who undertook a crash course in the joys of chocolate tempering.


Snow White at the table

It's hard not to be impressed by the dome when it arrives at the table. Even the brush strokes of white chocolate are mesmerising.


White chocolate domes at the dinner table


Pouring hot raspberry coulis over the white chocolate domes

Don't touch the dessert yet! we're warned, and it all makes sense when teapots of hot raspberry coulis are brought around and poured over the top. 

Melting.... melllltttttttting


Snow White collapses

Destruction. Puddles of blood. Everyone is fascinated by the different ways in which each dome folds in on itself and then eventually collapses.


Blood and carnage

It's a big dessert, but the acidity of the raspberry coulis provides some relief against the sweetness of the white chocolate. There's a lovely crunch from the pistachio praline and the lychee rosewater gel is elegantly refreshing.



We leave on a sugar high, clutching our stomachs with a renewed appreciation for salt. Congratulations to Billy, Karen and Phuoc on a fantastic evening. A great night had by all!


Phuoc, Karen and Billy


This won't hurt a bit, Billy!

The Halloween Dessert Degustation ($80 per person) was a public pop-up event held on Friday 26 October at Studio Neon.


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Studio Neon
136 Raglan Street, Waterloo, Sydney
Tel: +61 (0)404 003 330

Bayswater Diner, Potts Point, Kings Cross

Sloppy joes, corn dogs and 1920s jazz. The current Sydney obsession with American diner food looks far from over, but Bayswater Diner looks to offer a swankier experience, with smart uniformed waitstaff, a refined dining room and a comprehensive menu that runs from cobb salad to gumbo. It's the latest venture by Peter Lew and Nicole Galloway (Fei Jai and Barrio Chino), bringing new life to the site below Concrete Blonde.


Mary Arribiata $17
Pork fat washed Finlandia vodka with lemon juice, olive brine, tomato and Tabasco
Root beer float $7

The drinks menu has a determined American focus, with variations on the prohibition classic Long Island Iced Tea, cocktails with cherry cola and root beer, and adult shakes like the Dirty Girl Scout ($13). The creamsicle float (soda and ice cream) makes a rare appearance, but I'm all about the Bloody Mary- named a Mary Arribiata here - that's super peppery with Tabasco but not noticeably porky despite the mention of pork fat washed vodka.


Soft shell crab po' boy with lime mayo $14

We are happy to share dishes tonight, starting with a carnival of mini corn dogs ($12) that combine soft frankfurters with the sweet fluffy crunch of deep-fried cornmeal batter.

The soft shell crab po' boy is heftier than you'd expect, a tangle of crab sandwiched with shredded red cabbage in a crusty torpedo roll. The crab isn't as strong in flavour as you'll find in Japanese restaurants, but the batter is admirably light and crisp.


Chicken wings in Bayswater hot sauce $10

The chicken wings, too, suffer a little in the seasoning department despite a promise of hot sauce, but a liberal coating of blue cheese sauce helps things along.


Smoked pulled pork served on a hoagie roll $18
Battered onion rings with honey on the side $8

The smoked pulled pork, on the other hand, offers plenty to cheer about - shreds of intensely smoky pork sauced up and slapped onto a hot dog-style bun.

Battered onion rings come with a side of honey. It's a strange concept at first, but if you exercise restraint and trail it lightly across the surface (not drowning it like I first did) you can easily trick your mind into thinking the onion is caramelised and naturally sweet.


The double Bayz cheeseburger $18

You can order the cheeseburger with a single patty ($12) but why stop there when you can double the fun? The meat patties are juicy and the cheese has that just-melted wilt to the edges. Suze is also ecstatic that the salad comes on the side - a pile of fresh tomato slices and butter lettuce leaves.


Mac and cheese with bacon $11
Burnt end beef brisket sloppy joe with slaw and potato salad $18

We'd been looking forward to the macaroni and cheese but there's a distinct shortage of cheese sauce, missing the stretchy strings of molten cheese.

There's a blanket of cheese on the sloppy joe however, oozing over a bed of savoury mince cooked in tomato sauce.


Half rack hickory smoked pork ribs with slaw and potato salad $35

I'd chosen the half rack of hickory smoked ribs, not as smoky as the pulled pork but ridiculously tender. The meat falls right off the bone as soon as I attempt to separate the ribs.


Pecan pie with JD cream $12

You can make your own sundae for dessert, with your choice of ice cream, syrup and toppings that include Oreos, mini marshmallows and Reese's pieces. There's also a New York baked cheesecake and cherry choc fudge brownies but we stick with the pecan pie, an individual tart that's crowned with a alcoholic-tinged dollop of Jack Daniels flavoured cream.


Key lime mousse with mango $13

We'd been warned that our lava cake order would take 15 minutes but the kitchen must have taken pity on us for waiting, as they send out a complimentary serve of key lime mousse from the menu. The mousse is tangy with lime, wrapped around a core of mango gelee, but on a menu of homestyle classics, I'm wondering why they don't offer the heartier and much more satisfying key lime pie instead.


Peanut butter chocolate lava cake with salted caramel ice cream $14

We can smell the sugar sweet overload of our peanut butter chocolate lava cake even before it arrives at our table. The chocolate lava cake is moist but it's the core of what tastes like pure peanut butter that threatens to stick to the roof of your mouth. Salvation comes in the form of a salted caramel ice cream that's cool and creamy.

There are some hits and misses tonight, but it's a relief to see an American menu that extends beyond the ubiquitous slider and hot dog. Now all we need is an oyster po' boy and some hush puppies. Then we can talk.




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Bayswater Diner
33 Bayswater Road, Potts Point, Kings Cross, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 8021 3040

Opening hours:
Wednesday to Sunday 5pm - 12midnight


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MoVida, Sydney

It's here. After years of plane hopping to Melbourne, Sydneysiders now have a MoVida to call their own. Frank Camorra's long awaited expansion to Sydney has finally hit Surry Hills, opening in the former site of Jared Ingersoll's Cotton Duck on Holt Street.


Movida bench seating

The dining room has been given a complete overhaul, a cosy arrangement of cushioned timber booths, tables and bar seating anchored by a glassed-in kitchen that gives a sneak peek of all the action. There's plenty to look at, from the chalk-scrawled blackboard that wraps its way around the bar, to the gleaming cabinet groaning with fresh seafood and a glass display of hanging smallgoods, waiting to be eaten.


Moritz lager Barcelona $9

The one page menu is split up into five sections: embutidos or cold meats; tapas; racion or entrees; a la parilla or from the grill; and verduras or vegetables. Half a dozen specials are listed on a separate print out. The wine list arrives as a bound compendium - there's a strong emphasis on Spanish wines of course, but I'm straight into the Moritz lager from Barcelona which is clean and refreshing.


Anchoa $4.50 each
Artisan Cantabrian anchovy with smoked tomato sorbet

But first, let's talk about the anchovy with tomato sorbet. If there's one signature dish by Camorra, surely it would be this one. Pairing tomatoes with anchovy isn't new, but it's the refinement of each component that makes this one such a winner on my books. It's the brittle crunch of the wafer against the delicate saltiness of the hand-filled Cantabrian anchovy fillet, and then the bewilderingly cold but silky smooth quenelle of smoky and sweet tomato sorbet, accented with salty pops of caper.

Our waitress takes pains to explain that the sorbet should be spread across the entire fillet. It glides effortlessly across, and really it's just as gloriously good as I remembered, that I order another one for dessert.  Seriously.


Caldo $7
Manchego custard with burnt onion and truffle consomme

The caldo, or Manchego custard, is like a Spanish riff on Japanese chawanmushi, a gentle huddle of slippery soft egg custard tinted with the rich saltiness of Manchego cheese.


Manchego custard 

My only quibble would be that the truffle oil is a little overwhelming and unnecessary, but otherwise it's a sexy sensual dish.


Ostra al Microhondas $6 each
Oyster Kilpatrick

Camorra isn't afraid to mix things up on the menu. Lex's oyster kilpatrick is nothing like you'd expect, served out of the shell and garnished with a crisp sliver of jamon.


Gamba ahumada $7 each
House smoked South Australian prawn with piquillo peppers and bortagga

Similarly, the house smoked prawn comes elaborately plated, propped up with salty slices of cured mullet roe. The prawn itself has an incredible smokiness although the generous dusting of paprika tends to stick to the tongue.


Jamon serrano $16
Duroc 50gram

Suze is all about the jamon, and while we're happy about the fattiness of each paper thin slice, it seems a shame the ribbons have been cut into tiny squares while a hunk of bruschetta has to broken into more manageable pieces.


Bocata de buey $12 each
Air baguette, roast beef wagyu, tocino de cielo, pickled and black garlic

And then there's the undeniable prettiness of the wagyu beef air baguette, draped with fatty slices of meat and decorated with a garden of edible flowers, chives and bursts of black garlic.


Carrillera $24
Beef cheek in Pedro Ximenez with cauliflower puree

We move onto more substantial fare with beef cheek, slow cooked with Pedro Ximenez sherry until soft and unctuous. The gravy is a highlight, but so too is the cauliflower puree, pale and wondrously creamy and smoother than a baby's cheek.


Callos $18
Tripe cooked in traditional Madrid style with chickpeas, chorizo, tomato and a touch of spice

The callos, or tripe, tastes just like the kind of dish your Spanish grandma would make, a heartwarming serving of chickpeas, chorizo slices and treasures of tender tripe cooked in a rich tomato sauce.


Patatas bravas con mojo $14 each
Smoked potato bravas with faux bacon dust served with mojo picon

I'd been intrigued by the patatas bravas, mostly because of the promise of faux bacon dust. The faux bacon dust is made from dehydrated soy, and it does have a salty umami flavour but I'm more obsessed with the mojo picon, a red pepper sauce that is deeply smoky and soul-satisfying.


Orejas $13
Crispy pigs ears with guindillas

Crispy pigs ears are another standout dish. Where pigs ears elsewhere are so often deep-fried to a indiscernible crunch, here they're sandwiched between parmesan crisps and fried so there's still a tacky chewy resistance - in a good way. These are so moreishly good Suze orders another round for dessert.


Calamares relleno $19
Local baby squid stuffed with black rice

We conclude our mains with the baby squid stuffed with black rice, so tiny they look like they've been kidnapped while still in kindergarten. The squid look more like mini rocket ships but they are enviably tender, stuffed with a fragrant squid ink black rice, interspersed with grains of puffed rice that add textural crunch.


Flan $14.50
Creme caramel served with pestinos

We finish with creme caramel, elegantly smooth and cooked to a perfect wobble. It's simple but masterfully executed, and worth fighting over the last spoonful.

There's no doubting MoVida will be a hit - it's worth arriving before 6pm if you don't have a dinner booking. Some dishes are a little on the pricey side but there's enough creativity and value to keep you fed well if you order wisely.




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MoVida
50 Holt Street, Surry Hills, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 8964 7642

Opening hours:
Monday 5pm til late
Tuesday to Friday 12 til late
Saturday 5pm til late
Sunday closed

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