Poplar Central Asian Cuisine, Crows Nest

EDIT: Poplar Central Asian Cuisine has closed

Meat on sticks is good, but meat on swords is better. At Poplar, it’s chunks of lamb skewered onto swords of flattened steel, cooked over charcoal until smoky. Dusted liberally with cumin, the meat is tender and aromatic – if you’re lucky you’ll score a fatty piece that’s reminiscent of a caramelised lamb chop. The sword-like skewers are a throwback to the Central Asian soldiers of yore who would use their swords to grill meat over an open fire.


Zik kawap $12.50 for 5
Charcoal lamb skewers

The family-run Poplar has been open for two years but it’s quiet most nights bar a few loyal diners. It’s a shame because the menu offers a comprehensive selection of dishes that span the breadth of Central Asia, from lamb-filled Uzbek mantou buns to Kazakh lamb with noodles to Russian-style kotlet beef and potato croquettes. The interior is bright and clean, the menu is helpfully illustrated with photos and service is friendly and obliging.


Petir manta $12.50
Uzbek-specialty steamed manta

The zik kawap charcoal lamb skewers are a given. They’re so good you’ll probably order another round.


Dapan ji $20 small ($30 large)
Spicy chicken with potato and dried chilli served with freshly handmade noodles

Dapanji, meaning ‘big plate chicken’, is also a specialty and a much-loved favourite with Uighur locals. It’s a hearty comfort-food dish of chicken pieces on the bone, boiled potato, dried chilli and capsicum mixed through with handmade noodles that are satisfyingly chewy.


Piyaz poshkal $8
Shallot pancakes

Piyaz poshkal, or shallot pancakes, are also a winner – flaky rounds of pastry with a golden bubbled crunch.


Koy tili salad $10
Xinjiang-style lamb tongue salad

If you’re a fan of tripe, Poplar has you covered. The Xinjiang-style lamb tongue salad is vinegary and refreshing, but the lamb trip salad with capsicum is our pick with its sweeter dressing.



Kerin salad $15
Lamb tripe salad with capsicum

Relax. It’s not all innards. The gosh nan is like a pizza on steroids, a thick disc of bread cradling hunks of braised lamb on the bone in a lake of gravy.


Gosh nan $30
Braised lamb served on Central Asian naan



Suyuk ash $12
Xinjiang-style noodle soup

Finish up with suyuk ash, a massive bowl of Xinjiang spicy soup brimming with tomatoes, tofu, black fungus and noodles.



Terhemek salad $8
Cucumber salad


Sujuk $15
Xinjiang-style smoked sausages


Tuhum shorpa $10
Clear egg soup



Zik kawap $12.50 for 5
Charcoal lamb skewers





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Poplar Central Asian Cuisine (CLOSED)
Shop 2, 300 Pacific Highway
Crows Nest 2065
Tel: +61 (02) 9439 9886

Opening hours:
Tuesday to Sunday 11am-10pm

This article appears in the February 2013 issue of Time Out Sydney in my monthly Food & Drink column Eat This! [Read online] 

Read more Time Out Sydney reviews

Porteño, Surry Hills

Meat. And fire. The metal frames look more like torture instruments, but to a hot-blooded carnivore, the Argentinian asado barbecue pit offers a reverential appreciation for all things meat.

It's the promise of flesh that brings fervent diners to Porteño. Fifteen minutes before the doors open for dinner, the queue outside is consistently twenty people deep. Inside, the asado takes centre stage, an open charcoal pit that slowly roasts whole beasts for six hours or more. Each day, they cook two whole lambs and two whole pigs.  The unmistakeable smell of animal fat dripping over hissing coals weaves its way into every corner.


Porteno dining room

Arrive early and you'll score one of the moody nooks and crannies littered around the central exposed courtyard. Skylights overhead drench the courtyard in natural light, but its noticeably louder too, with an echo that builds with each diner.


Charcoal grill

The open kitchen means it's worth taking a wander, if only to see your dinner before it's plated. There are flames licking wood in the parilla grill, beasts splayed flat above the asado pit and more tattoos in the kitchen than a season 6 episode of Top Chef.


Beef cuts


Lamb ready for carving 

The menu is larger than you'd expect, with plenty of dishes to keep any waylaid vegetarians satisfied too, including broccoli and ricotta empanadas ($6.50), barbecued eggplant with peppers, cauliflower and tahini ($24) and roast beetroot with witlof and housemade feta ($24).


Lengua en escabeche $8
Pickled veal tongue

We start with the pickled veal tongue, wafer thin and enviably tender, elegantly draped in a pool of refreshing vinaigrette. Sure you can see the tastebuds, but for me, that's half the fun.


Tira de asado $38
Pasture-fed Angus beef short ribs

Pastured-fed Angus beef short ribs are simply done, cooked over charcoal to a caramelised crust. It's not a large portion, with each rib costing close to $10, but the meat is rich and fatty, with an intensity of flavour that comes from pasture-fed beef.

A little pot of chimichurri sauce - parsley, garlic, olive oil, oregano and vinegar - provides an acidic lift. All that's left on our plates are little bones, licked clean.


Cordero a la cruz $46
8 hour wood-fired lamb

The wood-fired lamb and pork don't come cheap either, but when you consider the eight hours of tending required - the animals are rotated and moved constantly around the firepit - it doesn't seem worth quibbling.


Chanchito a la cruz $46
8 hour wood-fired pig

Both the lamb and pig are succulent, hunks of flesh ribboned liberally with creamy fat. All the good bits are here too, like the crispy treats of lamb skin and shards of pork crackling that shatter with a resounding crunch.


Repollito de brusela frito $14
Crispy fried brussel sprouts with lentils and mint

The crispy fried brussel sprouts are a house specialty too, known to convert even the most ardent brussel sprout hater. They're a little on the oily side tonight, but the combination of nutty fried brussel sprouts with lentils and fresh mint leaves is both nourishing and refreshing.


Pulpo asado con chorizo, papas y alioli $26
BBQ octopus, chorizo, potato hash and alioli

We also find room for one more dish, tender barbecued octopus tentacles curled around dabs of intense garlicky alioli on a plank of chorizo. Golden towers of potato hash are a highlight.


Postre chaja $16
South American style pavlova

The postre chaja, described as a South American style pavlova, ticks the meringue and cream boxes. It even has a trail of passionfruit syrup. What it also brings is a turret of fluffy sponge cake, sandwiched with fresh mango, crushed nuts and a sticky puddle of dulce de leche caramel in the middle.


Leche quemada $16
Burnt milk custard with cherry and chocolate ice cream

But the knockout dessert is the leche quemada. The huddle of flan may look unassuming, but its silkiness will make your toes curl, a burnt milk custard that's slightly bitter, incredibly creamy and crowned with a thin veneer of blow-torched caramel.

Cap off your night with a glass of thirty-year-old Pedro Ximenez sherry ($19.50). It's like drinking raisins drenched in honey and golden syrup with a toffee chaser - guaranteed to end your evening on a sweet note.


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Porteno
358 Cleveland Street, Surry Hills, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 8399 1440

Opening hours:
Tuesday to Saturday 6pm til late

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Town Bike Pitstop, Redfern

"Town Bike has a double meaning, I know, but we kinda like that," says co-owner John Azzi with a twinkle in his eye. Together with friend Graham Rowe, the two have created the Town Bike Pitstop, combining coffees with bicycle know-how.

The idea came from a shared love of commuter cycling that flourished during their stay in Amsterdam where they were former flatmates. Out the front is the cafe, serving coffee and a concise blackboard menu of breakfasts, sandwiches and snacks. Down the back is the Grease Monkey bicycle repair shop, a partnership with Nathanel Dyon who they found via a mutual friend in Amsterdam.


Bikes for sale and the Redfern Bike Depot at the back

It would be easy to dismiss the Town Bike as 'yet another hipster hangout' (even if they were recently featured in the New York Times) but there's a real sense of heart about a place that earnestly aims to be a part of the wider community. At the rear of the shop is the Redfern Bike Depot where cyclists can pump their tyres and use a dedicated workbench and tools to maintain and fix their bikes for free. They've even provided little packets of cleanser and cloths for de-greasing hands afterwards.


Nathanael Dyon in the Grease Monkey bike repair shop at the back

And as a recent cycling convert (noone picked that one!), it's hard not to appreciate the ease of accessory shopping with a lazy lunch. "You can get your bike fixed and your caffeine fix all in one!" proclaims John with a theatrical wave of his arm.


Original tiles from the original butchery

Most endearing of all is the original tilework, uncovered from its former life as a butchery established in the 1890s.


John Azzi, co-owner of the Town Bike Pitstop 

The menu is short and sweet but well considered given the limitations of the rudimentary kitchen available.


Town Bike Pitstop blackboard menu

The breads are by Sonoma, croissants are from Brasserie Bread and the coffee beans are roasted by Di Gabriel.


Flat white and latte coffees with Di Gabriel beans 


Roast chicken, tomato and dill may with gherkin $9  

There are three sandwiches on the menu today: roast beef, ham with Swiss or roast chicken. The meat pies and egg and bacon rolls on Turkish are all popular, and it takes some willpower to resist the offer of French toast with bacon ($9).


Dutch brekkie ei ham and kas $11.50
Eggs, ham and cheese

I opt for the Dutch breakfast instead, one of John's favourite things to eat in Amsterdam he confesses.


Like a cheesy frittata

The Dutch breakfast is a blistering hot serve of baked cheesy egg mixed through with surprise pockets of free range ham. It's fluffy, salty and rich, reminding me of a cheesy frittata or a double-baked souffle. An alternative version with smoked salmon is also available. Two thick slices of toast slathered with butter will tide you over until dinner.

Quirky but functional with friendly service. Get on your bike and get down there.


Giant chocolate chip cookies


Bikes in the window, including Early Rider bikes for kids




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Town Bike Pitstop
156 Abercrombie Street, Redern, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9699 0096

Opening hours
Monday to Friday 7am - 6pm
Saturday 8am - 4pm


Grease Monkey Bicycles
156 Abercrombie Street, Redern, Sydney
Tel: 0468 514 007

Opening hours
Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm
Saturday 9am - 2pm


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Jazz City Diner, Darlinghurst

EDIT: Jazz City Diner has closed and been replaced with Chaco Bar.

Fried chicken and waffles. It's dinner and breakfast in one. Crunchy fried chicken and crisp fluffy waffle. Both drowned in lashings of maple syrup. It's the only thing on my mind as we head to dinner at Jazz City Diner.


Dining room and booths inside Jazz City Diner

The dining room is tinier than you'd expect, with room for only 24 diners. Booth seating lines one wall, inset with a retro-style TV screen playing crackling old jazz recordings of Nat King Cole and more in black-and-white. If you miss out on a booth, the counter stools are just as fun, giving you a view of all the kitchen prep action.



Counter stools at the kitchen bench and the kitsch waitress uniforms

We stroll in just after 6pm mid-week and only just manage to snag the last available table. There may not be as much passing foot traffic on this end of Crown Street (even if Pocket Bar and Shady Pines Saloon are only around the corner) but the place is filled with a gaggle of twenty-somethings and locals.

Mary-Ellen, dressed in a crisp white-collared diner uniform, takes our order, although her thick German accent belies the name on her badge.


Peanut butter milkshake $10

The menu is a comforting mix of burgers littered with Southern US classics like Andouille sausage gumbo ($18), chilli cheese fries ($10) and cobb salad ($19). Some prices can seem a little steep - four shrimp corn dogs with salad come in at $28 - but head chef and owner Dan McGuirt says "I want to cook American food but with a modern approach," citing his prior experience with Vue De Monde as a major influence.

We start with the peanut butter milkshake, made with homemade ice cream according to the menu. At $10 a pop, it's not cheap, but it's so rich you'll want to share. The shake is lusciously thick and rich with peanut flavour, but it's not overly sweet. We piously avoid drinking the swirl of cream.

They also do spiders or floats (soft drink with ice cream) for $8 and the fridge is stocked with cans of grape Fanta ($4), Dr Pepper ($5) and A&W root beer ($7).


Johnny's Fatboy burger with sweet potato fries $19

The Johnny's Fatboy burger could be an endorsement or a warning. Maybe it's both. Either way, you're guaranteed to make a mess, with each bite of the thick juicy patty tumbling out nuggets of Texas-style chilli beef mince. In amongst the beef fest are shards of crispy bacon, onion, pickle relish, mayonnaise, tomato, lettuce, cheese and squiggles of bright yellow American mustard.


Sweet potato fries

The sweet potato fries on the side are dangerously addictive.


Backyard BBQ beef burger with onion rings $18 plus $4 upgrade for onion rings instead of fries

The backyard BBQ beef burger is a pool party of bacon, lettuce, tomatos, pickle relish and coleslaw slathered with a generous dollop of the housemade smoky barbecue sauce.


Onion rings

Onion rings will cost you an extra $4 (instead of potato or sweet potato fries) but it's worth it. The deep fried shell of batter is all crunch, protecting a shimmering centre of sweet and translucent onion.


Macaroni and cheese $8

We share a side of macaroni and cheese too, a huddle of elbow pasta in cheese sauce. The sauce is more on the runny side, without the telltale glorious stretches of stringy cheese I'd hoped for.


Chicken and waffles $24

And then. The chicken and waffles. It should double as main course and dessert. A heartwarming sight of golden fried chicken resting on a pillow of freshly cooked waffle. A border of jewel-like capsicum squares look fancy but seem a little out of place, although I'm too busy grabbing the metal pitcher of maple syrup and pouring like crazy.

Does it work? Of course it does. Anyone who naysays maple syrup and fried chicken need only look at Chinese char siu pork, roast pork and apple or turkey and cranberry to understand that sugar is everybody's best friend.

The southern fried chicken is impressive. Juicy and tender beneath the armour of nobbled batter with a haven of crunchy crevices. Mixing mouthfuls of this with fluffy waffle, slightly crisp at the edges, will prompt one of those "where have you been all my life" revelations.

Hidden beneath the chicken is a puddle of wilted spinach cooked in brown butter, a welcome touch of calorific respite. The only thing I would say is maybe it's best to only use half the syrup in the jug - otherwise you'll be wading through a pool of diabetes as your teeth start to tingle.



Pecan pie with butter pecan ice cream $10

They'd run out of the banana cream pie by the time we were ready for dessert (devastation!) so we settle for a slice of the pecan pie. The filling is a little runnier and stickier than most pecan pies, but the crust of sugary pecans on top is worth scrabbling over.

Fried chicken and waffles. What a way to start a new year!


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Jazz City Diner CLOSED
Jazz City Diner has closed and been replaced with Chaco Bar.
238 Crown Street, Darlinghurst, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9332 2903

Opening hours:
Lunch Tuesday to Saturday 12pm-2pm
Dinner Tuesday to Saturday 6pm-10pm
Closed Sunday and Monday

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