Ruby and Rach, Strattons Hotel, Sydney

It's easy to get in a lather about the latest Reuben to hit Sydney but what I'm much more excited about is the matzo ball soup.

You'll find it all at the recently established Ruby and Rach at Strattons Hotel, only a few steps from the corner of Liverpool and Castlereagh Streets in the CBD. It would be a stretch to call this a New York-style deli - it's more like an upmarket pub bistro - but mentions of pastrami, challah and matzo are welcome sightings in this city.


Ruby & Rach dining room

Ruby & Rach sandwich menu

Breakfast runs from 9am - 11am, when you can score corned beef hash with eggs, challah French toast and house-smoked lox (smoked salmon) with a schmear (cream cheese) on a bialy (kinda like a bagel bun).

At lunchtime the menu switches to sandwiches. There are ten different kinds, headed up by the classic Reuben.


The Reuben $16
Wagyu corned beef, Swiss, sauerkraut and Russian dressing on light rye

Head chef Tony Gibson's CV includes stints at Marque and The Four in Hand but these days he's obsessed with making the perfect sandwich: he corns his own beef, makes sauerkraut from scratch and bakes all the bialys. 

The Reuben uses Australian wagyu beef, subjected to an eight-day process of sous vide cooking and brining that results in soft, juicy slabs of meat. It's not piled as high as the ones you'll find at Katz's Deli but there's a good balance with the sauerkraut. Our only quibble: we're not sure why the bread comes toasted, an unnecessary step that adds a slight greasiness from the melted butter rendered wagyu fat [EDIT: Ruby and Rach tell us it's actually rendered wagyu fat. Whoah]. 

The Dirty Bird $14
Smoked turkey breast, confit leg, slaw and cranberry ketchup on challah

The Dirty Bird translates to slices of smoked turkey breast and confit leg sandwiched with slaw and cranberry ketchup between two slices of challah. This one's for the sweet tooths - the sweet and fluffy challah bread is made sweeter still with the cranberry ketchup.

You can choose between slaw or potato salad as a side to your sandwich. The potato salad is a tasty rendition.


Half n half - Rebecca sandwich with matzo ball soup $11

If you're torn between having a sandwich or the matzo ball soup you can order the half n half. Have your soup and eat it too. What you'll get is a smaller sized sandwich of your choice with a modest bowl of matzo ball soup.


The Rebecca 
Smoked portobello mushroom, Swiss, slaw and Russian dressing on light rye

I'm tempted by the wagyu pastrami and the pickled veal tongue but end up going with the Rebecca, the only vegetarian sandwich on the menu. Gibson brines the portobello mushroom in much the same way as the beef - but for a shorter period - and then smokes it using cherrywood and maple for about an hour.

There's a faint sourness to the mushroom but the smoking really does come through, and the 'meatiness' of the portobello holds up well against the slaw, Russian dressing and Swiss cheese.


Jewish penicillin
Chicken broth, shredded chicken, matzo ball and vegetables

The matzo ball soup is the highlight of the day though. You can smell the chickeny goodness as soon as it hits the table.


Inside the matzo ball

The first spoonful is a revelation, rich with real chicken stock and chicken fat in the most hearty, homemade and comforting way possible. And then there's the matzo ball, one big fat dumpling made from matzo meal, eggs, water and fat. The matzo ball is soft and spongy, having soaked up much of the soup, and the abundance of vegetables is simultaneously nourishing and energising. No wonder they call this Jewish penicillin.


Poutine classic $12
Hand cut fries, roast chicken gravy and cheese curds

How does poutine fit into a Jewish menu? Who cares. We need more of this amazing Quebec dish around these parts. There's a thinner gravy than I'd prefer but the cheese curds are satisfyingly squeaky, heaped over a bowl of hand cut fries.

On the drinks side you can skip the usual bar offerings and go for the Olive A Twist cordials ($5), made with Mudgee-sourced produce and rain water (?!) and dispensed from giant Mason jar drink dispensers. They also do bottomless cups of Single Origin filter coffee. Black only.

All that's missing here is a chocolate babka for dessert. No dessert? Oy vey!




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Ruby and Rach
Strattons Hotel, 249 Castlereagh Street, Sydney
Tel: +61 (0)405 331 920

Opening hours:
Monday to Wednesday 9am - 7pm
Thursday to Friday 9am - 9pm

Breakfast 9am - 11am
Lunch 11am - 4pm


Related Grab Your Fork posts:
Katz's Deli, New York

Sydney Food Bloggers Christmas Picnic 2013

What makes people happy? Giant sheets of pork crackling! It was the Sydney Food Bloggers Christmas Picnic on the weekend, organised by Chocolatesuze and I, now in its 5th year.

After sending out 300 invitations, we had 100+ rsvps. Everything was set until Mother Nature decided to start raining 2.5 hours before our event. There was thunder. There was lightning. There was even a threat of hailstones.

There is no greater feeling of helplessness than staring at the sky and willing it to stop raining. Please! 

Suze and I were determined this would go ahead. It had to. We had this.


Picking up the world's biggest box of crackling, donated by Mr Crackles

While we were talking about our picnic on twitter, Mr Crackles contacted us out of the blue and offered to donate pork crackling for our event. Not just a handful of crackling. 25 KILOS OF IT. Who were we to argue?


Frantically setting up the marquee and tents - thanks Rosa for coming to the girl scout rescue!

As the storm clouds rolled in, Suze detoured on her way in and bought two marquees and two sunshelter tents to make sure that if it continued to rain, we'd stay dry. Especially the crackle. Save the crackle!

So Suze, Noods, Raff and I are scrambling with the tents like we're competing on an episode of The Amazing Race. Only problem was that none us had set up a tent before, so we were so glad that the first person to show up - Rosa - was an ex-girl scout! Thank heavens she knew exactly what to do!


Oh hai, I have pork crackling. Do you?

The pork crackling was safe and wouldn't you know it, by 2pm when the picnic started, the clouds had gone and it was all kinda of glorious sunshine. Even the crackling was smiling.


Pork crackling for everyone!

We knew why we had faith in Sydney food bloggers. Even the threat of hail stones wouldn't keep them away from food. We had a total of 71 food bloggers turn up - that's four more than year. Hurrah!


The food tents

Our successfully pitched tents were soon host to a banquet of homemade foods. Everyone brought something to share and it was great to have everyone mingling and meeting the people behind the blogs they'd read for so long.

Here's a small selection of the food we enjoyed:


Lemper by Irene's Getting Fat


Homemade bread wreath with seeds by Crunchy Tiger


Rice paper rolls with fried tofu and roast chicken by Food is Our Religion


Chicken Caesar wraps by My Seefood Diet


Sydney food bloggers!


White chocolate raspberry muffins by The Chronicles of Hilda


Pesto and tomato puffs by The Adventures of Miss Piggy


Pulled lamb with mint sauce and crackers by Jeroxie



Simon Food Favourites manning his pop-up bar


Grapefruit and ginger fizzy and mint & lavender lemonade by The Littlest Anchovy


Santa deco roll by Absolutely Ayana


Mandatory photo call before eating


Peach cobbler by 84th & 3rd


Vegetarian marshmallow with chocolate crackle and milo by Spoonfuls of Goodness


Pineapple and coconut cupcakes by Love Swah


Salted caramel and malteseron macarons by Ramen Raff


Evil Secret Santa time!


Evil Secret Santa means you can open a present or steal someone else's


The Evil Secret Santa game that just keeps on going


One of the most stolen presents of the day: Superman apron


Sydney food bloggers Christmas picnic attendees 2013.  Image by The Heart of Food

Overall a fantastic day. Thanks everyone for coming!

For more pics and posts, check the hashtag #sydfbxmas2013 on twitter and Instagram.


Sydney Food Blogger Christmas Picnic Attendees:
A Fashionable Emulsion | A Foodie's Joy | A Little Bit of Tang | A Swoonful of Sugar | A Table for Two | Absolutely Ayana | Alana Bread | Angelica's Blog | Angie Lives to Eat | Bad Table Manners | Char Post | Chocolatesuze | Christine Thai | Citrus and Candy | Cook Suck | Corridor Kitchen | Crunchy Tiger | Crystal Noir | Ellie's Belly Adventures | Fit for a Pig | Food and Other Delectable Things | Food Booze Shoes | Food is Our Religion | Foodlee | From Australia to America | Girl in a Food Frenzy | Grab Your Fork | Hangry Riley | Irene's Getting Fat | Jeroxie | Jugernauts | Just One More Spoon | Lateral Eating | Local Sprouts | Love Swah | MAB vs Food | Mademoiselle in Sydney | Milkteaxx | Muppys | My Hunger Will Go On | My Purlieu | My See Food Diet | Nessy Eater | Next Stop Food | One Bite More | One Small Pot | Panda & Cakes | Penguin Says Feed Me | PlanMB | Ramen Raff | RDYN! | Ripe Journal | Simon Food Favourites | Soft & Stiff Peaks | Spoonfuls of Goodness | Steven's Lil Corner | The Adventures of Miss Piggy | The Chronicles of Hilda | The Heart of Food | The Lamstock | The Littlest Anchovy | The Man Craves | The Random Foodie | The Sticky and Sweet | The Suz Chef | Twee-Eats | What Em Did | When the World Stops Spinning | 84th & 3rd


Related Grab Your Fork posts:
Sydney Food Blogger Christmas Picnic 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009

Fix St James, Sydney

It was the promise of bone marrow that brought us to Fix St James. Monday was my birthday and I don't tend to make a fuss with celebrations, content with the idea of a quiet and laidback dinner for two. We'd had pre-dinner drinks and I'd led the way to the restaurant but I only knew something was up when Suze stood back at the entrance and said "you should go straight ahead".


Oh hai!

SURPRISE! All my favourite food blogging friends had been secretly assembled by Suze. Ack! I'd had no inkling of this deviousness. This is the second time I've had a surprise party thrown for me. That crazy wave of shock and confusion soon swells into a Hallmark-style heartwarming glow, even as your nearest and dearest revel in your blinking disorientation.


Fix St James new front bar area

It's been four years since my last visit to Fix St James, and I've been keen to check out its recent renovation by owner and sommlier, Stuart Knox. The front part of the dining room has now been converted into a wine bar area, offering all day snacks and nibbles, with flexible seating to suit couples, groups and solo diners. I always forget how close it is too, nestled one skinny block east of Westfield Sydney on Elizabeth Street.

School prawns with chilli salt and aoili $16

Brooke is our friendly server tonight, and it's not until after we place our orders -- seven orders of bone marrow please! -- that word gets back from the kitchen that they don't have enough bone marrow. Noooo...... They only have five serves available but offer three complimentary orders of school prawns in consolation. It's an unnecessarily generous gesture and one that's appreciated.


Can't talk. Eating. 

The school prawns are thrown straight into the deep fryer before being tossed through with chilli salt. We devour them shell and all, crunching everything down from their heads to their tails. A squeeze of lemon juice adds a refreshing zing; a dip in the accompanying garlic aioli makes them even better.


Pork, duck and pistachio terrine with spiced apple $20

There are a smattering of non-bone marrow entrees around the table, including a cast iron pot of sizzling tiger prawns with garlic and a wedge of pork, duck and pistachio terrine. The pork, duck and pistachio terrine is particularly tasty, hefty in size and meatiness without the pastiness you sometimes get from a stodgy terrine. This one is firm and compact, with chunks of meat and a welcome crunch from embedded pistachios. The only drawback is the toast which is a little on the dry side.


Sizzling tiger prawns with garlic and white wine $25


'Ode to Fergus' - bone marrow, parsley and duck fat croutons $15

And then the bone marrow arrives. A whole army of roasted bones are laid down the middle of the table, each trough impaled with a spoon. The 'Ode to Fergus' is Knox's tribute to Chef Fergus Henderson's signature dish.


Bone marrow goodness

The bone marrow has been roasted to a perfect quivering plumpness, and we scoop out the fatty lushness with determined glee. In Fergus Henderson's original dish, slices of toast are served on the side, but Knox amps this up considerably with duck fat croutons.

The croutons look like Jenga-stye potato chips but they have the texture of super crunchy garlic bread, except in this case replace the drenching of butter with the decadence of duck fat. Oh yeah, if you're going to go out with a bang this could well be the way to go.


Coorong skirt steak tagliata $34

Coorong skirt steak tagliata is a tumble of steak slices hidden beneath a pile of rocket and parmesan shavings. It's interesting to note, too, that four years ago this was served with Cape Grim scotch fillet for $35. Now it's Coorong skirt steak and priced a dollar cheaper - an astute move that makes good use of secondary cuts to keep price points down.


Blue swimmer crab risotto $32

Other mains include blue swimmer crab risotto, plump grains of aromatic rice served with sweet clumps of blue swimmer crab, and a hearty confit duck leg served with alcohol-soaked prunes.


Confit duck leg with boozy prunes and new season carrots $32


Greenstone steak sirloin with Cafe de Paris butter $42

I snaffle a hunk of the Greenstone steak sirloin from Suze, cooked medium rare as requested, and crowned with a molten slab of mustard and herb Cafe de Paris butter.


Market fish of the day: flounder

The fish of the day is also impressive, a whole flounder cooked with lemon juice, garlic and butter to a fork-flaking succulency.


Beef tartare with egg yolk and chips $32

I go with the beef tartare, seasoned just how I like it with a generous amount of capers. It's not overly salty or sweet but balanced in piquancy, and the meat is meltingly soft and tender. It's one of the best beef tartares I've had the pleasure of eating in quite some time.


Duck fat roasted potatoes $9

We order the duck fat roasted potatoes too but I prefer the chips that come with my beef tartare, fluffier and crunchier than the duck fat potatoes that are a little on the heavy and stodgy side.


Creme caramel $12

Desserts are simple but elegant. The creme caramel is as silky as you could hope for, the smooth custard resting on a slick of golden caramel sauce.


Dark chocolate mousse with muscat blood orange $14

The dark chocolate mousse packs a fair amount of intensity too, yet maintains a light texture that confuses the tastebuds.


Birthday cake! Vanilla chiffon cake with cream and fresh fruit

And then there was cake! Suze had asked what my favourite cake was and dutifully granted my wish. I love a classic sponge cake with cream and fresh fruit - Suze upped this by baking a chiffon that was ridiculously fluffy. After blowing out the candles, the cake was whisked away for slicing before I got a chance to take a photo of the entire ensemble but rest assured it was a double storey vision of heaven. I was in such raptures of bliss that I didn't just eat my slice; I had two.

Thanks Suze for being such an wonderful friend, for organising a surprise dinner and making my favourite cake in the whole wiiiiiiiiiiide world. Thanks to these awesome folk for keeping a secret and thank you everyone for my birthday wishes so far! You're all too kind!




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Fix St James
111 Elizabeth Street, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9232 2767

Opening hours:
Lunch 
Monday to Friday 12pm - 3pm

Dinner 
Monday to Thursday 5.30pm - 9pm
Friday 5.30pm - 10pm
Saturday 6pm - 9pm


Related Grab Your Fork posts:
Fix St James, Sydney (Sep 09)