Monthly Archives: February 2012

by | February 29, 2012

Tapas and the best Focaccia in Barcelona

When I went to Spain, I had the intention of trying every type of tapas that were available and to find the perfect paella because I think the paella in Sydney is only of average (or less) quality. Barcelona is the home of a lot of good and also some bad food, so I’ll break the bad news first. Avoid the restaurants at La Rambla, the main shopping street (their version of Pitt St). It is full of tourists and the restaurants cater to this by pumping out food without care and quality. The tapas here are OK since they’re not that difficult to cook but I had some pretty bad tasting paella here. Also, if you’re after sangria and churros, they are not available at a lot of restaurants so you’re going to have to search a bit for them!

After my first night of less than impressive food, I did some research and discovered an area near Barceloneta, an area that is known for having boutique stores and more importantly good food! It seems like every city has their own version of Surry Hills.

Here we found Taller De Tapas which is just a short stroll from the beach and main CBD. The restaurant sits on one of the busier streets full of boutique stores and restaurants but we chose this one because it looked beautifully furnished, it had a lot of people inside and the menu sounded great. After venturing in, we were presented with good service and a waiter that speaks sufficient english.

Patatas Bravas (fried potatoes with garlic mayonnaise and spice smoked paprika sauce) – €3.95

The first dish which comes out is the patatas bravas. Note for the presentation, the sauce is usually heaped on top; here it is separated because my dining companion has allergies. The garlic mayonnaise has an extremely strong taste of garlic. It is more oily than creamy but it is still fresh and delicious. The paprika sauce tastes like a spicy tomato sauce but it is still a good combo with the thick crunchy wedges of fried potatoes.

Langoustine, prawn, cuttlefish and mussel paella with bomba rice – €12.95

The next dish was a seafood paella. Here I found that the rice was cooked very well – not too dry or wet and at a good consistency. The seafood is fresh and varied and tastes even better with the wedge of lemon. Overall a well flavoured paella with excellent seafood highlights.

Grilled mountain lamb cutlets with tomato, frittes and garlic mayonnaise – €11.95

The mayonnaise for the lamb was the same one that I received before. The lamb is very gamey and a bit salty for my liking, but it could be because the plate had rock salt sprinkled on it.

The dishes served up here beat La Rambla by far so if you’re looking for some good dinner without prior research, do check out this area!

Whilst travelling during the day, both days I found myself away from the city centre during lunch time and was unable to eat tapas for lunch. But this could be a good thing for I discovered Buenos Migas, a Spanish cafe chain that serves up the best focaccias! They have a breakfast, lunch, afternoon and dinner menu served at various times and are located all over Barcelona.

Focaccia Botifarra (Pork and onion) – €3.90

This was the first focaccia of Buenos Migas I had and was THE BEST EVER!!! The bread was soft, fluffy and toasty whilst the toppings consisted of bits of pork along with lots of onions, a delicious combination. It was so tasty I went back the following day for another one of which unfortunately it was sold out. But this is the best focaccia I have ever had.

Focaccia Alberginia i Formatge (Eggplant and cheese) – €3.90

This focaccia was nowhere near as nice as the previous one. The eggplant was a bit dry from the oven, thankfully the cheese saved it though. The focaccia base is still fluffy, light and crispy as per before.

Overall, I wish I was able to eat at some better restaurants in Barcelona but only one out of three served up great tapas for me. When I return, I’ll make sure to stay around the area for restaurants instead of La Rambla.

In Barcelona I ate at:

Taller De Tapas
C. De l’Argenteria, 51 (Sta. maria del Mar)
Ph: 93 268 85 59
www.tallerdetapas.com

Buenos Migas
Various locations across Barcelona, see the website for details

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by | February 27, 2012

La Brasserie, Darlinghurst

Want a taste of Paris without having to get on a plane? La Brasserie takes you on a trip there through its wood paneled booths, lamp lighting and old school French music playing softly in the background, giving you an authentic snapshot of a Parisian diner.

We start with the complimentary bread of “petit pain”; light and satisfyingly crunchy with soft creamy butter. To enhance our French experience we opt for a carafe of 2009 rosé from Bordeaux, which was great value since it was about 4 glasses worth of wine. I’m not much of a wine person but I quite liked the rosé as a light alternative to the usual red or white wines which are too dry for me.

Rosé, $14 for carafe

Of course, it’s not a French meal without escargot (snails) so we order a dozen as entree. I love how it comes on a special little escargot platter with 12 little moulds for the snails to fit into and also comes with thin slices of bread to dunk into the garlic, olive oil and parsley sauce. There’s little tongs to manoeuvre the snails around with but some of the snails are quite stubborn and take a lot of effort to coax out of the shells.

Escargot, $22 for a dozen

The most impressive dish of the night was the duck which we got as a main, or as the French like to call it, the “confit de canard”. The way that the French cook their ducks results in beautifully crispy skin on the outside and juicy tender meat on the inside. It’s different to how Chinese roast their ducks, where the meat becomes dry on the inside too. The confit de canard comes with carrot puree and orange sauce, which is a bit strange for my tastebuds to experience but we savour every bite of the succulent duck.

Confit de canard $33

I know that mussels are more famous in Belgian cuisine but I was also curious to try how the French do it, so I ordered a large pot of mussels in mariniere sauce with shoestring chips and aioli. The sauce consists of white wine, leeks, shallots and rosemary which I liked, but it was a bit annoying to fish out the dried sprigs of rosemary out of the soupy sauce. The mussels were decently sized, but nothing too remarkable compared to other places I’ve tried them at and it is pretty much the same style of cooking as the Belgian way. There were plenty of fries to ensure that you’re filled up and the accompanying aioli had a strong garlic aroma.

Mussels mariniere with aioli and shoestring chips, $33

We finished off with crème brûlée for dessert and surprisingly, it came out in a square shape without a ramekin holding it, which is different from the usual presentation we see. It had a perfectly caramelised top and very eggy tasting innards, a bit stronger tasting than other crème brûlées I’ve had before. The dish also came with a mystery pastry on the side which tasted like a sticky apple cinnamon cake. Unfortunately, it tasted indescribably odd and did not go well as a complement to the crème brûlée.

Crème brûlée $15

The ambience at this charming little French bistro is romantic and offers a real Parisian experience, right in the heart of Sydney, highly recommended for dates and special occasions.


La Brasserie
118 Crown St 
Darlinghurst, NSW 2010
Phone:  02 9358 1222


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by | February 26, 2012

Fusion Cafe, Eastwood

Within the postcode of 2122, there are now two restaurants by the name of ‘Fusion Cafe’; one in Eastwood and one in Marsfield (yep, these adjacent suburbs share the same postcode). It’s a bit confusing since they’re not the same restaurant but the one in Eastwood is the new one which opened late last year. When I walked past it last year, there were crowds outside so I thought I’d check it out.

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by | February 22, 2012

Delicious delights hidden between the Venice canals

Venice is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever been to, if not the most beautiful. It is full of canals and tiny laneway streets (similar to but cooler than Melbourne), and the buildings are all rustic looking and look nicer as they age. But being surrounded by water means that the city is also known for its seafood.

One thing about Venetian restaurants is that they’re all delicious – all Italian restaurants seem to be able to produce good food. The food offerings are also relatively similar at each restaurant. You have the usual pizzas, pastas and risottos but at Venice there is a larger seafood offering on their menus. So this post will outline some of the dishes I’ve eaten which you can find at most restaurants.

Black Ink Squid with Polenta – €16

Probably one of the more interesting dishes and definitely not for the faint hearted, this dish is jet black. The colour comes from squid ink, but fear not, it’s not poisonous nor does it smell like a whiteboard marker. Underneath the ink is a serving of fresh squid – it is a bit chewy and cooked without much flavours other than a slight cheesy flavour. I’ve chosen the dish to be served with polenta which is meant to be an Italian specialty, however I find the polenta a bit boring and bland tasting even when covered in sauce. This dish can also be served as a spaghetti or risotto which is what I would highly recommend over polenta. Just a warning, the ink will give your teeth and lips a black tinge after eating but this fades shortly.

The following dish I found at Rossopomodoro, a very large restaurant boasting locations and multiple large European and International cities. Despite the restaurant spanning a huge area, there were lines the night before as well as when we went for lunch. The service was also very slow and we waited a while for a table and ages before a waiter was free to take our order. However, there is a fantastic selection of food at great prices so if you don’t mind a long wait, this is the place to go.

Fru Fru (three seasons oval pizza) – €9

The pizza I ordered was called Fru Fru and is basically three types of pizza in one. On the handmade pizza base sits the flavours margherita, goats cheese and ham, and mushroom. Despite the one hour wait since arriving for our table, order and service, the pizza was served fresh and hot from the over and was absolutely delicious! Each flavour tasted exactly spot on like their descriptions, but my personal favourite was the goats cheese which went well with the ham. The pizza base is also fluffy and the crust also tasty just by itself.

Peschella (peach flavoured sparking red wine) – €3.80

With my pizza I ordered a drink a Peschella, which I think they should definitely introduce in Australia. Made in Italy, this drink is a fizzy fruity red wine (imagine Sangria in soft drink wine) except with hints of peach enveloped throughout. Absolutely delicious!

Spaghetti with mixed fish – €16

A dish you will find at almost every restaurant is spaghetti with some sort of seafood. This time I have chosen mixed fish to get a variety and it includes calamari, clams, mussels, scampi and squid – a beautiful selection. The sauce is a tomato based sauce and tastes strongly of seafood chowder which goes well with the spaghetti. For this price, I think I’ve received quite a generous amount of seafood and I was extremely happy with this dish. Add some cracked pepper and I’d happily gobble up this dish every single night.

Risotto with scampi – €20

My friend had never tried risotto before (crazy right?!) and I finally convinced her to give it a go! In Venice, risotto is usually quoted as the price per person and is served as a minimum two people, however the waiter said since there was another table that also wanted the risotto the kitchen could do three servings and hence we could order just one. This risotto is made with a cream based stock with lots of butter and scampi scattered throughout. There is also a large scampi plopped on top which we have to peel but thankfully the rest are already chopped up. The scampi is soft and soaks up all the risotto juices and this dish is definitely one of the better risottos I’ve ever had. I’ve now managed to convert my friend and boy was she fortunate to have such a delicious dish to burst her risotto cherry.

Linguine with lobster – €18.90

By the time I had this meal, it was my last day in Venice and I wanted to try spider crab which I saw at the first restaurant I visited but regrettably did not order. Regardless, I opted for another type of seafood I hadn’t tried here yet, lobster. Cooked in a tomato based sauce, half a small lobster and claw is hidden within my linguine along with small chunks of meat scattered throughout. The dish has a strong lobster taste but I find that the lobster is a bit small, and I much prefer spaghetti over linguine. Although still a well cooked dish, I think in Venice for a similar price you’re better off ordering other types of seafood (mixed, clams, cuttlefish, scampi) where you will get more value for your money since the servings of lobster are quite small.

Within Venice, I dined at the following restaurants:

Ristorante Pizzeria Marco Polo
Castello S. Lio 5571, 30122 Venice
Ph: 0415235018

Trattoria Ai Leoncini
S. Marco 352-372, Venice
Ph: +390412960810
leoncini@ristorantipiccin.it

Rossopomodoro
Calle San Marco 403, 30124 Venice
Ph: 05604491216

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by | February 20, 2012

It’s Time for Thai, Kingsford

So as I mentioned in my review of Siam Fusion, there are many cheap dining options on Anzac Parade near UNSW and it was only after I finished up with my uni life that I decided to try out Time for Thai to see what all the fuss was about.

The restaurant is more roomy than it looks from the outside and there’s some artsy looking plastic light installations hanging above functional dark wooden tables.

The usual selection of Thai curries, noodles and stir fried dishes are available  but we have been told to try the BBQ Chicken with rice, Chicken Pad Kra Pao (ask for extra sweet corn) and chilli fried rice. The waitress was a bit confused by our request for the extra corn but it was worth it – the sweet corn takes the heat out of the chilli in the Pad Kra Pao dish.


Pad Kra Pao (Basil Stir fried Minced Chicken with rice and extra sweet corn) – $10

The minced chicken is quite moreish and definitely needs the rice on the side to soak up the savoury flavours, which are nicely balanced between the mild chilli and the sweetness of the corn. The chilli fried rice was rather average but the BBQ chicken dish was tasty enough, with a nice crispy skin and tender meat underneath.


Chilli Fried Rice  - $10


BBQ Chicken with Rice – $10

I still like Siam Fusion more and find it better value than It’s Time for Thai, especially since Siam Fusion is a closer walk from UNSW. But it’s not bad and they also have an option to order roti with your curries which look quite tasty too. It’s definitely worth the extra trek if you’re craving hot pastry to soak up your curries instead of just rice.

It’s Time for Thai
Shop 2, 309 Anzac Pde
Kingsford NSW 2032
Phone (02) 9662 3126


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