Simon Food Favourites: Desserts

Showing posts with label Desserts. Show all posts

18 July 2011

4143 at the James Barnes: Bloggers Brunch, Alexandria (16 July 2011)

Building 9, 2 Huntley Street, Alexandria NSW 2015
Alternatively 41-43 Bourke Street, Alexandria NSW 2015
Phone: (02) 9690 8400
http://www.4143.com.au

Good food, unfortunate location

Thanks to Denea from Gourmet Rabbit for inviting me along to the Bloggers Brunch to sample a few signature dishes at the new 4143 at the James Barnes. The Dedes Group certainly seem to be gaining a reputation in my books for large premises like Flying Fish, Deckhouse and Dedes Restaurant that are located perhaps a little bit off the beaten track. But once you’re there the offerings will hopefully keep you happy. Chef Peter Padlan is pretty proud of his Wagyu burger served with fries ($14) and so he should be. The buttery brioche style buns won’t help your diet but make the burger very melt-in-your-mouth. I wasn’t sure about the beetroot relish being separated by the lettuce and wondered if it would have been better positioned next to the meat perhaps. You won’t find any onion but I loved the addition of gherkins. The Caramelised onion tart ($17) is topped with plenty of goats curd. The pastry is buttery and flakey as hoped and the onions nice and sweet. Should keep the vegetarians happy. My favourite was the Seared scallops on pea puree with chorizo ($17). Nicely priced and well-presented with good flavours that worked together.

The side of Roasted chats, garlic cloves and rosemary ($7) looked devine and was well-flavoured although a bit more crunch and crisp would have provided that extra wow factor for me. Reasonably priced Buttered brussel sprouts with pancetta ($7) and Roast baby beets and beans ($7) could easily be ordered as a complete meal for some I reckon. The popular Braised lamb shank ($16 small size) was well-presented with tender pieces of meat as hoped although it’s quite a heavy dish so the decent sized small is ample for most I think. The Duck breast on du puy lentils ($16 small size) is tender as well and well-flavoured. I think the small size is very reasonably priced. The Mangosteen palate cleanser was interesting and a nice touch before desserts being served. Maybe some tropical flavoured jellies or juice shots could be a nice idea too.

My special order of Affogato with Belgium white chocolate ice cream ($10) came with a shot of Frangelico. Coffee was pretty good and hit the spot on flavours for me. The Bread and butter pudding with rhubarb and macadamia ice cream ($10) seemed popular. Quite filling and the yummy candied rhubarb on top could quite easily be sold in customer take away packs for the road. The Chocolate and orange mousse with hazelnut biscotti ($10) was a bit thicker than hoped but decadent and richly flavoured — nice touch with the pop rocks too. The smallish glass of Tiramisu ($10) had the right mix of flavours you’d expect although I always prefer it when the alcohol is on the more distinctive side of the scale. If this place was located in Surry Hills I'm sure it would already be packed to the rafters most days for lunch and dinner but being located out in the industrial area of Alexandria could make it a little bit too far off the beaten track — although a drop in before or after Bunnings could be handy spot for a decent lunch when you're in need of some weekend supplies.

SNAPSHOT REVIEW:

PROS: Quality dishes at reasonable prices, Smaller sized dishes are still fairly decent in size, Nice décor and atmosphere, Plenty of outdoor and indoor seating, Car parking available, Suitable for private functions

CONS: A bit in the middle of nowhere for most people, Probably limited public transport so would need to drive

MUST TRY: Seared scallops on pea puree with chorizo, Affogato with Belgium white chocolate ice cream and Frangelico, Revisiting to try the cocktails with a designated driver

WORTH TRYING:
Wagyu burger, Braised lamb shank, Bread and butter pudding

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Wagyu burger with beetroot relish, gherkins, cheddar and aioli served with fries ($14)

Chef Peter Padlan presenting his Wagyu Burger — a possible contender for the TimeOut Burger Wars I think

Caramelised onion tart with goats curd and balsamic ($17)

Seared scallops on pea puree with chorizo ($17)

SIMON FAVOURITE :-)

Roasted chats, garlic cloves and rosemary ($7)

Buttered brussel sprouts with pancetta ($7), Roast baby beets and beans ($7)

Braised lamb shank en crepinette on parsnip puree with muscatel jus ($16 small size)

Duck breast on du puy lentils, spinach, and brussel sprouts ($16 small size)

Mangosteen palate cleanser, Orchids display

Affogato with Belgium white chocolate ice cream and Frangelico ($10)

Bread and butter pudding with rhubarb and macadamia ice cream ($10), Chocolate and orange mousse with hazelnut biscotti ($10)

Tiramisu ($10)

Visited - 31 March 2012

Chicken caesar ($11) — good value but would have preferred a soft poached egg instead of hard boiled so it could be a bit runny to mix over the salad and for the chicken to be sliced which was a little dry but generous in portion. Some more dressing would have been appreciated as well.

Crisp skin barramundi with speck, corn and shallots ($26) — decent crisp skin as hoped, quite nice flavours although quite salty. Corn was nice but perhaps overpowered the taste of fish a bit.

Santa Vittoria Sparkling Mineral Water ($6)

Autumn menu

Lunch seating was restricted to only outside so had to deal with hot weather, sun glare and flies wanting to share out meals. Was hoping for somewhere cooler inside and having a baby on board didn't help.

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Gourmet Rabbit with her iphone rabbit cover and Ms Darlinghurst ready to eat with her knife and fork

Who will get to eat their wagyu burger first?

Food bloggers in action — no plate of food is safe!

Menu and coffee machine

Nicely stocked bar

I love the play of light through the glass shutter windows which cast refracted rainbows around the dining room area

Waiting room

Casual seating and bottles of tap water

Spot the Red Bull! — I wonder if these were provided by the Red Bull office next door?

Clean and functional toilets although mens urinals are pretty close together so watch out for possibly bumping shoulders with your neighbour. And what's with the flush buttons?

Indoor and outdoor seating

View Larger Map

12 April 2011

Dedes Restaurant: Seafood Platter & Desserts, Abbotsford (10 Apr 2011)

613 Great North Road, Abbotsford NSW 2046
http://www.dedes.com.au

Spoilt for so much choice

Thanks to Denea (Gourmet Rabbit) and Dedes Restaurant for inviting me to this special event to sample the signature hot and cold seafood platter and four of the desserts. The Dedes Group certainly love their waterfront locations with Flying Fish and Deckhouse also in the mix. I’m sure anyone planning a wedding reception or function would love to consider these places if its within their budget. The restaurant manager Kelly Payne looked after our round table of nine with a high level of professionalism and down-to-earth service. Head Chef Luis Da Rosa was responsible for preparing the Hot and cold seafood platter ($136.50 for two, special platter made for four pictured above) which was impressive. Usually served in two stages, first cold and then hot dishes, it was a sight for starving eyes and bellies. The only thing missing was perhaps some mussels and scallops to make it a complete bottom of the sea feast.

The Baked barramundi was flavoursome and cooked nicely. Halved Scampi were decently sized and the Salt & pepper calamari was ridiculously enormous and thankfully very tender although the heat of the dishes quickly made the coating soft so somehow separating these on the platter would help to retain some crispness — and maybe making them smaller pieces so one didn't feel so guilty eating them. A small bowl of cold served Marinated octopus came with feta and olives. Prawns were of the large king size variety and deveined ready to eat. The darkish looking heads could have perhaps looked fresher but they seemed to be OK. Smoked salmon was as you’d expect and the Sydney Rock Oysters from Wallis Lake were A-grade in size and possibly freshly shucked because they still seemed to retain some of their salty brine but I wasn't 100% sure — I hope they were.

The step-back-in-time Horseback prawns were wickedly deep-fried balls of prawn and bacon which were too good to stop at one — I think I ended up having four, with the consent of my fellow diners. I really enjoyed the plump amount of Crayfish tail meat with its light fried coating. An item that you don’t see in cheaper seafood platters. The Hand cut chips were seriously enormous in carb content and tasty although suffered like the calamari in losing their crispness quickly when buried under the hot dishes. Perhaps serving them separated in a paper cone or basket might keep them crispy for longer. As a special treat Yaya (owners mum) prepared two bountiful side dishes of green beans and chicory dressed in lemon and olive oil with her homemade love — she’s such a treasure. I generally prefer a crisp iceberg lettuce or coleslaw salad to compliment the seafood but the vegetables were welcomed amongst all the protein of the sea.

The second stage of the late lunch was straight into desserts created by Chef Jason Langthorne. First up was the Strawberry crème brûlée ($14.50) matched with a not too shabby Moët & Chandon Brut ($100 bottle). I’m usually a purist with crème brûlées but the strawberry worked really well although perhaps a more interesting serving dish would have made it a bit more presentable. The Chocolate truffle dacquoise ($14.50) was a winner for me. I couldn’t get enough of the wonderful tasting Turkish delight ice cream. Matched with a Frangelico frappe which I think should be offered as a menu option or maybe with Baileys. The Flourless citrus cake ($14.50) had an excellent citrus zing that ended up balancing well with the semi freddo. The cake itself was probably drier than I’d prefer but perhaps this was because it was flourless? Matched with a Piccolo latte for a caffeine hit which wasn’t too bitter. Finally the majestic looking Baked rhubarb tart ($14.50) was a table favourite matched with some NV Galway Pipe Port. I was hoping the crowning toffee had some flavour but it didn’t and I think it would have benefitted from a thinner base and a crunchier cinnamon crumble but the rhubarb was nicely cooked with enough sweetness for my liking. Yaya made some homemade pumpkin pie with her own filo pastry which was a nice treat for all. Petit fours set everyone over the edge by this point and the Peppermint tea ($5.50) was indeed a lifesaver for settling the stomach before rolling out the door.

Other blog reviews:

• The Bon Vivant

• Gourmantic

• He Needs Food

SNAPSHOT REVIEW:

PROS: Water views, Plenty of seating but filled up due to popularity (Sunday lunch is their most popular day), Quality ingredients, Nice presentation of dishes, Parking on site and free street parking available

CONS: Platter is expensive but it’s quality, Hot chips and calamari need to be separated to retain their crispness on a platter

MUST TRY: Oysters, Hot and cold seafood platter if you love a bit of everything, Chocolate truffle dacquoise or dessert tasting plate for two if you can’t decide, Revisiting to try other menu dishes

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