Showing posts with label Hilton. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hilton. Show all posts

20 March 2012

Glass Wine Bar: $20 Corporate Lunch menu including a Glass of Wine, CBD Sydney (3 Feb 2012)

Level 2, 488 George Street, Sydney NSW 2000


Luke's $20 meal deal for lunch

Thanks to Lorna O’Neill from the Hilton for inviting me to sample Luke Mangan’s Corporate Lunches available Monday to Friday, noon til 3 pm for $20 each which includes a glass of wine. If you consider a glass of wine will set you back at least $10 at Glass Wine Bar you’re getting your meal for only $10 or less which seems to be a bit of bargain, especially in such a nice dining area and cooked by a 1 hatted restaurant. I also thought while nearby Charlie & Co charge $18 (dine in) just for their wagyu burger without fries it’s a bit of a no brainer who’s got the better burger deal. The Wagyu burger ($20) was my favourite dish of the day which was juicy and came with BBQ sauce, bacon, cheese & French fries including a glass of wine. I’m a sucker for beetroot in my burgers so if they added this I’d give them an extra point. A pretty large pickle is supplied on the side although I’m a fan of having it in the burger. Wines available at the time were Longbend Pinot Gris ($10) or Luke Mangan Pinot Noir ($13) and for those favouring a beer it was Vale Ale ($8).

The Tempura Fish, fries and tartare sauce ($20) was nicely cooked with a thin cripy batter although I would have preferred a nice garden salad or coleslaw on the side instead of the pretty boring rocket leaves which seemed to be more of a garnish. The Luke Mangan Pie ($20) was a home-style chunky beef pie with mash potato and mushy peas. Nice pastry and I wondered if the peas had mint in it. If so I reckon a bit more would have gone down a treat for me. The Minute Steak, fries & bearnaise ($20) was cooked medium-rare as ordered. Meat was quite tender and decent quality leaving little gristle to compete with. I know it’s probably not traditional for such a dish but a small side salad would have been nice to balance the meal. For afters I tried their Affogato with Frangelico ($18) which was nicely presented with a decent amount of ice cream as hoped. Nice touch with the mini macaron on the side. I think there’s opportunity to add a few simple and reasonably priced desserts on the menu as well like a chocolate brownie with ice cream, meringue with seasonal fruit and whipped cream or panna cotta with berry coulis for those with a bit more time to enjoy their lunch.

SNAPSHOT REVIEW:
PROS: Nice décor, Quality ingredients, Efficient and professional service, Reasonably priced meal when you consider it includes a glass of wine
CONS: Limited menu choices, Only available for a limited time, No desserts included on the menu, Toilet is located outside the restaurant with a little bit of a walk
MUST TRY: Wagyu burger, Affogato with Frangelico

Corporate Lunch menu ($20 including a glass of wine, beer or San Pellegrino water)

When spoilt for choice try one of everything

Longbend Pinot Gris ($10), Luke Mangan Pinot Noir ($13), Vale Ale ($8)

The Chef's Burger: Wagyu burger, BBQ sauce, bacon, cheese & French fries inc glass of wine ($20)
SIMON FAVOURITE :-)

Tempura Fish, fries and tartare sauce inc glass of wine ($20)

Luke Magan Pie: A home-style chunky beef pie, mash potato and mushy peas inc glass of wine ($20)

Minute Steak, fries & bearnaise inc glass of wine ($20)


Affogato with Frangelico ($18)
SIMON FAVOURITE :-)

Chef Luke Mangan in the kitchen

Glass Wine Bar dining with a view of QVB


Restaurant dining

For those with a bit more cash to burn

This scallop dish looks like something I'd love to try

Restaurant dining options when you have a bit more time and money

Very impressive wine selection

Glass branding and bread station



A bit of a walk to the toilets but the mens urinals have privacy screens which gets a tick in my book

01 October 2011

How to miss the Marble Bar 118th Birthday, CBD Sydney (29 Sept 2011)

Level B1, 488 George Street, Sydney NSW 2000
http://www.marblebarsydney.com.au



Still going after 118 years

Thanks to Lorna O'Neill from Hilton Sydney for inviting me to the 118th Birthday event of the Marble Bar which I thought started at 9 pm but unfortunately upon arriving soon discovered it actually started three hours previously at 6 pm. I had accidently read the opening time to the public on the media release instead of the official start time on a separate invite — 'me idiot'. Oh well, I guess these things happen but unfortunately I missed out on the party canapés of Peking pancake, Feta cheese and roast pepper bruschetta, Smoked salmon & cream cheese on rye bread, Seared Tuna, cucumber with wasabi mayo and baby cress, Baby chicken and leek pies with sour cream, Mini pizza with tomato, mozzarella & basil, Prawn twisters with ponzu sauce, Mini beef & mushroom Wellingtons with tomato sauce, Sugar cane prawns with mango mayonnaise — I so wanted to see what those Prawn twisters were.

A couple of kind bartenders provided me a couple of the party cocktails that were apparently served at the event (I missed). The Charlie Chaplin ($16) made with Plymouth Sloe Gin is balanced with apricot brandy & freshly squeezed lime juice had a nice balance of flavours. The Manhattan wasn't on the menu but it's lethal alcohol content was certainly evident for those who like it a bit stronger. I was then made two of their most popular cocktails and I could see why (pictured above). Very drinkable with recognisable flavours. The Citroen Appletini ($18) is a mix of Ketel One Citroen vodka, Pomme Verte & freshly squeezed lemon juice — Wow you can really taste the apples. The fruiter and sweeter Orchid Martini ($16) of Smirnoff vodka, strawberry, passionfruit & freshly squeezed lime juice came with a sugary rim.



SNAPSHOT REVIEW:
PROS: Live band, Free entry, Interesting decor that was around 118 years ago and still looks in pretty good shape, Cocktails made with care, Mens toilet had privacy screens
CONS: Arriving to a party that's already over, Can get quite crowded and noisy, Daggy dancing may develop after too many cocktails
MUST TRY: Reading the invite properly next time

Birthday hostesses

Making the Charlie Chaplin and Manhattan cocktails

Charlie Chaplin - Plymouth Sloe Gin is balanced with apricot brandy & freshly squeezed lime juice ($16), Manhattan cocktail

Citroen Appletini - a mix of Ketel One Citroen vodka, Pomme Verte & freshly squeezed lemon juice ($18). Orchid Martini - Smirnoff vodka, strawberry, passionfruit & freshly squeezed lime juice ($16)

Friendly bartenders that know how to make a good cocktail



Opulent decor of time gone by

Live band entertainment playing familiar tunes

Marble bar history, built in 1892 costing 32,000 pounds and followed Italian Renaissance

Julian Ashton art possibly?

Mens toilet have privacy screens — very thoughtful and appreciated

Marble Bar @ Hilton Sydney on Urbanspoon

05 August 2011

Extreme Cabaret launch: Prohibition-style cocktails mixed with Burlesque and Cabaret performances, Sydney (28 July 2011)

Level 4, 488 George Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Friday nights till late Spring at Zeta Bar


One way to spice up your Fridays

“See burlesque performers and extreme cabaret acts with a touch of devilish debauchery, much oddity and a guaranteed excess of dark humour and shock value. Zeta Extreme Cabaret is a delicious celebration of the bizarre, served with side of lunacy and luxe-Zeta Style and well lubricated with prohibition-style cocktails, mystifying molecular cocktails and delectable nibbles.”

Thanks to Lorna O’Neill from Hilton Sydney for inviting me along to the launch of Extreme Cabaret. The Zeta Bar was colourfully transformed and decorated with matching party lighting and music to create a very fun atmosphere. If you don’t mind drinking nitro smoking cocktails out of a brown paper bag, shooting your mouth with absinthe from a syringe and popping a pill of sherbet at the same time then this might be your kind of event. I found myself in front of a bit of burlesque skin exposure, fire breathing juggling and a dwarf that energetically performed to Lady Gaga — or was that just the absinthe working on my mind? It’s a little bizarre and certainly different to what you’d find at your local pub. Entry is free and includes the entertainment which is a pretty sweet deal in my books when you consider people pay good money to see performances like this. I now know where I’ll want to be every Friday with a prohibition-style cocktail in one hand and a delectable nibble in the other.

SNAPSHOT REVIEW:
PROS: Fantastic atmosphere and ambience, Free entry and entertainment, It's on a Friday so relax and party hard
CONS: Cocktails may give you a serious hangover, Not sure how much the cocktails are
MUST TRY: All the cocktails

Performances
Something a little risque from Scarlett Night

Lady Gaga dwarfing around

Playing with fire

Bend and stretch

Something sexy by Scarlett Night

Cocktails and canapes









Fun loving people





Photographers in action

Decor and lighting








A few touchups available in the toilets — don't forget to tip!


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