The Song Kitchen, CBD Sydney (1 Mar 2017)

5-11 Wentworth Ave, Sydney NSW 2000
https://www.songkitchen.com.au
https://www.instagram.com/songkitchensydney/

Eating for a good cause

“Our Head Chef Charlotte Gonzales has created a mouth watering menu, created from a pure love of food. Charlotte brings the best of fresh produce with a light French touch to the table - she even makes her own butter here in the kitchen! Our wine list has been carefully curated by renowned sommelier Sophie Otton to showcase the best NSW and Australian wines. We are proud that over half of the wine list is the produce of women winemakers or Estate owners. If a delicious menu and impressive wall of wine isn't enough, what if we told you that your dollar is making a difference in the community? 100% of profits from the Song Kitchen go directly to YWCA NSW programs and services supporting women and children escaping domestic violence.”

I'm always on the look out for a good oyster fix so whenever I see them on the menu I usually order a few. Sydney Rock Oysters ($4) from Wapengo Lake are shucked to order as hoped. They're petit in size but full of flavour and well presented on ice. Comes with a good mignonette. Oysters done right and a Simon Favourite. Steak Sandwich with chips ($16 lunch special) seemed to be a much more affordable lunch option compared to the $34+ main options. Steak was cooked medium and was pretty tasty although did get a bit messy with the juices and part of the bread having holes. A less holey bread would have probably kept it together better. A decent portion of well seasoned crispy fries were very good and only cost $2 extra so was well worth it. Service was friendly and professional. There's lots of seating in the restaurant area downstairs and the casual seating area upstairs on ground level is pretty cosy. I'd love to see more gins on the drinks menu. I spotted they do a happy hour on Fridays with 3 oysters for only $5 — I'm so there.

The Doncaster Hotel: Pub Bistro, Kensington (13 Nov 2011, 26 Jan 2012)

240 Anzac Parade, Kensington NSW 2033

http://www.doncasterhotel.net.au

Pub courses near horses

The Doncaster is much nicer these days after its renovations from its former old man pub days and seems to have become a bit of a default local catchup spot with friends of late. The Cajun chicken sandwich on toasted Turkish ($18) was a generous sized meal which included bacon and my Gourmet steak sandwich on toasted Turkish ($18) also included bacon and served with chips like all other main meals. The order took a bit longer than expected due to a busy lunch crowd and when it finally arrived I noticed quite a distinct smell of fish from the dish. The steak must have been cooked on a grill that had just cooked fish — I'm suspecting the grilled salmon dish I noticed on the specials menu. A few other friends were also having the steak sandwich but theirs was OK. I tried to eat it but the smell of fish was just too off-putting to finish so I decided to let the kitchen staff know. Once they had a smell of the dish they totally agreed it was not acceptable and the restaurant manager(?) gave me back $20 for the dish and was also happy to have another one cooked for me. The replacement dish came out much quicker than the original meal and thankfully was now OK. The meat in both was probably not the most tender but you can't ask for too much in a steak sandwich I guess. It was pretty tasty and generous in size. The bread could have probably been a little more toasted for my liking perhaps. I guess the lesson to be learnt here is if you're not happy with your dish then it's good to speak up and let them know. You'll then hopefully get something more to your liking.

SNAPSHOT REVIEW:

PROS: Plenty of seating, Nice decor and spacious atmosphere, Outdoor seating available, Bistro menu prices fairly reasonable, Bottles of house wine available for around $20, Friendly service

CONS: Need to go to bistro counter to view menu, Unfortunate steak sandwich smelt like fish but was rectified promptly when brought to staff attention

MUST TRY: Visiting the outdoor area on a nice day for a beer

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13 Nov 2011 - Visit #1

Cajun chicken sandwich on toasted Turkish with chips ($18)

Gourmet steak sandwich on toasted Turkish with chips ($18)

Refunded $20 for the fish smelling steak sandwich and new one prepared

Replacement Gourmet steak sandwick on toasted Turkish with chips ($18) — much better

26 Jan 2012 - Visit #2

Cajun Chicken Sandwick on Toasted Turkish ($20.70) - decent size although bread a little soggy so falls apart when trying to eat and hands get messy

Panfried flathead fillets with green curry sauce, beans and jasmine rice ($21 specials menu) - flavour OK but fish was a bit on the dry and slightly overcooked so tasted a bit burnt

Crumbed Chicken Schnitzel with Salad and Chips ($20.70) - smallish in size but crumbing looked good

Menu

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Menu board

Cook your own steak options

Upstairs seating

Outdoor seating

A close spot near the Royal Randwick racecourse

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The Red Door Cafe, Leura, Blue Mountains (18 Sept 2011)

134 Leura Mall, Leura NSW 2780

Popular with tourists & locals

Upon recommendation from my remedial massage lady I checked out this cafe whilst visiting the Blue Mountains. It's located not too far from Josophan's Fine Chocolates and was pretty much full when arriving for a 1 pm Saturday lunch. Inside was buzzing with the open kitchen in full swing and there was a more quieter outside courtyard semi-hidden from the main pedestrian thoroughfare. The Freshly squeezed orange juice ($3.50 small) was pretty small and when it arrived I wished I had ordered the large instead. It's the first time I've tried Phoenix organic cola ($3.80) and it didn't seem to give me that sudden hiccup I usually experience with normal Coca-Cola, although I rarely drink soft drink unless it comes with alcohol.

The Ham off the bone, tomato, cheddar cheese and chutney toasted turkish sandwich ($13.50) was decently sized although a little messy to eat due to some softness caused by I suspect the tomato. Quite nice in any case. The Sirloin steak sandwich with beetroot relish, caramelized onion, rocket, fresh tomato and horseradish cream ($16.50) was quite nice as well. Nothing too special but nothing bad as well. Some hot chips on the side would have been good. Thankfully the steak was fairly tender and not too chewy as can sometimes be the case. There's a little bit of competition around the area for simple cafe food but this place seems to have its fans and the decor is nice enough for a fairly pleasant experience. At times due to being busy it did seem a little frantic inside and I could tell service was kept on their feet.

SNAPSHOT REVIEW:

PROS: Prices won't break the bank for a simple easy lunch, Courtyard seating available although it'll probably be accommodated by the smokers

CONS: Limited menu, Can get a little noisy near the kitchen, Toilet is unisex although nicely set out

MUST TRY: Other cafes around the area to compare

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Freshly squeezed orange juice ($3.50 small), Phoenix organic cola ($3.80)

Ham off the bone, tomato, cheddar cheese and chutney toasted turkish sandwich ($13.50)

Sirloin steak sandwich with beetroot relish, caramelized onion, rocket, fresh tomato and horseradish cream ($16.50)

Inside seating

Outside courtyard seating

Unisex toilet out the back — not sure if the cloves mixture was doing much

Lo and behold it does have a red door

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