Otto Ristorante

What are our chances of getting a table for 10 at short notice for a Saturday dinner?  I think we are not experiencing an economic slowdown as most of our short listed restaurants were fully booked and had two sittings which was not suitable for a Hen's party.

As luck would have it, Otto Ristorante had a table for 10 in a Private function room... Perfect-o!! Otto is situated in Woolloomooloo and exuded a warm atmostphere despite the cold air.  The interior was warmly lit and our private room was within the dining area itself but it was a separate room located on the mezzanine level.  It was the perfect room for us and accommodated 10 of us comfortably, giving us the privacy and the freedom to laugh as loud as we wanted and having the flash going off without imposing on other diners.

The waiting staff was attentive and not overbearing.  Their cocktails were deliciously drinkable and they had an extensive wine list.

When it came to ordering, it was quite hard to decide, there were way too many options to choose from and everything sounded appetising and sumptuous.  Most of us started with the main courses.  Thankfully, there were quite a few different choices (beef, duck, veal shanks, pastas) made around the table and evevryone agreed that the food was delissimo, the ingredients were fresh and each dish was flawless.

Could we pass on desserts??? Thankfully, it was a resounding NO!  Each one of us had desserts and when it arrived, there were the usual oohhss and ahhass... truly an artist's palette, plated up delicately and to perfection.  The pastry chef has done himself proud.  When we started, the room became silent as we were taking in the tastes and the spectacular play on our palates ...

Kudos to the chef and his team on a job well done!!

Cumulus Inc

Cumulus Inc was a popular choice for breakfast amongst us as we had heard a lot about this place.  We arrived about 8.30 am but as it was a long weekend, we were told that they would not be opened until 9am.  We adjourned to Hotel Sofitel across the road to bide some time and to check out their lobby, sitting around reading our papers and watching the group of Japanese tourist checking out from the hotel.

We then headed towards Cumulus Inc around 9am and we were startled to see that the place was nearly three quarters full.  How could that be?  We asked ourselves... we felt quite annoyed with the service in that we were not offered the chance to grab a table while waiting for the restaurant to open and yet, at just past 9am, the place was already bustling with activity.

We managed to get their last table for 4 and sat down to check the menu. The Turkish baked eggs with the spiced tomato, dukkah and labne was tasty while my spreads were full of fruits and tasted like home made preserves.  The selection of breads were fresh and dense.  The breakfast made up for the lack of service and our impressions of the wait staff.

Come Thai with me..!!

I don't know if it was a co-incidence but I had somehow managed to check out 5 different Thai cheap eats in 3 days or 2 alternate weeks....

It started 2 Fridays ago with Jay and I deciding to check out a new Thai eatery which he had tried before.  Off we went towards the end of Pitt Street.  Our first stop was Khao San, this relatively new Thai eatery which had a few trays of desserts against their glass doors.  Inside, Khao San was dimly lit, it also had a display of greens on a bench to make their salads.  The interior resembled a typical Thai eatery.  I looked at the menu and it was quite limited... so, after about 5 minutes, we slipped out...

I then suggested going to Chat Thai, but I didn't like my chances.  My fears were founded when we turned round the corner and saw the crowd standing outside in the cold waiting for their number to be called.  The wait was going to take forever so, Jay and I decided to try another eatery.

We headed round the corner and went to 3 Mama Chef's Thai restaurant. This place was quite busy and the menu looked more interesting than Khao San.  We settled for 3 Mama Chef's and found the food to be relatively good.  3 Mama Chef's also had a cabinet which sold desserts and cakes.

Not satisfied that we could not get a table at Chat Thai, we decided to go there for desserts.  At 9pm, this restaurant was still busy and it was a cold night... anyway, the waiteress took pity on us and got us a table pretty quickly.  The staff at Chat Thai were friendly and it was good to check out their open kitchen which was still bustling with activity.  There were new desserts being cooked, one of which was Thai doughnuts with a pandan jam.  We tasted the doughnuts which was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside but I found the pandan ham to be a bit heavy.  We didn't have a lot of choices for desserts as their more popular options have been sold out.  Nevertheless our coconut ice-cream was delicious and loved the peanut topping.  Both Jay and I bought some sticky rice with coconut custard (for me) and Jay bought sticky rice with durian... hoped you liked them, Jay!      

Not satisfied that I couldn't get into Chat Thai, I was there with a colleague again last Friday.  Sigh!  We had to wait more than 1 hour for a table!!  The waiting list was at least 2 pages long... !  Too bad... we then headed round the corner to Thainatown.  Thainatown is a small place but had a big menu.  My colleague had no 55, her favourite which was stir fried pork belly while I had the Tom Yum noodle.  Before we could say Boo, the food had arrived, talk about speedy service.  The food is cooked to order.  It tasted very tasty and was good value for money.  The most expensive dish on the menu is about $10 - $12. Definitely a good option for some cheap eats and fast service too!  Really "Exiting" my senses, haha...!

Bistro Guillaume, Crown Casino

Oh no!!  I took a double flip when I checked the website to Bistro Guillaume, only to get this message:
"We are currently relocating the restaurant to new premises within the Crown Entertainment complex and will re-open our doors in early 2011."

Huh?  I thought... we were only there recently and there were no signs that this Bistro was going to be closed until 2011.  Anyway, the story is that Bistro Guillaume will be opened in 2011 as a classic, Parisian-inspired French bistro complete with an outdoor sun terrace.  Neil Perry's Spice Temple will inhabit the spot where Bistro Guillaume used to be.  

I guess this explained a few things such as their Pastry chef, Phillipa Sibley moving to St Kilda and the fact that their wait staff was a bit "arrogant"... hmm... on this topic of the waiting staff being arrogant... am wondering if this is a French restaurant trait, as the staff at their Sydney restaurant exhibited the same behaviour too or... does their arrogance come about from the fact that they expect things to be perfectly cooked and served and therefore no longer bothers to ask if the meal was cooked well or asked for comments anymore...??

Anyway, well, at least we managed to visit Bistro Guillaume prior to their closing.  The restaurant was a bit "hidden" and we missed it initially and had to turn back.  The restaurant was located after Nobu restaurant but the sign was obscure.  Upon entering we saw this Frenchy style bistro but the consensus was that we were not too sure about the "tulip" liked lamp shades.

The menu was comprehensive... am not sure if it was fully French but seemed more Australian to me.  Anyway, it was very tasty to say the least.  Our entrees gave us a glimpse into what we could expect ... the scallops were cooked just right... while the kingfish sashimi was delectable.

For mains, Cindy said her pork belly main course was delicious and the combination of flavours was great.  The rest of us ordered the the beef which melted in your mouth but unfortunately, the chips were not cooked well enough i.e. a bit soggy but alas... the staff... were not open to any comments.

For desserts, the Panna Cotta and the chocolate desserts were to die for... a bit heavy for me after our two courses but we finished it off nevertheless.

Thankfully the walk back from Crown Casino to the hotel helped with my digestion and my guilt of indulgence ...sigh!

Well... we'll have to see if the "inverted tulip" lampshades are used in their new Bistro next year... 

Grill'd

A burger joint that is made fresh to order? I'd say if you are looking for mouth watering and juicy burgers, Grill'd is the place to go!  My girlfriend and I was in Degraves Street, Melbourne and this laneway had quite a few options.. we finally settled on Grill'd.  At Grill'd, their promise is to deliver, high quality and nutritious burgers, using fresh ingredients.

Being totally famished but also greedy, we settled on the "Almighty".  The burger was totally delicious, juicy and the herbed mayo made the burger finger lickin good and it hit the spot... yum!!

The good news for us Sydneysiders is that they have opened and added more stores this year...yippee!!

Babka Bakery Cafe

Last month my girlfriends and I headed to Melbourne for our annual getaway.  Melbourne had way too many options for great eateries and narrowing our choices was difficult.

However, since we had some time before dinner, we decided to make the trip to Brunswick Street, Fitzroy to show our friends the Rose St market.  Along the way we decided to also check out Babka cafe.  It was after 3pm when we arrived and the place was still bustling.  This is only a small cafe, no doubt, and there were two queues - one for those waiting for tables and the other for those wanting to buy some bread and patisserie.  The wait was not too long before our table was ready.

The menu although small was mouth-watering and appetising.  We ordered the chowder, kransky and the fish pie.  The chowder was served with sourdough which went really well with the chowder.  The sourdough was freshly baked.  The chowder was quite thick and filling.  The kransky was also tasty while the fish pie was also delicious.

While we were eating we saw a lot of other tables ordering lemon curd tart and we decided to follow them and order a serve to share.  The tart was absolutely delicious, not too tangy but the curd was also light and had a good consistency but most of all, the tart was finished off with a slighly crispy top, similar to the top of the creme brulee. This was their more popular dessert and they had trays of tart behind the counter.

If you are in Fitzroy next, this cafe would definitely be worth a visit.

Oh... and check out their great tea selection...