Category: FOOD & DRINK

New restaurant in Darling Harbour: Flying Fish swims over to The Star

Flying Fish Star Moet

Since Flying Fish first splashed onto the dining scene back in 2004, it has become well regarded by Sydneysiders as one of the best waterside restaurants in the city, specialising in (yep, you guessed it) seasonal and delicious seafood. Now it’s taken up residence at The Star, with floor-to-ceiling glass windows overlooking the beautiful Pyrmont Bay. The new digs have been modernised, with a fresher vibe than the former Jones Bay Wharf location. Walking into the restaurant, you’ll cross lush bespoke carpets, with subtle splashes of colour that pop against the dark and sophisticated furnishings, and crystal ball lights twinkling overhead. Executive chef Peter Robertson joins the Flying Fish team in its new location, which opened just last week. On offer were a veritable buffet of seafood delights. It’s impossible to have a “bad” dish at Flying Fish, but some our favourites were the Harvey Bay Scallop and the Black Pepper Style Butterflied Prawn. Our pick for dessert was (hands down) the melt-in-your-mouth Valrhona chocolate sundae, miso caramel and malt cream. When it came to the drinks, we sampled the “grammable” and vibrant Bondi House Fizz; lemon myrtle vodka with butterfly flower tea and agave, as well as the Flying Fish version of the Aperol Spritz, the East Bound and Down; apricot and quince spritz with Aperol and crisp cider. For wine drinkers, there’s a deliciously well-considered wine list with delectable drops from both local and international regions. See more of what’s on offer at the new digs at the Flying Fish website.

Best burgers in Sydney: 4 Pines Brewery on Crown Street, Surry Hills

4 Pines Surry Hills bar

When it comes to burgers, Sydney has drunk the koolade and joined the march toward the best of them – quite possibly in all of Oz. However, sitting atop that little pick of bread-sandwiched deliciousness is 4 Pines Brewery on Crown Street, Surry Hills. They’re new; rustic; open-aired and open-armed, welcoming-in locals and passers-by from all over the joint into their open-plan burger and beer bar for good times and general shenanigans. It’s a relaxed vibe – beers on tap, relaxed destressed wood tables, milk crate- type seats near the open bay window and a first floor bar for a more intimate thing, it’s nice. They sell their own beers, which come in a range of about 7+ from lighter, to heavier and hoppier. Regardless of your taste, they’re all nice. For those who’re not well-versed in beer, think lighter for day time, darker for night time. And what goes better with beer? Nothing but burgers. They’ve got a modest range, but hot damn, what they do, they do well. Pork burgers, chicken burgers, beef burgers; the works. There’s something about the brioche they use with the crispy factor they’ve managed to achieve on all their burgers and bits. And the best/most impressive thing? They’re all pumped out of a kitchen that’s half the size of your bedroom. Applause. They’ve even got a blokey coffee imbued beer – like the dude’s espresso martini – which has the flavour without the wiringly-good buzz of a decent smack of caffeine. Great for those who dig the flavour,… Read More

Get healthy for $15: Three Blue Ducks’ green breakfast

Three Blue Ducks poke bowl

Three Blue Ducks in Rosebery at the beloved Cannery is all about the summer shred and their menu is there to prove it. If it’s not their charmingly open space, direct line to Koskela next door, easy access to a post-brunch gin at the distillery around the corner, or their insurmountable pile of cookbooks on offer, it’s the menu of Three Blue Ducks that’ll do it for you. This summer until 10am, $15 will get your a green breakfast of avocado toast or a breakfast poke bowl along with a green juice or green tea. Easy if you’re on one of those ‘restricted diets’ that folks do. It’s chill, rustic, welcoming and easy, with a menu that’s as easy to navigate as it is to decide a bold ‘yes’ to a $15 breakfast at a good local hangout. Find them at Three Blue Ducks Rosebery: 1/85 Dunning Ave, Rosebery NSW.

Messina drumsticks are a thing this summer

Icecream

There’s a new icecream in town and it’s a combo between Drumstick and Gelato Messina. The time to get excited is now. Since 1963, Drumstick has been doing its thing in Australia and in 2019, they’re teaming up with Gelato Messina to create something new for summer. The new Drumstick cones are inspired by some of Gelato Messina’s most popular flavours, with ingredients made in the Messina kitchen. They do four flavours: Mango & Salted Coconut Fresh Kensington Pride mango sorbet entwined with Murray River Salted Coconut sorbet, topped with Kensington Pride Mango sauce and toasted coconut flakes. Vanilla Bean & Peanut Praline Rich three fold vanilla bean ice cream, topped with a sweet & salty peanut praline and dark chocolate. Roasted Hazelnut A unique MESSINA hazelnut sauce made with hazelnuts all the way from Cortemilia in Italy, swirled through an indulgent gelato, topped with roasted hazelnuts. Dulce de Leche Made with MESSINA’s trade mark Dulce de Leche sauce combined with creamy ice cream and chocolate coated biscuit pieces.

Get cheap beer when it gets hot: Sydney Beer Co introduces surge pricing

Sydney beer Co summer

The higher the mercury goes, the lower your cost of beer becomes. That’s the stuff of a good deal. With summer being as rough as it is in Oz and Sydney being as much of a hard taskmaster as it is when it comes to sweet reprieve, the Sydney Beer Co made a good decision that involves you saving a tonne. Their very own ‘Sydney Beer Co. Summer Price Index’ will dictate the discount on it easy drinking beer that basically means, simply put, when the temperature goes up, the beer price comes down. This temperature focused discounting is an exclusive limited-time thing that can monitor yourself with the temperature price index using your phone. Ranging from 0% to 49%, Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel, Imperial Hotel Erskineville, Daniel San Manly, Park House and Northies will offer discounts to be locked in on Sydney Beer Co. lager based on the real-time temperature. Get it at each venue every day until 17th March 2019. Here’s how to get cheap beer Follow these simple steps to redeem the discount:1. Sign up to the Summer Price Index with Sydney Beer Co. at www.sbcsummerpriceindex.com.2. Once the temperature hits 30°C, choose to lock in your discount.3. Nominate a two-hour block of time on that day to redeem your discount. Note the discount is only valid on the day it’s locked in and for the two-hour block you nominate, with a limit of one claim per person each day, so choose wisely!5. You will receive an email with your discount confirmation.6. Visit a participating venue to… Read More

Angelo’s Cabarita debuts a brand-new look for the new year

Angelos revised interior photo

Angelo’s Cabarita first came in to being as a function centre. While it was the first stop for weddings and christenings for anyone seeking a bayside view of Cabarita, it may not have been number one on your list if you were looking for an afternoon glass of bubbles or an evening meal with the family – until now.             Everything has had a re-vamp, from the interior to the menu to the wine list. While the venue has always been spacious, it’s now chic, warm, and welcoming, with bucketloads of natural light and a private dining space for those super-special occasions. A classically Australian menu takes nods of inspiration from Italy, with fresh seafood and pasture-fed cuts of meat taking prime position alongside creamy gnocchi, zucchini flowers, and the famous beetroot risotto (you really have to try it).             The bar is fully-stocked with everything you need to sip and swill your way through a long, Italian-inspired lunch: kick things off with an Aperol spritz (or a negroni if you’re in the mood) and share a bottle or two of Prosecco, before finishing off with an Espresso Martini that will give you all the energy you need to make it back to the dock to catch the last ferry home.             While Cabarita is admittedly more than a quick stroll away from the city, the journey is well worth it, especially if you’re travelling by water. Nobody in Sydney needs any excuse for a day out, especially when the weather is this good: but… Read More

How to drink smoke: The new batch by Johnnie Walker

Whisky

When it comes to trends in the whisky game, smokiness is at the pinnacle. So when ol’ mate Johnnie takes a step into the flame with his latest batch, Sweet Peat, you know it’s making waves again. It’s the latest creation from the whisky brand’s experimental Blenders’ Batch project, which started over 10 years ago. A small team of Johnnie Walker blenders began a series of experiments matching flavours and aromas to explore what happens when different types of smoke and sweetness collide.  It gave birth to the limited edition small batches we’re all for, the result of which is this caramel sweetness meets peated smoke. It’s nice. For those whisky nerds playing at home; at the heart of Johnnie Walker Sweet Peat is whisky from the island distillery of Caol Ila, matured in refill casks and specifically chosen for its soft bonfire smoke and hidden sweetness. Speyside malts, including Cardhu, matured in refill casks, add sweet fresh fruit flavours such as apple, orange and pineapple. Whisky from Glendullan, aged in sherry casks, brings additional sweetness, rich fruity notes and balance. It’s a limited edition bottle and batch that you can get for yourself at Dan Murphy’s stores from early January 2019, $55.

What’s on at Canberra Good Food Month, March 2019

Good Food Month Canberra Adam Liaw

Canberra Good Food Month is back again and in 2019, is serving-up the goods, tastier than ever before. Following in the footsteps of its Melbourne and Sydney brother and sister, as well as its success of 2018, Canberra Good Food Month will hit the Capitol in March 2019. With all the typical Good Food Month events and happenings, this year’s iteration will be about celebrating three fine elements of cooking: cooking with fire, Asian inspiration and the young, emerging talent in Australian food. It’s all about putting Canberra on the ever-growing foodie pedestal. Here are three must-see events at Canberra Good Food Month: Adam Liaw’s Chinese-Australian Food Odyssey | Chairman & Yip | Friday 15 March, 6.30-10.30pm | Tickets $190 Adam Liaw will take food lovers on an edible history through the past, present and future of Chinese food in Australia with Kwok Keung Tung, head chef at Michelin-starred restaurant, Chairman Hong Kong. Ticket price includes a six-course dinner with matched wines. Fire at Dusk with Lennox Hastie & James Viles | Pialligo Estate | Saturday 9 March, 6.30pm-10pm | Tickets $160 Lennox Hastie (Firedoor) and James Viles (Biota Dining) will show off thier wood-fired grilling craft over the asado open fire-pit at the Asador Etxebarri (number six on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants), before opening Australia’s only fully wood fuelled restaurant. Ticket price includes a four-course dinner with matched wines, served with an arrival canape and cocktail. Young Chefs Lunch presented by Citi | Aubergine | Sunday 17 March, 12.30pm-3.00pm | Tickets $150 Three… Read More

The wine festival in Wellington New Zealand to know about

Wairarapa river

The Wairarapa Wines Harvest Festival is on 9 March 2019, held on the banks of the Ruamahunga River in the Gladstone wine growing region. If you’re nearby, it’s worth the trip. The festival is a great place to sample some of the area’s top drops and regional produce, showing off the best of NZ. This year marks 13 years of the festival that pairs vineyards with regional restaurants to produce a range of outstanding dishes. It gives visitors the chance to sample the fare and take their pick of wines from not only the larger, better known wineries of the region, but also from some of the area’s smaller, boutique producers. The sheltered riverside setting is close to both Masterton and Carterton, which is only 1 hr 15 from Wellington. See more about the festival here.