Mejico, Sydney CBD

Mejico's received a lot of hype since it first opened its doors a little over a year ago. I'd been avoiding the place because I didn't want to hyper-inflate my expectations - I've long realised that Sydney-based Mexican food has a long way to go to compete with the stuff I tasted in London (and despite sounding like the gourmet travellers on My Kitchen Rules, London has quite a few saliva-inducing Mexican-inspired restaurants).

The Boy and I had a chia concoction each (chia-based mocktails). Mine was the white nectar, which reminded me of those Asian aloe vera drinks that you buy to trick yourself into thinking you're opting for the healthy alternative to soft drink. I was similarly hooked. The menu said it also contained coconut, a subtle hint of which permeated the drink.

White nectar ($6.50)

Food came pretty slowly... It took 10 to 15 mins for the waitress to come over to make our guacamole, another 10 to 15 mins in-between the guacamole and tacos, and the ribs arrived 15 to 20 mins later.

The signature guacamole was served with plantain chips (a fruit/ herb similar to banana). Mashed with a mortar and pestle at our table, we witnessed bits of pistachio, chilli and lime juice being ground into dollops of avocado. Normally I'm crazy over guacamole, but this tasted a little bland? I think it needed something like salsa to add moisture to an otherwise creamy paste. And more chilli. Saved a bit to eat with the tacos, but as the dishes come in bits and pieces (and we were famished), we'd gobbled most of it up.

Signature Guacamole ($12.00)

When my boss heard that I was going to Mejico, he really talked up the trout tacos. Can't say he was wrong, because the trout was light and seared beautifully. The chipotle mayonnaise and jalapenos added a bout of much needed flavour. Highlight of the meal.

Trout tacos ($16.00)

The chicken tacos were alright. Came with chorizo, cumin and cucumber salsa. Not dry or tasteless, just overshadowed by its fishy sibling.

Chicken tacos ($16.00)

It took a while for the glazed pork ribs to arrive. There were maybe.. 6 ribs? It was quite a heavy dish, particularly paired with the polenta. The glaze wasn't spectacular, but tasty enough. Meat was tender and fell off the bone.

Glazed pork ribs ($38.00)

Of the 4 food items I ordered off the menu, I would probably re-order the trout tacos (delicious!) and the ribs (as a stomach filler). It's not to say the other 2 were bad, but they weren't that memorable/ can't quite justify the prices.

Sushi E, Sydney CBD

The Boy and I intended to pop into the Establishment Bar for quick dins, but because he has his fob moments, we ended up heading to the lift and away to the Hemmesphere level for sushi.

Nigiri whipped up right in front of you!

 I've stated a zillion times that I hate sushi with dry rice and tough seaweed. The dragon ash roll we shared was AMAZING. Strong smokey flavour in the salmon made a great companion to the fried shallots, which are so often relegated to the role of a garnish to noodle soups.

Dragon ash roll ($22.00)

That moment when people eat food while taking happy snaps >:/ How dare they?!

 Had my first beef tataki - thinly sliced seared beef fillet. Really tender - not sure if it was because it was grain fed, Angus, tenderloin, or all of the above. Could have eaten it alllll on my own.

Beef tataki ($30.00)

The grilled miso cod was flaky and light. It was hard to eat without rice, though, as the salty flavour reached a crescendo after a few bites - the same feeling you get when you eat too much lobster.

Miso cod ($34.00)

Summary
Chill atmosphere. Pricey food but well worth it.

Waterfront, The Rocks

First Impressions/ Service - Poor

We visited Waterfront on a weeknight as walk-ins. It was half-empty at around 7pm, with a massive sign out front advertising a steak special. When we approached the greeter (who was right next to that big sign), she didn't bother to look up from her paperwork. When we managed to get her attention, she looked at us with the expression of Grumpy Cat. She asked if we made a booking, to which we answered in the negative. Without saying anything, she turned around and headed in. We looked at each other, shrugged and assumed (correctly) from the amount of available tables that she was leading us inside.

Our table wasn't set properly, lacking salt and pepper shakers and napkins. I brushed it off, thinking that the table might have been recently vacated. Once we were ready to order, it took quite a bit of waving to get the attention of a waiter. This turned out to be a chronic problem for the rest of our stay, from asking for napkins to asking for the bill. It would have been understandable if the staff were busy, but there were always a couple of waiters/ waitresses who would hover at the borders, chatting and laughing amongst themselves.

The Food - Better

Food arrived promptly - in fact, we were done with our meal within an hour.

We commenced with the "Seafood nibbles", a platter made up of prawns, scallops, calamari and a small pot of black mussels. Just quickly - The tiger prawns and flash fried baby calamari were battered lightly - calamari was a little dry but the prawns were great. The grilled scallops were the most visually appealing part of that platter, with a mouthwatering topping of garlic butter. Mussels were cooked in a light sauce which didn't interfere with the briny flavour of the meat.

Seafood nibbles ($39.00)

My main was the "Twice cooked pork belly". My favourite part of the dish by far was that lovely layer of sticky, caramelised crackling. The lentils tasted a little odd at first in combination with the pork, but it started to grow on me mid-way through.

Pork belly ($35.00)

After nagging him about eating too much steak that week, the Boy had graciously ordered the "Roast chicken breast 'coq au vin style'", which he reckoned was on the small side. The chicken was moist, made more so with the mushrooms and the wine-based sauce.

Roast chicken breast ($34.00)

Did the food make up for the service? We used an Entertainment Book voucher, so, in our case, it somewhat did. I doubt we'll return, though. There are other restaurants nearby with better food, service and the same view. A tip for those who plan to visit, sitting outdoors can expose you to the elements at night, so bring a coat.

Khao Pla, Chatswood

For a few months now I've been hearing about a fantastic little Thai place situated in what's practically my hometown. I had to search it up on the Internet, because I never actually paid attention to Khao Pla in passing! The address confused me a little because I read "Victoria Avenue" and thought it would be around the Concourse, but its shop lot opens onto Anderson Street (opposite to Bao Dao/ Moochi/ Houlihan's... which I've realised all happen to bear Victoria Avenue addresses).

Khao Pla's chef, Pla Rojratanavichai, has had the likes of Spice I Am, Mr Wong and Ms G's under his belt, which probably explains all the hype surrounding this particular eatery. It's this hype that has generated pretty consistent dinner-time queues, and due to inconvenient hunger pangs, it's taken a few attempts to actually get a table.

On the day we decided to commit to the half hour wait, we'd finished watching a movie, which meant we hadn't gone a moment without chewing on some sort of snack. Since a waiter was planted at the front of the restaurant to greet patrons, we were able to leave our mobile number with them, giving us the freedom of going walkabout to work up a bigger appetite.

Exterior

Due to the minimal space, most of the tables make up one long table, which means that there's a bit of manoeuvring required to get to the benches at the wall. Khao Pla probably isn't the best setting for an intimate date/ catch-up, as you have to shout across the table to your dinner partner (which also means you can clearly hear the conversations of the people on either side of you). It didn't help that there was a large group of diners who had drunk several bottles of wine already and were guffawing loudly - though who could blame them? They were celebrating a birthday, after all.

Even with that half hour to gain precious stomach space, we were still borderline peckish, so we went with 2 dishes and steamed jasmine rice to share.

First to arrive was the crying tiger. It was char grilled wagyu beef accompanied by a generous amount of sauce. Succulent and juicy, I don't think the beef really needed the sauce, though it did provide an extra punch of sweet, sour and spicy flavours.

Crying tiger ($16.00); Rice ($2.50)

 Second was a green chicken curry with thai eggplant, ginger, bamboo shoots, Thai basil and kaffir lime leaves. The curry was pretty standard, except it was particularly hot - when the waitress went around checking on each table, she even teased me about the crimson state of my face :(

Gaeng keaw wan (Green curry) ($14.00)

Summary:

• Food is:
• Good
• Spicy
• Portions a bit small / prices a tad high given small portions
• 2 people should probably order 3 dishes to share + steamed rice or roti / 2 dishes + rice or noodle main
• Noisy
• Stools - those who need back support will need to sit on the benches
• I would come back - I particularly want to sample the tom yum soup!

Menu disclosed below:-

Menu

The Treehouse, North Sydney

How we got there

Our visit to The Treehouse Hotel was purely accidental. We'd finished touring Sculpture by the Sea, wanted to have dinner on our side of the Bridge, and decided to check out Rengaya in North Sydney. We ambled inside but were regrettably turned away - they were booked out for the night :(

Our hunger pangs were hitting us pretty hard and, it being a Saturday, there weren't many options around North Sydney station. For a moment, I thought that we'd have to retreat to the nearby Hungry Jacks, but soon recalled passing a restaurant that had been perched grandly at the top of a flight of stairs. At the time, I'd glibly called it "cute" and thought it might make a romantic dinner spot, with its potted plants and timber furniture. Gleeful that we had this as a back-up plan, I dragged the Boy off to The Treehouse.

The Treehouse is separated into 3 sections:

1. The garden terrace, which overlooks onto the street, and on that day was booked out for an event hosted by a nearby private school.
2. Indoor bar area
3. Restaurant lounge area

When we entered the restaurant, it was difficult to get the attention of any of the waiters, which was a little odd because we were the first patrons to arrive for dinner and, though the bar area was filled with people, no table service is available to them. I guess they were all busy with the event on the Terrace... Having said that, once we managed to locate someone to seat us, service was fairly smooth for the rest of our visit.

I've got to say, I really loved the soft ambience created by the glowing lamps and whimsical decor - if this were the Sims, my Environment bar would probably be maxed out!

Mismatched chairs and '20s posters scream "vintage chic"

Food

To start, we shared a dozen fresh oysters, served with lemon wedges and a gingery mignonette sauce. No complaints - oysters were indeed fresh, and that acidic accompaniment was delicious.

Fresh oysters - 1 dozen ($32.00)

We also indulged in a couple of cocktails, both of which were a tad more sweet than alcoholic - no less enjoyable though!

Daiquiri ($16.00)

French martini ($14.00)

I had the gnocchi for my main. These starchy potato pillows were lightly pan-fried and served with large prawns, peas, leek and sage brown butter for moisture. This could have become too oily, but they got the balance just right. Thankfully, the portions were sizable and they weren't stingy on the prawns :)

Gnocchi ($30.00)

The Boy ordered a medium steak - Tassie grass-fed eye fillet with cafe de paris butter. I didn't dare eat into his portion, since steaks at restaurants always look so tiny, but he gave it a grin and a thumbs up. I did try the fries, which were prettyyyyy good.

Eye fillet ($33.00)

Verdict

• Food and drinks are decent
• Great atmosphere
• Quite pricey
• Observation: They seem to attract an older crowd

I wouldn't mind coming back for a hearty comforting meal, but given the menu isn't particularly innovative, it's unlikely I'll return for a while.

Kobe Jones, Darling Harbour

 Quite a few months ago, I bought a $135 Groupon voucher for Kobe Jones' 13-course "Winter Romance" set menu for 2 with sake. It wasn't until recently that I remembered that it needed redeeming, so the Boy and I made a booking to go on a Sunday.

I didn't read any reviews until after I made the booking (I'd only heard of Kobe Jones through friends and family), so it was to my dismay that there were so many negative reviews, albeit prettyyyy contradictory.

The list of negative attributes that I gleaned from my 'research' is as follows:

• Too much mayonnaise
• Too much food
• Too little food
• Pacing is too fast
• Food comes out too slowly
• Service is bad, but food is good
• Food is bad, but service is attentive
• Loud doof-doof music
• Waitstaff don't deliver the usual spiel when setting down the plates

Needless to say, I was thoroughly perplexed (and worried at the thought that what we were hoping would be a nice evening out could possibly leave us both hungry!). Thankfully, the only gripe was that our waitress never explained what we were going to eat - each time she just placed the dishes on the table, muttered the name, and walked off.

When we arrived, we were taken to our table, which looked onto the harbour. It got a little chilly at night, so I was glad I brought a jacket with me.

Nice views

The sake was delivered warm in a small sake flask with a couple of cute matching cups. We weren't told what kind of sake it was, so we just shrugged and poured it out. It was pretty low in alcohol content so we ordered a couple of cocktails as well.

Sake

First to come was the Number One Special - avocado, (fake) crab meat and their creamy 'special sauce'. I like crab stick, fake or otherwise, and it wasn't drowning in mayo like I feared, so it was a nice start.

Number one special (for 2)

More alcohol came! Was in need of a pick me up, so got the espresso martini, which had a nice strong coffee flavour/ aroma.

Espresso martini ($18.00)

Harlem Shake ($18.00)

A tasting plate (per person) of 5 items arrived:

1. Never had a spider roll in my life. Soft shell crab was a little tough... 
2. Had no idea what poke is, either, but apparently it's just a Hawaiian salad. Loved the juiciness and fresh flavours.
3. Lollipop sushi: Raw fish on a stick with cucumber wrapped around it
4. Wagyu tataki: Thinly sliced raw beef, dry
5. Spicy ebi nigri: Don't remember it being spicy...

Sorry about the beef and ebi nigri photos! I was getting pretty hungry...

Spider roll

Salmon poke

Lollipop sushi

Wagyu tataki

Spicy ebi nigri

Surprisingly, the salmon tataki was one of my favourites that night. Possibly because the lemon juice brought out the sweetness of the salmon, partially because salmon roe is so fun to eat!

Jalapeno salmon tataki (for 2)

Panko-crumbed calamari. It tasted like it sounded. Not bad for a filler.

Pacific calamari fritto (for 2)

The volcano roll was like a more substantial version of the number one special. By this time, we were both becoming pretty full.

Volcano roll (for 2)

The tobanyaki was definitely meant to be a stomach filler - rice with crunchy fish flakes, seafood and mushrooms. It made for good comfort food. We managed to finish most of it.

 

Spicy seafood tobanyaki (for 2)

The Alaskan crab legs were about a forearm long each. There was surprisingly a fair bit of meat. Any fishy smell was killed off with the lime.

Alaskan crab (for 2)

Loved the novelty of the lobster hot rock - the only problem was that not all of the meat was cooked at the end (part of it a little cold).

Lobster hot rock (for 2)

Decided on the flaming anko - red bean and green tea brulee. Nice presentation when it arrived on fire. The taste? Well... the red bean was quite overpowering and there wasn't much crunch. It was around 9pm that fireworks began - quite unexpectedly, considering fireworks are usually only set off on Saturdays?

Flaming anko

 

















Was it worth $326 for 2? I don't think so, but $135 was a pretty good deal.