The Spanish Fly

16 April 2012

The Spanish Fly
35 St Pauls Street, Randwick
P: +61 2 9326 4417  

I haven't had Tapas in a while so with my good friend Matty's birthday in tow, The Spanish Fly was the perfect suggestion. Living in the East on and off for the last 6 years, I feel ashamed to say that I haven't really eaten at many places at "The Spot" but zooming past on the X73 it always seems to have great atmosphere oozing out of it.

Liam starts off the ordering, "We'll start with 3 jugs of Sangria thanks! ($22 each and looks like I'm walking home). A few different Sangria options would have been nice, or at least a white option. Most of the plates come with serves of 4, as there were 6 of us, we got most plates to serve each of us, however, the prices below for your convenience is the usual pricing. We move onto some tasty little dishes to fill the hole there once was. Queensland King Prawns ($15) Split in half and cooked in its shell with a fantastic garlic butter flavour, Meatballs ($12) were tasty, maybe not as moist as I would like it, however the sauce was divine, Patatas Bravas ($10) a tapas favourite, decent portion size, Haloumi ($12) topped with roasted capsicum complimented it well, and how can you go to Tapas and NOT have Chorizo ($12) the roasted capsicum sauce may or may not have been licked off its plate. Paella Balls ($10) were tasty, but I wouldn't be able to tell you what was inside, could have been a mushroom aranchini from the local italian and I wouldn't have known the difference. Pork Belly ($15) tender and beautiful, a bit more crackle would have been nice but who can get enough of crackle? Tortellini with mushroom, sage and burnt butter ($15), Zucchini Flowers ($15), WOW, I have actually never had them before and was pleasantly surprised. It also came with a roasted capsicum sauce. Free Range Chicken ($15) had a generous hint of peri peri. I would have preferred it without the bones though.

For the 6 of us, the bill came to $250. Pretty happy with that, we were expecting more. More than satisfied with The Spanish Fly!

Service : 8 Food : 8 Atmosphere : 9 Value : 9

Recipe : Rice Noodle Rolls filled with Prawns

22 April 2012

Ingredients (serves 2-3 chicks or 1-2 dudes)

• 500g Fresh Rice Noodle sheets at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon seasame oil
• 1 tablespoon  peanut oil
• 41 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 3 spring onions thinly sliced
• 200g tinned water chestnuts, chopped
• 500g raw prawns, peeled, deveined, chopped
• 1 tablespoon  fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon soft brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon snipped garlic chives
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 4 tablespoons of soy sauce
• 1 teapoon seasame oil, extra
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• serve with edamame beans (optional)

Method

1. Open the noodle sheets and cut 8, 15cm pieces
2. Heat peanut and seasame oils in wok and add ginger and spring onion. cook over medium for 2 mins
3. Add water chestnuts and prawns and cook for another 5 mins or until prawns are pink
4. Stir in fish sauce, brown sugar and chives and set aside to cool slightly
5. Spoon mixture into the centre of a rice noodle sheet and fold over to enclose filling
6. Heat vegetable oil in a non stick fry pan and cook the noodle rolls over medium heat in batches until golden on each side
7. combine soy sauce, extra sesame oil and sugar and drizzle over rolls, serve with edamame beans

The Loft - High Tea

21 April 2012

The Loft
3 Lime Street, Sydney
P: +61 2 9229 4770 E : info@theloftsydney.com
http://theloftsydney.com/

A spot of High Tea - fit for a Hen!

A classy change to the normal cliche of a Hens Party, The Loft offers the ladies something a little special on a Saturday or Sunday Afternoon. With stunning views of Darling Harbour, and an amazing fitout complete with chandeliers, you can really appreciate the decor away from those drunken nights out. 

For the High Tea experience, you are looking at either $40 or $50. the extra $10 includes a glass of bubbly or a High Tea cocktail which is actually mixed with T2 tea.

As we sit down and catch up on all the goss, we are presented with a tradional three tiered High Tea platter, complete with egg and cucumber sandwiches, Smoked Salmon Bagel with Creme Fresh, Turkey, Brie and Cranberry roll, Chicken and Leek quiche, Scones with jam and cream, Strawberries, Mini Cupcakes, Portugese Tarts and my favourite, Creme Brulee.

I cannot complain about the quality of food, or the atmosphere, however, I was a little disappointed with the level of service offered. A bottle of sparkling ordered and recieved straight away, but my credit card was MIA for a good 20mins, asked if we wanted tea, given the menu and then no one came back for 30mins and proceeded to ask if we wanted drinks, we had to remind them that we wanted the tea, then when we were ready to leave, the floor staff we too busy having a conversation with each other to help, the barman was too busy trying to pick up the girls at the end of the bar and chopping limes seemed to be far more important than taking our money.

All that aside, it was still an enjoyable afternoon with great friends, celebrating a classy hens!

Service : 3 Food : 9 Atmosphere : 8 Value : 7

Recipe : Chilli Garlic Prawn Pasta

18 April 2012

Ingredients (serves 2 chicks or 1 dude)

• 200g angel hair pasta or spaghetti
• 45g butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
• 1 tablespoon shredded lemon zest
• 12 green (raw) prawns, peeled
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ¼ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly torn
• sea salt and cracked black pepper  

 

Method

1. Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water for 8–10 minutes or until al dente.
2. Drain and keep warm.
3. While the pasta is cooking, heat a frying pan over medium-high heat.
4. Add the butter and oil and cook until the butter has melted.
5. Add the garlic, chilli and zest and cook for 2 minutes.
6. Add the prawns and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until the prawns are tender.
7. Add the pasta, juice, parsley, salt and pepper to the pan and toss to combine.
8. Serve with a simple green salad.

Recipe : Slow Braised Lamb with Gnocchi

15 April 2012

Ingredients

• 1 x lamb leg
• plain flour
• 100 ml extra virgin olive oil, plus extra
• 60 g unsalted butter
• 1 brown onion, finely diced
• 1 leek, white part, only, washed and finely diced
• 4 celery stalks, cut into 5 mm thick diagonal slices
• 1 large carrot, halved and cut into 5mm thick diagonal slices
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 fresh bay leaves
• 375 ml dry white wine
• 500 ml chicken stock
• 400 g can diced tomatoes
• 2 tbs roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
• sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 tbl spoon tomato paste
• chilli flakes to taste
• 400 g gnocchi
• Parmasan

Method

Trim leg of excess fat and dust in flour and shake away excess. Heat oil and butter over medium heat in a frying pan and brown lamb then remove from pan. Add a little extra oil to the pan then add onion, leek, celery, carrot and garlic. Cook over medium hear for 10 minutes, or until vegies are soft, but not coloured. Add the bay leaves, white wine and chicken stock to the pan and stir to release any pieces stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add the chopped tomato and half the parsley.

Add all ingredients into a slow cooker and cook on low for 4hours. Add tomato paste and chill flakes and then cook on high for 4 hours. Remove leg and allow to cool slightly. Remove meat from bone and tear into 2 cm pieces (don't cut). Return meat to the sauce and check the seasoning. Keep sauce warm while you cook the gnocchi.

Stir remaining parsley into sauce. Spoon the gnocchi into bowls and top with sauce. Grate Parmesan over and serve.

*Optional - add butter and oil into a fry pan and fry off gnocchi to achieve a crisp finish.

Delicious!

Deckhouse

14 April 2012

Deckhouse
End of Clark Road, Woolwich Dock, Woolwich 
P: +61 2 9817 4394 E : info@deckhousewoolwich.com.au
http://www.deckhousewoolwich.com.au

Located on Woolwich Dock with sensational harbour views, the Deckhouse offers a relaxed environment for breakfast or lunch, away from the hustle and bustle. Walking down to the cafe, you get a real sense of the history that once was, with the dock a historic location owned by the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust.

Having once been here before and being slightly disappointed, I was happy to give it another go. I have to be honest here, I may have had an unexpectedly big night the night before and could have ordered something alot more "prettier", however, in the end, shouldn't it all look and taste good?

Starting with a skim latte, we soaked in the beautiful morning and the open space. I was craving some scrambled eggs ($12.50 and style with ciabatta) needing that bit of extra grease this morning, I also ordered a side of sausage and spinach ($4 for each addition). The eggs were beautiful and creamy and hit the spot perfectly! My partner in crime this morning ordering eggs benedict ($17) which seemed to have been delicious. Either I was talking way too much or the eggs were just THAT good. Considering I am a super fast eater, she was finished well before I was. Thanks to the awesome Sydney North Entertainment Book (worth the $60 with all the discounts) our bill ended up coming to $29! Bargain!

I'll definitely revisit! The food has really picked up in standard since my last breaky there!

Service : 7 Food : 8 Atmosphere : 7 Value : 9

Cafe Sopra - Fratelli Fresh, Bridge Street

2 April 2012

Cafe Sopra
11 Bridge Street, Sydney
P: +61 2 8298 2701 E : customerservice@fratellifresh.com.au
http://www.fratellifresh.com.au

* No Bookings

Flavour that lasts after your meal!

Fratelli Fresh, Sydney's leading providore is home to Cafe Sopra, a casual Italian eatery which has made a strong name for itself in the Harbour city! With restaurants in Potts Point, Walsh Bay, Waterloo and now Bridge Street in the CBD and awarded "Favourite Mediterranean" by the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide,, I was excited to see what all the fuss was about.

As we were on our lunch break, we asked for everything to come out together. with 2 pastas, chicken, pizza, 2 salads and polenta, as well as a busy lunch rush, we expected to wait a while. 5 minutes after ordering, one member of our party recieved his Buffalo Mozzerlella and Basil pizza ($22) GREAT! However, he had finished his pizza before we received our meals. That though, was the only downside. each dish that we received was impecable! The Linguine with chilli, lemon and breadcrumbs ($18) was simple but tasty. The serving size was huge but I could not leave it. Every mouthful was better than the one before. The Chicken Scalopini was served with a side of coleslaw ($25) and the Meatball fettuccini  ($22) was mouthwatering. The crisp polenta with gorgonzola sauce and mushroom ($18) was creamy and flavoursome. The Rockmelon and Parma salad ($22) a match made in heaven. I was a little sceptical about the Panzanella salad (cucumber, tomato, spanish onion, anchovy and croutons) however it was a welcome addition ($20). With 2 bottles of sparkling mineral water and 2 Banoffe Pies to go, the total bill for 4 people came to $189. I am fairly certain that if I fell down right now that you would easily be able to roll me anywhere. No dinner tonight, but for that fantastic lunch, I am willing to sacrifice just that!

Service : 9 Food : 10 Atmosphere : 8 Value : 7