EATING OUT
Sydney is a city of foodies, a city that worships its chefs as stars just as much as Mumbai worships its Bollywood and cricket stars. Bursting at its seams with the cuisine of many cultures, and with plenty of fresh produce easily available, Sydney-siders are lucky to have excellent food fare all within a short drive or walk from their homes. Why don’t you get out there and make the most of it these holidays, ANTOINETTE LOKKER & PAWAN LUTHRA.
It’ll be like taking a holiday around the world!
Thai
Spice I Am
Darlinghurst and Surry Hills
This restaurant is just a 5-minute drive from the city and if you are lucky and early, you can get off-street parking in this busy area. Living up to the name completely, the food challenges your taste buds with its spice. My eleven-year-old son complained about the spice but managed to polish off his plate. And when I asked if he would like to come back here, he said, “Yes, when my taste buds have matured”. He meant, next weekend. Spice I Am has a won a variety of awards for its food and presentation. At their Darlinghurst outlet, the one dish you must try is Bour Tod (Phuket style fritter of green school prawns on crispy betel leaf with chilli sauce, crushed cashew nuts and coriander, pictured); it’s absolutely divine. Note, not much for the vegetarians, so go, you meat eaters!
296 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst
90 Wentworth Ave, Darlinghurst
Pawan Luthra
***
Malaysian
The Malaya
King Street Wharf
You need to be quick to get a booking at this stylish restaurant. With seating of over 200, this place is packed out most lunches and dinners. And it is easy to see why! With terrific views over Darling Harbour, the menu is quite extensive and offers a good range in both vegetarian and non-vegetarian. While some swear by the Otak Otak (white fish mince with chilli and spices, wrapped in banana leaf and then barbequed), the vegetarians will love Sayor Otak (Silken tofu topped with a blend of eggplant, mushroom, tomato, lemongrass and chilli paste, wrapped in a banana leaf and barbequed). The service is efficient and the décor is basic, but who needs to bother with that as you tuck into those divine Szechuan eggplant or Salt and Pepper Prawns? Their Kwai Du (Flat rice noodles stir-fried dry style with chicken, prawn, beansprouts, onion, shallot, chilli and egg) is a delight and one of the best noodle dishes in Sydney! Actually, if you really want a buzz try Malaya’s Caprioska cocktail (fresh lime crushed with palm sugar, shaken with Skyy Vodka and served on ice). A few of these will make the rest of the day just saunter by at a slow pace. The lengths we have to go to, to make our readers happy!
39 Lime Street, King Street Wharf Sydney
Pawan Luthra
***
Chinese
China Doll
Woolloomoolo
You can watch the city skyline from here or the fashion set of the Eastern suburbs parade past you as you enjoy modern Chinese dishes at Sydney’s historic Finger Wharf in Woolloomoloo. Try to get a table outside to soak in the full flavour of Sydney. This restaurant has a reasonable choice of vegetarian options. The corn and zucchini cakes with coriander and chilli are fried to a beautiful crisp and are wonderfully crunchy. If baby salt and pepper prawns are on as a special, grab it as an entrée – with their freshness it will open up the taste buds for the future flavours to be served. For the mains, the sweet chilli taste of the crispy port belly with chilli caramel and nam pla phrik sets the pace for a wonderful lunch or dinner. Mix that with the barramundi fillet with smoked bacon shiitake mushrooms and ginger, wash down with a Crawford River Riesling, and all your Christmases will come at once!
6 Cowper Wharf Road, Woolloomoolo.
Pawan Luthra
***
Pub Fare
Newport Arms Hotel
Newport
Recently voted as the best location pub in Sydney, the iconic Newport Arms Hotel in Newport is certainly a sight for sore eyes! Yes, it is quite a drive out, but make a family day of it and visit the Upper Northern Beaches of Sydney – the scenic coastlines and winding roads will quickly have you relaxing in your seats, with the only sounds the “ooh” and “ahh” coming from the kids. On your way back, stop at this famous pub and enjoy their kid-friendly beer garden. With stunning views over Pittwater, the place is set for a great day out with family and friends. Children are well catered for in the play area with sandpit and other fun adventures to keep them happy while you tuck into some “pub grub”. If you wish to really enjoy the atmosphere, watching a live game on one of the many outdoor screens is well worth it. Gourmet burgers and pizzas, grills and barbequed meat, seafood and veggies, salads – there is enough choice to keep everyone happy.
2 Kalinger Street, Newport
Pawan Luthra
***
Steak / Rib Restaurant
Hurricanes
Darling Harbour
I am South African by background and our famed braai (BBQ using coals or wood) usually consists of meat, meat and meat with a small side of potato salad, containing bacon. Having eaten ribs on 5 continents (South America and Antarctica still elude me), I know ribs! And Hurricanes is the front runner in this category by far.
Situated on picturesque Darling Harbour overlooking the Steyne Boat Restaurant, the views add just another depth to the pleasant but busy atmosphere. Taking no bookings after 8:30, the wait to get a table on a Saturday night is almost 2 hours long, so book ahead on weekends.
The list of starters here is quite varied, with the garlic prawns being a favourite. Garlic butter drenched and still sizzling in the pot, this little prawn dish will keep even a hungry vampire well away.
The main event however, has to be their amazing ribs – a full rack consist of leg of pork, lamb or beef ribs which is flame grilled on the BBQ until tender, yet juicy and succulent. Not a first date place, as it gets quite messy – but luckily they offer you a bib so your shirt isn’t stained.
This weekend I broke with tradition and ordered a steak. Not any steak, this one claimed to be the “tenderest on the menu” at a restaurant known for its tender cuts. The Fillet Tenderloin (sometimes known as a Fillet Mignon), was indeed one of the best steaks I’ve had in a very long time. With a side of “Monkey Gland” sauce – a sweet smoky BBQ sauce, the “medium” steak was juicy, perfectly cooked and just big enough for me to try a few of my dinner partner’s ribs as well. All in the name of research, of course.
With an excellent wine list and dessert choices on offer, you won’t leave hungry.
Darling Harbour
Antoinette Lokker
***
Brazilian
Churasco
Darlinghurst and Coogee
This style of restaurant is popping up everywhere, as people start realising that the samba is not the only amazing thing to come from Brazil. Churasco is the style of Brazilian BBQ where it is served on Espatadas or long metal skewers straight from the open flame BBQ, dripping with juices and cut right in front of you onto your plate. There are more choices of meat than you could shake a metal skewer at – overeating is the only problem you face.
Although an honourable mention goes to Wildfire at the Overseas Passenger Terminal in Sydney, Churasco remains my favourite Brazilian restaurant, with a buzzing yet informal vibe. It’s perfect for larger groups as the atmosphere is great and ordering isn’t a problem.
They have red and green coloured cards or blocks on your table – put the green side up and the meat keeps coming. Turn the red one up, and they give you a break. Not the place to go if you’re on a diet or morally against eating animals – the skewers are offered quite often, despite the red block on your table and you’ll soon discover that “just another bite” can lead to a painfully full tummy.
There are some vegetarian options though, so don’t despair. The roasted vegetables and cheese fritters are fantastic and the menu has a large selection of salads as well. For dessert, you can’t go past the Bannofee pie, a decadent mix of caramel, toffee and banana – sweet but simply sensational!
60-70 William St, Sydney.
And 240 Coogee Bay Road, Coogee
Antoinette Lokker
