Ripples Milsons Point

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Ripples Milsons Point is situated just over the Harbour Bridge right near Luna Park or as they put it “in an iconic waterfront location” and has awe inspiring views of the harbour and bridge .

It’s accessible via train (one stop from the city) or better yet, a ferry ride from Circular Quay.

The views might not be the only reason people choose to eat there but it’s definitely one of the main ones.

One of the other main draw cards is that while they are fully licenced they will let you BYO which is a bit of a rarity in Sydney restaurants these days. Corkage is $12 a bottle but when you compare it to the average wine mark up in restaurants of 300% or more, it represents pretty good value, especially if you are cracking open the cellar to bring a good bottle along.

The food is Italian inspired. For lunch and dinner there are 13 smaller plates to select from which include some classics such as stuffed zucchini flowers and an antipasto plate as well as plenty of seafood options including, Sydney rock oysters, grilled prawns, an octopus salad and a salmon ceviche.

There are 9 mains to choose from, with one vegetarian (pasta) option, 4 seafood, a chicken, beef, pork and a lamb dish (which is meant to be shared among 2 people). At 400g the rib eye is probably also enough for two people. The mains prices range from $29 for the vegetarian pasta through to $52 for the rib eye and $84 for the lamb shoulder, with the remainder sitting at around $40.

While most of the dishes come with some accompaniments, you do need to order a side (or two) to make them into complete meals. The selections are pretty standard, a salad, 2 potato dishes, sauteed kale and green beans.

Ripples whole baked snapper — Whole baked snapper

The food doesn’t really push the envelope in terms of creativity, but it’s cooked well and has plenty of flavour. And after all, it really is about the views.

My verdict, it’s the place you go to if you want to impress an overseas guest with the views or want to spend a sunny afternoon overlooking the harbour with a group of friends enjoying some of your favourite wine.

https://www.ripplesmilsonspoint.com.au/

Olympic Drive, Milsons Point NSW 2061
(02) 9929 7722

Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner

05/03/2020

Busshari Japanese Potts Point

The fact that Busshari has been around for more than 12 years is a testament to the quality of the food and service. This was my 4th visit in the past 6 months after rediscovering how good it is. It’s a highlight in a section of Potts Point that doesn’t have a lot of good choices.

The menu is extensive, offering lots of sashimi and sushi dishes as well as plenty of hot options.

This time we had the small mixed sashimi plate, the spicy tuna dynamite roll and the sizzling waygu beef. All were very good – the sashimi very fresh and included a mix of 5 different seafoods, the dynamite roll carrying a bit of a kick without being overwhelmingly hot and the beef melt in your mouth tender with the added bonus of being able to take it off the grill when it was cooked to our exact liking.

The drinks list is also extensive, with a page devoted to sakes and 15 white and 10 red wines either by the glass or bottle with options from Italy, France, New Zealand and Australia.

Service is professional and efficient, with only a small wait between dishes.

119 Macleay St, Potts Point, NSW 2011
02 9357 4555
https://busshari.com.au/

13/05/2019

Nomad Surry Hills

Nomad seats 180 people and on a recent Thursday night at the first dinner sitting every table in Nomad is full. The fact that it’s so busy 5 years after it opened in the very fickle dining hood of Surry Hills is testament to how good it is.

The venue

It’s an old warehouse and it retains that industrial feel with exposed beams and distressed timber. When you walk in the first things you notice are the two giant wine barrels and the mouth watering smell of smoking meats.

At the centrepiece of the space is a large open kitchen surrounded by a counter which gives a front row seat to watch the food preparation. Equally as entertaining is a seat at the window where you can watch the passing parade of people.

The food

I’ve been quite a few times and have tried both the a la carte menu and the Feast menu. Both options are good but now I usually stick to the $69 Feast menu. It’s such good value it sways me every time. Even better is the Saturday lunch option where you can get the Feast and bottomless (good) rose for 2 hours.

There is also a $95 Bigger Feast menu which includes all of the food on the $69 menu plus a few other dishes. Unless you have a pretty big appetite you’ll probably struggle, so I’d recommend trying the regular Feast menu the first time.

The first course on the Feast menu is the cannelinni bean hommus with house made sourdough and pickles. I’m not usually a huge fan of hommus but this stuff is to die for, beautiful and smokey. Even if you go a la carte I’d definitely recommend ordering it.

Next up is a charcuterie plate which is again made in house in the glass maturing cabinet and comes with more of the very moorish sourdough. It’s followed by zucchini flowers with pecorino truffle honey.

When I first saw the zucchini I thought it was going to be overwhelmed by the cheese as it seemed like there was so much, but it so light and airy and the sweetness of the honey adds another dimension.

Just in case you think you’ve narrowed down the menu to at least Europe, kingfish ceviche arrives. The fish is very fresh and lightly marinated with finger lime. The coriander cracker adds some crunch to a dish that often doesn’t have a lot of texture.

By the time the spatchcock arrives both my partner and I are feeling full but it and the accompanying BBQ cauliflower are so good a little while later there is nothing left on the plate. The meat is tender with a great smokey flavour (there is a theme here) and the harissa adds a nice punch without being overpowering.

When we’ve convinced ourselves we can’t possibly eat any more, out comes the dessert, an ice cream sandwich with olive oil partfait, halva, pistachio and honey and a few minutes later we somehow find ourselves discussing whose going to have the last spoonful.

The service

Another drawcard for Nomad is the service. Our waiter is very friendly but professional, always there to refill water and wine glasses, provide an explanation of each of the dishes and regularly check in to make sure everything is OK.

Great food and wine, good service and really good value. What more could you want in a restaurant.

https://nomadwine.com.au/

16 Foster Street Surry Hills
LUNCH
Monday- Saturday
Noon – 2:30pm (kitchen closes)
DINNER
Monday – Wednesday
6.00pm til late
Thursday – Saturday
5.30pm til late

18/12/2018

Sydney’s best Japanese restaurant

Japanese is probably my favourite cuisine. I love the fresh, light flavors. While I’ll happily grab a couple of sushi rolls, sometimes I want something (way more) upmarket, I want to eat at Sydney’s best Japanese. When that’s the case, for me it’s a two horse race between Sake Restaurant & Bar and Sokyo.

Sake Restaurant & Bar

The fact that Sake Sydney is still going strong 9 years after it opened and they’ve opened sister restaurants in Double Bay, Melbourne and Brisbane is a testament to the quality of the food.

Neil Perry’s Rockpool Dining Group now owns the restaurant and in 2017 he revamped the menu, although he has kept a lot of the classics. I was a little concerned the change in hands might mean a change in quality but a recent visit indicates this isn’t the case.

The flavors are still wonderful and the presentation of the dishes meticulous. All the dishes are great, but the tuna ceviche is one of my favourites and one I order every time I eat there.

No matter what you order, save room for dessert. Desserts are often the one thing not even great Asian restaurants do well, but Sake seems to have nailed it. The dragon egg is worth ordering just for the theatre value (there are a tonne of videos on youtube if you want to check it out). Here is the egg before they pour the sauce on it and it collapses revealing the “dragon” inside:

Sake Restaurant & Bar
12 Argyle Street The Rocks
http://www.sakerestaurant.com.au/

Sokyo

While Sokyo is technically part of the Star, don’t let that turn you off, it’s actually in the Darling, the hotel adjoining the casino and you can get there without stepping foot into the casino.

This is again Japanese dining at it’s best. I’ve eaten almost everything on the menu and it’s all been great, but one of the dishes I order every time is the Tuna Crispy Rice.

In comparing it to Sake, the result is pretty neck and neck. The food is equally good at both. The service at Sokyo is probably slightly better and unlike Sake it has a bar where you can sit, sip a cocktail and have a snack or order from the complete restaurant menu but it doesn’t have Sake’s dragon egg. Which sounds like a great excuse to try both and decide for yourself.

Sokyo
Level G The Darling
80 Pyrmont Street Pyrmont
https://www.star.com.au/sydney/eat-and-drink/signature-dining/sokyo

02/10/2018