Hartsyard @ Newtown

I have wanted to try Hartsyard since it opened a bit over a year ago. Finally, I seized the opportunity to go. Hartsyard is an urban styled dining experience, where you can catch up with a friend, or a small group and share lots of good food. The lighting provides an intimate atmosphere, with a friendly vibe. For 2 people the waiter advised to choose maximum of 3 dishes, or 4 if you aren't having dessert. This was perfect amount, when walking out on a full stomach in a very satisfying nature.

All the tables have tabasco sauce and awesome cloth napkins

House smoked ham, potato buns, pickled greens, tomato relish, mustard, cripsy pig, parmesan cheese

This was a lovely starter from the 'seed' portion of the menu. It was a great dish, where all the condiments provided different elements of salty and tangy. The only part I didn't like was the spoonful of pig fat they put on the side of dish, just doesn't feel right to eat or spread on fat like that. It is a new dish on their menu where the waiter asked for our opinion of the dish when we had consumed it all.

Mocktails $8, Cocktail $18

Mocktails aren't on the drinks menu, but they are more than happy to whip one up for you. I have no idea what was in my mocktail, but it was refreshing.

Pulled pork, maple bacon, labne, apple and pork crackling 

Can't get enough pork! The slab of pulled pork may not look very big in the photo, but it had a lot of pork in it. I am usually not a fan of maple bacon, but the caramelisation was deliciously different. The sauce was nice and sticky in nature. The labne, apple and crackling made as an excellent side.

Fried chicken, buttermilk biscuit, low country sausage gravy

Fried chicken, can't say no to that. There were 3 pieces of chicken on the plate, all coated with crunchy goodness. The gravy was very creamy, and not the normal brown gravy you expect. Underneath the gravy was bread, but I was hoping it was mash potato which would have accompanied the chicken a lot better. 

Peanut butter & Banana Sundae: Pretzel ice cream, banana cream filled doughnuts and chocolate fudge

After feeling really full of the 'seeds' and 'feeds' dessert was still a must. We were tempted to get 2 desserts, but decided to share the one and we chose the sundae. A great mixture of sweet and salty, which may not be everyone's cup of tea. My favourite part was the banana cream filled doughnuts! The banana inside with crunchy, soft, cinnamon outside, DELICIOUS! I wish you could just order those for dessert. The pretzel ice-cream takes sometime to adjust to, but once there it is a tasty treat! 

The staff at Hartsyard are really friendly, and provide good advice on what you may or may not want to order. The entire meal, including drinks came to roughly $120 for 2 people. It was a very fulfilling meal, and will definitely be going there again.

Good food, good times! 

MakMak @ Newtown

Finally, MakMak have created a retail store! This happened after originally being a pop-up store, and has now become a permanent resident of Newtown. MakMak was named the best macaron in Sydney, by a blind taste test conducted by 3 of Sydney's best chefs (Time Out Sydney Article). They provide exceptional flavours, with their current Botanicals Collection that is inspired by flowers, herbs and plants. Each macarons costs $3.00 each, but if you get more they become cheaper. I purchased 12 for $32.

Flavours (from top left corner):

Rhubarb & Rose: This was one of my favourite macaron flavours. There was a lovely balance of sweetness with the tartness of the rhubarb jelly centre.  

Passionfruit, Orange & Lemon Myrtle: I do enjoy my citrus flavours, but this was filled with so much flavour that it was a bit overwhelming for me. Lucky I was enjoying it with a cup of tea, which helped with the intensity of the macaron. 

Apricot & Elderflower: The taste of Autumn was definitely encased in this macaron. There were lovely pieces of apricot with the apricot ganache which made all the difference. 

Peanut butter & Belgian chocolate: Another one of my favourite macarons. It was like snickers in a macaron, but better! It was more so a peanut and chocolate, than actual peanut butter. Too good to eat slow.

Pistachio: It is a classic macaron, that can't fail (when bought of course). A great rendition of a classic.

Peppermint & Dark Belgian chocolate: Another favourite! I love things mint, and this is something to add to all things mint. A lovely balance with peppermint and chocolate. I was eating it slow to savour it all.

Salted Caramel: I was actually a bit disappointed with this one. The shell was crunchier than the others, and not enough of a salted taste. Then again, maybe I received an odd one of the bunch.

Raspberries & Cream: Gotta love raspberries! It was a lovely balance between white chocolate and raspberries. 

Smoked Vanilla & Pecan Praline: This was an interesting macaron. I could, yet couldn't get the taste of the macaron. The nuttines of the pecan was definitely there though! 

Green Tea Latte: A different twist on the new phase of green tea flavoured macarons. There was a bit more of a sweetness to it. I loved how there was a little white love heart on the shell.

Strawberry, Vincotto & Pink Peppercorn: This was my least favourite. I found the pink peppercorn to be overpowering, along with the wine type taste. The flavours were conflicting, and just didn't work for me.

Bounty: Coconut all around! There was a coconut centre that was bound by ganache. The chocolate half shell gave the taste of the bounty chocolate bar.

Overall, MakMak macarons are a delight! There shells keep in perfect form and reminds me of those from Melbourne's La Belle Miette. The flavours are more subtle than competitors such as zumbo and baroque. However, they are definitely worthy of being Sydney's number 1 macaron.

Good food, good times!

Check out my reviews of the other top macarons:
Cafe Cre Asion: http://spoonfulsofgoodness.blogspot.com.au/2011/08/cafe-cre-asion-surry-hills.html
Adriano Zumbo: http://spoonfulsofgoodness.blogspot.com.au/2012/10/zumbaron-day-2012-adriano-patisserie.html

Laduree: http://spoonfulsofgoodness.blogspot.com.au/2012/09/laduree-sydney-westfield-level-3.html

Baroque: http://spoonfulsofgoodness.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/baroque-pantry-rocks-sydney.html

Black Star Pastry @ Newtown

As part of Crave Sydney International Food Festival 2012, Newtown Precinct created Taste of Newtown Food Festival. This was a month long event where various restaurants of the Newtown Precinct offered food deals to diners. As the website said 'Surry Hills is sooooo 2010 – eat your way around Newtown instead…'. Therefore, for my Newtown fix I went to Black Star Pastry with a few friends. The deal was 2 coffees/hot chocolates, 2 savouries and 2 sweets for $25!

When I first laid eyes on the strawberry watermelon cake and chocolate eclair a few years ago I have been a fan of Black Star Pastry . Ever since then, every trip to Newtown involves a visit to Black Star Pastry.

Lamb & Red wine Pie

Australia is known for meat pies, and Black Star Pastry can deliver a damn good meat pie! I didn't even need to add too much tomato sauce, and it was perfect temperature to enjoy without burning my tongue.

Beef sausage roll

This was my friends dish, and she said it was nice, and definitely better than the ones are uni (which are the frozen packet ones).

Proscuitto and rocket in olive infused bread 

I didn't get the chance to try this but my friend said it was really nice. She enjoyed the olive infused bread.

Mushroom, spinach, feta and cheese toasted sandwich 

My friend that tried this stated that she had never had anything like this before. I took a bite, and it was very mushroomy, so if you enjoy mushrooms this is the sandwich for you!

Chocolate & lime tort and Strawberry & watermelon cake

Strawberry & watermelon cake and Raspberry creme brulee tart

The chocolate and lime tort was very interesting, definitely not a dessert for everyone. The layers of chocolate cake and ganache helped the intensity of the lime jelly, however there was still a strong hit of lime. Out of all 4 of us, only myself and one of the other girls liked it. If you enjoy desserts that have a tangy twist, this will be for you.

The raspberry creme brulee tart is a simple delight. With the fusion of a vanilla custard and raspberry centre, it is a perfect treat for a quick sugar hit.

As I said earlier in the post, the strawberry and watermelon cake can never go wrong. Fresh layers of cake, watermelon, cream and topped with strawberries and jelly = Summer in your mouth. Everything about this cake is delightful, the only annoying part is that you can't eat it perfectly. Even though the layers may break apart, it is one of the reason I always go back to Black Star Pastry, an all time favourite.

Good food, good times!

Ra Bar @ Enmore/Newtown

Before my sister and I headed to the Aqua Concert we decided to eat, and after some researching and feeling like tapas, we found Ra Bar. Ra Bar is small restaurant/tapas bar, dining about 25 -30 people including seats at the bar. It provides a cosy eating environment and very nice staff. Ra Bar seems to get a lot of business, because upon arrival a lot of the tables were reserved so we were seated at the bar. 

The menu showed that the restaurant isn't traditional Spanish tapas', but an assortment of all different tapas' from different cuisines such as Chinese and Lebanese. With that, we decided to get an 11 (technically single dishes) course banquet which was $25 per person, at a minimum of 2 people. Reason we chose the banquet was so that we could try a range of things, and if we liked something more then we could order more.

Crispy bread with labna, babaganoush and marinated olives

This was extremely addicting! Labna is a yoghurt based cheese and babaganoush is an eggplant based dip (both mainly of Lebanese origin). The labna had a smooth texture, and a unique taste. Strangely, I am not a fan of cheese or yoghurt, yet labna was really good. The babaganoush had a lovely taste of mashed roasted eggplant.  The crisp bread with the smooth cheese and the eggplant dip was a great start to the banquet.

Chilli chorizo with chimmi churri

Mmm chorizo and chimmi churri (mainly South American origin)  is one of the best combinations I have ever tried. First, time I tried it was at a family dinner, and trying it again, didn't disappoint. The main ingredients of chimmi churri is oregano, parsley, garlic and olive oil. It adds a freshness to grilled meat, with a slight lemony kick. 

Meatballs and shitake risotto balls

The meatballs had a basic tomato sauce so nothing special. The risotto balls on the other hand were different. Fried goodness with a soft risotto centre with a side of herb garlic sauce, yum! They had the perfect crunch, just don't eat them to fast because they were hot and almost burnt my tongue.

Cheese rolls and stuffed mushrooms

I wasn't the biggest fan of this dish, but my sister enjoyed it. The stuffed mushroom was similar to a warm quiche, except without pastry and a mushroom instead. The cheese rolls, was what you would expect in a cheese roll/mini pastizzi.

Prawn Dumplings

Another ordinary dish (maybe because I am Asian?), this style of prawn dumplings are commonly known as Ha Kau amongst Chinese and Vietnamese people. It is prawn mince inside a flour/water based noodle like outside, which is generally steamed and dipped in chilli sauce or soy sauce. However, I did like how it came in the bamboo steamer, provided a little touch on the origin of the dish.

Lamb kofta w/ hommus and peri-peri chicken skewers with garlic aioli

Last few pieces of the banquet, lamb kofta (mainly of a Lebanese origin) and peri- peri chicken (Portuguese origin) with there associated sauces. The lamb kofta was nice, but I have eaten better, especially at my favourite Lebanese resturant Al Aseel. The peri-peri chicken was ordinary as well, it tasted as if it could have been store bought mini kebab sticks, but I am not sure on that. The garlic aoili was tasty though, and with the hommus I am not a fan of it under any real circumstances, so to me it tasted like all other hommus'. 

The bar

I loved the way that Ra Bar displays there bar, you can see all the alcohol labels and it is neat and tidy. It captivates your attention as soon as you walk into the restaurant/tapas bar. Overall I found the first half of the meal a lot more enjoyable than the second half. I would definitely go back for the crispy bread with labna & babaganoush, chimmi churri with chorizo and the risotto balls. 

Good food, good times!

Newtown Bites

I woke up one morning, and thought I need an afternoon of good company and great food. I messaged one of my close friends and decided, lets go to Newtown, and off we went to some of our favourite places and venturing to some new ones.

First stop: Luxe Bakery (195 Missenden Road, Newtown NSW 2042)
No matter the sweet craving I always have to go for savoury first to set the mood. So we decided to start our Netown bites with some savoury brunch delights.

Toasted herby chicken with prolone cheese, lettuce + tangy orange sauce $10

I have yet to try a bad sandwich at Luxe Bakery, and that streak continues. I had a taste of what was one great sandwich, with the moist chicken and orange sauce. I wished the sauce had a bit of a stronger taste, nevertheless it was wonderful. 

House cured trout with hash browns, poached egg & truffle oil $16

The house cured trout is my idea of a good lunch. Everything on the plate works well together, and the perfectly poached egg gives the dish that little extra kick. This is my second time having this dish, and compared to the first time, the trout didn't have a lightly dill coat. The dill definitely makes a difference to the taste, adding another level of freshness to the trout.

Second Stop: The Pie Tin (1a Brown Steet, Newtown NSW 2042)

Let the sweets begin! This was our debut to The Pie Tin, after seeing chocolatesuze post a photo of some awesome looking pies she was eating, I had to get in on the action. Walking into The Pie Tin and seeing all the pies in the glass cabinet, made them all look irresistible. Flavours including apple, chocolate brownie, strawberry, snickers, oreo, pumpkin, coconut custard, raspberry & lime jelly and more! After a good 5 minutes, we finally decided on which sweet pies to get.

 GIANT APPLE PIE!!

 Pie prices: $6.50 - $7.50

We purchased American sweet pumpkin, and coconut custard pie. The pumpkin pie was my favourite of the two, it wasn't to sweet, but it was sweet enough to just hit the spot. The coconut custard pie was relatively light. It had more of an egg custard filling, compared to a vanilla custard filling. Which didn't quite tickle my fancy, but tasted nice regardless. The coconut added a little extra sweetness.

Third Stop: Gelatomassi (262 King St, Newtown NSW 2042)

I read about Gelatomassi in a SMH article titled Sydney's tastiest gelato. Not realising where it was located until we walked passed it on the way to luxe, I made sure we came back for a taste. Ice-cream is a weakness for me, especially at a place like Gelatomassi where there are plenty of flavours to choose from.

Price range: From $4.50

After sampling a few flavours, we chose pistachio and dark chocolate, due to Four Square where most people stated they enjoyed these flavours. The sweetness of the pistachio complimented the bitterness of the dark chocolate resulting in an awesome combination of flavours. The texture of the ice cream was smooth, and creamy, yet not too milky. It reminded of the ice cream at Pompeii (in Bondi) but Gelatomassi is cheaper and I think will be one of my new favourite spots to eat ice cream.

Final Stop: Black Star Pastry (277 Australia Street, Newtown NSW 2042)

The journey ends at one of Newtown's hot spots, famous for there chocolate éclair and watermelon cake, Black Star Pastry. The main reason we went there was to try there new granita, that was a limited edition summer item, but they didn't make it on the day, so instead we chose the blueberry lavender tart ($6) and lemon meringue tart with basil jelly ($6).

The blueberries on the tart had a sugar coating, which I personally didn't like too much. It made the tart a bit too sweet for my liking. I am unsure to what the filling of the tart was but it was nice and light, and went well with blueberries that weren't coated in sugar. Nevertheless, a well flavoured sweet sensation.

The lemon meringue tart with basil jelly was definitely interesting. The thing I found intriguing was the shape of the dessert, and the perfectly torched lines on the meringue. The meringue with the lemon curd tasted typical to a normal lemon meringue tart, however the basil jelly is what made a difference. The basil jelly added a 'herby' taste to the dessert, which worked strangely well with the sour lemon and sweet meringue. After a while, the lemon became a bit overpowering, but I wouldn't have expected any less.

Good food, good times!