By Net Geek

The Two Taste Buds were lucky enough to be invited to the Lindt Creations Event which was held at the newly rennovated Lindt Chocolate Cafe in Martin Place. It was here we were enlightened to the chocolate making ways of Lindt which have been refined over time since the company’s conception in Zurich, 1845.

An awkward snap of the crowd as it gathered; whilst trying to not look creepy.

The night started with them handing out glasses of bubbly and delightful little appetisers. Once all the guests had arrived, we were ushered into the seating area and a presentation from Thomas Schnetzier, master chocolatier of Lindt Australia, began.  

Thomas gives us a brief history

A cocoa bean; much bigger than I thought!

From here we were educated in the ways of Lindt chocolate and the contributions they have made to the world of chocolate along the way. In 1879, Rodolphe Lindt invented the first “Conche”; a device which smooths the particles of the chocolate and evenly distrbutes the cocoa butter. These days the conching process is in integral part of most chocolate company recipes, although Thomas kept the exact conching times and factors a secret during the presentation. We were also presented with the different states of the cocoa bean throughout the chocolate making process.

Different stages of the cocoa bean, including the delicious looking yet not delicious tasting cocoa liquor.

Taste test!

Then it was onto the reason we were all here: taste testing! Lindt Creation samples were presented to us on small plates while the concept for each flavour were described to us in detail. Each one seemed better than the last; our appreciation enhanced by his vivid descriptions. I, however, settled with the Velvety Vanilla Almond as my personal favourite.

People inspecting and snapping the cocoa beans

From here we were lead over to the new chocolate making demonstration area; where Thomas chose one of the crowd members to create a Lindt Creations bar themselves. It was a welcome glimpse into what happens during Lindt Creation Classes; something that The Two Tastebuds will be looking into in the near future!

Lindt Creation mini class

Once the Creation lesson was over, we decided to head off and were handed a lovely bag of goodies; including some more Lindt Creation bars and their macaroons. Their generosity didn’t end there though, as we soon discovered samples of their lovely Lindt Lindor Bars would be arriving in the mail. We felt very privileged to be a part of the lovely Lindt Creations event and were thankful for them filling out tummies with lots of free delicious chocolate! We will be trying out the Lindt Creation Classes for sure, as what we saw of it looked like great fun. Thanks Lindt!

Lindt Cafe, Martin Place

For more information on the Lindt Creation Class:

http://www.lindt.com.au/swf/eng/cafe/chocolate-creations-class/

By Greedy Financier

I love a great bargain. It must be the Asian in me, but when my friend told me about a $50 voucher deal for 8 courses at a One Chef’s Hatted restaurant - I couldn’t resist. I hadn’t heard of The Devonshire before this deal, but now it’s definitely on my radar.

Inside The Devonshire

The Devonshire is a cute little restaurant in a quieter part of Surry Hills. The thing I love about these smaller restaurants is the service – we were immediately greeted and taken to our table by a lovely waiter, and the service stayed warm and welcoming throughout the night. Additionally, service was efficient, and in next to no time, we were being served our first course – a bite sized piece of brandade (an emulsion of salty fish and olive oil). Golden and crispy on the outside, and smooth and creamy in the inside, with a tasty caper sauce – it was just like eating fish and chips, but fancier!

Salt Fish Brandade with Caper Sauce

Next up was a warm salad that did a fantastic job of mixing sweet and salty flavours. The sweet caramelised pears went superbly with the crunch of the candied walnuts, and balanced well against the salty feta cheese.

Warm Salad of Caramelised Pear, Persian Feta, Shaved Fennel and Candied Walnuts

The next dish was one of my favourite – and I knew this would be so just from reading the menu. I love the delicate flesh of the kingfish, and it was paired wonderfully with a tangy yet sweet prawn vinaigrette (which actually had pieces of juicy prawn!). Scrumptious strands of deep fried pickled enoki mushrooms added a textural element to the dish.

Beetroot Cured Hiramasa Kingfish, Vinaigrette of Prawns, Baby Beets and Pickled Enoki Mushrooms

The half way course was a perfectly cooked piece of crispy skin barramundi. It was accompanied with a deep fried mussel (get the feeling they like using the deep fryer at The Devonshire!), as well as a lovely hazelnut pesto and orange sauce. I was a little hesitant about the orange sauce, but it wasn’t overpowering in any way and worked a treat with the fish.

Pan Seared Cone Bay Barramundi, Hazelnut Pesto, Chargrilled Kipflers, Mussels, Orange and Chives

I absolutely love pork belly, so when I saw it on the menu, I got a little excited. The pork belly dish had to be another favourite of the night (if not, the favourite). The belly was melt-in-your-mouth soft and tender which contrasted superbly with the super crispy deep fried pigs tail “cigar”. The sweet dehydrated apple was a match made in heaven with the pork, and the smoky potato mash just topped off a very well-rounded dish.

Slow Roast Pork Belly, Sticky Pigs Tail, Smoked Potato, Dehydrated Apple, Celery and Cider Dressing

The final main for the night was beef short rib. The meat was done two ways – a fall apart tender slow braised piece of beef and crunchy deep fried beef cubes. Both ways, the beef was done exceptionally well, and combined wonderfully with the smooth sweet roast carrot puree.

Short Rib of Riverina Grain Fed Beef, Roast Carrot Puree, Pickled Cauliflower, Radish and Shallot Jus

The first dessert in the degustation was poached pears. Pears are in season and I’ve seen no shortage of restaurants taking advantage of this. Fortunately for me, I love a good poached pear, and really enjoyed the amalgamation with the cinnamon ice cream and delicious nut crumble.

Saffron Poached Beurre Bosc Pears, Cinnamon Ice Cream and Nut Crumble

And we ended the night with a combination of some of my favourite things – chocolate, cheesecake, mousse, brownie, ice cream. I don’t think I really need to say anymore! The chocolate cheesecake definitely packed a chocolate-y cheese-y punch but was fluffy like a mousse should be. The air dried brownie was light and not overly rich, and came together so well with the milk puree and muscovado (a type of brown sugar) ice cream. Every element on the plate was a treat in itself, but when combined together, created a truly decadent and scrumptious dessert.

Chocolate ‘Cheesecake’ Mousse, Air-dried Brownie, Milk Puree and Muscovado Ice Cream

For the quality of the food and service we received, I think we extracted more value from The Devonshire than they did us. Each of the eight courses demonstrated technique and a good knowledge of the combination of flavours, and were presented beautifully. I’m glad my friend found this deal and introduced me to this little known restaurant. As I said earlier, before this deal I had never heard of The Devonshire, but now it’s a restaurant I won’t be forgetting anytime soon.

The Devonshire

http://www.thedevonshire.com.au/

Lunch: Friday 12.00pm – 2.30pm

Dinner: Tuesday to Saturday 6.00pm – 10.00pm

Ph: +61 2 9698 9427

204 Devonshire Street

Surry Hills

NSW 2010

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By Net Geek

There was a lot of hype about Papparich opening up in Sydney. The Kuala Lumpar based franchise offering “Malaysian delights” has a strong grounding in Melbourne, and now has its delicious treats on offer in Chatswood. Only a short walk from the station, last weekend I decided to go check it out with my food bud.

Patiently waiting in the midday sun

I got an oddly homely and family vibe from the interior design

Time to order!

We arrived around midday and the line was out the door. A good sign in my opinion! The wait staff were very polite and offered us menus along with ordering pads; their implementation of this ordering system is actually really efficient and makes your order very clear. Big kudos! Also, we discovered when ordering by scribing 3 character menu codes, eyes-bigger-than-belly syndrome becomes a very real problem (good for Papparich and good for the belly).

Al dente! Just the way I like it.

First Malaysian delight cab off the rank was the Dried Egg Noodle with Curry Chicken. The noodles came in a sweet and flavoursome sauce. The curry itself was only lightly spiced and very scrumptious with the most tender and moist chicken I’ve had in yonks. The bones were in but the meat just slid right off; cooked to perfection. The heat was also enough to tingle my tongue and add to the flavour without making me uncomfortable (which is a big deal for a softie like me when it comes to chilli). The portion size was a tad smaller than I expected, but honestly these delicious al dente noodle hit the spot of spiciness and tastiness.

My favourite drink at any restaurant

Just after the noodles came our drinks. The drinks selection on the menu was rather extensive and this was only the first of multiple drinks on my to-drink list. The watermelon juice was strained of bits and amazingly sweet. I’m under the impression that it had a little extra help in the sweetener department; however if you’ve got a sweet tooth, you’ll love this drink!

Irresistible 

When we saw deep fried chicken skin on the menu, we just had to give it a whirl. From the first bite I knew it was unhealthy, but my goodness they were yum. Uber crunchy on the outside with a lining of moist chewy skin on the inside. Served with a generous portion of sweet chilli, these served as bite size flavour explosions between other meals.

If you can’t decide, get them all!

We actually got the mixed satay skewers as we could not decide on one specific meat. The skewers were grilled in a sweet marinade and the meat itself was tender. The dish itself was garnished with fresh cooled cucumber and onion slices. The sweetness of the marinate and the onion meshed together beautifully.

Some roti love

Is much as I am a fan of roti, I don’t really eat it often enough to give an informed opinion on it. However, I can confidently say that this is some of the most delicious roti I have ever nommed. Once again the sauces served along side were not too hot for my western tongue, and the roti was fresh 

A nice plump lychee to end the meal

Due to the eyes-bigger-than-belly syndrome we were suffering from while ordering, desert wasn’t really feasible despite how enticing the pictures looked. I did however cap off the meal with a Lychee Soda. Once again a very sweet, although this time it was more predictable coming from a lychee based drink. The soda water cut through the sweetness a tad and this acted as my pseudo desert to end the meal.

So much food for two attached to a very reasonable bill!

People patiently waiting their turn in the hallway

All in all I was chuffed with my Papparich experience. It is nice when events with a lot of hype behind them actually live up to the expectation. Great prices, snappy service and a wonderful vibe. I’m going to be heading back there next weekend; just can’t get enough of these amazing noms!

Papparich

http://www.papparich.net.au

Monday - Sunday 10.00am – 10.00pm

Ph: +61 2 9411 3207

63A Archer Street

Chatswood

NSW 2067

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By Greedy Financier

Finding the “perfect” restaurant for a large group of people is no easy feat. Not only do you have to cater for a wide variety of individual tastes, but you also have to ensure that you meet everyone’s budget. Faced with this task, I turned to my trustworthy Entertainment Book (the discount provided ensured I would meet the budget side of things) and decided on the One Hatted Foveaux Restaurant and Bar.

Inside Foveaux Restaurant

We arrived on a cold rainy night to a small warm dimly lit restaurant. The waiter was very efficient and had us all promptly seated, and shortly after our 6-course Tasting Menu was underway. What I really liked about Foveaux was their flexibility with the menu – not every single person at the table had to do the matching wines or have the supplementary oysters. But if you love oysters, I would recommend paying the additional fee for them as the dressing accompanying them is delicious!

Oysters with Cabernet Sauvignon Vinegar Pearls and Eschallot

As is the custom in fine dining restaurants, we started our meal with an Amuse Bouche. I didn’t catch the name of the dish, but it tasted like a Vietnamese soup with strong tangy flavours, and was quite comforting on a cold day.

Amuse Bouche

The first official course was mackerel. The fish was seared with a raw centre and had a very distinct fishy taste. Eaten by itself, it was a tad too salty, however when combined with the creaminess from the mushroom milk and the sourness from the pickled vegetables, it worked a treat in my mouth.

Blue Mackerel, Black Sesame, Mushroom Milk, Puffed Rice with Pickled Vegetables and Elk

Next up was duck. The smokiness in the duck really came through and combined well with the other elements on the plate. However, I think a dimension of sweetness would have added something special (I love duck with something sweet!), and I would have liked the duck fat to have been rendered down a little more.

Smoked Duck, Broccoli, Cuttlefish, Duck Cheese and Umeboshi

The third course was one of my favourite dishes of the night (and the waiter’s favourite as well!). The piece of white fleshy fish was cooked to perfection with a crispy skin, and sat atop a flavour explosion of prawn braised leeks.

Golden Trevally, Prawn Braised Leeks, Fondant Potatoes, Kohlrabi Puree and White Wine Reduction

The final main course for the night was roasted venison (or deer). I’ve noticed an emergence of venison lately and I can understand why – the game meat is very tender (if not overcooked) and has a robust distinct flavour. This venison was cooked a melt-in-your-mouth medium rare and went fantastically with the nuttiness from the mushroom puree and the tartness and sweetness from the pickled cabbage and apple. This was a well-executed dish.

Roasted Venison Leg, Mushroom Puree, Juniper Oil, Spaetzle, Pickled Red Cabbage with Apple and Spanish Onion

To cleanse our palates before dessert, we were served a buffalo yoghurt sorbet with mango, coconut and chilli. Though unusual sounding, the flavours actually intermingled wonderfully. The buffalo yoghurt wasn’t as acidic as regular yoghurts, and was light and refreshing. It counterbalanced the slight hotness from the hint of chilli, and went well with the sweet mango.

Buffalo Yoghurt Sorbet, Mango and Coconut

On paper, the dessert sounded over complicated by too many contrasting flavours. But once I dug into it, I was in dessert heaven! The pear was impeccably poached – soft yet with a bite, and combined brilliantly with the rich dark chocolate cream, light as a feather coffee cloud and cool nutty almond gelato. I was surprised by the ginger which was very subtle, but gave just the right amount of spice to lift and enhance the dish.

Almond Gelato, Chocolate, Coffee Cloud, Pear and Ginger

Foveaux Restaurant certainly dishes up some scrumptious and beautifully presented food. And with the Entertainment Book discount, Foveaux is good value for the quality of food. However, based on my experience that night, service was the only let down at this restaurant. While dishes came out efficiently, our waiter wasn’t the most inviting (and even unapologetic after pouring the wrong wine and after being informed of a fish bone present in one of the dishes), which I think can be unforgiving in these smaller fine dining restaurants. But I wouldn’t let this one minor feature deter you from going to try this little gem of a restaurant!

Foveaux Restaurant and Bar

http://www.foveaux.com.au/

Lunch: Thursday 12.00pm – 3.00pm

Dinner: Tuesday to Saturday 6.00pm – Late

Ph: +61 2 9211 0664

65 – 67 Foveaux Street

Surry Hills

NSW 2010

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By Net Geek

Last weekend I was moseying the streets of Pyrmont with my parents after a coffee catchup. We stumbled upon a joint called Wok Station and were drawn to its quaint and endearing interior.

Wok Station: A nice little corner shop.

A quick read of the menus supplied by the entrance revealed a vast array of choices; so we grabbed a chair outside on this warm night. We were swiftly greeted and had our tables set and were off and ordering in no time!

Nicely designed menus

Plenty of choice for a wee joint!

A bit of everything

My parents aren’t the most adventurous of eaters, but that didn’t matter to me. Ordering some staples was a great opportunity to see what the restaurant had to offer in an easily comparable manner. The mixed entree was delivered with a Money Bag, Spring Roll, Satay Chicken Skewer and a Samosa. Stock standard but still fresh. The satay sauce was pretty darn tasty; so much so that we got another batch.

Get in mah pork belleh

In textbook Net Geek style, I went straight for the pork belly. This pork belly was actually a bit different to what I’m used to. The skin was thinner and the pieces leaner and less fatty. I mean, biting into a hot piece of chewy yet crispy pork belly and all the oil oozing out is one of my favourite past times (which I often regret a whole plate of pork belly later); but I must say this was a refreshing change. The sauce was very sweet and the skin was definitely more crispy than chewy. Garnished with some deep fried herbs and lathered with this sweet sauce, I was impressed by their belly offerings.

Fish swimming in sauce

My dad is a fussy eater and doesn’t like 90% of edible things on this planet. However, somehow he has found his niche in thai sauces and curries assuming they don’t go overboard with the spices. This Choo Chee fish which Wok Station offered satisfied my dad’s tastes; implying it is a solid dish with nothing too fancy pants going on. I had a taste myself and instantly was a fan of the fish swimming in a creamy and coconut cream riddled sauce. The fish pieces were lightly fried and accompanied by a fresh assortment of the usual thai veggies. Top stuff!

Sweet sweet chilly jam

My mum was being very healthy and decided on a vegetarian dish as her main. The veg and tofu variation of the Cashew Nut Stir Fry and Chilli Jam. Once again, this dish didn’t break the mould, but it did give us some crunchy veg and was definitely not stingy on the cashews. Always a good sign!

Refreshing!

Continuing on her uber-healthy rampage, my mum also insisted we order a side of vegetables. This seemed like a boring idea to me at the time; but once they came out I was grateful. Much like the vegetables of the stir fry, the side was filled with lightly cooked fresh aromas and packed a wonderful crunchy punch. This seems to be the norm for veges in dishes at Wok Station.

Not what I was expecting, but something sweet to end the meal is always welcome regardless.

Unfortunately they only had one option left for dessert by this point in the night. The sweet roti came out in a rolled up shape; smothered in sweet toppings and served with ice-cream. There was some unexpected crunch to it as there had been some sugar sprinkled over the dish; but all in all it was pretty predictable.

Interesting decor

Wok Station probably isn’t going to win any awards for originality, but when it comes down to it, the restaurant offers a standard yet solid Thai menu in on the lovely Harris St of Pyrmont. If you’re in the area and are peckish for some Thai, I would recommend giving them a whirl.

Wok Station

http://www.wokstation.com.au/

Lunch: Daily 12.00pm – 3.00pm

Dinner: Daily 5.30pm – 10pm

Ph: +61 2 9518 8188 or +61 2 9518 8911

1-2/135 Harris Street

Pyrmont

NSW 2009

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