Chiswick, darling

To the next place! You must know that I eat my way much faster than I can write...On this occasion I have found myself in the company of the Eastern suburbs poshies at Chiswick in Woollahra. The old Pruniers restaurant site had sat deserted for some years before Matt Moran waved his magic wand over the place. With a nifty looking overhaul and a kitchen garden out the back, what's not to like?

Manicured lawns and a country townhouse revival has made Chiswick a welcome 'addition' on Ocean Street Source: GQ

It was a hump day (Wednesday) night that we dined here and the place was rather full as well. Must be alright then! What's lovely about this place is the vibe. Chiswick is a sun drenched restaurant, with all those floor to ceiling windows. Channelling the Hamptons and country chic, Chiswick is like a little oasis that everyone happens to know about. Set back from the street, for a moment you can enjoy yourself without traffic as accompaniment. This suburban eatery is just screaming Sunday lunch. Moran was very mindful of the 'ladies that lunch' clientele and is pretty much pitch perfect on that score.

This was definitely a publicity shot, when is this place ever empty...? The wooden white chairs are quite stark, also comfortable! Note the green laser cut green wine bottle glasses. A nifty idea I first saw on The Thousands (here) Source: Daily Addict

Now here's the low down on the edible stuff:

Just so you know, I had the House Ice Tea and found it to be super watery with next to no 'tea' flavour. Quite disappointed! I should have had a cocktail. What's lovely to see is the kitchen's prominent use of fresh herbs from the kitchen garden, and boy does it make a difference. The plan was to do a little Chiswick tasting menu. The plug on Masterchef S3 (the Moran family farm etc) was a good nudge in the right direction!

Moran's steak tartare, gaufrette potatoes: this had a nice hum with the onion. The potatoes, although they looked fantastic they were too oily and not crispy enough

Veal sliders (left) and Crisp buttermilk chicken, chilli slaw, mango chutney (right). That buttermilk chicken was superb. Juicy meat and crispy outside, KFC is left for dead here. The harissa had just the right hit of spice. The veal patties were nice and tender and the pickles were perfect. The bread however, should have been toasted, it was a bit dense otherwise

Wood roasted Moran family lamb, green olives, fennel. This was a massive show stopper, with the dramatic knife thing going. And with good reason too, the lamb was so succulent and falling off the bone, lit-er-ally. GAH. A total highlight of the meal. The sauce on top wasn't even necessary (also, a bit tasteless), the meat just shone. The cherry tomato and fennel salad with dill was a nice addition

Hand cut chips, lemon thyme aioli (left) and Chickpea, eggplant, cumin yogurt, coriander, oregano (right). Man, those chips were gooood (and very filling haha). The aioli made is a big win. The chickpeas were a bit of a Middle Eastern curve ball, but very tasty all the same!

Black forest slice, chocolate, cherries, vanilla ice cream (left) and Mango and vanilla bombe alaska, red currants (right). Now, we expected to see some fireworks here i.e. some flaming bombes but we were sadly denied this pleasure. Anyways, the bombe had a beautifully silky meringue layer and a coconut macaroon base. The black forest was rather a refined number, with vanilla ice (a bit too icy actually) and a base that reminded me of Baci chocolates. Chunks of cherry in the filling and a layer of tempered chocolate on top. What more could we ask for?

We left a very contented table. Chiswick is a great spot, perfect for 'occasion' lunches and/or dinners. The only downside really is that food costs a mint. Without an alcoholic drop in sight we still paid over $50pp (hopefully this will become more and more acceptable as I start earning more dollar$). Chiswick's food is like (professional) home cooking wearing a pretty sundress. The food has minimal frills and delicious. Give it a Sunday afternoon whirl.

Thanks for reading!
xGourmand

Yellow House Pop Up

Potts Point. It's a veritable minefield of restaurants, cafés and bars with residents that are so au fait it hurts. Too many times the spontaneity of a night is turned to dust when you are turned away from venue after venue which is retched! So here I'm letting you in on a place that takes bookings (and open for brekkie, lunch and dinner)! Win.

Housed in one of the most recognisable buildings on Macleay St, formerly home of a collective of Aussie artists. Source: Tim Denoon (via FB)

Yellow House Pop Up on Macleay St (close to Macleay St Bistro) is owned and run by a couple of mates Jamie Morgan (chef) & Ben Sutton. The venue is superb to say the least. Unfortunately, I can't elaborate on the true 'pop-up status' of YHPU (it's been open 6 months now) but you'd better get in quick anyway for your own piece of mind ;) Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner it transitions effortlessly from day to night. It's perfect for large groups slash functions too...long table anyone?

I heard about this place through a friend of a friend. It seems like word of mouth is a major player (so here's my contribution, haha). The boys run a pretty tight ship, the front of house are very knowledgable about their menu and wine list which is always a bonus. I'm usually agreeable to a wine recommendation + I wasn't disappointed here. And now to the kitchen:

Wagyu tongue, brown butter yoghurt, enoki mushrooms, red sorrel. This was a great way to start the night, the slithers of tongue were cooked really nicely. You don't think twice about the tongue factor! The crunch from the mushrooms add the perfect textural element

The menu you'll be pleased to hear is very seasonal. The dishes we ordered on the night just cried out AUTUMN + they sounded delicious. After stepping out of our comfort zone with the wagyu tongue we re-entered well trodden territory with gnocchi. Oh yes.

LUSH. Presenting the gnocchi, jerusalem artichoke (!), cavolo nero, peas, parmesan. These gigantic 'European pillows' of gnocchi were heavenly (fluffy ++). The abundance of greens goes really well with the dish to lighten it up. And that artichoke purée - could we have MORE please? :)

Okay so this (photo) didn't turn out exactly as planned. Anywho, the Pièce de Résistance: duck cooked three ways. Sous vide and pan fried breast, confit leg and roasted quince stuffed with wild rice, hazelnut and slow cooked duck neck. This dish was all about the duck, a complete showcase (cooked perfectly mind you)!

A second shot thrown in for good measure, seeing as my camera didn't want to focus! Hah, blame the equipment (that's right). The stuffed quince was parfait, love the filling of hazelnuts & rice too. Source: Yellow House Pop Up (FB)

 DOLCE (total no brainer):

Chocolate delice, banana, honey ice cream and ginger bread. The perfect ending to an enjoyable feed. All the elements work harmoniously together for a dessert that ticks all the boxes. The delice with its moussey texture just melted in the mouth

All the food looks great because it is, simple as that. These boys know what they're doing and they've delivered a neat (often elusive) package of service + seasonal food that packs a punch. The inclusion of lots of ingredients not usually seen on menus was also very welcome (hello, Quince!). A new force on the Sydney food scene to be reckoned with.

Thanks for reading!
xGourmand