Rockpool Bar and Grill, Sydney

Update Review, August 2022

Rockpool is always on my short list of places to visit in Sydney, as the food is always very good, the desserts are fabulous, and the wine and cocktail lists will impress anyone.  While I still have yet to dine in the formal dining room, I continue to return to dine in the bar area, and have never once left not thrilled with the experience.  You can read all my prior reviews below.   This visit was no different, although it was for dessert only.

Dessert

Our visit as a group of 4 was for dessert and dessert wine only, after having had a fantastic dinner a few blocks away at Menzies Bar, which was easily accommodated at the bar.  It was glorious.

Beige ... but not boring.

Our group opted for 3 different desserts, two people doubling up on one, and when the dishes arrived at the table I had to admit that they looked, um, a bit ... beige.  We had light brown, white, and not much else.  But these were anything but boring, each was an extremely good execution of what may have not looked extraordinary.

Creme Caramel. $23.

Creme caramel.  Not a particularly unique item, but, when you read reviews for Rockpool, people *do* rave about it.  And for something so seemingly simple and basic to be featured for a long time on Rockpool's dessert menu, you know it must be a fairly stellar version, right?

One of my fellow diners ordered this, and I was amazed at how massive the slice was.  Certainly one you could share.  I didn't get to try it, but our server did say it was less sweet than you'd expect, and the diner who ordered this opted for the sommelier's suggested pairing of a sweet sauterenes to accent it.

Date Tart (off-menu).

"Lorraine’s signature, silky baked vanilla custard with californian dates."

The date tart.  The famous Rockpool date tart.  For the unfamiliar, this was on the Rockpool menu for years, made only by their exec pastry chef, Lorraine, and made in very limited quantity (I think only one tart per day?) as it is so labor intensive.  It followed Lorraine to her offshoot patisserie, where you can pre-order it by the slice or whole tart.  It is no longer on the Rockpool menu.

However, I was chatting with the server about my favorite regular Rockpool dessert, the warm pudding with custard, that I thought was a staple and just rotated through which fruit is used with the seasons, when I learned that it is actually off menu entirely in the midst of winter.  Sensing that I cared more about desserts than your average gal, she actually offered up calling over to find out if they just happened to have any date tart on reserve.  Not on the menu, but, some nights of the week, they do actually have a few on hand, for the discerning guest in the know.

Now, I've heard about this tart for years, but I haven't actually been that excited about it myself.  Dates just aren't my thing for the most part.  And a tart?  Eh.  But I was drawn in by the exclusivity of it, and, well, if I was ever going to like a date tart, it most certainly would be this one.

It was ... ok.  The vanilla custard layer was stunning, you can see it sorta oozing, but somehow holding its shape too.  The top was lightly baked.  I really have no clue how they do that.  Below the custard is the date layer, soft and sweet, and, well, tasting like dates.  Which I just didn't really love.  I found this fascinating, and could tell the labor involved, but, as I just wasn't into the date flavor, it let me down a bit.

Luckily for me, one of my dining companions really liked it, and I really liked his, so, we traded, and I think we were both happier.  I'm glad I tried this, but, definitely not my style of dessert.  ***.

Slow cooked William Pear, Butterscotch and Creme Fraiche Chantilly. $22.

So what dessert did I end up adoring?  Yeah, the poached pear.  

This was glorious.  Simply, glorious.  The pears were poached for 12 hours, first sous vide, and then butter poached.  They were amazingly soft, rich, buttery, lightly spiced, flavorful, just, wow.  I had no idea that a poached pear could taste that very good.  The pears alone rather blew my mind, but the other elements of the dish were stars in their own rights.

The creme fraiche chantilly didn't have quite the tang I'd expect from creme fraiche, but, it was thick, rich, and a perfect compliment to the soft pears and the crunchy wafers.  Speaking of those wafers, they weren't  puff pastry like you'd find in a mille-feuille, even though it sorta looked that way.  Instead, they were more like ... caramelized ginger snap?  While a bit hard to eat without making a mess, they added a crunchy element that I really appreciated.  And then, the butterscotch, not too sweet, thin but not runny, and the final element that just tied it all together.

This dessert had everything going on, complimentary flavors and sweetness level, a variety of textures, and, it just ate really, really well.  I savored every last bite of it, and would get it again in a heartbeat.  I was so, so very pleased my other diner was willing to swap with me.

****+, although honestly I don't know what would make it a perfect *****, I see no faults.

Update Review, February 2018 Visit

It took me several years of visiting Sydney before discovering Rockpool Bar & Grill.  But once I did, it took near top place on my "Must Visit" list.  I've reviewed it twice before, always dining in the bar rather than full restaurant, and this visit was no exception.  Feel free to start with those reviews for discussion of the setting, concept, etc, as those were unchanged on this visit (original review, 2016 update review).

A Lovely Feast.

For this meal, I dined with one other.  Our plan was to just have a lighter meal, given our earlier indulgences.  That said, we also did plan to get fish & chips and dessert, so, take "lighter" with a grain of salt here.

We were interested to try out fish & chips at such a high end place, and of course, I wanted to introduce her to the signature dessert.  We threw in some cocktails/mocktails, and a random starter to complete the meal.

It was very good, particularly that starter.  Dish of the night.  I'll gladly return, and even considered a return visit during my limited remaining time in Sydney (as did she, saying, "Can we go back this week?")

The Raging Bull. $24.

"Buffalo Trace Bourbon is stirred with Tenuta Tamburnin Vermut, Cherry Heering and Hellfire Bitters. Served with a new season Drunken Cherry."

Cocktails at Rockpool always sound good, are full of complicated ingredients, and yet, tend to leave me fairly dissatisfied.

This one was no exception.  It sounded like it would have a lot going on.  I expected bitter, I expected spice.  I expected to taste bourbon.

Instead, it was a very mellow drink that tasted more like fruit juice.  Yes, somehow, it tasted like fruit juice, and not much else.

It did have a large, juicy cherry in the bottom (hence the little bowl on the side for the pit), but, even that cherry didn't soak up booze, so "Drunken Cherry" it really did not seem to be.

Not that it tasted bad, but it certainly wasn't good, and $24 was steep for such a boring cocktail.

Grilled Figs with Stracciatella, Almonds and Parma Prosciutto. $29.

This came from the Hot Starters section of the restaurant menu, a rather random choice on our part, and something we kinda added on because we felt strange just ordering fish & chips to split.

Wow.  It was amazing.  Dish of the night, no question.

The base was a pool of perfectly ripe, runny stracciatella (e.g. the base that burrata is made from).  It was creamy, gooey, and quite delicious on its own, even better when accented with the oil and balsamic that were drizzled all over it.  I would have been quite happy with just a bowl of this cheese, perhaps with some bread to slather it on.

But the grilled figs are what set the dish apart even further.  Three very large, juicy, grilled figs, with incredible smoky flavor.  I'm not sure how how they got just so much wood smoke flavor into those figs, but it was incredible.  It made me want to try the other wood fire grilled items that Rockpool specializes in (like the seafood).  The figs were topped with thin pieces of prosciutto, which literally melted into the hot figs, enveloping them in a thin layer of salty, slightly porky, goodness.  Much like the stracciatella/oil/balsamic, the prosciutto topped figs alone would have made for a great appetizer.

Finally, almonds.  Little chunks, roasted, crunchy.  Not what I would have ever thought to throw in, but I loved the crunch they added.

I adored this, although I still think it would have worked fine as two separate desserts.  I'm one for creating "perfect bites", and even when I combined different combinations of this, I found that I didn't really want the cheese with the figs & prosciutto, as it tended to mute the flavors.  Still, wonderful, I'd gladly get it again, and hands down favorite dish for both of us.

Shoestring Fries. $6.

Since we were ordering fried fish, we wanted a side to go along with our fish & chips theme.  We had a choice of the thicker hand cut chips that I have had before, or thin shoestring fries.  We could have had our potatoes other ways too, as a potato puree or sautéed with Wagyu fat, garlic, and rosemary, or we could have gone for fried onion rings instead, if we wanted fried, but just something different.

We opted to try the shoestring fries, mostly because they were an item I hadn't tried yet.

The serve was large, a big bowl of thin crispy fries.  They were ... aggressively salted.  "Is it just me, or are the fries a tad too salty?", my companion inquired.  I told her they were more than just a tad too salty.  And I appreciate salt level!

They were fine though.  Freshly fried.  Crispy.  But, just thin fries.

I had a few and planned to not touch them again, until I made an amazing discovery.  Fries dunked in stracciatella.  Yes, really.  We had lots of extra cheese, with no figs (or bread or anything) to go with, and I wasn't going to let it go to waste.  I really liked the combination, and the cheese helped balance the salt.

I probably wouldn't get these again though.

House Ketchup.

As with the onion rings I had my first visit, we were served a pot of housemade ketchup.

I didn't use much, since I preferred to dip my fries in either the stracchiatella or the sauce from the fish, but it was fine, slightly curried.  Now that I knew to expect the curry, I liked it more than my previous visit.

Fried Fish with Sauce Gribiche. $22.

The fried fish was on the Small Plates section of the bar menu, however, our server warned us when we ordered it that it wasn't really a Small Plate, and really was an entree.  Since we were sharing everything, and only ordering one starter, one side, and this, we weren't worried, but, it did turn out to be too much food (particularly as we wanted dessert).

The portion was 4 full pieces of fried fish, perched on top of  a crispy potato slice, all on a mound of gribiche sauce, with a lemon wedge on the side.

The fried fish was decent.  Moist enough white fish inside, fairly flaky, not fishy, well coated in batter, crispy.  It was a touch too oily for my tastes though.

It looked like there were 5 pieces, with the base piece thinner, perhaps a different type of fish.  I snagged that one as my second piece to try something different.  My companion was clearly a bit jealous as it was obviously more crispy.  It made a serious crunch sound when I cut into it.  But ... I was confused.  I knew it was thin and so I didn't taste much fish, and it was really oily, worse than the previous piece, but ... something didn't seem quite right.  On my second bite, i figured it out.  It wasn't fish!  It was a slice of potato, battered in the same batter, fried crispy.  A pretty awesome move on their part really, but, again, just too oily for me.

The gribiche was fine, although fairly mild, not much flavor to it.

Warm Rhubarb and Strawberry Pudding with Vanilla Sauce. $26.

This dessert was certainly part of the reason I was at Rockpool.  But unlike "normal Julie", this is a case where it really was only a part of the reason.  Its a fabulous dessert, but, I've had such amazing other dishes at Rockpool that it doesn't entirely rule my decision to go there.  I'll say it was ... 60% of the reason :)

This is a signature dish, and one that is always on the menu, just with different fruits.  This time, it was actually the exact same as my previous visit at similar time of year: strawberry rhubarb, which did disappoint me slightly, but still, I couldn't wait to introduce my dining companion to this dish.

It really is unlike any other dessert I've ever had, anywhere.  You've read my reviews of it twice before, but to recap: a base of pound cake that soaks up everything else, a layer of stewed fruit, and then ... light and fluffy souffle pudding, with a brulee top, and crispy bits of almonds, garnished with powdered sugar.

It arrives without the vanilla sauce, which is poured on tableside, in a moderate quantity.  The rest is left behind to use as you wish (and, use it you will!).

Warm Rhubarb and Strawberry Pudding: Close Up.

It is massive.  It looks, well, entirely unfamiliar.  And as you dig into the layers, it doesn't make any more sense, unless you know what to expect.  I loved watching my companion take this all in.

The brulee top was my favorite element, caramelized, crispy, and the bits of candied almond added a nice crunch.  I wanted more of them.

The souffle was light and fluffy, not eggy, perfectly risen.  Rather incredible, really.  The fruit I didn't care for though, the rhubarb was too tart, the strawberry too sweet.  I also never really want the cake layer, and this time, there was shockingly little of it, just a tiny, tiny little bit in the very center, so, for that I was glad.

I still loved the vanilla sauce, and, given how full I was, it was the only thing I could really fit into my stomach at that point anyway.

This didn't come together for me as well as it had in the past, but it was still a very unique offering, and I liked the warm dessert, the textures, and, well, that vanilla sauce.

Update Review, December 2016 Visit

On my last visit to Sydney, I discovered Rockpool Bar & Grill on my final night in town, and really wished I had found it sooner.  I had an amazing meal, which, you can read all about in that review.  So on my more recent visit to Sydney, it was no question that I'd return to Rockpool Bar & Grill.

Drinks, Bar Food, Dessert!

I visited on a Saturday evening, and again was able to snag a table in the bar area by arriving before 6pm.  From the bar, you can order anything off the regular menu, or the bar menu, and mix and match as you please, which we did.

My dining companion and I split an appetizer from the main dining room menu, some small bar dishes, and of course, dessert.

The food was good but not as mind blowing as my previous visit.  The service was as awkward as last time, in a way where you could tell they were trying to be non-invasive and polite, but just came across as strange.  The cocktail menu was fascinating, and the wine and liquor lists scary, as there were items like a single cocktail for $475, and glasses of wine for $350.

I'm glad I got in another visit, and I'd still gladly return.  And one of these days, I'll have to visit the real dining room, and perhaps get a real entree ...

 TUXEDO #4. $22.

"Neil Perry’s Barrel Select Patron Tequila stirred down with Hendricks Quinine Cordial, dry Italian Vermouth and a touch of Apricot Brandy. Savoury and contemplative."

For a cocktail, I went with a selection from the Seasonal Favorites section.  It jumped out at me instantly, as it had both Tequila and Gin (or, so I thought.  It turns out, I just didn't parse it properly "Hendricks Quinine Cordial" is actually a cordial made by Hendricks, and I read this was "Hendricks gin and quinine cordial", doh!)  So, no gin.

I also didn't taste tequila at all, which makes even less sense to me now that I know it wasn't gin either.  The flavors were strong, very alcoholic, but not harsh exactly.  It certainly wasn't what I was hoping for though.

The glass it was served in was very precious looking.  Etched glass, small in size.  One side was coated with something on the outside, that I think was apricot peel?  I'd guess some kind of citrus, like orange actually, but that doesn't match any of the ingredients in the cocktail.  It was confusing, really.  Was I supposed to lick it off, a la a salted rim on a margarita?  It was chewy, and kinda like sawdust, not particularly appealing.  Really strange.

I wouldn't get this again.

Fried Calamari with Romesco (half-portion). $31.

We picked a starter from the regular menu, from the "Hot Starters" section.  Since we were sharing it, the kitchen split it onto two plates, so this is only a half portion.

Salt and pepper calamari is a staple on the Qantas first class lounge menus in Sydney and Los Angeles (catered by the same executive chef, Neil Perry), so I've had it many times.  While the version in LA didn't impress me, the one is Sydney is part of what made me declare the Qantas F lounge food some of the best food anywhere in Sydney, and remains the best salt and pepper calamari I've ever had.  I was very eager to see what the full service restaurant could do with fried calamari.

The answer, unfortunately, was lackluster.  The calamari was cooked ok, it wasn't rubbery or anything, but the light breading didn't seem to coat it very well, and was falling off in many places.  It was just pretty meh.

The calamari was served on top of a bitter radicchio slaw of sorts, too bitter for my liking.  The romesco was fine.

Overall, very meh, and I wouldn't get this again.  Pricey for a lackluster dish.

 Kinkawooka King Prawn Cutlet with Aioli. $8. 

For my "main", I went with an item from the Bar menu, small plates section, rather than a real main from either menu.

The reason was simple: I had been snacking in my hotel executive lounge right before, and I just wasn't very hungry.  Add in an appetizer and plans to get the awesome, large, dessert, and I wanted something small.

I really was eying the prawn po-boy, but, I knew that would be sizable, and wanted something smaller.  Thus, the prawn cutlet it was, sold as individual patties for $8 each.  I hoped it would be somewhat like the amazing crumbed fish burger from the Qantas lounge, just, without the bun and lettuce.

The plating of this was really funny.  Our first dish was from the main restauarant menu, and was plated accordingly.  I knew the bar food usually looked a bit more rustic, but still thought it would be pretty.  This was ... yup, a cutlet, a wedge of lemon, and a puddle of aioli, all just popped on a plate.  No extra garnish, no embellishment.  It really made me laugh.

The cutlet was fine.  Very crispy, not oily, good breading.  The prawn inside was firm but not chewy, not mushy.  Fine, but, a bit boring on its own.  It seemed like it belonged inside a fish burger, which, I think the po'boy would have been.

The aioli on the side was ok, good enough garlic flavor, but not super rich and creamy.

Overall, this was all fine, executed well, but, boring.  It made me wish I ordered the po-boy, with a brioche bun and flavorful mayo instead.

House Made Chorizo Dog with Jalapeño Hot Sauce. $18.

From the bar menu, sandwiches section, my dining companion went for the hot dog, at my strong endorsement from my previous visit.

It looked incredible, and she said it was the best hot dog she had ever had, which, well, is exactly how I felt when I had it before.

I took some of the jalapeño hot sauce for my cutlet, and mixed it with the aioli, and it was incredible.  Spicy and fresh, it combined perfectly with the creamy aioli, and gave my otherwise fairly bland dish some serious kick.  This jalapeño hot sauce is magic, and really should be bottled up and marketed!

Warm Rhubarb and Strawberry Pudding with Vanilla Sauce. $23. 

And finally, the real reason I was there.  Ok, that isn't quite true, I know Rockpool has great food and cocktails, but it was my memory of the warm pudding with vanilla sauce, made with blackberries last time, that I just couldn't get out of my head.

Some kind of pudding seems to always be on the Rockpool Bar & Grill menu, the fruit variety just switches out seasonally.  For our visit this time, it was strawberry and rhubarb.  Just like blackberries, rhubarb isn't a favorite of mine, but, I was willing to take the gamble.

I'm glad I did.

The dish arrived looking exactly like it did on my previous visit.  The server poured vanilla sauce over it table-side, and left us the rest, just like last time.

The dessert was warm, fresh from the oven.  The base was again a cake that I was ambivalent about, and above that was a layer of stewed strawberries and rhubarb.  I didn't care for the fruit choices though, as I expected, sweet, tart, and mushy, and I could have easily just done without it entirely.

But on top of that was the magic soufflé like layer.  Light and fluffy, yet creamy and custardy.  With a slightly crispy caramelized brûlée top.  And then lots of vanilla sauce.  That layer, with the extra sauce, is where the magic is.  Seriously, it is like the best soufflé ever, yes, better than my favorite Cafe Jacqueline, then also combined with creme brûlée, one of my favorite desserts, for that extra crispy top.  And, don't get me started about being left with a little pot of crème anglaise, which I obviously didn't let go to waste.

Even though I knew what to expect this time around, it still was a pretty stunning dessert, and still unlike anything I've had elsewhere.  Sure, I could care less about the cake and didn't like the fruit, but it didn't matter, this was a really excellent dessert, and I can't wait to try it sometime with a fruit layer that I actually like!

Original Review, February 2016 Visit

For our final Saturday night in Sydney, Ojan and I decided to finally re-visit Rockpool Bar & Grill. We went the first time during our first visit to Sydney, and I have a vague memory of sitting in the bar eating a burger, but I don't recall much else. It clearly didn't leave an impression.

So why return? Well, Rockpool Bar & Grill is one of Chef Neil Perry's places in Sydney, and I rather adore his food, even when it is served at the Qantas First Class lounge in the airport. Neil Perry's "flagship" establishment is Rockpool, where only a 4 course $150 or 8 course $185 menu are served. The place sounds fantastic, has been three hats by the Good Food Guide for years, but, we weren't up for such an extended (and pricey) meal.

So Rockpool Bar & Grill it was. Now, the name of this place, combined with the fact that it is an entirely separate establishment from the flagship Rockpool, might lead you to believe that this is, um, a casual bar and grill. It is not, unless items like "Warm Salad of Wood Fire Grilled Quail with Smoked Tomato and Black Olives" or $290 full blood wagyu steaks are your idea of casual bar food. The dining room is a formal affair, with a huge menu focused around seafood and steaks. Reservations, made in advance, are required. It has a coveted two hats from the Good Food Guide.

But the other side of the establishment is actually a bar area (albeit a fancy one), with a more casual menu. While still very upscale, the bar menu is a bit less expensive, and more importantly, no reservations are taken. If you arrive on the earlier side, getting seated is no problem.

So, let's review: "Rockpool" could mean any of 3 establishments: Rockpool, the degustation only flagship down the street, Rockpool Bar & Grill Restaurant, a la carte but formal and high end, and Rockpool Bar & Grill bar area, which is where we headed.

Now, I have to give a bit more context. I had been advocating for visiting Rockpool Bar and Grill pretty much the entire time we were there. Ojan never wanted to go. He also didn't remember it being great, and had no reason to want to go get bar food, or go somewhere fancier, when we could just keep eating casual delicious thai food. I wouldn't say I dragged him there exactly, but, he was certainly not excited, particularly when I told him we were going for hot dogs, onion rings, and dessert.

It was excellent, the best meal of our trip. The food was good, service attentive, and dessert incredible. While my first visit wasn't memorable, I won't forget a couple dishes from this visit for a long time. Ojan talked about it frequently afterwards, wondering why we waited until the end of our trip to go there, mourning that we hadn't gone sooner so we could go multiple times during our trip (he really did propose going there the next night, our final night in Sydney, but, alas, not open on Sundays). We'll obviously return.

There was so much appeal to Rockpool Bar and Grill for me. Bar dining really is ideal for me, particularly at a nicer place like Rockpool Bar and Grill. You get the amazing food (and opportunity to order dessert from the full menu!), but don't need to get quite as dressed up, and can go without a reservation. Service is more casual, the atmosphere is more relaxed, etc. Sure, you miss out on amuse bouches and other little extras, and it isn't the same as fine dining, but, for me, I'd generally rather be comfortable than have all that.

The Setting

Exterior.

While I may not have remembered the food from my first visit to Rockpool Bar and Grill, I did actually remember the building, only because I remember it feeling somewhat ominous. The restaurant is housed inside the City Mutual building, a historic art deco building with an elaborate facade. The interior is also a bit crazy, I don't have photos unfortunately, but I recommend a trip to the bathroom, which involves steep back staircases, long narrow hallways, and a journey into the bowels of the building, past all their stunning private dining areas.

Bar and Chandelier.

We walked past the hostess stand that overlooks the main, formal dining area with its open kitchen straight to the bar area on the side. The bar side has standard bar seating, but also a generous number of tables with chairs. Tables, chairs, even the rug, were all black. Some tables had little candles to add a bit of light, but, overall, it was not a bright room.

We arrived right when they opened, so getting a table was no problem. The room did quickly fill up. The bar itself was mostly a gathering point for pre-dinner drinks, whereas the tables were filled with folks who, like us, just wanted some tasty food. We were seated at a table on the edge of the room, likely hidden to the side since we weren't quite dressed up to Sydney standards. Which was fine with us, our little table was quite cozy.

The bar has a stunning chandelier above it, made from wine glasses (2682 Riedel Riesling glasses to be exact). You can read all about it in the bar menu, as I'm sure people ask constantly about it.

Drinks

Since Rockpool Bar & Grill is highly Emil-approved, I knew to expect an excellent drink menu. It did not disappoint. Plenty of wines by the glass (including a $150 Shiraz, yes, that is the price for a single glass), classic cocktails (5 that have been on the menu since they opened in 2009), seasonal favorites cocktails (where I focused my time), a "choose your own adventure" martini menu (aka, choose your gin, your vermouth, your style, your garnish), non-alcoholic cocktails, and then pages and pages for spirits, aperitifs, digestifs, and beer.

The bar menu is 40 pages long, only 2 pages of which are dedicated to food. This is a serious bar menu.

I went for cocktails, but, the "exclusive and rare whisky" section certainly jumped out too.

Hoshimotos Royal Punch. $22. 

"A Japanese influenced Champagne Punch. Yuzu infused Sake, Bitter Cherry, Tanqueray. Yuzu Marshmallow "

Our server was ... very eager to take our order. Perhaps because they had just opened and she didn't have any other tables yet, but, she came to take our drink order the moment we sat down. We asked for more time. She gave us a few minutes, but not nearly enough to take in the massive drink menu. In a panic, I rush ordered, and went for the Hoshimotos Royal Punch. I'm really not sure why, I think I saw gin and marshmallow, and somehow glossed over the multiple mentions of yuzu, aka, citrus, aka something I don't really like.

My drink arrived quickly, as the bar wasn't backed up yet. The marshmallow on top, toasted, was a stunner. Ojan immediately tried to grab it to try it. Hands off! The drink also had a straw and a swizzle stick to stir.

I took a few sips and ... doh. Why did I order yuzu? The drink was kinda sweet, and mostly all I could taste was yuzu. Oops.

The marshmallow was great though, toasted to perfection. As soon as I finished my marshmallow, an attentive server whisked the skewer that held it away.

But, I really didn't like the drink. I drank a little, and then tried to dilute the yuzu by adding water. I still didn't like it. Rather than keep "suffering", I decided to just accept my losses, and order another drink. When the server delivered that one, I asked her to take the remainder away, which she did without question.

But then, a few minutes later, she returned to ask if something was wrong with it. I said no, that I just didn't like it, and that it was my fault for ordering it. She didn't ask any follow up questions, and I assumed she accepted my answer and moved on. When our bill arrived, this cocktail was removed. A great gesture on their part, but really, this was all my fault, not theirs!

Smoked Peanut Old Fashioned. $21.

"Peanut Washed Woodford Bourbon stirred with Cherry, Spice, Bitters and served smoking."

For my second drink, I took more time to consider what I wanted, and went for the smoked peanut old fashioned. I wanted something a bit more grown up, not sweet, and, hey, why not have it be smoking too?

A glass was brought to me, a nice heavy glass that I'm sure Emil would approve of, with a orange twist and large cube of ice inside. The cocktail came in another vessel, poured, smoking as promised, into my glass at the table.

I liked this drink quite a bit, and had to be careful not to drink it too quickly, as, after all, it was basically just straight bourbon. I loved the bitterness, the smokiness, the complexity. And hard to ignore the gorgeous ice cube. I'd get it again.

Pablow. $9.

"Pineapple, Pink Grapefruit, Orange, Peychaud’s Bitters and Soda."

Ojan actually had an entire section of the bar menu he could pick from as well, titled "COCKTAILS IN THE NAME OF TEMPERANCE", or, "Non-alcoholic beverages for whenever the stoic urge to abstain takes a hold of you... "

The selection was interesting at least, including an ice tea with sherbet in it and a kombucha. Be Ojan opted for the Pablow, which came beautifully garnished with a large orange slice and chunk of pineapple.

At first he declared it "just juice", but, after a few minutes, he said it grew on him. I didn't try it, as "just juice" wasn't exactly a compelling description and the bar did have watermelon behind it, so, I stayed away from all fruit.

The Food

Moving on to food, the bar menu has two pages devoted to food, including one entire page of small plates (ranging from olives and beef jerky, to finger sandwiches, to buffalo hot wings), 6 sandwiches (including their famous burgers), 4 main plates (wagyu bolognese, the classic Rockpool minute steak, fish, and a beef salad), and a slew of sides. For desserts, it just says that the "complete dessert menu is available" (obviously, a selling point for me, as I am the dessert girl.)

We were pretty happy with the bar menu, as I had been craving good fries and onion rings (I know, don't ask what got into me, but it is what I wanted). I was also excited about the hot dog (yes, you are still reading the right blog, I have a thing for hot dogs ...), but we did also take a glance at the full restaurant menu, from which we could order as well. Our server also let us know it was fine to mix and match, selecting things from either menu as we wanted.

The full restaurant menu is nearly as overwhelming as the 40 page drink menu. Just to start, it had 8 different "cold bar" items (caviar, oysters, fish crudo, yellowfin tartare, etc), 8 "Salads and other things" (4 different salads, steak tartare, grilled baby octopus, etc), and 10 "Hot Starters" (including many grilled and roasted items, plus steamed clams or mussels, fried calamari, and a warm salad). I was interested in the wood fire grilled figs with stracciatella, pistachios, and mint from the hot starters menu, but Ojan nixed it. The wood fire grilled baby octopus with lemon, oregano, capers, and smoked eggplant also sounded pretty good, but again, he nixed. Moving on to main dishes were 5 pastas, 5 "Seafood from the charcoal oven", and 5 "Main Plates". The sautéed abalone, king brown mushroom, and bottarga with maltagliati pasta jumped out, but Ojan wasn't feeling the abalone. I also could have picked the Black Lip abalone with tarragon, konbu, and caper butter main plate, for $70, or, the jaw dropping rock lobster thermidor for $320! The vegetarian main plate option was pumpkin kibbeh with chickpeas, spinach, garlic yoghurt, and pickles, although there was also a veggie pasta, handkerchief pasta with hand pounded pesto, cherry tomato, and ricotta. And THEN all of the main dishes from the wood fired grill and rotisserie, including about 15 different beef choices (all aged in house), plus a few others. Oh, and then the side dishes, including potatoes 4 different ways: potato and cabbage gratin (a classic Neil Perry dish, we had it at the Qantas First class lounge in LAX, sebago potatoes sautéed with Wagyu fat, garlic, and rosemary, potato puree, or hand cut fat chips. Does the charcoal roasted Japanese pumpkin and sweet potato with garlic yogurt count as potato too? If so, five potato dishes. There were also other decadent cheesy creations and some requisite green vegetables.

So many choices. Overwhelming, really. We decided to just stick with the bar menu, plus desserts, to keep it simple, but I did see tables around us mixing and matching. Next time.

I knew I wanted dessert, and we weren't starving, so we thought we were keeping it pretty simple and small by opting to share a salad, two side dishes, and a single hot dog. Um, before we knew it, our table was piled in food. I'd say oops, but, it was delicious, so we didn't exactly mind ...

Onion Rings with House-Made Ketchup. $9.

First up was the onion rings. Like I said, I was craving good onion rings, and figured onion rings at a fancy place would be excellent.

They weren't quite what I wanted. Rather than standard white onion, they were made with red onion. I actually liked that aspect, but, it was a bit different, as they were harsher. The onion was tempura coated, rather than standard breading. Again, fine, except that they were just way too oily. I'm not sure if you can tell from the photo, but they were just drenched in oil (yet somehow still crispy ...). They were also crazy salty.

I wanted to love these, but just didn't. Ojan did like them, although, I think inspired by the tempura batter, he wanted a soy dipping sauce to go with them, rather than the ketchup (more on that ketchup soon). The serving was far more than the two of us wanted, particular as we ordered fries too. They would have been better to share with at least one more person. The $9 price was fine.

I'd skip these next time, and they didn't quite satisfy my onion ring craving.

Hand Cut Chips. $12.

We also ordered the fries, er, chips, mostly because I wanted rings and Ojan wanted fries, so we decided to just get both, particularly since we were sharing a main dish, we figured this wasn't overkill. Shoestring fries were also an option, but we opted for the thicker chips, since in Australia, we tend to love the wedges.

The chips were a somewhat rustic style, skin on, all different sizes. I liked how big they were, almost like wedges rather than fries. They too were salty, with big salt crystals on the exterior, but I really liked the salt level.

What I didn't like however was the house made ketchup. It was soupy, thin, with a strange spicing. I sorta reminded me of pureed chutney? Neither of us liked the ketchup and it really ruined our experience of eating both the rings and the chips.

But I liked the chips, I just needed something better to dunk them in. I called our attentive waitress over, and asked if there was anything else we could use to dip things in. Sure enough, Rockpool Bar and Grill has a "condiment service" that goes along with the steaks, and one of the condiments is barbecue sauce, so she suggested that.

We got a pot of barbecue sauce, and it was pretty good, definitely better than the ketchup. Really though, I wanted aioli.

Anyway, these were pretty good chips, but, alas, needed better sauce.

Radicchio, Cos and Endive Salad with Palm Sugar Vinaigrette. $9.

I'm not quite sure why we ordered a salad, I think we felt a bit guilty ordering fries, rings, and a hot dog and wanted something to balance out our meal. There were three choices of salads, but one had avocado (I'm allergic), and one was just mixed greens (boring), so we opted for this slightly more interesting sounding one.

It was ... not very good. The radicchio and endive were both super bitter, as you'd expect. The bitterness should have been balanced nicely by the palm sugar vinaigrette, except that the salad was incredibly overdressed and was just too sweet. The dressing also just had nothing going on besides the sweet.

Ojan tolerated this a bit more than me, but still said it was a dud due to the "very boring" dressing. We wouldn't get this again.

House Made Chorizo Dog with Jalapeño Hot Sauce. $18. (Split)

And finally, the chorizo dog. OMG. The kitchen nicely split it for us onto two plates, cut evenly in half.

Ojan wasn't exactly thrilled to be ordering a hot dog, but I really wanted it, so he went along with my plan. Let's just say he was glad I insisted. Two bites into it, he proclaimed, "This hot dog alone was worth coming here for".

So, what made it so amazing?

Let's start with the bun, a fluffy brioche roll, toasted crisp. Excellent vehicle for the dog, no wimpy, soggy bun here.

Next, the garnishes. Under the dog was kraut and pickles, adding freshness, crunch, and tang. Excellent. On top was ketchup and mustard, but the real winning element was the jalapeño hot sauce, served on the side. It was spicy and just totally delicious. We both smothered our portions of dog in it.

This hot dog was very, very good. I realize it is just a hot dog. I realize I was at a fancy restaurant, and could have been eating a house aged wood grilled steak or high end sashimi. But this is what I wanted and I loved it. I'd return for another in a heartbeat. So would Ojan.

Warm Blackberry and Almond Pudding with Vanilla Sauce. $23.

After our pile of fries, rings, and hotdog, we were actually totally full. We considered not getting dessert. And really, we were kinda giddy over that hotdog (seriously, so good!). Ojan said he'd have "one or two bites at most" of a dessert. I looked at the dessert menu. The full size desserts were all a commitment. They cost >$20 each, more than our entree. I figured they'd be huge and epic, and way too much for one person at this point.

The dessert menu also had a section of smaller petit fours, but, not a single one of those jumped out ... cupcakes? Lamingtons? Truffles? Meh. I almost walked away. But I couldn't. One dessert had an incredible sounding ice cream served alongside, so I tried to order just a scoop of that. No dice.

I still almost walked away. But ... I'd seen Instagram photos of a few of the desserts, and I just had to try one. I couldn't decide between the waffles or the pudding, but Ojan helped make that decision, saying he had no interest in the waffle dish. We do both love pudding.

Best. Decision. Ever. Even better than the hot dog decision. When we ordered this, Ojan thought "pudding" in the American sense, but I knew this was a pudding in the British sense. Rockpool Bar and Grill always has some form of this dessert on the menu based on seasonal fruit, and during our visit, it was blackberry. Not what I'd ever pick for my fruit or berry of choice, but, that is what our choice was. (Side note: I'm pretty jealous because the current offering is rhubarb and strawberry, much more my style!)

Anyway, what did we have here? This is so hard to describe. It had so many things going on.

At the very bottom was a cake. I didn't really care for that layer, since meh, I'm just not a cake girl. But above that was a light and fluffy layer, airy like a soufflé. It was incredible. I couldn't get over just how fluffy it was. And then, magically, the top was caramelized, like a crème brûlée. The crispy top is one of the reasons I love crème brûlée, so I was thrilled to see that component here in a totally different style of dish.

And then ... the "vanilla sauce", served in a pitcher on the side. The server poured some on tableside, and then left the rest with us. We smothered the entire thing in it. It was incredible, warm, sweet, and actually vanilla flavored. Oh, and yes, there were big huge blackberries in the pudding, which I wasn't into, but even big blackberries and cake didn't ruin this dessert for me.

This was a thing of wonder. A dessert unlike any I'd had before. It was warm, fluffy, sweet, crispy, fruity, creamy ... it was everything, all rolled into one. I'd get it again in a heartbeat. As would Ojan, Mr. "I'm just having one bite". $23 might seem like a lot for a dessert, but, this was entirely worth it. Best dessert I had in a long, long time.

Read More...

Aroy Thai Food Truck

I was craving Thai food, and was thrilled to find a Thai food truck, Aroy Thai, as a visiting vendor at Spark Social, a nearby food truck park.  Now, I do always say that San Francisco really doesn't have very good Thai food, at least compared to Sydney, but, I had hope for a food truck in particular, as those can sometimes be the best authentic experiences.

"Unique Asian flavors from the mind of Jonah — Our trailer is up and running!"

I didn't find much information online about Aray Thai, other than that the chef is Jonah, and he is not Thai.

Like many modern food trucks, they had a tablet to order on, but the dish I ordered, an interesting sounding cauliflower larb, was sold out ... but the tablet didn't know it, and let me order and pay.  I fell back on a far less exciting option, papaya salad, but in my haste to backup order, I missed the fact that it was vegetarian.  Nothing against vegetarian food, but, part of what makes good papaya salad is the fish sauce, the little fried shrimps, and the like.  It took a while for my order to be prepared, longer than any other food truck I've visited at Spark Social.

I didn't like my meal, and the overall experience did not leave me wanting to seek it back out to try another dish.

Papaya Salad.  $13.

"Freshly grated papaya, long beans, cherry tomatoes, lime, garlic, lettuce, roasted peanuts."

I asked if I could add on shrimp when I ordered, but, no, that was not an option.  I could add rice if I wanted, plain white rice, but nothing else.  I said I wanted it spicy, but, they didn't do spice levels.  Hmm, ok.

The papaya salad actually looked pretty good when I opened the box.  A sizable portion.  Lots of crushed peanuts on top.  But ... it just wasn't very good.  The base was standard shredded papaya and carrots, along with long beans, all reasonably crisp.  And then there were cherry tomatoes, the kind you get in the middle of winter, that you can tell have been refrigerated, and lost all their glory.  It was early September, when tomatoes were still local and fabulous, and these were quite sad.  So, average veggies except really poor tomatoes.

Papaya salad, like much Thai food, gets its appeal from the balance of spicy, sweet, sour, etc.  This ... just had no depth of flavor.  Once I realized it was entirely vegetarian I knew it wouldn't have any fishy funk, but, I still expected more ... something.  It just tasted sour.  There was no heat at all.

I've always thought even mediocre papaya salad was good enough, but, actually, this just wasn't.  I kept trying it, but really, truly didn't like it, and ended up just ditching it and getting something else.  I rarely throw out food, but this just was not tasty.

*.

Read More...

Base Culture

Desserts.  Baked goods. As you know, if you read my blog regularly, these are things I eat far too much of.  I'm the type that ends every meal with a dessert.  Lunch and dinner.  Um, sometimes breakfast.  And usually I go for fresh, not packaged, desserts, but sometimes, you want something convenient.  And, hey, perhaps a bit healthier?  Enter Base Culture, a brand of healthier baked goods.

"Gluten free, grain free breads, baked goods, and nut butters that are deliciously clean.
Craving doesn't have to be complicated. That's why we focus on turning simple ingredients into nourishment that's nom-nom delicious."

I'll admit I almost didn't try just based on the gluten-free aspect, as, well, gluten free baked goods generally are not very good.   But still, I wanted to give them a chance.

Base Culture makes several product lines, but I focused on the most indulgent: the brownies.  Brownies come in either cashew or almond butter, or you can opt for the hybrid chocolate chip brookie.  They also make breads, breakfast bars, and nut butters.  They are rather high maintenance items, requiring refrigeration or freezing, not shelf stable.

Almond Butter Brownie.

"Enjoy an indulgent brownie made with only clean ingredients. Our Almond Butter Brownie is made with cocoa and drizzled with our own almond butter. "

Ok, a healthy brownie?  I know, but it did sound decent.  And the top had a nice shine.

Wow, this … this was not good.  It was dry, very very.  Not dense, not moist.  Just, dry.

The part with the almond butter swirl obviously tasted like almond butter, but, actually, the entire thing did too.  Even the parts that looked more like a traditional chocolate brownie still just tasted like almond butter.  You couldn’t get around the almond butter taste.

Maybe if you like almond butter goods, and don't want an actual brownie, you'd like this?  But, wow, not for me. *.

Read More...

Wolferman's

Wolferman's is a "bakery", generally known for gift baskets and mail-order delivery of baked goods.  Some of their gift packages are also sold at larger department stores like Macy's, and are also distributed through Harry & David's.

They make just about every kind of bread product you can imagine, mostly breakfast items like bagels, scones, muffins, english muffins, tea breads, and coffee cakes, along with all your standard breakfast pastries like croissants, both sweet and savory.  And of course they have desserts, including pies, cheesecakes, cookies, brownies, and more.

All of the above can be made into elaborate towers and whatnot for any occasion, with other gourmet pantry items like jams, teas, and baking mixes thrown in.

I haven't ever ordered myself from Wolferman's, but, my aunt sends my family a box every year, so I've tried many items.

I'm always excited ... but it took a long time to find a product that I thought was good.  Finally, in 2020 ...  I was pleasantly surprised.  Finally, a real, legit, hit.

English Muffins

"Wolferman's® English muffins come in a wonderful variety of flavors and styles. Among our most popular types are our super-thick signature muffins. They are more substantial English muffins than you will find elsewhere. For a delicious and satisfying breakfast or brunch treat or snack, top them with one of our gourmet fruit preserves, indulgent butters, and other fabulous toppings. And our world-famous, super-thick signature English muffins come in a variety of delectable flavors. Each is hand-selected to be uniquely satisfying."

I think the English muffins are Wolferman's signature product, available in an incredible array of flavors, in regular size, mini, and even gluten-free.  They also make more traditional crumpets.

They arrive fresh, but are easily frozen, so my mom often has a stash in her freezer.  They are much larger than standard english muffins.  

Flavors range from fairly standard choices like their 1910 "Original Recipe", cinnamon raisin, sourdough, and multi-grain, to more interesting options like blueberry, cranberry citrus, and even cherry blossom.

I've tried a few over the years, and have always been impressed with how lofty they are and how defined the nooks and crannies are.  Nothing like Thomas english muffins!

Sweet Rolls

For years, my aunt always sent boxes of sweet rolls, like classic cinnamon rolls and decadent nutty sticky buns at Christmas time.  I was always excited, except, well, my mom makes really, really, really good sticky buns, and they are always part of her Christmas baking agenda.  And I always indulge in many, many sticky buns, as she always makes me my own unbaked ones, frozen in small batches, for me to pop in oven whenever I want.

The Wolferman's ones just can't measure up to my mom's versions, made from a King Arthur flour recipe that we had tuned over the years, made fresh nearly every morning I am there.  That said, they do look really impressive so I finally tried them, the first time, opting to bake them up for an event I was attending, when I needed a last minute item to contribute (my mom had entirely snubbed these, not even wanting to try!).  I've had a few other times since, always drawn in by how good they *look*.

I've also tried the Nutty Sticky Buns, but they don't come with icing, and directly compete with my mom's versions, so after taking a few bites, realizing the dough was the same dried out style as the regular ones, I quickly left these for others. But finally, finally I found some I liked ...

[ No Photo ] 

Classic Cinnamon Rolls. 

"Enjoy homemade flavor in a fraction of the time. Handcrafted in our own bakery, we put a thick layer of cinnamon filling between soft dough and get them ready for reheating in the oven. These six rolls come with a generous amount of icing to drizzle on top."

Starting with the classics, which I somehow failed to take a photo of. Doh!

Warmed up, I think they look, and smell, great. I love that you can drizzle the icing on top yourself.

Although they look great, but, the dough isn't ever as good as it looks, and tastes dried out. I do appreciate the plentiful cinnamon goo layers, and the icing is sweet and tasty. And since it comes on the side, I can drizzle just as much as I want on mine, and leave a few un-iced for those who don't like it, thus, getting even more for me.

Maple Cinnamon Rolls. $24.99.

"Add a little sweetness to your morning spread with these scrumptious rolls. Classic cinnamon roll dough is topped with a delicious maple glaze for a soft, gooey treat that is simply irresistible. Simply reheat in your own oven for homemade flavor in a fraction of the time."

This year's selection was a single item: cinnamon rolls.  But not the same lackluster regular cinnamon rolls I've had before from Wolferman's - these were maple glazed.  They came pre-glazed.  I was still skeptical, particularly with the glaze already on, icing cinnamon rolls after baking is more standard ...

The tray contained 6 massive rolls - 1lb, 13oz for just 6 rolls! And yes, the nutrition facts confirmed: each one, 570 calories and 63g sugar!  You could certainly cut them in half if incorporating into a brunch spread.

We didn't do a Christmas brunch this year however (#covid), nor did we do a get together of any kind, so, baking the full tray at once didn't make sense.  Had I wanted to, instructions were simple: remove plastic wrap, cover with aluminum, bake for 10-15 if from fridge, 20-25 from frozen.  

I stashed them in the freezer, not particularly impressed with the visuals either.

Maple Cinnamon Rolls: Unwrapped.

I opted to try one myself one afternoon, a la mode, for dessert.  Once unwrapped, they did look a touch better, although I strategically took a center roll, as it had more icing, the icing wasn't as nicely distributed to the edge rolls well.

I took only half, to give these a try.  Threw into the toaster oven, covered with foil, for ... I dunno, 15 mins?  The rest went back in freezer.

Maple Cinnamon Roll: Cross Section.

Here you can see it, baked.

It was actually really good.  For once, the dough lived up - I did add some water in while baking, tinted with foil to keep moist, but I'm not 100% sure that is necessary.  The dough was sweet, puffy, not dried out, nicely risen.  Not amazing, but good.

Between layers of dough, cinnamon filling, sweet, plenty of it. 

The base cinnamon roll was good, no question.

They came pre-glazed with maple glaze.  This is really what made the rolls.  It was soooo sweet, sooooo sticky, and just really transformed a good cinnamon roll into a wonderful one.  Having them pre-iced was a bit odd, since usually you ice after they bake, and it did melt in quite a bit, and it certainly wasn't well distributed, the edge pieces missing out, but of course I went for a middle one.  It did mostly ooze off, but, I still liked it quite a bit.

I added maple ice cream on top, which was a wonderful pairing.  I really loved the warm moist sweet roll, the sticky glaze, and the complimentary cold ice cream.  I had the second half the next day warmed with vanilla ice cream and some Cool Whip, which also worked fine, the double maple not actually required.

I think without ice cream or whipped cream they would make a fine breakfast/brunch item, although, quite sweet with that glaze.

***+ ... maaaaybe **** actually.  I, um, gladly didn't mention to anyone else how good they were, opting to just bake them off one at a time for myself.

Christmas Tree Cinnamon Rolls. $39.99.

"A tree shape with 10 classic cinnamon rolls, 8 tubes of icing, and sprinkles."

The next year's Wolferman's gift from my aunt was perfect for pulling out at our Christmas morning brunch: cinnamon rolls, but arranged like a tree, and complete with DIY icing AND Christmas sprinkles.  It meant that those that didn't want sweet things early in the morning could have an un-iced roll, and the kids (and kids at heart!) could load their rolls with icing and sprinkles and have fun decorating.  A winning item, all around.

Classic Cinnamon Roll: Iced.

The rolls were ... fine.  They tasted highly processed, and the dough was a bit dry, but the cinnamon flavor was good, and the taste was very "classic" if you know what I mean.  They tasted like a generic cinnamon roll should, and could easily have come from any mall food court.  I kinda liked them more just cold direct from freezer than warmed up, which I know sounds really odd.

The icing, also fine.  Sweet.  It melted on nicely when applied to a hot roll.  I had to laugh at the 10 rolls and 8 tubes of icing, which, although it was plenty, seemed like an odd packaging choice.  

So, overall, nothing extraordinary here, but not bad.  Not really an appropriate breakfast item, but, warmed up with icing and a scoop of vanilla ice cream, I was happy enough to have one for dessert.

***.

Kringle Wreaths

"Watch faces light up at your next brunch when you serve a trio of delectable Kringle wreaths. Based on a traditional Danish holiday treat, each of these pastries features a flavorful, flaky crust and sweet filling. This exclusive delight includes one Kringle pastry filled with velvety vanilla crème that is delightful served cold, one filled with pecan, and one made with tart granny smith apples and a hint of cinnamon, both of which are delicious when warmed. All three are drizzled with icing."

Kringle.  Not an item I was familiar with until a couple years ago when I had the almond marzipan version from Trader Joe's, and loved it.  Kringle is a traditional danish pastry, basically, uh, a large oval ring shaped pastry, made with layers of danish dough, usually filled with something, and iced.  I'm not sure why they aren't more popular, but popularity in the US seems highly regionalized.

Wolferman's makes kringle in a variety of flavors, ranging from fruity raspberry to nutty options like pecan to decadent cream filled.  They have seasonal specialties like a pumpkin creme version with streusel topping and caramel icing, or a holiday cranberry one.  Most come topped with icing, although a few have chocolate fudge topping.

The first time I had these, we received the "Kringle Wreath Trio", with a chocolate glazed cream filed eclair, iced apple cinnamon, and pecan praline versions.  The next time, it was a duo, with a raspberry iced version, and the pecan praline again.

Packaging.

The kringles arrived on cardboard trays, wrapped in plastic wrap, and then wrapped in paper wrapping.  They were not frozen, but the package let us know that we should freeze if we weren't using right away.

Chocolate Eclair Kringle.

The first one we tried was the chocolate eclair, basically a hybrid between an eclair or Boston cream donut with a danish, with chocolate fudge icing and cream filling.  The icing didn't look great, clearly a bit worse for the wear from shipping, but, the icing was chocolatey, about like you'd find on any Boston cream donut.

Chocolate Eclair Kringle: Inside.

Inside we expected to find a generous filling of the promised "velvety vanilla crème", but instead it was more like a thin layer between each fold of pastry dough.  No cream came oozing out, no custard was really found, but, the layers clearly had something else between them keeping them moist.

My mother turned her nose up at it pretty quickly, saying it tasted packaged and fake, but my father and I both found it enjoyable enough, for what it was.  Clearly not fresh flaky pastry, but, the dough wasn't stale nor dry, it was sugary, and satisfying in its own way.

Apple Cinnamon.

Next up we had the apple cinnamon filled one, topped with regular white sweet icing.

Apple Cinnamon: Inside.

The apple filling was nicely spiced and worked well with the danish pastry, as did the icing.  Basically, just a big danish, and not a fancy fresh one, about like what you'd get at pretty much any generic coffee shop, but, that has its place.

Better warm, and certainly more of a breakfast item than dessert.

Raspberry.

The raspberry version was another iced creation.  We had learned by this point to warm the kringle in the oven for best results.

This was my favorite yet.  Again, it doesn't taste homemade, it doesn't taste fresh, it isn't fancy.  But it is satisfying in the same way that Cinnabon is, in the same way that a toaster strudel is.  The pastry is buttery and rich, the glaze sweet, and the filling sweet and fruity.

It was a crowd pleaser, even though my mother again turned her nose up at it (literally).  I think she was offended I was serving it alongside her plethora of fresh baked goods, and even more offended when most people raved about it.  Oops.

I would gladly have this one again, warmed up, alongside a morning coffee, or even as part of a dessert spread.  Sorry mom ...

Pecan.

I know I tried the pecan one too, but alas, I lost my notes :(

Read More...

Pina, Sydney

In May 2020, a very popular Potts Point cafe, Room Ten, hosted a pop-up called Pina.  Apparently it was even more successful than Room Ten.  The owners, a husband and wife team, found a way to make it permanent, taking up residence in a space just across the lane from Room Ten.  It has been a success ever since.

I didn't know any of that though when I visited Pina.  In fact, I didn't even pick the destination.  When a friend suggested meeting for brunch on a Monday morning, I quickly proposed my list of favorites: Three Williams, Devon Cafe, Auvers Cafe, Cuckoo Callay, even Bills.  I suggested a few I hadn't yet been to yet as well, that were on my "list" of places to check out.  He however came back with a wildcard: Pina.  Pina wasn't even on my radar, I knew nothing about it, and, to be honest, the menu didn't really call out.  But he had been there the day before, and said it was so good he wanted to return, and even get the same thing again.  I voiced my skepticism, it was my last day in Sydney after all, and I wanted it to be a good one, but, eventually I caved and took his word, after all, he had also recommended Cafe Paci, and I really enjoyed that a few days prior. 

So, to Pina I went, still slightly apprehensive.  Spoiler: I'm glad I went, and I'll certainly return next time in Sydney.

Storefront

Pina is located on a small lane, right across from Room 10.  The place is pretty tiny, with just a handful of seats both inside and out.  I arrived first, and was greeted by a host who offered to get me on the waiting list.  The wait was only about 10 minutes at 11am, not so bad.  

We were seated at a counter inside, facing a wall.  Perhaps not much ambiance, but, hey, it was a breakfast joint, and the outside tables definitely had some laneway charm.

Service was typical Sydney cafe - our orders were quickly taken, but we were never checked in on, and had to go up to a register to pay.  I didn't mind, but, certainly not a place where you'll be paid much attention to.

Menu.

The menu at Pina is all day brunch, with a variety of egg and toast based dishes for those who want something breakfast-y, and sandwiches and salads for the lunchy.  The offerings aren't generic though - yes, they do have avocado toast and a basic bacon and egg roll, but, they also have savory chickpea pancakes with either smoked trout, creme fraiche, etc or porcini mushroom cream, soft boiled egg, etc.  They have a giant sweet sourdough pancake, with instructions that its best to be shared, after a meal, as a dessert.  Even the breakfast porridge sounds pretty good, with fig, chestnut cream, strawberries, and hazelnut.

If I had just been picking based on the menu, any of those fascinating pancakes, sweet or savory, or the porridge would certainly be what I ordered.  But, there is one dish that folks just rave about, and is all over Instagram ... the scrambled eggs.  Yes, the scrambled eggs.  I'm not even that much of an egg person, and certainly not a scrambled egg person, but you see, those eggs were why we were there.  More on this soon.

The menu also allows you to add on a variety of goodies to any dish, like halloumi, wagyu pastrami, charred miso cabbage, and more.  The menu really is pretty extensive and unique.  Sydney really does brunch so very well.

Long Black, Decaf. $3.50 + $0.50 (decaf surcharge).

Pina uses Mecca coffee, which is generally regarded as some of the best in Sydney, but I've never really cared for their decaf.

This was no different - I don't blame the barista, I just don't think Mecca's decaf is a style I like.  High acid, very sour tasting.  The long black was also very strong, I believe two shots for the small size.  I suspect I would have liked it more if I had asked for extra hot water and balanced it out a bit, but, I didn't bother.   I would not get coffee, at least decaf, here again.

**+.

Scrambled Eggs & Toast. $20.

So, behold, the scrambled eggs.  Available as just a side, or as a meal with toast.  I opted for the later, as I had seen photos of the toast, and it did look great.  Plus, as it was approaching lunch time, I wanted more than just eggs to eat.

Starting with the toast - it was high quality.  Nicely crusty bread, perfectly toasted, good crumb structure inside.  I loved the thick cut slice.  It was NOT sourdough (yay!).  That said, as good as the toast was, I didn't find myself really wanting it.  It turns out, that large pile of eggs was more than enough for me, and although I had a few bites composed with the eggs on toast, I adored the eggs/chili oil so much, I didn't want to "dilute' them with the toast.  If I were to return to Pina and get this dish, I'd opt for just the side of eggs with chili oil, not the toast.  If it was breakfast time though, I can definitely imagine enjoying the toast more, just with spreads. ***+ toast.

Now, those eggs.  Ok, if you are going to go out for scrambled eggs, they really must be great, and, honestly, they don't get much better than this.  They were as silky smooth as they looked in all the photos I had seen, no rubbery or tough consistency.  Very moist, no dried out edges, no dried out bits to be found.  They tasted like, well, real eggs, no powder obviously.  They were clearly enriched with likely copious amounts of butter and cream, and were drizzled with oil.  Clearly not healthy eggs, but, basically as good as they are going to get.  I appreciated the chives on top for a bit of flavor.  I did wish for a touch more pepper, as I just really love pepper on my eggs, and none was available on the table.  That said, it might have clashed with the chili oil.  Because, now I am getting to the good part.  The eggs alone though, ****.

The chili oil.  OMG.  My dining companion had been to Pina before, and when his dish was set down in front of him, he immediately used all the chili oil on his eggs, distributing it well.  I'm not going to say I judged him, but, I thought, "wow, that's a lot of condiment on those eggs you proclaim are so good ...".  I had my first bite with just a little, and very quickly I found that I too had used my entire, generously sized, bowl of chili oil.  Every last bit.  I could have used more.  It was that good.

I'll admit, before I tried it, I thought "Yeah, yeah, yeah, chili crisp/crunch/oil, it is good stuff, but this is a lot of hype, probably just people not as familiar with it", yadda yadda.  I have a jar of chili crisp on my counter at home, I use it regularly.  This is not new nor novel to me.  But ... well, Pina's version did blow me away.  I think it is the best I've ever had.  Only lightly spicy, but an overall flavor explosion, definitely lots of garlic.  What made it unique was an underlying sweetness too - which made it, in my eyes, absolutely perfect to go with the eggs.  I often drizzle maple syrup on my eggs, so this was the compliment I was looking for.  I think this chili oil may not work as well for dumplings due to that slight sweetness, but, paired with the eggs, wowzer. *****.  Yes, perfect *****.

If you like scrambled eggs, and you like chili oil, or honestly, even if you don't like chili oil, this dish is worth trying.  It is likely the most I've enjoyed scrambled eggs in years (the only other very memorable great scrambled eggs I've had were at Bills about ... 12? years ago, and they were phenomenal).  I did find that about 3/4 of the way through I was getting a bit sick of eggs ... but damn, I wanted to keep eating to enjoy more of the chili oil.  I think in the future I'd get this dish and one other (the pancake perhaps? The porridge? So many options) and go with a companion who wanted to split both.  The dish overall, definitely ****.

You can buy the chili oil by the jar, to take home, for $30, which I probably would have done, had I realized it at the time.

Read More...