tapas at the arthouse hotel

I love tapas. This is probably because: I love sharing food, I love Spanish food, and I love sharing food. Oh, and I love Spanish food.

My friend Chenea* and I have been dying to try the tapas at The Arthouse Hotel for some time now. We used to have a standing date at tourist trap Jets in the QVB, but when we realised what a rip-off it was, we decided to change our location to Arthouse. We usually have pizzas and wine downstairs, but we loved the idea of tapas in The Dome restaurant (upstairs) on Wednesday and Thursday nights.

So, on a Wednesday night not too long ago, we met for little plates of delicious Spanish food. And wine. Armed with sav blanc, we ordered from the very comprehensive tapas menu. There are three price points: $12, $14 and $16. From the $12 menu, we ordered Turkish bread and dips (baba ghanoush, taramasalata and hommus), spinach and ricotta empadillas, and grilled chorizo and haloumi. From the $14 menu, we ordered the chilli, salt and pepper squid. On the waiters' advice, we only ordered four dishes, which turned out to be plenty.

The trio of dips was good. The bread was brushed with oil and panfried (a nice, if unhealthy, touch) and the dips themselves were yummy. The empadillas weren't quite what I was expecting. I assumed we'd be eating small parcels of shortcrust pastry filled with spinach and ricotta, but we were served large square pillows of puff pastry (filled with spinach and ricotta). Their size (about as big as my palm) made them quite unwiedly, but they were good nonetheless. I'll never turn down salt and pepper squid, especially with chilli. Arthouse's version lived up to my expectations, and I ate way more than my fair share. The standout dish was the grilled chorizo and haloumi. The sausage was spicy, a little fatty (in a good way) and grilled perfectly, and the cheese was milky, unctuous and appropriately squeaky. Yum, yum, yum.

The verdict? We liked. Go there with a girlfriend and don't be afraid to order a $12 cocktail or two.

The Arthouse Hotel
www.thearthousehotel.com.au
275 Pitt St, Sydney
(02) 9284 1200

* Name has been changed...

gusto, paddington

Let's get one thing straight, DDS readers. The eastern suburbs and I are not natural bedfellows. I'm an Inner West girl (by way of Ye Olde Windsor Town) and I just cannot handle the eastern suburbs. This makes me something of an outsider in the publishing industry (I'm constantly asked things like, "How many hours should I allow to get to Glebe?" and "Parramatta Rd is in Parramatta, right?") and now that I am a fledgling food blogger, I realise that I'll probably have to get over the phobia. As my friend Bec says, you've got to hold the spiders to get over your fear of them. Last week, I held the spiders. The fear remains.

I met my friends Miss B and Megan at Gusto, at the Five Ways in Paddington for brunch last Sunday. I decided (unwisely, as it turns out) to drive...and it took an hour and a half to get from Ashfield to Paddington. Truly! Unfortunately, there was some sort of marathon on, which caused all manner of traffic mayhem. Luckily, I had my recently downloaded Beyonce/Destiny's Child playlist to play over and over and over again for the ride...but now, I never, ever want to hear "Jumpin', Jumpin'" again.

But I digress. Gusto is a cute corner cafe filled with well-dressed locals. It's a great place to hang out for hours - which we ended up doing. The breakfast menu isn't extensive - it's full of standard favourites like eggs benedict, bircher muesli, fruit salad and yoghurt, and the ubiquitous big breakfast. Miss B, who eats more than anyone I've ever met (that's a compliment, by the way) ordered the big breakfast (eggs, toast, tomatoes, hash browns and sausages) with an assortment of sides - avocado, spinach and mushrooms. Miss B is all about sides - I've even seen her order an entire meal of sides before. She's mad for sides. Megan, who is very healthy, went for bircher muesli topped with grated apple. I ordered a large soy latte and one of the mixed berry and ricotta muffins, with some ricotta and honey on the side. Later, I had a pineapple, lime and apple juice. Miss B declared the big breakfast "satisfying" (with that much food, satisfying is the least of the adjectives one could use, surely?) and Megan loved the fresh, filling bircher muesli. I wasn't impressed with the muffin - it was advertised as fresh, but had a hard, dry crust and the cake wasn't much of an improvement. Pass.

The juice and coffee were great, and I love a cafe that lets you sit and people-watch for as long as you like. Miss B even devoured half of her birthday present from Megan (a box of cupcakes from nearby Cupcake Bakery) without so much as a raised eyebrow from the waiter. But coffee and juice do not maketh the brunch...I won't be heading back to Gusto.

Gusto
corner Broughton and Heeley Sts, Five Ways at Paddington
(02) 9361 5640

Cupcake Bakery
www.thecupcakebakery.com.au
438 Oxford St, Paddington
(02) 9332 3700

haberfield post/il goloso

A week ago, my friend Ed sent me an email inviting Caliban and I, and some friends from high school, to dinner to celebrate her return to Australia. She's been to Africa, Europe and America. I'm - how do you say? - incredibly jealous.

But as well as being really, really, insanely jealous of her travels, I was also really, really, insanely impressed with her choice of restaurant. We met last night at Haberfield Post (which also, confusingly, goes by its former name of Il Goloso) and I swear to blog, I ate more food in that one sitting than I did in this entire last week.

We live very close to Haberfield, so Haberfield Post is our regular pizza place now. It's very old-school Italian in a sophisticated setting. The food is affordable and um, delicious. Very, verrrrry delicious. It's also BYO. Bonus.

So last night, the eight of us settled in with a couple of bottles of white and a bottle of red (for dessert). It wasn't nearly enough wine, but that's OK. We made up for the lack of alcohol indulgence with food.

While we waited for the last of the party to arrive, we ordered the bruschetta pizza. As the name suggests, it's a fresh, doughy, thin pizza base topped with diced roma tomatoes, olive oil and basil. It's amazing. Paired with a cold glass of sav blanc, it's a perfect summer dish (too bad it was freezing last night!)

There was a bit of confusion with our mains. Caliban and I ordered the fiori dello zucchini (zucchini flowers) and a Siciliana pizza for our mains, to share. Unfortunately, the zucchini came out as an entree. Not even close to a dealbreaker, to be sure...but it's nice when waiters get these things right.

I love zucchini flowers for the delicate taste of the flower, which is usually paired with something more robust. In this case, the flowers were stuffed with ricotta and anchovies. It sounded promising, but the batter they were deep-fried in was far too thick - you couldn't taste anything but oil. A little disappointing.

Then, the table was filled with pizza. Caliban and I ordered the Siciliana (bocconcini, eggplant and tomato sauce), Nurse Jacquie ordered the Appetitoso (chicken, sundried tomatoes, avocado; she also requested fetta, but it never quite arrived...), Ed and Miss C shared a Super Alex (surprisingly, the restaurant allowed a 'half-half' order...Miss C didn't want proscuitto on her half of the pizza for some reason that defies, well, reason) and Tara (DDS commenter!) had the spinach, ricotta, parmesan and bocconcini calzone. I've ordered it before, and it was easily the best calzone I've ever had. Soft, almost sweet dough filled with three types of creamy, sharp cheese and spinach. Heaven. The Siciliana was standard Italian fare: rich, sweet tomato sauce topped with the mild bocconcini and squares of fried eggplant. Yum. Nurse Jacquie's Appetitoso didn't really whet my appetite: I'm not one for chicken or avocado on pizzas. And, pretentious as it sounds, I think sundried tomatoes have had their day. Enough with the sundried tomatoes. I've also eaten the Super Alex (proscuitto, olives, tomatoes, bocconcini and baby spinach) and I feel for Miss C. The proscuitto really makes it. As for the other boys, I can't remember what they ate...even for the lack of booze.

To finish the night, we ordered three Nutella calzones, a pannacotta for Caliban and tiramisu for Miss C and I. The tiramisu was amazing - super-light sponge soaked in sweet coffee with layers of thick, fluffy cream laced with amaretto. So perfect with a glass of cab sav that I had to have two (glasses, that is). Caliban loves pannacotta, and HP's is no exception. Served in a sundae glass, the pannacotta sat on a bed of strawberry syrup - so when you spooned the creamy pannacotta, you got a good serve of sweet syrup, too. Nice touch. And the Nutella calzones were so, so, so good. Really. Sweet dough blanketed the creamy, nutty chocolate paste...and all mention of boxing classes and Weight Watchers flew out the proverbial window. The four girls (with a little help from Caliban and Chef James) polished off all three of the calzones, with just a few slices left for Nurse Jacquie's lunch today.

And would you believe it? When the bill came, we all owed just $30 each. Great value, amazing food, perfect Saturday night company.

Haberfield Post/Il Goloso
60 Dalhousie St, Haberfield
(02) 9716 9744

naniwa tei: a love story

Morning, DDS-readers! As promised, let me tell you a little about a charming Japanese hole-in-the-wall, Naniwa Tei.

There are lots of reasons I love living in Sydney. Weather, definitely. Campos coffee, without a doubt. The Bay walk, Centennial Park, the Harbour Bridge. And of course, the restaurants. As you can no doubt tell from reading this blog, I am pretty big on restaurants. But as much as I love the five star, silver spoon, "can I get you any more of anything?" service at places like Tetsuya's and Quay, there is a certain inimitable charm about the less exciting restaurants about town, too. To wit: Naniwa Tei.

My friend D introduced me to this restaurant about two years ago. The floorboards are unpolished. The tables are bare. The walls are covered in posters advertising Engrish-sounding entrees. A radio constantly plays Mix 106.5 FM. It is hardly ever full, and when it is, the customers are a mix of finance suits and budget-conscious students. The one thing they all have in common is their Japanese heritage. It's a sign that bodes well for our tummies.

A little while after D introuced me, I, in turn, introduced my then-new boyfriend, Caliban, to the delights of soft shell crab, tuna sashimi and cuttlefish kimchi. In the two years since, I think we've eaten there at least 25 times. At least.

Being the creatures of habit we are, we hardly ever stray from our own little menu. Soft shell crab for two, large tuna sashimi, cuttlefish kimchi, mixed tempura, and plenty of Asahi. The soft shell crab is served in small bowls, with a bed of lettuce and a sweet dipping sauce. The crab itself melts on your tongue, and as you bite into it, the moist, flavoursome meat bursts. It's pretty amazing - especially for $12. The tuna sashimi is similarly impressive - ruby red, without a trace of visible fat. It's served just below room temperature, which is perfect: not so cold that you might mistake it for watermelon (the texture definitely changes as it gets colder) and obviously, not too warm. It's Caliban's favourite dish, and I think he's told everyone he's ever met all about it. If you've met him, he's probably told you more than I ever could about the delights of this dish. Listen to his version.

The cuttlefish kimchi is a very cool discovery. I'm not much for regular kimchi. Cabbage has never been high on my list of must-eat foods, and while the spicy sauce is a winner, I've never really seen the point of smothering it on the vastly inferior cabbage. But cuttlefish kimchi - well, that works. I can definitely see the point of that. Thin ribbons of cuttlefish (molluscs similar to squid - and according to Wikipedia, among the most intelligent invertebrates) are soaked in spicy, thick kimchi sauce, for our eating pleasure. I'm absolutely addicted to these little threads of joy.

The mixed tempura is fairly standard Japanese fare, to be honest. It's not remarkable, but it definitely wins a place in our regular menu. And let's be honest: the Asahis wouldn't really be doing their job without some grease to absorb.

We've shared our love of Naniwa Tei with friends and family, and on such occasions, we do experiment with the menu. Takoyaki smothered in Japanese mayonnaise, kingfish and salmon sashimi, light-as-a-feather gyoza, beef tataki topped with egg yolk (yum!), udon noodle soups, and some of the most lethal hot sake I've ever tasted.

The thing I love most about Naniwa Tei is that it provided such a perfect backdrop for our romance. We genuinely think of it as our place - and that's how I'll always refer to it.

I'm curious to know - do you and your partner have a regular restaurant? Tell me!

Naniwa Tei
Bulletin Place, Circular Quay

bad, bad food blogger

Confession: I am a bad, bad food blogger. How will I ever score a book deal and film option (a la Julie Powell) if I continue in this very haphazard, ad hoc, "I'll write when I have something to say" fashion? The answer, friends, is never. So, I apologise for my bad, bad food blogging ways, and promise to be a better food blogger in the future. Do you think we can be friends again?

If you do (and I hope you do) and if you also harbour dreams of being a bit of a Ramsay yourself, why not contribute to food52.com's cookbook contest? The website is running a competition to find the best home cooks from all over the world, so each week, you're invited to submit recipes to fit a theme. This week, it's apple cake and potato gratin.

Meanwhile, things are getting very gastronomic in Sydney right now. The Sydney International Food Festival launches in October (if you can't afford the pricey chef meet-and-greets, the night noodle markets are always a sure bet) and Celebrity Masterchef begins next week. I'm interested to see just how proficient these "celebs" are in the kitchen...but I don't think it will have the same appeal as the regular show.

That's all for now, folks - but stay tuned for reviews of The Arthouse Hotel, Gusto's in Paddington and Japanese hole-in-the-wall Naniwa Tei. Cross my heart, hope to die, stick that needle in my eye.

daily wrap

Over at The Punch, Nola James (a Tassie-based PR rep and sometime journo) writes about MasterChef backlash. To wit: her headline is “MasterChef created a nation of know-nothing food tossers.” Hey Nola, be honest: what did you really think? James is upset with the winner (Julie, who James rightfully labels a “cook” rather than the titular “chef”) and with what she calls the dictation of social values by reality TV. “Reality television is dictating to our society rather than being a reflection of it,” she remarks. Mmm – I don’t agree. We’re a nation of incredibly varied food tastes, with tons of foodie mags, farmer’s markets and delis to prove it (not to mention cooking classes, dining guides, and um, some of the best restaurants and dining districts in the world). I’d say the producers of MasterChef very cleverly picked up on our love of cooking and of food in general, and, coupled with recession-era hankering for DIY, made the show the runaway hit that it was.

Speaking of which, are you auditioning for the next season? Click here if you think you have the culinary nous to wow the likes of Matt, George and Gary.

Grub Street has picked up on New York Times’ outgoing food critic Frank Bruni’s contributing podcast for GQ, in which he explains how to order from any restaurant menu. The formula? Delete anything you’ve seen before, then anything that seems too crazy and experimental. Choose from whatever’s left. Might make visits to your local bistro a little difficult, methinks.

Finally, head to Good Living for a glimpse inside the dough-filled world of Paul Allum and David McGuinness, owners and bakers at Sydney’s Bourke St Bakery. The Bakery is the home of the most amazing sausage rolls you’ll ever eat (pork and fennel, or lamb and rosemary?), perfectly flaky croissants and deliciously delicate lemon tarts. If you want to recreate the cult Bakery’s treats at home, grab their new cookbook, Bourke St Bakery, for $69.95. Perfect for carb-loading Dads.

Kobe Jones

All you can eat. Four words. One very big promise.

Like a lot of GFC-affected restaurants, Kobe Jones is offering a recession special. Head there on any weekday for lunch and score yourself all the sushi your tummy can handle for the tidy sum of $25. Not bad, especially when you consider the regular tasting menu starts at $95 per person.

So, being the intrepid bargain-hunter, Not Quite Nigella-reader and sushi lover that I am, I gathered the girls together for a lazy Friday lunch. Marky and I arrived late (we severely underestimated the time it took to trek from Park St to Cockle Bay Wharf in teetering heels) to find that the waiter had seated Karlie, Bee and Kristen at the far corner table, in direct sunlight. Possibly not the best place to eat raw fish, we observed. It was particularly annoying as we were one of just a handful of tables at the restaurant.

But never mind. Our energies were focussed on food, and food we would have. So. Much. Food. We ordered one large and two medium-sized platters, with (sadly) no wine. Unlike the many banker-types who would soon infiltrate the ranks of KJ, we had to go back to work. (Plus, we were all a bit over-hung, if you catch my drift). The large platter arrived first, laden with nigiri (salmon, tuna, kingfish), sushi (California rolls, prawn, roe, tuna) and the signature dish, Volcano Rolls.

Volcano Rolls sound intimidating, and well, as though they're likely to explode all over your maxi dress, but trust me – they will not. They are sublime. I am not someone who enjoys sushi for its delicate flavours. I want punch. I want flavour to write home about. I want Volcano Rolls. OK, so – Volcano Rolls are oven baked scallops served in avocado rolls and crab salad. This is all topped with a creamy, ever-so-salty sauce that has the consistency of ranch dressing. We all agree that it is easily the best dish in front of us, and basically go nuts over it. Marky and I soon concede defeat, but Karlie steps in to grab the last bite. In hindsight, my response to this is: lucky bitch.

Then, the medium platters arrive. There is suddenly way too much food on the table, and far too few girls to eat it. But we attack it with as much midday, sun-soaked gusto as we can. There is more nigiri, more rolls and thankfully, more Volcano action. This time, there are tempura prawn and soft-shell crab rolls, too. Yum.

The tempura prawn is tricky to eat (the tail of the prawn is embedded in a roll of rice, its tail curled toward the roof) and a little dry. The soft shell crab, I am pleased to report, lived up to its reputation as being: a) one of the best tasting foods on the planet, although it is: b) one of the cruellest foods on the planet. As for the nigiri, I loved the kingfish. It did have the mild, delicate flavour it’s meant to have, and when you add the requisite soy, wasabi and ginger, it truly becomes delicious. The tuna was a little dry – it puckered at the edges of the rice pillow, showing perhaps that it was a little aged. The salmon was lovely, but a little too fatty. And the California rolls, although ubiquitous, were pretty good.

Would we go again? Maybe – but for better seats. And more Volcano Rolls.

Kobe Jones
29 Lime St, King St Wharf
9299 5290
http://www.kobejones.com.au/