The buzz of a newly opened restaurant, always creates a sense of excitement and adventure through our foodie bodies. Especially when a restaurant creates something bold and totally unique. Bonta Vita has introduced to us Sydneysiders a wonderful marriage between Italian and Malaysian cuisines! This fusion came about because of a marriage between an Italian and a Malaysian (read more here).

Kthxbye and Tomatosalsa had brought this charming place to our attention and we are very grateful that they did.

From the sublime decor to the enticing menu I must say this place is a winner. The only setback is the pricing of the dishes but that is understandable for a place that is pretty much in the heart of the city.

A great balance of orange and black colours and the transcendent balls of light create a extraordinary dining experience. Matched with friendly and helpful staff and an open Rizza (explained shortly) Kitchen for some entertainment, this place has really some fresh pizzazz to it.

Open Rizza Kitchen

I love these lights and how they reflect off the glass
Now onto their menu which has a wonderful concept and game in it!

Their menu has a very chic design with tabs on the side as a easy search function but there is a flaw to this, which is that they hid some tabs underneath other tabs. It doesn’t make much sense and hopefully they will amend this minor detail.

Rizza is a genius fusion!
This is pure brilliance, the roti wrapped up the ingredients ever so perfectly to create a inspiring burst of Italian and Malaysian fusion.

Rice Dice
Basically it is a game which is best to play when dining here in larger groups. You get a white die and a red die and each of the numbers correspond to a dish, so if you cannot decide what to eat then this is very helpful. The white die corresponds to a rice dish and the red die corresponds to a “side” dish. The side dish is actually a main dish but is a ’side’ to the rice dish. The portions here are pretty generous so this can be shared between 2 people, this way each person gets to roll a die.

There is also a Reward in this game, which is if someone rolls a double then the whole table gets free gelato! If a 2nd double is rolled on the same table then everybody gets a $5 voucher for the next visit.

But if you enter this game then you must oblige to the fate the dice have given you otherwise you are to buy a drink or dessert for one of your fellow diners to re-throw a die.

This is a fun game and definitely worth trying out in a big group XD

The white die in action

Kthxbye and Tomatasalsa got matching 3s so that meant free gelato for the table ^^!
So much awesommmeee! Thx guyysss!

Here Comes the Food

Mexican Sausage ($24.95) – Mexican sausages served with seven heaven mix, beetroot, ricotta, boiled eggs, mixed lettuce leaves, char grilled capsicum, grilled onion and topped with wasabi mayo dressing
The waft of the aroma from these sausages had induced uncontrollable salivation from everybody at the table. Amazing spicy sausages with a refreshing salad both complimenting one another perfectly. The wasabi was very subtle but added a wonderful creaminess to it and the chunks of beetroot were completed the salad. May not have been Italian or Malaysian but this dish was definitely worth trying.

Pilau Rice ($13.95) – Indian spiced pilau style rice with onion rings, basmati rice, turmeric, cloves, peppercorns, cardamon pods, cinnamon stick, chicken stock and cooked peas
An exquisite combination of ingredients, to create a harmony between the flavours. None of the flavours were overpowering so overall a well-balanced rice dish, with the onions being the highlights in my opinion.

Bistecca ($31.90) – 300gm of grain fed scotch fillet grilled to your liking, served in a bed of roti, spinach, grilled onionsin red wine sauce and topped with hollandaise sauce
This dish sounded, looked and smelt absolutely delicious! I actually wanted to order this at first after reading it on the menu but one of my fellow diners also had their eyes on this one so I opted for something else. Santa describes it as a tantalizing contrast between the texture of the roti and the steak, with a creamy sauce that integrates into the dish perfectly. The steak was also true to its’ description in that it was cooked to his liking of a medium rare. A must try for me next time.

Verdure ($16.90) – Mixed fresh vegetables oven baked and cooked with pure Italian Napolitano sauce and Malaysian herbs in an innovated Italian way
A perfect dish for the vegetarians with the fusion between the 2 different cuisines.

Mexican Rice ($13.95) – Mexican style rice with onions, bacon rashers, chicken stock, tomato juice, kidney beans, cayenne pepper, Tabasco and corn corbs
Another winning rice dish and I bet you are thinking ‘those corn cobs are burnt!’ but let me assure you that they are not. They were sweet and juicy with a nice addition of chargrilled flavour on them.

Rizza 5 ($13.90) – BV sauce, marinated mince beef, mozzarella, roast garlic, cherry tomato, mushroom
Rizzas come in a generous rectangle, packed full of flavour and definitely a must try to all that comes here. BV sauce is a mild Malaysian curry which gives the rizza an amazing extra dimension of flavour.

Rizza 6 ($15.90) – BV sauce, Italian salami, cabanossi, pepperoni, mozzarella, marinated grated zucchini, mushroom
Packed and overflowing jsut the way I like it! This one was slightly spicy and full of meaty goodness!

Rizza 3 ($13.90) – BV sauce, chicken chorizo sausage, mozzarella, mushroom, capsicum, chilli, onion
These Rizzas were absolutely genius and we could not get enough of them! They all have their unique combination of flavours so the best is to try them all!

Rizza 9 ($16.90) – BV sauce, ricotta, bocconchini, parmesans, pesto, mozzarella, mint, carrot, sun dried tomato, mixed olives, pineapple
This was obviously my choice as there are 4 types of cheese! FOUR ^^! MMMmmmmm. Glorious little chunks of sweet pineapple were also a great treat in some of the bites.

Complimentary gelato! From top going clockwise: banana, raspberry, Baci, hazelnut, vanilla, caramelized fig, chocolate, green tea and strawberry in the middle
Whhheeeee yumyumyum

Sooo good!

The gelatos were all delicious and not only because they were free. The favourites among the table were probably the caramelized fig, banana and the Baci. The green tea was also very good but it is not as strong as the others so it is better to eat that one first. The raspberry was very sour but had a good refreshing factor to it. The vanilla also had a nice twist that we could not put a grasp on but it was very nice mmmm.

My banana-raspberry-Baci-hazelnut-vanilla-caramelized fig-chocolate-green tea-strawberry flavoured spoon/shovel of gelato mmmm ^^!

The amazing Rizza chefs! Recognise the one on the left ?

He is the ex-Mamak roti man!

1st win! Our table got the first ever double in the Rice Dice game since this place has opened ^^! Thanks again to Kthxbye and Tomatosalsa!

This restaurant is also next to the beautiful Lumiere

Pretty water feature that changes colour!
Also for those who are not bursting from all the food they can venture down to Prize Paradise for some Asian arcade fun! Try to win some prizes or have a go at the basketball game ^^!

Bonta Vita is a rising star in my opinion. There may not have been many customers when we were there but let the word spread! Try it out ^^! I shall definitely be back to try the rest of the pretty extensive menu ^^!

Bonta Vita
Shop 10-02 Regent Place (Entry also on Bathurst St as well next to Lumiere)
501 George St
Sydney 2000
Ph: (02) 9267 2212
Opening Hours:
Monday – Wednesday 8am – 10pm
Thursday – Friday 8am – 12am
Saturday 10am – 12am
Sunday 10am – 10pm
Owner/Chef: Marcello Ferrero

FFichiban

In my typical fashion, I am late (I like to call fashionably on-time) in posting the important dates and eatings. Happy Chinese New Year everybody! Hope everybody has had a great start to the year of the Ox and everybody is spending their red pockets wisely to help boost the economy

Even though it was Chinese New Year, we ended up at the Japanese restaurant Masuya to celebrate the transition. I have not been here for a while but really wanted to try the new re-vamped menu and check out the decor after hearing high praise about their new takeaway lunchboxes.

The descent into another world…

I like the little chopstick shell hee hee
I think the tables and chairs are bit more suited and matching for this place and the sort of dining experience it provides. I think the major change is the new menu which looks much more professional in my opinion.

The sushi bar!

We sure will ^^!
Checking out the new menu, there were a few additions but we end up mostly ordering the dishes were like and trust. Here Comes the Food.

Green Tea Smoothie
This is like drinking melted green tea ice cream ^^! but maybe a bit diluted then ice cream haha. Very cool and refreshing with a nice creamy texture with a green tea kick at the end of each sip.

Masuya’s Sashimi Boat ($78)

Row, row, row your sashimi boat…
The sashimi boat is more of a novelty dish because of the awesome presentation that we get and a moveable rudder to play with With a great combination of 5 different local fish, tuna, salmon, oysters and scampi they were all very fresh and all go down like silk. Each type of fish were able to shine and show off their own character and flavours but we had to fight for oysters and scampis as there were only 4 and 2, respectively.

Masuya’s Salmon Salad ($12.80)
A simple salad of greens, slices of fresh salmon and creamy blue cheese. I personally found that blue cheese does not really match seafood very well as it is very overpowering and therefore the salmon flavour was clouded. This was refreshing and tasty nonetheless.

Unagi Shirayaki ($10.80)
One of the specials, the eel was light in flavour but with the most gorgeous soft and sightly flakey textures.

Salmon Aburi
These are part of the nigiri a la carte menu so they do not appear in the main menu. These are as delciously oily as I remember them. I love the contrast between the grilled side and the raw side of the salmon mmmm.

Agedashi Tofu (L $8.80)
Soft and pillowy cube of deep fried tofu with dashi soup can never go wrong. I did not manage to get the original shot as they were separated into the individual bowls too quickly (people were too hungry hee hee)

The Spider Roll ($17.80)
Fried soft shell crab combined with a premium crabstick, avocado, cucumber, chilli mayo and then wrapped up in a bed of rice. A beautiful swirl of flavours in the mouth and a great crunch with each bite. The chilli mayo is mild but adds a nice dimension to the flavours.

Kingfish Wing Kara-age ($15.80)
The wing of the fish is a very oily part so it is a very enjoyable part when eaten deep fried. When it first came out it smelt and looked like fried chicken mmmm.

Wagyu Beef Miso 230g ($32.80)
This photo does not do the wagyu any justice at all The beautifully cooked slices of wagyu was coated in a smooth miso sauce. Each bite of the meat was more enjoyable than the previous one but I thought the miso could have been a bit stronger though. If my memory serves me correctly, the presentation was better before as it have a crispy bits on top instead of a side salad but still good.

Masuya is always a enjoyable place to dine and I shall keep coming back ^^!

Other Masuya Group visitations:
Makoto – Chatswood, Sydney
Miso – Sydney CBD, Sydney
Musashi – Sydney CBD, Sydney.

Masuya Seafood Restaurant
Basement Level, 12-14 O’Connell Street
Sydney, 2000
Phone: (02) 9235-2717, (02)9231-0038
Opening Hours:
Monday to Friday (Lunch ) : 12:00 – 14:30 (Last Order)
Monday to Sunday (Dinner) : 18:00 – 22:00 (Last Order)\
Sunday (Dinner) : 18:00 – 21:30 (Last Order)

Due to our increased volume of staff training and for even better relationship between our organic suppliers, we will close on Sundays from March 09.
We will take this opportunity to ensure keeping our level of food and service to its best.
Thank you.

FFichiban

The Sydney Fish Markets is a great place to enjoy a leisurely weekend morn, enjoy the fresh seafoody air ,chill out in the sun and dine on the gorgeously juicy and plump seafood being sold at the very competitive stores.

Always packed full of people :S

I actually haven’t been here for quite some time but not much has changed since my last visit. The usually shops displaying their wares along with the token sushi place, bread shop, deli shop and the fruit and vege shop. I don’t normally go to the sushi place but they have some pretty fresh sashimi (naturally) but I prefer to go to Japanese restaurants to dine on Japanese cuisine. The bread shop has some reasonble selections but whenever I used to come, we only got the cheese stick.

Doyles
All the seafood browsing works up an appetite and none better is to try Doyles at the Fish markets. They are pricier than the others but usually quite reliable in the fresh and tasty department, but alas this visit has left me very diappointed in their quality and will go back to the others stores next time.

One good/bad thing about fish markets is that nearly everything is deep fried…

But damn.. deep fried things are tasty ^^!

Oh poor, poorr, delicious, cheese covered Pinchy

Here Comes the Food

Grilled Barramundi
Soft flakes of this fish makes this one of the highlights of this lunch. Barramundi does not have a strong flavour so a little bit more seasoning was required. The accompanying salad was also fresh and green so as to match this fish perfectly.

BBQ Baby Octopus
I expected higher quailty from Doyles but the baby octopus were just a bit below average. They were slightly cold which made the sauce a bit greasy and unpleasant and some of the octopi were a bit too tough.

Lobster, Scallop Mornay and soft shelled crab
I love mornay ^^! haha mainly cos of the melted chhheeesssy goodness on top. The lobster and scallop mornay here were good but the lobster did not have enough meat and could have done with more cheese. The soft shell crab was also not bad but not the best either.

Pinchy’s other half…
After we ate our fill it was time to buy some for home.

Claudio’s
We get out seafood from this shop outside of the hussle and bussle of the main fish market complex but still very busy with people fighting for service.

Fishy fish fillets

Snapper

Big chunk of Swordfish
I love swordfish but it has to be done right… too easy to overcook.

Prawns

Dedicated descalers and filleters

more fishies

Beach bugs and lobster party

That evening the night turned purdy shades of red, orange and yellow at sunset.

Clouds are so fluffy

Hello plane!
The fish markets are a great experience and a fun time to spend with friends or family. It is a good place to enjoy the scenery/atmosphere and what the shops have to offer while sharing a huge platter of healthy*, deep fried goodies.

Other fishy experiences:
Cafe Mix – The Rocks, Sydney
New Years Eve 2008: Flying Fish – Pyrmont, Sydney

Sydney Fish Markets
Pyrmont Bridge Road
Pyrmont 2009

FFichiban

*deep fried seafood may not actually be healthy for you