Just when you were told that our coverage for the Sydney International Food Festival 2009 was graciously concluded with none other than the famed panna cotta at Jonah’s Palm Balm blog entry, I could not help but to sneak this final entry in; and yes, it is another Sugar Hit.  As we enter the swinging doors of the Intercontinental Hotel, we spot etch and I remind my partner that we still have to try it. As we approach the elevated lounge area we can see other patrons with their dessert plates, what catches my eye first is the illuminated water feature in the centre of the room, which reminds me of the water feature outside of lumiere in the city, though this one doesn’t change into a vivid range of colours.

Front to back: Gold Leafed White Chocolate Dome, Dark Chocolate Chilli Slice and Chocolate Hazelnut Macaroon with Chocolate Ganache with Nashi Pear Chutney and Vanilla-Honey Syrup

The White Chocolate Dome is soft and fluffy; the flavour is subtle and light with a hint of white chocolate aftertaste that swirls in the mouth after each helping.

Next, I do my best at slicing rapidly on the plate to gather the Vanilla-Honey syrup, by itself it is sweet and the vanilla is smooth. However, when matched with the other pieces on the plate, I find that I like it with the Nashi Pear Chutney as the syrup brings out the sweetness of the pear. I found that this was the part of the dessert plate that I enjoyed the most, however, the fact that it had nothing to do with chocolate was a bit disappointing as this dish was said to be an awed to chocolate.

The Chocolate Hazelnut Macaroon is swiftly lifted from the Ganache and eaten in one movement. I found that it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary, but I enjoyed the nutty texture and it satisfied my fondness for Hazelnut.

The three chocolate drops and brittle chocolate stick is next, they too are nothing special in my opinion. Though it did well in simplicity and added an interactive element to the plate – picking up and eating a component.

Finally, the Dark Chocolate Chilli Slice, the chilli doesn’t really kick in until I’m half way through the portion. The ‘kick’ is more like a poke and is tolerable. Perhaps I was expecting a throat-burning sensation or a surprising dosage of chilli hit, which lead to my slight setback in this final piece of the dish.

The InterContinental Cortile Lounge

Cnr Bridge and Phillip Streets, Sydney, NSW 2000
Tel: +61 (02) 92401396

NB: Sugar Hits have concluded for this year.

Sugar Hits that blogged did during the SIFF 2009

Sugar Hit #4 2009 – Jonah’s Whale Beach

Sugar Hit #3 2009 – Sheraton on the Park

Sugar Hit #2 – glass brasserie, Hilton Sydney.

Sugar Hit #1 2009 – Azuma Kushiyaki

posted by D

With a name as enticing as Sake, the thrill and excitement of visiting a new restaurant was invigorated when we entered into the classy and very contemporary setting. There was definitely a buzz in the air especially for a restaurant that has only been open for 6 days and in a location like The Rocks where there are many competitors. The warm lighting with the wooden furniture gave it a real voguish feel to the place and with very friendly and helpful staff we were looking forward to a pleasant meal. The menu revealed many Japanese dishes have been given a good fusion and contemporary twist while the osake menu had some good brands which kept us happy.

Look at all the Sake barrels!

I was very surprised and confused that the osake was served in glasses :S but I guess with contemporary style anything goes. Kampai! Here Comes the Food

Edamame – lightly salted soy beans in the pod ($8)

Who doesn’t enjoy some pre dinner nibbles and edamame is one of the best as they are fun to pop out of their pods and also healthy for you hee hee. These were served warm which was quite interesting as I normally had them cold. The tingling scatter of sea salt matches perfectly with the slightly bland soybeans.

Daikon Salad – cucumber, tomato & sesame vinaigrette ($10)

Refreshing and crunchy slices of white radish and a generous vinaigrette gave it an appetite inducing sourness. Great way to start off the meal with the crunch crunch crunch of this salad.

Beef Tataki – seared tenderloin with garlic chips,chives,radish & tataki sauce ($15)

The beef tataki was, however, a disappointment as I found the meat to be a bit tasteless and slightly overcooked for tataki. The texture was also far fom teh silky smoothness I was expecting of tataki but the garlic chips were delightfully crisp.

Crispy Chicken – karage spicy, fried chicken pieces served with salsa & sauces ($15)

These were chunks of beautifully crispy fried chicken and a good amount of pepper to give it a slight kick. Fresh from the fryer these hot and tasty morsels made me crave them more and more after each crunchy bite. I found that my favourite sauce was the mayonnaise with a slight tinge of spice as the creaminess marries the deep friedness of the chicken.

Panko Rice Balls – soy bean & bamboo, shiitake mushroom balls with wasabi aioli ($9)

One of the waiter’s suggestions and I was very glad that we decided to go with it. These crispy fried balls were very moreish and that wasabi aioli was pure heaven. Mmmm I love me some fried stuff ^^!

Sashimi Combo – classic style sashimi with soy & wasabi (15 pieces) ($45)

Being at a Japanese restaurant we had to try their sashimi especially since I saw the chef from Sushi Choo in the kitchen! (I also saw quite a few familiar faces from Merivale staff…) The sashimi was fresh and tasty but nothing exceptional. I had hoped that it would have been much better but alas it did not happen.

Kingfish Jalapeno – Hiramasa kingfish, yuzu soy, thin jalapeno slices & coriander ($20)

Kingfish that packs a punch, the jalapeno does add a good kick to the cool slices of sashimi but it ends on a fragrant note because of the coriander. A very interesting combination indeed.

Nixon – grilled eel, cream cheese, cucumber & tempura crunch with avocado (cut roll $13)

Ordered purely because of its’ name this roll was a intriguing combination of cream cheese and eel.The smooth cream cheese contrasts against the other textures of the roll but matches the creaminess of the avocado. Tempura crunch is always much win ^^!

Salmon Skin – crispy smoked salmon skin, salmon, cucumber & chives with tempura crunch (hand roll $7)

Remembering back to the awesome hand rolls of Sushi Choo I had to give the ones here a go. They were good but not as good as the ones I remember. Generously filled to the brim, the beautiful tempura crunch was present but needed more. The salmon skin could’ve been crispier but the delicate piece of salmon hit the spot.

Miso butterfish – miso marinated butterfish grilled with pickled ginger & lime ($25)

I had no idea what butterfish was but I HAD TO HAVE IT! Mmmmm fish made of butter. This was easily one of the best dishes of the night with soft, tender fish with a beautiful and aromatic miso sauce. The drops of miso were quickly scraped up to go with the fish.

Popcorn Shrimp – bite-sized prawn tempura pieces tossed with creamy spicy sauce ($26)

I love popcorn shrimp and this expensive version was very good. Worth trying it if you love your crunchy bite sized pieces as much as I do. The creamy spicy sauce also contributed to its magical experience. Another one of my favourites of the night haha.

Miso cream Scallops – pan seared scallops, baby corn, asparagus, shiitake mushrooms & yuzu miso cream ($29)

The little juicy scallops could had spent a bit more time on the pan imo and the creamy sauce could do with a bit more miso but overall a pleasant dish.

Green Apple Millefeuille – green apple mousse with layers of crispy thin pastry & vanilla-bean sauce ($13)

How could we leave without trying desserts when they sounded oh so good?! This green apple millefeuille did do a wonderful contrast between the crispy pastry, the soft green apple and the fluffy vanilla sauce.

Matcha Bombe Alaska – green-tea ice cream wrapped in sponge & meringue, baked & served with white chocolate sauce ($15)

This was easily the better dessert for me mmm green tea ice cream in spongey cake and finally some caramelized meringue to top it all off. Each bite was pure bliss and I say if you only order one dish at Sake this one should be it.

A good list of osake and some hit and miss dishes mean that this place will definitely be popular among Westerners in my opinion. With great atmosphere and very helpful staff I would probably find myself coming back to Sake but probably not anytime soon.

Sake Restaurant & Bar

12 Argyle St

The Rocks, 2000

Ph: (02) 92595656

FFichiban

Impressive awards wall no? And isn’t that the cutest whale hee hee

Wait another sugar hit? … isn’t SIFF over already?

Yes it is but due to my tardiness I still have one final Sugar Hitting at none other than Jonah’s for the notoriously wobbly panna cotta. This humble little panna cotta has received much attention and praise when it first appeared on the blog scene at Taste of Sydney especially when there were even videos made about its wobbliness in all its’ glory. A pleasant drive up north through some windy roads and some residential areas (we thought we were lost :S) but finally the warm illuminated sign of Jonah’s came to light.

We arrived to a warm and welcoming fireplace and was given the choice of having the sugar hit there so of course we accepted! Nothing beats sitting in front a fireplace, munching on a sweet dessert, sipping on a nice hot chocolate and relaxing with some loungey/jazzy music ^^! Now if only they gave us a packet of marshmallows as well hee hee (but then is it a gas fire haha)

Vanilla Panna Cotta with Lavender Honey and Pomegranate Molasses ($20)

It was as good as we remembered from the vanilla ni… I mean, tip to the sweet and sour pomegranate molasses surronding it. The wobbliness is always a pleasant giggle-inducing factor of this dessert as well hee hee. However I wish there was more vanilla flavour at the base of the panna cotta as it was all concentrated at the top. Each bite of the silky smooth panna cotta scraped with the molasses resulted in a initial sweet burst followed by a small zing of sourness which made a beautiful contrast in the flavours. After the sugar hit we had a short look around and it does seem to have a great view that I would like to see during the day to match the already wonderful atmosphere.

I’d hit that Sugar Hit:

Sugar Hit #3 2009 – Sheraton on the Park

Sugar Hit #2 – glass brasserie, Hilton Sydney.

Sugar Hit #1 2009 – Azuma Kushiyaki

Jonah’s Whale Beach

69 Bynya Rd

Palm Beach, 2108

Ph: (02) 9974 5599

Head Chef: George Francisco

FFichiban