Super duper long post about Taste of Sydney 2011!! My bro and I went to the 12-4pm session on Saturday but I really wanted to go for the evening one because I am virtually a vampire but considering the picture quality at night, I decided to battle the heat and sun *shudders* for the sake of a good picture.
Now, I took heaps of photos and it has taken me AGES to photoshop them so please take your time to look at them :p
To buy most things at Taste of Sydney, you need crowns where each crown = $1 and you can buy them in a book of $10 or $30 . I purchased $74 worth of crowns (bought $4 crown from a random dude cause I was $4 short for a Dark Chocolate Snickers) and some in cash.
Crowns
I was overwhelmed by the size of the event and tried to move as quickly as possible between booths so I can get a view on everything available.
I tried to get as much coverage as possible on the 15 restaurants and possibly nearly a hundred exhibitors so here goes!
Berowra Waters Inn
Chilled Vichyssoise, Oyster Beignets, Salmon Roe 10 Crowns
Slow Cooked Fillet Of Ocean Trout, 'French Onion Soup' Puree, Peppered Oxtail 'Croustillant' 12 Crowns Sampled
This baby is soooo tender and broke apart with a jab of a fork. The peppered oxtail croustillant was really crunchy on the outside but retained the moisture on the inside. The serving of ocean trout was pretty good for $12.
Fromart Raw Milk Alpage Cheese, Sauvignon Blanc Poached Apple, Beetroot Oil 10 Crowns
Danks Street Depot & Cotton Duck
Stone Fruit Roasted with Home Cured Pancetta, Verjuice & Chilli 10 Crowns
Hiramasa Kingfish Roasted in Jerky & Nigella Seeds with Heirloom Tomatoes & Basil 12 Crowns
Chocolate and Rhubarb Tart with Rhubarb Cream, Chocolate Mint and Tonka Bean 10 Crowns
I really wanted to try this and hoping to sample all the savouries before I come back for the desserts but my plan failed as I ran out of time :(
Aperitif
Regal King Salmon Curado with Chilli and Star Anise 10 Crowns Sampled
The best $10 I've ever spent! This was my absolute favourite of the day and I was really tempted to go back for a second serving. The chilli and star anise was very subtle but it was a perfect combination of super fresh salmon and dill plus some plump roe that pops in your mouth.
Biggest paella dish I've seen!
Paella a la Maestre 12 Crowns
I'm not ready to fork out $12 for rice plus I had my Paella fix 3 days ago at Lupitas Restaurant so I'll give this a pass.
Churros con Chocolate 8 Crowns
L'etoile
French Country Style Pate with Sourdough Bread 10 Crowns
Ormeggio at the Spit
Beef Battuta with Eshalots, Crispy Amaranth and Mustard Figs 10 Crowns Sampled
Again, an amazing dish! This dish is similar to a beef tartare without the egg and I just went to heaven when eaten with the papadum like crisp bread.
Acquarello Risotto of Beetroot and Gorgonzola 10 Crowns
As I mentioned earlier, I am not willing to pay for rice but while I was ordering the beef battuta, several people requested this and it seems quite popular. I love the bright purple/pink colours and most people would think I would try a pink coloured dish but...still no :P
Chef Alessandro Pavoni
Oh look! I spot a chef and his co worker!
Etch & Charlie & Co
Seared Scallops with Cauliflower Bhaji and Curry 10 Crowns
Organic Grass Fed Wagyu Burger 10 Crowns
Caramel Date Tart, Earl Grey Syrup and Vanilla Chantilly 10 Crowns
Assiette & District Dining
Oysters with Vietnamese Dressing, Crispy Shallots & Coriander 10 Crowns Sampled
I tried two dishes from Assiette and I have to say they both disappointed me :( The oysters were warm and the Vietnamese dressing was too strong and salty - it completely covered the taste of the oysters.
Sorry for the horrible photo and an unsightly shadow on the bottom left hand corner :(
Crispy Pork Belly, Cashew Nut Caramel, Watermelon & Mint 12 Crowns Sampled
The pretty plating and the words 'pork belly' lured me to try this dish. I was given two pieces of pork belly and the first one I had was tough like leather. I really had to gnaw through the meat and skin. The second piece was much better but still lacked the tenderness a pork belly should have although the skin this time was pretty crispy.
Overall, the elements on the dish worked well together and you really get a mix of textures and flavours in your mouth. If only the pork belly was tender then it would be perfect.
Four in Hand
Dark Chocolate Snickers 8 Crowns Sampled
I dashed to get this when Taste Kitchen ended at 3:45 and got this dish at the very very last minute, 10 minutes before closing time to be exact and it was the perfect way to end the day. A very 'snickers' like icecream with gooey chocolate and peanut bits.
Chef Jared Ingersoll from Dank’s Street Depot and Cotton Duck with another chef
mmm...pork (too bad the mirror is dented)
They were discussing the uses of salt and demonstrated how we can brine meat. My bro is now going to brine and dry his own meat. Whooh! Endless supply of Prosciutto baby!
The Drinks
The day was sweltering hot and we bought quite a lot of drinks to cool us down.
Angostura Lemon and Lime Bitters $3 or 4 Crowns
Pretty good value for money as the cup was quite big for only $3.
Absinthe Party Mix
Ahaha this drink nearly killed me with its 70% alcohol content. Any more and I probably would've collapsed there on the spot although the party mix is a very dilute version.
Hepburn Sparkling Springwater $3
I've sampled most of the flavours and their Blood Orange flavour is my favourite. Bought a cup for $3.
Pina Colada - Kick Ice Cocktails $6
A very simple way to create fail proof cocktails. You just add water and white rum/tequila to the bag, shake and freeze then some awesome cocktail will appear. They have three flavours to choose from: Lime Magarita, Pina Colada and Strawberry Daiquiri.
Glorious Foods
Super pretty macaron trees by De Dietrich
Pat and Stick's Icecream Sandwich $6
We got the vanilla choc flavoured icecream sandwich and it was pretty fun to eat.
An overwhelming amount of sauces and dips by Roza's Gourmet Sauces
Best tasting macarons I've eaten by Croquembouche Patisserie $2
The macaron shells are oh-so soft and the ganache was smooth and gooey. Although Lindt macarons are good but it doesn't compare to the ones here!
Super fluffy marshmallows by Sweetness the Patisserie
I had to go back to buy a 9 pack of marshmallows because I fear that I cannot find such lovely, soft and fluffy marshmallows again.
My loot of Passionfruit and Raspberry Mallows $8 and Deep Ocean Dakkah by Wozz $10
Achacha Fruit $8 a bag
I've never seen this fruit and it looked like an orange version of a mangosteen so I paid $1 to try 2 achachas. I was right and it did belong to the mangosteen family but it has a more citrusy flavour and not as sweet. I bought a 1kg bag for $7 (the $1 gets taken off if you sample it) and also grabbed their drink recipe card. You can make a refreshing drink from their shells so I am looking forward to making that soon.
Buffalo Head from Buffalo Trace
I really think 4 hours is not enough to go through all the booths and stalls and also was not enough time to digest all the food to go and have more. I have plenty more foods that I wanted to try but simply can't stuff myself anymore although I think I've already had enough food to scare off a grown man.
Oh and I also made the text colour darker hoping that it is now easier to read ^-^
Petite Fours
