Another amazing meal at The Bazaar

This is our third visit to The Bazaar at the SLS Hotel on La Cienega in Beverly Hills, described as a Spanish Tapas Bar.   Very very busy on this Saturday night full of beautiful people and bachelorette parties.  Remind me not to go on a Saturday night again.

Designed by Phillipe Starck, it is truly unique - each eating area different to the other, complete with a Patisserie and shop.

Amazing bathroom, complete with someone to squirt soap on your hands, turn on your tap and hand you a towel.

Chef Jose Andres has been named one of Time Magazines Time 100 and has oodles of other awards.  As I have blogged about this restaurant before, I have also previously gone into a lot of detail  about Jose.  Amazing food, really really clever.

We sat in the Rojo Dining Room with a fabulous view of the very busy kitchen.  Not a fan of seats without a back though.

Obviously we started with a very Dirty Belvedere Martini.  Andy ordered the SLS Ultimate Gin and Tonic with Sapphire Gin.  I think he won.  The Lemon Verbena leaf (which had us all guessing) and the Rose Bud made it really special.

We then devoured the following:

Olives Modern and Traditional.   Modern are liquid olives that just burst in your mouth.  Traditional are stuffed with Anchovies and Pimento.

Jamones Y Embutidos Platter -  Selection of 3 - Jamon Serrano Fermin (Dry cured Ham); Jamon Iberico Fermin (Dry Cured Free Range Iberico Ham); Jamon Iberico de Bellota Fermin (Acorn fed, free rage Iberico Ham).  My favourite - the Jamon Serrano Fermin, soft and tasty.

Served with Catalian Style Toasted Bread, Tomato.  Love these.

Croquetasde Pollo (Chicken Bechamel Fritters).  Interesting.

 Not Your Everyday Caprese (Cherry Tomatoes, Liquid Mozzarella).  Very clever and wonderful Basil taste.

Tuna Ceviche and Avocado Roll (Jicama, Micro Cilantro, Coconut).  Fresh and delicious, even though I don't like Avocado.

 Smoked Yellowtail and Crispy Rice (Yoghurt, Grapes, Capers, Radish).  Really lovely, the rice like little crisp pappadams.

 Ottoman Carrot Fritters (Apricots, Pistachio Sauce).  These were really lovely.

Rossejat (Paella Style Pasta, Shrimp).  The pasta was crispy and very tasty, the shrimp really fresh and just cooked to perfection.

 Papas Canarias (Salty Wrinkled Potatoes, Mojo Verde).  Not mad on these, even though they are potato!

 Boneless Mary's Farm Chicken Wings (Honey Dates, Mustard Caviar, Mustard Greens).  Clever.

"Philly Cheesesteak" (Air bread, cheddar, Wagyu Beef).  Love these - the air bread just that and the steak melts in your mouth.

 Organised Caesar (Quail Egg, Parmesan).  Tastes just like a Caesar should.  Prefer the one without the egg, although they're both good.

"Hilly Cheesesteak" (Air Bread, Cheddar, Mushrooms).  The vegetarian option - not as good as the Philly in my opinion, but pretty damn good.

Quesos with Quince Jam, Almond: Selection of Three - Manchego 'Pasamontes' Sheep (Firm, piquant and buttery, DO Manchego); Valdeon/Cow and Goat (Creamy, Sharp Blue, DO Valdeon); Idiazabal/Sheep (Firm, sharp and wood smoked, DO Idiazabal).  Not sure why we bothered, but the cheeses were amazing.

Nitro Coconut Floating Island (Passion Fruit and Vanilla).  Extraordinary!

An amazing experience, extraordinary decor, incredible food.  Even though this was our third visit, we managed to experience dishes we'd never had before. The service was a little patchy - especially the drinks - but nevertheless I couldn't mark it down.

10/10 and highly recommended.  Just not on a Saturday night.

Friday Lunch at The Bridge Room

Every time we walk to get our mail, we pass The Bridge Room.  We've read some great stuff about this restaurant, so decided Friday 13th was the day!  It's at 44 Bridge Street in the city on the corner of Young Street.

The decor is lovely for such a long narrow room.  Very Scandinavian.

We didn't realise till we arrived that it is owned by Leon Fink of the Fink Group, an old friend.  Leon also owns Otto and Quay, both great restaurants. 

When we asked the manager the Chef's name, he said  'That's Ross in the kitchen, but see the man sitting over there?  He's the major person - Leon Fink.'

Leon later told us that he grabbed Ross Lusted when he arrived back from Utah and offered him a partnership in the restaurant, Ross's first (together with his wife Sunny).  About time I think.  He is seriously clever.  He was running the food and beverage side of Amanresorts with his wife Sunny, and before that was the Executive Chef at Rockpool and the Park Hyatt.

Love the really classy table settings, with grey felt table mats and small vases of succulants.  Apparently Ross designed the fitout and even the ceramic dishes.

The service was classy and efficient.   We had water, wine and bread, and our orders taken very quickly.  I guess they are used to getting busy businessmen in and out relatively quickly.

I was sure I could get the menu on line, so didn't photograph the actual menu.  Silly me - I should have known this is a Chef who changes his menu regularly.  So its going to be very hard to describe the dishes accurately.

However - I started with the Scallops with Corn and Biltong.  Really lovely.  The corn still in one piece.

Hal had the King Prawns with Black Bean, which looked amazing and tasted extraordinary.  The strips of Lardon were paper thin, but not particularly pleasant on their own.

I then ordered the daily special - Snapper with Tomato Hearts, Mushrooms and Spinach.  The fish was mouthwatering, crisp on the top and tender underneath.  The sauce delicious.

Hal ordered the Ash Grilled Duck, New Season Figs, Green Iranian Raisins; Dry Spiced, Slow Cooked over Coals, Tuscan Cabbage and Cedro.   It was really amazing, with strips of duck breast over the top, and the Kale chopped so finely.

Of course we had to have a side of Potato Puree.  Soooo smooth.  Not cheap though - $10.

And what was described as just 'Vegetables' which were perfectly cooked.  Again, not cheap - $10.

So of course we had to try a couple of desserts.

Strawberry Marshmallow Meringue; Strawberry Ripple, Strawberry Paper, Yoghurt.  The Strawberry Paper was amazing, the meringue perfect and the marshmellow deliciously soft.

Burnt Caramel Cream, Candied Beurre Bosc Pears; Pistachio Crumb, Mint Salad, Purple Basil. 
What a clever dish.

There was a couple beside us who had 'Melbourne' virtually tattooed on their forehead.  He was in the classic pin striped suit with the OAM badge and silver mustache.  She asked us about our dessert, and that started the conversation.  The funny thing is it turned out Hal went to school with him and his brother, who was one of Hal and Jim's best friends.  What a small world.  We may even lunch with them next time they are in Sydney.

The only downside was the presence of a very short bald man with very short arms who doesn't deserve to be named, however he had his back to us and wasn't even aware we were there.  Funny thing is he was so busy sucking up to the Chef, that he didn't realise that Leon Fink was sitting behind him.  He would have loved to suck up to him too!

Would recommend this restaurant highly.  Will definitely return.  No criticisms at all.

9.5/10

Sailor's Thai, The Rocks

Very very ordinary meal at Sailor's Thai last night.  Peter Bowyer passed away last April, and he is sadly missed. 

On arrival the entry area smelt like urine.  It's old and tired and needs to be redone. 

We were shown to a very ordinary table downstairs, but then offered a table on the balcony, which was lovely as it was a beautiful Sydney night.

It supposedly has One Hat - Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide, but I suspect that was then.

We started with Pork Crackling & Quail Eggs with Green Chilli and Tomato Relish.  It was lovely - the crackling like paper.   Then the Duck Salad - which was for me the standout dish of the night.  The Stir Fried Tajima Wagyu Beef with Onions, Oyster Sauce & Thai Basil was very good.    The Stir Fried Mushrooms with Spring Onions were also good.  The Deep Fried Berkshire Pork Hock with Garlic, Peppercorn & Chilli Sauce was fatty and almost inedible, and the Chicken in Banana Leaf just revolting.

I am being harsh, but we have been coming to this restaurant for years, and to the original Darley Street, and it's just not as good as it once was.  Shame, as it is such a short walk from our apartment.

6/10

The Cut Bar and Grill, The Rocks

The Cut also deserves a mention.  We've had dinner here twice since we moved (two weeks).    Again, it's just a walk from our apartment.  It's owned by John Szangolies who owns Sake, The Argyle and also the Bavarian Bier Cafe and Lowenbrau Keller.  The interior designers of  
The Cut (with a silent 'n') and also The Argyle and Sake are Luchetti Krelle - Stuart Krelle and Rachel Luchetti.  Love their work.

It's like a New York Bar, underground and dark with fabulous leather chairs and great lighting.  How they managed to get around the Heritage obligations beats me, but they have done an amazing job without damaging the historic elements.

The Executive Chef/Head Chef is James Privett (Bennelong, Bistro Moncur and Light Brigade).

Both times we've had one of their steaks - grilled over Beechwood & Charcoal then finished under a 650o broiler.  The first visit I had the Riverine 150 day, Grain fed New York Sirloin.  My son ordered the Sher F1 Wagyu 400 day, Grain Fed (marble score 7) Scotch Fillet and it was amazing and certainly beat my Riverine Sirloin.  So that's what I ordered on the second visit.  It was very good indeed.  On the first occasion I ordered Medium Rare to Rare, but it was more Medium to Medium Rare.  The second time I ordered Rare to Medium Rare and got Medium Rare.  I don't think they believe a lady, as the men's Medium Rare were rarer than mine!

That's not actually my steak above - completely forgot to take any pix!

The most amazing dish kept rolling by - 4 Hour Slow Roast Sher F1 Wagyu Standing Rib served from the Wagyu Beef Trolley.  I think I will have to try this.

Their side of Steamed Green Peas, Onion & Mint is to die for (I do love peas), as were their Shoestring Fries with Horseradish Aioli.  Their Mixed Leaf Salad with Herbs & Lemon Vinaigrette was also very good.

Make sure you visit the loos - love the door handles.

I have to mark them down because of the pushy girl at the door.  She sat four of us - in a near empty restaurant - by the bar and when we asked if we could move, said all the other tables were booked.  We asked our waiter, who managed to convince her to change her mind, which meant waiting at the bar for half a hour.  It was worth it.  Nothing worse than trying to have a conversation at your table with noisy people standing right beside you at the bar!

8/10

Rockpool at The Rocks - last night

To celebrate selling and finally packing up the family home of 20 years and the office of 12 years and moving to a new apartment in The Rocks, we decided to reward ourselves with a lovely meal and of course, a very Dirty Martini.  So we walked to the ShangriLa Hotel (literally 200 yards), headed for the 32nd Floor, sat right at the window's edge and sipped an excellent Belvedere Vodka Dirty Martini.    The view from there is amazing, and of course we could see our apartment right beside the bridge.  It's the 'V' shaped building, and our apartment is the top floor one on the far right with the huge round balcony. If you look carefully you can even see our outdoor furniture and the blue glass table top!

We then walked to Rockpool.  And what a fascinating walk through little laneways and shortcuts. Loving The Rocks.

Arrived at the restaurant with no booking at 6.30 pm on a Wednesday, then escorted to a lovely table with the proviso that we leave by 8.30 pm.  No problem.  This restaurant just celebrated 23 years - pretty amazing.  And amazing that we have been coming here since it opened!  Owned by Neil Perry, the Head Chef is Phil Wood, and he is doing a great job with his Chinese influenced menu.  The food has been likened to 'Chinese Fine Dining'.  I'm not a great fan of fine dining, but this is not as annoyingly 'up itself' as others.

We were immediately offered water, then our wine order taken (Reschke Bos 2004), then a superb loaf of home made Spelt and Honey Bread with home made Butter, conveniently cut into quarters and served warm.  Too tempting.

 

There was a choice of a First Course, Second Course, Main Course, Dessert  ($100 pp for two, $135 pp for three, $155 pp for four), so having been advised that the serves were not too big, decided on the first, second and main.

We were then given the complimentary Canape - Queensland Spanner Crab, Toast, Tabasco Mayonnaise, Peach Leaf Jelly.  Served in a shot glass, it was amazing.  The Toast was a crisp wafer half way through.  Bit too much of the creamy Tabasco Mayonnaise at the bottom though.

For my first course I chose the Chirashi Zushi of Tuna, Kingfish, Bonito, Prawn and Squid.  Very different, but fresh and light.

After much thought, Hal ordered the Blue Swimmer Crab and Corn Congee, Almond Tofu, Star Anise Scented Peanuts, Fried Bread and Chilli Oil.  The Congee part worried him and nearly stopped him from ordering the dish, but it was a really lovely surprise and the stand out dish of the night for him.

We had a lovely waiter with a small speech impediment, so I somehow ended up with two Main course dishes.  I guess it was because we were finding it difficult to make a decision.   Fine with me.  And also a nice surprise.  I ended up with the Quail filled with Eight Treasures, Risotto, Quail Tea Egg and Daikon Remoulade.  The risotto was rich, the Quail amazing, the remoulade lovely.

Hal ordered the Tiger Prawn on Toast, Pickled Carrots, Bok Choy and Tomato Bread Sauce.  He loved it.

I then had the Chinese Roast Pigeon, Smoked Eggplant, Black Mushroom and Cucumber Pickle,  Black Bean Sauce.  The Pigeon was almost lost on the black plate, but it was crisp and tasty  and the Eggplant really smokey.

Hal ordered the Whiting Grilled over Rushes, Squid, Iceberg Lettuce, Pearl Balls and Red Date Infusion.  It looked amazing, and tasted amazing too.  We couldn't figure out what the slices of 'black' were - they were Korean Black Garlic slow cooked for hours.

The mains came with a small complimentary salad, with the best dressing ever.

 This food is why you come to a restaurant.  You just wouldn't cook like this at home!

We, well Hal, had to have the Date Tart - which is the original since 1984.  And I believe we had it in 1984.  It was to die for.  The dates were so fresh, and the texture of the tart just unbelievable.  Just forgot to take a photo of the finished dish, but found this photo of it being prepared on the web!

 We both ended up having a sticky wine - me a Hunter Valley Botrytis and Hal a more fortified one.  They gave me a choice of two and insisted Hal have a small glass of the one I rejected!  As we didn't want coffee, our waiter presented us with a box of Petit Fours to take home.  Very sweet.  He also cheekily suggested we should take his photo.

Lovely meal.  Not cheap, so not somewhere you would come to terribly often. But the food was amazing, the service excellent and the fine dining not stuck up at all.

9/10