We had the rare pleasure of dining at Sokyo at The Star last week, before attending a performance of the fabulous Ladies in Black as part of Sydney Festival in the Lyric Theatre.
What a dynamic environment in which to enjoy contemporary Japanese cuisine! At 6:30 on a Wednesday evening the place was buzzing with date-night couples and little families. Situated in the foyer of the stunning Darling Hotel with minimalist Japanese screens dividing the sexy bar and restaurants spaces, we started with a refreshing mock tail of Hibiscus, apple, mint and lime. Sydney is experiencing 40 degree days right now so this went down a treat after our walk over the Pyrmont Bridge from the city.
We started with the very colourful creation of Usuzukuri - snapper in a soy & lime vinaigrette covered with micro herbs & edible flowers. Followed by some very well-dressed Hokkaido Scallop Yuzu Honey, onion, capers, crunchy miso, yuzu honey which was a total taste bomb in the mouth.
We also tried a Robarta each of Corn-fed Chicken, Shallots, w/ yakitori jus and the Queensland Sushi Roll w/ Spanner crab, spicy aioli, avocado wrapped in soy paper.
Being on a restricted diet for the start of the new year we really appreciated the good, clean flavours that Sokyo's menu delivers on both counts. The service was also knowledgeable, efficient and friendly. A perfect pre-show dining experience.
A recent zip-zap across the Tasman was all about celebrating the joy of togetherness with family and friends. One particularly delightful dining occasion was hosted at Daphne’s Taverna, conveniently nestled in the vibrant heart of Ponsonby Road. We also took the opportunity to check out the fabulous Bar Magda, a Filippo cuisine restaurant located below street level on Cross Street, just behind bustling Karangahape Road.
Gelato Messina Creative Department have limited tickets available for their seasonal September menu at their new Marrickville location. This seasonal menu is designed to be an experimental, immersive and indulgent six-course degustation, showcasing the perfect balance of sweet, savoury and umami. Each dish is balanced with a gelato element, paired with complementing non-alcoholic drinks. They also have an eclectic drinks menu with bespoke cocktails, natural wines and aperitifs for an add-on.
Our latest dining discovery, Dead Ringer, is on leafy Bourke Street in the heart of Surry Hills. Housed in a grand terrace house, with handsome wood joinery & leather upholstery, the two-sided dining room frames an equally handsome bar. The team has a genuine love of good hospitality and food paired with classy cocktails. We describe Dead Ringer to our guests as ‘a restaurant with a well-stocked bar’.
We have a new player onboard for our Darlinghurst dining tours: introducing Bar Nina on the corner of Crown & Stanley Streets. Right smack in the middle of East Sydney the restaurant opened in April 2021 - mere months before Lockdown 2.0 kicked-in. We had intentions of popping-down to check-out the menu and vibe but Rona got in the way. So it was lovely to finally go there recently for a Saturday afternoon rose & oysters and discover that yes this is a place we definitely want to bring our guests!
Opening auspiciously on the first day of Spring, Bloom Cafe Aperitivo is a small but fabulous space is bought to you by the very creative Mauro & Amel of House Bar & Bistrot. The cafe is very conveniently situated just behind the restaurant on Kellett Place.
We started our Australian Travel Exchange 2021 on Sunday afternoon with a booking of three key luxe travel guests of Destination NSW on a curated lunchtime dining walk of Surry Hills on a Sunday afternoon. We met our guests upstairs at Tilly Mays Sydney who had just returned from hitting Bondi for a surf lesson and were in need of sustenance. The generous all Australian cheese board accompanied by a refreshing Pizzini, King Valley prosecco hit the spot perfectly.
We love it when our friends win raffle prizes and ask us along as their guest! In this case it was a fabulous cocktail making class followed by a Dumpling making class at Honkas - Bar + Eats in Potts Point. A great way to spend a Sunday afternoon creating a Lychee Martini followed by the House Special of a PoPo Trio - Gin, Sake, Cucumber - with other cocktail-making virgins. After you have made a tray of dumplings you get to relax in the courtyard with a wine or two whilst the kitchen cooks-up your creations three ways: steamed, fried or deep-fried. They all turned out super yummy even if some of ours looked a little wonky!
Great to kick-off the new year with a booking - from one of our fave regulars - of Potts Point. Jennifer has come to three of our four Crafty Dining events and is a fierce advocate for The Sydney Connection.
Across town we are very pleased to announce that one of our fave modern Korean restaurants, SOUL Dining, has joined our Surry Hills line-up. Prepare to sink into a blue velvet seat, in an industrial chic space with low light and great service. SOUl Dining has been described as too Korean to be called modern Australian, but not traditional enough to be called classic Korean.
We are thrilled to announce that we are now including hot new comer Ezra on our Potts Point dining walk route. So far the Baklava ice cream for the dessert course, accompanied by a stunning Gilbert late harvest Reisling, Orange NSW, has been a big hit with our local guests.