Sergeants mess - Mosman

A couple of our friends had a simply amazingly gorgeous daytime wedding at Sergeants Mess on the weekend. Spectacular views and beautiful weather saw to two lovely people joining together in love. This great occasion was also celebrated with great food.

Canapes were passed around prior to the meal - oysters, seared tuna, and fish cakes. All tasty - possibly because we were absolutely starving. Entree-wise, there was an alternate drop of lamb and prawn. As I don't eat lamb, hubby took the lamb dish - a braised lamb shoulder with lentils, harrisa and rocket. The colours of this dish weren't spectacularly amazing, but it was gobbled up by all around the table.

braised lamb

I had the prawn tortellini. Two big tortellini - a squid ink pasta shell filled with tons and tons of prawn was served with grilled octopus and tomato. It was quite lovely and delectable. Completely devoured by me due to my hunger.

prawn tortellini

In terms of mains, there was an alternate drop of veal and fish. The Parmesan crust veal was tasty and tender, served with with a smooth potato puree and drizzled with a tomato and tarragon jus. Walnuts, whiltlof and watercrest made a tasty salad on top of the protein.

Veal

The barramundi was crusted with eschallot and was also served with a smooth potato puree. Neatly cooked asparagus and a creamy buere blanc sauce complemented the fish nicely.

Barramundi

Dessert-wise, a range of small versions of panna cottas, opera cakes, and the like were carried around by dutiful waiters.

All up - beautiful people, beautiful venue, tasty food, awesome weather - what more could you ask for on a Saturday afternoon?

Ratings:
Food - 7/10
Service - 7/10
Ambiance - 9/10
Value for money - ?
Overall - 23 + ? / 40

Sergeants Mess
Building 20, Chowder Bay Road
Chowder Bay, 
NSW 2088
Tel: (02) 8978 9200

Ormeggio (2) - Mosman

Stressless Sunday Dinner? It was in the crazy month of December and so anything that suggested less stress I was completely up for!

I took my parents as well and the four of us enjoyed the views of the harbour. Unfortunately for us, due to weather issues, the sunset was a little marred by the rain. Due to the nature of the 'stress-free' dinner, I didn't take too many metal notes on this place. The only things I have to say about this dinner is probably - fantastic bread, amazing asparagus-filled ravioli, not a fan of apple-cod fish, and disappointment that other tables got a chocolate dessert whilst we got a deconstructed carrot cake. The rest - I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

Warm Sourdough bread with house churned butter - $9

kingfish sashimi with squid ink

handmade pasta filled with asparagus, with ricotta and asparagus drops

applecod fish with peas

68 degree egg with pecorrino foam and rice crispies

slow cooked braised beef brisket with kale, beetroot and mushroom puree, and artichoke chips

carrot cake with fennel seed icecream, carrot and spelt drops

Ratings:
Food - 8/10
Service - 7/10
Ambiance - 8/10
Value for money - 7/10
Overall - 30/40

Ormeggio
D'Albora Marinas
The Spit - Spit Road
Mosman, NSW 2088
Tel: (02) 9969 4088

Ormeggio - Mosman

My hard-working hubby has been extremely busy at work lately had not been let off work early for days and days and days now. So hard-working, in fact, that even on my birthday he didn't get home until well after the official work hours (you know - the 'nine to five' that no corporate firm seems to abide by?). Unwilling to be marred by the late hours, we happily trekked up to The Spit to have dinner at Ormeggio. We managed to catch the last rays of the sun and were stunned by a beautiful sunset at our table. The yatchs lazing around added to the calm and serene ambiance.

sunset

We decided to order their 6 course degustation (the 'menu creativo'). My hubby got the matching wines with it. We started with the complimentary appetiser - a deep fried squid ink ravioli with cured bonito and some other elements to it (of which I've unfortunately forgotton). It was interesting. The ravioli was really crunchy and though it looked light and crisp, was actually relatively more thick. As the ravioli did not have a lot of flavours in it, all was reliant on the cured bonito and the other stuff on top to impress the palate. And it did. It added just enough flavour to make it tasty yet delicate. So the dish scored high on its presentation, its taste and its texture :)

deep fried squid ink ravioli with cured bonito fish

The bread served at Ormeggio is made and baked fresh on premise. How did we know this? Our waitress asked us if we wanted more bread half way through the dinner and when we said 'yes', she sheepishly just came out with one roll - explaining that the restaurant doesn't expect all diners to have extra bread and as it was late in the evening (which it was), this was the sole remaining bread. Can't hold it against them as the bread was sooooo good. Crunchy and warm yet soft and fluffy. YUM.

bread

The first dish of the degustation was the organic grass fed wagyu beef buttuta served with burnt enoki mushrooms and an oyster mayo. The beef was raw but was so tender and smooth and flavoursome! The mayo was a delicious complement to the small beef slivers. The burnt enoki was a bit like crispified noodles. It didn't add much value to the dish but I guess it looked good.

organic grass fed wagyu beef buttuta, oyster mayonnaise, burnt enoki

Next up was an interesting white warm glop which smelled absolutely fanatistic! The white glop was a tiramisu of ling fish baccala with dutch cream potato spuma and crispy polenta. Oh the flavours were awesome! The fish was aparently cured in salt for 2 days then cooked in another method for another 2 days before it was prepared in some way to end up on this amazingly delectable dish being so wonderfully soft and creamy and tasty and what not. The cubes of crispy potenta were there to just be different to the smooth rich dallop, but I would have been happy with a creamy concoction :)

Tiramisu of ling fish baccala, dutch cream potato spuma, crispy polenta

The ravioli dish which followed the creamy ling fish looked simple enough, and yet - just like it's predecessor, whetted our appetites with fantastic aromas. The ravioli was filled with romanesco broccoli, and there were bits of anchovies and capers scattered for added flavour. I never knew you could fill ravioli with broccoli but oh my - it was wonderful! The buttery sauce was spot on - not too greasy and yet, just enough to douse the pasta with that wonderful melt-in-your mouth feeling. Soooo good!

Ravioli filled with romanesco broccoli, anchovies, capers

Onto the mains - the fish dish looked like a painting. There was the pan-fried flounder encrusted in almond in the midst of the garden of asparagus, herbs, smoked tuna bits and the artistic squid ink sauce. The encrusted skin of the flounder was crisp, yet the fish was cooked wonderfully. Not a bad dish.

pan fried flounder fillets, asparagus, smoked tuna and squid ink sauce

Our last dish before dessert was the veal. This was no ordinary veal. It was smoked biodynamic veal rump (cooked at 68 degrees for three days or something) served with vegetable ash (veges that have seeminlyl been burnt or dehydrated or just crumbed in some way), a toasted hazelnut puree, spring onion, radish and a bone mrrow sauce. It was really really tasty, really really tender (cooked medium) and really really un-veal like (in the sense that a lot of veal I've had previously had been relatively more dry, more tough and more chewy). I would like all my veal to taste like this in the future :)

smoked biodynamic veal rump

Our pre-dessert was a wonderful strawberry granita with foam and lime. What kind of foam? Couldn't tell you. But the granita was thoroughly endoused by strawberry flavour. Cold and icey and yummy.

strawberry granita with foam and lime

The usual dessert which followed this degustation was some mixed berry thing. As mixed berries is something I do not fancy, we managed to change the dessert to the 'barbajada solida'. This was an armedei chocolate and coffee barbajada. The traditional barbajada is an Italian drink, but on our plate, it was like a really really dense, really really chocolatey, really really strong coffee flavoured mousse thing. It was a touch on the grainy side (which I'm not sure if it's intentional) but it would have been better if it was completely completely smooth. it came with a caramel gelato which was sitting on an almond and mint crumble.

barbajada solida

All up - food here is pretty damn good. The views and the atmosphere is spot on and we couldn't really complain about the service either. Definately a good choice from my dear hubby :)

Ratings:
Food - 9/10
Service - 7.5/10
Ambiance - 8.5/10
Value for money - 7.5/10
Overall - 32.5/40

Ormeggio
d'Albora Marina
The Spit , Mosman
NSW 2088
Tel: (02) 9969 4088

Orso (2) - Mosman

For a celebratory dinner, my partner booked in Orso at Mosman.

We'd been here a couple of times before so I was a bit curious as to why he booked Orso for this special evening - his response was that it was a restaurant which offered reliable, quality food. And... I guess that's true.

Our booking was for 7.30pm. We were just a touch early. But before we could even open our mouths to tell the waiter our name for the booking, we were told - 'just a minute' and were pretty much... brushed off. He then scooted off and did his thing before he returned to tend to us. Normally, that probably would ticked me off a little already, but tonight, I was happy, I just let things be.

So first off, we ordered some garlic bread. The garlic bread was crispy on the outside, soft and buttery and moist on the inside. YUM. The herby butter kind of flowed throughout the bread, but there was enough non-buttered bread to balance out the unhealthiness.

Garlic Bread

We also ordered Orso's daily antipasto tasting plate ($26.50) to share. This came with two small cups of cauliflower soup, a deep fried oyster with tomatoey salsa ish thing, proscuitto with pear, chicken liver pate with sherry jelly and brioche, pickled cucumber, smoked salmon, and what I think was a smoked salmon ravioli. Like last time we were at Orso, the ravioli was a little watery and not quite tasty enough. The soup was quite heavenly but everything else was pretty standard and nothing too outstanding or awesome. I remember being much more WOWed last time we ordered the entree platter... but that must be the novelty factor LOL :)

orso's daily antipasto tasting plate - $26.50

For out mains, my partner ordered the traditional bouillabaisse ($38.50). This was a super rich seafood soup with crab, mussels, prawns and fish. This was meant to be served with crusty "garlic" bread which turned out to just be normal plain bread with a light mayo-ish dipping. To be completely honest, the mains took FOREVER to come out. I think the waiters must have mucked something up because one of them actually came up (maybe an hour later) to apologise and to inform us that our mains were being plated next. So I guess these mains were met with much anticipation. The soup was very very rich and very very seafoody. My partner had a bit of a struggle with the crab (as usual) and gave up half way. The soup must have been surprisingly filling, or my partner must not have been too hungry, as he was unable to finish it.

traditional bouillabaisse - $38.50

For my main, I had to toss up between the trout and the snapper. In the end, I chose the trout ($38.50) because I thought there was less of a chance that they would overcook it (as trout pieces tend to be thicker). My tasmanian ocean trout sat on top of a vegetable tagliatelle and was surrounded by a lemon butter sauce with mussels. The fish was pretty decent. The skin could have been crispier but atleast the bulk of it was not overdone. The vegetables completely soaked up the rich delicious buttery sauce and was divine~ The mussels however, were a little dismal looking swimming in the sauce, and honestly, the dish would probably have been just as good without them.

roast fillet of tasmanian ocean trout - $38.50

We had also ordered a side of 'chip potatoes' to share. But they were just ordinary chips - nothing spectacular... except... for some reason, my partner thought they were nice and crispy and I thought they were nice and soggy (and drenched in oil - just the way I like them).

We were both too full for dessert. So instead, we opted for coffee. I ordered a mocha affogato ($10.50). This was a shot of espresso with vanilla and chocolate icecream. The coffee was super super strong, even when mixed with the icecream, it was still strong - not in a bad way though. And plus, coffee and icecream is always a winner for me - Love it~ :)

Mocha Affogato - $10.50

And as accompaniments to our coffees, we got sticky date cubes and pistacio biscotti. They were alright - atleast they were better than the petit fours we get at Bilsons! :)

Coffee accompaniments

In all, it was a good night. The service was a bit lacking but I guess when you're in a nice environment, it's not too big a deal.

Ratings:
Food – 8/10
Service – 6.5/10
Ambiance – 9/10
Value for money – 7.5/10
Overall – 31/40

Orso Bayside Restaurant
79 Parriwi Road, Corner Spit Road
The Spit
Mosman
NSW 2088
Tel: (02) 9968 3555

Mino - Mosman

Mino

As a little surprise, my partner booked Mino for dinner - a Japanese restaurant in Mosman which offers kaiseki (jap degustation ish) for $59 (or $43 on non-Saturdays). There were two kaiseki options available - the "mino" and the "goshu". The difference between the two lies in the choice of appetiser and entree variety. Both kaiseki offers the same range of main options. In order to sample more, we ordered a "mino" and a "goshu". Hot green tea was ordered. The tea was pretty average. The aroma was not as strong as other green teas, but it wasn't bad either.

green tea

So first up was the aperitif and amuse. This was a seasonal cocktail shot and a small croquet. This came on specially made 'mino' plates which were kinda impressive. The cocktail shot tasted like lemonade with the slightest ever hint of alcohol. It was more sweet than anything. The croquet was a mushy potatoey peay concoction - pretty average.

mino plates

aperitif and amuse - seasonal cocktail shot and small croquet

The appetiser of the goshu kaiseki was wagyu beef slice rolls. Rolled inside the beef was root veges. This was accompanied by shiitake mushroom and a miso fig sauce. This was pretty yummy. The sauce was complementary and sweet. The wagyu beef was tender and tasted quite beefy. Not bad, not bad.

mino kaiseki appetiser - wagyu beef roll

The appetiser offered with the goshu kaiseki was prawns with plum dressing topped with seaweed and dried shallot steaks. The prawns were sweet and drenched with super tasty sauce. The shallot and seaweed bought a good crunch and texture to the whole dish. This was pretty awesomeness!

Goshu kaiseki appetiser - prawns

The sashimi and sushi dish came with 3 sorts of sashimi (salmon, kingfish and tuna), 2 aburai sushi and an oyster. There was a salmon and kingfish sushi, each lightly seared and sprinkled with just the right amount of salt. This sushi was very melt-in-your mouth goodness with just the right taste. It was fresh with the slight charcoaly taste. The oyster was also deliciousness. Shallots, flying fish roe and vinaigrette. The oyster was slimy smooth and the sauce was super goodness! Sooooo nicely complementary :)

sashimi and sushi plate

seared sushi

sashimi

oyster

The assorted entree for the goshu kaiseki set came with 5 small eats. I believe that the best out of this plate is probably the seared scallop with onion vinaigrette. The scallops were lightly grilled and with the onion vinaigrette giving off a fresh, healthy vibe. There was also the asparagus and duck tempura drenched with miso and blue cheese sauce. This was umm... interesting? I couldn't tell that there was duck. I could taste the asparagus cubes but on the whole, it was a mushy cheesy glob. My partner liked the wagyu beef tataki salad but I thought it was so so. The ginger flavour was a little over-powering but the beef was nicely smooth and chewy. Then there was the grilled kingfish. My first bite of this was ever so slightly overcooked. But the rest of the fish was silky smooth and cooked pretty much perfectly. Further, the sauce was AMAZING! White ginger soy mayo ish sauce - soooo good. Even after I finished the fish, I was scooping up and drinking the sauce LOL. Last but not least, there was the slow cooked waygu beef and mashed potato pot pie. The puff pastry top was crisp and cruncy and golden brown. The beef inside stringy and soft and tender. Mixed with stringy veges and mashed potato it was pretty good. This pie was the only one of five which was in both entree plates.

goshu kaiseki assorted entree

seared scallop salad

asparagus and duck tempura with miso and blue cheese sauce

wagyu beef tataki salad with ginger sauce

grilled kingfish

slow cooked wagyu beef strip and mashed potato pie

The mino kaiseki entree variety incorporated a soft shell crab tempura with green tea salt. I stole a piece from my partner. It was OK. Crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside. It didn't have the regular soft-shell crab feel to it but. Maybe its coz there wasn't any legs sticking out everywhere. There was also the scallop and persimmon goat cheese miso gratin. The scallop was pretty perfection. Rare - not raw or overcooked. Tasty and smooth and silky and deliciousness. I didn't try the ocean perch but my partner said that this was average. The fish was topped with a teriyaki miso sauce. Another bit to this was the prawns tossed in japanese sweet chili sauce with a tiny grilled tomato sitting next to it. Last but not least, there was the humble wagyu mash pie again.

mino kaiseki assorted entree

deep fried soft-shell crab with green tea salt

scallop and persimmon goat cheese miso gratin

ocean perch

prawns with japanese style chili sauce grilled tomato

For the main, my partner picked the sukiyaki - wagyu beef hot pot. Mains come with miso soup and rice. The sukiyaki was deliciousness!!! The broth was rich and sweet. The beef was thinly sliced and tender. All this, with egg and veges. YUM.

sukiyaki hotpot (wagyu beef)

To be honest, I was pretty full after the entree. Lucky I picked the assorted sushi as a main! There was eel, prawn, salmon, tuna, squid and lightly grilled scallop. My favourite was the scallop. It was sooo sweet - and bought with it a subtle slight hint of chargrillness. Mmmm...

assorted sushi

miso soup

So by now, I'm full. My partner's full. But... there's still dessert! One look and one taste of the dessert - my stomach was empty enough to gobble it all up! Accompanying the dessert, we each got a small cup of roasted green tea. This tea was much richer and tastier than the green tea we got for the table. On our dessert plate, we got 2 fruit pieces, chocolate with soy bean powder, green tea pannacota and our choice of icecream or sorbet. I chose the black sesame, my partner chose the pistacio and fig. The black sesame icecream was soooooooo rich and sooooo black. Black sesame flavour was just bursting out and fulfilling the black sesame craving of all my tastebuds. It was soooo soooo soooo good! I could eat it all night. The green tea pannacotta was silky smooth. Topped with a thin layer of caramel, it was light yet tasty, sweet yet not overly so and simply just YUM. The last thing I attacked on my plate was the chocolate. By the time I got to the chocolate, I was already very satisfied. But the chocolate took it to the next level. It was very dark, rich, cocoa-y, smooth, silky, and slightly coffee-tasting ish. It was like a Royce truffle but better~ WOW.

roasted green tea

dessert plate - fruit, chocolate, green tea pannacota and choice of icecream or sorbet

pistacio and fig icecream

black sesame icecream

green tea pannacotta

powder dusted chocolate

By the end of the meal, I'm smiling, my partner is smiling. I'm happy once again after eating yummy food. But, happiness only lingers thus long.

Ratings:
Food - 9/10
Service - 8/10
Ambiance - 8.5/10
Value for money - 8.5/10
Overall - 34/40

Mino
521 Military Road
Mosman
NSW 2088
tel: (02) 9960 3351