Food, Wine and Art Collide at Pyrmont Festival

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The much-loved Pyrmont Festival is back by popular demand for its seventh year running.

This year they have partnered with Mudgee Region to showcase three mutually appreciated elements: wine, food and art. The Star have supported the festival since its inception and are once again the principal sponsors for this community focused event.

The opening of the festival took place in Cherry Bar, offering an unbeatable skyline backdrop for the evening. Erica Reynolds and Rob McCourt, co-presidents of the Pyrmont Ultimo Chamber of Commerce, hosted the evening alongside Jess Chrcek, President of the Mudgee Wine Association.

Throughout the evening we sampled a variety of wines from the Mudgee region, including a deliciously crisp Moothi Estate Chardonnay. The wonderful chefs at The Star created a tasting menu designed to be complement the Mudgee wine selection.

Highlights for my plus one were the freshly shucked oysters served with a chardonnay dressing, as well as the super tender chinese roast duck pancakes with cucumber and hoi sin. A fantastic showcase of local and regional producers collaborating to make something special.

The Pyrmont Festival runs for fifteen days and has plenty of events scheduled in to keep you busy. The pinnacle is set to be the free two-day festival in Pirrama Park (Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st May). With over 100 stalls offering wine and food tastings from around Pyrmont and Mudgee there’s sure to be something to tickle everyone’s taste buds. There will be live music and local artists showcasing their work as well as rides and entertainment for the children.

The Pyrmont Festival is a fantastic event that does a great job of bringing the community together to celebrate talented winemakers, chefs and artists. Head down to see what’s going on!

The Pyrmont Festival + Mudgee Region is a 15-day festival showcasing more than 50 restaurants, wine bars, hotels, winemakers and artists from Pyrmont and the Mudgee Region. 13-27 May 2017. ​Visit their website for a full schedule.

For more information about the Pyrmont Festival, go to: http://pyrmontfestival.com.au/

Munich Brahaus launches a new menu with matching beers

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Munich Brahaus, together with the Bavarian Beir Cafe and The Bavarian, launched their new menu with beer pairings AND their new secret brewer’s project beers on Tuesday 9 May 2017 at Munich Brahaus at the Rocks, Sydney.

The full range of beers available at Munich Brahaus, Bavarian Bier Cafe and The Bavarian including a new range of small batch, seasonal beers by Urban Craft Brewing Co. (dubbed The Secret Brewer’s Project) have been matched by resident experts to the new menu. These limited-release brews have been developed in collaboration with small craft breweries across Australia and will change with every season.

In April, The Imperial IPA was paired with the wagyu chilli sausage and BBQ ribs. In mid-May, there will be the Firecracker Blonde (a wheat beer) which complements the the pork cutlet and Swiss schnitzel. In July, the Red Bock will match the veal and truffle sausage, and crackling pork belly.  In August, the coffee stout will come on board and in September there will be a kolsch. Then, during the warmer month of November, a watermelon weiss beer will make its way onto the menu.

For the meals, there is a new selection of high quality meats such as the coffee spice-rubbed ribs with sweet BBQ sauce, Byron Bay Berkshire pork cutlets and Great Southern Tasmanian lamb rump. From the Grainge Black Angus beef range comes spice-rubbed, aged beef rib sirloin, and ‘butcher’s cut’ minute steak.

For those with a big appetite, there is the 1kg Schnitzelmeister (a veal schnitzel with a choice of sides) which serves up to four people but if one guest can eat it within an hour, the $100 schnitzel is on the house.

A group of media were invited to sample the new food and beer menu. For starters, we sampled the: haus made pretzels with butter; haus made pickles (spiced pickle) onions, citrus pickled radishes; and dill pickled cucumbers); smoked trout and beetroot potted dip with crisp rye and pickles; and mac and cheese balls with blue cheese mayo and smoked bacon.

For mains we had a choice of: spice rubbed aged beef rib sirloin (350g grainge black angus MSA 3+); Great Southern lamb rump (200g naturally raised Tasmanian); Byron Bay Berkshire pork cutlets (250g heritage pork on the bone); the famous crispy pork knuckle with creamy mash, sauerkraut, bier jus and apple compote; and buffalo mozzarella ravioli with basil pesto, cherry tomatoes and eyoo (which is perfect for vegetarians).

For sides we had broccoli with roasted garlic dressing, sweet potato fries and duck fat roasted potatoes.

For dessert we had classic New York cheesecake with salted caramel sauce.

The meal ended with this honey flavoured haus schnapps shot to finish.

For more information about the food and beers at Munich Brahaus, go to: www.munichbrahaus.com

         

Wild Turkey launches The Wild Turkey Way event series to encourage Australians to do things the Wild Turkey Way

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The Wild Turkey event series launches in Sydney to encourage Australians to do thing the Wild Turkey Way at the Annandale Hotel on Thursday 4 May 2017.

Wild Turkey has teamed up with famed Australian artists to create an event series which will hit Sydney and Melbourne hotspots throughout May. Wild Turkey Bourbon’s iconic master distillers, Jimmy and Eddie Russell wish to encourage Australians to do things the Wild Turkey Way.

For the launch, guests were also among the first to taste the new signature cocktail, the Wild Turkey Kentucky Firebird – a smoke infused beverage that enhances the bold flavours of genuine bourbon. Guests watched bartenders live-smoked each glass with American oak woodchips before adding Grand Marnier, Cinzano Rosso, Maraschino to enhance the flavours of Wild Turkey 101. Other Wild Turkey cocktails served that night included: Wild Turkey Kentucky Fresh Apple (Wild Turkey 86.8 Bourbon topped with freshly squeezed apple juice); and Wild Turkey Kentucky Gold Rush (Wild Turkey 86.8 Bourbon, Lemon Juice and Honey syrup, shaken garnished with a fresh lemon wedge).

The bourbon-themed menu for the night was created by famed burger king, Josh Arthurs from Burgers by Josh. He added smoky bourbon flavours to the Americana style food menu including: smoked turkey wingettes with peach and bourbon BBQ sauce; cheeseburger spring rolls with Signature Wagyu Sriracha, Wild Turkey infused cheese sauce and sweet and sour pickles; nacho tatter tots with guacamole sour cream, Pico de galle and Wild Turkey cheese sauce; the wild south cheeseburger with signature wagyu chipotle mayo, sweet and sour pickles and Wild Turkey peach and BBQ sauce; and Wild Turkey chocolate brownie made with whipped Irish Cream Wild Turkey, Hershey chocolate sauce and candied nuts.

The Sydney events will launch a unique gallery of artwork featuring ARIA award-winning musician turned artist Bertie Blackman; maverick street artist and sculptor Will Coles; and multidisciplinary star Nikolaus Dolman.

The launch of The Wild Turkey Way follows the announcement of Academy Award winning actor, Matthew McConaughey, who joined the Wild Turkey team as Creative Director to tell the story behind the Master Distillers.

Events will be held at the Annandale Hotel in Sydney on the 12th, 19th and 26th of May. The events are free to the public.

To be a part of The Wild Turkey Way event series, visit www.facebook.com/wildturkey and follow the Wild Turkey Way at #wildturkeyway

      

Howard’s Cantina & Cocktail Bar launches at the top floor of Erskineville’s Rose of Australia Hotel

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Howard’s Cantina & Cocktail Bar launches at the top floor of Erskineville’s Rose of Australia Hotel on Sunday 30 April 2017.

 

The Rose of Australia hotel was purchased 21 years ago by Howard Leach, a greens keeper, who was well known in the local community.  After he passed away, his son, Scott Leach, took over the hotel, and after a huge refurbishment, opened an upstairs restaurant and bar and named it Howard’s Cantina & Cocktail Bar, in honour of his father, Howard.

 

The top floor has been renovated with quirky décor that gives it a very rustic feel. It includes exposed brick, picnic tables in the bar area, chandeliers, artwork, a fireplace, Shakespearean classics and lots of fresh flower arrangements (playing homage to his father, the green keeper). Howard’s Cantina & Cocktail Bar has a neon red sign saying, ‘I want to be an artist too’.

 

Chris Bell is the head chef, who has included a number of shared dishes, sides, substantial mains and desserts on the menu. The dishes are adventurous, including: white wine poached lobster tail ‘butty’ with avruga caviar and iceberg lettuce, or a whole whey braised lamb shoulder. Sides included cauliflower, crisp anchovies, peanut and pickled turnip, smoked pumpkin wedges, whipped garlic and mash our way. Desserts were also different including one called the ‘David and Margaret Show’ featuring coca cola sorbet and buttered popcorn. I am a dessert person and I was very impressed with the mother-in-law gluten free orange cake with pine nuts and aniseed. It was so light and moist. The food menu will be available from Thursday 11 May 2017.

 

The menu was definitely not your typical pub food. It was more like a fine dining restaurant and I would not be surprised if it picks up some awards. The Rose of Australia (and their chef Chris Bell) was a finalist in the AHA Awards for best pub burger in 2014.

 

The cocktail menu will be available from Thursday 4 May 2017. At the launch we tasted the Smoked Negroni (made with gin, Campari, sweet red vermouth and smoked hickory chips soaked in Grand Marnier); the Whisky Sour (made of Jim Beam Rye, lemon juice, sugar, egg white and shiraz), the Paloma (made of tequila, red grapefruit juice and soda); and the classic Expresso Martini (made with vodka, espresso coffee, coffee liqueur and sugar syrup).

 

For more information about Howard’s Cantina & Cocktail Bar, email enquiries@roseofaustralia.com

         

The Sydney Comedy Festival delivers its finest acts for a Cracker Night

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Everyone loves comedy and the Enmore Theatre was packed for Sydney’s biggest night of comedy, Cracker Night, which is part of the Sydney Comedy Festival on Tuesday 25 April 2017.

The 13th Annual Sydney Comedy Festival kicked off with a Cracker Night that featured a dazzling line up of the biggest and best Australian legends, international stars and next-big-things of comedy, including the British-Irish stand-up comedian (and Australia’s favourite) Jimoein.

The night was hosted by comedian Joel Creasey, who entertained the crowd with tales of his experience on I Am A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here and the gay dinner party in his apartment block in Melbourne.

Many of the comedians performing at the Sydney Comedy Festival were given five minutes to entertain the audience. They included comedians such as: Romesh Ranganathan, Andy Zaltzman and Des Bishop who I got to speak to after their performance.

Cracker Night is sponsored by the Comedy Channel and was filmed for television on the night.

The audience left thoroughly entertained. My top pick was Jimeoin who uses facial expression, body language and various accents to tell a joke. I can’t wait to see what his full set has to offer.

The Sydney Comedy Festival will be running from 24 April to 21 May 2017. Performances will be at multiple venues including the Sydney Opera House, the Riverside Theatre at Parramatta and Bondi Pavilion among others.

International performances include Ireland’s Jason Byrne and David O’Doherty, UK favourites Stephen K Amos and Jimeoin, American  Arj Barker and New Zealand’s Rose Matafeo and Urzila Carlson.

Local talent will include Matt Okine, Dave Hughes, Joel Creasey, Rove McManus, Nazeem Hussain, Susie Youssef, Becky Lucas, Neel Kolkatkar, Akmal, Aunty Donna and Rhys Nicholson.

Most tickets range from $15 to $65.

For more info and tickets, go to: sydneycomedyfest.com.au

The Mad Hatter’s High Tea Party at Sir Stamford, Circular Quay

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The Mad Hatter’s High Tea Party at Sir Stamford Circular Quay transformed the hotel into a magical world of Alice in Wonderland on Saturday 15 April 2017.

Sir Stamford is an elegant hotel with a lot of old world charm, but for Easter it was transformed into the whimsical world of Alice in Wonderland filled with wonderful sweets and treats including a lolly station and a chocolate fountain.

Children came dressed as Alice, the Mad Hatter, Cheshire Cat and While Rabbit, and competed in the dress up competition. Kids were also kept entertained with a chocolate-laden Easter egg hunt, face painting and colour-in fun by Nette Hilton.

The Mad Hatter’s High Tea Party Buffet including savoury treats such as: ham cheese and mustard sandwiches: cucumber and cream cheese on wholemeal bread; pastrami and Branston pickle; roasted chicken pinwheel in tomato bread; smoked salmon on baguette; prawn and avocado on tart shell; tomato and bocconcini skewers; Stamford signature curry puffs; Mediterranean vegetable and pine nuts on goat cheese wafer; and spinach and ricotta fillo.

The sweets on the buffet included: whisky logs; strawberry and lemon cheesecake; white chocolate green tea slice; mango and pineapple cube; assorted macaroons; lemon scones with clotted cream and mixed berry jam.

The kids had their own buffet menu which included curry egg, turkey and cranberry, ham, and tomato and cheese sandwiches. For dessert they had lots to choose from including: chocolate brownie; coconut panna cotta; mango and pineapple cube; cupcakes; blueberry cheesecake; and lemon scones with clotted cream and mixed berry jam.

As a special treat, the Mad Hatter’s High Tea Party had Easter cocktails which included: The Queen of Hearts (Absolut vodka mixed with fresh pressed grapefruit and cranberry juice served long over ice); The Cheshire Cat (Chivas 12 YO mixed with elderflower and fresh pressed lime and apple juice served long over ice charged with soda); The White rabbit (Havana Club rum served pineapple and coconut cream cocktail mixed to perfection and served chilled); and Alice (Avion tequila, Blue Curacao liqueur and lime juice served in a martini glass with a salt rim).

Sir Stamford at Circular Quay serve a range of high teas daily from 11am to 4pm with prices ranging from $79 to $32 (for kids).

Sir Stamford at Circular Quay is located at 93 Macquarie Street Sydney.

For more information or to make a booking, go to: http://www.stamford.com.au/sscq/restaurant–bar/sydney-high-tea

 

UE Wonderboom: the latest and greatest portable speaker launches in Sydney

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Ultimate Ears launches their latest and greatest speaker, the UE Wonderboom, on Tuesdsy 4 April 2017 at the Original Porteno in Cleverland, Surry Hills.

The Wonderboom is the newest in a celebrated line of Bluetooth speakers from Ultimate Ears, the audio brand acquired a few years ago by Logitech. It borrows some of the best features of the UE Boom 2 but sells for half the price. It’s also almost half the size (10cm high and 14 cm wide).

Guests walked into a winter wonderland with blue light, an ice sculpture with UE Wonderbooms embedded in it, a large snowball for snow fights, a fireplace and two chocolate fountains with strawberries, bananas, pineapple pieces, wine jellies, nougats and marshmallows for dipping.

in addition, they were spoilt with canapes consisting of: spiced lamb empanadas; smoked salmon with vodka and dill cream on a hash browns; wood fired pumpkin and ricotta cannoli; fig and gorgonzola tart with vincotto; and smokey pork sausage with plum sauce.

For drinks they were treated to: the Mistress Jerry cocktail (made with spiced rum, raspberry puree, lime juice, and honey ginger spirit); mulled wine; Peroni beer; 2012 Candela red blend from Argentina; and Les Vignes Blanches from France.

But the biggest treat of all was the UE Wonderboom that was given to celebrities and media to take home. Celebrities included: The Bachelor’s Lisa Hyde; Big Brother host Mike Goldman; Big Brother contestants Tim Dormer, Jake Richardson and Lisa Clark; Nova newsreader Matt de Groot; and selfie instagram sensation Kurt Coleman.

The UE Wonderboom can wirelessly play (stream) to two Wonderbooms from one source, with a 360 degree sound and a ten hour battery life (that charges in 2.8 hours).

The Wonderboom, like the rest of the UE Boom family, is waterproof (up to a depth of 5 metres of water for 30 minutes) and shockproof (when dropped from 1.5m or less). It’s adorable. It’s affordable. And it floats!

The UE Wonderboom comes in a variety of colours: lilac, stone (grey), subzero (blue), cashmere (pink), fireball (blood orange) and phantom (black).

It retails for $129.95.

For more information about UE Wonderboom, go to: http://www.ultimateears.com/en-au

      

The Brazil Showcase event at NSW Parliament House promotes trade between Australia and Brazil

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The second Brazil Showcase event occurred at NSW Parliament House on Thursday 29 March 2017 to promote trade between Australia and Brazil and provide networking opportunities among existing and newly established businesses.

The event was co-hosted by the Consul-General of Brazil in Sydney and the Honourable Anthony Roberts MP and attended by 15 Brazilian companies, Members of NSW Parliament, diplomatic officials and media.

The event showcased business opportunities between two of the largest economies in the Southern Hemisphere – Australia and Brazil. It was designed to promote Brazil as the preferred partner for Australia in investment, trade, tourism, entrepreneurship, education, technology exchange and culture.

Brazil has become one of the largest sources of international students to Australia outside Asia (second only to China). At the same time, 50,000 Brazilian tourists visited NSW in the last 12 months and an equivalent amount of Australians traveled to Brazil over the same period.

Further, NSW is becoming a target hub of innovation and technology and Brazilian professionals are making their way there.

Speeches were made by: The Honourable Anthony Roberts MP; Consul-General of Brazil in Sydney His Excellency Mr Carlos de Abreu; President of the Australia Brazil Business Council Mr Gieuto Serafim; and Ambassador of Brazil to Australia His Excellency Mr Manuel Innocencio de Lacerda Santos Jr.

All speeches emphasized the similarities between Australia and Brazil in culture and economy, and stressed that distance should not be a barrier.  Australia’s main trade partner is east Asia but Brazil is not that further away in distance and offers Australia many mutually beneficial two-way trade opportunities.

Guests were shown two videos about the World Chambers Congress Rio 2019 and on the growing IT expertise of Brazil.

There was also a Bossa Nova performance by musicians Marcos Caetano and Lilian Amarai.

Brazilian food was provided by Parliamentary Catering Service. Guests drunk Brazilian wine which included: 2014 Salton Intenso Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier; 2012 Salton Paradoxo Merlot and Brazil Intenso Brut.

Guests were also very lucky to mingle with a famous Brazilian footballer who plays with Sydney FC in the A-League, Deyvison Rogerio da Silva, mostly known as Bobo.

For more information about doing business in Brazil, go to: http://www.aubrbc.org/

Learn to cook like the French at Vive Cooking School

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The best way to learn how to cook like the French is to do a French cooking class lead by a French chef. This is exactly what I did on Sunday 26 March 2017 where I joined the French Marseille cooking class at the Vive Cooking School.

VIVE Cooking School is the new kid on the block in terms of cooking schools. It is located in a glasshouse in the middle of Saporium, Rosebery’s latest food precinct. Passers-by can peer through the windows and watch the cooking while they shop.

The class was led by Chef Julien Vasseur, whose experience includes Switzerland’s top kitchens, a private chef to a number of elite families in Los Angeles and Head Chef of Sydney’s Williams-Sonoma’s cooking school. He talked fast and had so much valuable advice to offer in terms of how to identify the freshest produce, where to buy them from, what are the best utensils (and their cheaper alternatives) and how to avoid many mistakes that people usually make when cooking.

In the class we learnt how to make one of the most famous dishes from French street food, Pissaladière, how to cook France’s delicious seafood soup, Bouillabaisse, and how to bake the perfect Lavender Crème Brulée.

The Pissaladière is something I had never heard of and if I had not baked and tasted it for myself, I would never cook it. Julien told us it is a great meal that you could easily put together with ingredients from the pantry and fridge. These ingredients would commonly be found in a French person’s pantry and fridge but I‘m not French and do not have anchovy fillets in my pantry. The ingredients are simple: one sheet of puff pastry, brown onions, anchovy fillets and black olives. You could also sprinkle oregano, rosemary and/or parmesan cheese to add some extra flavour at the end, but it is not part of the traditional recipe.

Slice and cook the brown onions for ten minutes until tender and golden. Make sure they are seasoned generously with salt and pepper. Spread the cooked onions evenly over a sheet of puff pastry that you have pierced with a fork to stop it from puffing. Place the olives and anchovies over the onions and bake in a preheated oven of 200 degrees Celsius for 15 to 18 minutes.  Let it stand for three to five minutes before cutting it into squares. The flavours went so well together and it was so addictive that I kept on returning for more.

The Bouillabaisse is a traditional Provencal fish stew originating from the port of Marseilles. Fishermen would make it from the fish they could not sell. There are many Bouillabaisse recipes but Julien tells us his is the best. It is traditionally made with three types of fish (a firm-fleshed fish such as cod, a tender fleshed fish such as red snapper and shellfish such as mussels, prawns and crabs) and the type of seafood changes depending on what’s in season. The other ingredients included onions, leeks, potatoes, tomatoes, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, orange zest, saffron and white wine. We were shown how to fillet fish, and prepare the crabs, mussels and prawns. We made our fish stock fresh from the seafood that was not part our soup and it was surprisingly quick to make compared to chicken and other stock. The vegetables were cooked first in the pot and the fish was added later for the amount of time they needed to cook. The soup was full of flavour and the fish was cooked perfectly. Julien boasted about the health benefits of the soup.

The Lavender Crème Brulée is an old time French favourite. My previous attempts at home to make it resulted in it tasting like sugared baked eggs. I had the same experience with making a crème caramel which I was not surprising to find out that they both have a similar recipe. Again, the ingredients are simple: thickened cream, egg yolks, caster sugar and whatever flavour you wish to add such as lavender or vanilla. The cream is heated over medium heat in the saucepan with lavender or vanilla. Once you bring it to scalding point, discard the vanilla or strain the lavender and pour the cream over the whisked egg yolks and sugar you have already prepared. Then pour the strained mixture into ramekins (removing any air bubbles on top with a blow torch or spoon). Carefully place the ramekins in a deep roasting pan lined with a folded towel and pour boiling water into the pan until it is halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Once they are ready, set them aside to cool. Sprinkle some demerara sugar evenly on the surface and use either a blow torch or grill to caramelise the top.

VIVE Cooking School Boutique is located at 18 – 61-71 Mentmore Avenue, Rosebery NSW 2018.

For more information about cooking classes at VIVE Cooking School, go to: http://www.vivecookingschool.com.au

                    

 

Old City Kitchen & Bar launches new menu with a Chef’s Table event

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Executive Chef Chrys Xipolitas hosted an intimate Chef’s Table event at Old City Kitchen & Bar in Newtown to show off the mouth-watering dishes from his new Mediterranean and Middle Eastern-inspired menu on Thursday 23 March 2017.

The venue has a small outdoor terrace that can be seen from street level. Inside it’s a versatile space, with options for standing room by the bar or multilevel seated areas, which can be sectioned off for private functions.

The team behind Old City Kitchen & Bar are the same people from Li’l Darlin. Every dish is prepared on site from scratch. The menu is Mediterranean, including dishes from the Middle Eastern part of the Mediterranean such as Jordan, Lebanon, Israel and Palestine. Chrys Xipolitas passionately works to recreate traditional Greek family recipes. The main focus of the Chef’s Table menu was seafood and chicken.

Guests were treated to a beverage or two at the bar before moving to a table. The menu consisted of an array of entrees and mains that were designed to share. There were ten dishes including: Mezza Plate of taramasalata, hummus, baba ganouj, tzatziki, feta, olives, pickles and cured meats served with pita bread triangles; Island Salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, shallots, fresh mint, chilli, garlic, baby capers, Spanish onion, crispy pita pieces, red wine vinegar, olive oil topped with feta foam; Homemade Haloumi topped with fresh mint and grape salsa, dressed with a balsamic glaze; Zucchini Flowers made from light tempura battered zucchini flowers with grated pecorino cheese, white truffle oil and lime zest; New City Prawns and Calamari that are potato starch coated and shallow fried, seasoned with fresh chilli, salt, pepper, garlic and parsley and served with special dipping sauce; BBQ Octopus braised for three hours, tossed with cherry tomatoes, Spanish onions, olives, roquette, basil and dressed in a sweet chilli balsamic;  Za’atar Chicken with Middle Eastern spices, za’atar composed of sesame seeds, thyme and sumac, topped with a pomegranate molasses; Old City Prawns cooked in tomato passata with chilli, garlic, shallots, olives, white wine and crumbled feta served with crusty bread; Mediterranean Salad with prawn cutlets, chicken pieces, octopus, pan fried tossed in olive oil, lemon, garlic chilli, parsley served with a salad of baby rocket, cucumbers, Spanish onion and olives; and Chargrilled spatchcock served on a spinach and haloumi pilaf and finished in a chicken lemon broth.

The highlight of the menu was the homemade haloumi. It is one of the best haloumi dishes I have ever tasted. Chrys Xipolitas swears by the quality of the haloumi, which he sources from a lady who makes it at home in Melbourne. The haloumi was grilled on one side instead of fried on both. It was not squeaky or chewy, and had not melted as poorer quality versions do. The cheese was cooked perfectly and had a light and fluffy texture.

In addition to the delicious food menu, Old City Kitchen & Bar has a vast bar menu featuring cocktails, Italian prosecco, wine (mostly Australian) and beer (some on tap but mostly by the bottle). Some of the cocktails seemed identical to those of Li’l Darlin such as the Candy Floss Martini (pictured) that was made of vodka, blood orange and vanilla syrup mixed with raspberry sorbet and raspberries. With the meal, guests were served: 2016 Dal Zotto Arneis from the King Valley Victoria or 2015 Save Our Souls Sangiovese Yarra Valley and Mornington Peninsula, Victoria.

Old City Kitchen & Bar is located at 89 Missenden Rd, Newtown NSW 2042. It is open for lunch and dinner, seven days a week with a range of menu options.

For more information, go to: http://www.oldcity.com.au/