Nomad

Historic = ●

Distinctly average = ●

Dismal = ●

Oliver Reed was a tearaway. In the purest sense of the term. Where Reed went, controversy would follow. A fine actor aside (who could forget when he famously wrestled naked with Alan Bates in Women In love), he was also a raging and unashamed alcoholic, notoriously opinionated and forever infamous for being one of England’s finest hellraisers. He was also one of the first people ever to look good in a beard.

Oliver Reed died from a heart attack on May 2nd 1999 while – true to form - drinking with his wife and friends in a bar in Malta.

 Oli Reed – we salute you as a honorary SupperClub member.

Food rating: ● 

Meh. The Smoked Cod Roe Dip with water crackers, trout roe was too salty. BBQ Carrots with almond dukkah, labne – really? as a course? The Kingfish Carpaccio with Nomad creme fraiche, horseradish & kohlrabi was adequate. The Jersey Milk Haloumi with BBQ zucchini, pinenuts, raisins - decent.

Service: ● 

Poor. Some of the best, worst service I have had in a long time. Comical to a point. To start with, we had a table booking for 6pm. We were told to arrive promptly. We did. Only to be left waiting outside until 6.05pm, in the rain, whilst the staff kept tantalizingly dry inside partaking in a wine tasting exercise. Some places like to leave customers queuing outside so that people walking/driving by see how wonderfully popular it is. Great for the restaurant. Not so for the people waiting outside. But the worst was to come. Whilst talking with my neighbour the waitress topped up my wine glass (topped up, it wasn’t empty). I suddenly asked:

“What wine is that?”

“The Shiraz.” she explained.

“But I was drinking the Pinot and I had some in my glass.” I countered.

“No, you didn’t.” she sparred back. Shrugged, then walked off.

Dear reader, my glass was not empty, despite what you may know about me. My neighbour concurred. Empty or not (it wasn’t!) the waitress reaction was poor form.

General comments included that the staff were surely and disengaged. The sommelier was informative.

Atmosphere: ● 

The building itself is atmospheric. High ceilinged and stark. A gloomy warehouse turned trendy restaurant. It was cold. But that may have been due to the fact that I was wet. I believe you create your own buzz with stories and banter and good cheer. But the Nomad gloom extinguished our spark this night.

Well, this gets the worst review from a restaurant we have ever visited. Not even getting roaringly drunk helped. It normally does.

Cost: $130 per person. Over ten guests meant we had the ‘Feed Me’ set menu at $65pp. The rest was wine. This was generally deemed an expensive night. Worth it? Re-read above.

restaurantnomad.com.au/#start

The search for Sydney’s best restaurant, continues...

TapaVino

TapaVino

Historic = ●

Distinctly average = ●

Dismal = ●

“Que esta la vida? La vida es sueño.”

This translates as: “What is life. Life is a dream”. It’s by a Spanish dramatist, poet and writer Pedro Calderón de la Barca and is the Spanish equivalent of Shakespeare’s “To be or not to be” speech. Whereas Shakespeare's effort is somewhat nonsensical, silly and written whilst drunk in a debaucherous tavern, Calderón’s  talks of the earth, of sea, good wine and friends and ultimately the importance of food. So if your life is full of these things, then life truly is a dream.

SupperClub, Life is a dream indeed.

SupperClubs take on 'The Last Supper'

Food rating: ● (how we voted: red - 0, orange - 5, green - 8) 

Because we had a large group we had the set menu - $55 per head. Food came at a good pace and never disappointed. Dishes of particular note include: cow's milk cheese & toasted walnuts in vine leaves a la plancha, with toasted sourdough– fantastically strong & bitey, the yellow fin tuna cruda, spiced almonds, sherry dressing – historic. Tender tuna with a delicious sherry undertones.

Jeff commented the food was: "plentiful, with diverse flavours and delicious".

Both of the desserts: chocolate terrine, olive oil & salt flake,  and the mil hojas; puff pastry, custard, & sherry soaked prunes, with a Pedro Ximenez dressing were consumed with gusto.

Service: ● (how we voted: red - 0, orange - 1, green - 12)

Bravo! The voting speaks for itself. The service at TapaVivo was very good. We seemed to have one waiter (or was it twins?) who saw to our every whim. Happy, helpful and super friendly - without ever being a wanker. He was attentive and recommended some decent reds. TapaVino - muy bueno!

Cracking vino and company - Rusty, Mule, Jeff and Kainsey

Atmosphere: ● (how we voted: red - 0, orange - 5, green - 8)
The place was buzzing! A few people mentioned that is was a touch too loud to enjoy the winning chat, so be warned of that. It was however a Friday night and everyone was generally excitable. 

Señoritas por favor

TapaVino is influenced by the culture of sip-a-little-bit-of-this-and-eat-a-little-bit-of-that. However it was all so good we adopted our own philosophy which was: gulp-a-lot-of-this-and-gobble-a-lot-of-that.

Cost: $120 per person. There were thirteen of us. $55 a head for the set menu - the rest was made up of countless bottles of beautiful, full-bodied Rioja and quaffable Tempranillo.

http://www.tapavino.com.au

The search for Sydney’s best restaurant, continues...

The Lord Nelson, The Rocks

Praise The Lord (Nelson)

Let’s start with some facts about the man. Admiral Horatio Lord Nelson (1758 - 1805) – what do we know?

• At the Battle of Copenhagen he ignored orders to cease action by putting his telescope to his blind eye and claiming he couldn't seen the signal to withdraw
• He was a womaniser
• He was killed at the Battle of Trafalgar by a French sniper whilst leading an attack on the combined French and Spanish fleet.

What is nonsense:

·         Nelson wore an eye-patch.

·         After death at Trafalgar, Nelson was stored in a barrel of brandy. True. His men then drank from the barrel and the phrase "Tapping The Admiral" was made. Not true.

• Nelson's last words were "Drink, drink, fan, fan, rub, rub!" Any reference to "Kiss me, Hardy" is completely made-up.

But Nelsons will be best remembered for giving Napoleon a damn good thrashing. Because Napoleon was - and let’s be honest here - a bit of a bell-end.

And for that Lord Nelson – we honour you as a posthumous SupperClub member.

SupperClub

Excellent photo bomb by this chap!

Historic = ●

Distinctly average = ●

Dismal = ●

Food rating: ● (how we voted: red - 1, orange - 8, green - 5) 

Now to business: gorgonzola risotto with radicchio toasted walnuts – historic. The gorgonzola was bitey and a contrast to the creamy risotto; pork and prawn momo - light soy fresh chilli – very nice, but chop-sticks would had added to the eating experience; cloudy bay clams in xo – delicious and perfectly presented; ortiz anchovies – esp with toasted wood fire bread – nice and salty and meaty and not at all furry!; himalayan spiced kingfish curry - traditional nepalese spices black mustard seed rice – this looked like the winner on the menu – but the tasty sauce masked a kingfish that tasted out-of-the-bag; butchers choice of chargrilled sirloin or scotch fillet - cafe de paris butter creamy mash or fries – oh dear, this was the leper on the menu. T’was noted that the steak was terrible. And that the chips were undercooked . However, they still tasted surprising nice! Every cloud and all that.

The winner was a ‘special’ Spaghettini with Prawn and Lobster – absolutely delicious and full of flavour. Get it on the main menu, Nelson, quick!

All this was washed down with bubbles from the Yarra Valley and copious amounts of delightfully cheeky Pinot Noir.

Gerry with gypsy eggs with rodriguez brothers chorizo - bloody nice!

Service: ● (how we voted: red - 1, orange - 10, green - 3)

The staff were excellent. Bravo! They were attentive and friendly and changed all the tables around at my whim. The bubbles and wine just never stopped! Foolishly, the lovely waitress kept approaching me to ask if we needed more wine – to which my habitual response was always the same: “Yes, we’ll have lots more please”. Not really sure why this got an orange? You are a fickle bunch indeed SupperClub!

Why Jeff loves SupperClub

Why Nat loves SupperClub - Man sandwich – not on the menu!

Atmosphere: ● (how we voted: red - , orange - 2, green - 12)
Once the table re-arrangement had happened and the rest of the restaurant had filled up – the place was buzzing! The rotational dinner seat movement worked well and stimulated lots of fantastic, albeit, inappropriate banter. Upstairs at the Lord Nelson feels like your own private dining area. Apart from the other diners. The waiting staff. The kitchen. And the bar area. But apart from all that, it feels like your own private dining area.

The many merits of being SupperClub CEO...

Get your vote on....

Cost: $100 per person.

Incredibly ugly or sexy pony? You decide!

Quote of the night: “I’m as useless as the buttons on your shirt Rusty!”

This is the type on nonsense I have to decipher at the end of every SupperClub...

www.lordnelsonbrewery.com

The search for Sydney’s best restaurant, continues...

La Rosa - The Strand Arcade

Historic = ●

Distinctly average = ●

Dismal = ●

Keith Floyd was England’s most loved celebrity Chef. He was famed for his eccentric manner and his love for drinking far too much red wine whilst cooking on air. If it happened, it happened to Floyd: cancer, emphysema, strokes, falling out of bed and concussing himself...

 

To celebrate his recovery from cancer, he held a huge, gourmet dinner party for his close friends. Ironically, it was at this party that he had a massive heart attack and died. At least he went the way he lived; a celebration of lavish food and glorious wine - and for that Keith Floyd, SupperClub salutes you.

Hola!



Food rating: ● (how we voted: red - 0, orange - 4, green - 10)
Dishes of note include: Bruschetta of Vine Ripened Tomato and Black Olive with Italian Salted Ricotta – fresh and delicious; Prosciutto e Rucola Pizza - Tomato, Mozzarella, Prosciutto Crudo and Rocket – all the pizzas had lots of extra garlic, cheese and the bases were thin and crisped to perfection – someone mentioned that the pizza’s were ‘intimidating large’; Rigatoni Verdi Di Spinaci con Gamberi - Green Rigatoni Pasta with King Prawn, Minced Calamari, Olives, Tomato, Chilli – intense flavours that left you wanting more – a delicious meal (thanks Jeff!).

Perfectly complemented with more than a few bottles of La Farra Extra Dry DOC – Prosecco, a few cheeky Peroni’s and the wonderful 2011 San Nicola – Syrah – well chosen Yatsey – a Gent with a touch of class.


Liz, Yatesy and Rusty. Tasting a little Spanish Syrah – yes, that’ll do nicely.

Service: ● (how we voted: red - 3 ,orange - 8, green - 3)
A touch pompous and haughty at times perhaps. They did the job, but it wasn’t extraordinary.

They may have been slightly miffed by me ordering bottle after bottle of wine as if prohibition was about to start.

Peta wanted me to mention about the ‘confusing toilet situation’ - a fantastic phrase. The toilets were located outside the restaurant – but if you didn’t see them, had to walk down the Arcade to find them.

Atmosphere: ● (how we voted: red - 0, orange - 6, green - 8)
Dark, sensual and a little bit sexual. Sort of. We had lots of new SupperClubber members at La Rosa and the chat was feverish. Moral dilemma conundrums about global overpopulation and sex – well, the two go hand-in-hand after all.

The company was, as always, delicious.



It wasn’t only the food that was hot...

Overall rating: ●

Go there for the wonderful food and wine. Leave there and try not to fall drunkenly down the stairs on the way out.

www.larosabarandpizza.com.au

The search for Sydney’s best restaurant, continues...

Bloodwood - Newtown

Bloodwood

Historic = ●

Distinctly average = ●

Dismal = ●

Food rating: ● (how we voted: red - 0, orange - 3, green - 4)
Bloodwood is nestled within the frenetic King Street of Newtown. King street reputedly follows an ancient Aboriginal track and Bloodwoods first customer, back then, was an Aboriginal who ordered a serving of polenta chips for his hungry tribe. (may have to check this fact...)

What is great about Bloodwood is the three chef owners, Claire, Jo and Mitch continue to work in the kitchen. Creating decent, modern Australian cuisine design for sharing. Holding firm the belief that if you want something done perfectly, do it yourself.

Roast heirloom vegetables - lentil vinaigrette, samphire

We had a set menu. Particular dishes of interest include; the Mushroom & Leek pâté, the Chicken liver parfait and smoked ham hock terrine. The surprise for me was the actual edible Polenta chips with gorgonzola sauce (yes, I believe a chip should be potato), the Seared tuna (historic) and the Sticky barbeque pork ribs – tender and flaked off the bone.


The chocolate near death experiences dessert was ‘orgasmic’ according to Rachael and Jane.

All this was washed down with some delicious French red and the winning Willie Smiths organic cider – made in the classic French farm house style. Not too sweet and devilishly moreish.

 


Ding dong!

 
Service: ● (how we voted: red - 2, orange - 4, green - 1)
It was definitely there. I saw it. They served the food, they poured the wine. They smiled. The reason it gets an orange is because it never went above and beyond. I mean. Really. Don’t they know who we are!?



The food was hot - and so were the guests.


Atmosphere: ● (how we voted: red - 0, orange - 0, green - 7)
We came, we ate, we all shared hair raising near death experiences stories. Ducky’s boat and Rusty’s abseiling. Bloodwood was abuzz with noise, stories and good cheer.

WOW factor?: ● (how we voted: red - 0, orange - 3, green - 4)

It was a treat to have Willie Smith as a beverage option. It also had an eclectic wine list. I’ve got ‘tats’ written down, but have no idea what that refers to. I also have the phrase ‘delectably intoxicating’ – which I think came from Rachael. But really, that could apply to the company, the food and the booze!

www.bloodwoodnewtown.com

The search for Sydney’s best restaurant, continues...


 

Ms.G's - Potts Point

Ms.G's

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Distinctly average = ●

Dismal = ●

Heston Blumenthal is renowned for enigmatic and unconventional cooking. His restaurant, ‘The Fat Duck’ in Berkshire, England, has a food philosophy based on molecular gastronomy; which has given the world such incredible or utterly ridiculous (depends on your point of view) dishes such as: egg and bacon ice cream, mock turtle soup involving a fob watch dissolved in tea, and a dish called the ‘Sounds of the Sea’ which includes an audio element. It’s either genius or stark raving bonkers.

Food rating: ●

Although Ms.G’s is nothing quite as experimental as crazy old Hes,  we were treated to some distinctive dishes such as Kingfish sashimi, buttermilk, compressed rhubarb, jalapeno, quinoa $16 – deliciously delicate and delectable fish, yet powerful (don’t ask me what that means – it’s from my drunken notes), Dan Hong’s Crunch Vegetable Salad, white soy & ginger vinaigrette $14 – a mine-field of flavours, the ‘crunch’ part coming from strategically placed corn flakes!

Other dishes to mention include: Mini bánh mì- crisp pork belly or chicken katsu $6 – most guests favourite part of Supper, Prawn toast, yuzu aioli, herbs $14 – prawn toast that actually tasted of prawn - a first for civilisation, Ms G’s grilled corn on the cob, parmesan, lime $4 – incredible, nothing short of historic and the Crispy pork hock, pink lady apple kimchi, 5 flavour sauce, lettuce and ‘erbs – this was an extraordinary chunk of meal not dissimilar to what kings of Medieval England would have eaten with their bare hands –before tossing to some hounds.

The food was incredible and each dish, with different blended flavours , complimented each other seamlessly. It was also endless. I had to ask the staff to stop bringing food out at one point. Such a feast to behold!

Desert was: ‘Stoner’s Delight 2.0’ doughnut ice cream, peanut butter, raspberry jam, candied bacon, potato chips, mars bar slice, banana fritter $12 – this was regarded by all as an absolute winner. Sam Fuller actually jizzed in his own pants in happiness.

Lots of Bia Ha-noi $9 was consumed, along with bubbles and a variety of fantastically named cocktails including: Hanoi Hooker #2 and Monkey Magic . Delightful.

Service: ●

Friendly and reasonably attractive. However, at one point 37 staff members were hovering around our table and not one of them would bring  a new bottle of bubbles to our table. Gerry had to take the initiative and get our bottle from the bar himself. No one seemed to mind, so happy days.

Atmosphere: ●

This blog is quite long, soooo. Atmos was good. Buzzing. Lively.

Unconventionally, Yatsey and Michelle did the SupperClub oration at the end of the night. It included a nice little speech from Michelle followed by a great pub quiz from Yatsey. Ripping up the oration rule book and making their own. Rebels.

www.merivale.com.au/msgs

The search for Sydney’s best restaurant, continues...

Spice Temple @ Rockpool

Spice Temple @ Rockpool (Special SupperClub VIP - Beef)

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Distinctly average = ●

Dismal = ●



There’s a wise-old Chinese proverb that states: "Laughter is brightest, in the place where the food is.". I couldn’t agree more – in fact, that’s almost a mantra for SupperClub that one. And of course who could forget Confucius: “Give a man a fish and he eats for a day, teach a man to fish and he can feed himself for life” Inspiring stuff indeed. However, a waitress at Spice Temple told me a wise-old Chinese proverb that states: "Long talk cooks rice." Which goes to prove that some wise-old Chinese proverbs are actually complete sodding nonsense.

Spice Temple is a modern Chinese restaurant in the middle of the city, whose menu pays homage to the

provinces of Sichuan, Yunnan, Hunan, Jiangxi, Guangxi and Xingjiang. There is chilli for the chilli lovers, or subtle flavours for those desiring a more mild experience. Spice abounds regardless.


Food rating: ● (how we voted. red - 0, orange - 1, green - 13) 

The numbing pork above and below
Fish drowned in heaven facing chillies
(in haven’t made that up)

The food is designed around banquet style dining and due to the large nature of our group (15) we had a bespoke banquet made up of pre-determined dishes. Special dishes of note include: Guangxi style roast pork belly with coriander, peanuts, red onion and sesame seeds - which was delicious, the Hot, sweet, sour and numbing pork Chilli, sugar, black vinegar and Sichuan peppercorn - historic and the Whole steamed snapper with black bean and salted chilli - delicately delectable. The food ‘tantalized the taste-buds, appealing to the more spicy palette’. (copyright Rachel Mehaffey). The food seemed endless and there were chilli’s galore.

Knaps said he once ate a whole red chilli and couldn’t eat for eight days. Amazing.

Service rating: ● (how we voted. red - 0, orange - 8, green - 6)

Efficient. Possibly a little too efficient. Dishes were removed leaving little time to consider second helpings. In saying that, our waitress always seemed to be armed full with multiple bottles of wine, my glass was never empty and the service was silently ubiquitous.





Knaps and Jack having a brilliant time. Smashing chaps.

Atmos rating: ● (how we voted. red - 0, orange - 4, green - 10)
Spice Temple goes for mood lighting. Dark, seductive mood lighting. You may have heard of the concept of ‘Dining in the Dark’. Experiences that amplify and heighten your taste receptors when your sight is impaired. This was slightly different. Intriguing sliding lights-on-wire offered dim dining lighting. It was like eating down a mine. During a black-out. At night time. That said, the restaurant was very busy which gave the place an exciting Friday night buzz.

WOW factor?

Good looking people. That's what
SupperClub is all about...and Supper.

My notes from the evening are as indecipherable as hieroglyphics - due to the vino. But I appear to have the toilets written down under WOW factor. Hmm? Other highlights include Ducky’s Oscar-esque opening speech, the interactive, sliding, over-head lighting system and of course the company - always a absolute winner.

I want to finish with one of my favourite quotes of all time, it’s from ‘60’s footballer George Best: “I spent a lot of my money on booze, birds, and fast cars. The rest I just squandered.” George, you would have made a legendary SupperClub member.

www.rockpool.com/sydney/spice-temple

The search for Sydney’s best restaurant, continues...