High Tea at The Wilmot, The Primus Hotel, Pitt Street, Sydney

Inspired by Not Quite Nigella’s post for a High Tea at the Wilmot and spurred on by the two for one deal from the High Tea Society available until 30 June 2016, Monday to Friday, it is hard to choose between the three options available:

Traditional (The Wilmot)

The Zen

The G&T Gentleman’s High Tea ( savoury only)

Both diners need to choose the same option but the Zen is definitely a winner.

The savoury options win the day with the pork bao definitely a winner, followed by the Thai beef salad, seafood salad on a wonton crisp, steamed bun with pandas coconut custard, Peking duck pancake, then the miso caramel fudge, kalamansi curd fruit tart, green tea and raspberry mousse cake, mango and coconut sago, and lastly the chocolate and jasmine delice.

The Bombay Chai is the pick of the black teas and is served in a gorgeous tea drawerer.

$45 per person with tea/coffee and $55 – $65 with wine/cocktail.

A gorgeous option in a heritage setting with good service. Best enjoyed before 30 June if you get the chance.

Sweet Potato Toast

Sounds like a great idea from Not Quite Nigella

Joe’s Bar, East Hotel Kingston – excellent spot for a drink or casual meal!

Joe’s Bar at the bottom of East Hotel in Kingston has got to be one of the best spots in the area for a drink or casual meal.

The atmosphere is relaxed and friendly, decor warm and welcoming and the menu is well priced with plenty of inviting options.

Joe’s Plate (see below for more detail) – large $26 an excellent choice to share with a drink.

The wine by the glass is well priced and well sized.

The 2013 Valpolicella Classico Nicolis Corvina Rondinella (Veneto) $11 is very good.

The buttered popcorn with rosemary, fennel and pecorino is also tasty.

ANTIPASTI – Piatto di Joe – The house antipasto plate embodies the Chef’s favoured selection of meats, cheese and accompaniments. Imported San Daniele Italian Prosciutto (the celebrated best of breed from Friuli), Salame Cacciatore (a classic thin pork salami), Black Pepper Mortadella (Italy’s version of devon but oh so much better), Taleggio Lombardo (gooey and morish), grape infused Pecorino (a sharp hard cheese made with sheep’s milk, infused with dried red wine grapes from Barolo), smoked baby corn puree & pickled baby fennel – Small $15 | Large $26

Debacle

Debacle ticks lots of boxes for a group lunch – it’s central in Lonsdale Street, Braddon, open every day, and you just order and pay at the counter.

But perhaps best of all, it’s got a range of options to suit everyone.

If you are eating light then there’s the side of steamed vegetables or mashed potato for $8 (a half serves pictured here)…

…. and the six slices of pizza bread for $5 is a bargain and tastes fantastic with the anchovies and parmesan…

…other smaller dishes include the tapas like the Seared Chorizo and Prawns (tossed with lemon, chilli and shallots) $12..

…or a shared pizza like the Bombay Chicken with tandoori chicken, spanish onion, raita & papadums (large $30 pictured here with 8 slices, medium $21 is six slices, small is $14 for small slices)

Then for something more substantial off the menu there’s the Chicken Burger – $20 with southern-fried chicken breast, avocado, tomato, lettuce, blue cheese aioli & beer battered chips

…or the Seafood Linguini $26 with king prawns, mussels & scallops in a spicy tomato sauce…

…or the Fish and Chips with grilled snapper $25

But there are also the black board specials like….

Pho $13.50 (not the strongest dish)..

Mexican Chicken Breast $16.50…

Thai Beef Salad $16.50…

Char-grilled lunch steak $16.50

Mondays and Tuesdays are two for one specials and there’s also Happy Hour Monday to Friday 3-5pm.

Vincent

Vincent is has chosen its location in Barton well to capture the after work drinks/dinner trade and Friday lunchers.

Its great strength is its decor and ambience. It has fabulous style!

Wine by the glass is well priced and the temparillo at $8 is excellent.

The menu is small, but interesting and food is well presented though possibly lacking wow.

The mini lobster sliders $6 each, have a great brioche bun, but only a small amount of dressing so a little dry. It’s worth asking for extra mayonnaise to get a better mouth feel and flavour.

The medley of beetroot salad $19, is beautiful but again, fairly simple.

Serve sizes are small so be prepared to budget for a least one dish each unless you order the gnocchi or chips on the side.

For extra photos of dishes, search instagram.

Tree House Hotel, North Sydney, great spot for a coffee or brekkie in the area

If you’re have a meeting near North Sydney Station, the. The Tree House Hotel is a great spot for coffee or brekkie.

Something new at Taste of Bangladesh, Manuka

There’s no doubt that the Fish Bengali and Chicken Dum Murgh with Onion Bhaji or Samosas for entree and Cheese and Spinach Naan are top picks at Taste of Bangladesh.

But sometimes it’s good to explore the other dishes…

The Palak Papdi Chaat $9 is just as good as the Bhaji or Samosa with a tasty tamarind sauce highlighting crisp spinach fritters on a potato salad. It’s a cold entree perfect for summer and great for sharing.

The Boona Beef is tender and has great flavour, a very good pick for a greater variety of dishes.

The Coconut Fish Curry is a sweeter creamer, but very moorish dish. Well worth ordering.

The Malai Kofta is a good vegetarian choice, but not as good as the Palak Paneer or Yellow Dahl.

The Tandoori Paratha is quite good, but not nearly as soft and tasty as the Cheese and Spinach Naan.

So the Fish Bengali, Chicken Dum Murgh, Samosa, Bhaji and Cheese and Spinach Naan are still great choices, but perhaps the Palak Papdi Chaat, Boona Beef and Coconut Fish Curry are worth adding to the list of favourites.
The mango lassi is great too!

Rama’s Fijian Indian Restaurant Pearce

Rama’s is an old timer and extremely popular with locals. Part of their secret is Mini’s warm hospitality, but the food is also great!

Sit outside in the warm weather….

…or be cozy inside if it’s cool.

Good choices are…

Chicken Dhai Wala – Boneless chicken pieces cooked in a spiced yoghurt sauce. $23.00

Potato and Egg Curry – Hard boiled eggs cooked with potatoes in a spicy coconut sauce. $19.50

Fijian Pork Curry- Cubes of pork cooked with capsicum, onion and coriander leaves in a tangy, spicy sauce. $24.00 (the best!)

Curried Bean and Tomato – Sliced beans, chopped tomatoes and onions cooked slowly at low temperature. $13.00

Roti – Wholemeal pan fried bread 1 for $2.50

The Garlic Paratha – Wholemeal pan fried bread with garlic $2.70…

….is a better choice than the Roti – Wholemeal pan fried bread 1 for $2.50

and the Fish NarielBoneless fillets of ling marinated in lemon juice, tumeric, garlic and simmered in a spicy coconut sauce. $23.50 has a lovely sauce but the fish is rather coarse…