Breathtaking Lunch @ Jonah's Restaurant Whale Beach

Back in May I received a birthday gift certificate from Mr J & Miss J to dine at Jonah’s restaurant (thank you so much J & J for spoiling me every year)! I am told this beautiful place is best visited during daytime. With Mr M & my busy schedule, it took us over four months to find the perfect day to visit. I can now say it is well worth the wait. We gasped as we entered Jonah’s restaurant. The view looking over Whale beach is mesmerising and we wordlessly thank God for the perfect weather.

The waiters we encountered today had strong European accent. They are extremely mannerly and pronounce “Bon appétit!” delightfully. The service is seamless and the timing between each course gives us the right amount of time to digest and admire the view.

As Jonah’s rightly states on their website, their food is quite possibly the only thing that could divert our attention from the stunning view. Executive chef Peter Ridland has spent time in cooking in various 2 and 3 Michelin star restaurants in France and London. Spectacular view, great service and delicious food - what more could one ask for?

We started off with delicious warm bread, served with sea salt, butter and olive oil. Our amuse bouche is a shot glass of chilled potato leek soup and a spoonful of goat’s cheese, pickles and crumbles. My entree of Brekshire pork belly is fatally fatty and flavoursome. Mr M’s entree of Hervey Bay prawns are refreshing on the other hand. Mr M and I shared our entrees and found that to give us the right balance.

My North Atlantic Scallops came as a main size serving. When it comes to scallops, it is rare for me to like the accompanying elements on the dish more than the scallops. But today the carrot is the covert star in many forms – sautéed, pureed, thinly sliced to wrap around scrumptious cheesy sauce. Nom nom nom! 

Mr M’s Wagyu ramp is perfectly cooked to medium rare - crusty on top and ruby-red within. The braised cheek is likewise wonderfully succulent and full of flavour. At this point Mr M pointed out he had expected the seafood here to be extraordinarily fresh, given they are so close to the waters. Even though the seafood here did not particularly wow us, their meat, especially the Wagyu rump is a knockout dish.

Our pre-dessert of honey crème brulee is served in Chinese soup spoons. As much as I embrace pre-desserts, I prefer something light and palate cleansing, like a yogurt sorbet. Mr M however demolished the creamy brulee in a mouthful and proclaimed it to be very, very good. 

Mr M’s eyes lit up again when he saw his impeccably puffy, fluffy soufflé, served in a mini saucepan. Digging his spoon into the airy soufflé, devouring it with the deliciously smooth and milky hazelnut ice cream, I could tell he’s in paradise!

When I made our reservation a few weeks ago, I asked if it is possible for the chef to make vanilla or yogurt panna cotta. They responded they will pass on the request to their chefs and see what they can do. Although in the end they are unable to accommodate my request, I decided try their coconut panna cotta anyway (I just can't say no to panna cotta!). And I'm really glad I did. This dessert is a piece of art. The panna cotta is surprisingly light with a slight hint of coconut flavour. The dried cumquat slices on top of the mini panna cotta and the passionfruit sorbet are pleasantly citrusy. The tuille is thin, crispy and delectably buttery. It is a superb dessert that is beautifully presented and well balanced. 

As we polished off our petit fours of soft marshmallow, mini strawberry macaron and friand, we looked out and saw a group of guests coming out of a wedding reception that is held in the private function room next to the main dining area. Although this meant we could not go to the beautiful balcony area today, we are happy for the newlyweds that they've found such a picturesque venue and I’m sure they would have had an unforgettable day. We certainly had an amazing time and look forward to come back another day!

Bon appétit!

L Loves... Stunning view from our table

Amuse bouche – chilled potato leek soup

Berkshire Pork, NSW

Braised belly with croquette, sugar snaps, fennel and pear espuma

Hervey Bay Prawns, QLD

Confit in shellfish oil with romesco sauce, garlic and green papaya

L Loves... Wagyu Rump Cap, Oakley Ranch, QLD

Roasted with braised cheek, celeriac, asparagus, kipfler potato and wild mushroom

North Atlantic Scallops

Sautéed with carrot, serrano jamon floss, pea and ham

Pre-dessert – honey crème brulee

Mr M's fav... Limoncello Soufflé with hazelnut ice cream and tuille

L Loves... Coconut panna cotta with roast quince puree, 

passion fruit sorbet, cumquat and crisp tuille

A closer look at the wonderful, fluffy souffle

And the lovely, light panna cotta

Petit fours 

One last look at the stunning view before we leave our table

L's Verdict:

•    Taste: 8/10

•    Ambience: 5/5

•    Value: 3/5

•    Service: 4/5

•    Creativity and other WOW factors: 5/5

Overall rating: 25/30

Jonah’s Restaurant

69 Bynya Rd

Palm Beach NSW 2108

Ph: (02) 9974 5599

Open 7 days

Breakfast: 7:30am — 9:30am

Lunch: 12 Noon — 2:30pm

Dinner: 6:30pm — 9:15pm

Visited Oct 2013

Friendly advice: If you’re looking to spoil someone, find a day with nice weather and head to Jonah’s. Request for a table by the window, the view is absolutely breathtaking you would want to stay there ceaselessly. They also have an extensive wine list offering more than 1,250 vintage Australian and international wines.

Restaurant Arras - Wonderland v2.0

As I have already done a full review on Restaurant Arras v1.0 at Welsh Bay, this will be mostly a picture post. Nevertheless I have to say I’m head-over-heels with Restaurant Arras v2.0 at Clarence St. The food is exceptional, menu much more comprehendible (those of you who have been to Arras v1.0 would know what I'm talking about), service impeccable, and all I think about after tonight is their undefeatable petit fours!!

The well lit and spacious dining area. The large 
table is for the wine and cutlery (in the drawers). 

The beautiful napkin ring

Canapé (Complementary)

Selection of sourdough (Complementary) 

Olive sourdough bread (Complementary) 

L Loves... Amuse Bouche (Complementary) 

L Loves... Amuse Bouche (Complementary) 

Beef rump, broccoli

Purple potato and horseradish buttermilk

Slow cooked pork neck
Artichoke crust, carrot and fennel

L Loves... Popcorn souffle, Popcorn ice cream, caramelised chustnet 

L Loves... Caramelised apple tart Raspberry sorbet, white peach

L Loves... Arras renowned petit fours tray!!! 

K's pick includes raspberry, mint and chocolate marshmallow, dark 
chocolate cherry, pistachio fudge, hazelnut praline, passionfruit jelly...

My greedy selection includes quince gelato, earl tea praline, olive chocolate, 
Pringles chocolate chip, pistachio fudge, hazelnut praline... 

The cheese trolley is handmade to the chefs' specifications 

Treats to go :)

L's Verdict:

·   Taste: 8.5/10

·   Ambience: 4/5

·   Value: 4/5 

·   Service: 5/5

·   Creativity and other WOW factors: 5/5 

Overall rating: 26.5/30

Restaurant Arras

204 Clarence Street,

Sydney NSW 2000

Ph: (02) 9283 1922

Open Lunch: Tuesday to Friday 12pm until 2.30pm

Dinner: Tuesday to Saturday 6pm until 10pm

Visited June 2013

Friendly advice: Asides their 3 course carte menu ($90 pp) and degustation menu ($140 pp), be sure to check out their daily menu that changes every couple of days depending on availability (two courses for $50, three courses for $70, coffee/tea and Arras petit fours for an additional $12). The restaurant manager and wait staff are brilliant and genuine, so let they know what you’re after and I’m sure they will amaze you with what they can do for you.

Birthday Degustation @ Cottage Point Inn

A few weeks back I received a little surprise in the mail. It was a postcard from Cottage Point Inn wishing me a happy birthday and that they are giving me a free 7 course degustation (valued at $140) any day in the month of May. Having had a wonderful meal there last year, Mr M and I decided to take on their wonderful gesture and give them another visit, and oh am I thankful that we did! :)

We booked in for Sunday lunch, advised them of my dietary requests which are duly noted. Throughout the week we had heavy rain in Sydney which got me a little worried. But just like last year, the weather turned out to be beautiful on the day. Note – the drive to Cottage Point involves a lot of turns and swirls, so even if not for the view, you wouldn’t want to go there on a wet day.

The view from our table 

Once we are greeted and seated, we saw the degustation menu on our table. They have taken out from the menu fish and raw beef just as I requested. We started off with a choice of rye bread roll or sourdough bread. It is noted on their menu their bread mother is 6 years old. The bread roll is very tasty but would have been even better if it had been warm. We are served small cups of sweet potato soup (for me) and salmon consommé (for Mr M).

Our Degustation Menu

Rye bread roll 

Our first course from the degustation is an amazingly fresh salad. It is not easy to excite with a salad but they have certainly done it. I loved the interesting textures: the crisp root veges, the toasted and crushed hazelnuts and the wonderfully creamy house made feta. Our second course is the lovely little pillows of spring onion and thyme gnocchi, served with pumpkin, goat cheese, burnt butter foam, pumpkin puree and pine nuts. The goat cheese tasted like cream cheese with a citrus tang. The rich pumpkin puree is so delicious with its natural sweetness. This dish is pleasantly balanced as the pumpkin cubes had a slightly citrus taste to counter the rich and aromatic burnt butter foam.

L Loves... “Field to Feast Farm”, Vegetable Salad, 
House Made Feta, Hazelnut Dressing

L Loves... Spring Onion & Thyme Gnocchi, Goats Chèvre, 
Burnt Butter Espuma, Pumpkin Puree, Pine nuts

The next three dishes followed through with the same high standard. They are delicately prepared, cooked and presented. The twice cooked quail legs and duck breast are cooked beautifully and just right for a lunch degustation that is nourishing and not too heavy. All the dishes look vibrant and spectacular as if they are made to match the enchanting waterfront view.

Rangers Valley Beef Cheek Ravioli, 
Horseradish Cream, Braised Leeks, Sherry Foam

Twice cooked Quail Legs, Pickled Coleslaw, 

Mushrooms, Grapes, Spiced Jus   

Hawkesbury Valley Duck Breast, 

Orange, Smoked Fennel, Spiced Jus

As we watched seaplanes arriving and departing (amusing really!), our waiter came with the most delicious white peach sorbet with tiny bits of white peach on top. Just as we thought things cannot get better, we are each served a gorgeous caramel apple soufflé. The soufflé is perfect in terms of consistency – it is light and fluffy, and not too sweet. Whoever came up with the idea of serving soufflé with apple compote and macadamia crumble is a genius, it is in essence combining two delicious desserts (apple crumble & soufflé) on one plate! What really got me hooked is the moreish cinnamon anglaise... mmm I want more!!! I finished both my and Mr M’s jugs of velvety crème anglaise!

Here they come again!

L Loves... Pre dessert - White Peach Sorbet

L Loves... Caramel Apple Souffle, Apple Compote, 
Macadamia Crumble, Cinnamon Anglaise 

At this point I looked at the menu and said to Mr M: “I don’t think we need the last course, the degustation would have ended perfectly with the soufflé”. It turned out Cottage Point Inn managed to prove me wrong again, and I love it when they do this! I am not normally so fond of cheese. Don’t get me wrong, I do like cheese, but sometimes you meet the odd ones that are too pungent or too salty or too overpowering or just bland. Today’s degustation encouraged me to explore more in the world of cheese. I adored how they used the different types of cheese to add flavour and texture to the three dishes (salad, gnocchi and this final cheese course: they happened to be my favourite three dishes today aside from desserts). The manchego and radicchio salad is so delicious and refreshing and IS the perfect ending of our three hour lunch. Thanks for a wonderful birthday meal Mr M & Cottage Point Inn :)

L Loves...  Manchego, Radicchio Salad, Walnuts Pedro Ximenez Sherry

What a peaceful hideout!

Cottage Point Inn - perfect for a Stressless Sunday Lunch!

L's Verdict:

•    Taste: 9/10

•    Ambience: 4.5/5

•    Value: 3/5

•    Service: 4/5

•    Creativity and other WOW factors: 4/5

Overall rating: 24.5/30 (updated rating from last visit)

Cottage Point Inn

2 Anderson Place

Cottage Point NSW 2084

Ph: (02) 9456 1011

Lunch: 7 days from Noon to 3pm

Dinner: Fri-Sat 6.30pm to 9.30pm & Sunday 6.30pm to 8.30pm

Visited May 2013

Friendly advice: I would not hesitate in recommending this lovely place to anyone. However do note this place is a little difficult to find – some GPS may not even locate it accurately. There are instructions on their website on how to get there (you could also get there by seaplane or by ferry). Also note there is no reception at this restaurant – that’s right, it’s the perfect hideout to enjoy a long, beautiful, uninterrupted lunch!

N2 Extreme Gelato - Coolest Craze on the Block

Ever since watching Heston Blumenthal beat up ice cream in a bowl of liquid nitrogen on one of his shows, I’ve wanted to find out how they would actually taste in comparison to ice cream made by conventional methods. Finally Sydney has its own mad scientists experimenting with the magical N2, making ultra-fresh and super creamy gelato.

It is a courageous move opening a gelato shop right in the middle of winter, but the fun and innovative nature of N2 Extreme Gelato successfully attracted a crowd of ice cream enthusiasts, even on a wintry night.

The establishment resembles a science lab, with numerous flasks filled with different ingredients and large cylinder cans of liquid nitrogen. Once you’ve selected a flavour from their ever changing menu, the staffs in lab coats pour various components into the colourful Kitchen Aids. While the ingredients are churning, they blast liquid nitrogen into the mixtures. The result is an enormous cloud of smoke and, of course, the smoothest gelato!

The entire process takes a few minutes only, almost too fast if you are trying to take photos of what’s going on around you. Once the gelatos are made, you need to demolish them quickly – not only because they are lip-smacking, but they do melt pretty fast too.

Tonight I had their blueberry cheesecake and that is exactly what it is – luscious cheesecake with real blueberries… it’s so creamy and dreamy (especially when placed in front of the cloud of smoke). My bestie Lu ordered buttered popcorn – a sweet buttery gelato with traces of real popcorns. We agreed this would be a perfect movie snack and should be made available at all cinemas.

While we are there we had a quick chat with the owner, who happened to be experimenting with a new flavour. He offered us a spoonful to try and asked if we could guess the ingredients. “Coconut” we guessed, and we’re right. But there is something else… another ingredient in there we could not pick out, and would have to come another day to find out...

Blackboard menu with flavours updated every now and then

Flasks filled with yummy goodness

Adding ingredients into the Kitchen Aid

Adding N2 into the mixture

Moments before the birth of something magical :)

TADA... The Delicious Blueberry Cheesecake Gelato @ $6 for a big scoop
(I've already eaten some before remembering to take a photo!)

N2 Extreme Gelato

43/1 Dixon St  

Sydney, NSW 2000

Open: 7 days a week from 2pm – 11pm

Visited September 2012

Friendly advice: The owner is keen to test out new flavours, and you can submit a flavour on their website as I just did – Scrambled Egg & Bacon, inspired by Heston Blumenthal - I sure hope to see it on their menu one day :P