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.

The Devonshire Degustation

I am not a big fan of degustation mostly because I like to choose what I eat and the whole thing takes too long. But I may be swayed by my experience at the Devonshire. The Devonshire is craftily simple, with a range of mirrors embellished on one wall. The chefs here demonstrate their creativity in the dishes while keeping their food genuine and understandable. Tonight we had the 8 course degustation and each dish teased our taste buds in their own ways.

We began with the salt fish brandade with caper sauce to match our glass of Champagne, followed by house baked bread and two types of butter. The house-churned honey butter is wonderfully soft and sweet and in no time we demolished our lovely warm bread and butter. The salad of heirloom tomatoes is much more interesting than it sounds. It is ever so refreshing and the slight acidity brilliantly awakens our appetite for the deep fried goodness in our dishes to come – the quail eggs and risotto balls.

The taste from the prawn ravioli is so intense it is a triumphant dish for prawn lovers. The texture is softer than I expected and combined with the taste reminds me of Cantonese prawn dumplings but only tastier. The final savoury dish concluded the savoury on a high note, everything is perfect with this marvellous pork belly with crumbles of delicious crackling and chorizo. Our waiter came to check up on how we’re going and whether we are full. “Full for the savoury stuff, but always room for desserts!” we answered.

Our pre-dessert is a shot glass of raspberry panna cotta. It is absolutely beautiful with the crisp, sugary crumble providing the perfect contrast in texture. The final course for the evening is a wonderful bittersweet chocolate mousse and sorbet with salted caramel parfait. The chocolate mousse and sorbet look almost identical but the mousse is denser in texture and in flavour. There is just the right amount of bitterness from the mousse and saltiness from the caramel parfait to make the dessert an indulgence without overloading on the sweetness. 

L Loves... Champagne, freshly baked bread
and house churned honey butter

Tonight’s menu

Salad of heirloom tomatoes,
woodside goats curd, olive biscotti, basil and almonds

Cold smoked Black Angus tartare,
poached enoki mushrooms, asparagus and quail egg

Steamed Ora King Salmon, squid ink noodles, 

summer daikon, pickled ginger, and radish 

Vegetarian (non-fish) alternative course - Risotto ball

Prawn ravioli, curly kale and roast prawn oil

L Loves... Roasted pork belly and loin,
fricassee of cabbage, pepita, sage, chorizo and scratchings

 L Loves... Raspberry panna cotta, 
poached peaches and biscuit crumble

Bittersweet chocolate mousse and sorbet, 
salted caramel parfait and hazelnut

The bill arrived in a cute tea cup

The blackboard at the front quoting Julia Child: 

“Always start out with a larger pot than what you think you need.” 

Mirror, mirror on the wall

L's Verdict:

•    Taste: 8/10

•    Ambience: 4/5

•    Value: 4/5

•    Service: 4/5

•    Creativity and other WOW factors: 3/5

Overall rating: 23/30

The Devonshire

204 Devonshire St

Surry Hills NSW 2010

Ph: (02) 9698 9427

Lunch Friday Noon – 2.30pm

Dinner Tue to Sat 6pm – 10pm

Visited March 2013

Friendly advice: I highly recommend trying the degustation at the Devonshire as it is one of the best value degustation in town. The food delivers on quality and on taste. Service is excellent and we cruised through 8 courses in a pleasant course of 3 hours. 

Happy Valentine's @ Ormeggio at The Spit

Any day is a good day to show love and affection to loved ones. But when there is a day dedicated to that someone special, why not embrace it? That goes with Mother’s day, Father’s day and of course Valentine’s day! My Valentine Mr M made the effort to fly back just in time to celebrate this special day with me. It didn’t take me too long to decide on the venue this year. Somewhere romantic, still, with good food and a nice view to linger over. Ormeggio at The Spit ticked all the boxes.

Ormeggio is a two hatted contemporary Italian restaurant with a stunning waterside setting in Mosman. It is said that the Italian chef and owner, Alessandro Pavoni, with his team of chefs boast 39 Michelin stars between them. That is certainly reflected in their offering of exciting dishes. We started with a warm rye sourdough that has the crunchiest crust and we knew we are in good hands. As I am not a fan of raw meat, the chefs arranged a lovely, thick pea emulsion as a substitute. It is delicious alone, and delicious as a dip for the sourdough.

Our next dish, the carnaroli risotto, had us questioning. A crunchy risotto cooked Al dente? According to our waiter, this is how risottos are supposed to be like from Alessandro’s home region of Lombardy. I am somewhat undecided about the risotto. I welcomed the creaminess of the buffalo mozzarella, but I would have preferred slightly less sourness from the tomato essence.

Then came the hero dish that proved the restaurant worthy of its reputation. The slow-cooked suckling pig, with its glorious crackling and the succulent, mouth-watering meat. I effortlessly split the meat from the crackling and offered the crackling to Mr M. I loved watching the smile grow on this boy’s face. This is indisputably our favourite dish tonight. Even the accompanying dutch carrots and mustard seeds are scrumptious. An ultimate knock out dish!

I normally head straight from mains to desserts, but tonight’s Valentine’s degustation included a cheese course. This isn’t an ordinary cheeseboard. The mountain man wash rind is hidden beneath a bed of dehydrated powder that has an unique taste, sort of like popcorn, with sweeten apricot and hazelnuts. Our final course, a carrot dessert with fennel seed ice cream, farro cream and vinegar caramel left us with a lot of question marks. What are vegetables doing in our dessert? Why does our dessert taste savoury, sour, bitter and sweet? Could this be the chef’s interpretation of love? A combination of all the flavours and a lot of question marks. As much as I appreciate the effort in creating such a daring dessert, I would prefer the vegetables to stay where they belong... in entrees and mains.   

Even without a strong finish, it is a memorable meal. The food here is all about who the chef is and where he’s from. The service is attentive and the setting is impeccable. And surpass anything I have Mr M beside me on this day, Happy Valentine’s Day!

Picturesque sunset view from our table

What a splendid view to linger over our Valentine's dinner

Warm sourdough, freshly churned sour butter, sea salt

Grass fed beef battuta - shiitake - horseradish - nasturtium 

L Loves... Pea emulsion with asparagus, broad beans and green peas

Carnaroli risotto - buffalo mozzarella - tomato - capers - olives – basil

L Loves... Suckling pig - dutch carrots - fennel - mustard seeds - elk  - garlic

Mountain man wash rind - apricot - hazelnut 

Carrot - fennel seed ice cream - farro cream - vinegar caramel

The beautiful scenery from our table as we finished our memorable meal

L's Verdict:

·   Taste: 7/10

·   Ambience: 4/5

·   Value: 3/5 

·   Service: 4/5

· Creativity and other WOW factors: 4/5 

Overall rating: 22/30

Ormeggio at The Spit

D'Albora Marinas

The Spit, Mosman 2088

Ph: (02) 9969 4088

Open Lunch - Wed to Sun 12pm-3pm

Dinner - Wed to Sat 6pm-11pm, Sun 6pm-10pm

Visited Valentine's Day February 2013

Friendly advice: They offer a lunch special from Wednesday to Saturday – 3 courses including a glass of wine for $59 or 4 course degustation for $69 only. They also do Stressless Sunday dinners which offer 6 course degustation for $69 only. Make sure you book in early!