Taste of Sydney 2012 - Recap

Do you ever wonder what some of Sydney's amazing restaurants have to offer? But then, unsure whether it's worth the visit? Taste of Sydney is the answer!

Jaguar was one of the sponsors

Taste of Sydney is a yearly event dedicated to presenting some of Sydney's prestige restaurants. The restaurants involve gets the chance to showcase their dishes to the public. The items offered at the event are all sampling sized dishes worth mostly around 8-12 crowns. Crown is the official currency at Taste of Sydney (1 crown = $1). Some dishes that are referred to as "icon dish" were worth around 20-32 crowns.

A week has passed since a league of food loving people and I had our Taste of Sydney experience. But memories of good food still linger in my mind. I could almost still taste them all!

What was even epic about my visit to the event, is that we scored a V.I.P. pass! Thanks to the Stellar* Concepts and Simon of "The Heart Of Food"! Besides entry to the event, the pass gave us access to the HSBC lounge where celebrity chefs were chillin'. There was an amazing band playing and awesome espresso drinks were free. Yes, I did have a huge smile in my face as I was typing all of that.

Ok, back to the main focus of the event. This is a short re-cap of the what went down (more like what went down my belly):

Longrain:

 The Crispy Pork Belly, Pickled Daikon and Chilli Jam in a Sweet Roll (10 crowns) was one of my favourite dishes. The pickled daikon and chilli jam compliments the delicious pork belly well.

Quarter Twenty One:

Another favourite of mine (and of the group) is the Slow Cooked and Caramelised Short Rib with Bone Marrow Persillade (12 crowns). Super tender short rib has a good balance of caramelised sweet, salty and tangy flavours.

The Montpellier Public House:

The Braised Shoulder of Lamb with Polenta and Green Sauce (12 crowns) is very tender that was quite easy to pull apart. It has a green sauce that is exquisite.

Crisp Brisket of Pasture Fed Beef with Creamed Wild Mushrooms (10 crowns). The creamed wild mushrooms is the star in this dish. It tasted a  bit like truffle in cream sauce. The light earthy flavour  in the sauce is what I like most in this dish.

Charlie and Co. :

The Burger Charlie wagyu beef & cheese slider (10 crowns)

The Dog Miniature artisan frankfurter (8 crowns). I like it so much that I will definitely order this again on my next Charlie and Co. visit.

Four In Hand:

 Roast Suckling Pig, Coleslaw, Onion Rings and Hot Sauce (12 crowns)

ICON DISH

Pigs Tail with Corn and Crab Salad and Lobster Bisque (20 crowns)

The Desserts

Efendy:

 Pistachio dessert trio of traditional Baklava, Dolma and Kadayif (8 crowns).

Cut Bar and Grill:

Deconstructed Vanilla and Blueberry Cheesecake with Chestnut Crumble (8 crowns).

Aside from restaurants, there were also a line-up of artisan producers and boutique suppliers. We had the pleasure of sampling their products too.

Rekoderlig ciders

Vanilla lace

Hot chocolate

Pat and Stick's ice cream sandwiches (6 crowns per ice cream sandwich). I've always adored their ice cream sandwiches especially their vanilla lace and caramel pecan ice cream sandwiches. When I saw them at the event, I couldn't resist the urge of devouring a sandwich or two! Mr "The Heart Of Food" with his powers of persuasion, tricked me into trying Pat and Stick's new Hot Chocolate. It is said that it  has a hot and spicy kick.  As I took a bite, it just tasted like a very nice chocolate ice cream. But towards, that's when the party really starts! Oh yeah! It was hot and spicy alright!

So, be on the look out for Taste of Sydney next year. This is one food event a food loving human being wouldn't want to miss!

For more info, check out Taste of Sydney's website:

www.tasteofsydney.com.au