I'm no expert on Spanish cuisine, but I
grew up in Manila eating a lot of it. Whether it was during family gatherings
or eating out for dinner, Paellas, lengua estofado, cochinillo asado (suckling
pig) and jamon played a big part in my childhood. Enough about my childhood and
let me introduce you to a new kid in town.
Mercado (spanish for Market) is the latest tasty addition to the Ash St/Martin
Place dining scene. It's a bar and restaurant located on a sub lane/street level is a restaurant with
chic interior and elegant mood lighting. Nathan
Sasi (ex-Nomad and ex-Rockpool), the dude behind those amazing goats cheese
churros and other dishes when Nomad first opened is the owner and head chef of
Mercado. Expect exceptional Mediterranean flavours with mostly Spanish and
Moorish influenced dishes. Traces of his work at Nomad can be seen on the menu.
The cheese, charcuterie, pickles, bread, sauces etc are all made in-house. Most
of the snacks comes with a side of their amazing sourdough made from spelt,
whole wheat, corn & rye. This is what Chocolatesuze and I had on the night:
Before our orders came out, Nathan
brought out some snacks for us to try on the house such as; buffalo ricotta with truffle honey, oregano
and a side of toasted sourdough ($16) and also fish and chips ($12).
 |
| Buffalo ricotta with truffle honey and oregano |
 |
| Toasted sourdough |
The buffalo
ricotta was so light and fluffy. Along with truffle and oregano, it
reminded us of Nathan's goats cheese churros back in Nomad.
 |
| Fish and chips |
Mercado's fish and chips is not the traditional snack that consists of a battered
fish and hot chips. Instead, it's a smart interpretation of it, which consists
of housemade potato crisps and addictive smoky fish dip.
We ordered some of their charcuterie offerings, which in my
opinion is some of the best I've had in Sydney!
 |
| Wagyu cecina with wood fire beets and quest garrotte |
The smoky and buttery wagyu cecina ($22) was nicely
complimented by the sweetness of the wood fire beets and light queso
garrotxa.
 |
| Truffle mortadella |
The truffle
mortadella ($19) had a nice fatty soft texture with next level hints of
earthy notes from the truffle. The guindillas peppers that came with the
mortadella was sweet and sour with heat that slowly creeps up at the back of the palate.
 |
| Ortiz anchovies tart with roasted bull horn |
The Ortiz
anchovies tart with roasted bull horn ($14) was superb. It's a
delicate snack that balances intense and subtle flavours.
 |
| Smoked wagyu tongue and pickled green tomato |
One of the most instagrammed snack here
at the moment is their smoked wagyu
tongue and pickled green tomato in a super buttery toasted brioche ($14).
It was the best toastie I've had to date. The wagyu tongue was tender, buttery
and smoky. The pickled green tomato gave balance to this rich snack.
 |
| Foie gras parfait with pickles and toast |
Their foie gras parfait with pickles and toast ($29) was mind blowing! The foie gras parfait was like an exquisite
sweet and creamy liver pâté but with a smooth whipped-liked consistency.
 |
| Spit roasted David Blackmore wagyu blade |
The spit
roasted David Blackmore wagyu blade ($52) is a massive steak that was
cooked perfectly medium rare. It was fatty, juicy and flavoursome with a nice
caramelised charred surface. It came with a meaty tasting gravy that almost had
a jus-like consistency.
 |
| Dripping potatoes with roasted garlic and creme fraiche |
We picked the dripping potatoes with roasted garlic and crème fraîche ($16) as an
accompaniment to our wagyu blade main. The chunks of potato were so crisped on
the outside and fluffy inside. It was nicely seasoned and flavoured with salt
and rosemary.
 |
| Fat from heaven |
Last but not least, we had the "fat from heaven" ($16) for
dessert. It's a milk flan with vanilla bean and caramel with sticks of short
bread. Though the texture was a little bit light than I what I would prefer, it
was still nice and smooth. The vanilla in the actual flan and orange in the
caramel was a nice touch along with the beautiful short breads.
The service is outstanding, the venue is
fab and the food is excellent. I'll be back soon Mercado!
Mercado
Restaurant
4 Ash Street
Sydney NSW 2000
Phone: (02)
9221 6444
Opening hours:
Lunch
Mon to Fri 12pm-2:30pm
Dinner
Mon to Thurs 5:30pm-10pm
Fri and Sat 5:30pm-10:30pm
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