Cafe Paci, Newtown

Cafe Paci has been on my wishlist. I was so stoked that I finally got to visit it along with my good friend and fellow Sydney Food Blogger, Chocolatesuze. It’s located in Newtown and is easily accessible by public transport with lots of street parking in the area as well.

Click on thumbnail above or here for my Youtube video

Scallops, togarashi & sour cream

Tuna tartare

Sourdough pasta with pear and pecorino

Potato dumplings (gnocchi) with XO trout sauce

Fairy bread ice cream with brown butter custard

Chef Pasi Petanen has work at a lot of renowned restaurants in Sydney past such as Automata and ACME. He did a pop a few years back and has now found a permanent location on King Street, Newtown. The cuisine is bit of Finnish and Mexican with touches of Italian, Japanese and a lot more. The food is both innovative and delicious. They also have a wide range of wines to match with their signature dishes.

Click here for my video and more information about the dishes.

Cafe Paci

Ester, Chippendale - Sydney

 This place needs no introduction. It became one of the hottest restaurants in Sydney shortly after it opened in 2013. Then in 2015, it was awarded best new restaurant by SMH Good Food. Currently, it’s a 2-hatted restaurant. All forms of online food media and Sydney’s best chefs have always raved about Ester. I would say this is currently my favourite restaurant in Sydney.

Head chef Mat Lindsay, his team and the massive wood-fired oven at the back of the restaurant does wonders. The space has an elegant and industrial vibe. Their menu is pretty much seasonal driven so some of the dishes I’ve tried might not be available on the most current menu. 

The fermented potato bread with trout roe and kefir cream ($22) is loved by many including myself. The bread was amazingly fluffy with a nice smoky crust. The dashi jelly and roe added umami to the plate. The kefir cream provided balance to everything.

The rock oysters ($5 each) was dressed in vinegary goodness and laced with sharp and sweet notes from the onion.

The cured bonito ($22) was a plate of umami bliss and textural excellence.

The potato pasta ($18) was insane! An incredible potato puree covered in premium sheets of silky pasta in a pond of potato dashi. Also topped with egg yolk that adds a nice extra texture to the dish when punctured.

The grilled prawns ($39) was my second favourite dish on the menu. The prawns were perfectly cooked and smoky with buttery, sweet and umami goodness from the sauce and capers.

The veal short rib ($45) dish was a special that night. It was ridiculously tender, buttery and tasty.

We had the rib along with a smoky cauliflower, almond sauce and mint ($15). A perfect combo and one of my favourite vegetable dishes ever.

The three milks dessert ($16) consists of three different types of milk components prepared into one dish. The dulce de leche element was amazing. 

Last but not least, the burnt pav ($16). I’m not a fan of pavlova but their modern interpretation of this Aussie classic won me over. Everything from texture to flavour was excellent.

Ester to me is modern Australian cuisine at its finest. I’ve dined here a few times and have been very impressed everytime. If you could only visit one restaurant in Sydney then it has to be Ester.

Ester
46-52 Meagher Street

Chippendale NSW

Phone: 02 8068 8279

Reservations online: www.ester-restaurant.com.au

Hours:

Lunch

Sat 12:00pm onwards

Sun 12:00pm – 6pm

Dinner

Mon to Sat 6:00om - late

Mjolner Whisky Bar and Carvery Restaurant - Redfern, Sydney

"Whosover holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor", is the inscription carried by Thor's hammer, Mjolnir in the Marvel universe. I may never possess the power of the mighty Thor but I'm pretty sure I possess his mighty appetite! So I proclaimed myself worthy of a visit to the new Mjølner restaurant in Redfern.

This Nordic themed whisky bar and carvery restaurant as you can see is named after the hammer of the Norse God of Thunder Thor. Mr. Sven Almenning and the rest of the Speakeasy dining group has done a fantastic job. It does feel like a whole new world the moment you enter Mjolner's underground premises. The space has this really cool moody Scandinavian interior with Viking themed fittings and artifacts. The bar is pumping with whiskies and other booze. Mjolner or Mjolnir stands right at the edge of the bar. The man behind the menu (and you can see him looking after the carving station) is Head Chef Tom Gripton.

Mead called Stone

As we were seated at our table, they welcomed us with a traditional Viking toast and a complimentary serving of mead they call Stone. It's a sweet wine concoction with a spiced, fruity and honey flavour profile. Loved it!

There's a choice between 1 course ($35), 2 course ($55), 3 course ($70) or you can simply go al a carte. We opted for 2 course each, which means we get to choose 1 starter and 1 main each. You also get to choose your own Viking dagger to use for carving your main dish!

Starters:

You need to order their roasted bone marrow ($20 al a carte)! Basically, it's a umami packed plate. Starts with that beautiful roasted marrow aroma. Then your palate gets hit with so much umami combos from the rich buttery marrow and the beef powder.

The cauliflower with burnt butter, pepitas and balsamic ($20 al a carte) was outstanding! Perfectly cooked roasted smoky cauliflower with a nutty caramelised, woody and slight acidic taste from the burnt butter, pepitas and balsamic sauce.

Mains:

The bird ($35) is their roast duck with beetroot, amaranth and orange. The skin was so crisped and tasty that it almost seemed like it was fried. The sweetness from the beetroot, orange and bite of the amaranth complimented the succulent duck.

 

Braised short rib

The Meat ($35) is a massive braised beef short rib with crispy kale and mushroom. There is one thing I've noticed to this point. Chef Tom's umami game in every dish is damn strong! He is an expert at it. The kale and mushrooms was packed with umami and especially the short rib. The rib was super tender, buttery and the caramelisation of rendered fat was so crisped and tasty. It was insanely the best short rib I've had to date.

All mains come with baby potatoes, horseradish and herbs.

Dessert: 

Mascarpone parfait

The mascarpone parfait was simply divine. The combination of mascarpone and zesty charred lemons along with sweet hazelnuts worked well.

Mjølner is more than just an exhibition of Viking and Nordic themed dining. It's another Sydney restaurant that offers honest amazing food with generous servings and service that's as excellent as their food and drinks. Would I go back? I certainly would!

Mjølner

267 Cleveland Streer

Redfern NSW

Hours:

Tuesday to Saturday 5pm to 11.45pm

Sunday 12pm to 10.00pm

Closed on Mondays