G’Day Mate, My First 3 Days in Sydney!

Greetings from Sydney Australia!  I’m currently on culinary trip with Chef Kristina Vanni of Terraces Winery,  Chef Anthony Jacquet of Whispers Lounge in os Angelas and Chandra Ram editor of Plate Magazine.  A few months ago Chandra & I judged an Australian lamb burger competiton and Kristina and Anthony won with  flying colors.

So day one I’m now 15 hours ahead of Chicago, I completely lost August 29, 2010 during the flight but it seems my flight back will be the longest day in my life!  Through customs I kept being asked if I had any “bitts”, WTF is a “bitt”?  I later found out that they were boots!  I was asked if I had been hiking lately, in my head I thought do I look like I hike?  I’m not exactly a nature boy, I love my garden and everything but I’m not one for sleeping under the stars with the creatures of the forest (including the cast from deliverance in you know what I mean)! 

After checking in at the hotel I spent my afternoon walking around the city center of Sydney, the Queen Victoria Building which is the oldest arcade in the city.  Its absoutley beautiful, I’ve also never have seen so many espresso cafes in my life!  Seriously coffee drinking is a new art form here, I thought the USA was extreme, we fail in comparison!

We finally met back up as a group and went down to the sydney harbor with the opera house and the bridge, had a few cocktails and off to Rockpool/Spice Temple for a tour and dinner.  The photos speak for themself, check out the glasses at the bar in Rockpool, thats some serious stems!  Chef Andy Evans gave us a guided tour of Australias Celebrity Chef Niel Perry operations, by the end of this year Niel will have close to 600 employees working in his various operations!  Chef Andy served us quite a meal, making sure we begged uncle for food to stop arriving at the table!

The next morning we went to  the fish market, WOW!  What an amazing operation, the fish was absoutley pristine and so many varities of fish that I’ve never seen before.  For the first time in a long time I felt like I was just a young cook who knew nothing, I took so many photos and listening to our tour guide of the market describe the various fish in length.  To many photos to post here, but if your a friend of mine on facebook I have posted multiple photo albums.  Breakfast that morning consisted of a dozen local oysters that have only been out of the water a few hours and a flat white coffee (think espresso and warm milk, little foam).

Next we headed over to Victor Churchill, Australia’s premier butcher.  This was something I was really interested in because they have been dry aging beef and lamb in a room lined with himilayan pink salt (sounds like primehouse to me).  They have really made meat appear like the gem it is, think high end jewelry store.  Marble floor, exotic wood, fantastic displays of raw, aged meats, terrines, pates, the open butcher shop, the dry age room, a small kitchen where they prep everything.  They only use hand cranked slicers, the prosciutto had the best sugar crystal crunch becaus ethe meat was cut at such a slow rpm.  The highlight was being able to sign the wall of visiting chefs in the back, it was an honor to have my name up there with the others.

Off to lunch at the Pony Club with 40 of Sydneys great chefs, the entire meal was very farm to plate with great conversation from all of the chefs.  Chandra had to give a speach on the american dining scene (haha), I just had to eat, drink and be social!  I especially like talking with Erik Tan of the Chophouse, it was interesting to here his take on meat in sydney of course after learning what they call beef and lamb cuts here!

After our lunch we walked around, found a local honey shop and tasted about 8 or 9 different honeys, I fell in love with the leatherwood honey and had to bring some home to the states.  Then the journey of walking over the Sydney Harbor Bridge, what an amazing view!  The city is so beautiful, the people are very proud of their city here, as they should be.  Time for a beer after that walk!! 

Wait day two isn’t over yet, we ran back to the hotel and I changed in record time into my suit and off to dinner at Becasse.  Chef Justin North talked us through his operation and upcoming ventures as well as the dining scene in Sydney through his eyes.  His food was fantastic, after 7 courses it was almost time to call it a night.  One last beer down at the local pub and off to bed I went.

Day three began with  a tour of Star City, Sydneys only casino.  Chef Andy North toured the entire facility with the many outlets including a buffet, noodle house, employee cafe, banquets, pastry shop, and about 5 other outlets.  Such a large operation, but everything was running smooth and in order no matter where you looked.  Lunch was a tasting of lamb tartare and then sous vide lamb rack. 

Next up a cruise on the harbor to take a look at Syndey from a different angle.  I supposedly saw where Russel Crow lives, nice place but that part of the harbor just smelled like BP had another oil disaster.  We went to an area know as the Gap, not the clothing store!  After Quite a climb of steps and rocks my eyes were amazed by this set of cliffs that overlook the ocean and the favorite spot for aussie’s to off themselves.  Hey I guess if your gonna go out, go out looking at something beautiful!

After we headed back to Summit restaurant for tapas with Chef Brett Luckens.  I have to admit Brett was pretty damn funny and I look forward to catching up for a drink with him when I have some free time on this trip.  He spoke alot to us about the foods he uses and why he chooses these products.  We spoke alot about cooking technique and the regional differences in Australia versus the USA.

Being the last night in Sydney we had top have some traditional meat pies, off to harrys meat pie cart on the warf that smells like petrol!  I had a curry lamb meat pie with mashed potatoes and mushy peas & an orange cola.  It was pretty tasty but I dont think it’s going to replace the tamale man in Chicago!  We then headed to the bad part of town just for me!  I was asking where the punks hang out because I sort of feel like and outcast here.  I havent seen any guys with tattoos and the ink I have seen has been on girls, mostly the top of their feet.  It dosent seem as common as it it is the states.  I was told we have to go to Kings Crossing, I previously did some research on the web and the posts made it out to be a horrible place.  Sure as we drove in the strip clubs with dancers on their smoke breaks out front, some tattoo shops and bars but nothing that made me flinch.  We went into a bar, had a gin gimlet and some more laughs.  The Crew of the Meat & Livestock Australia have been nothing short of amazing!  Unfortunately it was time to end this part of the trip, headed back home to pack and off to Adeliade, Coonawara & the Barossa Valley tomorrow.