After the meat fest last week I was hesitant if I wanted to consume another meat heavy meal but hey who was I kidding, I’m always up for a good meat-ing (hurhur). My partner in crime suggested hitting up newly opened Bowery Lane (Shop 1, Level 4, 1 O’Connell St, Sydney) because he’d been eyeing off a mega rib and they did milkshakes and oh boy I heart milkshakes!


Bowery Lane is open for breakfast if you’re in need of your coffee and eggs fix but swing by for lunch (and soon, dinner) cos that’s where all the action is! Make your way past the coffee counter if you’re dining in, or head through the 1 O’Connel lobby and feast your eyes on the incredible display at the takeaway area.


Mmm life extending foods


Hot, soul comforting foods


But I only had eyes for the MEGA BOWL OF CRACKLE!! Apparently you can get a piece of crackle to go with your lunch mmm


But we were here to eat in so back into the dining room we go where there’s cosy booths and communal dining.


We start with Milkshakes ($7)- Hershey’s Cookies & Cream and Reece’s Peanut Butter Cup, I loved the bonus whole piece of chocolate balanced on top of the glasses, yay for chocolate! The cookies & cream was perfect but I wished the peanut butter cup was more peanut buttery because I am a peanut butter fiend and my motto is you can never have too much peanut butter. Or chocolate. Or bacon.


LOOK AT HOW IT GLISTENS! This baby is the 1Kg Braised Wagyu Short Rib ($58) and I spent about a minute just ogling and basking it its beauty. As usual, I will fail you guys in the “describing food” department but trust me, the rib is all kinds of amazing. Fatty and oh so tender I wished I could keep on eating and just hold the memory of deliciousness in my mind forever.


This wasn’t a deliberate innards shot, more of a ‘jabbed a fork at it and oops’ shot. But look at how tender that looks! And the horseradish cream was awesome, creamy without being overly rich and spicy enough to clear the nostrils but not crazy in your face burning.


Raff really rates the New York Cheeseburger ($18) with a juicy wagyu patty, monteray jack cheese, tomato, cos, caramelised onion and fries but honestly I only had eyes for the rib.


I ordered a side of Roast Pumpkin ($9) with oregano and parmesan because I felt guilty from the meat overload and wanted some vitamins. I heart parmesan but the pumpkin didn’t really need the added flavour because pumpkin is already mega tasty ya’know?


We were almost successful in finishing the mega rib but had to stop eating because we really wanted dessert. The Ice Cream Sandwich ($13) had caught my eye because well, ICE CREAM SANDWICH!!! I loved the slices of soft gingerbread hugging together rich chocolate ice cream but I wasn’t super keen on the chocolate poached pear mainly because I don’t like cooked fruits but that’s just me bro.


The Strawberry Shortcake ($13) is pretty as a picture and super refreshing. There were shards of crisp meringue and pieces of hazelnut shortcake and the combo of vanilla bean ice cream with macerated berries tasted like summer!

I wish I worked on this end of town so that I can eat here every day but I’ll definitely be back for that rib!

Bowery Lane
Shop 1, Level 4, 1 O’Connell St,
Sydney
NSW

Trading Hours:
Mon – Wed: 7am – 10pm
Thur – Fri: 7am – Late
Sat: 5pm – Late

ChocolateSuze dined as a guest of Bowery Lane

MEAT!!! Did you guys know I used to be vegetarian? Well pescatarian to be more precise because I loved fish but yeah there was a while where the thought of meat just made my stomach do somersaults. But heeeey look at me now! Anywhos LP’s Quality Meats (Suite 1, 16 Chippen Street, Chippendale) has been open for a couple of weeks now and is run by Chef Luke Powell (he of Mary’s fame).


The inside of LP’s has a beer hall vibe with rows upon rows of communal tables. Some extremely hungry humans decided to come for lunch on a Sunday (make sure you check their trading hours, they’re pretty whack) and the place filled up quickly so get there early!


The Cured and Cold Cuts are all made in-house and sliced to order- Coppa Di Testa ($12), Bierwurst ($12), Belly Ham ($12). The belly ham is my fave, delicately sweet and fatty.


I really wanted the Smoked Salmon ($18) because hey Omega 3’s! The salmon with the aioli is pretty amazing but I heart the deep fried capers which gave a briny crunch.


Platter o’ meat! Sadly the famed mega Beef Short Rib ($32) was not available OR the Lamb belly stuffed with merguez ($26) when we went that weekend for lunch and it felt like I went through the five stages of grief! I started with denial, thinking the waiter was pranking me; then anger at the realisation that we’d come all this way for no rib; bargaining, asking the waiter if there was any leftover or was there any at all on the way; depression at no rib; and finally acceptance that we’d have to settle for the replacement. Since LP’s is still new, I’m not sure if they were just trialling a different menu for lunch or maybe they ran out but oh boy the sads!

The replacement for the beef short rib was the Beef Tri Tip ($28) and it was pretty tasty! Even though it’s a lean cut the tri tip was plenty juicy and I loved the tiny ribbon of fat on the edges with a smokiness that has us eyeing each other over the last remaining slice. Then there was the Lamb Shoulder ($24) (instead of the lamb belly) which had a higher level of smokey intensity to the ridiculously tender meat that just about had me swooning. The Smoked Chicken ($24/half) was crazy soft, like, pillow soft. Ok maybe not pillow soft but marshmallow soft? The chicken was the least smoky out of the meats but I loved it, especially with a swipe in the aioli provided. And last but not the least was the Toulouse Sausage ($14) which was fatty and sweet and deeeeelicious.


We ordered some Bread ($2/roll) which were fluffy and light and would’ve made for the perfect burger and we’d also ordered the Eggplant Salad ($12) but I took the worlds most blurriest photo so um my bad for the lack of pic. We were unanimous in our love for the eggplant which was smoky and all kinds of comforting.


If you’ve ever been to Mary’s you would know that we had to order the Mashed Potato and Gravy ($10) and in fact ended up ordering a second bowl! It was as perfect as I’d remembered, silky smooth buttery mash with a river of gravy, none of us wanted to share! Also, it totally made me want to duck over to Newtown and get a cheeseburger for dessert.


Oh yeah we ended up getting another round of Tri tip ($28). Don’t judge.


The Pouding Chomuer ($12) is the only dessert on the menu but it’s a pretty darn epic dessert! This hybrid cake pudding is pretty much drowned in glorious maple syrup and the scoop of vanilla ice cream attempts to bring the sweetness down a notch.


We were told there were some dessert specials, the first being a Trifle ($14). Now, I’m not the biggest trifle fan and this one sadly didn’t change my view of trifles either. There’s something about the combination of jelly and cream…


The second special was a Donut ($5) that we had high hopes for and while it was a perfectly fine donut, it wasn’t anything super special, just cream filled and topped with a single cherry.

I’m turning into an old person and found the music to be a tad on the loud side for a Sunday lunch and while I was mega disappointed with the lack of rib and lamb belly for lunch I will defs come back at dinner and try my luck!

LP’s Quality Meats
Suite 1, 16 Chippen Street,
Chippendale
NSW

Trading Hours:
Sun – Mon: Closed
Tues – Sat: 5pm – 11pm

My trip to Japan earlier this year just about ruined me. Leaving a land where every single piece of sushi was just perfection pretty much left me cynical and cold on the inside. But then came the most epic meal I’ve ever had in Sydney at Sokyo (Level G, The Darling at The Star, 80 Pyrmont St, Pyrmont)!

Helen and I chose to sit at the sushi bar so we could watch chef Chase Kojima work his magic. We start with a carafe of Bishonen “Beautiful Boy” sake ($21) which is smooth, fruity but not overly sweet and then the fireworks begin.

We begin with ruby red slices of Tuna with mountain potato, shiso leaf and umeboshi (pickled ume plum). The julienned mountain potato has a bit of a sticky mouthfeel but the sweetness of the umeboshi is perfect with the tuna. Hay smoked bonito with minced ginger and chives has a smoky meatiness to it which I loved. The Mackerel with chilli oil, soy and ginger is delicate and sings a zingy song to my tastebuds and the Alfonsino kinmedai is sweet with a delicate texture.


We are lucky to catch the truffle menu before it ended and just had to order the ChaseToroToro ($15/piece), bluefin tuna belly with white sea urchin, black truffle and wrapped in crisp seaweed. MIND BLOWN!!! Not to sound dirty but this was seriously the best thing I have ever put in my mouth. The buttery flavour of tuna with the briny goodness of sea urchin and the incredible aroma of truffles… be still my heart!


Short Rib Beef Skewers ($17) grilled Robata-style just melts in the mouth, the cubes of beef so freakishly tender with caramelised eschallots alternating in between to provide some crunch and relief from the richness.


Cuttlefish Tempura ($16) has an ethereally light batter and only needed the briefest of dips in the chilli, tarragon and ponzu sauce.


We are treated to an off the menu special of Scampi and Foie gras which was just bloody amazing. The scampi was lightly seared and wonderously sweet and the foie gras brought a level of rich umami happiness that had us closing our eyes in bliss. Paper thin slices of radish and apple refreshed the palate and I would’ve been happy if our meal ended there.


But it didn’t end because what did Chase have in store? TUNA! That there is part of the 133kg tuna he’d purchased that very morning!


He normally ages the tuna for a week but we are treated to slices of chutoro and kotoro. I’d not heard of kotoro before but Chase told us it was his favourite part of the tuna and we watched in awe as he carefully sliced away with such precision and scored the kotoro.


And then there was the Otoro which is the reason why life is worth living. Seriously just look at that beauty! The otoro is fatty and unctuous and just so damn perfect I could weep with joy.


Also from the truffle menu was the 150g Wagyu Oyster Blade ($62) with a marble score of +5. The medium rare slices of Wagyu are beautifully seared and served with a salad dressed with a black truffle champagne vinaigrette, a handful of crispy garlic chips and blanketed with black gold.


And then Chase came around and MADE IT RAIN TRUFFLES! YESSSSSSSS the fragrance! The heady aroma! Oh how life is grand!


We were starting to fill up but salmon is my favourite fish in all the lands (in case you’re interested, tuna is my next fave followed by butterfish and then cod) and so both fresh Salmon belly ($6 each) and Seared salmon nigiri were ordered and they were buttery, fatty and just glorious.


Helen chose to have her Scallop nigiri ($4.50 each) fresh but I have texture issues and wanted mine Scallop aburi (mmm burning).


I had reached explodey point but somehow found the room to fit in an Eel nigiri ($6). I loved the lime which awoke my food comatosed brain whose only thought was that it was eel-licious (hurhur sorrynotsorry).


Jean-Baptiste, the general manager of Sokyo swung by to have a chat and next thing we knew we are trying the most amazing sake- a 10 year old bottle of Dewazakura sake. It was smooth and ridiculously easy to drink. Too easy.


We’d decided we would share just one dessert buuuut out came a dessert platter ($26) and golly, what a dessert platter!


Donatsu are fat and fluffy donuts with a creamy pineapple mascarpone filling and a silky smooth creme fraiche ice cream.


The wedge of Tofu Cheesecake is a winner, tasting like sweet tofu-fa! I could’ve happily polished off an entire cheesecake 😛


The Yuzu Souffle had quite an impressive height but uh by the time we took pics it deflated. My bad! But hey it was still tasty! The tangy yuzu was the perfect match with the accompanying creme fraiche ice cream and didn’t really need the cubes of passionfruit jelly.


Goma Street is a tower of dark chocolate discs with layers of caramelised white chocolate in between and knobbly chunks of black sesame crumble. It felt like such a crime smashing the tower! The black sesame ice cream is a perfect way to round off our meal.


Like seriously guys, Sokyo is now my fave restaurant in Sydney! Obvs it’s not the place to come weekly unless you’re loaded but it’s definitely the place for a treat yo’self occasion.

ChocolateSuze dined at Sokyo with a $100 gift voucher that was used to partially fund the cost of this meal. The remainder was personally paid for

EDIT: CLOSED

MY PRETTIES! I believe good things come to those that wait and oh how I’ve waited to visit La Maison de L’éclair (91 Bondi Road, Bondi)! Open for about a year now, La Maison de L’éclair is run by Frédéric and Laurence Caillon, founders of Croquembouche Patisserie in Botany.


It’s hard not to enter the patisserie and just stop and stare at the cabinet holding eclairs of all colours of the rainbow, so bright, so vivid (double rainbow, double rainbow!). I had serious decision angst as it was so hard to choose! The eclair prices are for takeaway only, if you’re dining in it’s +$1.


Mini eclairs!


A selection of tarts and cakes from Croquembouche are also available and there’s a whole window dedicated to pastel hued macarons.


There’s savoury eclairs too for those missing their sweet tooth. Or should that be teeth… They’re also gluten free, made from buckwheat and look stuffed to the gills with filling.


The boy really wanted the Fruits of the Forrest ($7.50 + $1 dine in) and when I asked him how it tasted he said it tasted purple which is SUCH a big help, thanks Noods. So because I wanted more information than the eclair tasting like a colour, I nicked a bite and was impressed with the smooth mixed berries cream filling. I did find the icing to be a bit on the tooth achingly sweet side and while I’m not the biggest fan of flowers in my foods I did like the crunch of the crystallised violets studded about.


The Nutella Eclair ($8.50 + $1 dine in) was a special of the day with fresh cream and choc pops and it was pretty damn tasty as is all things with Nutella! I hear there’s a Nutella shortage happening because of poor weather affecting hazelnut crops which has led to me binge eating Nutella like there’s no tomorrow. But anywho this eclair with its wonderfully smooth Nutella cream filling filled all the corners of my Nutella loving heart.


The Crunchy Hazelnut Eclair ($8.50) was a fair runner up to the Nutella eclair with a crunchy hazelnut ganache cream filling topped with a sweet hazelnut fondant, nougatine, hazelnuts, gold leaf and a mini macaron with a delicately crisp shell.


The Raspberry Duchesse ($8.50) was my fave out of the bunch as tasted like summer! Fat, juicy raspberries are enveloped with a fresh cream filling and a baby pink macaron top hugs everything together.


Aaaand last but not least the Signature Gold Eclair ($8.50) containing a praline and Ecuador cream filling. This baby is rich, I mean look at its gold shimmer dust bling! And also rich in the ‘uh oh this is so rich and filling” sense. Not the best idea to eat after having eaten several eclairs prior haha my bad…


I did find some of the icing on the eclairs to be a bit on the sweet side but I absolutely loved the choux pastry which was fresh, light and really was just everything I had hoped for. I’ll definitely be back to try the savoury eclairs as well as the rest of the sweet eclairs 😀