Mercado Restaurant, Sydney

You know when you see something on Instagram and you just immediately know that you need it in your life? That’s totally how I felt when I saw all the pics of Nathan Sasi’s newly opened Mercado, located on Ash St just around the corner from Ash St Cellar and Felix.

The Smoked Wagyu tongue in brioche ($14) is a must order. I normally have issues with tongue (especially when it’s sliced lengthways and still looks like a tongue…) but this gourmet toastie is next level. The entire surface area of the pork fat brioche has been perfectly toasted to ensure max tastiness and the gruyere cheese is at the optimal melty stage, melding with the slices of smokey tongue and pickled green tomato.

The Foie gras parfait ($29) is absolutely swoon-worthy. The parfait is incredibly rich but with a super light texture that just melts on the tongue. This parfait has got to be the best I’ve ever eaten and I had to force myself to push the plate over to Raff when I started eating past the halfway mark because that’s one friendship point I don’t want to cross 😛

Nathan sends out the Buffalo milk ricotta ($16) on the house and it is amazing, the ricotta is ridiculously light and fluffy. It’s roll your eyes to the heavens delicious with the sweet truffle honey and savoury oregano combo and best slathered inch thick onto the grilled house made bread. It reminds us of the goats cheese churros at Nomad buuuut so much tastier 😛

The Fish and chips ($12) is exactly my kind of whimsy- the potato chips are earth shatteringly crisp and we gleefully dunk them into the house cured fish roe dip.

The Ortiz anchovy tart ($14) is a delightful snack, I think I imagined the tart would be round but nay they are rectangle in nature. The tart is buttery and crisp and holds up well against the sweet roasted bull horn peppers, pickled onions and salty anchovy fillet.

Ribbons of ruby red Wagyu cecina ($22) are dotted with sweet wood fired beets and blanketed in curls of salty queso garrotxa cheese. Dat sweet and salty combo was on point!

Oops sorry for this blur blur photo haha I was just too excited to dig into the Truffle mortadella ($19)! Each fold of mortadella was delicately soft and with that heady unmistakable fragrance of truffle. Oh and a plate of pickled guindillas peppers arrived on the side which were awesome, sweet and sour and just mildly spicy.

We decided to share the Spit roasted David Blackmore wagyu beef blade ($52) and we couldn’t help but coo upon its arrival. With beautifully caramelised edges and a perfect blushing pink centre, the wagyu was everything I had hoped for and more! Super tender, ridiculously juicy and just so fricken tasty <3 Sidenote: looks like the menu has changed since we visited and there’s now a Wagyu beef shortrib instead of the beef blade which sounds amazing.

Oh and we ordered a side of Dripping potatoes ($16) because, carbs. The potatoes are gloriously crunchy with fluffy innards and just begging to be smothered in the roasted garlic creme fraiche.

I would’ve loved to order some cheese from the cheese trolley as Mercardo make some of the cheeses in house but alas! Too full! Instead, Raff and I chose to share the Fat from Heaven ($16) so we wouldn’t completely miss out on ending dinner on a sweet note. The flan is deliriously smooth with the perfect amount of richness.

Mercado mills their own flour to make their bread, check out this contraption that sits at the front of the open kitchen!

I love Mercado’s push to try and make as much as possible in house, from the charcuterie to the breads and even their own vinegars and dressings. I can’t wait to return for the cheese trolley and the beef rib!

Mercado,
4 Ash St,
Sydney

Trading hours:
Mon – Thurs: noon – 3pm, 5.30pm – 10pm
Fri: noon – 3pm, 5pm – 11pm
Sat: 5pm – 11pm