Restaurant business booming in Sydney’s west with two new restaurants opening this week alone

The restaurant business is booming in Parramatta with two new eateries opening in Sydney’s west this week alone.

The restaurant business is booming in Parramatta it seems.

Boutique hospitality group giant Seagrass is opening not one but two new eateries on the main George Street strip this week alone.
Side-by-side, Italian Street Kitchen and Hunter & Barrell will open their doors on Thursday.

“We are excited for the opportunity to open in this precinct, and see our Parramatta location as the ideal flagship addition to an already emerging and vibrant dining community,” Hunter & Barrel brand manager Joey Ibrahim said.

“We look forward to welcoming locals and providing them with a taste of our welcoming and inclusive service. We want guests to feel

at home.”

Elie Chedid, Enrico Marchese, Lydia Liberatore, Ran Kimefeld, Purnima Khadka, Giulio Marchese and Windy Lee. Staff from Hunter & Barrel and Italian Street Kitchen, two major restaurants side-by-side, which open, in Parramatta, on June 8. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

Parramatta has long been regarded as a foodie mecca of Sydney and has increased in popularity over recent years with major operators looking to open outlets in the city’s west.

Seagrass is also responsible for Five Guys franchises in New Zealand and Australia and owns The Meat & Wine Co, Alma’s Mezze & Charcoal, Ribs & Burgers and 6 Head.

Guilio Marchese, of Italian Street Kitchen, said: “The menu was inspired by the food of my family and my home region, and I’m excited to share it with our new community. We hope these restaurants will become the perfect location for family outings, post work gatherings, or a catch up with friends. And we look forward to serving our new family.”

SINGING FOODIE HITS A HIGH AT LANGHAM

Arrnott Olssen, past contestant on My Kitchen Rules at The Langham Sydney's Observatory Bar. Picture: Chris Mohen

You could call him ‘the singing foodie’ – Arrnott Olssen is both a talented performer and a master in the kitchen.

Kitchen Confidential readers might recognise Olssen from the last season of My Kitchen Rules and if you dig a little further back, you’d find he competed on two seasons of reality singing show Popstars (2001 and 2004).

While he still gigs around town, Olssen is very much entrenched in the Sydney foodie scene and this column can reveal he has signed on as the inaugural ambassador for The Langham Hotel’s Observatory Bar.

“Reflecting on the past 28 years that I’ve called Sydney my home, my passion for this remarkable city and its countless treasures continues to grow,” explained Olssen, who was born and raised in Fiji and moved to Australia in 1995. “I’ll be working closely with the team on the drink and food offerings, bringing a bit of my flair to the venue. It is an incredible bar space and one that stands out uniquely in Sydney for many reasons, not least of which is the incredible heritage listed building.”

Olssen will host his successful Men Lets Talk mental health forums at the venue, as well as a number of events throughout the coming year.

The beverage list at the venue is curated by the renowned Bailey twins, Edward and Steven with the bar menu from Executive Chef Stephen Lech.

TASTE TEST FOR THE BEST

Celebrity chefs Danielle Alvarez, Lennox Hastie, Peter Gilmore, Matt Stone and Matt Moran, during Delicious Produce Awards judging. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

Some of the biggest chefs in the country have stepped away from the kitchen to judge Australia’s most prestigious food awards – the annual delicious. Harvey Norman Produce Awards.

Matt Moran, Danielle Alvarez, Peter Gilmore, Matt Stone, Lennox Hastie and Jo Barrett are just some of the high-profile chefs that descended on Icebergs Dining Room and Bar last Wednesday for the top-secret tasting event.

Each chef carefully examines the produce first, before tasting it raw and cooked, with hundreds of samples consumed. The judges then convene for a second (sometimes heated) discussion to determine the winners.

The awards shine a spotlight on trailblazing Australian producers and artisans. Past winners of the awards have shot to fame, with prize-winning ingredients becoming highly sought-after by chefs and home cooks alike, often appearing on high-end restaurant menus and selling out at specialty food stores and farmers’ markets.

“The award can change a producer’s life and it definitely changes their business,” National Judge Danielle Alvarez said. “That’s what it’s all about – celebrating them and giving them a platform to showcase all the wonderful things that they do.”

The national winners will be announced on August 24 in the September issue of delicious. magazine and at an exclusive event held on the same day in Sydney.

RELISH THE LUXURY

Balmoral Hamper Club. Picture: Supplied

Supporting local is the ethos of new Sydney business, The Balmoral Hamper Club.

As the name suggests, it is a luxury hamper offering that specialises in a range of products from food and wine, to baby hampers and pamper packages

Marketing executive and Indigenous entrepreneur Candice Lester started the business just last month after identifying a gap in the market. She has drawn in local artisans and providores to “bring the best to your door at the click of a button”.

“I launched the Balmoral Hamper Club as I saw too many hamper companies were providing items that were manufactured by big businesses,” Lester told Kitchen Confidential. “By providing locally sourced products, we are able to deliver the best value and quality to our customers whilst also helping small businesses grow.”

Approved by Supply Nation Registered, the Balmoral Hamper Club is also the only hamper company in the country that delivers custom made hamper bags and totes that are waterproof and insulated with every order.

Some of the brands they’re working with include Pebbly Path Rocky Road from Mudgee, Will Studd cheeses, Sally Obermeder’s SWIISH products and Lumiere candles.