Sydney Eat Street: Best places to try over Christmas
Whether it’s visions of sugarplums or begging for figgy pudding, for foodies Christmas truly is the most wonderful time of the year. Here’s our food guide for the festive season.
Whether it’s visions of sugarplums or begging for figgy pudding, for foodies Christmas truly is the most wonderful time of the year. Here’s our food guide for the festive season.
Take a tour of the area’s best eateries right here with The Sunday Telegraph’s Eat Street. Are you hungry for more inspiration? Follow us on Instagram.
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SHANGRI-LA HOTEL
With snow falling from above, dusting the giant lollipops scattered about the fluffy white ground cover, its executive pastry chef, Anna Polyviou’s giant gingerbread train pulled into its station in the Shangri-La’s lobby, bringing with it a carriage filled with Christmas cheer.
At 4m long and covered in lollies, the whimsical creation took three days to assemble, with each of the 2500 housemade gingerbread tiles and 50kg of lollies attached by hand.
Anna, rocking her signature pink mohawk (it matches her vivacious personality), is a master of the sweet arts, renowned not only for her decadent dessert degustation, exciting Sweet Street Festivals, but also her animated energy as a judge on TV’s Family Food Fight and regular appearances on MasterChef Australia.
With such a vibrant personality, it’s no surprise she loves Christmas.
“It’s not about presents. It’s about spending time with family,” she says.
And it’s set to be a big production with the whole crew this Christmas Eve, “which is for the kids”, and yes, presents.
Her mother though is already prepping for the big Christmas Day dinner. Anna will be there to help but it’s her mother’s domain.
“I’m the apprentice with mum. Always learning from her.”
There’s more than just the gingerbread train as well. Don’t miss the Festive Store offering her mini-Gingerbread houses filled with lollies, Gingerbread Ninjas cookies, Fruit Mince Tarts, Christmas pudding, Caramel Christmas Log and a Christmas Trifle.
Her sold-out high teas get festive as well with three tiers of savouries and sweets including Gingerbread Passionfruit Caramel, Strawberries ‘n’ Cream Tart, Peach Melba, Christmas in a Jar, Mince Tarts, Merry Scones and to finish, a pink and white Christmas tree with petit four “presents” under the tree.
— 176 Cumberland St, Sydney
KOI
Your Christmas dreams have come true as KOI created a delightfully festive High Tea.
The bites on this year’s Christmas High Tea feature traditional Christmas elements paired with their own popular recipes and new ones influenced by current trending flavours and textures.
The little white box is a mini gift filled with vanilla orange, hazelnut and caramel.
The pinnacle of this pastry if not the whole high tea is a thin red ribbon, made of chocolate. It’s so intricate and delicate that even, Ike, the matriarch of the KOI contingency can only complete about 10 per hour.
Next on the plate is the Santa Hat — a lemon cream cheese mousse, blueberry myrtle coulis, baked lemon and cheesecake. It’s the same shape as their blueberry cheesecake; they just gave it a hat.
With a nod to seasonal produce, there is a deep burgundy coloured cherry — made with cherry mousse, cherry compote, and dark chocolate speculos ganache. Of course with any high tea, there is also a savoury selection but Ike granted your wish and filled the second tier with even more Christmas pastries.
— 46 Kensington St, Chippendale
NEL. RESTAURANT
Nelly Robinson, owner of nel. Restaurant is a Michelin-trained, award-winning chef and self-confessed kid at heart.
This may help to explain why his food is often described as being creative, innovative … and fun.
This intimate basement level restaurant’s menu consists of an eight course degustation menu with dishes that Nelly has somehow made both delicious and playful, each one eliciting a chorus of oohs and aahs.
For the current menu, Nelly tells the stories of Christmas with such clever creations as The Three Wise Men — mushroom consommé, comte dumplings (rolled in gold), mushrooms, Frankincense scent and lavender oil (from the myrrh family) and the rather cheeky Naughty Child, a culinary piece of “coal” in the form of Montgomery cheddar, Onion, Chives.
Fermented truffle served with smoke under a glass dome.
Finish off with Nelly’s take on “milk and cookies”, Chocolate Orange cake and finally a little gift in the way of a petit four from nel.’s Christmas stocking.
The Story of Christmas menu is on through December 22.
— 75 Wentworth Ave, Surry Hills
TEXTBOOK
Most of us have only experienced a white Christmas watching movies, snow falling, ugly sweaters and an open fire.
Canadian-born pastry chef Shaynna Smith has brought a little of the Northern Hemisphere to her plates at Textbook this year.
She’s created pastries reminiscent of snowy Christmases such as the bûche de noel, a French dessert otherwise known as a Yule Log as rolled sponge cake resembles a log when sliced at the end.
Shaynna has given it a seasonal Aussie twist using seasonal yellow and white peach in the mousseline (a thick cream blend) then countered with the citrus in the Yuzu cream is nestled between white mountains dusted with pale blue snowflakes — a sweet rendition of the moon reflected off a blanket of fresh snow.
She also looked to Christmas decorations of colder climates such as forest pine wreaths which she has reinvented with a bright glaze over an eggnog mousse, which by tradition includes a tick of brandy (as it does with this one) is adorned with holly.
But it’s not all icicles and snow though as this year her mother who is visiting from North America has pretty much insisted that mangoes be on the menu, and definitely in the cake.
— 274 Botany Rd, Alexandria
CARRIAGEWORKS
Tis the season … for last minute shopping, be it for Christmas dinner or some sort of foodie gift.
To get it all in one trip, head to The Carriageworks Christmas Market this Saturday from 8am-1pm.
Being three days before Christmas, it’s perfectly timed for you to pick up plenty of fruit and vegetables for the big dinner, but just for this day, the 100 regular vendors, will be joined by an additional 21 stall which will be specifically offering holiday centric foods ranging from locally sourced hams, seafood and lamb to Christmas pudding and gluten-free mince tarts.
For those still hunting down last minute presents, there’ll be heaps of foodie gifts options including Continental Bar and Deli with their range of unique tinned items and festive pastries from Andy Bowdy of Sage in Enmore.
You’ll also be able to pick up gifts from some of Sydney’s top restaurants including chef tweezers and after dinner chocolates from Quay; olive oil from Bennelong; and Firedoor’s steak knives and smoked butter.
Also, there’ll be a chance to meet with restaurant royalty such as Peter Gilmore (Quay, Bennelong) and Lennox Hastie (Firedoor)) who will be signing their latest books that morning.
Check out carriageworks.com.au for more details.
— 245 Wilson St, Eveleigh
MUST TRY
FAIRY FLOSS ADVENT CALENDAR
The countdown to Christmas is well and truly on but to make it official — be it at home, a friend’s house or even the office — tick the remaining days off with a daily bucket of gourmet fairy floss.
The box comes with 25 different flavours including their award-winning Crushed Cookie, Salted Caramel, Rosewater & Pistachio and Apple Pie versions.
Naturally you’ll have some catching up to do but it is the silly season after all.
— Fluffy Crunch, fluffycrunch.com.au
THE NIGHT BEFORE
Milk and cookies are great while he’s on the job, but after an exhausting world tour, Santa deserves a festive drink and the mixologists at the Park Hyatt Sydney are happy to oblige.
Dubbed The Night Before, this clever concoction channels Santa’s evening snacks as well as a nod to his trusty steeds.
Made with fresh carrot juice, Baileys, Port, Brandy, Crème de Gingembre and nutmeg, this cocktail is Christmas Eve in a glass.
— Park Hyatt Sydney; 7 Hickson Rd, The Rocks
CHRISTMAS TURKEY
To ensure that the crown jewel of your Christmas dinner lives up to its name, any chef will tell you that your first step is to start with a quality product.
A popular choice in the culinary community is the full-flavoured turkey, ham and chicken produced by Saskia Beer of Saskia Beer Farm Produce.
The daughter of Aussie cooking legend and restaurateur, Maggie Beer, and game bird farmer, Colin Beer, Saskia was raised to appreciate the intrinsic connection between sustainable farming practices and wholesome food.
It may take a bit longer, but your tastebuds will tell you it’s worth the wait.
— Saskia Beer Farm Produce; saskiabeer.com for stockist
TRIFLE
With all the family and friends coming around for Christmas dinner, don’t forget to save a place for Philly …. right in the centre of the table.
A huge trifle that feeds 20, the Philly is cake-maker extraordinaire, Andy Bowdy’s latest addition to the holiday line-up. A take on the classic trifle, this one is made with vanilla sponge, maple custard, peach & bourbon jelly, brown sugar pecans, vanilla Chantilly, Anzac crumb, peach & raspberry compote and fresh peaches and raspberries.
And like any good guest, Philly can also come with a bottle of Brandy custard if you ask nicely.
— Saga Enmore; 178 Enmore Rd, Enmore
SALTED CARAMEL SYRUP
Admit it, the Gingerbread man glass bottle alone is gift worthy, but once you break the gilded wax seal, it’s the delicious syrup inside that will grab your attention.
Imported from France, it comes in two variants — salted caramel or ginger. Both are delicious over ice cream, served with cake or even a dollop in your coffee.
— available at Mrs Oldbucks Pantry; Old Hume Hwy, Berrima or at mrsoldbuckspantry.com.au
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