Sydney Eat Street: Meals that are good for the heart and soul
On your quest for this week’s dinner, opt for something that’s both good to eat and good for the soul.
Eat Street
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Take a tour of Sydney’s best eateries right here with The Sunday Telegraph’s Eat Street. Are you hungry for more inspiration? Follow us on Instagram or Twitter. #SydneyEatStreet
Arte Bianca Restaurant
Master Pizzaiolo Mark Paterno and his wife, Wendy, know just how tough their customers and fellow restaurateurs are doing it during the latest Sydney Covid-19 lockdown. They are also acutely aware others are doing it doubly tough.
“Mark signed up to train for a half-marathon with Can Too (cancer research and prevention foundation) earlier this year after having treatment for throat cancer,” Wendy says.
“It’s tough times all around, in hospitality and in most industries right now. We’re fortunate in that we’re able to trade still in a takeaway and delivery capacity. [But] cancer doesn’t know that we’re in a pandemic, I can’t imagine how tough it must be for people going through treatment in the middle of this lockdown.”
It’s why Mark and Wendy’s Italian restaurant, Arte Bianca pizza e vino is fundraising for the cancer charity by donating 50 per cent of the proceeds from their weekly Can Too pizza.
“So far we’ve done four different pizza specials over the past four weeks – all had an orange theme as a nod to the charity’s colours,” Wendy adds, such as pumpkin puree, zucchini flower, Soppressa salami and buffalo ricotta; and fior di latte, zucchini flower, prawns, yellow cherry tomato, and orange zest.
Since lockdown is dull enough, Mark will be changing up the toppings, so keep an eye on their Facebook page for the latest creation.
In addition to the pies, Arte Bianca is still offering their full menu, including desserts, wine and beer. Pre-order online for pick-up, Wednesday-Sunday from 5pm. Delivery to Double Bay and surrounding suburbs.
— 51 Bay St, Double Bay; artebianca.com.au
Tokyo Lamington
A blitzington might be the best way to describe the clever collaborations Eddie Stewart (Black Star Pastry) and Min Chai (N2 Extreme Gelato) of Tokyo Lamington have in store for fans of their innovative Aussie-Asian cakes, starting off with a two-day appearance (August 28-29) at Paramatta hotspot, Circa Espresso.
“This is the first of many lamingtons blitzes we have planned with cafes around Greater Sydney,” Eddie says.
“Collaborations is how Min and I met during the days of Black Star and N2 Gelato, making the watermelon cake smash gelato. It’s all about bringing local businesses together and supporting each other during these tough times and meeting new faces in our industry along the way.”
Teaming up with Circa’s founder, Aykut Sayan, Eddie and Min took inspiration from the cafe’s signature Love Cake to create their “Love Cake Lamington”.
“It’s made with rose-scented cream, vanilla sponge, white chocolate and rose dip, then rolled in toasted coconut, rose petals and pistachio,” Eddie reveals, noting that the rose water, rose petals, and pistachio are sourced from Iran through local importer, Saffron and More.
In addition to the Love Cake Lamington, he assures Tokyo Lamington fans: “The OG, Fairy Bread and our new Gluten-Free Black Sesame will also be making an appearance. We want to bring comfort to people during these hard times through our lamingtons.”
— Tokyo Lamington, 277 Australia St, Newtown; tokyolamington.com
— Circa Espresso, 21 Wentworth St, Parramatta; circaespresso.com.au
Mindful Baker
“Dude, where’s my … dinner?” isn’t a spin-off of that disastrous buddy movie starring Ashton Kutcher two decades ago, it’s part of a fantastic pandemic collaboration between the Mindful Baker’s Kate Fellowes and Jackson Jones, a pre-made meal specialist dubbed the “Dinner Dude of Glebe”.
“We’re two local businesses in Glebe who’ve formed a winning team to deliver Lockdown Dinners to locals and beyond,” Kate says.
“During the 2020 lockdown, Jackson, a local chef … started cooking meals for time-poor families who were homeschooling, working and juggling day to day lockdown life.
“I ordered Dinner Dude’s meals during lockdown to support him and his family and injecting some fun into my family’s weekday dinners. Working with food all day makes for a very unmotivated home cook.”
She explains at the same time lockdown started, she was looking for a new chef.
“Jackson was finding Dinner Dude a lonely undertaking – being a one-man band, so we started talking. Having kids of a similar age and living just a few blocks from each other, we were already acquainted, so Jackson started as our new full-time chef,” she says.
“We decided that if lockdown continued for more than one week, the Dinner Dude concept would be revived with Jackson creating the menus, the bakers making the desserts, and me running the ordering, website and communications.
“Eight weeks and sixteen menus later, Lockdown Dinners represent 50 per cent of the Mindful Baker’s business revenue, and new customers are getting on board every day.”
Each week, Jackson prepares separate menus for Wednesday and Saturday — each with six or seven dishes such as the Southern-inspired menu with slow-cooked sirloin with green smoky pulled pork, and bean gumbo with smoked eggplant or an Italian Inspired Menu with roast pork loin with braised fennel & butter bean stew, beef lasagne, and spinach, ricotta & gorgonzola tart.
“Jackson’s dinners complement each other so well that it’s a spectacular and healthy feast if you get a main with his sides,” Kate says.
“Some customers order the whole menu; others opt for separate items – like a main and three desserts.”
Order via phone, at Mindful Baker, or online by 11am Monday and Thursday for Wednesday and Saturday’s menus. Delivering to the Inner West, Lower North Shore and Eastern Suburbs with minimum $45 order. Click and collect is available at the cafe for those within a 5km radius.
— 1/73 St Johns Rd, Glebe; mindfulbaker.com.au
FoodSt
Who hasn’t walked past someone’s house or apartment and caught the intoxicating scent of something sensational emanating from the kitchen behind that closed door.
We’ve all thought it, but Lorraine Gnanadicka, FoodSt’s founder, took it one step further and supposed: “How could I get some?”
This question wasn’t some cockamamie plan to bolt through the front door, grab a plate and run; rather, it was a legitimate conundrum.
“If someone down the road cooks amazing lasagne, how could I buy a portion of it?”
As an ex-chef, she appreciated the effort that went into home-cooked meals, but as a working mother of two, time in the kitchen was a luxury she just couldn’t afford; however, were she able to convince her neighbour to make a few extra servings, she could purchase that instead of questionable takeaway.
Not only would it be healthier, but it’d also allow for more quality time with the family. And thus, the premise of FoodSt was born.
What started in 2015 as one-off hot meals picked up directly from the cook has morphed into an initiative that affords Sydney’s multicultural home cooks the opportunity to share traditional family recipes from around the globe.
FoodSt now has over 30 featured cooks including Cambodian-born, Chef Iris, whose pork & chive dumplings have been a bestseller since day one. Another FoodSt star is Pia, a professional pastry chef that has worked the kitchens of hatted-restaurants, but here, she has managed a sort of celebrity status for her Chilean empanadas.
While many of the cooks had already made FoodSt their delivery platform of choice, Lorraine says: “It’s been a blessing during Covid being able to support these cooks during lockdown periods. Some have other jobs in hospitality – even own their own restaurants – but because of closures, they have been displaced during this period.”
After recent expansions, FoodSt is looking to bring more home cooks on board, granted their dishes pass the taste test and adhere to their strict safety and hygiene measures.
Ed Burton, FoodSt’s head of growth, explains how it works from there.
“We order from our cooks in ‘small batches’ – usually between 20 and 100 portions of the three to five dishes that each person makes. Then, we do all the logistics behind it, including packaging, marketing, and delivery,” he says.
“And because it’s all in one central location, customers can choose from a huge range of cuisines, and it all comes in just one box.”
The food is prepared and delivered frozen, so you just need to heat it up and prepare yourself for a delectable culinary journey.
Minimum order of $70. Delivery throughout Greater Sydney – Sydney Metro, $9.99 flat-rate; outside metro-area, $13 flat rate. Refer to the website for delivery days and cut-off times.
Small Talk Espresso Bar & Kitchen
There’s little time for small talk at Anthony Skalkos’ Waterloo espresso bar and kitchen given the quality of his menu, and as mum used to say: “It’s rude to talk with your mouth full.”
Small Talk Espresso Bar & Kitchen has become known for its Irish Breakfasts (meat supplied by the Irish Butcher), good coffee and house-made pastries.
Now, they’re being recognised as a Sunday evening must-have.
“Small Talk’s roast is created by head chef Rob Mahon – a Yorkshire man (so you know it’s legit),” Anthony says.
Every Sunday for the duration of lockdown, they’ll be offering up takeaway roasts with a choice of beef or pork belly and crackling, each served with crispy roast potatoes, honey roast carrots and parsnips, peas, a hefty serving of gravy and of course, a Yorkshire pudding.
And for the piece de resistance — a freshly baked sticky date and Guinness pudding for dessert.
Pre-order via Instagram @SmallTalkWaterloo or call 0473 665 378. Click and collect from midday to 7pm.
— 167, Botany Rd, Waterloo; smalltalkwaterloo.com
Young Henrys Deliver-schoo
There’s nothing so lonesome as a pub with no beer, except not having a pub to go to in the first place.
Young Henrys feels your pain, and out of the goodness of their craft-brewing hearts, are bringing ice-cold Newtowner schooners to you.
Each week through September 25, they’ll be visiting a different suburb with a keg in tow and serving up four schooeys to 20 lucky households. To put your hand up for this shout, tap into Stories on @younghenrys Instagram account and submit your suburb.
If yours is the chosen ‘burb, it’ll be announced on Stories and the first 20 people to DM their address will a receive a quaddie of freshly poured Australian Pale Ale delivered Covid-safe and contact-free to your doorstep. Cheers.
Sweet Belem Cake Boutique
There’s still time to show pops he’s tops, with a Portuguese tart tower from Sweet Belem Cake Boutique.
Located in Petersham, Sydney’s own Little Portugal, these rich caramelised tarts are made fresh daily from an age-old recipe daily using locally sourced free-range eggs.
While chef/owner Jose Silva’s lofty creation is usually piled high with enough pastries to feed every father in your extended family, this year’s celebration stands to be a more intimate affair, so Sweet Belem has made smaller versions of their signature 90-tart tower ($360) — one that is half the original’s size with 45 tarts ($180), or a customisable one made with a minimum of 15 tarts ($4 each) and dressed with chocolate strings and fruit.
To pre-order, call (02) 9572 6685 or email basia@sweetbelem.com.au two-days in advance of intended pick-up date. (Open Father’s Day, Sunday, 5 September, 8.30am-5pm for your convenience). #favouritechild
— 35B North Canterbury Rd, Petersham; sweetbelem.com.au
Yes Chef!
All too often, takeaway options have been a trade-off between nutritious and convenient but if you’re adamant about having both, you’ll have a hard time saying “no” to Yes Chef! — a new home-dining service.
An endeavour from Grand Pacific Group Yes Chef! delivers fresh, not frozen meals designed and prepared by the Executive Chefs from Sydney’s famous The Tea Rooms QVB, Sergeant’s Mess, Gunner’s Barracks and Dunbar House. You can order individual meals or sign up for two, three, four or five-day meal plans.
There’s a range of dishes to suit your dietary preferences such as the meat-centric Mediterranean braised lamb shoulder with rosemary, eggplant & tomato; or for fans of fish and seafood, try the grilled prawns with quinoa & pumpkin seed tabouli, while vegetarians have a wide range of choices that include Swiss brown mushrooms and tomato ragu with black rice & rocket, green olive & pecorino salad.
“With everyone having busy lives managing work, family and home schooling there is a real need for premium home delivered meals that are not only nutritious, fresh and delicious but are prepared by highly accomplished chefs,” said Gwen and Manny Spinola, owners of Grand Pacific Group.
“Whether you are looking for a well-balanced diet with a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, premium meats, fish and proteins from our gluten-free Classic menu, organic fruit and vegetables from our vegetarian menu, or the finest fish and plant-based food from our Pescatarian menu Yes Chef! has something for all dietary requirements.”
Delivery within 60km radius of Sydney CBD, before 7am Monday and Wednesday ($13 flat fee per delivery).
Winter warmers to celebrate the season
Everyone is happy to see the sun peeking through the clouds, but winter’s not all bad. Bid farewell to the colder days with one last hurrah of warming fare.
Sniffing out Sydney’s best truffle desserts
Save the best for last. As truffle season comes to a close, be sure to indulge in some sweet treats featuring the annual earthy gem.