Sydney Eat Street: Winter meals that take the sting out of the cold months
There are certain styles of food which hit the spot when the colder months descend upon us. Whether fine dining or at the pub these are some of Sydney’s best winter warmers.
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There’s nothing better to help shake off the cold weather chill than sitting down to enjoy these comforting winter warming dishes.
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Chiswick Woollahra
Nothing is ever black and white for Taylor Cullen, Head Chef at Chiswick in Woollahra, and there’s no place for grey either. So, while the hazy shades of winter settle in, clouding Sydney’s summertime bliss, Taylor sees the season’s bounty through rose-coloured glasses. “Just as summer highlights fresh bright flavours, the depth of winter provides rich deep flavours of produce,” he said.
“I’m not talking about lack of colour either. I find the intense reds and greens like rhubarb and broccolini interesting and luxurious, the methods of cooking lean towards slow and low but at Chiswick I think we have found the perfect balance for a ‘Sydney winter menu’; it’s slightly brighter, maintains integrity of ingredients while those deep colours and flavours of winter shine through.”
Fortunately for Taylor, with Chiswick’s renowned kitchen garden mere steps from the back door, he’s able to bring his culinary visions to fruition, by meticulously cultivating the requisite produce including the ruby-red rhubarb for his seasonal fruit galette. The folded lip of this round and crisp puff pastry holds the smoked rosemary honey-glazed rhubarb then finished garden-fresh mint.
That alone is praiseworthy but stir in the heavy clotted cream through the hot galette, and the dish, with its rustic aesthetic, crisp yet soft pastry, and a balanced sweet and sour sauce, will surely lift the pall of winter.
This inspired creation is limited to the collective menu, however when the “harvest” is particularly plentiful, it’ll make an appearance on the day’s specials. If the stars don’t align and you miss out on the rhubarb galette, take heart knowing that this culinary creation, is but a mere indication of the passion and diligence devoted to each dish on Taylor’s menu.
65 Ocean St, Woollahra; chiswickwoollahra.com.au
La Favola
The more the merrier, and for Fabio Stefanelli, chef/owner of La Favola, a small yet cheery and jocular Italian restaurant in Newtown, that’s been true as long as he can remember noting that some of his earliest memories are of the large gatherings his whole extended family would have every Sunday back in Italy.
One thing he says stands out, is that regardless of the weather, his grandmother always filled the table with an abundance of food, even in the colder months of winter. It’s those moments, particularly when the chill sets in, that comfort foods come to mind.
For Fabio, it’s his grandmother’s osso buco (braised veal shanks) with saffron and conchiglioni, a fresh pasta with shell-shape that holds the sauce rather than the sauce just covering the noodle or any other flat pasta.
“She’d make this dish to warm us up – and fill us up – during the cold season,” he says noting that, “this particular pasta shape keeps the flavour as well as the consistency. The osso buco ragout is cooked for four to five hours with local red wine and braised vegetables so the finish is super tasty and creamy. At the end we add a touch of pecorino Romano and fresh Rosemary”.
Having recently returned from a long overdue trip to visit his family in Italy it’s even more poignant that this dish will be featured on La Favola’s winter menu which he nostalgically explains, “it will remind me of Italy and my grandmother and will help us get through this cold winter.”
170 King St, Newtown; favola.com.au
Berrima Vault House
It’s barely a 90-minute drive south of Sydney, but the change of scenery – and pace – makes the Southern Highlands feel like a world away. During the chillier months the area has a particular cosy and welcoming allure with brick fireplaces and hot comfort food. One such place is Berrima Vault House, heritage-listed structure turned members’ club. At the adjoining restaurant, The Lodge, you’ll find Head Chef Tommy Prosser who fortunately has plenty of experience with cold weather dining.
“Spending most of my life in England food/dining wise, winter is my favourite season, the nostalgia and memories a great braise can conjure is nothing less than magical,” he said. “Winter is the perfect excuse for hearty portions and pure guilt free indulgence! We change our menu seasonally and love to feature the small farms and producers in the Southern Highlands region such as The Pines Kiama, a family-owned run dairy farm by husband-and-wife duo Kel and Mahlah Grey. They have had a tough trot with the rains and now obviously out in the paddocks with the cold, so we wanted to showcase their amazing products, specifically their Brie Dream Cheese”.
A passionate proponent of Southern Highland producers Tommy engages with his suppliers as much as possible. “I recently took the team to a family-run organic truffle farm 30 minutes from our restaurant,” he says.
“The knowledge shared by Anna from The Truffle Barn, was amazing and we will be getting them on the menu as an add-on to elevate any dish of your choosing, but we highly recommend adding it to menu items listed under ‘Dairy Course’, particularly The Pines Kiama Brie Dream Cheese baked with Pepe Saya butter puff pastry, topped with brandy-macerated fruit, nut salsa, and foraged winter weeds (peppercress)”.
Of course, a hot toddy or a glass of the sommelier-suggested wine, 2019 Tertini Nebbiolo should help you settle in by the fire, but not before you put your order in for the baked brie with instructions to “Pimp My Brie”.
11 Old Hume Highway, Berrima; berrimavaulthouse.com
Forrester’s
There’s a famous line in the Pink Floyd classic Another Brick in the Wall – “If you don’t eat yer meat, you can’t have any pudding”. While Forrester’s patrons and publican may give the 1979 anthem the thumbs up, the rules on dinner may be a bit dated, as here at recently-revamped 100-year-old neighbourhood watering hole, you can have both with The Big Yorkie. This giant Yorkshire pudding is filled with the “roast of the week”, crispy spuds, peas, carrots and lashing of gravy.
Of course, all great icons need a backstory and Patrick Friesen, Head of Culinary for Applejack Hospitality (the group behind the grand reno) and the visionary behind this behemoth, gives much of the credit for the inspiration to a from a friend from Scotland who encountered the dish at dinner party on his last visit.
Considering that a good Yorkshire pudding can be the best part of a roast, Patrick followed his friend’s lead and made it the hero it was born to be, a veritable Yorkshire pudding bowl filled with the second-best parts of a roast. Available daily, not just for Sunday roast.
336 Riley St, Surry Hills; forresters.com.au
Izgara
With the cold moths upon us, it’s rather timely that this new Turkish restaurant with its meat-driven features an open grill in the middle of the restaurant. And better yet, it emulates a handful of restaurants in Istanbul where food is prepared in front of the diner and served directly to the table.
Granted there’s only room for a few spots around the warming grill, but it’s the menu you’ll want to come for with dishes based on Turkish recipes but featuring ingredients from premium Australian producers such steaks from Jack’s Creek and Riverine Farms.
Sure to be another favourite is Lokum thinly sliced lamb loin on smoked eggplant. Lest you have visions of performing chefs, flying spatulas and head-high flames, Izgara’s interior with its dimmed lights, dark wood and burgundy upholstery evokes the elegance of a bygone era. As the restaurant accommodated only 35 diners a night, you’ll want to book in early … and linger late.
9-15 Bayswater Rd, Potts Point; izgarasydney.com.au
The Botanist
In your hunt for winter menu stand-outs, venture to the tree-lined streets of Kirribilli where The Botanist is serving a Wild Boar Ragu. This dish with rich tummy-warming ragout, is made possible thanks to Discovered Wildfoods, a purveyor of premium game meat raised with sustainable practices.
17 Willoughby St, Kirribilli; Thebotanist.com.au
Feather & Bone’s Organic chicken bone broth
It’s cold season which means it’s high time for homemade chicken soup. When you’re ready to whip up a big batch of this winter elixir, make your first stop Feather & Bone, a premium butchery and providore that sources its meat from regenerative farms, ones where healthy soil and proper breeding produce vigorous animals with strong bones. As Feather & Bone uses a whole-animal approach, the bones are simmered for 12-14 hours, extracting the nutrients, resulting in a broth filled with minerals, collagen and vitamins. Not only can you use this as a soup-base, but also in recipes that required broth or even just heated up for a warm winter drink.
270 Bronte Rd, Waverly; 8/8/10-14 Lilian Fowler Pl, Marrickville; featherandbone.com.au
Sama Sama x Kinhboy pho
The heavenly scent of pho, a distinct fragrance of 12-hour slow cooked beef broth with warming spices lures devoted fans to this Vietnamese restaurant in Kinhboy. But, unless you live in the area, it’s probably out of reach for a short lunch break. Fortunately for those working around Barangaroo, Kinhboy has brought their beef and chicken pho to the water’s edge, taking over Sama Sama Tuesday-Friday, 12pm-3pm throughout winter. Now that’s a good reason to rug up for lunch.
9, Shop R9/33 Barangaroo Ave; kinhboy.com.au, samasamarestaurant.com.au
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.