the good food shopping guide 2011 lands

Earlier this year, I worked on the Foodies' Guide to Sydney 2011, with editors Helen Greenwood and John Newton, as well as Good Living writers Carli Ratcliff and Merelyn Franks. Research for the book took us all over Sydney and regional areas to find out what's great about food shopping in this great city of ours.








With a number of changes to the publishers and, after four years, a new name: The Good Food Shopping Guide, (yes, there is another publication out this year using our old name, but that ain't us) this year's book is set to be bigger (and better) than ever before. We are now part of the spectacular collection of food guides that includes the Good Food Guide and much more.

There are a number of great new awards categories that will be announced during the official launch at Formaggi Ocello in the coming week, including Regional Hero, Young Achiever and Best Overall.

Thanks to Fairfax Media, we're celebrating the launch of the new Good Food Shopping Guide 2011, by offering you the chance to win an advance copy of this brand spankin' book.

There are 5 copies to win and all you need to do is (in 25 words or less) tell us:

What is your favourite food shop in Sydney and why? *

Judges Helen Greenwood, John Newton and myself will pick the best 5 answers and a copy of the book will be winging its way to you.

Simply email your brilliant answer to gimme@fooderati.com.au 

Follow the Good Food Shopping Guide on Twitter: @GFShoppingGuide

*Competition closes Tuesday the 5th of October. Winners will be announced next Thursday the 7th of October. By entering this competition, you agree to the possibility that your entry or part thereof may be used as social media content via the Good Food Shopping Guide twitter page in a promotion sense. 

wine varietals you should know about

Illustration by Lars Oscar Hedstrom from FBi Radio

Forget savvy blancs, merlots and pinot grigios, they've had enough press. Let's look at some lesser known varietals and why you should check them out.

Riesling


Where does it come from?

Riesling originates in the Rhine region of Germany and has been cultivated as far back as the 1400's but is now grown around the world in places like the USA, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, Australia and Northern Italy.

What does it taste like?

Riesling is an aromatic grape variety displaying distinctive floral &; citrus-like aromas as well as high acidity. The grapes are used to make dry, semi-sweet, sweet and sparkling white wines and it's much loved by wine lovers for its crisp flavour and defined palate structure. Riesling was the most planted white grape in Australia until the 1990s when Chardonnay had its hay day as the white of choice for Aussie quaffers.

Rieslings are great with spicy foods like Thai or Sichuan food as the sweetness and acidity will help cool the palate.

Tempranillo


Where does it come from? 

Tempranillo is the premium red wine grape variety from the Rioja region in Spain. But now Tempranillo wine is being made in many Australian wine regions from the Granite Belt to the King Valley to McLaren Vale and the Barossa to Geographe and Margaret River.

What does it taste like?

Tempranillo wines have characteristic flavors of plum, cherry, and strawberry often mixed with an earthy minerality, or savoury characteristics, which means it works well with food. Try it with your favourite tapas dishes like jamon, chorizo or marinated mushrooms.

Great wine bars to check out:

Wine Library: 18 Oxford St, Woollahra, 02 9328 1600 (while you're there, try the lobster roll)

Time to Vino: 66 Stanley St Darlinghurst, 9380 4252

The Shop & Winebar: 78 Curlewis St Bondi, 9365 2600 (great relaxed atmosphere, get in early to get a seat though, this place is tiny)

Rioja Tempranillo supplied by Andrew Guard Wine Importers: andrewguard.com.au
Ashton Hills 2010 Riesling supplied by Bottega Rotolo, Botany.

sydney does sichuan

There are several regional Chinese cuisines becoming more prevalent in Sydney, Uighur and Hunan for example, have begun to find favourites among Sydney's dining population. Arguably of the first to start the trend would have to be cuisine from the Sichuan province, so here's the 411 on what you need to know: 

Where is Sichuan? Sichuan is a landlocked province in the south west of China. 

What are the key flavour elements? Sichuanese food is known for being super spicy, but it's more than that: Yes, there are a variety of chili peppers, peppercorns, Sichuan peppers (which are actually a fruit, not a pepper, and produce a numbing effect in addition to their warm flavor).

Sour elements come from pickled vegetables and vinegars and bitter melon is added to many dishes to offer the touch of bitterness that balances other flavors. Other spices and flavours include dried orange peel, garlic, ginger, sesame oil and bean paste. Salt is also incredibly important to Sichuan cuisine.

Signature dishes? 
Kung Pao Chicken: This is spicy chicken fried with peanuts. The main ingredients are small chunks of chicken breast, with dry peppercorns and peanuts. Almost all local restaurants serve this dish.

Mapo Doufu: A beancurd dish, often containing pork mince. It's flavored with chopped spring onions, minced garlic minced fresh ginger, Chinese chilli-sauce of crushed dried red chilli peppers and Szechuan peppercorn.

Green Beans and Pork: Finding its way into the regular yum cha repertoire and Din Tai Fung-esque establishments, it's a simple dish of dry-fried green beans and pork mince with soy, vinegar and garlic.

Zhangcha duck, or tea-smoked duck:  Prepared by hot smoking a marinated duck over tea leaves and twigs of camphor.

Where do I go?

Spicy Panda
1/8 Dixon St
Sydney NSW 2000
(02) 9262 7007

Wedged between the cluster of Uighur restaurants on this end of Dixon Street, pick over complimentary roasted peanuts while you peruse the extensive menu. They do a solid example of mapo doufu as well as spicy fried rabbit (it's bone-in, so watch out!). There are also a few odd items including mashed potato and gravy (KFC, eat your heart out) and don't pass up the preserved duck egg in chilli as a cold dish starter.

Red Chilli Sichuan Restaurant
3/51 Dixon St
Haymarket NSW 2000
(02) 9211 8122

One of the original Sydney Sichuan establishments, there's everything here from DIY steamboat-like chilli hotpots and traditional favourites done well. There's a helpful chilli-code for those who need to be treated with kid gloves when it comes to heat: One chilli symbol newbies, three for a kick in the pants. Start with kung pao chicken and pork mince green beans as well as fragrant lamb with cumin Head upstairs for hot pot action: choose your broth (mild or spicy), dipping sauce and your meats and veg of choice.

Spicy Sichuan Restaurant
9 Glebe Point Rd
Glebe NSW 2037
(02) 9660 8200

On the corner of Glebe Point Road and Parramatta Road, this authentic Sichuan restaurant also sits at the cross roads of 'ouch that hurts' and 'gimme more'. The kind wait staff can pick a newbie though, and the kitchen goes easy on them accordingly - so if you like it hot, let them know; the guys on the burners are only too glad to accommodate.

Start with the marinated pigs ear salad, served with cucumber and chilli oil to open up the palate..the texture of the pigs ear and the cucumber give crunch and the chilli oil is more about flavour than blatant burn.

The mapo doufu is a solid litmus test for any Sichuan restaurant and this joint deserves solid marks. Move onto the dry-fried barramundi and steamed pork belly for substantial mains with contrasting textures.

Crave Sydney International Food Festival

It's almost October, which means 'that' time of the year for foodies, gourmands, gluttons and the like. Most of the program is out and the rest will be announced shortly...so if you don't want to miss out, it's time to get your skates on.

Here are a few hot tickets for Sydney International Food Festival 2010:

Breakfast on the Bridge

When: 10 October 2010, 6.30 - 8.30am

Somewhat easier than scaling the sails of the Sydney Opera House, here's your chance to picnic on one of Australia’s most famous architectural icons.  The green carpet will be rolled out to furnish a most unique spot to crack open the picnic basket and share a sambo with a few thousand other lucky punters. This year's event will be football themed in a boost to Sydney and Australia's 2022 FIFA World Cup bid.

Moshtix will run a ballot system for people to win the chance to attend, but for now you can read more about the day here: www.breakfastonthebridge.com

 Rene Redzepi at Sydney Opera House

When: 1 October 2010, 6.30pm

They say that chefs are the new rockstars, and if that's true, then Rene Redzepi is the Kanye West of the gastronomic world. Redzepi's Denmark restaurant Noma was named #1 in the San Pellegrino top 50 restaurants in the world earlier this year and for good reason - his take on new Scandinavian cuisine is unique, cerebral but most of all, real.

This will be his one and only official public appearance during the festival, so to learn more about what makes him great, hear him talk about his food philosophy and more, Sydney, this is your chance.

Tickets - $45
Entry and get a copy of his book - $85

Read more and book here.


[TOYS] issue #3: Bubbles

When: 12 October, 6.30-9.30pm

The Taste of Young Sydney crew are putting their third 2010 event on during SIFF, and true to past events, this one is set to be a doosy. Taking place at Chippendale's White Rabbit Gallery, it's a cocktail party with a difference: Guests will be treated to a canape degustation and matched bubbles in an effervescent event featuring FBi's own Levins and composer extraordinare Danielle O'Keefe plus chefs Monty Koludrovic (Becasse), Annamarie Rodrigo (Bistrode), Tomislav Martinovic (Tomislav), Morgan McGlone (Flinders Inn) and Dan Hong (Lotus).

Cost: $95 pp
Click here to book.

2011 good food guide awards

The year Terry Durack came back to play, the food industry knew the SMH Good Food Guide would be subjected to a much needed shake up in a way that only Terry knows how. Live tweeted by nominees and industry members alike - there were quite a few movers and shakers....some up (Bodega, Omerta got their first hats) and some, most notably Tetsuya's, Bilson's and Buon Ricordo..down (3 hats to 2)...and some who were arguably deserving including Potts Point's Lotus, were absent.

Here's the list of who got what in 2011.

Best Restaurant
Marque


Best Chef
Martin Benn (Sepia)

Best New Restaurant
Manly Pavillion

Young Chef of the Year
Jason Saxby, Quay

Three Hats
est., Marque, Quay

Two Hats
Aria, Assiette, Becasse, Bentley Restaurant & Bar, Berowra Waters Inn, Bilson's, Bistro Ortolan, Buon Ricordo, Claude's, Four in Hand Dining Room, Guillaume at Bennelong, Icebergs Dining Room and Bar, Lucio's, Pilu at Freshwater, Rockpool, Rockpool Bar & Grill, Sepia, Tetsuya's, Universal.

One Hat
Ad Lib Bistro, Altitude, Arras, Astral, BillyKwong, Bird CowFish, Bistro Moncur, Bistrode, The Boathouse on Blackwattle Bay, Bodega, Buzo Trattoria, Cafe Sopra, Catalina, Etch, Fish Face, Flying Fish, Golden Century, Jonah's Whale Beach, Koi, Longrain, Mad Cow, Manly Pavilion, Omerta, Ormeggio at The Spit, Oscillate Wildly, Otto Ristorante, Pendolino, Pier, Restaurant Balzac, Sailors Thai Restaurant, Sake Restaurant and Bar, Sean's Panaroma, Spice Temple, Yoshii.

Regional - Two Hats
Lochiel House (Kurrajong Heights), Rock (Pokolbin).

Read more here.

fooderati does LA

Just over five days in a foreign city doesn't exactly afford much time to check out everything the city has to offer, but with the help of a few in-the-know L.A friends and a few savvy Sydney-based foodies, here's how my week panned out (plus a few other recommendations)

Cheap Eats

In-N-Out Burger (various locations)

Made fresh to order and accompanied by a 'secret' menu that includes asking for your food 'animal style', 'double double' or 4x4, you may be somewhat intimidated upon initiation. Fortunately 'animal style' just means that your burger is served with a mustard-cooked beef patty, grilled onions and extra sauce. For the rest of the dirt, click here.


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Canter's Deli
419 North Fairfax Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90036-1716
(323) 285-5659


West Hollywood stalwart since 1931, Canter's Deli is well and truly part of the well-worn furniture at this end of North Fairfax.  Family-owned and run for over three generations, if you're after the traditional west-coast Jewish deli experience, this isn't a bad place to start. From Matzo ball soup to bagels ever-which-way (try cheese with Jalapeno chillies), you can sit in or take-away...24 hours a day. Useful, if you happen to require a booze-fuelled snack at 4am.


Loteria Grill
6333 West 3rd Street
Los Angeles, CA 90036-3109
(323) 930-2211
http://www.loteriagrill.com/

Wedged in the maze of food stalls in this semi-covered farmer's market next to Uber mall The Grove, Loteria Grill is one of the best places to head if you're looking for an authentic Mexican experience. There's Mole Poblano (Chicken in Mole Poblano Served with Sesame Seeds, Finely Chopped Onion, and Queso Fresco), Carnitas en salsa Morita (In a Spicy Chile Morita Sauce Served with slices of Fresh Avocado and Finely Chopped Onion and Cilantro) but the pick of the bunch has to be the Shrimp Burrito served with spicy Spicy Morita Salsa and salsa verde. Wash it down with a hibiscus juice or freshly made lime-aid.

Also:

The Best Fish Taco In Ensenada
1650 Hillhurst Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90027-5532
(323) 466-5552
http://www.bestfishtacoinensenada.com/

As the name implies, these guys really only do one thing (well, technically two)... and that's fish tacos and shrimp tacos. Perfecting the Baja-style taco stand vibe, there are range of house-made sauces that you can choose to accompany your bite-sized piece of seafood heaven...and why wouldn't you try a couple of combinations when each taco is $1-2 a pop? 

Umami Burger 
Various locations
www.umamiburger.com/

 
Relatively new on the LA burger scene, Umami Burger - named after the fifth identified taste sense - this burger bar is a must-visit for burger lovers who want to try something a bit different. Try a pork and Stilton burger with blue cheese and port-caramelised onions, or grab a Kombu (not 'combo') meal with tempura onion rings or sweet potato fries and a wine or beer.

Don't miss

Baby Blues BBQ
7953 Santa Monica Boulevard
West Hollywood, CA 90046-5111
(323) 656-1277

With Southern-belle celebrities like Reese Witherspoon on the list of fans for this ho-downing, thigh-slapping establishment, (she swanned past on the night we visited), Baby Blues is a celebration of the Southern-states of the USA and their love of smokey flavours, tender meat and a landslide of sides ranging from cornbread to creamed spinach and chili fries.

Turn up with an appetite, no qualms about using your fingers and a healthy appreciation for meat or this experience will be lost on you. Start with a mix of BBQ sliders like chicken wings, grilled shrimp and pulled pork on cornbread with cheese (called the 'Suicide King'). For mains, the baby back ribs are hard to pass up and are so tender that they're nothing you can't tackle with just your hands. Similarly the beef brisket and pulled pork are fall-apart tender, thanks to hours of slow, smokey barbecuing. Finger lickin' great.

Animal
435 North Fairfax Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90036-1716
(323) 782-9225

Run by arguably two of the hottest chefs in America right now, Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo (kind of like our version of Surry Hills' Bodega boys Ben Millgate and Elvis Abrahamowicz) opened Animal in 2008 to widespread acclaim and it's no wonder. The DIY degustation menu shows their admiration for St John icon Fergus Henderson in their winning ways with shredded pig's ears, 'buffalo-style' pig's tails, head cheese..well, every part of the pig really. More than that, there's a modern-American spike to the style, using Mexican-influenced ingredients and flavours like marrow bone with chimmichurri and caramelised onions, and soft egg with Texas caviar (black eyed beans and corn) Benton's bacon and buttermilk yoghurt. The kicker is the price: it's incredibly reasonable for the calibre you'll be hit with (around $60pp. including wine). Be sure to book in advance.

Eva Restaurant
7458 Beverly Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90036-2701
(323) 634-0700

Don't be freaked out by the giant suit of armour guarding the entrance, the people who run Eva are very nice, really. Newly-hitched friends booked out the restaurant for the brunch-after-the-night-before. Needless to say there were plenty of Bloody Marys and mimosas to ease the wedding-hangover pain. Known for their fresh, light Californian flavours and a reasonably-priced wine-list, it's a great venue to linger over lunch or grab an outside table and share a relaxed dinner with friends. 

Gjelina
1429 Abbot Kinney Blvd,  
Venice, CA90291 33.9904277
www.gjelina.com/

Venice beach's Abbot Kinney Boulevard is worlds away from the entertainingly tacky boardwalk scene a few blocks over by the beach. Gjelina's chilled-out vibe may say 'Venice', (think salvaged wooden beams, cobbled brick floors and exposed light bulbs) but the food is relaxed-chic all the way. Neapolitan-style pizzas of zucchini flowers, cherry tomatoes, burrata and Parmesan, salad of sweet Dungeness crab with witlof and creamy horseradish and spicy lamb cutlets are all winners, but if you're a fan of the sweet stuff, the black-bottom banana cream pie is where it's at. A comprehensive collection of old-world and new-world wines wash it all down perfectly.

Figaro
1802 North Vermont Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90027-4213
(323) 662-1587 

"It's where they shot Madonna's last Louis Vuitton ad campaign" say the shop girl managing a cute boutique down the street. It seems everywhere in LA is a film or ad set, but you really can see why Figaro made it onto LV's 'yes' list. A little piece of Paris in Los Feliz, it's all about wicker chairs, old-school French signage and a classic bistro menu. A glass of chilled rose served from a distressed glass carafe and a mango, (giant) shrimp and radicchio salad is the order of the day, as is an outside table if you want to take full advantage of the people watching in this chic part of town.

Test Kitchen
9575 W Pico Blvd, 
Los Angeles, CA 90035 
(310) 277 0133 
www.testkitchenla.com

A new chef, sommelier and mixologist every week might sound like shitty management, but with Test Kitchen, it's a formula and the brainchild of owners Bill Chait and Brian Saltsburg. Some of the best gastronomic hands and minds in the USA have graced the kitchen and bar here including most recently Michael Voltaggio, winner of the US version of Top Chef, cooking dinner for guests in 10 tracks.

The food is cutting edge and so are the drinks. Stopping by after an epic dinner at Animal, we were treated to a selection of this week's it-drinks including a Smoked Gibson (Broker's Gin, smoked vermouth, squid ink onion, Russian tea smoke), Porcini Sidecar (1991 Joy Armagnac, lemon, porcini orange liqueur) and other left-of centre cocktail creations. Book well in advance if you want to jam into this so-hot-right-now dining and drinking spot.

Also: Mozza, run by famed trio Nancy Silverton, Mario Batali and Joseph Bastianich. You can still spot Nancy in the kitchen on some days. Book the Osteria for classic Italian dining or the Pizzeria for more casual eats. 6602 Melrose Avenue, (323) 297-0100

Food Trucks - they're the biggest food trend in America right now and they're so popular that there's even a television program dedicated to them.

Koji BBQ
http://kogibbq.com/

One of the most famous of the food truck generation, Koji specialises in Korean Mexican tacos to the starving masses who line up for their famous Spicy Pork Tacos, Kimchi Quesadillas and Short Rib Sliders. Born out of a late night snacking conundrum,  the concept is simple: restaurant-quality food, served at street prices, using fresh produce, crafted by chef Roy Choi and his dedicated mobile kitchen crew.


The Manila Machine
http://themanilamachine.com/

Fillipino food is globally becoming more popular with the masses and The Manila Machine is doing it's part to spread the word on the street. Serving their own take on Fillipino classics like adobo (meat or seafood marinated in a sauce of vinegar and garlic, browned in oil, and simmered in the marinade), lumpia (Fillipino spring rolls) and sisig (they do their version as spicy calamansi-marinated pork cheeks, onions, and chicharon).

Check out The Great Food Truck Race

Coffee: Intelligentsia
1331 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice, CA 90291
http://www.intelligentsiacoffee.com/

They know what a flat white is and how to make one. If you've been to LA, you know how rare this is. Enough said.

















Bars

The Dime
442 North Fairfax Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90036-1717
(323) 651-4421

Still a hipster hang, with well-regarded DJs and a hot clientele visiting on a regular basis, all you need do is pull up a table and watch the crowd roll in for an evening of entertaining crowd-watching, cheap drinks and kickin' music. Situated in suitably dischevelled North Fairfax in West Hollywood, it's a part of the world that at times seems painfully cool, but in reality, it's just good times.

High at the Erwin Hotel
1697 Pacific Avenue 
Venice Beach Los Angeles, CA 90291
(310) 452 1111

If you want to get high in Venice, it isn't hard. Getting a seat at High, on the other hand, depends on the time of day and day of the week. A rooftop bar with one of the best vistas of the beach and the crazies down on the boardwalk, sip cocktails from your lofty perch and contemplate how hard life is.

SLS Hotel
465 South La Cienega Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(310) 247-0400

Molecular didn't leave the building, it just came here and got a bit cool for school.  Head to Bar Centro at The Bazaare in the SLS Hotel for chef Jose Andres' take on tapas and cocktails. Boasting some interesting experiments on mixology like margaritas with salt air,  or mojitos poured over cotton candy, it's worth visiting to try out something you're familiar with, presented in a way you've probably never experienced before.

Shopping:

West Hollywood:


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The Grove for J.Crew, Banana Republic, Zara, Anthropology, Nordstrom
189 The Grove Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 900-8080

Hipsters, book heads, skaters, DJs and Jewish paraphernalia collectors:

Family
436 North Fairfax Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90036-1717
(323) 782-9221


Supreme
439 North Fairfax Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90036-1716, United States
(323) 655-6205


The Hundreds
7909 Rosewood Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90048, United States
(323) 230-7421


Turntable Lab
424 North Fairfax Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90036-1717, United States
(323) 782-0173

Melrose Avenue: (chic boutique central)



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Creatures of Comfort
7971 Melrose Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90046-7118
(323) 655-7855
 
Marc by Marc Jacobs
8410 Melrose Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90069-5306
(323) 653-0100
 
Y-3
7974 Melrose Ave 
Los Angeles, CA 90046. 
(323) 650-5222 

A.P.C
619 North Croft Avenue
West Hollywood, CA 90048-2103
(323) 297-041
 
Decades (high-end second hand designer clothes and shoes)

8214 Melrose Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90046-6812
(323) 655-1960
 

Kidrobot (collectible plastic toys of goodness)

7972 Melrose Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90046-7117
(323) 782-1411

Herve Leger by Max Azria (body con heaven)

8400 Melrose Ave, 
West Hollywood, CA 90069 
323-782-0238

Also here: 
Fred Segal
Vanessa Bruno
Helmut Lang


East Hollywood


North Vermont Avenue, Hollywood Boulevard for eclectic boutiques selling vintage, new designer and cool home wares.


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Venice Beach - Abbot Kinney Boulevard

Well dressed men should head to Jack Spade for well-cut shirts, cool leather accessories and other manly things.

Tortoise General Store is great for Japanese home wares, jewellery and kitchy knick knacks.

Head to Steven Allan for preppy basics like checked shirts and dresses, plus cool sunglasses and other accessories.