DUKE BISTRO

Monday, October 27, 2011

Food better shared. Dishes $10 - $28 each.

Must try - the Bread Rolls, Radishes and Dashi Butter.

1 Hat.

The first time I went to Duke, I had no idea what to expect. All I knew was that there was a buzz about it being the newest, coolest place in town and I simply had to go see what it was all about. I’ve since been four times within the last six months.

The décor is eclectic, shabby-chic-cool with hog’s heads on the walls and chandeliers made from empty bottles of Veuve. Combined with the dimly lit room and dark green walls, you feel like you’re in some kind of magical, mad-hatter’s den. The food is undeniably good – quirky, surprising, fun and delicious! But I guess that’s what you’d expect from the “all-star kitchen” being Thomas Lim (ex-Tetsuya) and Mitch Orr (2010 Young Chef of the Year). Growing up, I was always told not to play with my food. At Duke, the food plays with you. Expect to find strange and  delightful flavour pairings and unexpected twists and turns (I particularly enjoyed the 'vegemite on toast' on last Tuesday's tasting menu - not what I was expecting, but I can't spoil the surprise for the rest of you...).

The cocktails pack a punch, although the Tatanka ( Zubrowka, lemon, autumn spices & apple) that I had last night was a little too alcoholic (yes, I said too alcoholic) and a tad over acerbic to be completely appreciated.

As for the vino, the general wine menu has some excellent selections to chose from, however the matchings with the Tuesday tasting menu I had last week let the team down and frankly, I’m not brave enough to go there again. The staff don’t seem to be terribly savvy with the recommendations, there’s definitely an ‘I’m-going-to-make-it-up-as-I-go-along’ vibe, so if you know a little bit about wine, I’d recommend choosing your own.

Last night marked my fourth time at Duke; and the second time that I’ve been subject to questionable service by the wait staff. I’m not entirely certain whether it’s simply that I’ve raised my expectations after they received a hat at this year’s 2012 Good Food Guide Awards; or whether they’ve dropped the ball. When I went for the tasting menu last Tuesday, one waitress in particular bumped my chair every single time she walked past. Not a slight brush, not an accidental sweep through – but a brutish, solid push each time. The cutlery at Duke is fantastic, but I don’t want to poke it through my eyeball. Nor do I wish to knock my teeth against the glass that I’m trying to drink out of. It wasn’t just inconsiderate, it was unacceptable.


Lamb, Loquat, Garlic

Certain that my last experience was simply a glitch in terms of the service, I took my brother along last night with the promise of it being a trendy new venue that he could impress his girlfriend with. Of course, I made sure that neither of us sat with our backs to the thoroughfare. The food, as anticipated, was delightful. The service –again, was a let-down. Our waitress was very friendly but didn’t take our order down correctly. I hate it when that happens. We ordered the radishes, dashi-butter, bread rolls (an absolute must) and the bacon jam, egg, toast to share and ordered two serves of the lamb, loquat, garlic (which was on special – and it was truly special). However, we got one serve of the lamb (which takes some time to prepare, naturally) and when I asked the waitress if she placed one or two orders, she said we ordered one of the lamb; AND the veal shortrib pancake party. WTF? NOoooooooo. She dutifully went back to the kitchen to check, and when she returned, she proclaimed that it was OK, she’d just ordered the one serve of the lamb. Not ok – but lucky, as we were starting to get full by that stage anyway. Later in the evening, my brother wanted to order sake and asked our waitress for her recommendation. Mistake. She informed us that two of the three on the menu were served warm and one cold. He opted for one of the ‘warm’ ones – for the very reason that it’s served warm. 5 minutes later, cocktail maestro Luke Ashton brought out the sake – cold. I was starting to get pretty annoyed by this stage. I HATE bad service. I explained to Mr. Ashton that we’d been given the wrong sake. As it turns out, he gave us the sake that we did in fact order – it’s just served cold. My waitress fuck-up metre nearly exploded.

Duke is a noisy, throbbing epicentre for adoring locals and seriously loud groups of yuppies (noise is considerably amplified by the wooden floor boards). Service get’s the thumbs down, but it’s the food that sings and will lure me back again in good time. I wonder if they’ll maintain their hat next year.

C. x

General Menu

Drinks Menu

After's Menu

Wine Menu

Email. reservations@dukebistro.com.au
Phone. 02 9332 3180
65 Flinders St. Darlinghurst (on top of The Flinders Hotel)
Sydney, NSW 2010
(Images courtesy - Duke Bistro)

Charlie & Co. Thursday, November 11, 2010

For lunch today I thought I'd check out Justin North's new burger barn 'Charlie & Co.', inside the new Westfield shopping mecca in Sydney's Pitt St. Mall. I decided to go with 'The Producer's Burger', being marinated local mushrooms, haloumi, sun-dried tomatoes, baby spinach and aioli on a sesame bun. For $8.00 AUD I decided to whack on a side of thick cut truffle, parmesan and sea salt fries.  I was a little aprehensive at first, I mean $12.00 AUD for a burger seemed a little steep - and for a vego burger at that (I was unable to look past the Haloumi).

After placing my order, I did expect the 'swift service' as promised in their slogan (especially being a take away order). Perhaps it was too much to ask in the busy lunch hour rush... I waited for approximately 20 minutes. I was however gleefuly entertained by the manic food prep side show care of a glass window designed so you can see your burger being made. 

The guy waiting next to me in line said it all - 'this had better be the best burger I've ever had'. Was it? Hmmmm, if not, then very close. I'd have to return to try the wagyu burger to make a more conclusive decision on that one. The bun was lightly toasted although a little on the dry and dense side, the haloumi delicious, the sun dried tomatoes sweet and tangy and the spinach tender, but the star of this show was definitely the mushies. I didn't feel like I'd missed out at all by getting the veggie option.  The chips were a winner too. Hot and just the right amount of crunchy small bits and larger softer fries. You taste a lot of truffle, a little parmesan but possibly not enough sea salt.

It's definitely more than a novelty, I would fork out the $20.00 again and more. What I didn't appreciate was that it took such a large chunk out of my lunch break.

I recommend it, but not if you're in a rush. You want to enjoy this one without having to inhale it as I did. You might just feel a bit sick afterwards.

C. x

Yay! Moroccan Oil Tuesday, July 6, 2010

I'm soooooo in love with Moroccan Oil! On a recent trip to the hair salon, my hair dresser used Moroccan Oil on my scalp for a pre-wash massage. I didn't think that much of it at the time, other than it smelt AHMAAAAZING (think Frangipanni, woodfire, Tuberose). When she used it on my hair post wash, pre-blowdry I knew I had to get my hands on some. My hair was possibly as soft as it was pre-highlight and straightener days. Seriously. Oddly enough, about a week or so later I received some from our friends at RY.com.au in a sample pack and am now completely addicted! A 10mL sample has lasted me 5 blow dry's although I probably only used half or less the recommended amount of 'a silver dollar' each time. It feels so luxurious in your hands, if you rub it between your fingers and then wipe it off, you can still feel it coating your fingers, they actually feel a bit slippery as I find you get with a lot of hair styling products these days. The difference is that there's little to no weight to it. By that I mean that when you put it on your hair, it's a silky, glossy coating without the greasy factor. I have ridiculously thick, course, wavy (not nice wavy, gross flyaway wavy) mid length hair that I have to straighten almost every day just so I don't look like Edward Scissor Hands. If I use Moroccan Oil (just a really little bit) in the morning on dry hair and brush through, I don't need to use the straightener to get a more polished look for work. This is probably my favourite thing (other than how ridiculously soft it makes my hair feel) considering it takes me less time to get ready on these blooming cold mornings... I can imagine myself using it in Summer too, considering how lightweight it is although half it's appeal for me is that my hair is dryer and a bit lacklustre in Winter and MO seems to have a soothing, nourishing, effect to it.

This is a beautiful product, perfect if you have thick, course and unruly hair like me and little time to do anything about it. I'm sure it'd work just as well on fine hair (will have to give to L. to try...). My only advice when using this product is that a little goes a long way. Otherwise use when you like, before washing (use as a treatment for 10mins or so on dry hair before jumping in the shower), when wet and then let dry naturally or blow dry for a super soft finish. I'm all about the natural oils this Winter. Did I mention they're also against animal testing and use recyled packaging where possible? I've seen it at quite a few salons now but if you want to buy online, then you can find it here. Moroccan oil definitely makes my Winter essentials list.

C.x

Bio Oil Wednesday, June 30, 2010

As you can see from this photo, I've nearly finished my little bottle of Bio Oil. Considering how often I've been using it, I'm surprised so little has lasted this long.

I first got into Bio Oil on the recommendation of friends who were claiming it was going to be the next Lucas Paw-Paw. Bio Oil themselves claim that the formulation will help reduce the appearance of scars, stretch marks, uneven skin tone, ageing and dehydrated skin. With ingredients such as Rosemary, Calendula, Lavender and Chamomile oils; as well as vitamins A, E and (the 'break through ingredient') Pur Cellin oil, it not only feels extremely luxurious but it actually does appear to do what it claims. I had dehydrated skin, uneven skin tone and stretch marks. Incredibly, my stretch marks, which have been prevalent for at least eight years now have now decided to fade. Mind you, they haven't faded entirely, but the difference has been very noticeable. My chronically dehydrated and uneven skin is soft and smooth. In fact, the results on my legs have been so good that I've started using it at night on my face. A word of warning though - if you do decide to use it on your face, it's probably best to apply at night and then wash off in the morning as this forumla won't work well with make-up straight over the top. There's also no SPF, so not really appropriate for day wear.  

It's quite a thick oil - and by that I mean it takes a while to seep in to the skin and it is worth taking out five minutes to massage to oil into the desired area. You only need a couple of drops and you will feel it sitting on your face until it seeps in, but it's well worth it. Bio oil is honestly one of the best all rounder products I've used and now that I'm down to my last few drops, I will definitely be purchasing a replacement bottle. For under $20.00 (AUD) I think it's a fantastic buy, perfect throughout winter although I'd probably use it a bit more sparingly during warmer months.

C. x

NOISE NIGHT (and Vivid Sydney fail) Wednesday, June 9, 2010

As far as Sydney festivals go, 'Vivid' has been a bit of a flop. First of all, as Anonymous pointed out to me, what's the point of a Sydney festival if the tag line is: 'Bringing downtown Manhattan to Sydney for two weeks'?

Secondly, bands were supposedly playing (free entry) each lunch time in one of the foyers of the Sydney Opera house. On Monday, I went down with Anonymous to check out said live bands. Were live bands playing? No. Staff were on hand to inform that it had been a typo, albeit appearing on several different marketing posters, programs, emails etc. Bands would be playing for free every lunch time except Monday. Rort.

Thirdly, in that same foyer, on that same Monday, Lou Reed was supposed to do a live radio show in full view of anyone wishing to observe from 2pm. Did he? No. Again the SOH staff had to explain that due the unfavourable  acoustics of the foyer  Reed would be hosting the radio show from undisclosed, closed off location in full view of no one. I particularly loved when one SOH staffer explained 'well, it's Lou Reed and that's just Rock 'n' Roll and so he can do that'. Rock on. You would think that if the King of Cool was coming to town and hosting a radio show, that you'd check the acoustics. Especially in an Opera House.

Fourth and last in my rant list, I did think it was a cool idea to project images onto the Opera House and so attended to watch the lighting of the sails on Vivid's first night. What did they project? A craft inspired image: Scissors, twine, possibly a band-aid and some cheese on a blue background - it looked like something that may have been the intro to playschool at some point. After that, leopard print, then a disco ball and feathers.  Fail.

The only redeeming experience of Vivid so far, has been 'Noise Night'.

"This is a noise-rock showcase, where walls of sound are sculpted and woven with practiced mastery into works of strange and terrifying beauty, ironic humour and adrenaline-fuelled excitement. Prepare for an assault on the senses that will leave you rocking and reeling and wondering what is music anyway... "

- Vivid LIVE website.

The first band were utterly awful. I actually fell asleep. I can't even remember their name they were so bad. Oh, that's right - Zond. The set, at least the part I was awake for, was the complete opposite of the description above. It was boring, dull and flat. Ambient? That's not exactly how I'd describe it...I did wonder if it could be labelled music. Fast forward to Japanese punk band Boris - who were FREAKING AWESOME. So good, it almost entirely made up for the epic Vivid fails above. I say almost, because the coolest part of the whole night was when Lou Reed came out on stage at the end to jam with Laurie Anderson (on an electric violin) and some of the other muso's from the night, in what truly did become a fabulous, dynamic music-scape. Even more delightful was the fact that about half of the audience thought the intermission was in fact the conclusion of the night so everyone left over got to shuffle forward, making the experience much more intimate and well, cool.

Here are some photos, they aren't great because they were taken on my iphone, but you get the gist.

 Zond. (above)

 Boris (above and below)

 Audience after the intermission (above)

 Reed jamming...

C. x

Birthday eve... Monday, February 15, 2010

A Sticky Table for 20

Golden Globe Favourites - the ladies Monday, January 18, 2010

These are my favourite outfits at the Golden Globes this year....

(in no particular order because I think Anna Paquin is the best)

Penelope Cruz

January Jones

Maggie Gyllenhall

Anna Paquin and Diane Kruger

Favourite men coming soon....

L xxx

Shameless self promotion Thursday, January 14, 2010

One of my clients at work has a new website I am kind of obsessed.
http://www.circa.com.au/

Circa, the Prince is one of the best restaurants in St Kilda and the hotel is honestly amazing.  The awesome thing about the website though is the great journal written by the Head Chef, Matt Wilkinson.  If you are a massive foodie like me you will love it because he covers things like new fresh produce he has discovered, notes from research trips and pretty much anything else he thinks of related to food.

It is only in it's infancy now, but give it time and it will be great.

The site also has some really beautiful artwork that is worth checking out.

L xxx

Trio Sunday, December 20, 2009

This week I had the best scrambled eggs of my entire life, at a little Bondi beachside cafe called Trio. I ordered the 'Boss' eggs (Scrambled with fetta and truffle oil, side of avocado, lemon, prosciutto and sourdough) with some trepidation, although I was hungry and it did sound good (if not a little too good to be true). To my utter delight, the eggs were moist but firm with gooey bits of fetta, the truffle oil definitely apparent but not overpowering the taste of the free range eggs. The prosciutto was salty and delicious and the avocado fresh and buttery. What a delight! If I wasn't about to do a 12km walk straight after breakfast I may have been tempted to order a second round. My companions ordered the 'Breakfast Sundae' (strawberries, banana and toasted muesli swirled with yoghurt and honey) and Eggs Benedict (florentine) - both equally satisfying. I can't wait to go back and try the mango and lime buttermilk pancakes (served with strawberries, lemon curd and couble cream), which I hear are supreme. It's a bit pricey as far as breakfast goes but entirely worth it. I highly recommend. Oh, did I mention the view?

Breakfast Sundae

Boss Eggs (I requested wholemeal over sourdough)

C. x

Circus Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Last night I went to see the Britney Spears Concert and wow - what a spectacle!  I personally am not surprised that she lipsyncs - was that ever a secret? And i'm not the biggest fan of her music but it is fun and girly and if you want a good perv on the hot male dancers then you will have an absolute ball.

I also wanted to make a special mention of DJ Havana Brown who opened the night
O     M    G!
I love her! Super cool remixes and super hot.  She was wearing the awesomest over the knee boots and I want them so bad! I am going to try and find her on iTunes asap.

It's Britney Bitch and I loved it!

DJ Havana Brown

Lee Gutkind - The Best Creative Non-Fiction Thursday, October 15, 2009

Dear Readers,

My most sincere apologies for not posting a book review in so long, my problem is a) I'm reading too many books at once b) It's assessment season c) said books have been pushed aside by ridiculously large law text books.

My only solace has come in the form of Lee Gutkind's "The Best Creative Non-Fiction", an amalgamation of short works, sourced by Gutkind and his team from blogs, sites, magazines (of every kind), journals etc. The authors are astute writers with an opinion, general commentary and personal reflection on a variety of topics, willing to share their thoughts with (and you will be,) avid readers.

In my limited spare time I've been reading through TBCNF vol.3. and it does not disappoint. I was particularly charmed by 'Letter from a Japanese Crematorium' by Marie Mutsuki Mockett and 'An Insider’s Guide to Jailhouse Cuisine: Dining In' by Sean Rowe. The latter delivers a remarkably honest account of the author's time in jail and criminal background through his tales of prison 'cuisine'. The pitch is that of a true foodie, the author's descriptive language, literally leaves your mouth watering - or with the feeling like you need to purge yourself and then brush your teeth a thousand times.

I highly, highly reccomend you read any volume (only 3 so far) of TBCNF, whether you're looking for something to fall in love with, laugh about, cry about or be shit scared by - WHATEVER it is that you're looking for, you'll find it here.

If you live in Sydney you can find TBCNF at Kinokuniya in the Galleries Victoria (Sydney). You can also purchase online from Amazon.com

Caity xx

Oh my goodness!!! Thursday, October 8, 2009

Models are smiling!!!!  Wow!  Who knew they had the ability? I'd be smiling too though if I was wearing the super cute clothes from Sonia Rykiel's SS10 Paris show.  A little bit thirties and a little bit seventies.

Laura xxx

It's finally over

Stella McCartney

The month long maddness known as fashion week New York, London, Milan and Paris has come to an end with a big thud from Louis Vuitton.  And what a thud it was. 

If I was to assign a sound to the fashion shows I think Stella McCartney sound like a dainty "ding" and Louis Vuitton would be a "thud" and then "splat". 

Quite frankly, I thought it was just trying too hard.  I mean, I love Marc Jacobs as much as any fashion loving girl, but really, what was he thinking this time?  It was all just a miss-mash of styles all thrown together.  I think they were hoping to get away with it just coz it is Louis Vuitton. 

Laura xxx

Louis Vuitton

Stella McCartney

images via Style.com

Cupcakes!!! Saturday, August 22, 2009

Yesterday Laura and I went to get cupcakes for a friend's birthday. We chose different variations of chocolate: Choc peppermint, Choc-Choc with chocolate flakes, molten choc, red velvet, vanilla butterscotch with choc icing, chilli chocolate and gluten free chocolate (for Laura)! Thanks to The Cupcake Bakery at the QVB - the ONLY cupcake shop open until 8.00pm on a Friday night. They were soooooo delicious! Can't wait to go back and try the sticky date cupcake... mmmmm

Caity xx

Kura: The greatest little Japanese Diner Tuesday, August 18, 2009

When I stepped out of my office building today in search of lunch, I had no idea that I would stumble upon what has seriously got to be the greatest little Japanese place in Sydney. When I say little, I mean the entire restaurant, including the kitchen is no bigger than my bedroom. Somehow it manages to accomodate approx 5 staff and around 12 seated customers should they wish to eat in. I feel a bit like I walked into a polly pocket, and not just because I'm 6'2 in heels. Despite the small area, they deliver big on flavour and value. I paid $8.90 for the Chicken Karaage with rice (comes with salad AND miso soup) and for someone who is usually left hungry after eating lunch, I was completely satisfied! The Karaage itself was crispy and flavoursome and the rice - perfectly sticky and hot. Don't let the 'hole in the wall' exterior put you off, you really have to try this place, it won't leave you disappointed! I'll be going back for lunch tomorrow.

Details:

Kura Japanese Restaurant

3/76 Ultimo Rd Haymarket NSW 2000 -

(02) 9212 5661

Open Mon-Sat 11am-10:30pm;

Sun 11am-9:30pm

Caity xx

(Thanks to grabyourfork.blogspot.com for the images!)

Oh no... Clarins Beauty Flash Balm Monday, August 10, 2009

Let me get one thing straight - I am a Clarins fan. It's probably for this reason that I was so bitterly disappointed with their Beauty Flash Balm. Heralded as the must have to have right now beauty item to rival cult favourite Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream, it fell desperately short. It did not brighten, it did not tighten. The yellowy-orangy-pinky cream held such promise when I squeezed a bit out of the tube. Consistency at first was sooooo beautiful but once on my face, it turned to chalk. Laura, who doesn't think it's that bad said to me 'you're only supposed to put on a little bit' - well, Laura - it was only a very little bit that managed to turn me off. This highly inconvenient potion (even when a little was used) made my make up glug and look - BAD even though I patted the cream on gently and applied my make-up straight after application, as recommended. BFB even boasts the ability to be used as a masque when feeling like a super facial charge - I would not reccomend this. BFB DID make my skin feel super dry and gross. I do not recommend for any skin type.

C. xx

BEAUTY KIT Wednesday, July 29, 2009

A few essential items I am totally loving at the moment...

[A'kin] Rose an Geranium Pure Creamy Cleanser and Toner in One (with Shea Butter and Vitamin B5): fresh and dewy skin (suitable for all skin types). I love this beautiful cleanser because it takes off my thickest, blackest mascara without leaving smudgy panda eyes. Splodge a bit onto a cotton make-up pad and wipe the night off. Works just as well in the shower. Oh and it's almost all natural and free from sulfates and parabens!

Aesop Rose Hair and Scalp Moisturising Masque (with Rose Petal, Beta Carotene and Lavender Stem) This is the only hair mask that I've ever been totally satisfied with. Leave this rich masque on for half an hour (ideally after shampooing (with Aesop Sage Cleansing Shampoo), but if you're lazy like me then just slather it on for 30 mins before jumping in the shower), rinse thoroughly and be amazed. After a few applications, my thick and uruly hair was brought back from the brink of being chopped off due to heat and chemical damage. I use the tiniest amount (and I really do mean tiny) on my hair after jumping out of the shower and let it dry naturally, minus the frizz. Thank you Aesop!

Aesop Parsely Seed Anti-oxidant Serum (with Grape Seed)Another hit potion from Aesop. I pop this one on under my sunscreen - and on particularly wintery days I use in conjuction with a richer moisturiser. Not for those who don't like the feel of something slightly sticky on their skin - although I promise it absorbs quickly.

Aesop Parsely Seed Cleansing Masque (with evening primrose and rosehip seed)Everyone needs a slightly more thorough cleanse every now and then. This is your gal. You leave it on until it dries and then wipe off with a hot wet towel. Follow with a luxe moituriser. I try to use this baby at least once a week.

Aesop Tuberose Lip Heal (with violet leaf and Jasmine) OK so there's a lot of Aesop on this list so far - but their products really are just so beautiful, gentle and above all - effective. I use this one LOADS in winter - especially when hanging with my boy who doesn't like getting sticky gloss on his face. It absorbs in around 5 mins so when I want a longer lasting shine I'll pop a thicker gloss over the top. Smells (and tastes) soooooo good.

Bobby Brown Shimmer Wash Eye Shadow (Heather Mauve - 23) I really love this colour. The beautiful fauny/ever so slightly lavender colour has a subtle shimmer that carries you from work through to dinner and beyond. I find my index finger works better than a brush for application.
Photo by Deane and McLoughlin