Thursday 15 December 2011

Signature Brasserie, Brighton Le Sands

Anyone that knows me knows fine dining is not my style. If the restaurant has more then one fork chances are you won’t find me eating there. Although I did manage to get away with my Havana’s (thanks to a long skirt) I did feel some what uncomfortable taking snap shots. Hence the poor quality images!

Signature Brasserie offers a very tempting menu of modern Australian with an influence of Greek. The interior is classy sheik with beautiful views of brighton Le Sands. The wait staff are very attentive and wasted no time making sure we felt right at home. They offer a large selection of wines so they won me over pretty quickly.

Garlic & herb Pizza crust $12
Crispy thin based pizza is perfect for a starter.

Grilled halloumi cheese skewers (min of 2) $5 each
Being a massive fan of haloumi I could not go past this one. Although tasty I prefer mine grilled to a crisp and oozy on the inside. This one was undercooked in my opinion.

Lamb skewers, oregano, lemon & mint yoghurt $16
These four ingredients combined make for classic Greek flavours. Tender lamb skewers doused in mint yoghurt. Yum!

Meatballs in basil tomato sauce, shaved parmesan $12
So addictive. Pretty sure I ate mine and Elles portion!

Confit lamb pastry parcels with tzatziki (min of 2) $6.50 each
Anything wrapped in pastry is incredible. The lamb inside was especially tender and melted in your mouth. Paired with the tzatziki it’s a match made in heaven.

Sab²ia pizza. Braised lamb, spanish onion, fetta, baby spinach, sweet potato $25
While we were already bursting at the seams we couldn’t resist trying the lamb pizza and of course it did not disappoint. Love the sweet potato!

Even though the food is steep in price this is a wonderful restaurant. With good food, good wine and good company you cant go wrong.

Rating 7.5/10


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Saturday 3 December 2011

Casa Asturiana, Liverpool St Sydney

Dreaming of a holiday in Spain? Less than 100m from George St in Sydney’s Spanish Quarter you will find Casa Asturiana.

Sascha and I kick things off with a jug of Sangria. She tells me it’s the best in Sydney and although I’m sceptical I can’t help but agree once we’ve downed the jug of sweet wine punch. Waiting for Jess and already a little tipsy we snack on complementary bread and nuts.
Sangria $23 (1 litre jug)
Sangria is a delicious and refreshing typically Spanish drink. It normally consists of a wine, chopped fruit, a sweetener, and a small amount of added brandy.

Jessica normally doesn’t eat meat. She is about to travel to South America and as a very envious meat eater I believe it’s a must she indulges in all the wonderful food the culture has to offer. So trying to turn her we entice her taste buds with some traditional Spanish meat dishes.

The easiest way to enjoy Spanish food in a group is Tapas. So here we go…
Mixed hot tapas $37
Best selling tapas dishes such as fried eggplant, garlic mushrooms, calamari, baby octopus, meatballs and chorizo.

Gambas al ajillo $15
Large peeled garlic prawns. Pretty average for the price.

Chorizo a la plancha $12
Barbequed Spanish pork and paprika sausage. Its hard to get this dish wrong.

Patatas Alioli $10.50
Lightly fried potatoes covered in a warm garlicky mayonnaise sauce. This was the last dish to arrive at the table. It’s a shame we were all so full because it was bloody amazing!

We are entertained by two passionate Flamenco dancers.

Two jugs of sangria later and we are all reminiscing of our travels to Spain. It’s hard not to get taken away with the restaurants delightful ambiance. Although the food is not cheap the whole experience was something different and defiantly worth the money.

Rating 7/10


Casa Asturiana on Urbanspoon