ZEBRA GREEN CAFE & BAR - BONDI JUNCTION, SYDNEY

Zebra Green Cafe & Bar 
82 Bronte Rd
Bondi Junction, Sydney

Zebra Green is a new addition to Bondi Junction's cafe scene. It opened about 2 months ago but is quickly becoming a neighbourhood favourite. It's conveniently situated on Bronte Rd, just a stone's throw away from the hustle and bustle of the junction but far enough to avoid all the noise and beeping cars.

You may have heard the name Zebra Green before. They've been making delicious sauces for a while now. Their sauces are so popular you will find them in the kitchen of many restaurants across Sydney. Zebra Green have taken their long standing passion for great tasting food and have opened their own restaurant.

Zebra Green stands within a old terrace house which has  been beautifully done up. As you walk in, you find yourself in the main room with a few tables and chairs, enough to sit about 20 people. When you walk outside the back, you step out into a lovely outdoor area, perfect for these balmy summer nights.

Zebra Green is BYO for now, but they do have their liquor licence pending. Until then (we've been told it won't be long), if you feel like having some wine with your meal, there is a bottle shop almost right next door. We were happy with just water though, a much needed break after the  all champagne we drank over Christmas

We started off with some hand cut chips with aioli.

The chips were chunky and crisp and the creamy aioli was a great dipping agent. This dish didn't last very long.

We then tried some beautiful corn fritters. Fluffy and tasty, these fritters were fresh off the pan and were delicious.

Then came a mouthwatering pastrami sandwich. Served like a jaffle it was filled with thick slices of beef pastrami and was served with the most tantalising smokey BBQ pickles. We absolutely loved it.

Our final starter was a healthy serving of sticky BBQ wings. They were presented to us as the house specialty and we can see why. Smothered a Zebra Green authentic smokey BBQ sauce, these wings will have you coming back for more every time. We highly recommend this dish and if we can offer one piece of advice: don't be afraid to get her hands dirty (thus to enjoy the full flavours of the wing).


The staff have everything covered and thoughtfully provide bowls of warm lemon water on the table to help flush out any residue of sauce on your hands.

Whilst we waiting for our mains, we had the privilege of meeting restaurant owner Shane. Shane talked to us about his passion for creating great tasting food that's simple and most of all, not very expensive. Shane took us for a tour to the, yet to be opened, upstairs area. A retro room filled with furniture from the 1950's, a work in progress for now but once opened will be an authentic Gin bar right heart of Sydney (We can't wait to check it out when it opens).

Amongst all this talk about Gin and Bars, Count J felt like a coffee (not sure why) so we thought since the place also does breakfast, it might a good idea to give their coffee a go. We ordered a Machiatto. The coffee was smooth and served with a perfect crema.

Our first main course was a beautiful piece of Barramundi. Evidently fresh, this fish was crispy and taunt on the outside but beautifully silky on the inside. It was served with a grainy Quinoa that complemented the fish really well. We then tried a couple of salads. The beet salad was a heavenly combination of feta and walnuts which when tossed, created a creamy texture that was screaming freshness.


The Cous Cous salad was super crunchy, had great texture and the almonds flakes were a surprising but great addition to this Middle Eastern favourite.











Our final main dish was the most amazing Lamb wrapped in eggplant.

This spectacular piece of meat was herb crusted and served with crushed feta and mint.

This dish is  a taste sensation and for us, the outstanding main for the evening.

Now even after all this food, there was no way we were going to leave without having dessert, especially since we found out that Shane is a bit of a cheesecake genius and there was cheesecake available. We tried his very special Apple and Walnut cheesecake and we can tell you it was by far, the best cheesecake we have EVER tried. For Count N especially, that's a big call. To try and explain in one sentence, imagine the creaminess of a cheesecake combined with the silkiness of an apple pie, all combined to create one angelic dessert.

Zebra Green is a game changer in the restaurant scene.

With a strong passion for flavour, great efficient service and prices you would expect to see at a pub rather than a restaurant (nothing on their menu is over $23), it's one place you definitely want to visit in 2016.

Zebra Green is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, 7 days a week. We will definitely back, especially to try their breakfast menu.


The Counts, who review for Sir and Mlady Dine Out, dined as guests of Zebra Green. Special thanks to owner Shane Lurie for inviting us and looking after us so well.

 

EL TOPO - BONDI JUNCTION, SYDNEY

El Topo Mexican
The Eastern Hotel
Level 3, 500 Oxford St
Bondi Junction, Sydney

El Topo Mexican, located within the Eastern hotel in Sydney's famous Bondi Junction is well established as a local favourite. Boasting a very impressive space inside, situated on the rooftop, EL Topo Mexican has two main eating areas connected via a bridge that hosts a bar with one of the most impressive Tequila lists anywhere in Sydney. El Top Mexican is a perfect choice for any occasion. Private booth cater for small groups or an intimate dinner and large share tables make it easy for you to bring large groups together for a Mexican feast.

El Top Mexican has a very impressive menu with an array of choices from your classic Tortilla chips, guacamole, Tacos and Quesadilla's to more authentic traditional Mexican food such as Pork Belly and spatchcock. Also, we're pretty sure it’s the only Mexican restaurant in Sydney that offers roasted Crickets and a Cactus salad.

We ordered a few starters to keep us occupied while we studied the menu.  We started with a classic Mexican starter - tortilla chips and here at EL Topo Mexican they come with two types of Salsas, avocado and tomato Chile. Both salsas were very fresh and the chili added a welcome touch of hotness for an added kick. If you're looking for something different to corn or tortilla chips to start your Mexican meal, we would highly recommend you try the Plantains. These fried crisps were deliciously crunchy and full of spices.

We decided to try a Tequila drink as El Top Mexican has a very extensive range. Our lovely waitress, Melissa, a Mexican girl here on a working holiday visa, recommended the coconut Margarita.  Count J, who loves Tequila ordered a classic one. Both cocktails were delicious and the coconut Margarita here is made with coconut flavoured Tequila not with syrups or artificial flavourings. 

We enjoyed our cocktails with the kingfish ceviche which was fresh and full of flavour with huge pieces of juicy watermelon bringing out the full flavour of the kingfish in every bite.

We then moved on to some Tacos and a Quesadilla, both classic choices for a Mexican restaurant but done so well here. The Quesadilla generously filled with truffle oil, mushrooms and cheese was oozing with flavour. The tacos were perfectly crisp, especially the soft shell crab with the cactus salsa. I had never had soft shell crab in a taco before and I have to say it is definitely worth trying.

Our two main dishes were just as impressive as everything else we've tried so far however the 'Camote Y Frijole Pintos' was definitely the outstanding dish for this evening. This dish, stuffed peppers with sweet potato was literally a taste sensation. The pinto beans and walnuts added a real crunch and blended really well with the vegetables. This is a great vegetarian choice but meat lovers don't stress because the 12 hour beef rib smothered in a slightly sweet barbacoa sauce is sure to satisfy your carnivore needs.

As we finished our mains we started to think about dessert and saw lots of choices. We ordered the flan on the advice of our waitress who's local knowledge of Mexican food was invaluable. The huge serving of coconut flavoured single origin Mexican chocolate blended with hazelnuts and goats milk caramel was the most delicious flan we've had in a long time. With just the right sweetness and luscious shavings of coconut served in a huge Mason jar, it’s perfect for sharing or not, depending on your appetite.

And with that a perfect
evening has come to end. El Toppo Mexican at the Eastern is a perfect choice for any occasion. The atmosphere is fun and the staff are great with local knowledge on hand to help you with any menu questions you might have.

If you love Margeritas, then you might want to visit on a Monday where all Margaritas are $10 from 4pm. Ole!

They do what the do well here at El Topo.

It's not over the top-o (sorry) but it's a fun night out in a relaxed atmosphere with good food and drinks to match.

The Counts, who are now doing reviews for Sir and Mlady Dine Out, dined as guests of El Topo and The Eastern Hotel. Special thanks to Sonya Blan of The Eastern for arranging this.

BONDI HARVEST - BONDI, SYDNEY

Bondi Harvest
500 Oxford St (inside The Eastern Hotel)
Bondi Junction, Sydney

Bondi Harvest, the popular online TV series of Guy Turland and Mark Alston, has literally come to life in this cafe. On the first floor of the popular Eastern Hotel it has quickly become a favourite place to eat. The space is large and very functional, seating over 100 people. If you want some privacy, you can sit at one of many booths on offer but if you feel like being a bit more social, there are share tables too.

We entered via the hotel and went to level one up some grand stairs. We later found out the entrance is at street level on the other side. As soon as we walked in we noticed a mellow guitarist playing some lovely tunes on the floor. After a brief interaction with the lovely floor staff at the expansive marble bar, we made our way to one of the booths at the back and started looking at the menu.

Bondi Harvest also has a good range of very funky cocktails on offer.

The appropriate to area 'Surf and Destroy', a mojito with blueberries, is certainly a very refreshing choice that we loved.

The uniquely named "Harvest Hangs Mary" sounds somewhat violent but it is actually smooth and full of flavour with a strong hit of Tequila. It really hit the spot too!

Our first starter, a generous helping of Whipped Meredith Dairy Goats Cheese was creamy, soft and flavoursome, served with delicious grilled sourdough bread.

Next was White Anchovies which were bursting with flavour, marinated in lemon and chilli for a slightly tangy bite. The chimmichurri sourdough was a great addition adding to the complex flavours in this dish.

We also tried the Skewered Melon on the advice of our waiter.

Wrapped generously with prosciutto on a bed of mint spiced labna, this melon dish was a mouthwatering twist on a traditional Italian Melanzane, and is something that we have never eaten before.

We'd now highly recommend it.

Next our mains arrived. If you like big servings. Bondi Harvest has you covered. Our lamb shoulder for two was a huge 1/2 kg, and was falling off the bone after many hours of slow cooking. A unique fennel and almond crumble added a real kick to this outstanding dish, served with a mountain of super-crispy roast potatoes - we love crispy potatoes!

Have you ever had a Quinoa Risotto? The one here is fantastic. Light and rich in flavour the dish featured grilled mushrooms and Parmesan cheese.  Truffle oil sets off a hint of earthy sweetness and brings out the flavour of the mushrooms so well. A Mediterranean Vegetable Salad was a colourful and tasty side dish, especially with the lamb.

All this amazing food was enjoyed with wine of course - after our earlier cocktails. We had a glass each of Tarrawarra Pinot Noir and Fromm La Strata Pinot Gris, chosen as always by Count J the wine buff.

It's not often we say no to food but when our waiter asked us if we wanted dessert, we initially declined but later conceded to sharing one.

A delicious house made Chocolate Mousse was topped with fresh blueberries, strawberries, shaved coconut and almond flakes. We enjoyed the dessert very much as it wasn't too heavy or overly sweet. A great way to end the night!





















We very much enjoyed our evening at Bondi Harvest. The food is delicious and the atmosphere is fun. Their philosophy is eat healthy with food that is seasonal and locally sourced. Although we came for dinner, Bondi Harvest boasts a very impressive breakfast and lunch menu. We most definitely will be back to try both. Bondi Harvest is open 7 days a week.




The Counts, who are now doing reviews for Sir and Mlady Dine Out, dined as guests of Bondi Harvest. Special thanks also to Sonya Blan for arranging this visit.

 

GOODTIME DINER (INSIDE THE EASTERN HOTEL) - BONDI JUNCTION, SYDNEY

GoodTime Diner
(Inside The Eastern Hotel)
Level 1/500 Oxford St
Bondi Junction, Sydney

Nestled inside the well known Eastern Suburbs institution - The Eastern Hotel - is GoodTime Diner.

It's new, it's relaxed and it's got the comfort food people love to eat these days. It's not pretentious - it has a very casual, comfortable feel to it.

We were in beautiful downtown Westfield Bondi Junction for a food bloggers dinner - The Dinner Club - to sample the offerings at GoodTime Diner.

As it joins onto a Westfield shopping centre parking is a breeze.

The food here is New Orleans Southern style - think slow cooked and/or smoked in their authentic American Yoder and big flavours too!

We started with the GoodTime charcuterie plate which had an interesting mix of smoked pork belly, salumi, gherkins, smoked cheese, smoked nuts and some baguette slices.

There was plenty on the board to try. We really enjoyed the lightly smoked cheese but loved the bigger flavour of the smoked nuts. The variety meant we could mix and match with toppings on the baguette slices too.

Next was the very tasty, and very popular, charred Cajun corn. This was a real hit on the night with the group. Corn can sometimes be, well, just corn.

This had bigger flavours than your average corn with the Cajun kick quite prominent.

The platter of garlic bread was again a tasty addition - hot, not overpowered with garlic and in strips that were easy to hold and eat.

The mac n cheese was a killer dish - and again extremely popular with the wider group we were dining with.

Served in individual cast iron pots, it came out extremely hot, with molten cheese oozing through tender macaroni and all topped with crisped breadcrumbs.

The cheese had dribbled over the edge creating slightly crispy shards as well - so delicious. 

For Sir, his favourite meat dish of the night was the Southern spiced free range BBQ chicken. The meat was nice and tender with a crisp spicy skin encasing the juicy slow cooked flesh and a very subtle smoked flavour.

While the 12 hour slow cooked beef short rib did look like chocolate brownies - as we all noted at the table - it did turn out to be an extremely tender meat dish with even more subtle smoke flavours present.










Comfort food is great but a few salads and healthier options never go astray - and these are certainly available at GoodTime Diner.

First was the fennel, goats cheese, pear and spinach salad - an interesting combination popular with some - but neither of us love fruit in our salads. It's a personal taste thing. On the other hand the cous cous, chickpea, pine nuts and roast pumpkin salad was delicious for us - great colours, flavours and textures!

GoodTime Diner is exactly what you would want or expect from a Southern style diner with a good variety of slow cooked and comfort food available that is tasty and fresh. It has a relaxed, comfortable atmosphere and it's just so easy to get to and find parking.

Sir and Mlady dined as guests of GoodTime Diner. Thanks to co-head chef Amir for chatting with us about the menu. Special thanks also to Carlos Raso of Carlos Raso Public Relations for arranging our visit.

ANATOLI - BONDI JUNCTION, SYDNEY

Anatoli
Level 1 The Eastern Hotel
500 Oxford St
Bondi Junction

Anatoli is in the very interesting and varied Eastern Hotel. There are four levels to The Eastern and Anatoli is on level one.

It has a calm and simple elegant feel to it when you walk in and that flows through into all aspects of this charming restaurant.


The wall of preserved and pickled vegetables is a nice touch as well as adding a splash of colour.


It's quite a large restaurant providing a modern twist on Greek food from chef Matt Fitzgerald.

His passion is evident - he was on holidays in Tasmania on the evening of our visit but while we were on our way there he was kind enough to message us back with some recommendations - which we eagerly followed!

Anatoli has a nice feel to it. Life may be hectic outside but it all seems to melt away in this calm serene place.

We started with a taramasalata dip that was beautiful in taste and appearance.

It arrived nicely presented in a tin with plenty of fresh bread and some lovely crunchy croutons. We could have eaten this all day.

The whole dish had a real wow factor to it and the taste was delicious.

We then moved on to a beautiful serving of Kefalotyri cheese saganaki with honey spiced baby figs.

It arrived in a cute little fry pan.

It all went nicely together with the figs and cheese making a great flavoursome combination.

Then it was a delicious serving of lamb and pine nut koupes with lemon.

Lamb and pine nuts always seem to go well together and these were no exception.

The crisp outer was a nice contrast with the soft and tasty filling inside.

Add a squeeze of lemon and its even better!

Our next dish was certainly colourful.

It was baby squid mixed with cucumber, chickpea and yoghurt.

The baby squid was nicely tender and the fresh crisp cucumber offset it well.

It was a light salad that fused well together and the flavour was light and fresh as well!

We chose a side dish - although it turned out to be a substantial serving as always.

The charred okra, burghul, anchovy and garlic. Burghul is a wheat based product that is a bit like couscous.

The delicate combination of okra, anchovy and garlic (and none were overdone) went perfectly with the burghul.

If you want a dish with an overwhelming wow factor then you must have the oven roasted whole baby snapper.

It comes with fennel, herbs and lemon and looks absolutely amazing with this great garnish or decoration.

The fish was perfectly cooked and there was plenty of it as well.

We readily confess that dessert is always a must do for us. In fact Matt Fitzgerald told us to make sure we saved room for it - and he was right!

We started with chocolate mousse, hazelnut and burnt gerakas honey ice cream. It looked unusual and had a great combination of textures and flavours. It was rich and yet not overpowering and tasted great.

We then had the wine poached pear, custard, semolina and almond.

The presentation was again quite spectacular and unique in a lovely jar with the lid open to gaze down into your sweet treat below.

It tasted so nice with such a great mix again of flavours and textures.

Our final dessert was again unique.

It was described in the menu as watermelon and feta with crunchy bits - but to be fair this almost doesn't do it justice.

The fresh watermelon was nicely offset with powdered licorice and the crunch was added with a variety of nuts and other bits. It was delicious.
























Anatoli was interesting, innovative and impressive. Matt Fitzgerald has done a wonderful job of putting together a menu that has something for everyone with flavours, textures and presentation that will excite you and delight your taste buds. The decor was also very pleasant and calming after the hustle and bustle of a busy day or week. Service is also attentive, friendly and very helpful. You can also choose your own drinks or do what we gladly did and get Manuel to surprise you - it's worth it!

Sir and Mlady dined as guests of Anatoli. Special thanks to Matt Fitzgerald and also to Allira Carroll of Savannah PR for arranging our visit. Thanks also to Anatoli Restaurant Manager Wimmie for looking after us so well on our visit and to Manuel for the lovely wine matching.