Bling Bling Dumpling: All that shimmers

Red glitter walls, silver glitter-topped tables and all manner of tacky, if not cheap, 'Asian' trinkets greet diners who take the chance to walk into Bling Bling Dumpling on Broadway.

But for the promise of dumplings, some at a special advertised price of $1 each, I was game enough to enter the den of bling - quite literally. How they got that large-size red glitter to cover an entire wall was impressive enough for me.

Inside Bling Bling Dumpling, Broadway, Ultimo

The menu is normal Chinese sized; that is, about ten pages or more, traversing the entire spectrum of appetisers, soups, meat and vegetable mains, and of course, their namesake dumplings.

Banana chips

As we went through the pages of the menu, a small dish of complimentary banana chips was brought to the table, which was frankly odd, not helped by the fact that I don't like banana chips.

Steamed dumplings

The dumpling menu was much more complicated than I would have liked. A serve of four dumplings costs $4.80 - as long as they're not meat (additional 80c), seafood (additional $1.80) or pan fried (additional 80c).

On top of that, they're given 'bling' names like diamond, emerald and citrine when they really mean pork and chive or chicken and leek - which were the varieties we ordered four each of (the pork and chive being the advertised $1 per dumpling special - steamed only).

Both varieties elected as steamed for simplicity, these dumplings seemed to have been freshly steamed in bamboo baskets as they arrived to the table last and very, very hot. They are definitely larger than your standard dumpling, perhaps even double the size.

The pork and chive was pretty decent, with nicely chewy dough wrapped around the minced pork filling. The chicken and leek, however, was underseasoned and desperately needed soy sauce and chilli oil; the latter which had to be requested from the staff.

Hot and sour soup

We started with a huge bowl of hot and sour soup featuring tofu, carrot, bamboo shoot and black wood ear fungus.

The flavour was, as expected, both sour and hot but so hot and spicy that it caught sharply at the back of the throat every time I had a mouthful. It was a warming, if not somewhat painful, experience that left me with chilli sniffles.

Xinjiang braised eggplant, lightly pan fried in special sweet sauce

By lightly pan fried eggplant, I do believe they meant deep fried. These golden segments of eggplant were on the slightly oily side, but surprisingly pleasant: think soft eggplant, oil, slight crispness and a sugar-sweet sauce - what's not to like? A bowl of steamed rice would have completed the picture.

As we went to pay the bill down the back of the restaurant, the space reveals a dark, less-bling back section and an adjoining restaurant next door. I have no idea if the two spaces are connected but neither was particularly busy at late lunch.

I was distracted for a good several minutes in front of the tropical fish tank down the back, not too sure of the bling connection. Bling Bling Dumpling is certainly one of the most curiously themed restaurants around, but unfortunately, I haven't found dumpling gold here.

Fratelli Paradiso: A classy brother act

I've found myself venturing into the poshness that is Potts Point a fair bit recently, and while I may not feel like I belong at all, the suburb does have a nice village feel to it despite neighbouring Kings Cross.

Fratelli Paradiso is the decade-plus veteran Italian eatery in Potts Point, not be be confused with the numerous Fratelli Fresh and their eateries, Café Sopra. Well known for its all-day Italian offerings, Fratelli Paradiso has garnered scores of local and other fans over the years of their casul, laidback yet sophisticated café/ trattoria offerings.

Blackboard menu at Fratelli Paradiso, Challis Avenue, Potts Point

In the evening, the tables and chairs spilling onto the footpath are the first to fill, while the dark, intimate settings inside get packed throughout the night. The locals and regulars seem to know the drill and the restaurant seems to have little issue at all with its no reservations policy or Italian-only blackboard menu.

Prosecco (front) and bellini (back)

The weather wasn't so cool as to refuse a prosecco or bellini to start as yet; the none-too-sweet Spanol 'Col del Sas' Prosecco di Valdobbiadene from the Veneto region. The peachy bellini was reminiscent of a summer we never had and seemed to also feature vanilla.

There's a large selection of wines by the glass, mostly Italian, but two-and-a-half full A4 pages of wines by the bottle - an impressive selection for a relatively small venue, but with plenty of help available from the waitstaff.

Bread rolls

As we perused the blackboard menu and asked waitstaff for reminders of Italian translations, a basket of bread rolls was brought to the table.

Served in a completely rustic fashion in a banneton basket, the equally rustic bread was wonderfully flavoured and only improved with the extra virgin olive oil at the table.

Calamari

We settled on three entrées to share as the menu seemed just a little too appealing. I'm not sure what I was expecting when we ordered the calamari, but I don't think I expected some of the most tender squid I've ever had.

Lightly battered and deep fried, the rings of squid (and nice to see tentacles included for a change) were perfectly seasoned atop rocket leaves and a balsamic vinegar dressing - a sublimely perfect example of how calamari should be served.

Crudo di pesce - kingfish

The kingfish crudo looked an absolute treat with its cubes of raw, pink fish, Spanish onion and chilli. However, it seemed to be missing its citrus dressing which in turn, emphasised the fishiness of the kingfish of which I'm particularly sensitive to.

The fresh lemon juice from the wedges we requested helped a little, but a glass of the deliciously medium-bodied La Distesa 'Terre Silvate' Verdicchio helped greatly (described on the wine list as "crunch, pop, apple, white flowers in the desert" - what fun).

Salumi misti - mixed cured meats

I've tried resisting cured meats and have just not succeeded. This salumi plate featured some excellent prosciutto, bresaola, chunky and fat-dotted salami, char-grilled eggplant and soft goat's milk stracchino  cheese which I haven't had since I was in Italy.

Pasta scampi

As soon as the daily pasta dish of spaghetti with scampi was announced from the blackboard, it was an immediate order as one of our mains.

It featured one whole, split, grilled scampi and a pile of spaghetti with a few pieces of scampi without its shell - all sweet, well-cooked and savoured in small bites.

Spaghetti with scampi

The spaghetti was simply tossed with olive oil, garlic, cherry tomatoes, chilli and parsley, and all the better for its simplicity.

With mains, we went with the recommendation and special by the glass of Bricco Maiolica Diano D'Alba which was entertainingly described as "old man new, smoke and wild cherry".

Stinco d'agnello - braised lamb shanks

Feeling like something more rich than pasta, I ordered the lamb shank cooked in tomato with pine nuts and peas; the latter giving the dish a slight Sunday roast feel.

The incredibly thick tomato sauce stuck to the lamb, which would have been cooked for several hours at least given my dinner knife was completely redundant. I'd definitely recommend ordering a vegetable side dish with this meaty main.

Panna cotta

Desserts are kept simple at Fratelli Paradiso, much as the rest of the menu is as well. The panna cotta, served spooned out from a larger dessert, was presented with fresh figs, crumbled pistachios and a honey sauce that added sweetness and brought it all together.

This was probably one of the more delicate yet full-flavoured panna cottas I've tried, despite its unusual presentation.

Tiramisu

I couldn't resist that Italian classic, tiramisu. Again served from a larger dessert, this epic hunk of tiramisu was dusted heavily with chocolate powder with plenty of not-too-sweet mascarpone. Although the Savoiardi fingers could have spent a couple more seconds in their coffee bath, the flavours overall were spot on.

Inside Fratelli Paradiso

The buzz in the restaurant was exactly what you'd be looking for on a late weekday night: one could tell that both diners and staff were in a happy equilibrium of food, wine and enjoyment.

Fratelli Paradiso easily one of those places where you want to return to time and time again, and indeed, become a regular. It looks like there are more Potts Point visits on the cards for me.

Food, booze and shoes dined at Fratelli Paradiso as a guest, with thanks to Maria Farmer Public Relations.

bloodwood: Where the bloody hell have I been?

It’s been more than a year since bloodwood popped up on my radar: my first couple of visits were drinks-only affairs while a drop-in over the December festive season sadly saw them closed for a week or so.

But post my dinner visit recently, I’ve been wondering: where has bloodwood been all my life? And indeed, where have I been when I should have been in their mezzanine dining room all this time?

bloodwood, King Street, Newtown

The industrial chic fit-out reminds me a little of another venue but suits the space and Newtown down to the concrete ground. The front bar area is cosy, as too the open kitchen we pass before heading up a few steps to the table settings for couples and fours in the main dining area.

Polenta chips, gorgonzola sauce

We order their signature polenta chips as we pore over the very approachable wine list, with plenty of options by the glass. The 2009 Font De Michelle Font Du Vent Cotes du Rhone is an affordable choice that has an almost abruptly short length, not all a bad thing with the pungently creamy gorgonzola sauce.

The polenta chips are perfect bricks of yellow-gold ground cornmeal seasoned with salt flakes. Impossibly crisp on the outside and soft, piping hot and creamily textured on the inside, the chunky polenta chips were the perfect instruments to devour the pot of gorgonzola sauce, wiping it clean and even getting a top-up.

Pork pintxo, lima beans, guindillas

It was easy to pick the pork pintxo from the menu, especially after the waiter’s description of the grilled pork with paprika and other spices, served with lima bean puree and pickled guindilla chillies.

Nothing smells quite as good as charred meat on a stick, and this was certainly a highlight of the meal. Topped with a sensational tart green sauce and a bunch of the not-spicy guindilla chilliess, the tender pork was lean and full of flavour; the bean puree adding a necessary carbohydrate base.

Spanner crab, green asparagus, brown butter, bread crumbs, parsley

There was definitely no skimping on the amount of spanner crab flesh, tossed with parsley and topped with bread crumbs, all piled on top of the grilled asparagus spears. The whole lot was quite drenched in the sauce of brown butter, making it quite a rich dish, particularly after it cooled a little.

We also had an overflowing bowl that was the leaf salad - definitely the biggest I’ve seen on a restaurant table, although admittedly it wasn't really a side dish. But with thin, salty shards of crisp bresaola, this salad was bliss, helped by the fact that none of the leaves – red witlof included – had any bitterness about them.

Coorong angus beef brisket, spatzle, cauliflower, beans

To drink with what would represent a main dish at bloowood (larger size and price tag), I switched to the bigger, bolder 2009 Telmo Rodriguez Dehesa Gago Tempranillo which was fruity enough hold up against the almost cloying sweetness and richness of the South Australian angus beef brisket.

The brisket must have been braised for many an hour, possibly in dark soy sauce, to achieve the tenderness that allowed it, and all its muscle and connective tissue, to be pulled apart with forks alone.

The crisp surfaced bits of spatzle, pan fried with cauliflower florets and green beans, were a tad on the oily side given the already rich, fat-melded beef brisket, making it a slight struggle to finish.

bloodwood trifle – fresh berries, pound cake, port wine jelly,
vanilla anglaise, yoghurt mascarpone

There was only stomach capacity for one dessert to be shared between two, which had to be bloodwood’s take on the retro trifle.

The current iteration of the perennial dessert featured fresh berries, including stunning blueberries, combined with a fragrant vanilla anglaise. The pound cake acted as a sponge to all the dairy goodness around it, while I could have easily gone a bowl of port wine jelly on its own.

Paired with the oaky, candied pineapple tones of the 2007 Grande Maison Cuvee de Angus, it wasn’t an overly sweet finish to the meal, at which point both the dining area and front bar were packed full with a broad range of punters. And with very good reason too – the food and wine are interesting yet approachable, mashing new and familiar with touches of both high-end and casual.

While the fine dining pedigree of the three bloodwood chefs/owners is well known, it was also a lovely surprise to find the professionalism and high standards also flows through to the service. Despite the casual-cool atmosphere, the top-notch service really elevated my experience of bloodwood to something special. I know where the bloody hell I want to eat more often.