THE GOOK | food reviews, recipes, restaurants a blog about all things asian or gooky

Pub Grub

Steak used to be my pub meal. Don’t underestimate my love for a good ol’ steak – it’s one of the things I crave the most. It can be my weekly savour, the thing that makes me get to the end of the week. The thing that puts a smile on my stomach and my face. Plus a side of chips and salad, doesn’t go astray either.

Steak. Steak. Glorious, steak.

But another pub meal has stolen my steak spot. Blame these legs. Duck legs. Confit duck legs. At a pub?!

Ahhh-haaa, two lovely legs (eleven, wooo – sorry I was channeling my inner bingo player) on top of a porcini, truffle and walnut risotto finished with some fresh rocket and a drizzle of orange oil. It’s a recent menu item over at my local, The Botany View Hotel. Yes, it’s le dodge out the front. Yep, it’s exterior isn’t all that attractive, with unpleasantly large signage doesn’t exactly scream ‘come in’. Yep, the prices for meals are a little above le average pub meal – don’t fret, the staples (portugese chicken burger, fish n’ chips, parmigiana schnitzel) still appear alongside all the gastro food. But the kitchen (which is cash only by the way) does scream, dinner delight cause it’s at the helm of those Darley Street Bistro guys.

Bypass the front, order from the want-one-of-everything-menu (the long one above head height), head upstairs and nom away. This place makes my week complete. All round nom-a-thon.

My type of pub grub.

Crisp, yummy, fatty skin. Times two.

THE DEETS YOU WANT TO KNOW

The Botany View Hotel
Corner of King & Darley Sts
Newtown NSW 2042
P 9517 1133
Reservations accepted!
www.darleystreetbistro.com.au

Confit duck legs with porcini, truffle and walnut risotto with some rocket and a drizzle of orange oil $28

Nice n’ Slow

I used to be that girl. That anal-controllive-programmed-kinda-obsessed-breakfast-lunch-and-tea-girl. That had three solid meals a day and an odd snack inbetween. In times of ‘pudgey-ness’, snacking gets cut out – no questions, the answer is a big, fat, ennn-ohhhh. For some reason, maybe it’s the added pilates classes or the fact that time isn’t on my side – I’ve been grazing the day away. And, I totally dig it – big time.

Weekends seems to exasperate this grazING faze

I’m obsessed with Wedge Espresso. It’s so close to my pilates studio, the guys don’t mind if I sit for hours, order one dish every hour or so and it does serve my black coffee of choice – the cold drip. Most Saturdays you’ll find me here; slightly sweaty, tights ahoy, messy top knot hair with a massive undercut (peek-a-boo!).

If you stroll-on-past just hola, I won’t mind. Wedge is that sort of place. It’s long layout (inherently it used to be an old disused storage space), with long sun filled window seats make it an optimum spot to people gaze. As well as food graze and food peek – this has happened! Curious peeps have poked their heads over my delish dishes and asked if it’s the shit, oh and how’s the coffee? Of course it’s good, why on earth would I be here and for hours on end?!

Curious bystanders aside, my top grazing tips, you need to have the breakfast plate – it’s the ultimate grazing dish. If you’re impartial to a board of small bits n’ pieces – go the pulled pork. It goes down easily, but may be hard to graze, it’s a goodie! Eat small bits, slowwwwly. Then enjoy, sit back and get some vitamin D. Saturdays are meant to be like this…