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The latest Sake Restaurant and Bar has opened at Manly Wharf, with an unbeatable harbour view. The space is huge and there are many seating options (booths, at the sushi bar, inside or out.
The Hiramasa Kingfish was beautifully prepared and you can't really go wrong with the jalapeno and the yuzu dressing.
Hiramasa Kingfish, Lime and Jalapeno kosho, yuzu ponzu $19
The Sashimi cones of kingfish and salmon were tasty and fun to eat.
Sashimi cones with kingfish, avocado and salmon, avocado ($12 for two).
The Popcorn shrimp had a crispy coating and the batter was very light. dressed beautifully in the yuzu mayonnaise.
Popcorn shrimp, yuzu, spicy mayonnaise $22
The Grandmaster sizzle is a Japanese take on a hamburger steak. It was strangely satisfying topped with daikon and paired with crunchy yam chips.
Grandmaster sizzle, Wagyu patty, mozzarella, daikon oroshi, yuzu ponzu $26
For dessert, we couldn't go past the Dragon Egg, a signature dish at Sake. As the waiter pours on the hot miso caramel, the egg begins to crack to reveal a white chocolate shell filled with roasted banana and a banana and hazelnut cream. It was rich, decadent and a great way to end the meal.
Dragon egg: White chocolate, hazelnut and banana cream, roasted bananas, miso caramel $23
Dragon egg: White chocolate, hazelnut and banana cream, roasted bananas, miso caramel $23
Serving sizes are a little small for the price but I guess you are also paying for the expansive harbour views. Sake Manly is a great place to unwind with some good modern Japanese food and cocktails to match.
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Located in St Leonards, Mas.Que started popping up on my Instagram a few months back and I had been eager to try their Asian fusion fare since. Starting off with the drinks, I was intrigued by the Black Tea Latte which allowed you to draw your own art. The "ink" was some charcoal and beetroot essence and I had fun making my own creation. The latte had a very strong tea flavour too which I enjoyed.
Black Tea Latte $6.5
The Brulee latte is essentially a cross between a creme brulee and a latte. It had the hard crack of a creme brulee and a cinnamon stick, which you use to stir the latte one the top layer is gone.
Brulee latte with cinnamon stick $7
Onto the food and we got a load of dishes to share. The Wagyu Tataki and Soba noodles was a light and refreshing dish. The noodles came with a very flavoursome handmade sauce and an onsen egg that was perfectly cooked. Topping this off was a generous portion of thinly sliced Wagyu beef.
Wagyu Tataki & Soba $25
The highlight of the meal for me was no doubt the Soft Shell crab on Golden Sand Congee. It looked spectacular when it landed on the table. and was backed up by its taste. The congee was deliciously thick and had a lovely golden hue thanks to the split mung bean and the cordyceps (a type of fungus). It was topped with a crunchy Duck Yolk golden crisp with the piece de resistance, the soft shell crab, sitting on top. The crab was stunning and the dish was the perfect winter warmer.
Soft Shell Crab on Golden Sand Congee $23
The Taiwan Classic Bowl with braised pork and egg rolls was moreish and packed full of flavour. It's comfort food at its best. The side of Taiwanese fried chicken was crispy and succulent.
Taiwan Classic Bowl: Taiwanese slow braised pork, fried chicken bites, egg roll, rice $15
The Truffle pasta was a simple dish with only a few ingredients on the plate but done exceptionally well. The pasta had a good bite and I loved the truffle flavour that was present throughout the dish.
Truffle Mushroom Pasta $22
The Flaming bowl came with Truffle kombu sauce comes with wagyu beef, seared right in front of you. It's like a little set menu and comes accompanied with a soft boiled egg, fried tofu and pickles. The Truffle kombu sauce was full of umami flavour and it was another very fun dish to eat.
Wagyu Sirloin flaming bowl with Truffle Kombu Tsuyu $27
With so many cafes and restaurants in the lower North Shore, Mas.Que manages to stand out with its inventive cuisine, backed up by flavor.
Pilu at Freshwater is an Italian fine dining restaurant on the Northern Beaches, with a focus on Sardinian cuisine. The day we visited was unfortunately a rainy one, but it was still a very picturesque setting overlooking Freshwater beach. I could only imagine how amazing it would look on a summery day. Perusing the menu, we opted to go for the 7-course degustation ($125pp) but decided to start with half a dozen of Sydney rock oysters. These gems are from Pambula and are served with apple cider and cucumber. Sweet and plump, they were gone in a flash.  Pambula Sydney Rock Oysters with apple and cucumber
Soon after we were presented with the complimentary flat bread with house made ricotta and truffle oil. The flatbread was deliciously crunchy with a good sprinkling of salt and rosemary, perfectly paired with the creamy ricotta.
House made flat bread with ricotta and truffle oil
Onto the first course and it's a Smoked mullet and celeriac panada with Dill oil, apple and cucumber gel and horseradish cream on the side. An interesting blend of ingredients, the dill oil together with the horseradish cream tied the dish together.
Smoked mullet and celeriac 'panada', horseradish, apple, cucumber and dill
The Ravioli of ricotta with a sea urchin emulsion and tarragon oil was unfortunately a little underwhelming. The ravioli is a traditional Sardinian version, quite different to the shape of the usual ones you see in an Italian restaurant. The skin was a bit too thick for my liking and the sea urchin flavour wasn't as strong as I had hoped.
Ravioli of ricotta, mozzarella, grapefruit, sea urchin and salmon roe
The Fregula risotata is a toasted Semolina pasta and together with the pecorino cheese, charred onions and wild garlic puree made for a very tasty vegetarian dish.
Hand rolled fregula risotata, pearl onions, leeks and wild garlic
The Barramundi in smoked ham consomme was delicious and I enjoyed the unusual textures of the sea herbs. The smoked ham consomme was crystal clear and packed full of flavour.
Barramundi, sea herbs, baby turnips and smoked ham consomme
The Roast suckling pig is one of the signature dishes at Pilu and it's not hard to see why. The suckling pig has the great mix of crispy crackling and tender meat. The accompaniments of black olive tapenade, poached paradise pear helped in countering the richness of the dish, and I loved the flavour of the pistachio mortadella.
Melanda Park free range oven roasted suckling pig with condiments
Condiments accompanying the suckling pig
The palate cleanser of Pimm's and strawberry consomme, cucumber granita and mint delivered - it was light, fruity and refreshing.
Pimm's and strawberry consomme, cucumber and mint
The final dish of our degustation was a Sardinian pastry filled with ricotta and sultanas, drizzled with honey from nearby Forestville. The pastry was delightfully crispy and the flavours of honey, the dehydrated orange and ricotta blended superbly together.
Sardinian pastry filled with ricotta and sultanas, served with local honey
It's the perfect place for a lazy long lunch at a beautiful location. I enjoyed some dishes more than others, so would probably opt for the a la carte option next time.
Encasa in Lane Cove is an outpost from the much loved original on Pitt Street in Sydney CBD. We started with the Marinated white anchovies with toasted sourdough. The anchovies were XL in size and very flavorsome, with strong hints of lemon.
Marinated white anchovies served with toasted sourdough
One of my favourite tapas dish is croquettes and Encasa's version with jamon Iberico had the perfect crispy outside and creamy inside.
Jamon Iberico Croquette $12
There's a whole section of the menu devoted to pickled tinned goods which I found intriguing. We ordered the Tinned razor clams, as it's not something that is easily available. The dish arrived with its packaging intact - in case you like it, you can pick it up at the small deli at the front of the restaurant. I think I prefer my razor clams freshly cooked, but the quality of the tinned version was surprisingly good.
Razor Clams $21
Another interesting dish was the Octopus carpaccio with mustard ice cream, which was one of the specials of the day. The flavours of octopus and mustard surprisingly went well together, though the carpaccio was a little icy and not as tender as I would have liked.
Octopus carpaccio and mustard ice cream $18
We finished off the meal with Pork cheeks and potato puree. The puree was delightfully smooth and creamy and the pork cheeks simply dissolved in my mouth. A wonderfully moreish dish.
Pork cheeks and potato puree $20
Encasa is always reliable for a good Spanish feed and it's great to have one north of the bridge.
The empire of Fratelli Fresh seems to be ever expanding, including an outpost in Crows Nest on the bustling Willoughby Road. There are a few set menus available but we decided to go for the a la carte option.
We started with the Fratelli House Salad with butter lettuce, avocado, nashi pear, radish, gorgonzola and sliced walnuts. It was a refreshing salad, perfect for a hot summer's day. 
Fratelli House Salad $17
The Beef Carpaccio was nicely seasoned but I felt the wild mushrooms didn't really complement the dish, so would probably have been better without them.
Beef Carpaccio with Wild mushrooms, rocket, parmesan $19
From the pasta section, we went with the Linguine with Prawns, Lemon, Pangrattata, Chilli and Garlic. Beautifully cooked pasta, sweet juicy prawns and a classic flavour combination - needless to say, it was delicious.
Linguine with QLD Prawns $28
The Tuscan Kale and Oyster Mushroom pizza come with a creamy white base and is another exhibition of simple yet delicious flavours executed well.
Tuscan Kale and Oyster Mushroom Pizza $26
For dessert, we opted for the Vanilla bean panna cotta with cherry sauce and crumbed brownie. The panna cotta had a very smooth texture and I enjoyed the crunch from the crumbed brownie.
Vanilla bean pannacotta, cherry sauce and crumbed brownie $13
Fratelli Fresh doesn't deliver the fanciest, most adventurous food, but it is consistently good. The fit out is great and bonus points for all the booth seats they have!
Having worked in some of the top restaurants on Sydney's north shore, Chef Tomo has now opened his own restaurant in Cremorne called Plage, serving food with Japanese and French influences. We started with a snack of Smoked cod cream with squid ink and seaweed powder. The paper thin, squid ink wafers looked striking as it hit our table. They were a good carrier for the smoked cod cream which had just the right hint of smokiness.
Smoked cod cream with squid ink and seaweed powder
The next dish of Black pudding, lime powder and anchoives packed bold, punchy flavours and really livened up my tastebuds.
Black pudding, black lime powder, white anchovies and olives
The Aburi salmon was delicately handled and paired well with the black garlic and white miso puree. Again, it's a plate of few ingredients but all combining superbly to create a very tasty dish.
Aburi salmon black garlic and white miso puree, kale powder
The Wagyu carpaccio in dashi broth was one of my favourite dishes of the night. The thin slices of beef arrive rare and is cooked in front of us as the dash broth is poured at the table. The rich aroma of the broth immediately hits my senses. Bursting with umami flavour, I was tempted to pick up the whole bowl to gobble it all up. Underneath the wagyu was a cured egg yolk with mushrooms and broccolini. It's like a refined, miniature version of hot pot.
Wagyu carpaccio with dashi, cured egg, pumpkin seed, mushroom and broccolini
The Wagyu carpaccio cut open
Onto the mains, and we started with the Jewfish with celeriac puree, finger lime, Gai Lan finished off with a fish and lemon sauce. The fish was cooked to perfection, matched by the smooth and velvelty puree. I also really liked the caramelised artichoke hidden underneath the Gai lan, which brought another flavour dimension to the dish. Such an underrated vegetable!
Jew fish with celeriac puree, artichoke, finger lime and Gai Lan
The Broccolini with Kipfler potatoes was a wonderful side, with the truffle sauce really making the dish sing.
Broccolini with Kipfler potato chips and truffle orange sauce
The Roast chicken was very tender and came with a crispy skin. The caramelised carrots brought an intense sweetness which complemented well the pickled cherries. The dish would have benefited from a touch more sauce to give it even more flavour.
Roast chicken with crispy kale, chili, cherry and caramelised carrot
The Triple cooked chips comes with housemade aioli and tomato relish. It was tasty but felt a little out of place with our mains.
Triple cooked chips with house made aioli and tomato relish
The dessert game at Plage is definitely strong. The Sweet sake mirin ice cream was out of this world delicious. My friend and I both had a big smile on our faces as we devoured this perfect quenelle of ice cream. It had the smoothest of textures and was a brilliant mix of salty and sweet, topped off with a miso crumb. It was so good that we unashamedly ordered a second one!
Sweet sake mirin ice cream with miso crumb
Our second dessert of White chocolate mousse with redcurrant sorbet and pepperberry meringue was just as spectacular. The dish was perfectly balanced with the tartness of the sorbet offset with the sweetness of the meringue and creaminess of the mousse.
White chocolate cheese mousse with redcurrant sorbet, chamomile, nuts, and pepperberry meringue
I was impressed with the creativity and the flavour combinations, backed up by beautiful plating and friendly service. Plage is definitely a wonderful addition to the north shore dining scene. They also serve some amazing sake too!
Sashimiso dined as a guest of Plage. All opinions are my own.
Northern Italian smokehouse? I was immediately intrigued and decided to pay Grolla in Neutral Bay a visit. Nearly all the items on the menu have a smoked element, from appetisers to desserts.
My friend and I started with the Smoked duck breast. The smoked duck was beautifully prepared, paired with ricotta and a caramelised fig sauce. You can't go wrong with this combination. 
Smoked duck breast, ricotta & aromatic herbs, fig dressing $7 each
The Smoked kingfish carpaccio is one of their signature dishes. The smokiness was subtle but noticeable. It presented beautifully with a drizzle of olive oil, flying fish roe and a sprinkling of beetroot powder.
Smoked kingfish carpaccio, yuzu olive oil, flying fish roes, beet dust $7 each
Onto the mains and we went with the owner's recommendation and ordered the Smoked beef rib. The beef rib was incredibly juicy and melted in my mouth. The Mojo Verde packed a punch of flavour and really freshened up the dish.
Smoked beef short rib, mustard, Mojo Verde, pickles $35
Similarly, the Smoked pork jowl and cheek was infused with great flavour from the smoking process. Each mouthful, with the smooth, creamy cauliflower puree was a joy to eat.
Smoked pork jowl & cheek, creamy cauliflower, pipparas $28
Onto dessert and the food continued to impressive, both in taste and aesthetic appeal. A beautiful glass ornament landed at our table. Lifting the lid, we were greeted by our first dessert: Macadamia nut Lemon myrtle Coconut ice cream, corn puff, pistachio, smoked salted caramel. The ice cream was creamy and refreshing, and I loved the crunchy texture of the corn puffs. The smoked salted caramel tied the whole dish together.
Macadamia nut Lemon myrtle Coconut ice cream, corn puff, pistachio, smoked salted caramel $12
The Mascarpone semifreddo looked equally stunning. The mango and lime curd center was simply divine. The semifreddo was topped with a sprinkling of the strawberry dust, and of course the smoked caramel sauce. I was impressed Grolla has been able to incorporate smokiness into desserts and actually elevate the dish, rather than being a distraction.
Mascarpone semi freddo, mango lime, strawberry dust, pistachio, smoked salted caramel $15
Grolla is definitely worth a visit, offering beautifully presented, fusion cuisine with unique flavours and personable service.
Why worry about Monday when you can have a Stressless Sunday? That's the premise at Ormeggio at the Spit, where you can have a six course dinner for $79. Amazing value for a two hatted restaurant. The beautiful view of Mosman Bay is not bad either.
The menu changes each week, depending on what seasonal produce is on offer. We started with some Sourdough and whipped ricotta with a sprinkling of chives. It's good quality sourdough, served warm and the whipped ricotta was a great alternative to butter.
Sourdough with ricotta and chives
We started with the Eggplant and tomato consomme, a very delicate and fresh dish. The eggplant was incredibly soft and the consomme, whilst there wasn't a lot of it, packed a punch of flavour.
Eggplant with tomato consomme
Next was the Pan fried kingfish with puffed rice, broccolini powder and mussel water. The fish was cooked remarkably well and the puffed rice gave it a nice crunch. Although I didn't get much of a mussel flavour, it was still a very delicious dish to eat.
Pan seared kingfish, puffed rice, broccolini powder and mussel water
The Tagliolini was also cooked to perfection. Whilst the serving looked small, the mascarpone made it an incredibly creamy and decadent dish. I loved the hit of umami from the bottarga (fish roe) too.
Tagliolini with dried bottarga infused with mascarpone and lemon
The single meat dish of the night was the Lamb with coffee crumble. The lamb was braised, formed into thin sheets then fried, giving it a crispy crust on the outside. The coffee flavour was strong but not overpowering and worked in harmony with the sour cream emulsion and the black garlic puree.
Lamb with coffee crumble, sour cream emulsion and black garlic puree
Dessert was simply titled Textures of lemon and almond. It consisted a lemon and almond sponge, with almond ice cream lemon and almond puree, vanilla crumble and lemon granita. It was light and refreshing, but felt a little bit more like a palate cleanser/ pre-dessert than a full dessert.
Textures of lemon and almond
All in all, Ormeggio is a great showcase of modern Italian cuisine. With friendly and professional service, water views, it's not a bad place to spend a Sunday evening.
Hidden away from the bustling Military Road in Neutral Bay is La Puerta, a great place to dine if you are a fan of Latin American cuisine. The restaurant design features red, black and dark wooden hues with a dramatic mural depicting two dancers in the midst of a tango.
The food is made for sharing and we started with the Tiradito. Thin slices of kingfish have been marinated with Aji Amarillo (a chilli paste), dressed with lime juice and red sorrel leaves. It's similar to ceviche, wonderfully fresh, tangy with a bit of heat.
Tiradito: Peruvian specialty, thinly sliced marinated fish fillet, with Aji Amarillo and red sorrel vein leaves $6p/p
I love my grilled corn and La Puerta’s Mazarcada Corn is just as delicious as the ones I’ve tried at Mamasita or Ms G’s. The corn was topped with a generous amount of grated haloumi cheese and a delicious spice mix.
Mazorcada: Corn on the cob topped with cocktail sauce, finished with grated haloumi cheese and House spice mix $5p/p
For the bigger dishes, we opted for the Grilled giant octopus with chorizo and crispy potato. The grilled octopus almost tasted meaty, and the capsicum chutney together with the aioli made for a great flavour combination. It was definitely a moreish dish.
Octopus Choripapa: Grilled giant octopus and Hot chorizo mixed with crispy potato and grilled capsicum chuney finished with home made aioli $28
Can’t say I’ve tried Pork belly with avocado puree so I was a little apprehensive, but it turned out to be a great combination. The pork was incredibly tender with crispy crackling, and finished off with a chorizo crumb. The smoked potato and avocado puree provided a good balance to the bold flavours of the dish.
Chicarron: Crispy pork belly, with smoked potato, avocado puree topped with chorizo crumbs and micro sorrel red vein sorrel leaf $26
Onto dessert and the Popcorn and soursop ice cream sandwich definitely caught my eye. I love the taste of soursop, but have usually only found it in some Vietnamese restaurant as an ingredient to a smoothie. First time having soursop ice cream and it was very refreshing and perfectly offset the sweetness of the dulce de leche-laced popcorn brittle. It was definitely a fun dessert to eat.
Popcorn and soursop ice cream sandwich topped with Dulce de leche ganache $16
La Puerta has a lovely ambience and it's definitely worth a visit to experience some South American cuisine, tapas style. There’s an extensive cocktails and wine list too, featuring mainly Chilean and Argentinian varieties.
Via Alta means High Street in Italian, so it made perfect sense that this restaurant was located on High Street in Willoughby. From the same group that brought us the fine dining Ormeggio, Via Alta is a more casual Italian trattoria serving some great seasonal fare.
We started with the Crab meat bruschetta. The crab meat was beautifully cooked and had a lovely flavour from the burnt butter sauce, complemented by the crunchy macadamias. It was a great teaser to whet our appetite. 
Bruschetta: Crab meat, burnt butter, chives, macadamia $16
Next was the Bresaola, a form of air dried beef, served with some caper berries. I love cured meats, and this had a nice saltiness to it without being overpowering.
Bresaola: Air dried beef, rocket, caper berries $16
Risotto, as we've all seen on Masterchef, can be easy to get wrong. This Saffron risotto had a great aroma as it hit our table. It was cooked al dente and was paired with the luscious, red wine braised beef cheeks. A simple dish executed to perfection.
Saffron risotta, red wine braised beef cheek
The Grilled flank steak was another highlight of the night. The beef was just simply stunning, cooked to a perfect medium rare. The roasted beetroot puree added a great depth of flavour and I also particularly enjoyed the potato gratin. Often, it can be too creamy and heavy, but they got the potato, cream and butter ratio just right. The dish just tied together so beautifully.
Tagliata: Grilled flank steak tagliata, roasted beetroot, watercress, potato gratin $36
For dessert, we opted for the Tiramisu. Again, it was beautifully executed. Not too sweet, not too much alcohol - the balance of the dish was just perfect and it was surprisingly light.
Housemade tiramisu $14
Via Alta is a great Italian eatery serving some beautiful dishes. It's worth the drive to Sydney's north even if you are not a local.
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