Restaurant Guide Blue Mountains NSW

Anki's Indian Restaurant

Waratah St Katoomba
Getting there
It's easy to find as Waratah Street is the first cross street if your driving or walking down Katoomba Street from the railway station at Katoomba. Turn left and Anki's is about 100 metres down on the left. If your in luck you can park on ether side of the street. If not then go to the park in the complex for Coles, K Mart, Liquorland etc. there is  plenty of parking space and its a short walk from there. Buses run from Katoomba Rail Station down Katoomba street and get off at Waratah Street then walk down to the restaurant on the left. 
Open for lunch 
 
Cuisine 
Indian

 
Menu

Lunch 
$6-$10

Dinner
Starters $5-$10 
Mains- Vegetarian $8-$12.50
includes; Vegetable Korma, Chhole Marsala, Palak Paneer
Mains -non vegetarian $14.50-$20
Includes; Lamb Korma, Pork Vindaloo, Malabar Prawns, Butter Chicken and Rogan Josh Goat

Features

Small restaurant maybe seating for 40 at most
quite accessible for wheelchair
quiet 
friendly service 
costs very reasonable but dishes small 
Comfortable, but some chairs a little wobbly fatties be careful 
no view; looks out onto the street 

 

Images Morocco 2010

Images from my last venture to Morocco with my friend Nigel and our Moroccan friends Hafid and Yazid. The first one shows you the fruit of the Agana tree the second an Agana tree. Both were taken in the south east of Morocco called the area of the Sous (which means the south) and includes the cities of Essaouira and Agadir and the country between them and out to the west to Tourandant. It is the land of the Berber people the original inhabitants of Morocco. I am writing more in later posts about the culinary and cosmetic uses that Berbers have made of this precious oil from these fruits for perhaps hundreds of thousands of years.

Below are images from the beautiful northern town of Chefchouen high up in the northern Atlas.

Hafid and Hafid and Rodd in Marrakesh

Nigel and Nigel and Yazid

Nigel and Rodd eating somewhere near Agadir

Chefchouen I didn't try to walk down this one which my gammy ankle

Yazid and Yazid and Hafid

Books on Sushi and Japanese food

Two books;
1. Michael Booth,  Sushi and Beyond; what the Japanese know about Cooking, Vintage 2010
2. Trevor Corson,  The Story of Sushi; An Unlikely Saga if Raw Fish and Rice, Harper Perennial, 2008

These two books are both written by well known food writer and the authors of many other first rate books. Michael Booth is a food writer for many publications including 'The Independent on Sundays' and, among other publications, the author of the very popular 'Doing Without Delia'. Trevor Corson also a food writer for the 'New York Times' and author of one of my favorite books of the last few years, 'The Secret Life of Lobsters'

Trevor Corson bases his very wide ranging exploration of Sushi and Japanese food on the real story of an unlikely young woman Kate Murray and her experiences as a trainee in the US's first Sushi Chef training Academy, The California Sushi Academy'. He tells a fascinating story of Kate's up and down experiences as a student and her interactions with follow students and teachers especially the well known pioneer of Sushi in the US Toshi Sugiura. Throughout Kate's story he delves into the history and traditions of Japanese food preparation, the ingredients and their biology, chemistry and cultivation. His research on unusual (for us in the west) ingredients are fascinating and I learned so much about Japanese food. I think it should be compulsory reading for all cooking schools. Its all there; the making of Soy sauce, miso, sushi rice, sake and seaweed and the intricate preparation of all varieties fish and other seafood such as clams, octopus, and clams, sea urchins and you name it.

Corson makes a number of important points about raw fish 'sashimi', that we should all know. Did you know, for example, that salmon is susceptible to carrying many parasites, much more than mackerel he says, which is also a host for many bad bugs. Salmon swim in freshwater as well as the ocean and can carry tapeworm as many freshwater fish do. Fish that live their lives in the ocean do not serve as such carriers. Also, their dual lifestyle makes them susceptible to carrying other fresh water derived bugs such as anisakis lava which is not good for you.

This is basically the case for wild salmon, which those who are in the know, prefer, as it exercises, eats a variety of food and tastes quite distinctly different to the farmed variety. The farmed variety is made lazy, it does not have to work very hard to eat as it gets gorged with a pelleted mash of fish meal made from sardines, herring, anchovies and other oily fish.  I hate to say it, but Corson notes that the worst effect of farming is that the fish accumulate much more (seven times more in fact) of PCB's,  nasty stuff that said to be a factor in causing cancer. The solution? Maybe cook your salmon and don't eat it raw. Freezing kills the bugs and most good Sushi restaurants freeze their fish served as sushimi at very low temperatures for 74 hours (at -30F I might say lower than your fridge will go). Its OK then to eat raw but so also are most other totally ocean-going fish as long as they are carefully prepared. But certainly don't be put off by this. Corson's research explains the incredible nutritional value of Japanese food such as soya beans, seaweed, sushi, miso, that help the Japanese live into their 100's the longest living of all peoples in the world today.

Michael Booth, a British food and travel writer actually takes his family, his wife and two young sons to Japan to get a firsthand look and taste of Japanese food. He is incredibly curious and adventurous and has an ability to describe taste that make you drool and immediately want to go and try whatever it is he is describing.He and his family travel throughout the different food regions of Japan. He tries many regional dishes and their different local ingredients. He describes the preparation of Dashi and how its major component (Bonito fish - related to mackerel) is dried and shaved into broth to make miso soup. He visits a Kobi beef farm and then a Kobi beef restaurant to try it (not as good as its made out to be and not worth the astronomical cost). He tries the famous Fugi fish which if incorrectly prepared can knock you over dead in minutes, (also not as good as its made out to be).

The book is educational as well as inspirational. He visits factories, farms, nurseries and describes the production of sushi rice, wasabi (the green stuff we get in little tubes in Western countries is a synthetic, a pallid substitute for the real vegetable thing). He visits the famous Tsukiji Fish Markets in Tokyo, massages Wagyu (Kobi beef ) cattle and watches women (Amu) divers who holding their breath for minutes collecting abalone and other crustaceans from the sea floor. He visits some of the best restaurants in the country and describes the food as some of the best he has ever had and that's saying something he has tried food in many of the worlds great restaurants. This is a fabulous book which I had difficulty putting down.

Rodd Blue Mountains Foodie: Restaurant Guide Blue Mountains NSW

Rodd Blue Mountains Foodie: Restaurant Guide Blue Mountains NSW: "Mountains"

Restaurant Guide Blue Mountains NSW

Restaurant Tomah
Situated in the Visitors Centre within the stunning Mt.Tomah Botanical Gardens Mt Tomah.
Getting there:

From Richmond: Follow Bells Line of Road from Richmond through the Blue Mountains. Mount Tomah is 40 km west of Richmond - look out for the signs.

From Katoomba: Drive west along the Great Western Highway through Medlow Bath and then Blackheath to Mt. Victoria turn right drive along the Darling Causeway till you reach the Bells Line of Road turn right and follow the road till your reach Mt. Tomah Botanical Garden on the right, watch for the signs.

Open every day (no evenings except for special bookings)
10am-4pm March-October, 10am-5pm October -March


Modern Australian Cuisine, Bills Beans from Orange, feature local wines from Orange, Mudgee, Cowra and Bathurst with gourmet and local beer also available.
Menu
Light meal; $12.50-$21.50
Mains:      $12.50-$21.50
Dessert:   $7.50-11.50

Kid's menu available
Spectacular views, comfortable, moderate noise level, friendly service, wheelchair accessible:
Try: Barramundi Fillet- w/ Baby caper and dill mash and lime aioli
Add garden entry fee  Adult: $5.50, Concession: $4.40, Child: $3.30
Family: $11.00 (2 adults and 2 children 4-16 years)



Proprietors & Licensees
Craig and Cherin Brien
Phone: (02) 4567 2060

www.restauranttomah.com.au

Restaurant Guide Blue Mountains NSW

Seven
7 Station St Wentworth Falls
Situated in the main shopping street of Wentworth Falls. Its easy to find, if your driving west towards Katoomba on the Great Western Highway turn right at the traffic lights into Station Street and 'Seven' is just a few metres on the left. If your lucky you can park right outside on the street but there is a car park opposite with plenty of space.Wentworth Falls Rail Station is a few meters up from the parking lot.
Open from 6pm Tuesdays to Sundays, booking is a good idea Ph/Fax: 02 4757 4997 www.sevenrestaurant.com.au

Relaxing atmosphere, Staff friendly and informed, low noise levels.  


Seasonal Italian cuisine   

Licensed/Bar (Australian and Italian wines - BYO permitted)

Pricing moderate 
Starters/Entrees S3.50 -$17.50
Salads $9.50-$17.50
Pastas $9.50-$20
Mains $25-$33
Desserts $7.50-$14.50
Kids Menu and take away service
Count on spending $50-$70 per person + wine/drinks
Proprietor: Shane Beglinger
Chef; John Butterworth
Try: FILLETO PROSCIUTTO
Beef eye fillet wrapped in prosciutto & served with a roasted garlic & porcini mushroom cream, on parsley & Parmesan mash with roasted root vegetables. (g.f.)

Another recipe using the Seville Orange

Duck a la'orange

Some History
This is an old but classic French dish that has probably become a little clichéd today. This is unfortunate as it is delicious. The dish was developed when the only oranges available in Europe were in fact sour oranges, such as the Seville. Sour oranges were introduced into Europe by Arabic people called Naranji in Arabic. There are records of sour oranges growing in Sicily over 1000 years ago and in southern Spain for nearly as long. Varieties of the sour orange (Citrus aurantium) have also long been grown in France (where it is called Bigarade), Portugal and Italy (where they grow a version called Bergamot - the oil of which is used to make Earl Grey tea). Apparently, sour oranges were also tried without success in the UK. Versions of duck a la orange using the Seville or sour orange can also be found in Italy and Spain
The combination of fruit and meat is very ancient as the acid in the fruit cuts through the fat of many meat dishes. Meat, even less than a hundred years ago came from older animals and birds that had laid down layers of fat. They could not afford, as we can today, to consume their animals before maturity. Even today in Morocco where they eat (and even prefer) mutton rather than lamb and older tougher fowl rather than 6 week old chickens, fruit is common as a cooking ingredient. All varieties of citrus are used including sour oranges and lemons (preserved lemons also), pomegranate, olives, quinces in many meat based dishes.
The original version of this dish used a whole duck which was roasted  in the oven until tender, The duck was put aside to rest and the fat spooned off and saved of course - no waste. The roasting pan was then deglased using wine and /or vinegar with stock. Orange juice and sugar are added and a number of other ingredients depending on what recipe you read. Various writers recommend the addition of minced onion or shallots, herbs such as thyme, marjoram, parsley, tarragon or a combination of these. Some also include marmalade made with sour oranges and an orange based liqueur such as Grand Mariner or Cointreau (or Triple Sec). This liquid is then reduced to a desired consistency after which butter was added. The sauce was then poured over the duck that was cut into serving portions.
I have made duck a la orange this way using various ingredients for the sauce but it is a time consuming activity and a whole duck it not that easy to cook, you have to constantly watch it as some parts cook faster than others. Nowadays the vast majority of recipes you see recommend using duck breasts as it's faster and easier to cook.So the following recipe is one of the many I have tried using duck breasts.

Ingredients (for 2) 
 
2 duck breasts - one for each person though as breasts vary allot in size so some maybe too large for one person and some too small for big eaters.

The Sauce 
1/2 cup chicken or duck stock
1 cup orange juice and the grated rind (preferably Seville orange though this may be hard to get so use juice from Valencias
1 Seville Orange sliced into slivers 
1 table spoon of  vinegar or verjuice
1 or 2 Tablespoon of minced shallot (or spring onion)
1/2  Teaspoon of sumac (my addition)
1 tablespoon Seville marmalade
2 Tablespoons (or more if you like) of butter
Grand Mariner, Cointreau, Triple Sec or Orange liqueur to taste
Any herbs you may like (optional but not rosemary or too much thyme they are too strong I tried both - too bitter don't do it) ) 
maybe some sugar also depending on your taste


Method

Cooking the Breasts

I use a griddle based oven proof saucepan to fry the the duck breasts. Get the pan very hot on the stove add a little oil (not too much). Some people pierce the skin with a pointy knife, they say it allows the fat to drain. I don't, the fat comes out anyway. Rub the breast with a little salt and put them skin side down to fry. Cooking time depends upon the size of the breasts and how well you like them cooked, the French like them rare. After a few minutes see if the breasts have browned, if they have you can lit them with a spatula turn them over to cook on the other side. When browned you may need to pour off the fat as duck gives out allot of fat, but save the fat for another use. Place the breast in the pan in a pre-heated oven 200 degrees Centigrade for no more than 10 minutes and maybe less if they are small, after this take them out of the oven, remove from the pan and allow to rest in a warm spot on a warm plate. Now you can make the sauce. 

The Sauce
Pour the fat off the pan in which you cooked the breasts and place it on the stove to heat. Deglase the pan with the stock, orange juice, vinegar, and whatever liqueur you choose. Add the minced shallot, orange rind, sumac and marmalade any herbs you like and a little sugar if you wish and reduce the sauce by maybe half. Keep whisking to melt the marmalade.  When reduced to your liking, add the (cold) butter and keep whisking (don't stop) until fully blended and take off the heat immediately,

Serving
Slice the breasts with a sharp knife on the diagonal, place each sliced breast on a heated plate, maybe with root vegetables such as carrots or potatoes. Pour some of the sauce over the breasts and pour the rest in a sauce jug and take to the table. Delicious I assure you.