Universal - Modern Australian - Colourful Nuts

Universal

 http://www.universalrestaurant.com/home.html

 

Location: Republic 2 Courtyard Palmer Street (between Burton and Liverpool streets), Darlinghurst

Cuisine: Modern Australian

$$$ per person spent inc drinks: $100

 

We all watched Christine Mansfield coach this year’s Masterchef team in producing her famous Gaytime Goes Nuts dessert and we were instantaneously persuaded to try it for ourselves! *drool* But, one does not just go to Universal just for the dessert and so here we were, spoiling ourselves again at one of Sydney’s better restaurants. Watching Christine work her magic in the kitchen while we ordered was a highlight from this colourful spot… but famous TV personality or not, we want our readers to know the truth. And the truth is it could be your 10 out of 10 night, or your biggest moment of dissonance! And here’s why…

 

AMBIENCE

Dels says ‘Nice bar area. Nice lighting. If youre sitting inside facing the back wall, I hope you like bright orange because a boring wall is the only thing you will be looking at. They could do more with the place.

DKay says ‘Well suited for its surroundings. Bright & bold colours gave it a fun & cheerful vibe.’

Kaan says ‘Least impressive thing I experienced that night. It was too bland. It was colourful but there was no artwork?!’

Bron says ‘Well everything is modern and colourful which I quite liked – the chairs are comfortable, the lighting pleasing… the menus are fabulous and probably a highlight. I’m not sure this gets a thumbs up for what it is meant to be though and I was slightly disappointed but it was good enough’

 

FOOOODDDDD

We ordered:

 

Just so you know, the plates are all ‘tasting plates’, and we ordered the following three tasting plates per person (well Kaan ordered four, he had two desserts ;P)

Tasting Plates for Dels

STARTER: smoked tofu and shiitake mushroom sandwich, yellow beans, tempeh and chilli caramel $28

MAIN: roasted john dory, spanner crab and mint salsa, palm heart and spiced coconut $31

DESSERT: gaytime goes nuts. honeycomb ice cream, caramel parfait, chocolate crunch, salted hazelnut caramel $23

 

Tasting Plates for DKay

STARTER: sichuan pepper spiced duck, snake bean and eggplant sambal, XO chilli $29

MAIN: braised veal shin, fried turnip cake, kim chi broth, brussel sprouts, oyster vinaigrette $31

DESSERT: mister fawlty. Basil panna cotta, strawberry jelly, raspberries, orange croquant $19

 Tasting Plates for Kaan

STARTER: grillled mozzarella, crispy bacon, freekah croquettes, snowpeas $28

MAIN: slow braised rabbit, chorizo and celeriac, swiss chard, gruyere cloud $28

DESSERT: china white. White peach curd, white poppy seed glaze, lemon marshmallow, moscato poached peach, lychees $19

gaytime goes nuts. honeycomb ice cream, caramel parfait, chocolate crunch, salted hazelnut caramel $23

 

Tasting Plates for Bron

STARTER: rare roasted venison, toasted sesame, chocolate, red miso, black olives, pink turnips and beetroot $28

MAIN: steamed snapper, toasted walnut crumble, coriander yogurt relish, freekah, pomegranate and cucumber $29

DESSERT: gaytime goes nuts. honeycomb ice cream, caramel parfait, chocolate crunch, salted hazelnut caramel $23

 

 

smoked tofu and shiitake mushroom sandwich, yellow beans, tempeh and chilli caramel $28

Dels says ‘Absolutely divine! Could not fault this dish. It is the best tofu dish I have ever tasted by a mile. The texture of the tofu was silky and melt in your mouth. All ingredients come together perfectly. The chilli caramel was on the sweeter side, but still incredibly tasty and presentation was beautiful.

 

roasted john dory, spanner crab and mint salsa, palm heart and spiced coconut $31

Dels says ‘ This dish is Asian influenced, the spiced coconut is actually a broth. The John Dory fillet was a little dry; placed on top of tasty parm heart and other vegetables with small strips of de-shelled spanner crab on top. The flavours of this dish were very light. I enjoyed it but it wasn’t a memorable dish for me.

 

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sichuan pepper spiced duck, snake bean and eggplant sambal, XO chilli $29

DKay says ‘Tasty dish. Flavours could not be faulted but dish was nothing special. I made a wrong selection (I blame my duck obsession!)’

 

braised veal shin, fried turnip cake, kim chi broth, brussel sprouts, oyster vinaigrette $31

DKay says ‘Sounded better than it tasted. I expected some bite to dish with the kim chi broth but that was not the case. “Brussel sprouts” was a singular leaf placed on top with vinaigrette spooned in,.Once again, a tasty dish but nothing special.’

 

mister fawlty. Basil panna cotta, strawberry jelly, raspberries, orange croquant $19

DKay says ‘Light & refreshing which was good after my main selections. Not as visually creative as some of her other desserts. Also there were mini strawberries and crunchy flakes placed on top which were a good touch to taste and texture but meant that (once again) the dessert did not match the description.’

 

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grilled mozzarella, crispy bacon, freekah croquettes, snowpeas  $28

Kaan says ‘This was absolutely amazing, I was so surprised that it would be this tasty! It had so much flavour, it was fresh and had such a different twist to fresh mozzarella dishes. The croquettes were little bundles of surprise within the mozzarella’

 

slow braised rabbit, chorizo and celeriac, swiss chard, gruyere cloud $28

Kaan says ‘Just when I thought things couldn’t get better, this dish came out. Creativity it gets ten out of ten. For flavour ten out of ten. The gruyere cloud was to die for and the rabbit was succulent and tender. I would insist you order this dish – the waiter said it was his favourite, and I agree with him.’

 

china white. White peach curd, white poppy seed glaze, lemon marshmallow, moscato poached peach, lychees $19

Kaan says ‘This was very nice. If I wasn’t a chocolate lover then this would be something I would order again, but since I am a chocolate lover then you just cannot go past the Gaytime goes nuts.’

 

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rare roasted venison, toasted sesame, chocolate, red miso, black olives, pink turnips and beetroot $28

Bron says ‘OH Dear! Just remembering this makes me sad. OK, as a South African born, venison is close to my heart. This venison had been cooked tenderly, but had lost all of its flavour. It could have been the local beef from Coles, honestly… there was nothing to it. It was dead. It had been paired with a sour salad that didn’t seem to go at ALL with the beetroot puree, nor the meat… I couldn’t taste any chocolate.. over all, this was honestly my biggest let down and it was extremely hard to watch the others eat their better dishes!’

 

steamed snapper, toasted walnut crumble, coriander yogurt relish, freekah, pomegranate and cucumber $29

Bron says ‘Clearly this wasn’t my night. OK lets start with the positives… the toasted walnut crumble added a lovely texture, and the fresh yogurt relish with pomegranate and cucumber was delish… BUT my snapper!!! To my dismay my fish had been severely overcooked ;-(. FAIL! $60 wasted so far!’

 

gaytime goes nuts. honeycomb ice cream, caramel parfait, chocolate crunch, salted hazelnut caramel $23

Dels says ‘This dessert is not your average dessert, that’s for sure. It’s a delight for all the senses. The moment it’s on the table in front of you, it’s a pleasure to look at. Then taking your spoon and cracking the chocolate crunch; seeing the icecream oozing out with the concealed hazelnuts are another delight. Lastly, you scoop up this masterpiece, have a taste and it is everything you thought it would be. Yummmmm!!!’

Kaan says ‘Yes, I ordered two desserts but I wasn’t going to bypass this dessert; we had been talking about this for months! It definitely was not a disappointment. If you are a chocolate lover you have to order this! It is the best dessert I’ve had at any of the venues I’ve been to. I could easily go back and just have two servings of this and walk away very happy.’

Bron says ‘Oh my goodness – the reviews of this dessert was right! It was sooo right… I finished mine all to myself without a second thought. Everything about this dessert is amazing, and I think you’ll need to try it for yourself. YES what they say about this is true. YES this is worth $23!’

 

VINNOOOOOOOOO

Kaan, Bron, Dels ordered the following wine:

Meyer-Fonné Reserve Riesling Alsace $18

Bron says ‘As my family has a place in Alsace, and I’m quite accustomed to the wines from the region, I found this Riesling to be very disappointing.’

 Hahndorf Hill Pinot Grigio $18

Dels says ‘Very sweet and fruity

 

OVERALL TEAM VIEWSSSS

Dels says ‘The food is the highlight of this place that’s for sure! I was very satisfied with my meal and will recommend Universal to friends. I think it’s wise to speak with wait staff about the menu as they are quite knowledgeable and will steer you in the right direction. The meals that were recommended by the wait staff ended up being the tastiest ones. The menu is great and I enjoyed the small tasting plates. The restaurant itself is a bit boring and obviously pricey but this place is all about the food.’ 

DKay says ‘It was hit and miss. Between 4 friends, the disparity between the dishes was far too great. Some dishes were clearly more creative, tasty and appeared to involved more skills than others. For the price, it should not be luck of the draw of selecting the right tasting plates. Having said this, I would go back for their desserts.’

Kaan says ‘Great vibe in the restaurant, the service was exceptional. It was nice to see Christine Mansfield come out and say hello to her guests in the restaurant. All the food that I had was exceptional. I would definitely recommend anyone who wants to impress their guests to take them to this restaurant in Sydney. You won’t be disappointed the only let down will be the bill at the end ;P’

Bron says ‘If I hadn’t come here with my friends and tasted some of their dishes, Universal would never ever see my face again. My two main tasters were a disaster. The dessert did make up for it yes, but the overall experience for me was a let-down. I would definitely recommend that you choose the tasters wisely and don’t miss out on the Gaytime goes Nuts’

 

KAAN WILL SHELVE (i.e. not very good)

1.    The Spicy Olive Oil you get with the bread (why is this even on sale for $11 a bottle?)

AND THE GOLDEN GAYTIME GOES TO:

 

Dels says ‘It’s a toss-up between my tofu dish and the Gaytime Goes Nuts. They were both brilliant.’

DKay says ‘The location. One of my fave eateries is next door but they don’t do dessert...’

Kaan says ‘The Gaytime goes nuts without a shadow of a doubt. Up to now, China Dolls desserts was absolutely amazing, but this bypassed them by far.’

Bron says ‘The Gaytime goes Nuts!!! Absolutely delicious, worth every calorie!!’

 

Team meets next month…

Hint : Hollywood with a B

Date we visited Universal: 14/11/2012

 

Mr Wong - Chinese - The Duck's not Silver

Mr Wong

 http://merivale.com.au/mrwong/

 Location: Bridge Lane, Sydney CBD. Closest station Wynyard

Cuisine: Chinese

$$$ per person spent inc drinks: $80

The Glorified Mr Wong. Every review you might read on the web like (our trusted) Timeout Sydney will tell you how fantastic and inspirational Mr Wong’s is. Walk down the alleyway and queue outside the grand entrance, and you’ll believe them too. You cannot question the ambience – the setting is beautiful. Open spaces, warm, perfect lighting, grand bar, great staff… But we’re here for the food too, and following in the footsteps of Ms G’s in Darlinghurst or our previous post on China Doll is a hard act to follow. Again, we are here to give you our honest verdict on the whole package – despite what all the professional foodies have to say … so read on friends, this is our verdict.

 AMBIENCE

Dels says ‘Not one single detail has been spared when decorating and creating Mr Wong’s. I was impressed from the brick lane entry to the finish on the wood of the walls. The lighting, music and little Asian furnishings scattered around, all added to the impresive ambiance’

DKay says 'hard to beat. No expenses spared on the detail. Wood features throughout from the beams, to the floors, to the high tables. Great vibe.’

Kaan says 'One of the best we’ve seen! Merivale has done an amazing job of renovating the old Tank nightclub into an eclectic, Chinese influenced, hip new restaurant’

Bron says ‘Wow! Put your name at the door, and wait for your seat, for the setting of this restaurant will blow your mind. It’s gorgeous. The tables aren’t fancy, but the décor is put together by a genius; the lighting by a specialist; the bar by cocktail enthusiast! I love this setting!’

FOOOODDDDD

We ordered:

 Entrees to share

Steamed Dim Sum Platter (8 pieces) - Scallop shumai, Jade seafood dumpling, Har Gau, Chinese mushroom dumpling $32
Deep-fried Dim Sum Platter (8 pieces) - Crispy beef roll, Lobster Mei Si roll, Pear taro croquette, Foie gras prawn toast $32

Peking duck pancakes - Half (8 pancakes) $45 

Mains to share

Stir fried chilli Crystal Bay prawns $32

Hotpot of beef and tendon, enoki mushrooms, star anise and Thai basil $32

Sichuan style eggplant, dark soy and chilli $18
Hotpot of braised tofu and seasonal baby vegetables, served “Lo Han” style $26

Dessert to share

Mr. Wong’s deep fried ice cream served with butter scotch sauce, vanilla or chocolate $14
Roast white chocolate ice cream, yuzu curd, longans, and raspberries $14

Strawberries, meringue, macadamia praline, cream cheese ice cream and Thai basil $14

 

Steamed Dim Sum Platter (8 pieces) - Scallop shumai, Jade seafood dumpling, Har Gau, Chinese mushroom dumpling $32

Dels says ‘Great as a starter. The jade seafood dumpling was absolutely delicious. I preferred the steamed dim sum plater over the deep fried one.'
DKay says 'Colourful looking dish. Dim sims were fresh, good bursts of flavours but nothing special. I’d suggest heading down to Chinatown if you have a dim sims craving.’

Kaan says 'Every dumpling I compare to Din Tai Fung, and in comparison it was close to the benchmark but not quite there. My favourite was the Har Gau and the Chinese mushroom dumpling’

Bron says ‘I really enjoyed this: the green mushroom dumpling in particular. It felt light and was bursting with flavour. It was nice and easy to share between 4 x people too!’ 

Deep-fried Dim Sum Platter (8 pieces) - Crispy beef roll, Lobster Mei Si roll, Pear taro croquette, Foie gras prawn toast $32

Dels says ‘Enjoyed this dim sum platter, there were some really delicious dim sums worth trying like the crispy beef roll; found it quite unique. I also enjoyed the fois gras prawn toast because I couldn’t taste any of the fois gras ha!’

DKay says 'Oh? One was lobster and one had taro? Hmm.... I thought I tasted fish in one of them too....Tasty option but personally not a fan of too much fried food’

Kaan says 'I preferred this for one reason: the crispy beef roll. It’s worth getting the platter just for this!’

Bron says ‘Oh the disappointment of the night! I was expecting a Ms G style prawn toast smothered in decadent Foie gras…I was mistaken! Sad face! The crispy beef roll was really nice, but I wouldn’t order this platter if I were you.' 

Peking duck pancakes - Half (8 pancakes) $45

Dels says ‘Skipped this, duck is not my thing’
DKay says 'I can’t fault the dish. Exactly how I expect my duck pancakes to look and taste.’

Kaan says ‘We’ve tried this a few times and in comparison to China Doll, it was more authentic, but hands down China Dolls version was the best I have ever, ever had. Mr Wong’s sauce was better though’

Bron says ‘I loved this but realised we had something very similar at China Doll and I kept comparing the two!’ 

Stir fried chilli Crystal Bay prawns $32

Dels says ‘The prawns were literally melt in your mouth and cooked to perfection. To be honest, I don’t think Ive ever had prawns cooked so well. The chilli flavour wasn’t too overpowering. I would try all of the other prawn dishes on the menu.'

DKay says 'Prawns were fresh, sweet and in abundance. Although I did enjoy it, sauce was anything special. Was more sweet chilli than chilli.’

Kaan says 'Very nice, not too spicy, but not something I would rave on about’

Bron says ‘Absolutely delish! The prawns were succulent, the chilli stir-fry complemented this to the max!  

Hotpot of beef and tendon, enoki mushrooms, star anise and Thai basil $32

Dels says ‘I very much dislike tendons but I tried a small piece anyway. I wasn’t fussed with this dish as I also dislike star anise. I wouldn’t recommend this dish to anyone.'

DKay says 'Beef was soft, tender, full of flavour and well accompanied with the mushrooms and radish. Lacking the wow factor but still one of the better dishes of the night...’

Kaan says 'The beef was high quality and succulent. The letdown was there was too much fat which turned me off. A nice influence of European mini-vegetables which gave the dish added texture’

Bron says ‘This was nice, but it didn’t WOW me… I felt like I should have been wowed, and yet there I was ‘un-wowed’.  

Sichuan style eggplant, dark soy and chilli $18

Dels says ‘Absolutely divine! Had my eyes water once or twice from the chilli but it didn’t stop me from fighting for the last piece of eggplant.'

DKay says 'Eggplant generally can do no wrong in my eyes (nor palate) and this dish was no exception. Simple, tasty, yum!’

Kaan says 'My favourite dish and the most surprising. It blew me away and if I were ever to be back I would order it again.’

Bron says ‘A beautiful dish bursting with flavours – the best dish of the night for me’ 

Hotpot of braised tofu and seasonal baby vegetables, served “Lo Han” style $26

Dels says ‘Great dish, tofu was soft and fluffy and very flavoursome. I was happy that the vegetables were plentiful and there was a variety. The broth was a little thick yet still tasty. This was the last dish that came out and it should have come out earlier.'

DKay says 'Good flavours but nothing special and not worth the price.’

Kaan says 'Pretty good, the tofu wasn’t too great, but the vegetables were lovely. Similar to that of the beef hotpot – European style mini-vegetables is a winner’

Bron says ‘I liked this but again, no wow factor. What made this dish worth $26? To me, I could have been at the Marigold for example… common.’ 

Mr. Wong’s deep fried ice cream served with butter scotch sauce, vanilla or chocolate $14 (we ordered both vanilla and choc)

Dels says ‘This was the biggest waste of $14 ever! You can get the exact same thing at your local chinese restaurant and it wont taste any different. Very very very disappointed! There was nothing special about the icecream or the batter.. If you take anything from this review today, let this be it!'
DKay says 'Had one bite and wished I didn’t. Looked blah, tasted blah.’

Kaan says 'Not worth the money, I would never order this again. A complete disappointment; I thought Mr Wong would do so much better!’

Bron says ‘Chocolate was better than vanilla, but I have to say this is the worst deep fried ice-cream I’ve ever had.’

Roast white chocolate ice cream, yuzu curd, longans, and raspberries $14

Dels says ‘Nothing special at all. It started sweet but left a funny taste in my mouth afterwards, I couldn’t even tell you what I didn’t like about it.'

DKay says 'Was expecting ice cream to be white? Sounds better than it tasted.’

Kaan says 'The flavours were confusing. I tried it a few times and I still couldn’t make up my mind on whether I liked it or not. Would never order this again!’

Bron says ‘My tastebuds couldn’t understand this dessert.’ 

Strawberries, meringue, macadamia praline, cream cheese ice cream and Thai basil $14

Dels says ‘OHHH MYYY GOODNESSS this is what I call a PERFECT dessert! I have recommended it to so many friends! Every single flavour and texture combine to create perfection. The cream cheese icecream is unbelievably tasty, the strawberries and crunch of the macadamia balance the icecream and thai basil gives it freshness. Was very happy that we ordered this!'

DKay says 'Dessert/dish of the night. Was creative, loved the textures and the basil was a nice touch on the palette.’

Kaan says 'I personally wouldn’t order desserts at Mr Wong, but if you are going to, the only dish worth ordering is this.’

Bron says ‘OK now we are talking Mr Wong. This was amazing. A party in your mouth and the only thing I would possibly return for – if they let me’ 

VINNOOOOOOOOO

Kaan, Bron, Dels ordered the following wine:

NV Chandon – Yarra Valley, Vic $11

Dels says ‘Everyone knows Chandon.. easy to drink and very light.'
Bron says ‘I love the glass they served this in. Want to impress your first date or your client? Bring them to Mr Wong for wine and cocktails bebe!’ 

11 Rio Mendoza Malbec – Mendoza, Arg $8

Kaan says 'Probably the best $8 Malbec I’ve ever had at a restaurant. It was full-bodied, had great flavours and it was nicely spiced. Probably the best wine to order at Mr Wong by glass’

Bron says ‘Absolutely gorgeous! Mendoza is well known for their Malbec’s and this did not disappoint!’ 

OVERALL TEAM VIEWSSSS

Dels says ‘The ambiance makes this place, the food is DISAPPOINTING! Its popularity clearly comes from the hype and nothing else.'
DKay says 'Sadly, Mr Wong didn’t live up to the hype. Disappointing!’

Kaan says 'Great vibe but the food prices didn’t reflect the quality of the food. I wasn’t wowed… I would rather go to China Doll any day for modern Chinese and spend the dollar there, then come to Mr Wong’s again.’

Bron says ‘OK, the setting is fabulous, and yet if you had to close your eyes and eat the food you could be at your local Chinese… and that’s my honest opinion!’

 

KAAN WILL SHELVE (i.e. not very good)

1.    The deep fried ice-cream – both chocolate and vanilla

2.    The roast white chocolate ice-cream, yuzu curd, longans and raspberries

...

AND THE SILVER DUCK GOES TO:

 Dels says ‘The décor is second to none but I also loved the cream cheese icecream dessert! I cant pick between the two.'

DKay says 'the decor..yep, none of the food was duck worthy..’

Kaan says 'If I have to: The eggplant dish.’

Bron says ‘Ambience: amazing! Décor, lighting, bar, staff = excellent!’

 

 

Team meets next month....

Hint : Studios produce Gaytime

Date we visited Mr Wong: 24/10/2012