Bloodwood
Location: 416 Kings St, Newtown
Cuisine: Fresh, Seasonal, Modern Australian
$$$ per person spent inc drinks: $70
Look,
the name Bloodwood is not really appealing… is it? Yes, we all know a Bloodwood
is a type of tree, also known as Corymbia terminalis, native to Australia. “The tree is
most well known for the distinctive red kino that
it exudes. Australian Aboriginal people collect bush coconuts (a type of bush tucker) from
the tree, which are produced by an insect in gall.” – Wikipedia. The restaurant however, doesn’t feel
earthy, it feels a bit industrial… dark… but friendly at the same time. Great
first date vibe – hello singles out there!! It’s smart, and the service is
impeccable… but we were most interested in the food so here’s our review
Fouchies!
AMBIENCE
Dels says ‘ Brick walls, dim lighting, comfy chairs,
the one thing that truly stands out in this place is the food ;)’
DKay says ‘great décor. Warm lighting and love the attire of
the waiters. Super friendly and helpful too. Tables could be a little bigger.’
Kaan says ‘This place is very cosy &
eclectic, it just fits in with the whole Newtown vibe! I think it is a perfect
spot for a romantic winter date!’
Bron says ‘Great eclectic vibe, but small tables! I loved
the cushions though, and the décor is really smart!’
FOOOODDDDD
We ordered the following:
Polenta chips $9
DKAY – Not usually my thing but these were
sensational! Melts in your mouth and when combined with that gorgonzola (only
small amount needed – super filling!)…. Very tasty.
Kaan - Love these
and would probably order these every time I visit this place. It is a must have
dish! Never had polenta chips this tasty and crispy!
Dels - Great starter for a group to share. This would
be quite filling for 1 or 2. The Gorgonzola sauce makes this dish. So tasty!
Bron – GIVE ME MORE! Love polenta… but polenta chips?
That’s like saying… have some healthy chips isn’t it? J ‘
Crispy rice balls $12
DKAY – Crunchy, chewy bite size wonders. Lovely Asian
flavours. I don’t think they’re going to be to everyone’s taste but I’m a big
fan.
Kaan - Very nice but
it wasn’t something that really stood out for me!
Dels - Oh my God this was one of my favorites on the
night. So packed full of flavour, you will want to eat all of them! You cant go
past this dish.
Bron – Yum, lovely sauce with it too! Order this
dish!
Braised lamb nuggets $17
DKAY – Nothing great. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a
bad dish but compared to the calibre of the rest of the dishes, it didn’t stand
out for me.
Kaan - These where
pretty much lamb kofte’s, Being a Turk I did like the taste but I have had much
better Kofte’s in other traditional Turkish restaurants.
Dels - I thought this was a great idea for a dish and
it tasted great as well. The lamb was soft and succulent.
Bron – these were OK, I’ve had better. The lamb was
lovely and tender though. Well if you’re feeling for lamb, go ahead… personally
though, I’d choose something else.
Socca $18
DKAY – Yum! One of, if not, the best savoury pancake
I’ve ever had. And it’s vegetarian. Who would have thought my fave dish of the
night would be a vegetarian dish! The combination of ingredients really packed
a punch.
Kaan - Another dish
that has no meat but I was blown away with the flavours! You have to try this
dish when you are @ Bloodwood.
Dels - his was another favorite dish of mine. I
absolutely loved all of the flavours, it was so fresh and tasty and the dill
was perfect. Ive gone back for this dish.
Bron – Yes, something different… cooked so well, so
tasty! Love!
Fried green tomato and
goats cheese $25
DKAY – Another great dish. And once again vegetarian!
Great cheesy, doughy goodness. Nice & fluffy. Only downer was the lack of
tomatoes. Slightly disappointing since it is the name of the dish…
Kaan - This sort of
dish is very close to what I grew up with but the dish had many different
cultures mixed up into, which I initially thought it was a crazy mix but I was
pleasant surprised. It ended up being one of my favourite dishes of the night!
Goat cheese, Okra and Yorkshire pudding – is the new match made in heaven! This
dish showed me what Blood wood is capable of and I was very impressed!
Dels - Not a bad dish but I didnt think it was
anything special.. An interesting dish none the less’
Bron – One of my favourite dishes! Just brilliantly
paired sweet and sour fried green tomatoes with the creamy goats cheese!! OMG.
Angus Beef brisket $30
DKAY – Super soft and super tasty. Well braised and
very flavoursome.
Kaan - Very yummy
but I still think the Brisket at Hartsyard is better!
Dels - So incredible tasty! The sauce is amazing, you
cant get enough of it and the beef is very tender. Loved this dish!
Bron – Delicious. That is all.
Sticky chicken wings $20
DKAY – Hmm… a little disappointing. Was well fried
but nothing exciting.
Kaan - These wings
were AMAZING! And yes it was smothered in sauce & was very sticky just the
way I like it!
Dels - Skipped this dish
Bron – You know what… you could go anywhere for this…
skip it! Just like Dels did…
Gluten free banana pudding
with caramel sauce, tapioca and pomegranate $14
DKAY – best of the bunch. It was tasty without being
spectacular. Just…. nice. Yet it was still the best out of them all.
Vanilla Goats Cheese Panna cotta
$14
Kaan - Shelve Shelve
Shelve!! See comments under SHELVE!
Bloodwood Trifle $14
Dels - I love trifle but I didnt love this... at
all...
Chocolate Torte $14
Bron – Far too rich… to be honest, I think Bloodwood
is fantastic for food, but try too hard on their desserts…. Not a fan! The only
dish I would rate is DKay’s Banana pudding!
OVERALL TEAM
VIEWSSSS
Dels says ‘ So many amazing dishes at Bloodwood, I
thoroughly enjoyed the experience and have been back a few times since. I love
that this place is all about the food more than the decor or ambiance.. and the
food is consistently good. Service is attentive and friendly. One of my
favorite Culinary Club Experiences..’
DKay says ‘Amaaaaazing
food. Will definitely go back. So much more I want to try and some others that
I must repeat! Desserts I’ll pass though. Which is ok by me. More room for more
dishes. ; )’
Kaan says ‘If I wanted to dine in Newtown
this will probably one of the first places I would want to visit. I still think
the food at Hartsyard is better but the Bloodwood does the whole
package better like the service and the venue!.’
Bron says‘Bloodwood is amazing. Honestly, lovely vibe,
different but delicious food, impeccable service… just not the best on some
desserts but you could always pop into Surry Hills for some Messina afterwards
couldn’t you? *wink* Please try this place!
KAAN WILL SHELVE (i.e. not very good)
1. I would have to shelve my
dessert! The vanilla goats milk panna cotta. The waiter pretty much raved on
about and forced me to have this dish but description definitely didn’t match
the taste! It’s probably the worst dessert I’ve had in years and everyone on
the night also agreed with me. The texture was fine but the goats milk was
really overpowering and the dessert didn’t taste sweet at all it was more
savoury then anything. YUCK!
Two down, Three to go… sorry for the wait our fellow fouchies… hopefully
you enjoy this blog though!
The next blog will be up soooooonnnn
Hint : An Italian Masterpiece in Darlinghurst
Date we
visited BloodWood. 07/08/2013 (again, yes we know!)
