September 2008 - Page 3 of 3 - Adventure, baby!

I’ve never been a fan of Indian food – with the exception of cheese naan (which I was told recently wasn’t traditionally Indian – what a disappointment!).

Beverly and Lisa however have been raving abut their favourite Indian place in Crows Nest, Malabar, so in the spirit of trying new things, I agreed to come along for some new flavours.

I was pleasantly surprised by the delicious food – although I shouldn’t have been surprised since B & L are usually right when it comes to good restaurants. I was also pleased by the variety of vegetarian food on offer.

The interior – very dark unfortunately which made it not optimal for taking photos.

Colourful menu.

The house specialty is Dosai – B & L have been raving about it for a while now so I had to try it out.

The Dosai – a thin pancake wrapped around lightly spiced potatoes. Very, very tasty.

Hello there Lisa!

Patti Samosas – filled with spiced potatoes and peas.

Malabar Paratha – some kind of fried doughy bread. Delicious!

Bev in food heaven.

Nomming isn’t always a graceful thing.

Dessert – pistachio ice cream.

I can’t remember what this was called but it was a dessert with cottage cheese I believe, deep fried into dough somehow.

We adjourned to Bev’s house afterwards for ferret play and internet surfing.

The ferrets REALLY want to get on Cute Overload … “Ein, get out of my WAY!”

Malabar
334 Pacific Highway,
Crows Nest, NSW,
Australia
(02) 9906 7343

One of the things I love about my job is getting to eat at restaurants that otherwise I would never be able to.

We took some clients to Rockpool this week. I’ve heard amazing reviews but since it’s a seafood restaurant have never though of going myself.

Lucky for me, I was given the chance to try it out and see how they handle a fussy vege like me.

The entrance to Rockpool is very unassuming. Located at the The Rocks end of George Street it fits right in with low-key cafes and pubs. Even once you enter, the decor is very understated.

Vegetarian-wise, there were three options from the appetiser menu but only one from the mains, so I tried a dish I otherwise probably wouldn’t have.

Bread to start – crusty, fresh, hot bread.

Four tastes of the sea. I love the presentation. The presentation of all of our dishes was amazing, as was the service.

My goats cheese tortellini with raisins and pine nuts. Delicious! I just wish there had been more!

Tuna, snapper and leatherjacket sashimi with fresh wasabi, sushi rice, ginger and soy dressing.

Dishing out of my baby vegetable tagine and stuffed date. It was delicious, but slightly too spicy for me.

Potato gratin. So very tasty I could have eaten it all on my own.

Leaf salad with palm sugar vinaigrette. Delicious!

Date tart (original since 1984).

Chocolate rice crackle cake – delicious! The presentation, the fluttery gold leaf decorations, the explosion of chocolate mousse and caramel … ahhhhhh!