Bloody Mary's Sydney


I heard all about Bloody Mary’s through Instagram. They have outrageous cocktails and not to mention an array of appetizing American inspired food. The name says it all, they are known for their Bloody Mary’s and what sets them apart is their house made Tomato Juice.

Since it was so early in the day, I decided to stay away from the cocktails and focus on the food.


 

I ordered The Heart Attack, which included Guacamole, Bagel Crisps, Jalapeno Poppers, Buffalo Wings, Chili Salt Shrimp and Onion Rings. If you like spice, then this is the perfect meal for you and a few friends. The Buffalo wings are perfectly cooked, the guacamole was tangy and complimented the bagel chips. My all time favourite was the Jalapeno poppers. So cheesy in the middle and so crunchy.


The Heart Attack (Serves 3) $48.00



 


Will ordered the Bloody Mary Beef Burger with a Supersized Beef Patty. This came with your standard lettuce, onion, tomato, cheese and pickles and a side of fries. Our waiter suggested the Truffle fries which was a great recommendation. They were well seasoned and so cheesy. The Burger was well cooked, it was juicy and Nerd Burger demolished it so I think he also approves. 




 Bloody Mary's Beef Burger $19.00 (Truffle Fries $2.50 and a Double Sized Beef Patty is $6.00)

 






Bloody Mary’s ooozes cool vibes. The courtyard area is appealing and the staff are lovely. If you need a pick me up after a bender or you just need good American style food, then check them out. I'm certainly going back and this time, I'll be hitting their cocktail list.

Bloody Mary’s Sydney
332 Victoria Street
Darlinghurst NSW2010

Phone: 02 9360 5568



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Pilyo - Afternoon Delights

Being Filipino, I’ve always been extremely proud of my heritage and Filipino Cuisine. When I heard about Pilyo and their pop up events, I immediately bought tickets for Nerd Burger and I. For $33.00 we will get to enjoy 5 Afternoon Delights with a delicious dessert to finish.

Iñigo Castillo, Morris Baco and Chrissie Ablaza-Castillo, are the geniuses behind Pilyo. Their aim is to put bold and saucy flavours in traditional Filipino Cooking while adding a ‘Cheeky’ feel.




Chrissie and the team were kind enough to answer a few questions regarding what inspired them to start Pilyo, their take on Filipino Food and what it means to have a bit of Cheek in their cooking.

1. What inspired you to open Pilyo?

After almost 10 years in Sydney eating and cooking other cuisines professionally, we decided it was time to share our heritage. In Sydney, Filipino food is still very much undiscovered, has been limited to a handful of restaurants and is not as widely known as other cuisines regardless the growing size of the Filipino-Australian community. We thought it was time Sydneysiders learn about our amazing food culture in a way it has never been presented here before.

2. What Filipino dish do you think everyone should try?

Sisig, definitely. It’s how we would describe Filipino food. It’s adventurous, rich, full of flavour and texture, and at the same time zesty. There’s complexity in what looks like a simple dish, when in fact it’s not the easiest to cook given the preparation involved. It’s a feast for the senses – it smells great, looks great, and sounds great (literally!). Who can resist the smell of caramelisation and the sight and sound of food sizzling on a hot plate?! We think non-Filipinos just have to get over the stigma of eating offal.

3. Pilyo means "Cheeky" in Tagalog, what cheeky twist do you add to the dishes that you make?

You know how Filipinos are very proud and always compare someone else’s cooking to their Lola’s? Often we hear, “wala ‘yan sa adobo ng Lola ko!”
Well, what we have to say to that is:
PILYO is nothing like your grandmother’s cooking. So don’t even compare us to your grandmother. We’re cheeky. We’re PILYO.

We’re just being PILYO, we don’t actually mean to be arrogant (though it may come off so!). Our Lola's cooking gave us our flavour palate and this has been the strong foundation to everything we create today. We respect flavours that are part of our tradition but at the same time we make bold combinations and apply cooking techniques that make the dish current. That’s the cheeky twist.

PILYO – Traditional flavours. Bold combinations. Cheeky techniques.

4. Growing up, what was the one thing your Lola taught you about cooking Filipino Food?

Notice how there are no salt and pepper shakers on the dining table?
Our lola’s taught us that everything should be well seasoned to show proper respect for the ingredients.

5. Filipino Cuisine is certainly making its mark in Sydney, where would you like to see the future of Filipino food?

We would love for Filipino cuisine to be on the Sydney food map! …alongside other popular Asian restaurants. We believe if presented well using current techniques, Filipino food can easily be the regular weekend go-to for Sydneysiders.


The first afternoon delight Batchoy Tonkotsupulled chicken breast, soft boiled quail egg, noodles, crispy garlic & pork crackling crumble in pork bone broth


The Team  creating the assembly line for the second afternoon delight


The second afternoon delight Naked Lumpiang Betel Leafprawn & pork veggie crepe with crushed peanuts, puffed rice, powdered seaweed & peanut sauce




The third afternoon delight Lechon Kawali Baocrispy pork belly in a steamed bun with atsara & pork umami sauce


Longga Burgerchorizo de pilyo with coleslaw, cream cheese & mango sultana chutney




Empanada Ni Lola O - sweet & savoury beef, tomato, plantain, green olives & sultanas


Preparing the last afternoon delight


The Big Finish. Ensaymada & Cheese Ice Cream Sandwich - coconut jam & parmesan crisp

It was certainly a great afternoon, filled with flavour explosions and Cheekyness. I am looking forward to whats up next with Pilyo, from pop up dinners and stand up events now, maybe later on we will see a restaurant in every city. I wish them all the best.

For more information regarding Pilyo check out their Facebook Page

 https://www.facebook.com/PILYOsydney

Make sure you like the page for updates on their next event.

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The Grounds of Alexandria

I finally got the chance to check out The Grounds of Alexandria. Nerd Burger a.k.a Will and I caught up with my good friend Hayley and her family.

The Grounds is known for its laid back atmosphere. It’s a homely farm setting in a busy city location. They have monthly markets full of delicious goodies to eat and handmade one of a kind items. It’s a perfect setting for a weekend catch up with friends. 



As you make your way through to the cafe, you will walk past stands with mouth watering cakes and drinks. I tried the Sweet Rose Lemonade. A refreshing beverage even on a chilly Sunday morning.



Delicious pastries. You can purchase 3 for $20.00. I recommend the Salted Caramel Chocolate Tart. The pastry is flaky and the chocolate is smooth with a hint of bitterness.






Fresh homemade donuts. Cooked to order. They have plain with cinnamon, Nutella filled and raspberry filled donuts.



                       



                       


After a brief stroll through the markets, We decided to order. I ordered The Breakkie Board. This has two free range poached eggs, chicken chipolatas, grilled asparagus, smoked salmon, fresh ricotta, toasted sour dough and a cherry tomato and basil salsa.

I must admit I was a little overwhelmed at the amount of food that came out. It was well presented and delicious.  The perfectly cooked poached eggs and asparagus certainly added a nice freshness to this hearty breakfast.





The Breakkie Board $22.00


Chefs Breakkie Pan $19.00


Will ordered the Chefs Breakkie Pan with a side of Lamb sausages.  This has poached eggs, which is served with button mushrooms, kassler bacon, chicken chipolatas in a hollandaise sauce. It also comes with a baby Italian loaf which Will loved. 


                           



Belle the Pekingese

As we were eating out breakfast, I noticed that across from us was a well behave little dog. As a dog lover I just had to say hello. Belle the Pekingese was a darling and so placid. Gizmo could learn a thing or two from this little pooch.

The Grounds is not only known for their fresh produce and homely surroundings. They are also know for their famous pig Kevin Bacon. We took a quick stroll to say hello to Kevin and all his farm friends.



I highly recommend The Grounds. If you are ever in the area, make sure you pop in and check it out. My only suggestion would be to head over early as it does get very busy. There is street parking and a limited amount of parking spaces in the premises.

The Grounds of Alexandria
Building 7A. 2 Huntley Street
Alexandria NSW 2015

Telephone: 61 (2) 9699 2225

http://thegrounds.com.au/


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