Riley Street Garage, Woolloomooloo

Opps, two days behind schedule here! I apologise for being tardy as my grandfather passed away last weekend, and prior to that my family and I had taken turns with keeping him company in the hospice.

Anyways, on another note, it is a new year (stating the obvious here) and it was time to open those happy slips I had written in 2014. So Miss CC and I organised a nice dinner to celebrate those happy days we spent in 2014 and shared them with each other.

Being somewhat close to the Festival Village and that it is Sydney Festival I guess Riley Street Garage was going to seize this opportunity to all those foodies out there with a $55 Sydney Festival menu, like hello there! Prices added for reference.

This menu is paired with a glass of Krinklewood ‘Francesca’ Rose.

Kingfish sashimi $18

We start with kingfish sashimi, sitting in white soy and pork dust and my oh my, this was so light and fresh. I don’t think I could ever get enough of this.

Beef carpaccio $16

But I tell you what I would not be able to live without for sure if I was to come back to RSG, it would be for their beef carpaccio, soaked in soy vinegar and finished off with brioche croutons. The beef was so full of flavour, though it looked heavy in all ways, it was in fact light, I enjoyed the croutons but would have preferred a little more crunch.

A little rest and a few more notes exchanged. Giggles, smiles, and all things positive were brought up from the past year.

Crispy pork knuckle $46

The crispy pork knuckle was cooked with soy mustard and accompanied with a picked apple. As you all know our love for crackling, and this was exactly how we like it, the pork was soft and tender. Miss CC really enjoyed the apple as she had expected it to be almost poached like but it was still really crisp.

Iceburg salad $7

The iceburg salad was not my cup of tea as it was doused in blue cheese vinegar.

Truffle mash $7

Velvet smooth and sliding down my throat was this truffle mash. This was served in a tiny little bucket but that was what allowed us to order a side of fries as well. I think I could drink this mash!

The RSG banana split $14

Dessert was the RSG banana split, I loved the coconut sorbet which helps break through all the different elements in this dessert. Not your typical banana split, with all elements broken. The honeycomb crackle was simply delicious, like a piece of toffee.

And because I was dining with Miss CC, we all know that a meal like that means that we would have additional food.

Left: Mignonette jelly, foie gras $4 (each)
Right: Smokey soy truffle $4 (each)

I can’t eat raw oysters, but Miss CC had two and she is simply is in love with them as she had them the first time she was here.

Stuffed zucchini flowers $14

The waitress recommended the stuffed zucchini flowers, these were fried to perfection and each bite was filled with Persian feta and capers, making it all the moreish!

Pulled beef brisket slider $9 (each)

After seeing our main meals arrive, our eyes again, ate bigger than our stomachs can take. The sliders were definitely bite size, and the pulled brisket was nice and tender with the pickle creating my much needed tang.

Chorizio dog $4 (each)

Miss CC went with the chorizio dog with Dijon mayo.

French fries $7

And … of course a bucket of fries, a much larger version bucket to the truffle mash. I loved the vinegar aioli, as it gave a subtle sourness to the aioli.

I am sure I will visit RSG again as there is much more on the menu which I would love to try. The ambience was completely comfortable, the chairs wide and we were allowed time to enjoy our memories.

As Miss CC said after reading, “It now feels like 2014 has officially ended.”

Hit: Stuffed zucchini flowers, truffle mash

Miss:  iceburg salad (blue cheese)

Riley Street Garage

55 Riley Street,

Woolloomolooo