Last night I made an entree for dinner which was just perfect to start off the evening. It’s almost effortless, and takes a short amount of preparation.

The entree was Pork Belly served with Spinach & Pear puree and beetroot jelly. Here is what you’ll need:

Pork Belly
- 2 Strips Pork Belly
- 0.5 tbsp of good quality sea salt

Spinach & Pear Pure
- 1 bunch spinach
- 1 pear (peeled, cored and quartered)
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- Salt & Pepper

Beetroot Jelly
- 1 pack of Raspberry jelly (I used an Aeroplane branded one)
- 1 tin of sliced beetroot

First up the Beetroot Jelly (note – this will need at least 4 hours in the fridge to set)

- Unpack half satchel of the raspberry jelly into 0.5 cup of boiling water and mix to dissolve. Add another 0.5 cup of cold water.
- In a flat and shallow pan – place the sliced beetroots tightly next to each other side by side and pour over a tablespoon of the beetroot water from the tin on top of the beetroots.
- Finally pour over the raspberry jelly mixture till it covers the beetroot by 0.5 cm
- Set in the fridge for 4 hours

Next, let’s get on with the Pork Belly. Preheat your oven to 220* C.

I bought 2 strips from David Jones (cost me about $5.50 for the two). There were some bone parts at the bottom section of the belly strips which I cut off. I prefer to sever this boneless.

I made diagonal cuts through the skin (don’t cut into the meat) and then sprinkled sea salt on the top of the strips and massage the skins for a about 20 to 30 seconds. Check that your jelly is getting ready before sticking the pork in the over. You can drizzle the strips with a bit of olive oil – but I put them straight in the oven on the top shelf. After about 15 mins, bring the heat down to 200 and bring the meat down to the middle shelf and then 15 mins later, down to 180. If your skin hasn’t crisped, put it back on the top shelf for another 10 – 15 mins until it’s crisp to your liking. All in all, it should take about 45 – 55 mins to cook.

While the pork is cooking, let’s move on to the puree. In a small saucepan, boil enough water to cover your quartered bits of pear. Let your pear boil for about 15 to 20 mins depending on it’s ripeness. Take it out of the water and let it cool. Meanwhile, wash the spinach and cook that in boiling water (I used the same water as the pear) for 5 mins until it’s soft. Drain the spinach and squeeze out any excess water with some paper towels.

Finally, add the spinach, pear, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper to a blender and blend it until the mixture forms a creamy and foamy mixture. Taste and season to suit your taste buds.

Check that your pork belly is crisp and that there is no pinkness in the meat. Cut a square or rectangle strip of the jelly and place it on the corner of your serving plate. Dollop a teaspoonful of the puree and spread it in a straight line with the back of your spoon. Cut the pork strips into half and serve them with one half leaning over the other. Sprinkle a little sea salt over if necessary.

Voila, there you have it – Pork Belly served with Spinach and Pear puree and beetroot jelly.

If you live in Sydney and love Vietnamese food, you really should try this place – at least once!

Phamish recently moved from the lower end of Darlinghurst and is now closer to the city on 50 Burton Street, Darlinghurst. This isn’t a restaurant for everyone really. If you feel like having a romantic evening, with quite conversation and nibbling on some rice paper rolls – find somewhere else! Phamish is quick, fast paced and for them – time is money!

If you want to get to Phamish, try getting there early. Aim for 6pm or thereabouts (the time they open) because you can’t book for a table. You will have to wait in line or put your name down. They will tell you what time to come back and make sure you turn up at that time. Else, be prepared for a frosty reception. The lady will either yell at you for being late – or have you wait longer by giving your table away.

So, it’s a first-come-first-serve basis, where even ordering your food requires you to wait in a line. But the result is worth it. While Phamish is surrounded by other restaurants – a Thai, a modern Italian and another which I couldn’t pay attention to, you find that they are pretty quite. Sometimes you will find familiar faces there – and they would be people who no longer prepared to wait at Phamish.

The menu is fairly simple – a variety of rice paper rolls or pancakes for entree, curries or stir fry for mains (with rice, if you like).

I thought the chicken rice paper rolls would be nice, however they had prawns in it. Surely they could make mine without prawns. So, I put the question to the man behind the cashier and he gave me a look of “make the rice paper roll now?”. That’s when I understood that their rolls were pre-made – they just plate it and get a waiter to bring it to your table. I therefore resorted to the vegetarian rolls.

Given that the rolls are pre-made, there is a sticky feel when trying to pull each of the rolls apart – however, the taste with the accompanying sauce is bliss. I believe their pancakes might be premade too and warmed a little when served. For $12 per plate you get 4 rice paper rolls – good value in my opinion.

For mains we ordered a plate of kaffir lime chicken and another of sesame seasoned lamb fillets with rice on the side. The Vietnamese love their lemon grass and kaffir lime leaves – and the chicken dished boasted strong flavours. With each spoonful you get that smell of fresh citrus flavours and curry tasted perfect. Mains vary between $14 to $20. Once you’ve finished your dishes and placed your chopsticks down – expect to see 2 pairs of hand suddenly do a magic trick of “now you see, now you don’t”, as your plates, dishes and cutlery very quickly disappear – it’s time for the next waiting person to take your seat – so get out.

Phamish is a licenses restaurant and permits BYO – so for $2 corkage per head, I suggest you bring a bottle.

Don’t expect to have great experiences at Phamish – just expect good food. As I said, it’s not a restaurant for everyone. And if you want take away – then so be it.

Atmosphere – 6/10
Food – 8.5/10
Staff – 4.5/10
Value for money – 8/10

I got a few people asking me where to have dinner on Valentine’s day in Sydney.

Well, I’ve compiled a list of various types of restaurants mainly favouring Italian, French and Modern Australian – but I’ve added a few others.

Astral Restaurant
This would have one of the best views compared to the others in the list. They have a special Valentine’s day thing happening, so you’ll have to give them a call. But don’t be surprised if they’re all booked out. This restaurant styles Modern French and chef Sean Connolly would present a very well cooked meal for the evening. From what I hear, try the Peanut Butter & Jelly sandwich for dessert.

I would suggest pre-drinks at the Astral Bar (and maybe a few cheeky cocktails after dinner too).
http://www.astralrestaurant.com.au/

Summit
Up on Australia Square on level 47, this restaurant boasts Modern Australian and also has a special for Valentines day. Various packages are available for dinning that evening – ranging from $185 to $500 for either a 4 or 5 courses each being a selection from their menu. Additionally, each package includes red roses on the table – a nice touch.
http://www.summitrestaurant.com.au/

Essence
Located on Lime Street near King St Wharf, this restaurant also serves a Modern Australian cuisine. You have views of the water towards the maritime museum. From here, you can either carry on to the Wharf Bar, or head down for a boogie to Cargo Bar or the Loft. Haven’t heard of anything special happening for Valentine’s night
http://www.essencerestaurant.com.au/

L’etoile
Yes, this has to make it on the list as it is one of my favourite French restaurants. They are doing a special at $85pp for a 6 course degustation or $125pp including wine – which honestly, I think is quite impressive. However the only catch is that you can make the reservation for either 6pm or 8:45pm. Call them up to get an idea of the menu. Feel free to as the waiter for their cocktail list – there are a few that aren’t bad.
http://www.letoilerestaurant.com.au/

Coast
This Modern Italian/Australia restaurant at Darling Harbour (next to Chinta Ria) is also doing a special for the 14th Feb, $95pp for a 3 course meal with a cocktail and you can order your wine separate. Unfortunately no matching wine to their food. However, you can make a special request (for a fee) to have roses on the table.
http://www.coastrestaurant.com.au/

Kobe Jones – Teppanyaki at The Rocks
This would be the top of my list favourite if Astral is booked out. They have a great variety for either a Set or A la Carte menus. The only let down is that the dinning experience can sometimes be with a few other people in each cooking room – however, that shouldn’t affect how you enjoy the food. The chef will cook and prepare the food right in front of you – and I would suggest your splurge a little on this night. For pre/post drinks – head out to the Blu Horizon bar at the Shangri-la (try booking early for a window seat with views).
http://www.kobejones.com.au/

Still need more options? Leave a comment below and let me know what you’re looking for.