"Friends, like wine, get better with age..."
This week's favourite... Nomad, Surry Hills
After receiving the brief: "I want you to take me somewhere hidden away with good food and wine... I will leave it up to you..."
I started perusing the internet for reviews, blogs and Sydney's best kept secrets... After sifting through countless websites, one restaurant jumped out at me.. Nomad.
I was drawn to the concept, the wine list and most importantly.. the FOOD! A seasonal, ever changing menu that encouraged diners to share.. perfect! After receiving the OK! from my good friend and dining companion for the evening.. I called, booked and penciled it into the diary...
A very popular venue I came to realise when I was told there were two sittings - even on a Wednesday night!
I arrived, was greeted with a friendly smile, sat down and dove head first into the wine list... "Pizzini 2012 Prosecco - King Valley, VIC" mmm YES PLEASE!
My friend arrived and we decided on two "Small" plates to share and one "Big" plate.. to save room for the inevitable sweets...
Starting with Raw Kingfish, served with Preserved Lemon and Fennel... this dish was a delicious start and set the tone for the meal. It was beautifully presented and was a infallible combination of sharp lemon and the silky flesh of the Kingfish. It almost melted in your mouth... The dish was finished off with fennel and watercress for its colour, texture and freshness... divine!
Sticking with the seafood theme we opted for the more robust flavours of the BBQ Split Prawns with Chermoula and Lemon. The charred prawns has a wonderful smokey taste that complimented the lemon and chermoula paste on top of the prawns. The lemon helped cut through the aromatic Chermoula which balanced out the dish. YUM
With our first two courses we both chose white wines. Having recently visited Fraser Gallop in the Margaret River, I went with one of my favourites from the tasting..
Fraser Gallop 2012 Semillon Sauvignon Blanc | Margaret River WA
My friend chose a Reisling from the Adelaide Hills after tasting two of the wines in the Restaurant.
2011 Riesling Gewurztraminer Pinot Grigio | Adelaide Hills SA
The pick of the matches was the Fraser Gallop wine, to try it for yourself (which I highly recommend) visit: http://www.frasergallopestate.com.au/wines/view/2012/semillon-sauvignon-blanc/
Next was our main dish.. BBQ Lamb Rump with Moroccan eggplant salad and sheep's yoghurt..
The lamb was perfectly cooked and had the most amazing flavour! It was the perfect size to share.. the barbecued moroccan spices and soft eggplant were a perfect match to the lamb. I have to say this is one of my favourite lamb dishes! I loved everything about it!
Wine List: we looked to a red.. upon recommendation of our waiter we tried:
Head Red 2012 GSM | Barossa Valley SA (NEW FAVOURITE RED!!! must try this....!)
It married with the lamb beautifully... and was a very tasty wine just on it's own. Fruity with a rounded finish, very easy to drink! A diner's favourite apparently, too!
Still wanting more.. we went for dessert!
For a change, I chose the cheese....
House made "Nomad 3 month aged goat's cheese" with membrillo and dried grapes (no crackers for GF)
This was a stunning dish.. and not what I expected. Not usually a Goat's Cheese fan, I was pleasantly surprised! With a crumbly texture and a lovely salty finish this was a great cheese. The membrillo was a fruity paste that really contrasted with the hard, crumbly cheese. It was quite sweet..
My friend ordered the signature dish... Bunuelos with rosewater and cardamom custard - these were little sweet doughnut balls that you dip into the custard. These got rave reviews and hit the spot - no wonder they are a favourite on the menu!
To wash down all this sweet.. a sticky sweet wine.. Lillypilly Reserve "Noble Blend" 2006 Sauvignon Blanc Semillon | Leeton NSW
I would liken this to the famous De Bortoli Noble One Botrytis wine - a perfect match to salty cheese!! YUM
Overall, this was an amazing meal. The wine list offered everything by the glass and the waitstaff were knowledgeable about everything on it! This is very helpful when ordering and pairing with an unfamiliar menu!
Would highly recommend visiting this one!
Until next time..
Happy eating xx
