As we'll be missing celebrating Christmas dinner with family (we are off down South for the break) we decided on having a cozy pre christmas dinner close by. So Cafe XXII was the pick in Pyrmont.
They change their menu every 2 days or if you have a special request & they have all the fresh ingredients available they might even cook up something special for you.
Mr. Bird: Very true Mrs. Bird. They had a special main that night which was Lobster Tail baked in a special butter sauce. I've been wanting to try their Lobster Tail Linguine with Champagne Sauce ever since I read about it in eatability and upon hearing that Lobster Tail is available tonight, I jumped at the chance. Alex (our waiter for the night) was extremely accommodating and checked with the head chef to see if they have the necessary ingredients to prepare this dish for me. Yipppee!!!
The Atmosphere: Cozy, Warm, Singles to Couples to Family to friends gathering, celebrations catered for. Most important was the clean cutlery & clean white sheets for the table.
So what did we enjoy for this evening's dinner?
THE PICK
ENTREE:
1. Calamari XXII - this is one of the few items that is available every night. The Calamaris are extremely tender with the Rouquet and Cherry Tomatoes providing the perfect accompaniment.
We've had this entree every time we've eaten here and it has never disappointed. I'm glad we ordered this as a main size to share amongst 4 people tonight as an entree size would definitely have not been enough
2. Fresh Shucked Sydney Rock Oysters with Forum Cab Sav Dressing - Shared between 3 people, a great entree for the summer palate.
The freshest tasting Sydney Rock Oysters with a flavoursome dressing. Unmistakely Sydney!
3. Confit Duck Sausage with Chestnut & Cauliflower Puree - Leg of Duck poached in its own fat and then rolled into a Sausage. The Duck Meat was so tender that it was impossible to cut the Sausage perfectly to share. The Chestnut and Cauliflower Puree provided an excellent contrast both in texture and flavour. A personal favourite!
I'm glad we had to cut this dish rustically as it allowed me to have a bigger portion. Even though it only came with 1 Sausage, I thought it was great value for money considering the effort that went into making this dish.
MAIN:
1. Wagyu Rump with Sauteed Kipflers, Kale & Green Peppercorn Cream Sauce - the biggest disappointment of the night. Quite fatty (and I'm not referring to the marbling of the beef) and cooked unevenly with some parts cooked perfectly (medium rare) while other parts were too well done and dry.
Yes, Papa Bird was quite disappointed with his main. And he was so looking forward all day to eating Wagyu.
2. Bass Grouper with Marinated Fennel Spinach Fetta Salad & Basamic Glaze
Even though Mama Bird is normally not a big fan of fish, she quite enjoyed the meaty texture of the Grouper. There was not much of a fishy smell to the fish and it was cooked just right as it retained its firm meaty texture.
3. Pork Fillet with Sweet Potato Mash, Garlic Beans & Tomato Relish
Again, a bit of a hit and miss as part of the pork were cooked perfectly while other parts were overcooked making the meat quite dry.
4. Lobster Tail Linguine in Pink Champagne Cream Sauce
The dish that I was looking forward to all night! And boy did it not disappoint! Lobster Tails - 'nuff said! Pink Champagne Cream Sauce - smells absolutely heavenly and tasted unbelievably delicious! What are you still waiting for sitting in your chair??!?! Head over to Cafe XXII and if you are lucky, you might just be able to order this dish. Hands down everyone's favourite dish of the night!
DESSERT:
1. Dark Chocolate Fondant with Chocolate Pebbles & Milk Ice Cream
Oozing with molten Chocolate goodness! Milk Ice Cream - who has had White Rabbit Milk Chews? It's like that except it's cold and melts straight in your mouth! I wonder if they sell these in tubs?
2. Eton Mess (Messed up Pavola with Marinated Strawberries & Cream)
Looks very messy but tasted absolutely divine. Hmmm sounds like Durian without the smell =)
3. Mango Cheesecake with Mango Gelato
This was my choice for dessert and I must say, it was quite... interesting. It looks and tastes nothing like a traditional Cheesecake and I found it a bit too rich to finish by one person. Definitely something worth trying out once ;) The biscuit base was the best part and is the best Cheesecake base I've had in a long time.
THE PECK VERDICT
- #1 dish for tonight was the [unlisted menu item] Lobster Tail Linguine: creamy rich pink sauce and the delish aroma combines a satisfying craving that has been raved about on eatability and the reason the other half has made prexmas dinner an excuse to come back for more! For $40 a plate, it was an expense that could half be rationed upon if you base on after one taste, it was a dish that was hard to share around...as the saying goes GREED is good when savouring this dish. A worthwhile experience to taste every mouthful by yourself!
$40 was an absolute bargain for a dish such as this! I'd normally share but would find it very hard to share this again the next time I order it... which is a definite!
Nothing but the lobster tail shells were left!
- #2 dish for tonight was the Duck Sausage, a personal favourite, a savoury and touch of sweetness makes it satisfying for the stomach. The soft duck meat along with the crunchy pinenuts make it a salivating texture that awaits you for seconds...unfortunately it was an entree dish sampler by us that we would have loved more on the plate! 10 out of 10!
If only all the sausages sold at the Gourmet Butchers were like this.
- #3 the disappointment, we had to move to another table outside and get downgraded to the off the street table "just in case" the occupants of the reserved table turned up earlier [which they didn't] and had to have dessert outside in the open. Wasn't too bad as the summer wind made it nice & cool to sit outside. The dessert, unfortunately didnt meet my expectations. Wasn't anything spectacular, probably because it was a nice warm cool summer season that I had cravings moreso for the snow custard apple & guava icecream dessert from Quay.
I disagree as we were told that our seating was only until 8:15pm. I thought being seated outside was actually much nicer as it was a nice and cool night. This was the first time we've ordered so much dessert at the one time and unfortunately, not all of them were what we expected. I still rememebr the Apple Crumble Souffle we had last time we dined here which was absolutely superb.
- Will come back for more in the future as the service, the staff was warm & friendly (ask for Alex).
The HungryLoveBirds are once again full to the stomach as they have pecked their way this evening to another delicious filling meal & the final gut buster rating is set to...
RECOMMEND!
So what has my other hungrylovebird maleness got to say to these comments? We'll wait and see...
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Cafe XXII
22 Union St Pyrmont NSW 2009
Ph: (02) 9552 3093
Open Wed to Sat
5:00pm to 10:00pm for Dinner
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