a 2nd visit to ash st cellar.

Ash St Cellar
1 Ash Street
Sydney
Tel: 612 9240 3000
Website: http://www.merivale.com/#/ivy/ashstreetcellar


I have a thing for cosy little restaurants that serve good food and Ash St Cellar fits that bill perfectly. Ash St Cellar's food is Mediterranean and dining there reminds me of the little alleys in Melbourne and the cafes along the streets in Europe. Tucked in a little corner behind the Ivy in downtown Sydney, it makes the perfect spot for a catch up with friends or even a casual first date! The food is designed as sharing plates and the menu is short, yet succinct. Ash St Cellar changes their menu from time to time so there are no worries that the food will be exactly the same the next time you return (that is unless if you decide you wanna return the next day).

Anyway, some botched dinner plans brought my sis and I to Ash St. I enjoyed my first dinner there back in July and had wanted to bring my sis for a visit since then.

Kingfish Tartare, Green Apple, Young Celery, Witlof

   

Sardine Fillets, Eggplant, Pickled Red Onions, Fried Parsley & Lemon

 

 

 Lamb Cutlets, Cauliflower, Roast Tomatoes, Salsa Verde

Soft Cooked Eggs, Morcilla and White Beans

I enjoyed every single savoury dish I had that night. In fact, I also wasn't disappointed when I first visited. From that dinner, I recall the crispy polenta chips served with a gorgonzola fondue. That dish was excellent even though I'm not usually a lover of blue cheese. From this dinner, I really enjoyed the lamb cutlets as the meat was cooked perfectly. The sardines were also lovely with the sweet red onions and the fried parsley. The soft cooked eggs was a really rich dish but I thought it was well put together with the morcilla (the Spanish version of black pudding).

 

The desserts on the other hand, were a little more disappointing this time around. While the tart was pretty well done, my sis and I weren't exactly in love with the cherries on it. While pannacottas often grab my attention on menus, I'm also not a big fan of marsala. Allthough the ricotta pannacotta was well made, it wasn't one of the best that I've tasted.

 

 Cherry Tart with Vanilla Cream

 

 

 Ricotta Pannacotta, Marsala Caramel Grapes

 

Ash St Cellar's the type of place I'd go back to again and again; good food, good ambience. The only other thing needed is good company. If my p.sch friends (Hi there if you're reading!) were here in Sydney in me, I know they would love this place as much as I do too.