Bodega 1904 - Forest Lodge - Sydney, Australia

Happy Australia Day! For those in Australia, I hope you all had an amazing day celebrating this national day. I'm thankful for being able to live in this beautiful country. We managed to catch the fireworks at our local beach in Cronulla. 

Back to posting about Sydney's local dining scene.

As part of the restoration of the Rozelle Tramway Depot, Tramshed is the new food destination at Harold Park, bringing together a number of famous restaurants and newbie eateries in a European style setting.

The space is open, airy and industrial looking with a warehouse feel. There’s even an unused tramcar on display. 

Bodega 1904 is a joint collaboration between Bodega and Porteno.

They serve a range of Spanish and Latin American inspired tapas which you wouldn’t usually find at a typical restaurant, taking a spin on the classics with a modern interpretation.  The food here is meant for sharing, even the mains. That’s a positive as you get to try more right?

We started with the ‘smoked eggplant, caramelized baby onions and goats milk feta ($14.00)’. Rich, slightly smoky and creamy. This was divine and reminded me very much of the Lebanese baba ganoush. The eggplant was wonderfully smooth to the palate and really tasty. 

The ‘Polish salami and picked chilli ($12.00)’ complemented well with the other tapas dish. The thinly shaved salami was slightly salty with hints of spice from the cracked pepper. Be warned the pickled chilli is hot, very hot. 

The tapas were eaten with fluffy ‘1904 Sourdough Bread ($4.00)’, served with a side of creamy cultured butter which was absolutely delicious we ordered another serving. 

‘Smoked pigs head sausage, crispy potatoes and plum sauce ($24.00)’, is a popular dish on Instagram so we decided to order it. The plump pork sausage was juicy, moist and bursting with flavour. The pureed mash potato was velvety and the fried shreds of potato went well with it, adding a crunch factor.

Usually I’m not too keen on trying lamb when they’re on menus as I find that that the meat is too gamey if not cooked correctly. The ‘roast lamb neck, chickpea, pistachio, preserved lemon and sorrel ($38.00)’ here was pretty amazing.  Perfectly roasted, the meat fell off the bone and melted in the mouth. It was so soft and tender.

The dishes here are simple and homely, made using fresh ingredients but packed with loads of flavour. If you’re a wine enthusiast, they have a boutique wine store in house.  Delicious food with great company is always a winning combination. 

Where?

1 Dalgal Way

Forest Lodge NSW 2037
Australia

Phone no: 02 8624 3133

Opening Hours

Monday – Thursday: 12pm to 11pm

Friday: 12pm to 12am,

Saturday: 10am to 12am

Sunday: 10am to 10pm

Website
www.bodega1904..com.au 

Encasa Restaurant - Sydney, Australia

Encasa Restaurant



 

It's another quick end to the working week and my cousins and I are due for our next monthly dinner catch up. We decide to go to Encasa after failing to make a booking before the Christmas holidays which deprived us of Spanish food. This time around I called at the beginning of the week for a Friday 6pm booking and was told that we could only stay till 8pm as it was fully booked.

Encasa specialises in Spanish food, mainly tapas, pizza and pasta dishes. I've been a frequent customer for many years whether it be for work functions, friend birthdays or just the casual catch up. The food is always consistently good, reasonable cheap and never fails to deliver. Not only that, fresh ingredients are used making it even better.

We arrive a bit before 6pm and the restaurant is still looking rather empty. We're escorted to our table for 4 and already know what we want to order. We decide on five tapas and one pizza to share. The portions are extremely generous and we can already tell that it will be more than enough.



The first tapa to arrive is the 'Gambas al Ajillo - Peeled King Prawns in Sizzling Garlic Oil and Chilli($13.00)'. The prawns are cooked to perfection with a slight bite to it. The garlic oil has a pleasant aroma and would be nice to scoop up with bread. Didn't find it spicy at all. Must be my high tolerance to chilli.






Our favourite dish is definitely the 'Patatas Bravas - Fried Potato Garlic Mayonnaise and Spicy Tomato Salsa ($9.50)'. It is a must order and we never fail to order this and I don't mind if we just had this on its own. It's extremely addictive and I could finish the whole plate myself. The plate is gone in no time. The potatoes are crispy and golden and the mayo is smooth and creamy which is balanced out with the tangy tomato salsa.





Cousin W requests for the scallops dish but we're told it is sold out. She then asks for the 'Pulpo a la Plancha-Grilled Fresh Baby Octopus ($14.00)'. The octopus is cooked perfectly in olive oil and a drench of lemon brings out the flavour. There is just way too much and as it gets cold it becomes chewy.





Cousin L orders the 'Pinchos de Pollo con Mojo-Chicken Skewers with Red Capsicum, Olive Oil, Cumin and Vinegar ($12.00)'. We found the chicken to be a tad dry and the accompanying sauce had a strong spice taste. 





Our last tapas dish arrives sizzling hot at the table, 'Champinones al Ajillo-Sizzling Garlic Mushrooms ($9.50)'. Only recommended for those serious mushroom lovers. The garlic wasn't too strong and tasted subtle.






Our main dish, the 'Large Finca Pizza - Chicken, Pesto, Roasted Red Capsicum, Onion and Olives ($21.50)' arrives hot from the woodfired oven. The cheese is soft, gooey and delicious. Overall, a great tasting pizza.

Dessert is skipped as we're stuffed from all that food. We decide to take a look at the Chinese New Year Markets at Belmore Park instead before deciding on what to have for dessert. Service is very efficient and prompt. By the time we're finished, the restaurant is at full capacity and we stuggle to hear each other speaking. Great times :)

Where?

423 Pitt St,
Sydney NSW 2000
Australia

Phone no: 02 9211 4257

Opening Hours
To be Advised

Website
http://www.encasarestaurant.com.au/