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Just because the sun has officially gone down on summer, doesn't mean you have to crawl into bed with a hot water bottle for four months. Though the heady days of wearing freshly pressed linens and sipping rosé in the park are officially over, winter has its perks. For one, everyone looks considerably chicer when they're not sweating constantly. For two, restaurants go hard serving up the good stuff — meats of the slow-cooked variety, hearty soups with crusty bread, vegetables roasted in duck fat, and warm buttery desserts.
We've partnered with Samsung to scout out some of the best winter dishes you can get your mitts on in Sydney right now. And since everyone loves a good food photo, the new Galaxy S9 and S9+ has superior low-light capability, to capture your tasty meal in all its glory. So get stuck in. Like those arctic explorers always say, your body needs fat to survive the cold.
SUNDAY ROAST AT THE DUKE OF CLARENCE
Those looking for a cosy nook to hold winter at bay need go no further than the Duke of Clarence. This reimagining of a British tavern from the 1800s is the sort of place Charles Dickens might have sunk a few pints with mates. On Sundays, the pub offers four particularly extravagant roasts: a sirloin beef, a free-range roast chicken, a blue eye cod and a field mushroom. They're served with a generous side of trimmings: stuffing, Dutch carrots, peas, broccolini, potatoes roasted in beef fat and Yorkshire pudding. The place has proper Victorian manor library vibes, which is great, but bring a camera that can handle the moody light.
BAKED CAMEMBERT AT KITTYHAWK
Kittyhawk knows a thing or two about burrowing its way into your heart through your tastebuds — we tend to think if it only had its baked camembert en papillote on the menu, the bar would still be doing just fine. One of the truest delights of this dish is the way its gooey goodness runs at the first slice of your knife. And if you're someone who thinks that all cheese is improved by a spread of quince, wait until truffle is added and it's warmed by the creamy concoction. Served with a side of toasted sourdough and topped with a sprig of lemon thyme, this is pure French joy wrapped in a fragrant little parcel.
BURNT RAMEN AT GOGYO
Though Gogyo is fairly new in the Sydney eating world, it has significant chops back home in Japan. If you're looking to beat the winter chill, there's no going past their house speciality — ramen kogashi, or "burnt ramen". The toasty ramen is prepared by cooking fat at over 300 degrees until it bursts into flames. A special concoction of miso, soy and other umami flavours are added to the mix, followed by slow-cooked pork broth, a generous slice of melt-in-your-mouth pork belly, a silky egg, and perfect ribbons of freshly made noodles. The ramen arrives at your table flecked with blackened oil at the very manageable temperature of 80 degrees. The broth is intense and rich — perfect for those cooler days.
FONDUE AT GPO CHEESE AND WINE ROOM
How lucky are we that somehow putting little cubes of bread and meat on a stick and dipping them into pots of melted cheese is considered fancy? And the fondue platter at GPO Cheese and Wine Room is particularly fancy. Boasting a selection of almost 100 cheeses, this cosy little nook tucked away in the depths of Martin Place is the perfect spot for all your liquid cheese needs. The fondue comes in three flavours — goat's cheese, truffle cheese and blue cheese — and is served with an entire platter of dipping delights, including cured meats, prawns, roasted chat potatoes, honey pepper figs and multiple types of bread. You'll want this in slow-motion action shots.
CACIO E PEPE AT BUFFALO DINING CLUB
If you've ever thought, "why have I wasted my whole life eating meals out of bowls like a peasant when I could be eating out of a wheel of Parmesan like a cheese god?", then Buffalo Dining Club is the place for you. The cacio e pepe is the most simple combination of quality pasta, salt, pepper, oil and parsley served in a wheel of sharp pecorino cheese. The silky pasta is swirled around the parmesan wheel until the cheese gets all melty and delicious. It's then heaped onto your plate and cloaked with additional shaved parmesan because there is literally no such thing as too much cheese.
Instead of spending your winter nights on the couch, discover all the after-dark happenings in your city here — and don't forget to document it all on the new Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+, designed especially for low light so you can capture your best moments no matter what.
Images: Cole Bennetts.
