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Pipis Kiosk – Albert Park – Friday 5 September 2025 – Dinner

On this stretch of “beach” along Port Phillip Bay we have special memories. While we used to drive as far up the Bay as we could to swim, it has become a necessity to have some options closer to home once Sydney came along. Where Kerferd Road hits Beaconsfield Parade has acted as our main sunset beach area, enjoying some fish and chips, a swim, and some glorious family time where Syd is in his element.

During this time it has been hard not to notice Pipis Kiosk and how cute the building is. A good friend whose Mum lives nearby told us how good the restaurant is, and lo and behold it appeared in Australian Gourmet Traveller not too long after.

Tonight it is windy and there are small waves lapping the shore as we walk along the refrigerator that is Beaconsfield Parade. Entering the restaurant offers a warm welcome, but maybe not the warmth in temperature we were hoping for. We are placed on an intimate corner table on the window in this tiny restaurant, and begin noticing the majority of other early arrivals are going into the private room for a party.

The brief, seafood driven menu, has plenty of enticing options and in no time we have concocted a delicious plan for a feast. One thing about this restaurant is the wine bar aspect, which sees some tremendous options by the glass or half bottle carafe. Initially we start with a Blanc de Blancs from Champagne; perfectly fit for a celebration.

The Sydney Rock oysters we ordered from Merimbula arrive on the table with a rhubarb mignonette, along with salt cod croquettes and aioli. It’s a great start. Fresh on the one side, and salty oily deliciousness on the other. Shortly after we are on to a carafe of By Farr ‘Farr Rising’ Chardonnay which is immaculate.

The Port Arlington mussels we share are extraordinary in a way that mussels in a deeply flavoured white wine and cream sauce can be. There is something about the combination that always gets me when it is done really well, and mopped up with the superb seaweed sourdough, and drenched with the Chardonnay, things are going great. In fact, we need a short break before mains as the mussels came immediately after our starters.

This gives us a chance to enjoy the atmosphere in the restaurant, which is boisterous on the private dining side, and more balanced in the dining room. There seems to be a couple on the bar who are mates with the staff, and the restaurant is now close to full. Service is super friendly, but our position in the restaurant is a touch awkward, and there are several times where getting attention is difficult, but doesn’t detract too much from the overall experience.

Confit duck leg is close to perfectly cooked, and the cassoulet accompanying speaks of wintery goodness. Next to a premier cru Burgundy from the impressive list, it is duck and pinot heaven. Catherine’s rainbow trout is striking, much like Catherine herself tonight. Leek adds flavour and some texture against the softness of the fish, which plays the starring role. Nicely cooked chips, as you’d expect at a kiosk, and Ramarro wide leaf rocket salad with black pepper and pecorino is the salad equivalent of pepe e cacio. We finish everything and break for dessert.

Not realising the size of the dessert servings, we order both to share. The custard apple ice cream over meringue with passionfruit is what we initially go for, and it has a good amount of sweetness and texture. The warm cuvee chocolate tart however is easily the star, served with tangerine semifreddo and almond. The richness defeats us ultimately, but it is hard to regret having tried both desserts.

While we went all-out for this celebration, it is possible to dine here for quite a reasonable price per head. It’s in a magic spot, serving fine dining food, in a more relaxed atmosphere, with a wine list that makes you want to live nearby.

Pipis Kiosk (Restaurant and Wine Bar)
https://www.pipiskiosk.com.au
129A Beaconsfield Parade, Albert Park
Open daily from midday
03-9041-2814
HELLO@PIPISKIOSK.COM.AU

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Firedoor – Surry Hills, Sydney – Tuesday 10 June 2025 – Dinner

Well, that was a surprise. Seems I should take more note of the places that I have on my list. I rocked up, and little did I know I would be at Firedoor for a good few hours working through the tasting menu.

I’m thinking about the absolutely beautiful toasted marshmallow that I finished off with, thinking about the saltiness the lamb rib, thinking about how good the tataki kangaroo was. I’m thinking about the marron with finger line. It was a very, very good meal.

Tataki kangaroo, wasabi oil, purple turnip

It’s so hard to compare places, but I will say that this experience took me by surprise. It’s so cool. The kitchen’s cool. The whole concept is very cool. Fire touched food is not a new concept but here the treatment with heat is more diversified.

There are staff all over the place, though there is still order. Dining up on the bar, watching the chefs feels like a privilege on bar stool “table 68” as it is often shouted out. It is great service helped by the fact I’m on the end of the bar, where it meets the entry to the kitchen. So even when small mistakes are made, they’re corrected quickly.

Quails egg, pork broth, Brussel sprouts
Bread is a course (deservingly)
Spanner Crab

For once, the weakest dish is the first, surprisingly as I normally love any crab. Here spanner crab is treated uniquely, and while beautifully presented, it doesn’t cut it for me, but everything else does. Next I have the tataki kangaroo that I was talking about earlier, with purple turnips. It is brilliant. Kangaroo is becoming such an iconic dish in Australia, and more and more places are doing it well. In this case, doing it well includes the chef cutting it right in front of me with a very sharp knife and letting it rest for what must have been at least fifteen minutes. Added are precisely cut purple radishes after they have been subjected to severe heat. It’s the yeast dressing with wasabi oil that brings it all together so brilliantly.

Then there’s dishes like the lamb rib. I took three absolutely delicious bites. It’s so good. There’s a complicated process involved that I cannot explain, but it leads to a brilliant result. The other rib later on is wagyu. Cooked medium rare, perhaps more on the rare side, it is also beautiful, but the star on the plate is the artichoke. It is immaculate. Fire on vegetables is something that should be used early to get children on side, as it brings out so much flavour.

The marron is huge. Finger lime marries well, adding some texture, and it’s all delicious together. The chef sitting on the bar to the left of me manages to scoop out all of the residual marron meat. My effort is embarrassing, but at least I was able to access the claw. On the seafood spectrum, there is also the intricate calamari, cut very thinly in a rich pork broth, with a quail egg cooked in the middle. The dish is unusual. You mix it around once you’ve taken in the presentation, and the combination is fantastic.

Dessert comes as two. It starts with a refresher, which is a tradition I’ve always enjoyed. The mandarine granita is tasty to start, with a leaf of Mexican marigold, which really adds a new element with delicious custard at the base. Finally, the main dessert is the beer ice cream. It’s a Cooper’s stout ice cream, covered in cream, with Federation Chocolate from Tasmania on top. An enjoyable ending to a tremendous meal.

Finishing off with a toasted marshmallow

The wine list is interesting, diverse, and very reasonably priced. One tip I have for any fine dining wine list is to trust the wines by the glass. There is no way the sommelier is choosing any wines that will be uncomfortable, or create doubt about the next selection. When you trust the list, you can choose the more unusual wines, or at least ask about them to decide whether you will take a step outside of your comfort zone.

In this spirt, I tried the Quinta do Ermizio, Electrico, which is a combination of Loureiro and Arinto from Portugal. It is very reasonably priced, a great light introduction into the evening, with crispness and acidity. More serious in my opinion, comes the Bicknell Applecross Chardonnay from the Yarra Valley. I order it a little early and save half of the glass for the marron. Both reds I try are from further afield like the Portuguese wine. The first is a Nebbiolo by Menotti Rosavica, and the other is a Cabernet Franc by Les Athletes du Vin from the Loire Valley. Sometimes I like to stick to recommendations on what matches with certain dishes. In the case of the Nebbiolo, I just simply felt like a well chosen Italian wine from the wine team at Firedoor.

Perhaps this experience isn’t for everyone. There is some expense in having only a tasting menu, and a lot of rich dishes through the courses. For someone who loves diverse ingredients, treated to a lot of heat and fire, the expense is worth it. People dining here are as into the concept as the kitchen and floor staff. You can feel the excitement. When a chef douses marron with what looks like molten lava it is hard not to stand and applaud.

Firedoor
https://firedoor.com.au
23-33 Mary Street, Surry Hills, NSW
Lunch Fri & Sat; Dinner Wed-Sat
02 8204 0800 
info@firedoor.com.au