Black by Ezard, The Star, Sydney

Vikki had a rare weekend off, so we decided to have a day in the city. I also decided to treat her for her birthday and to celebrate 20 years of us being together. We were at The Star  as we had thought of going to Balla Osteria by Stefano Manfredi, alas it was closed. Surprisingly Black by Ezard was open. Surprisingly, because we didn’t think they were open on Sundays.

For Sunday lunch, Black By Ezard offers a special 3 course champagne lunch, which  sounded good to us. Champagne on offer was Moet& Chandon, so that settled where we were going to eat.

Pushing through the large front door we entered a very luxurious room. Dark woods, stone flooring, water views, shiny modern chrome lighting, beige leather and beautiful screen panels were a pleasing sight. We were seated in the main area, back from the window but still able to enjoy the view of the bay and brilliant blue sky.

The concise menu for lunch had a great range of options to choose from along with a good selection of sides. 

But first, a mini house made brioche loaf was bought to the table. 

One of my favourite entrees was on the menu which made my first choice easy. Beef tartare with heirloom beets, spiced herb mayonnaise, mustard ice cream and puffed wild rice. The beets were done in several ways, one of which was a deep purple gel covering the tatare. All together an interesting and delicious dish.

Vikki chose the slow cooked, crispy pork hock, apple and pear slaw with chilli caramel. A slice of crispy, deboned hock was topped with the slaw, radish slices and drizzled with the chilli caramel. Vikki said it was a great combination of flavours and textures.

Keeping with the beef, I decided to have the 30 day, grass fed Angus fillet. This was served with a roasted cauliflower and pearl onion salad and gremolata. A selection of sauces was also bought to the table for me to choose from, of which I selected béarnaise sauce and Café de Paris butter. Of course with steaks you need some chips, in this case sprinkled with garlic, parmesan and rosemary salt.

Vikki loves a bit of duck every now and then so she chose the duck breast with salt and pepper crust and was served with a peach and rocket salad with tamarind honey dressing. Vikki was impressed with the dressing which she said had a nice sweet sour touch and the salad was great with the sweetness of the peach and the pepperiness of the rocket going well together.

Desserts of course were a highlight. We saw another table with the chocolate dessert, so one of us had to have it. Vikki chose ot have the strawberry shortcake, sauternes mascarpone, yoghurt lime sorbet and strawberry jelly. Vikki likes a light summer dessert on a hot day.

I was the lucky one who ordered the decadent chocolate sphere (reminiscent of our chocolate dessert at Gordon Ramsey @ Claridges), topped with edible gold leaf. The waitress poured warm ganache over the top of the sphere, which melted to reveal the fresh mint ice cream, raspberry mousse and chocolate cookie. Nothing like a bit of a performance with food.

Black by Ezard surpassed our expectations and we will definitely be heading back again. Hopefully our next visit will also be a spectacularly sunny day.

Big Bang Unico: Why I had to have it!

I've been collecting Hublot's since 2007 when I first set eyes on the original Big Bang and to this day it lives up to its name in so many ways. I've owned many variants including Big Bang Steel, Gold, Tantalum and Luna Rossa. Then tried the All Black Classic Fusion. The next big step was the All Black King Power Unico. I loved the movement but felt it was just too big for me. My prayers were answered when Hublot announced the Big Bang Unico.

I was lucky to see the Big Bang Unico prototypes at a HK function last year and while I respected the new design I just wasn't sure. Upon reflection the design was perfect it was just that my state of mind was still set in the past. A brand that has 'Fusion' as it's philosophy will test even its strongest devotee's at times. Two weeks ago my AD had the Titanium Big Bang Unico and I was very impressed, yes those round pushers make sense, the polished and matt titanium contrast on the case is amazing. 

The depth of the dial will keep my interest. This is indeed a big positive step for Hublot. 

Yesterday the sunny Sydney weather was perfect, so after having a wonderful breakfast, we went to buy it. It has been a while since I have been this excited about a watch!

As the Hublot story continues to gather momentum, I look forward to more novelties over many years to come.

Vikki Gets a Rolex and Sydney Gets a Rolex Boutique

One night in early December Vikki and I were in the city for dinner and noticed that the corner space of the Henry Davis York Building had signage up for the new LK Rolex Boutique coming soon. As soon as the store opened we paid a visit to Sydney ’s very first Rolex boutique, managed by LK Jewellery.

I have been pestering Vikki for years to buy a Rolex, but she kept telling me that she was waiting for the right one. Well it happened, she succumbed to the elegance of the flower dial Datejust. Stainless steel as she likes the practicality of it in case she forgets to change watches before she goes to work.

We were also invited to the opening of the LK Rolex boutique which was a week after Vikki bought her  Rolex. The boutique is located in the Henry Davis York Building on the corner of Martin Place and Castlereagh Street. The boutique and the building are great examples of art deco architecture and design, and the fitout of the LK Rolex boutique has taken this in to account and preserved many of the original features.

The boutique has plenty of natural light which allows for perfect viewing of the watches on display. Upstairs is an area for clients to look at the watches in private. 

One the most exciting watches currently on display is the Rainbow Daytona. We were able to get up close and personal with this wonderful white gold Daytona with a bezel of 36 rainbow coloured sapphires and 56 diamonds on the lugs and dial.

The first part of the evening was held in the boutique, allowing guests time to look at the range of Rolex watches before being whisked up to the terrace for more drinks, canapés and the nights speeches. A DJ provided some groovy music to keep the night moving along, and the drink of choice for the evening was Vintage Veuve Cliquot Champagne.

The terrace was a great spot with views up and down Martin Place and even though the night was slightly cloudy, the lights of the city reflected off the clouds nicely. A small watchmakers counter was set up on the terrace where you could have your timing and other things tested on your Rolex.

Mr James Kennedy, CEO and GM of LK Jewellery along with Mr Patrick Boutellier, GM Rolex Australia gave the first speeches about the collaboration and long relationship between the two companies. Mr Boutellier also commented it was “about time” Sydney had a Rolex boutique.

The highlight of the evening was the speech by guest of honour, Australian tennis legend and Rolex brand ambassador, Mr Rod Laver. With anecdotes of his sporting career and life since his days competing, it was a great insight in to one of Australia’s best tennis champions.

All good things come to an end and it was time to go home. A big thank you to LK Rolex Boutique for inviting us to join in the launch of Sydney’s first Rolex boutique.

Strip House, Manhattan

One restaurant that Vikki and I didn’t have time to try in 2012 was Strip House on 12^th Street. This year we found they have a location closer to where we were staying so we decided to go in for dinner.

Strip House Midtown is a large restaurant and bar spread over 2 floors. Rich siren red walls adorned with original Studio Manasse prints of 1930’s burlesque performers and decor that combines old world glamour with modern style and sophistication. The large crystal chandeliers are quite amazing.

We decided to sit upstairs and had a great waiter named Ray. Something about him reminded me of a young Sinatra, he seriously would have fit in with the Rat Pack. Our table overlooked the ground floor so we had a great view of what was happening down there.

Some of the Studio Manasse Prints lining the walls:

Menu and rolls with a glass of rose champagne:

We loved the little covers on the butters:

Gazpacho for our amuse:

Being a big fan of Surf and Turf I couldn’t resist choosing it, along with Striphouse Steak Sauce. The prawn was the largest we have ever seen, almost the size of a marron, the steak was a classic fillet.

Vikki went for the Kobe striploin with caramelised soy, yuzu and radish salad. The caramelised soy was very good, sweet and salty, the salad of radishes and yuzu really cut through that saltiness. We added a side of garlic and herb chips to go with our steaks.

Of course you can’t visit New York without having a New York Cheesecake. This was a huge slice of cheesecake and we were so glad to share it. Served simply with a berry coulis.

We were very happy to be able to dine at Striphouse this year and look forward to going again next time we are in Manhattan. We might try the 12th St restaurant for our next visit.

Vendome Masterclass

We were fortunate to be invited by Caroline to attend a watchmaking masterclass on our last day in Paris. We thought it was a fantastic way to end our great week in Paris.

On arriving we were met by Caroline, Nicolas, and Jerome the watchmaker. We watched as Jerome disassembled a calibre 822 movement in stages with Vikki and I then attempting to do the same stage.

Wow, great admiration for all those watchmakers who do this work daily. At least this time I got my loupe on straight. Amazing how hard it is to handle the small screwdriver and try not to have the screws fly off while working on the movement. I was just glad that the movement was a practice piece as we left a few scratches on the plates. Vikki was a bit more capable with the small parts, which impressed Jerome and Nicolas, she has had plenty of practice due to her jewellery making hobby.

The movement after we broke it down. Thankfully we didn’t have to take the complete movement apart.

Back together again, with a few extra decorative marks on the bridge. Our artistic touch.

Vikki and I with Jerome.

After our little session of stress and fun, we were invited again to the upstairs salon for an inspection of watches. Caroline not only bought out the watches we had seen previously but also the boutique edition Duometre Unique Travel Time (100 pieces) in white gold. The boutique edition features a red 7 and 9 in the date indicator which represents the address of the Jaeger LeCoultre in Place Vendome. This watch was unveiled at the reopening of the Place Vendome boutique last November.

Perhaps this is the watch I should buy for when we travel, although Australia seems to be missing from the map. I wonder if there is a version with the southern hemisphere.

We would like to thank Caroline, Nicolas and Jerome for their time and attention during our visits to the boutique. We thoroughly enjoyed our time visiting the Jaeger LeCoultre flagship boutique in Place Vendome and look forward to returning again in the future.

Banke Hotel and Josefin Restaurant, Paris

The hotel for our week in Paris was Banke Hotel, located on Rue Lafayette, a quick walk from Les Grand Magasins - Galleries Lafayette and Printemps. It was also a short walk from the Opera Garnier, Le Louvre and many other sights.

Situated in a former bank headquarters, Hotel Banke is housed in an early 20thcentury building designed by architects Paul Friesse and Cassien Bernard. The building was refurbished to become the hotel in 2009. The stately facade dominates the corner of Rue Lafayette and Rue Pillet Will with a style that revives the charms of Paris's Belle Epoque.

The hotel makes a statement with it's spectacular mosaic floored lobby crowned with a glass cupola. The lobby retains many of the original bank features like the teller counters and safe deposit boxes. The colours are predominantly deep red and gold, lots of gold. A decor that blends original architectural elements with contemporary design bringing a 21st century touch to a Hausmann style building.

We were quite fortunate that we were able to try two different room types during our stay. Our first room was a Superior room, mid tone woods, rich burgundys and a velvet head board with lots of designer touches. Our second room was an Executive room which had the same colour choices, a bit more room, and the main feature in this room was a leather headboard, leather woven rug and leather sofa. Stencil furniture prints were painted on the walls giving a whimsical touch to the decor. Both rooms had well sized marble bathrooms with good sized tubs and seperate toilet which for some reason made Vikki happy. WHile not the largest room we have stayed in they were very comfortable and had plenty of storage space with great wardrobes and sufficient drawer space.

During our stay at Banke Hotel, we decided to try the hotel’s restaurant, Josefin.

The stunning glass domed lobby is home to the reception desk, restaurant and bar. On one side of the spectacular mosaic tiled floor is the restaurant and the bar is opposite. 

Glamourous gold leather banquettes, dark wood and leather chairs, gold metal and crystal chandeliers with dramatic red and black highlights were the feature of both the restaurant and bar. Along the old teller counters were whimsical little displays, plants and flowers. 

 Our amuse of salmon:

Beautiful freshly baked breads served with our favourite butter, Beurre d’Isigny:

Unusually for us we both opted for seafood entrees. I ordered the tuna Tataki:

Vikki ordered the carpaccio of lobster with aged balsamic and Spanish extra virgin olive oil:

For main Vikki had a panfried duck breast with wok fried vegetables. Which she said was quite light even though it was duck:

I love seafood so I had scallops with a shellfish foam and mushrooms:

We skipped dessert as we had a big lunch.

Banke Hotel is a great spot to drop your bags and stay in Paris, and is easy to walk to most places. Metro stations are a short walk in several directions. We walked from Banke Hotel to Le Tour Eiffel and Sacre Coeur. Both are big walks but enjoyable and you get to see a bit more of the real Paris.

Unfortunately we forgot to take photos of Hotel Banke so have "borrowed" some from their website.