I know I had reviewed Jones The Grocer a few months ago but exciting news - they have recently refreshed their menu with some great new additions! Located on Level 5 of Sydney CBD Westfield, Jones The Grocer is a sleek contemporary restaurant that offers an extensive menu of delectable choices for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
I was invited to sample some dishes from the new menu, which launched on the 17th March. Loving the new menu look!
We start off with some drinks - the Berry Iced Tea and the Pink Lemonade were both very refreshing although the former did remind me of Ribena.
The Antipasti Board ($24) was absolutely amazing and very value worthy for its price! An artful selection of antipasti, charcuterie, cheese, dips and accompaniments along with house made breads and crackers - come presented beautifully on a board.
The bread was served nice and hot, and produced a mighty crunch which married well with the fresh produce. The cheese was a tad bit too strong for me and left a rich aftertaste but as you pile on the prosciutto and the relish, all the flavours meshed wonderfully well together. Love love antipasti!
The highlight for the night was definitely the Scotch Steak ($25). The 300g steak was chargrilled to absolute perfection and cooked to a tender pink medium rare. Served with uber crunchy golden rustic chips and a pot of the creamiest and most delicious mushroom sauce I have ever had - each bite was heavenly. Both M and I were surprised by how generous the proportion of the steak was - I had to enlist his help to finish it off and that is…rare. We both loved this new addition to the menu and will definitely be returning when another steak craving hits.
M's Chicken Schnitzel ($19) was also fantastic! Topped with parmesan, the free range chicken was cooked with panko crumbs (what the Japanese usually use in their Katsus) which helped boost the crunch factor before revealing the soft tender chicken meat inside. Served with shaved cabbage slaw and hot mustard mayonnaise, this was a great dish added to the new menu. We did however ask for some extra aioli so to add more flavour to each bite.
We were so tempted to order the Sticky Date Pudding (best dessert ever!) again but decided it was probably better to try some of the new options. The Ice Cream Sandwich ($10) consisted of a salted peanut caramel & milk chocolate parfait which was deliriously sweet and creamy. I loved the ice cream section but was a bit disappointed with the pastry ends holding it together - they were slightly soggy and bland in taste.
The Creme Brûlée ($10) was a bit unique and not like your traditional order - it came with stewed rhubarb. The hard caramel disk was fun to break into and the custard was indulgently rich. I wash't a big fan of the rhubarb but it wasn't too big of a problem as I just avoided certain sections.
The desserts weren't too bad overall but I probably still prefer the Sticky Date Pudding and Black Forest Trifle that we tried on our first visit - don't worry, both are still on the menu :)
Jones The Grocer is not only a restaurant, it is essentially also a premium gourmet food destination that sells pastries, cakes, wine, cheese and cured meats - basically a foodie's paradise. Shop around the store and you just might find some delightful treats to take home!
The staff here are also very friendly and professional in service. Although the interiors are sleek and modern in design, the ambience is quite chilled and casual, which is great! I would highly recommend buying one of the cakes or pastries out front - the brownie is simply divine :D
Jones The Grocer
Shop 5018, Level 5
Westfield Shopping Centre
Pitt Street Mall
Sydney NSW 2000
02 8072 7755
http://www.jonesthegrocer.com
Labels: Modern Australian
