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Bar Patrón by Neil Perry

Sydney, Australia

Now, in theory this should be an easy one.

Guilty as charged – I do harbour a weak spot for the distilled emissions of the blue agave plant from the state of Jalisco – be it the sharper blanco, joven or the subtle flavoured, well rounded reposado, anejo or extra anejo varieties with their smooth finishes.

I could harp on about scents of sawdust, nuances of oakwood and earthly hints of broiled zucchini, but I guess you get the drift: I savour a good glass of tequila.

Specifically Patrón – a Tequila brand that made it its mission to change the perception of the tipple: Patron made it about taste and sophistication rather than it being a mere accelerator for quick intoxication.

Another passion revolves around the empire founded by one Neil Perry.

The cured, dry aged meats along with the twist he infused his Rockpool Bar & Grill with to give it his own idiosyncratic Australian spin is something you would not want to miss out on if you ever visit Sydney or Melbourne and fancy a great steak.

Rockpool Bar & Grill being only one constitutent of Perry’s many ventures, which run the gamut from being the curator of Australia’s national airline Qantas’ cuisines, author of books and columns and a range of celebrated restaurants.

So in theory, it should be easy to pen an article about Australian cuisine royalty Neil Perry teaming up with Patrón to open the world’s first Bar Patrón.

Yet having experienced it firsthand, it proves to be harder than it seems to do it justice due to the mélange of sophistication and down-to-earthiness that Neil Perry’s approach is informed by.

See, Tex-Mex cuisine is popular around the world, but hand to heart: More often than not it is not what it set out to be and culminates in a carbohydrate heavy indefinable something drowned in a bucket of guacamole – the antithesis of what it should be.

Enter Neil Perry.

With emphasis put on fresh- and lightness, subtle flavour nuances, and a myriad of herbs added to the mix, based on his ability to create a welcoming and engaging experience that attracts a variety of crowds, from foodies via the hospitality crowd to the yet to be inducted and voilà – you got yourself a great establishment that lives up to the expectations one has from having frequented any of his Rockpool incarnations.

Mexican native Pamela Valdes, formerly of Rosetta and Xalapa fame, is at the helm of kitchen operations. Authenticity is the name of her game and heavenly trombones sounded when her prawns with chili, coriander and citrus dressing hit the palate of your humble narrator - authentic, fresh, light and delicious Mexican fare without any pretense. Divine.

Same goes for the libation: Tequila can be a beautiful, crafted libation that should be sipped neat from a snifter glass, rather than consumed “tequila cruda”-style, i.e. knocked back with detracting condiments like licking salt from a trail of lime.

While this might have been a bonding rite of passage of your college days, wasting tequila in that manner is borderline sacrilegious.

Patrón has specifically created a range of bespoke tequilas apart from rare and limited edition ones, which serves as the foundation for Bar Patrón to create a Tequila flavoured alternative to any cocktail you usually enjoy.

I’d go as far as to claim that a visit to Bar Patrón will convert even the most Tequila averse Scotch or Gin snob.

Bar Patrón is situated in a prime location at Circular Quay where Café Ananas resided previously and has undergone a major revamp:

Australian architect and Rockpool Group’s go-to interior designer extraordinaire Grant Cheyne, who has translated Neil Perry’s various times before, transformed the space into an Australian equivalent to a hacienda – think a beautiful marble bar against a scenic backdrop of the Sydney Harbour.

Add a 5am license and a revolving line-up of quality DJs, quality bartenders that can hold a conversation and never seem to be to busy to educate you if you find yourself trapped in indecision when it comes to ordering your next drink.

Sophisticated.

Authentic.

Fun.

The Modern Cook’s Year

By Anna Jones

Harper Collins

Cannot be bothered to cook?

In need of some inspiration?

Bored by the limitations of your cooking skills?

The Modern Cook's Year is aimed at showcasing the usage of seasonal produce throughout the year and how to make the most out of seemingly simple ingredients.

The variations seem sheer endless and the mere names of some dishes, e.g. Sri Lankan squash dhal, beetroot tops tart, tarragon-blistered tomatoes with green oil and chocolate and blood orange freezer cake, evoke a Pavlovian reaction.

The emphasis is on the ease of preparation and depths of flavours, dedicating equal amounts of attention to the three main meals of the day aiming at reducing the impact of artificial flavour enhances, e.g. sugar, salt, et cetera.

A casual and honest go-to vegetarian reference book that will lift your cooking game no matter if you are short on time, with recipes giving an indication of time it will take penned by Anna Jones, a foodie who was schooled by Jamie Oliver, the likes of Henry and Tom Herbert (The Fabulous Baker Brothers) and Stevie Parle and Antonio Carluccio,

While the dishes depicted in the book evoke the impression that preparing them is unattainable, trying the recipes, which are calibrated at the nexus of wholesomeness and deliciousness, showed that the proof is in the pudding and that by following the guides, they are easy to prepare and based on easy to acquire ingredients.

Perfect for when you have to quickly whip up something nourishing after a long day of work when you are tempted to order in. The innovative techniques that are explained in detail might even teach you a trick or two.

Flexible, simple, down-to-earth and nutritious input that takes out the guesswork and will create a sound foundation for using affordable ingredient for the preparation Instagram worthy creations.

The Mind-Gut Connection

By Emeran Mayer 

Harper Collins

Ah, the body.

Your corpse.

A powerful intuitive communicator.

Are you listening, possibly entering and influencing the dialogue?

“Gut feeling”.

Your innate inner compass.

Devoid of conscious reasoning, your gut instinct will make you know.

Just “know”, no thoughts involved.

More often than not, your gut seems to be more responsive and faster than your brain, with reactions coming to the fore e.g. via “butterflies” when it comes to amorous affairs, queasiness when it comes to uncomfortable situations or even unwanted discharges.

The link between your abdominal regions and your prefrontal cortex is what Emeran Mayer focuses on in The Mind-Gut Connection.

A two-way street as whatever your brain conjures can have a massive impact on the flora of your intestines.

Channeled through a scientific lens it is interesting to learn about the impact microorganisms in the digestive tract have and their implications, resulting in both physical and mental health problems, e.g. allergies and other sensitivities, but also mood disorders, nexus to depression, reasons for anxiety and causes for fatigue.

Apart from merely shedding light on the inner workings and interplays of your body, Mayer gives also advice and tips on how to achieve equilibrium, how to boost one’s immunity system and how to shed some pounds with minimal changes to your diet.

Based on sound research, this is not a medical book per se, but one that caters to both inducted luminaries and also curious newcomers with profound knowledge about their inner working yet to be acquired.

Accessible, informative and certainly not lacking impact – I cannot see anyone who has read The Mind-Gut Connection not questioning what and why they input into their system.

It serves as a reference book and starting point to enhance your overall well-being in a holistic manner.

Time Out Sydney Bar Awards 2018

Marquee Club

Sydney, Australia

February 25, 2018

Sometimes bad weather can be a blessing in disguise. Sure, it would have been delightful to celebrate the 2018 Time Out Sydney on the Sky Terrace of the Star Casino as it was originally planned. However, the skies opening meant that it was moved indoors into the Bourbon Street themed Marquee nightclub.

Due to the imposition of a suite of restrictions on venues in the inner city and the closure of quite a few venues, Sydney might currently not enjoy the grandest reputation when it comes to exhibiting a vivid late, late nightlife, which is why it was quite suiting that an early Sunday afternoon headed down the rabbit hole of clubbing debauchery with tunes courtesy of DJ Flex Mami fanning the flames of the crowd.

Six hundred seasoned nightlife hospitality professionals rose from their dens to attend a well-catered New Orleans flavoured event, i.e. prawn gumbo, jambalaya, po boys, etc., that kept the liquid emissions courtesy of Southern Comfort, Yenda Beer, Monteith Cider and Reverie wine a-pouring.

The event was MC-ed by comedian Matt Okine, who framed the proceedings with anecdotes of his bar escapades.

The Bar of the Year award went to tiki themed, David Lynch-esque Enmore bar Jacoby’s. Smoke was awarded the Best New Bar Award for its gorgeous design; nooks and inviting outdoor deck and Best Bar Food went to Bart Jr. for their ever-changing menu using local suppliers and their produce.

Best Wine Bar went to Dear Sainte Eloise, the name being a nod to George Orwell’s Down and Out, for its more than three hundred drops on offer for fair prices.

PS 40 was recognized for having offered the best cocktails and Parramatta’s Uncle Kurt’s for being the best neighborhood bar.

Rosebery’s Archie Rose, a bar cum gin distillery, was honoured via the Hot Talent Award for their youngster Hayley Laurendet Saint and The Baxter Inn, a prohibition era themed speakeasy in Sydney’s CBD, can now claim to have the Bartender of the Year in its ranks.

The venue and entertainment haven Oxford Art Factory has hosted many of the shows we have featured here at Scene Point Blank and it was not further wondrous for the institution to receive the Legend Award for never wavering when it came to supporting Sydney’s nightlife.

Giving out awards is one thing but creating an event that makes the lords of the night enjoy themselves as much as they did at the Bar Awards 2018 is no mean feat and speaks for the credibility of Time Out Sydney.

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Photos by ka.vv

Hunter S. Thompson loved it.

Herb Kelleher thought along with Philip Morris cigarettes that it was essential to the maintenance of human life.

Steven King fell prey to it.

Bourbon.

It is whisky.

But whisky ain’t necessarily bourbon.

Bourbon is usually stronger and sweeter than its whisky equivalents because of the fact that it is derived from corn.

Bourbon is what Scotch is to the ole world.

Native.

Word.

Wild Turkey.

You have heard of it. Do not try to deny it.

History lesson?

Late nineteen hundredth.

Thomas Ripy.

Old Hickory Distillery in Tyrone, Kentucky.

Prohibition has come to an end and the Ripy family gets busy.

Production of Bourbon ensues.

Shit takes off.

Ripys get lucky and sell their emissions to various wholesalers who release it under their own banners.

Austin Nichols was one of them.

Fast forward to a wild turkey hunting trip.

Austin was equipped with liquid samples.

His fellow hunters take a shine to his proffering and keep asking for him to supply that “wild turkey bourbon”.

Dang.

Bottling ensues in 1942.

The rest is history.

Now, truth be told – I am a single malt kind of guy.

Easy.

Neat.

Savoring it.

Shots are for brat boys.

However, a thanksgiving event last year converted me to the psalms of Wild Turkey.

The 101 variant.

Rye.

I do have quite a few American and Canadian comrades who swear by it.

I have started to understand why and did not need the fact that Wild Turkey 101 earned an 'Editor's Choice' award from Whisky Magazine as a trigger.

Let me take you through it.

Hints of pepper, nuances of rye on the steering wheel and sweet caramel on the back seat.

Layers shining through in waves nuts, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and an overall spiciness.

Wild Turkey 101 hits big time with a punch but it maintains its mellowness, which makes it palatable despite an ABV of 50.5%.

Long story short – it goes down a treat with its near perfectly calibrated mélange of sweet- and spiciness.

If you have been looking for a potent liquor with the alcohol punch not diminishing the array of subtle flavours it offers, this is your potion – a deep one at that, singlehandedly outclassing other Bourbons at higher price points as its hickory wood smoke is not overpowering as it is the case with other Ryes.

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Photo by T