3 days ago
Nigella Lawson reveals the 'must-visit' Sydney restaurant behind the 'most wonderful meal of my life'
The Sydney restaurant is a firm favourite among off-duty chefs and foodies
The TV personality named her top dishes and has already vowed to return
Celebrity chef Nigella Lawson has shared a glowing review of a Sydney restaurant for serving 'the most wonderful meal of my life' - and has already vowed to return before she departs Australia.
The visiting British food icon dined a week ago at Ester in Chippendale, a trendy restaurant headed up by chef Mat Lindsay that may be a hidden gem - not widely known among the general public but revered by off-duty chefs and serious foodies.
The TV personality gushed about Ester for remaining 'unfailingly the most exciting kitchen in the world' after visiting the little-known hotspot with two friends.
'I had the most wonderful meal of my life. I know I say that every time I go to Ester (and it's always true) as each time is a fresh occasion for delight,' Nigella said.
The 65-year-old specifically highlighted some of the restaurant's 'exceptional dishes', explaining that her dining experience commenced with 'impeccable' oysters to start.
Also on the menu was the 'legendary fermented potato bread with salmon roe and beguiling jelly-topped kefir cream' - a signature dish renowned at the restaurant.
Known for taking and sharing pictures of her meals, the culinary icon admitted she was 'too wrapped up in the conversation to photograph everything' that night, but said she did manage to capture some of her favourite dishes.
Among the dishes were the 'madly good Sommerlad chicken dumplings - bulgingly plump and sensationally savoury in their rich, smoky broth'.
Celebrity chef Nigella Lawson has shared a glowing review of a Sydney restaurant for serving 'the most wonderful meal of my life'
Nigella Lawson shared some of the standout dishes from her recent dining experience at Ester, specifically highlighting the 'impeccable oysters' (left) and 'exquisite pippies' (right)
Nigella also called out the 'exquisite pippies' as a standout.
The TV cook said the seafood dish was served in a 'liquid that tasted saltily like a gravy drunk on its own magnificent meatiness'.
To round out the decadent meal, Nigella and her friends enjoyed a 'superbly elegant but winkingly bright crèpe caramel'.
If her mouth-watering description of the dishes weren't proof enough, Nigella capped off her post by declaring that she had already made plans to return to the restaurant.
'Have already booked a table for my last night here before I fly back home, as this food is too good not to revisit,' she said.
In addition to personally calling out and thanking specific Ester employees, Nigella added that 'everyone affiliated with this miraculous venture does it - and the whole of hospo - great honour, stamping every moment with memorableness and meaning'.
The celebrity chef's glowing review also revealed that she'd dined at Ester in esteemed company – sharing the table with Australian novelists Helen Garner and Charlotte Wood.
Charlotte, who's known for her novel The Natural Way of Things, replied to Nigella's post by describing the evening as 'a life highlight for several of us at that table'.
'Everything was incredible including star company,' Charlotte said.
Nigella Lawson recently visited the award-winning restaurant Ester, which is known for its wood-fired modern Australian fare
Nigella concluded her recent decadent dining experience at Ester with this 'superbly elegant but winkingly bright crèpe caramel'
ReceipeTin Eats founder Nagi Maehashi also responded to Nigella's post with an elongated: 'Yuuuuuummmm!!!'
The beloved Australian food blogger also recommended that Nigella check out Ester's sister restaurant, Poly.
'Get everything on the smalls list,' Nagi advised.
The high level of praise that Nigella heaped on Ester should hardly come as a surprise given that she'd previously named it a must-visit when she's in town.
The British food icon told Gourmet Traveller earlier this year that the surprising yet delicious creations at Mat Lindsay's restaurant are 'extraordinary'.
The award-winning restaurant is known for its relaxed yet stylish interiors and wood-fired modern Australian fare.
The World's 50 Best Restaurants panel called it one of Sydney's hottest dining destinations, noting: 'The fit out is minimal, mood informal and selection of wood-fired small plates ruthlessly streamlined. Bag yourself one of the hottest seats in Sydney.'
Ester offers an à la carte and set menu for lunch and dinner, with set menus only available on Saturday evenings, starting from $145 per person.
The fermented potato bread served with salmon roe and kefir cream (pictured) is a signature dish at Ester
Culinary icon Nigella Lawson has been frequenting a number of Sydney food institutions while she's in town, including Fratelli Paradiso, Sean's and Small's Deli
Signature dishes include the woodfired oysters with chicken fat butter, the blood sausage sanga, and the fermented potato bread - a dish that chef Josh Niland previously described as a 'timeless masterpiece.'
Since arriving in Oz, Nigella has been making the most of her visit by checking out several of Sydney's foodie hotspots.
After landing in mid-May, her first port of call was to local institution, Fratelli Paradiso in Potts Point.
Sharing the details of her visit to social media, the British culinary queen revealed it was a personal tradition to make it her 'first stop in Sydney'.
Nigella also paid a visit to North Bondi beachside restaurant Sean's, describing the venue as a 'perfect Sydney Sunday spot'.
But it's not just upmarket dining venues that have caught the celebrity chef's attention.
The Domestic Goddess also made a 'customary pilgrimage' to Small's Deli, a hole-in-the-wall sandwich shop in Potts Point.
There, she ordered a show-stopping sandwich called The Toto.
Describing the 'outrageously good' sandwich, Nigella explained that it's 'spread with lemony butter bean purée and pesto, it's bulgingly stuffed with mortadella and mozzarella, exuberantly sprinkled with chopped toasted almonds, and topped with peppery rocket.'
The question on every Sydney foodie's lips is: Which restaurant will Nigella show up to next?
