A couple Saturdays ago a takeover for the ages took place within the Parramatta Roads fundamental fixture – the Deus Café. Valentines Day love was thick in the air, but this year it wasn’t for a significant other – no, no – it was a love purer than that. A love between man and meal.
February 12th was the day we fell in love with Manny Paraiso and what most of us would call witchcraft, which he conjures from the kitchen.
Coming into the night Mannys reputation amongst some of Sydney’s top restaurants such as Mr. Wong, Automata and Spice Temple had rumbled a few tummys, but it was his dedication to exploring diverse food cultures across the globe which really sparked our interest. The result – a cross cultured, seafood extravaganza spotlighting all his favourite bits, and a night I bet you regret missing.
Manny’s far-reaching, umami-rich menu took inspiration from the Mediterranean, China, Turkey and beyond. The menu featured Peking squid pancakes, tuna crudo, prawn and garlic stem san choy bow and monkfish shish with hectic toum, tabouli and flat bread. If that menu doesn’t have your buds buzzing some attendees (my fat self included) added a little extra luxury to our meals, with a dose of Pacific oysters and live Rock lobsters which were so fresh I could hear the seagulls mocking my waistline.
Culinary perfection. Well worth the entry fee. And the wines, bliss.
When’s the next one of these things?
