PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIA
Perhaps you remember Brown Sugar cafe in North Bondi, followed by Brown Sugar Nights on Curlewis street? Well the cafe has been sold and, under new management, the restaurant has dropped the “nights” and started opening for breakfast and lunch. The new Brown Sugar is headed by sibling duo Neil and Lianne Gottheiner, who run the kitchen and front of house respectively. Wisely, they decided not to tamper with a good thing and have made only subtle changes since taking over. The dining room has received a fresh coat of paint, the menu and winelist have expanded, and there’s a new energy to the room.
The food remains contemporary Australian, with a nod to southern Mediterranean cuisine. The signature dish is the plain sounding Fish Pie – although if this ever came off the menu the peasants would no doubt revolt. Baked in individual ramekins and served with creamy mash, the pastry crust encloses delicate snapper pieces swimming in an aromatic leek and truffle soup. It’s comfort food that still manages to be elegant and light; an outstanding addition to the menu. The wines include organic and boutique specimens or you can BYO for $6, but the house martini made from seasonal ingredients is great value at $10 a pop.
LOCATION
Five minutes walk to Bondi Beach.
DETAILS
A local favourite, Bondi's Brown Sugar has a new team adding flavour to the local favourite. By day it is a chilled, groovy Bondi cafe, but by night the mood changes to a candle-lit, bistro-style dining room. Brown Sugar has enjoyed a surge of popularity under its new ownership and influence.
FOOD
Brown Sugar is all about healthy, hand-made traditional dishes with influences from the Mediterranean regions of Italy and France. The food is healthy and low tech, using fresh seasonal ingredients and treating them simply. As much as possible, everything served is homemade – relishes, jams, chilli oil, stocks and even lemonade. The wine and beer list is almost exclusively from Australia and New Zealand. It features organic and boutique wine-makers that are matched perfectly to Brown Sugar’s fare.
THE CHEF
Neil’s culinary talents have taken him to the kitchens of renowned restaurants around the world. He did his apprenticeship at La Goulue, a boutique French restaurant in Crows Nest. He has worked at Darley Street Thai and Quay Restaurant under Guillame Brahimi. Neil’s passion for Italian food saw him at the 3 Michelin star restaurants Don Alfonso (in Sant’ Agata) and Dal Pescatore (in Canneto sul Oglio) in Italy. A stint at the 3 Michelin star Troisgros in Roanne, France rounded off Neil’s European experience.
FUNCTIONS
Brown Sugar is available for exclusive hire for private functions on Sunday evenings. On Friday and Saturday nights Brown Sugar offers a 2 and 3 course set menu for groups of 10 people or more. For function and set menu enquiries please contact Lianne on 0405 080 603 or send an enquiry through the link above.
PROFILED BY DEGROOTS MEDIA
Perhaps you remember Brown Sugar cafe in North Bondi, followed by Brown Sugar Nights on Curlewis street? Well the cafe has been sold and, under new management, the restaurant has dropped the “nights” and started opening for breakfast and lunch. The new Brown Sugar is headed by sibling duo Neil and Lianne Gottheiner, who run the kitchen and front of house respectively. Wisely, they decided not to tamper with a good thing and have made only subtle changes since taking over. The dining room has received a fresh coat of paint, the menu and winelist have expanded, and there’s generally a new energy to the room.
The food remains contemporary Australian, with a nod to southern Mediterranean cuisine. The signature dish is the plain sounding Fish Pie – if this ever came off the menu the peasants would no doubt revolt. Baked in individual ramekins and served with creamy mash, the pastry crust encloses delicate snapper pieces swimming in an aromatic leek and truffle soup. It’s comfort food that still manages to be elegant and light; an outstanding highlight of the menu. The wines include organic and boutique specimens or you can BYO for $6, but the house martini made from seasonal ingredients is great value at $10 a pop.
Sarah Theeboom, February 2007
