High above the fashion and consumerist hustle and bustle in Westfield Sydney, there is a culinary oasis that would revitalise any tired shopper. Jones the Grocer’s flagship store is very New York it its look with stone walls and arched windows teamed with slick furniture and clean lines.
The menu is fresh and showcases a wide range of gorgeous produce. Entrees are varied and cater to a wide array of appetites. Angel hair pasta with blue swimmer crab is fitting fare for a summer’s evening. The pasta is light and laced with flakes of juicy crab with a welcome and curt note from the rocket and a bit of warmth from the chilli. For something a little more robust, the lamb cutlets are perfectly pink. The portions are more than generous and if you are someone who fills up easily, take heed, as I don’t want to have you crying on my shoulder when you realise you are too full for dessert.
Main meals at Jones the Grocer are simply stunning, whether its crisp-skinned barramundi or a fillet of beef with Flintstone-sized short rib. The meat off the rib falls away from the bone when you glance at it, and nearly doesn’t make the transition from fork to mouth as it is too busy melting. Drool. Again, what really stands out, aside from the obvious culinary skill in preparing the food, is the quality of produce. Much like real estate’s mantra – location, location location, I feel that good food’s should be – produce, produce, produce.
Desserts play out an array of different characters from the slightly mysterious citrus pannacotta with hints of basil – oh herbaceous deserts you have my heart – to the more straightforward, but never dull lemon tart.
Jones the Grocer’s staff is polite and professional with no visible ego – that’s what we like, and short of giving you a hammock to rest in after your meal, go to great lengths to make you feel welcomed and comfortable.
