The Eate (Grill) – Sydney, Australia

In an uncanny location in Dulwich Hill, amongst old, auto mechanic shops and quite bland real estate, sits the Eate – a refreshing and vibrant restaurant in the Halal food scene.

The Eate is neatly located on new Canterbury Road, with signs outside that boast about their on-the-spit and off-the-grill charcoal chicken and lamb.

Having previously been a warehouse, the interior is a beautiful mix of vintage meets modern, where elements of the latter blend in seamlessly with remnants of the property’s previous life, which includes the untouched brick walls.

A portion of the kitchen sits adjacent to the seating area, allowing visitors to see their dishes being made in real time. There is a dessert and drinks station located to the right when entering, along with touches of green scattered amongst the different themes within the space. With a seating capacity of over 50, the restaurant is completely Halal, and does not serve any pork products or alcohol.

We were warmly greeted by Will, probably the loveliest host we’ve met whilst reviewing foods here in Australia.

Passion Chia Iced Tea; Watermelon Mojito; Mango Mule – $7 each

Of the numerous options, ranging from milkshakes to mocktails, we went, on recommendation, with the mocktails, all of which were very refreshing and had their own flavour profile.

The Passion Chia Iced Tea was not overpowered by the passion fruit, but had strong hints of lemon, which created a surprisingly subdued acidity, making it, as expected, a refreshing summer drink. The Watermelon Mojito was similar, with strong watermelon overtones and hints of mint hiding underneath. But as sweet toothes, it was the Mango Mule which was the favourite between us, with the sweet fruity flavor of mango and a very slight hint of acidic lemon helping to enhance the flavour.

It’s also worth mentioning how our waiter carefully noted down our desired sugar and ice level, which you don’t see often, before returning with environmentally conscious paper straws.

Spiced Eggplant Chips – with pomegranate, mint and parsley, $8

There was quite a variety of choices when it came to the appetisers. Opting for another recommendation, we started with an interesting and healthy spin on conventional finger-foods and what turned out to be a must-have: Spiced Eggplant Chips.

The slight crunch and rich, tangy flavour of the chips themselves was the first thing to win us over, combined with a mint, parsley and pomegranate garnish, before being drizzled with balsamic vinegar.

More impressively, it also came with side dishes of pickled chillies and a cabbage salad, making this dish packed full of flavour, and each mouthful a different experience.

Lamb Loaded Wedges – Braised lamb, tzatziki, mint and paprika salt, $16.50

The Lamb Loaded Wedges was a unique interpretation of the classic loaded wedges, which, somehow, managed to take it to the next level.

The lamb was incredibly tender and complemented the equally soft wedges, all topped off with Tzatziki and Mint sauce. The topping added a cold but delightful flavour-dimension which worked wonderfully with the spices. If we did have a complaint, then it would be that the flavour of the lamb appeared to have been diluted by the rest of the dish.

Mezze Plate, $21

The mezze plate consisted of several elements based on the classical Middle Eastern variant. While the cured meat was flavourous, it wasn’t worth writing home about.

The smoked chicken chorizo, on the other hand, was delicious – packed full of spices with an essence of smokiness. This was all complimented by Afghan bread, some greens, and a baba ganoush dip.

Dry Aged Angus Scotch Fillet (300g) - served with mash potato, truffle butter and onion rings, $35

Dry Aged Angus Scotch Fillet (300g) - served with mash potato, truffle butter and onion rings, $35

As a classic, the steak should be considered the true test of any restaurant’s quality, particularly one that’s grill-oriented.

And it has to be said that from the moment it was brought out, we could tell we were in for something special!

A glistening, dry-aged steak heaped with onion rings, on a bed of mashed potato and a drizzle of herb oil, made for a modern and refreshing presentation.

While the onion rings were thin, crunchy and addictive, and the mashed potato creamy and smooth, the steak was in a class of its own.

A perfectly cooked medium rare, with that deeply intense umami flavour so indicative of a quality piece of prime beef, this was well complemented by the sharpness of the herb oil and the creamy tang of the gravy. One not to miss!

Meat Platter – Smoked Beef Brisket, Smoked Beef Sirloin, BBQ Lamb Ribs, Chicken Chorizo, Charcoal Jerk Beef Skewer, Pulled Lamb with Smoked Beans, Housemade Corn Bread Donut, Fresh Herb Salad, Grilled Onions, Guindillas, and House-made Sauces, $65

The meat platter was the most iconic item on the menu, showcasing what The Eate does best – meat! Naturally we had to sample the dish. There were more items on the platter than we could honestly count, with Smoked Beef Brisket, Smoked Beef Sirloin, BBQ Lamb Ribs, Chicken Chorizo, Charcoal Jerk Beef Skewer, Pulled Lamb with Smoked Beans, Housemade Corn Bread Donut, Fresh Herb Salad, Grilled Onions, Guindillas, and House-made Sauces.

Worth admiring from different angles…

Overall, the elements of the meat platter were of very high quality, and we could tell each selection had been meticulously planned before making the cut (excuse the pun) for inclusion on the board.

There were several highlights, namely the BBQ lamb ribs, chicken chorizo and the smoked beef brisket. While we talk about the first two in other parts of this review, the smoked beef brisket was a triumph. The meat was perfectly smoked and literally fell off our forks due to the tenderness.

The charcoal beef skewer and sides of the dish were not bad either; but when compared to the other, more boastful elements, seemed to act as mild undertones.

The corn bread donut in combination with the pulled lamb and smoked beans was a surprise to us in taste. The sweetness of the donut worked hand-in-hand with the spice and savoury tones of the lamb.

In all, we would describe the meat platter as an appetising journey, where one works through all the different meat choice, each different, but enticing in their own right.

Smoked Lamb Ribs – Marinated in aromatic spices and smothered in our BBQ sauce with cabbage slaw and grilled guindillas, $20

As a speciality at the Eate. we had to try the Smoked Lamb Ribs. Our opinion reflects that of the lamb loaded wedges, as these ribs were simply sublime.

Unlike the shortcomings of the aforementioned dish, however, the ribs here were the complete focus of the flavour. The taste was an intricate mixture of sweet and savoury coating the perfectly cooked meat. Between the team this was one of our favourite dishes!

Sizzling Seafood – Prawns, calamari, flathead, mussels, tomato, parsley, chilli, shallots, garlic, on grilled hot skillet and warm pita bread, $28

A real crowd pleaser and one to get down and dirty with. The seafood platter came as a layered heap of mussels and prawns, on a bed of calamari, and garnished with a tangy, herby salad.

This was accompanied by a mound of buttery, bite-sized pieces of bread. The tender calamari provided a backdrop to the brilliance of the mussels and prawns – both seasoned and cooked perfectly, yet managing to retain a strong flavour of the sea.

Truffle Burger – Angus beef, truffle butter, melted cheese, truffle mayo, maple pastrami and angry onions with truffle pecorino, $18

We thought we’d found the best burger we’d ever had in the Bonez Rib Burger at Burger Cartel, until we came face to face with the Truffle Burger – a unique and delicious concept that’s taken truffle in a burger and elevated it to hitherto unknown heights!

Angus Beef, Truffle Butter, Melted Cheese, Truffe Mayo, and Maple Pastrami with Truffle Pecorino – that’s half-a-dozen ingredients, and yet, not only was the flavour profile of this burger retained, but the burst of truffle flavour married masterfully with all the other ingredients to make every bite a unique experience.

And special mention needs to be made of the maple pastrami, which added a rustic flavour to the burger – something completely new to us, and very well received.

Snickers Bar Cheesecake – Peanut butter, chocolate, caramel and cream cheese with peanut brittle
Minnie The Moocher, Ore Ore Ore-O – Chocolate oreo with rich 70% callebaut chocolate, fresh cream, oreo pieces and oreo crumbs – $9 each

From their huge selection of decadent shakes, we opted for the one with the most amusing name: Minnie The Moocher, Ore Ore Ore-O – a decadent house-made shake, with delectable little pieces of Oreo and chocolate. There was no holding back on the former with this one.

The Snickers Bar Cheesecake was created with Snickers in mind from the ground up. The different flavours of the iconic chocolate were somehow swirled into cheesecake form, with each given bite starting with the familiar taste of the chocolate bar, but ending on salty note. Unfortunately, these two spectrums did not seem to work well together.