BahBQ, Crows Nest

In the beginning of the year I mentioned I had a $50 Dimmi reward I'd been meaning to redeem. There's a huge list of places to go and of course, being the most indecisive person, I had so much trouble choosing where to go. Since I had no idea when my reward was going to expire, we decided to just go with somewhere we know we love that has guaranteed great food and a relaxing dining experience. So away we went, booked a table for two at BahBQ in Crows Nest to engorge ourselves with lots of meat.

The thought of eating unlimited amount of Brazilian barbeque meats can be intimidating, but rest assured they give you smaller pieces if that's what you fancy or you can ask for more slices if you're keen for it. For me, it helps that I don't usually much meat, even some days none at all, so it becomes a fun experience as you get to try a little bit of everything. Just remember to take breaks because they can start coming at you from every direction and you haven't even finished what's already on your plate.

You can eat as much meat as you like for $55 per person which is accompanied by condiments and sides, that can be replenished for a little extra. They also have an a la carte menu that offers only five mains as the restaurant predominantly features the traditional Churrasco dining.

Chimichurri, Tomato & Red Pepper Salsa, Chili Jam, Roasted Cassava Flour and Hot Chilli

I didn't partake in trying out these sauces as majority of them are spicy and might deter the original flavour of the spit roasted meat. However I did try the roasted cassava flour, an arrowroot that doesn't give away too much flavour but acts more like a topping to whatever it gets dipped to. And for the rest of the chilli sauces, consume with caution, as they seem to take an eye-watering effect on those who spoon generous amounts and prematurely claim, "Na.. it's not that spicy"...

Fried Polenta, cassava, cheese bread and spiced crumbed banana

Since I didn't eat the fried polenta immediately after we got them, by the time I got around to it, it lost its crisp and is a bit chewy on the outside. The cassava and cheese bread are mellow in flavour, which may have been better eaten with the sauces or alongside the meat - silly of me not to have done so. My favourite was the spice crumbed banana that was sweet and melted, probably resembling something served in a dessert of some kind because it was so caramelised.

Fine herbed rice with toasted almonds

Black bean and streaky bacon stew

Hm, sorry for the blurred photo. I didn't taste the beans this time but when I did on our last visit I enjoyed it as it's not salty and if you have it with the rice, it helps cut through all the seasoning from the meat. Or better yet, have the beans and rice in between bites of meat to even out the saltiness as your taste buds probably need a rest from all the meat. I like the sprinkle of almonds, gives the rice a little something extra.

Creamy potato salad

Along with the mashed potato in the salad, there's also chunks of potato, chives and pieces of bacon. I think lighter and fresher salads may have been a better accompaniment to the meat as it's very salty from the bacon.

Rocket and parmesan salad

The rocket and parmesan salad was a bit too generous on the cheese. I would have preferred just a little as the rocket leaves on its own would've been great for its slight bitterness. Adding slices of pear to the salad would've made it the perfect side.

I had started the meal taking photos of the meat as they arrived one by one. Waiters would come zipping around to your table with long knives skewering the food where they would ask if you'd like any, and if you did, they'd carve slices onto your plate. But soon enough it started getting messy with bones and meat juices spreading all over the plate. I couldn't bring myself posting those photos. I didn't want to make the meat look unappetising since many pieces were heavily charred and often there would pieces of meat I was still in the middle of eating which I had to pause for the arrival of the next meat. I don't think any of you would want to see a plate of bones, some blood juice, half-eaten meat and very dark meat crust, now would you?

So I've tried my best to memorise all the meat we ate that evening:

My craving for steak was definitely satisfied when the beef rump cap came around. However, I got the crust side which is quite seasoned and made it rather salty. But the meat is delicious and flavoursome. Do ask the waiter for the inner slices, it's less salty but it may mean it's rarer.

Beef tri-tip is just as enjoyable as the rump cap, only slightly less juicy. I do like it though and I eat every bite of the piece I ask for.

On my last visit, when the waiter came around with chicken hearts I politely refused, a little afraid. But this time I thought I'd give it a go, at least give it a try. For some reason to me, it tastes kind of like mushrooms. The texture is springy but a little grainy as most offal are. I can't say it's something I'd voluntarily order as the biggest problem I had was I couldn't stop thinking that it was a chicken's heart.

The chicken thighs are tender and succulent. The meat is moist, definitely relieved that they didn't use the breast because with the amount of char, it wouldn't have been nearly as soft inside.

We were both given two chicken wings each and I must say, we wanted more. The marinade is sightly sweet but nicely charred. They're addictive to eat and definitely finger licking.

The chorizo are served as small sausages differing to the usual larger sized sausages that are sliced or chopped into pieces. These are very small and the overly seasoned meat meant I couldn't finish even if they were tiny. Though I'm sure I could've eaten it if it wasn't served on its own.

Whenever haloumi is on any menu, I always order it because it's such a delicious treat that I never eat it at home. The fried haloumi is fried in small pieces, crunchy on the outside and smooth from within. I liked that it wasn't salty at all, making it delectable to eat.

I didn't take a piece of the lamb ribs because I didn't really feel like any as lamb isn't my favourite meat. My partner assured me that it was a good idea I didn't because I wouldn't have enjoyed its rich taste.

We were given another lamb cut, I'm not sure what it was, possibly lamb shoulder (?). I found it a bit gamey but I did finish the piece I sampled.

The pork neck pieces came to the table early on and it was surprisingly moist despite a good dark char on the outside. I believe we asked for seconds when the waiter came back around after we sampled everything to see if we had any favourites we wanted to eat again.

The pork sausages were the first to arrive and it was a great start as the skin's slightly crispy, a bit salty but definitely tasty.

The prawns aren't at all overcooked, remaining juicy and noticeably the more popular skewer of the restaurant since it's the only seafood of the evening. Mmm I wanted some more.

BahBQ's famous spiced pineapple finished off the the meal. I very much enjoyed the slices compared to my last dining experience because my tongue got very furry very quickly. But this time it's soft, juicy and warm. I thought it was so tasty that I asked for another serving. Ahh, I loved it and so glad we ended on it.

This might be a heavy evening of lots of food but I feel like BahBQ is somewhere we can return if we've got a hankering for a lots of variety of meat. Sensibly speaking, we should only have it once or maybe twice a year since it does get pretty heavy and quite salty as I mentioned many times. Though it definitely helps that there's one kind waiter who constantly refills your water glass. The venue aims at large groups as the way the food is served is interactive and generates conversation between the waiters and the diners, but also around the table. If you're a fellow meat eater, give this a go as it's not often you get to eat ten different cuts and types of meat in one sitting.

BahBQ

35 Albany Street
Crows Nest

9966 8203