Odd Culture Newtown — Restaurant in Sydney

(4.5 stars)

Sardines and sambal are a ripper combination in Odd Culture Newtown’s fish on toast ($7/each). With a glass of the 2021 Express Winemakers Chenin Blanc ($86/bottle) in hand, they’re a great way to wipe the taste of a hard workday from your palate and focus on the fun stuff. This over-a-bar Newtown restaurant lured me in last time with a blood pancake. They have updated the menu only slightly since my first visit five months ago, thankfully leaving on those ridiculously good puffy fried spuds known as potato Lorette ($14).

The white-on-white scallop ($26) newcomer teams plump, raw bivalves with thinly-sliced button mushrooms, a dab of yuzu koshu, hazelnut milk and Meyer lemon. It’s textually intriguing but subtle in the flavour department. Chickpeas ($22) arrives looking a lot like hummus, recreated with ricotta, curry butter, kombu and shiso. It really wants for bread ($5), which staff were quick to get after we saw the dish. The Japanese influences continue into Koji-roasted chook ($42) on a comforting bed of chicken fat congee dusted with togarashi. The half-bird is big enough for two to share.

Still slightly early for our Sydney Film Festival flick over the road at Dendy Newtown, we dipped into some post-dinner cocktails. With coconut-washed rum, pineapple soda, strawberries and lime, Miami Vice ($22) is fruity with buried rum complexity. Á la Louisiane ($21) takes rye whiskey and sweet vermouth, then adds some Benedictine funk and Absinthe fire. It’s a sweeter version of my whisky-based favourite: the Rapscallion. To my palate, the real interest here is in the wine list.

5 months ago: Odd Culture had me at blood pancake ($26). Speaking right to my Scottish ancestry, this dish teams smoked pork jowl, pig’s blood, a fried egg, and chilli maple syrup into a plump pancake-based brekky dish that you can respectably eat for dinner. Striking a similar note to Porcine in Paddington packaged up for a grungier Newtown audience, this restaurant is over a bar rather than a bottle shop (though they do have a bottle-o a few doors up the road). They also put out drinking-focused list of snacks, smalls, larges and sides, with more avant-garde flavours. Tenderly handled squid ($24) matched with peach, cashew and curry butter being a stellar example.

I’m also a fan of slender brik pastry anchovy cigars ($7/each) and resolve to roll up some of my own at home. They are plucked from the snacks section that also boasts tiny “fish” on toasts ($10/each) decked out with raw scallop, jalapeño and juicy wet mango; and a clever potato crisp studded smear of chicken liver pate ($16) drizzled with fish sauce caramel. The latter will have you reaching for your wine. Wine is probably my only gripe here: in my view, there aren’t enough entry level on the list. Not everyone wants to cough up $100–300 for a bottle when Australia makes a lot of good wines that should be available in the $60–80 range. I drank the 2020 Dr Edge North Riesling ($92) the second cheapest on the Riesling list that started at $81 a bottle and climbed all the way to $479!

Even throwing in fluffy potato lorette ($14) drizzled in garlic butter, snake beans ($14) slathered in brown rice miso we still had an appetite for dessert. The jersey milk gelato ($12) with miso caramel and peanut butter crumb hit the spot. I really liked the food here, and if they solve the drinking decently on a budget issue, I’d head back to explore the rest of the menu. Staff were warm, friendly and responsive to a request to sit in the empty half of the hot loft dining space when they’d packed everyone together too tightly for my idea...

Newtown has an almost endless array of places to get your food fix but not all are created equal. It’s hard to sort the wheat from the chaff and when you discover something amazing it’s worth sharing the experience. Odd Culture seems to have been hiding in plain sight and I can’t believe it took me this long to try one of the gems of King Street.

We arrived for a 7pm seating to find the venue buzzing with activity. It’s a popular place so make sure you get a booking in advance. There are two dining areas, ground floor is more of a bistro/ bar feel with high tables and chairs and a relaxed casual feel. I think this is where the a La carte diners are seated and upstairs there is more traditional style table and booth style seating where the banquet menu seemed to be concentrated.

Right from the start I have to say the service is absolutely top notch. From greeting to farewell the staff are fabulous. Friendly and accomodating and the right amount to casual to put you at ease throughout the experience. This service was delivered by maître de Heidi and our server Maya. Heidi showed us to the “best table in the house” 😜 and checked on us throughout the night. Maya was amazing and a perfect guide through the journey of the banquet menu.

The food is much like the service, non pretentious and well delivered. The ingredients are fresh and vibrant and the delivery by the kitchen is perfect. Following the trend where all dishes are served share style; result is convivial, enjoyable dining.

A good mix of different ingredients through the courses and portion sizing is right on the money. You will leave with a satisfied tummy and very satisfied tastebuds.

Some stand out dishes for me were the pickled muscles and the bavette steak. The muscles were super fresh and complimented perfectly with a simple smoked cream. The steak was superb. Perfectly medium rare with a crispy seared crust. The burnt garlic and egg yolk sauce making me wish I had saved some of the beer bread to soak up the rest of the mouth watering juice.

The desert was a chocolate pudding made with soya sauce. I know it sounds weird but the soya gave it a rich dark complexity that was a bit like golden syrup. Really creative cooking and an interesting dish.

We had a few drinks and the menu is extensive. There are some lovely cocktails and beers on offer which is my usual go too.

Is there a down side to Odd Culture? If I had to say anything it’s that it gets busy and as a result gets quite loud. But not to the point that you can’t continue with conversation and it all adds to the happy atmosphere of a really enjoyable experience.

Odd Culture is on my favourites list and I can’t wait to come back again...

I went in to enjoy a nice wine on a sunny Saturday afternoon. I waited in line 10+ minutes to be served as there was only 1 bartender on - which was fine as it was busy & I understand she’s only one person. Until, finally, a short haired brunette lady in faux leather pants & a vinnies-esque pink blazer came to help. Unfortunately, the ser her was less than sub par. Not only was she rude & unapproachable, saying only a single word to me throughout the whole transaction, but it took an awful lot longer than it should have to receive a single glass of wine. She struggled with the wine knife while intermittently talking to the other bartender loudly about how she needed to sit down, while seeming openly dejected & angry about having to do her job. This went on for a couple minutes. After this, she continued to proclaim her distaste for having to work by continuing her tirade on how she needs to sit down & was planning on calling multiple other members of staff back from their breaks so she could do so. As someone who used to work in hospitality, I was frankly shocked by this display of pure unprofessionality. Huge dampener to the otherwise pleasant atmosphere. If you hate your job so much that you feel the need to carry on like this in front of a full venue of customers, maybe just quit. I hope she finally gets to sit down

ETA: not sure what extenuating circumstances would make being rude, throwing an adult tantrum in front of customers & poorly organising breaks to a point you need to ask multiple staff members to cut theirs short okay.

ETA2: I assume by saying “targeting members of your team”, you mean describing them so you are easily able to identify the staff member who was acting absolutely inappropriate in your venue in front of a full room of paying customers. I am sorry you or the person responsible for the childish behaviour feel targeted, but this persons behaviour was absolutely not okay and did not deliver the experience you have said you pride yourself on. I hope this member of staff has been spoken to about her inappropriate and frankly entitled & disgusting behaviour. I know my words are strong, but as a member of the hospitality world, I am passionate about these things & this staff member simply did not deliver what you believe your business does. Further, your defence of the behaviour is baffling & a show a complete disregard for your other...