Anason

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 Anason, an acclaimed Turkish restaurant inspired by the mayhanes of Istanbul, is one of the many wonderful culinary offerings at Barangaroo. The seasonal menu is divided into three sections: flora, fauna and ocean. The best way to enjoy Anason is to grab a couple of friends, because all the dishes are designed for sharing. 


Humus (LHS), $18

One can't go past the house-made humus, creamy and smoky, resting in a pool of golden olive oil and topped with crispy chickpeas, loads of paprika and a sprinkling of parsley. 

Village bread with olive oil, $8

The village bread (house-made, of course) is a fluffy, comforting and airy number, made fragrant by white sesame seeds and served with olive oil and za’atar. 

Roasted cauliflower, $23

I am a huge fan of roasted caulifower - and the one at Anason is charred to perfection, served with green harissa and roasted almonds. The almonds add a welcome crunch to the soft, sweet cauliflower, and I particularly like that some of the leaves are left on the cauliflower: unbeknownst to me previously, they also have a gentle, sweet flavour; and I certainly like minimising food waste in any way we can. 

Octopus, $34

If there is one dish I would recommend you to order at Anason, then this would be it. The octopus, served with Antep ezme (spicy tomato salad) and chervil, is perfectly cooked so that the flesh is bouncy and softly chewy. I find it quite difficult to get octopus just right at home, so I prefer to leave it to the professionals - and the good people of Anason certainly are professionals when it comes to octopus-cooking. 

Lamb, $unknown

Forgive me, as I have come to write up this review too late and the menu has since changed - this is a delicious, perfectly cooked lamb. I am saying so as someone who is usually not a fan of lamb (I find it gamey) - that should tell you about how good this lamb is. It does have that distinct lamb-taste for those of you who like this meat; but it is not overwhelming and it is perfectly seasoned. 

Score: 4/5 
Cost: approx $50-$85pp
Address: 5/23 Barangaroo Ave, Barangaroo NSW

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