Bishop Sessa

Once stumble upon on another weekly eating journey, this place caught my eye because f the offal on offer. Much more than boiled sheep’s balls, this looked all class, and was-it-ever! 

Nutrition- 9

Taste- 9

Service- 9

Ambience- 7 (hard when you’re there as early as we were…)

Extra mile- 8

Budget – Medium

*Scores are out of 10

Bishop Sessa rating – 42/50 on a medium budget

 

Mike

Of course starting any restaurant revenue with the words – boiled sheep’s balls – isn’t really an enticement to keep reading. Expect for the courageous souls, that is.

However, I’m going to put my future faith in you to have continued on this far. You see, not only was Bishop Sessa a restaurant that uses a ‘nose to tail’ approach to cooking and menus, but it is hands down one of the best places we have eaten at this year.

Sydney folk- put this on your must do list.

 

After having noticed this months ago- “Umm… Bishop something”, I literally put that into google and up it popped. Goddamn internet, does it again!

We won’t talk about the fact that we were seated at an incredibly sad and early time (5:30pm), but I will talk about one of the approaches I applaud- using some of the often less than desired parts of the animal- the offal.

 

Why am I so keen on offal and organ meats? Well, they simply pack so much nutritional bang for your buck, I consider them a genuine superfood…

Yes, I said superfood. If ever there was a buzz word around nutrition, this was it. However, unlike most, which are usually rare and exotic berries or the latest leafy green to hit vegan palates, my list of superfoods is a bit ‘path less trodden’.

Let’s see shall we:

Mike’s ‘Alpha Superfoods’-

Often over looked, these foods can be a strong weapon in the arsenal of anyone.  Below is a list of actual superfoods, things that we don’t get enough of, but add monumental nutritional, health and flavour benefits to anyone’s diet. Start getting some of these in today! 

1. Organ meats- Often the forgotten parts of animals, however, if the animal is healthy and naturally raised then their organs are a superpower of nutrients. The two I recommend most for nutrient power and versatility in cooking is liver, kidneys and heart. Of course that doesn’t mean you should rule out eating some balls… This is often a real comfort zone breaker and conversation starter at the very least!
2. Fermented foods- sauerkraut (cabbage), carrots, beetroots, pickles, coconut flesh, quality yoghurt, kefir to name a few. This stuff acts to aid gut health, digestion and overall health. A spoonful of fermented veggies with each meal would do wonders to the health of most people. Think of it like preventative medicine.
3. Bone broths and stocks- This means homemade, however, not necessarily by you. Many butchers and small deli style stores sell homemade versions. Broths contain all the amazing nutrition from the bones of the animal and the vegetables used and are a tremendous addition to any diet, regardless of the health or body outcome. Use in cooking curries, stews, soups, quinoa or even just sip on as a soup itself.
4. Herbs and spices-  Not only do these things add awesome flavour to meals they are jammed packed full of nutritional goodness that help you fight damage to the body, such as oxidation and inflammation, and with these- illness and disease. They have fat burning properties, help to build muscle and get your body operating better on a daily basis. There are many spices and they all have different benefits. Find your favourites and start adding to recipes.

 

If you need some recipe ideas for some of these, then download your free copy of The Alpha Cook Book, from my ‘Unleash Your Alpha’ site here, and get cooking today. You’ll also find a simple video of how to make a good stock/bone broth on my YouTube channel here.

Otherwise, I challenge you to eat some organ meats this week, and strongly attempt to make it a regular in your diet. It might sound super geeky, but your future self will thank you for the incredible health gains from it (and the other alpha superfoods, of course)

 

I will let NN talk about the specifics of Bishop Sessa, but suffice to say we will be going back, and the charcuterie board of little offal offerings, was simply stunning. Well done Bishop Sessa, you nailed it.

 

Nards

Oh.my.god.

Ah.mah.zing (and yes, I did just spell it like that)

Bishop Sessa is definitely one of the front-runners for best place eaten at this year.  From the outside it is completely unassuming, but its menu, service and staff make a lasting impression.

On this particular evening we were tossing up between this place and a vegetarian restaurant; 2 restaurants on the complete opposite ends of the spectrum (I was in one of those  ‘not-sure-what-I-feel-like’ moods), and it was only when flicking through Bishop Sessa’s menu where I saw the Liver Pâté did I know that this was meant to be.

 

Upon arriving, we were greeted by friendly waiters who clearly knew their food and wine.  We were starving, so started with the Charcuterie Board, which had Chicken Liver Parfait, Pork Terrine, Salami, Duck Rillettes, Chutney and Pickled Onions and Gherkins; it also came with a generous amount of crispy bread and soft bread.  Hands down this is one of THE best Charcuterie boards That I have had the pleasure of devouring, with the standout for me being the Chicken Liver Parfait.  It was creamy, silky and delicately flavoured – it was so yummy I was eating it straight out of its little pot (no sophistication from my end at all!).

 

My main was a duck-fest; duck breast and duck sausage roll with a side of kale, carrot and orange marmalade.  MC had the pork dish, which when combined with his Brussel spouts and Bacon equated to 3 different types of Pork on his plate.  The flavours and textures were absolutely gorgeous, to the point that both MC and I were scraping the edges of our clean plates with our fingers to pick up all last remnants of flavour. 

 

Finally yet importantly was desert.  I looked at this first before I had even picked my mains (I always look at desert first) and from the outset had decided that I was going to get the 12 hour Apple Terrine with nougat – MC got the Chocolate chip parfait.  Again, it was presented to us like works of art, with flavours and textures to match.

 

I could harp on about the nutritional benefit attached to everything that we had consumed, but I feel it will take away from the fact that this place was just goddamn amazing.  We left feeling pleasantly satisfied full (not like undo-your-pants full) and exceptionally happy; as if there had been one massive party in our mouths.  Bishop Sessa is food porn at its finest.

 

If in Sydney do yourself (and a loved one) a favour by booking in and experiencing the Bishop Sessa way.

NN

And MC – note that I did forget above that yes, I did have pork 4 ways over that dinner. Plus some duck, chicken liver and beef gelatine in the handmade marshmallow with my desert. Thank fuck we didn’t go to the Vegetarian place! Haha.