We checked out the new Mediterranean restaurant in Sydney, MediTrainean, and we left full, happy and completely in love with the Southern European flavours.
The owners of MediTrainean have taken the unique elements of the Japanese food culture – beautiful small portions, hand-painted ceramic plates, and the traditional sushi train format and blended them with the best Mediterranean foods and flavours – olives marinated in herbs and olive oil, Arancini with porcini mushroom, leek and provolone cheese and black mussels with chilli, white wine, tomato and green olives to name but a few.
Adding to the offering on the ‘MediTrainean’ train, diners are encouraged to choose from a made to order menu, where you can watch your minced lamb skewers and chicken breast be cooked on a flame smoked grill station right in front of you.
Perhaps tipping its hat to Japan again and its teppanyaki style of cooking, having the chef cook in front of you provides a sense of fun and a sense that there’s nothing to hide, the food is fresh.
Flame smoked grill station
Located in Crows Nest, opposite the new Woolworths store on Alexander Street, the interior of MediTrainean is perfectly relaxed, with a light, fresh, Mediterranean feeling. For a Tuesday night in winter, the restaurant attracted quite a crowd – friends catching up and couples out for a great meal. Our host Brooke was super friendly, attentive and relaxed.
It was a delight to enjoy a plate of carrot and celery sticks with the traditional dips and breads to start.
There were lots of small salads, set to warm up your taste buds from the get go, all packed with flavour. I can recommend the vine leaves stuffed with herbed rice, mushrooms and tomato and drizzled with lemon juice and olive oil. The stuffed zucchini was also enjoyable, lamb, rice, leek, tomato and herbs make such a good combination.
From the made to order menu, the lamb skewers were divine when combined with the fresh flat bread and tzatziki. The highlight for me for the night, was the Arancini, a hot ball of Arborio rice, porcini mushroom, celery, leek, herbs and provolone, I will be going back just for these (ok and maybe another baklava to finish, simply delicious).
Deliciousness