Simon Johnson Pyrmont: Part 2 of the Foodie Triangle
Imagine that you have just returned home after a gourmantic sojourn in Europe. You’ve sampled some of France, Italy and Spain’s finest foods. Your palate has been reconditioned. Your expectations have altered. You struggle to fit in your surrounds and you long for that taste of travel more than any memento you have carefully packed in your suitcase and successfully brought home.
Then you discover Simon Johnson, Purveyor of Quality Foods.
That was how we encountered Simon’s flagship store at Pyrmont shortly after it had opened its doors. The first time was a visit of discovery. The second affirmed our belief that it would become a regular venture and form part of The Foodie Triangle.
Stepping inside the store is like entering a gourmet’s cave. Items are beautifully displayed under warm and subdued lighting. The staff are always knowledgeable and welcoming with a coffee on offer every time. Their passion for food matches ours which often incites discussions about the newest eateries around town.
From pastas and sauces to local and imported olive oils that can be tasted, aged balsamic vinegars good enough to drink, condiments to complement any special meal, indulgent biscuits such as the organic Duchy range and delectable chocolates like as the Venchi and Valrhona range, there is always something that tempts its way into an SJ shopping bag.
Occupying the centre of the store is the Fromagerie, a temperature and humidity controlled room which is home to some of the best local and imported cheeses. Natural rinds such as Brie de Nangis or Isigny Camembert vie for choice with washed rinds such as Pont-l’Évêque and Tourée de L’Aubier and piquant blues the likes of Roquefort, Fourme d’Ambert and Stilton.
The Fromagerie has always been my weakness. Being partial to French cheeses, I cannot resist a ripe Brie de Meaux when it’s almost runny in the middle, or the complex flavour of an aged chèvre, the lightness of Fleur du Maquis, a Corsican sheep’s milk cheese and the semi-hard texture of Roy des Vallées.
Tucked away against the back wall is a comprehensive selection of teas from Mariage Frères, the renowned tea merchants set in a striking display reminiscent of the Parisian shop in the Marais. Mariage elevate their tea to a higher level by infusing an element of romance in the beverage and presenting it in striking canisters worthy of collection.
Gourmet finds are at times those that you don’t see on display. Seasonal indulgences like Perigord truffles during the Australian summer or Manjimup truffles in winter are a delight to take home. Many a block of foie gras was enjoyed with a bottle of Sauternes at Christmas or a special treat of Caviar for a decadent New Year’s Eve celebration.
Yet despite all the indulgences over time, every visit to Simon Johnson’s leaves me yearning for an ‘object of lust’: the Mariage Frères cast iron teapot. It would make a fabulous addition to the collection of Mariage objets at home.
Part 3 of The Foodie Triangle concludes next.
Simon Johnson Purveyor of Quality Foods – Pyrmont
181 Harris Street
Pyrmont NSW 2009
http://www.simonjohnson.com
This article is posted on Gourmantic.com. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2012
Thank you, thank you for sharing this! Simon Johnson is foodie heaven. I’d trade a date with George Clooney for a day of tastings here.
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