Around this time of year is cruise time, and there was a large cruise ship docked right outside the restaurant.
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| Radiance of the Seas |
We were seated inside with a glorious close up view of the lifeboats, but my sister spotted a free table outside and politely asked the waiter if we could be moved and so we were.
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| Sydney harbour bridge |
I was very glad she decided to ask, as the view was much nicer outside and we enjoyed watching various ships come and go.
We opted to go for the 4 course lunch menu, with my items highlighted green, and my sister's highlighted orange.
Before the ordered items came out, we were given a nice amuse-boche of pistachios and muntries in a sweet yoghurt like sauce. Muntries are a native Australian berry that resemble a blueberry in appearance, but are cream-red speckled in colour.
Unfortunately I didn't take a picture of the dish, as the both of us forgot there was a camera and it was gone by the time we remembered.
The dish was a good, but the berries themselves didn't actually have much taste, sort of like biting into a blueberry of bland pear.
After this a waiter came out with a basket of bread and butter for our table. On selection was white sourdough and black sesame crusted sourdough.
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| Black sesame crusted sourdough with quenelle of butter and salt flakes |
The table beside us asked if the butter was house churned, and the waiter pondered before excusing himself to ask the kitchen; the butter is French bought, but sadly the name escapes me.
You can ask for as much bread and butter as desired, and as the table next to us had hungry bellies, the waiter came by often with bread to check and asked us if we wanted more as the slices were finished.
One
Up first was the congee dish, we both chose to order it, as my sister had been wanting to eat it again after her last visit, and I was eager to try it too. I have a slight allergy to crustaceans, with mud crab being no exception, but I think it was worth it.
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| Congee of North Australian mud crab, fresh palm heart, egg yolk emulsion |
The dish was light in flavour and blended well together. The palm hearts themselves were very light in flavour and added a nice crunch to the dish. The hearts combined with the flaky crab, the soft rice and clear broth made for good mouthfuls of flavour.
My sister had no regrets and I was impressed as well (worth the itchy allergic reaction tingling in my mouth).
Two
Next for me was the pork belly, the dish came to the table sans broth, with the waiter pouring it at the table from an ornate tea pot.
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| Pork belly cooked slowly in salted cultured butter, milk curd, roasted koji, kombu, sesame, smoked pork rib broth |
The aroma wafted from the broth as the waiter poured and I couldn't wait to tuck in.
The dish was taste and texture, the broth was smoky, the curd silky, the koji crunchy, and the pieces of pork hidden underneath were soft and buttery.
My sister chose the XO Sea dish, being a seafood lover. She chose this over the abalone, as we prepare abalone ourselves at home and we have had bad experiences with black pudding.
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| XO Sea - five sea textures |
I only had a small taste of this, as I was already pushing my allergies with the crab and didn't want to risk it.
My sister says the dish was good but the sauce itself was slightly too salty and overpowering. Of the tastes, we identified prawn, abalone and octopus by sight, topped with bonito shavings.
Three
For the main dish I had the duck, and my sister chose the Angus, we were both told that the meats were only served medium rare, which was fine by her, but I was hesitant as I've had medium-rare duck (bordering on bleu), and didn't enjoy it at all; but I went ahead with the duck anyway.
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| Duck poached in a fermented green plum master stock, scorched amaranth leaves, forbidden rice, umeboshi |
Glad to have stuck with the duck, it was not what I would have called medium-rare, but more medium-well done, perfect for me! The duck was tender and tasty - umeboshi (salted fermented plum) and duck are a classic pairing - with the puffed crispy rice and leaves adding texture as well as flavour.
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| Roasted grass fed pure Angus, mushrooms, grains, miso, eggplant |
The Angus, like the duck was not cooked to medium-rare, but more medium. My sister was happy to eat it medium-rare, but was equally as happy to have it medium.
The beef was tender and cut well, and was a decent size. The addition of the grains added crunchy texture, but the eggplant skin didn't add much to the dish, and was slightly leathery.
Four
Dessert choice was a no brainer, and we were both looking forward to this dish before we started. The flavour changes according to the season, with custard apples being the choice this time around.
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| Custard apple snow egg |
The waiter asked whether or not we were familiar with the dish, my sister was, but I wasn't and so he offered some helpful advice; tap to break the shell, and make sure to go right to the bottom where the fruit pieces are hidden.
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| Custard apple snow egg |
I had very high expectations for this dish, but at the same time was reserved and ready for disappointment (knowing that high expectations are rarely met in life).
With a firm tap I broke through the layers of soft icing, thin crispy toffee, soft meringue and creamy interior; I made sure to go right to the bottom where there were pieces of custard apple waiting in creamy sauce and scooped up some of the granita on the way up.
The dessert was sweet but not overly sweet, and suffice to say it delivered on expectations and more. My sister said she enjoyed this more than the previous egg she had (guava flavoured at the time), as the guava added a bitterness, whereas the custard apple in this added a creamier flavour.
After the lunch we chatted to the table next to us, finding out that they too were there to celebrate a birthday, they kindly gave us the box of chocolates they had received complementary of the restaurant as they did not enjoy sweets. I'm unsure of why we didn't receive the box of chocolates, as we booked for a birthday lunch as well, but a mystery it will remain.
Assessments
Highlights:
The view from the balcony definitely added to the experience, and the snow egg was the perfect finish to the meal.Peter Gilmore came out to greet one of the other tables (a VIP I assumed given their familiarity), and on his way back in gave us a smile and nod.
Misgivings:
The service I have to say was not the best I have had, and there was an awkward mix up with the table next to us, but one of the older male waiters I have to say was exceptional and attentive.
On a normal day I would have finished the lunch still slightly hungry, but luckily on that day my appetite was low, and I was satisfied (including eating three pieces of the bread). My sister being a light eater was quite full by the end of the lunch (finishing one piece of bread).
Given the price tag, as well as the hype, you take notice of the little things such as service, and expectations are there that you will be blown away by the food. The snow egg was the only thing I feel was truly outstanding, although my sister came back for the congee and snow egg; for all the hype I did end up having quite high expectations that weren't quite met.
Final assessment:
The overall experience was great, I would reserve attending for special occasions, and most likely wait for a new menu (keeping the snow egg of course). Lunch is definitely more appealing to me with the relaxing atmosphere and bright harbour views watching ships coming and going.Score: 8.5/10
