Natkat Eat Stuff

Work has brought us to Sydney and we have a goal to eat at all the hatted restaurants Sydney has to offer.

[natkateatstuff-blog]

Buzo Trattoria (1 hat) - 28 July 2011

Upon entering Buzo Trattoria you can easily tell that this is a local favorite in Woollahra. It's a two story cosy restaurant with the majority of tables upstairs an a few down stairs either side of the kitchen door. We were seated probably at the worst table being right next to the kitchen door and in the path of the entrance. The plus side was that we got to see all the yummy food coming out. We chose a delicious Sangiovese to start and the rest is history (because we didn't take notes and can't remember what we ate, with the exception of the Vincisgrassi, which was an amazing truffled spin on lasagne). It was nice food - that we do remember and it's definitely a restaurant we recommend to people in the area or looking for top class Italian food. 3/5 stars

[natkateatstuff-blog]

Billy Kwong (1 hat) - 23rd July 2011

This was the second time we attempted to get into Billy Kwong. The first time was after a big day at the pub watching Carlton play Collingwood, but at that time we were drunk and couldn't be bothered waiting around until we got to the top of the list, so went to a little Vietnamese place down the road. 

Anyway.... Billy Kwong is a no-bookings restaurant. We arrived 20 minutes before opening time to ensure we made it in. Unfortunately there was already a big line and we didn't end up making the first sitting. They took our name and we went for a drink down the road. It took a little over an hour before they called us back.

The dining room was surprisingly small for such a well regarded restaurant. The tables were haphazardly located around the room with very little room between each. This was obviously intentional to provide the authentic hawker dining feel. The kitchen was fully visible, small and reminiscent of a noodle house. 

If you have heard anything about Kylie Kwong, you know that she is an advocate of using biodynamic, organic and sustainable produce. The restaurant specialises in home style cantonese food with a modern twist. 

I did some research prior to coming and knew that the three times cooked duck was a must. We ordered this (which appears on the specials list - despite being a regular) along with stir fried local mushrooms with ginger, and the homestyle fried biodynamic eggs with organic tamari and homemade XO. The standout dish was by far the duck, which was freaking amazing. It was extremely rich, but we still managed to finish off the large serving and suck any bones dry. The other two dishes were good, but paled in comparison to the awesomeness of the super duck. 

We had some dessert, but I can't remember what it was. Mental note... take notes from now on. 

Although the layout doesn't really allow for an intimate dinner or quiet conversation, its definitely worth the wait for an outstanding chinese meal. Did I mention the duck?

3/5 stars

[natkateatstuff-blog]

EpiQure launch at Rockpool Bar and Grill (2 hats) 19 July 2011

A last minute decision to attend this exclusive event was definitely not one that we regretted. Nat had received some information on it in the mail and after 2 weeks of it just sitting on the bench he actually decided to take a look at the details online. This was when we saw that Rene Redzepi was attending and also that it was $400 per head! Oh not to worry we actually had the exact amount of QFF points needed to cover it  - what a fluke! After dining at Noma in 2009 when it was merely the 3rd best restaurant in the world we have been avid followers of Rene Redzepi and his ideas.

For those of you who have not heard, Qantas launched a new wine club called EpiQureat Neil Perry's Rockpool Bar and Grill. Neil designed the 7 course tasting menu and Steve Lienert (senior red wine maker of Penfolds) matched the wines. David Blackmore was also there (MD of Blackmores wagyu beef). Of course the event would not be complete without Matt Preston as the MC - he makes no secret of his love for Rene Redzepi.

The event started with canapés of anchovy, smoked tomato and toast and goats cheese tortellini with pine nuts and raisins. These were accompanied with a constant supply of 2000 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne which Nat and I enjoyed two glasses of before realising we had at least 6 more wines to go and it was a "school night". The canapés and champagne was enjoyed whilst watch a list of b grade celebrities (mostly home and away stars) walk through the door and pose for photos. Of course Matt's besties George and Garry were also there and also the CEO of Qantas Alan Joyce.

After taking our seats and chatting with a lovely couple who were seated next to us we made the observation that the "common people" were seated on one side of the room and the "celebrities" on the other. The second course of baby beetroot salad roasted, jelly, raw with barrel aged feta dressing was served and this is where we realised that there were not one but TWO wines matched to each course! For this course there was a 2010 Penfolds Autumn Riesling and a 2005 Penfolds Bin Aged Release Riesling. The idea was to taste the difference between the two and maybe select one to accompany with your dish. Most people just drank them both! The dish and the wines were fantastic as were all the wines for the night! Steve Lienart spoke briefly about each wine as they were being served. 

The third dish for the night was blue fin tuna tartare, moroccan eggplant, cumin, mayonnaise and harrisa. It caused some controversy at our table with one guy determined to argue with our waiter about blue fin tuna not being a sustainable food. This prompted Neil Perry to come out and state to the room that it was farmed tuna and therefore sustainable. 

The remaining dishes were:

Rich and noble prawn congee, star anise scented peanuts, chinese fried bread and chilli oil.

Woodfire roasted burrawang chicken with baby carrots and pea sauce (3 wines with this one)

Slow cooked David Blackmore wagyu short rib, charred, with red braised shitake mushrooms, yam and ginger puree (these were matched with 2001 and 2004 Penfolds Grange) The 2004 grange was actually better than the 2001 and Nat managed to sweet talk the waiter into giving us and extra glass of each. So we definitely got our moneys worth! 

Sharpe family strawberry mascapone cake (matched with Penfolds grandfather tawny).

The food for the night was fantastic. We were pretty toasted after a gazilion glasses of wine and Nat took the opportunity, when Neil Perry walked around to say hello to everyone, to tell him that his tingling prawns at Spice Temple were no good. He laughed it off and called him a whimp. After two bad experiences at his other two restaurants Neil Perry had finally served up some decent food, so he won back a few points this time around. 

All in all we had a great night and surprisingly didn't wake up with a hangover. We're convinced the high quality wine made the difference. Its hard to say if the food was typical of Rockpool Bar and Grill, but if it is, then it deserves the 2 hats. 

[natkateatstuff-blog]

Bentley (2 hats) - 13th July 2011

We really didn't expect too much from Bentley, but we were pleasantly surprised. From the outside it looked like your stock standard cafe, but there was something about the wooden interior that made it inviting. The staff were kitted out in retro clothing (pre 50's) with heads to match, and our sommelier was a little quirky.  

We ordered the tasting menu with a reduced set of matching wines and thoroughly enjoyed every course. They were all inventive, well presented and full of flavour. Head chef Brent Savage doesn't disappoint. 

By the end of the night we understood why this place has two hats. It is completely unpretentious and homely. A fantastic place to eat and drink away an evening with friends. If we were not on a tight schedule we'd definitely revisit, but too many restaurants and too few weeks remaining in Sydney...

  4/5 stars

[natkateatstuff-blog]

Assiette (2 hats) - 7 July 2011

Assiette has been around since 2005 and was first awarded a Sydney Morning Herald Chef hat three years ago. Last year it was awarded a second hat and its easy to see why. The head chef is Warren Turnbull, a New Zealander who has worked he way around many of the top restaurants in London.

Although Assiette is in Surry Hills, it is hidden away in an unassuming location off one of the main streets, which adds to the charm. 

We dined here with Nat's brother-in-law Ben, on a cold thursday night, the restaurant was cosy and inviting with clean white decor, a lovely buzz and a clear view of the bustling kitchen. Our waiter was friendly and attentive without being overbearing and brought out a lovely amuse bouche of truffled white bean soup with parsley oil - YUM.  We ordered some rock oysters with Vietnamese dressing and baby coriander to start- very nice. Then for entree the three of us shared two dishes - the Alaskan king crab with wasabi pannacotta, tempura and pickled avocado - and the caramelised chicken wings and veal sweetbreads with bacon, pea mousse and mushroom puree. All three of us thoughourly enjoyed both dishes and couldn't get enough. 

For mains I ordered the Mushroom-crusted blue-eye trevalla fillet with creamed polenta, shitake mushrooms and cepe butter. The flavours were full yet delicate and well matched. Nat ordered the Miso-braised Wagyu brisket with pumpkin and parmesan gnocchi, kohlrabi and pencil leeks and Ben the Roasted pork fillet and croustillant with Jerusalem artichoke, dates and fennel salt. Both boys thoroughly enjoyed their meals.

All of the dishes were well presented and of a good size - not too big, not too small. The flavours were at the level you would expect from a 2 hatted restaurant. By the time we had finished our mains we had very little room left for desert, but somehow we managed to finish off our pre-dessert of pineapple/lychee jelly with coconut foam and then shared a chocolate fondant with earl grey tea mascarpone and orange marmalade ice cream and then also petit fours! All good!

This was a solid 2 hat restaurant with a very reasonable price tag - 290 for three people which included all of the above, 3 beers and a 60 dollar bottle of wine.

3.5/5 stars. 

[natkateatstuff-blog]

Bird Cow Fish - 29 June

Bird Cow Fish is run by a husband and wife team and has a small daily changing menu which reflects seasonal produce. I had heard mixed reviews about Bird Cow Fish, some saying that its over rated and unsure of how a chef hat was earned and others referring to it as an institution for Surry Hills residents. Their website describes themselves as an Espresso Bar and Bistro offering “…a relaxed meeting and dining destination”.

We booked into Bird Cow Fish the same day through their Dimmy’s online booking in the Good Food Guide App. When Nat and I arrived we were seated after a short lecture from the abrupt Maitre d’ about booking in at the last minute (apparently they don’t receive same day bookings) and me apologising for not knowing and at the same time wondering how I received an email confirmation if it was not accepted. We were seated, I think at, one of the worst tables right near the entry to the kitchen - perhaps this was punishment as there were clearly other tables not being used. None the less, the dining room was rather inviting with low lighting and dark tones. 

One thing that surprised me upon reading the menu was that this place allows BYO

Mon - Fri. If I had of know this we definitely would have brought one of our own wines. For entre we ordered the Potato gnocchi with prawn meat sautéed in burnt butter, verjuice, capers and crispy sage. The simplicity of the sage and butter made this a delightful dish and a few weeks later inspired Nat to make his own version. For mains I had the Pan fried Palmer’s Island mulloway fillet, fried eggplant, fennel, raisin & Woodside goat’s curd salad and Nat had the Seared pasture fed Coorong hanger steak, sweet & sour garlic, anchovy, oregano, raisin & veal jus sauce. We both agreed that our mains were ok but nothing to write home about (probably more suited a nice family restaurant but not a one hatter).

After a slow service we debated over whether to get dessert but those of you who know Nat know that he nearly always orders a dessert. Thus a strawberry short crust tart with crème patissiere & slivered almonds was ordered. It was nice light dessert but nothing spectacular.

For a hatted restaurant the cost is quite reasonable but then again I question whether Bird Cow Fish should really have a hat. BYO is a bonus and it would probably be a pleasant place to take you parents if you are not after anywhere that has high end service but decent food.

2/5 stars

[natkateatstuff-blog]

We were lucky enough to attend this event. Nat even got to give some feedback to Neil Perry! Review to come.

[natkateatstuff-blog]

Altitude (1 hat) - 23rd June 2011

Altitude is the first hatted restaurant we did after we decided to go from the start of the alphabet. Actually, this isn't quite true. Ad Lib Bistro was the first hatted restaurant in the alphabet, but we haven't reviewed this as we dined the Double Bay bistro instead of the Pymble bistro and technically the Pymble one is the hatted restaurant (make sense?). Anyway, it wasn't very good and we're not willing to try the hatted one just in case....

Back to Altitude. This restaurant is situated at the top floor of the Shangri-La hotel and has an absolutely amazing view of the harbour. Even better than Quay! It won restaurant of the year 2010 in the Australian Hotels Association National Awards of Excellence as well as Steven Krasicki winning chef of the year. 

We arrived at the restaurant a little early so that we could check out Bar Blu, which is just next to Altitude. The bar also has floor to ceiling windows and the same views as the restaurant. Its the perfect place to take friends or family if you're trying to show off Sydney. 

We were one of the first seated in the restaurant. Views aside, it was a pretty stock standard set up. 

We kicked off the meal with some oysters in red wine and shallots dressing and champagne. We had a choice from 3 different types of complimentary bread. I can't remember what they were, but they were great. We were also served a small portion of truffled cauliflower soup after our oysters while waiting for mains. Yum. The waiters and sommeliers were all very keen and helpful. 

For mains Kate ordered the Palmers Island Mulloway and I ordered the Suckling Pig. When they were delivered to the table the waitress made a point of saying "suckling pig including loins", as if she was concerned that I'd chow down the round slice of pork without ever knowing what it was. Admittedly I'd never eaten pigs balls before, but a small slice was definitely more palatable than if they'd served up the whole 'loin'. It tasted ok. Had a sort of pate like texture in the middle. In general the pig was very good. Kate rated the fish pretty highly. 

The desert was called Michel Cluizel dark chocolate and from memory was sort of like a chocolate fondant. It was extremely rich. At they end they served us some petit fours, which we really didn't need but ate anyway.

To sum up - ok service, good food, great views but lacking ambience and individuality. 

2.5/5 stars. 

[natkateatstuff-blog]

Flying Fish (1 hat) - 17th June 2011

By now we have realised that eating at every hatted restaurant in Sydney by Jan next year might be a stretch. So we decided to step it up and at 1-2 hatted restaurants a week.

For those of you unfamiliar with Flying Fish, it is situated at the end of Jones Bay Wharf in Pyrmont in a stylishly renovated heritage wharf site. The views are beautiful and unobstructed and the feel inside is chic yet homely. My kind of place. The Head Chef is British born, Sri Lankian Peter Kuruvita. He’s worked under Greg Doyle, Neil Perry, Michael McMahon and Tony Bilson as Executive Chef (Bilsons 2 hats). He has a reputation as being an expert on seafood and (my favourite bit) SUSTAINABLE SEAFOOD.

Upon arrival we were greeted warmly and shown to our seats. Our waitress was extremely enthusiastic even explaining to us how a tasting menu worked – we mustn’t look like people who eat tasting menus... This was also after asking us “So whats the special occasion” - us “nothing”…. So yes we opted for the 5 course tasting menu and matching wines. We started with a champagne of our own choosing and was served a amuse bouche of crab, caviar and cream – very tasty. After that the first wine was delivered by a slightly lacklustre sommelier – He was ok but perhaps a little uninformative?

Dishes were as follows:

Seared yellow fin tuna with grapefruit, porkbelly, pork crackling and black pepper caramel. Simple flavours matched with a lovely delicate wine - 2010 Mitolo ‘Jester’ Sangiovese Rose. 

Flying Fish seafood tapas - 2009 Grace Vineyards Gris de Koshu - a light, dry japanese wine. 

Confit of Petuna ocean trout with pea and black sesame mousse, puffed quinoa and tangerine Oil - This was my favourite (I love quinoa). 2008 Quinta Ameal, Loureiro Lima, Portugal.

Pan fried John Dory with king prawn young summer vegetables, yuzu and seaweed butter - 2009 Tower Estate Chardonnay, Hunter Valley.

Desert tasting plate - this was my least favourite due to the strong sweet flavours. Nat however being a lover of sweet deserts enjoyed this dish.

All in all this was a very pleasant dining experience. The food was enjoyable, service sufficient but the sommelier lack lustre. The interior design adds to the pleasant dining experience. We will definitely be returning on a summers day to enjoy the outside bar.

3.5/5 stars

[natkateatstuff-blog]

Sake (1 hat) - 29th May 2011

Sake was a spur of the moment thing. It was a Sunday night and we had bought tickets long ago to see Architecture in Helsinki (a Melbourne band) as part of the Vivid festival at the Opera house. Needless to say, the band was amazing.

When we left the Opera house it was bucketing down with rain. We had to run between cover all the way around to the rocks, and were drenched by the time we made it. It was late, so we had no problems getting a table without a booking.

The executive chef at Sake is Shaun Presland, a 38 year old Australian that moved from Queensland to Tokyo in 1993 and learnt the art of Japanese cooking. In 1995 he came back to Australia and furthered his training at Unkai restaurant at the Shangri-La. He became the first Australian Caucasian chef to be honoured with the title of Sushi Chef. In 2000 he was asked to open Sushi E at the Establishment hotel complex. Sake came some time after.

The interior of Sake is very spacious and cozy (and of course very Japanese). This was just the atmosphere for drying out and winding down from the concert. We ordered a special cocktail off the menu. It was called Glow On and was created just for the Vivid festival. It consisted of montenegro digestive liquor, sake, cinnamon syrup and a twist of orange and was served warm.... mmmm. 

Now I'm going to have a go at remembering what we ate. Here goes:

Edamame, Salt and pepper tofu, prawn dumplings, miso, chirashi salad, kingfish sushi maki and... I'm sure I'm missing some stuff. 

Anyway, as far as the staples go everything was a quite a few notches above your typical japanese restaurant. The dumplings were a standout and the salad was amazing packed full of fresh sashimi and other awesome japanese bits and pieces. 

We were too stuffed by the end of our mini degustation to even consider dessert, but will give it a look in next time around. 

We've now been to both Sake and Toko, which are supposed to be two of the best japanese restaurants in Sydney. I can say that the food is on par at both restaurants, but the atmosphere is completely different. Toko feels more like a funky cocktail bar that happens to have a restaurant inside... whereas Sake feels more like a contemporary...... restaurant. 

Anyway, Sake lived up to all expectations and is well deserving of its hat. 

3/5 stars.

[natkateatstuff-blog]

Fish Face (1 hat) - 26th May 2011

This place was great. We went there because we couldn't get a table at Four in the Hand, and were lucky enough to get in immediately.

It's a tiny little hole in the wall restaurant in Darlinghurst that only seats around 30 people. It has an old school fish and chip shop feel to it with the stainless steel counter and display. We were seated at the open front window sill, which meant we could watch all the passers by as well as the numerous people getting knocked back for a table.

We decided to share a few dishes. We ordered the fish and chips (had to do it), a jeruselum artichoke soup with kingfish ceviche and sauteed cuttlefish. The standout here was the soup which was rich, thick, creamy and basically amazing! The kingfish was served on the side of bowl on some kind of crispbread, which was also excellent. The fish and chips were ok, but probably only on the menu as a tribute to the restaurants origins. The cuttlefish was pretty good, though not nearly as memorable as the soup (its a shame the soup was only a special).

All in all this place was a pleasant surprise and well worth a second visit (although  next time we will order an actual fish dish). It was unpretentious and homely and the quality of the food justified the premium. The only downside is that the parking in this area is crap. Take public transport!

3/5 stars.

[natkateatstuff-blog]

Spice Temple (1 hat) - 7th May 2011

For mothers day this year we (along with my siblings) decided to shout my mum to Spice Temple. She doesn't often get the opportunity to take herself to nice restaurants so we thought it would be a lovely gift.  A few people had recommended it, but the online reviews were mixed so we were cautiously optimistic about the place and willing to give Neil Perry a second shot. We booked a table for four a week in advance as one of mums friends was also joining us. The only table we could get for the Saturday night was 9.30pm, which was fine as it allowed us to do an impromptu pubcrawl from our house in Annandale to Balmain closely followed by a few rounds of singstar :-).  

Strangely enough we were a little tipsy by the time we arrived at Spice Temple. The restaurant had a very intimate feel to it, with low lighting and red/black tones. We agreed (surprise) that we were going get the banquet with matching wines and a cocktail to start, and then Kate bee-lined for the toilet. While she was gone they decided to serve up the cocktails. This should never happen in a decent restaurant. The buggers should wait until everyone is seated. They also didn't pour any of our wines at the table or even describe them. They just brought them out pre-poured on a tray and told us what type it was. I guess this is the difference between a banquet with matched wines and a tasting menu with matched wines.... don't expect too much on the wine front.

The banquet menu we had was:

Cabbage and radish pickle

Cucumber with smashed garlic

Tingling prawns

Strange flavour white cut chicken

2009 Riesling, Jean Luc Mader, Alsace, France

Stir fried Spanner crab, whole garlic, chilli and coriander

Steamed Blue Eye fillet with black bean and salted olives

2009 Rose, Scorpo, Mornington Peninsula

Braised lamb shoulder ‘Hakka style’ with snow peas

and black fungi

Kung Pao chicken

Sichuan pepper corns, heaven facing chillies and fresh chilli

Stir fried wild bamboo pith, snow peas and quail eggs with

ginger and garlic

2008 Shiraz/Cabernet for Rockpool by J. Grosset, Clare Valley

Tangelo granita

2009 Gewurztraminer, Bress ‘The Kindest Cut’ Macedon Ranges

The cabbage and radish pickle was forgettable, but the tingling prawns were not. The dish did not only taste terrible, but it left your whole mouth 'tingling' and partially numb. I may as well just have shook a bag or sichuan pepper corns into my mouth and chewed on them for 20 minutes. Much to my delight, the bitter taste and 'tingling' sensation lasted for the duration of our meal and gave every other dish and wine a lovely 'tingling' undertone.

The strange flavoured chicken was just that, strange. The following two dishes were actually ok, but just when some other flavours were starting to shine through the 'tingling' wall, they served up another dose of sichuan (in the form of kung pao chicken) and subdued those other potentially enjoyable tastes.

The desert was tangelo granita, or 'fruity ice' as we like to call it. Nothing to write home about, and more suited as a pallete cleanser rather than the pis de resistance at the end of a glorious banquet.

Happy mothers day mum! And strike 2 Neil Perry.....

1/5 stars.

Spice Temple Website

[natkateatstuff-blog]

Sesame seared tuna with wasabi foam. Course number six of our yummy 7 course home cooked japanese degustation.

[natkateatstuff-blog]

Aria (2 hats) - April 21st 2011

Our third and final foodie voucher from our engagement party was for Aria and we decided to go for my birthday (Kate). Upon arrive we were seated in a narrow part of the dining room next to a window with views of the cement structure outside. This was a little disappointing after having such spectacular views at Quay.

I had read up on some reviews and also been given some reviews by workmates and the opinion was that this place was too old school with its food, therefore I didn’t have high expectations. I think this was a good thing because we actually enjoyed our 8 course tasting menu with matching wines more than we thought we would. The highlight for both of us was the Peking Duck Consommé with dumplings , shaved abalone and mushrooms. The flavour was to die for and I couldn’t get enough –I think I would have been happy eating it for the rest of my life! Down side for me was the Pork Belly but then again I don’t particularly like pork! I found this dish extremely fatty and could not stomach it. Nat however, being a pork belly lover, ate all of his but did agree it was a fattier pork belly than usual (if thats possible!).

The sommelier was another stand out for our night and I wish I could remember his name. I just did a quick search on the Aria website and read that the head sommelier is Mattew Dunne. Looking at his photo it definitely was not him who served us. The guy who served us was personable, extremely knowledgeable and most importantly passionate. I observed him working tirelessly all night while maintaining the same high level of service to all tables. You could really tell that he loved his job and for me that is something I enjoy observing when dining at top restaurants – it really makes the difference.

To top the night off I received a nice little message written on our plate with our petit fours.

Admittedly I had seen another table receive this earlier on in the night so it wasn’t too much of a special thing. Not like when we were at Noma for Nats 30th and they made him a whole chocolate cake with pop rocks in it on the house (as it should be!). We sat there in the best restaurant in the world with our mouths open , listening to the popping like we were 10 years old again J.

Anyway, all in all it was an enjoyable night with lovely food and service.

4/5 stars

Aria

[natkateatstuff-blog]

Quay (3 hats) - March 22 2011

One of the vouchers we received for our engagement was for Quay. A friend booked us in specifically asking for 'the best seat in the house'. We didn't really expect that we would actually get the best seat but it must have come close. The view was amazing.

Quay is currently the best restaurant in Australasia and number 26 in the world (according to S. Pellegrino) and is run by executive chef Peter Gilmore. Admittedly we didn't know any of this until he appeared on MasterChef and asked the team to make the 'Snow Egg' dessert. Up until then we were living in ignorant Melbourne bliss thinking that Tetsuya's was number one in Sydney (yes, we'd probably fail the Sydney foodie exam for that one).

One thing that excited Kate even before even visiting Quay was that the restaurant has its own organic farm in the Blue Mountains and according to the website also "...sources ethically grown rare breeds of pig, lamb and chicken whose species is sustained by its consumption". Having previously been a vegetarian and now struggling to find restaurants who use ethically farmed animals, this was a pleasant surprise for her.

When we arrived we were seated quickly, despite arriving half an hour early, and offered a champagne to start. As usual we ordered the 9 course onslaught with matching wine. So the gastronomic delight began!

It has been a few months since we dined there, so I can't remember all of the dishes. I do remember that they were very 'Noma-esque' in their look and taste, so they scored pretty highly from the outset. Highlights were the sea pearls and the black lipped abalone.

I'd had a particularly bad day at work that day, but excessive eating and drinking while gazing upon the lights of the Sydney harbour bridge was just the thing to knock me out of my bad mood. 

The Snow Egg was delivered to close out the night. It was ok..... but probably only remaining on the menu to appease the MasterChef fanatics. 

To sum up Quay I'd say great food, great service, great views and so far pipped only by Noma! 

4.5/5 Stars

www.quay.com.au

[natkateatstuff-blog]

Very happy to hear that our favorite restaurant Noma in Copenhagen has again been voted best restaurant in the world by S. Pellegrino. We were lucky enough to dine here in 2009 for Nats 30th birthday. Was an amazing experience!

[natkateatstuff-blog]

Rockpool (2 hats) - Feb 24th 2011

The thing that surprised us on walking into Rockpool was how many empty tables there were. The words ‘has been’ sprang to mind. We were seated in what seemed like one of the worst positions in the restaurant despite the plethora of empty tables by a lackluster maitre’d. Good start guys….

As always, we opted for the tasting menu with matching wines. The food sounded interesting enough, but it’s easy to make something sound inspired on paper. To be honest I can’t even recall what we ate. The only dish that sticks in my mind was an Asian inspired beef dish, but only because Kate couldn’t chew through it. The sommelier described the wines with about as much enthusiasm as the fire drill VoiceOver at work.

Lasting impressions of Rockpool are white, boring and hanging on by the skin of it’s teeth.

1.5/5 Stars

http://www.rockpool.com.au/sydney/