Quay

The climax (and possibly sole reason for this Sydney excursion) was dining at the Quay Restaurant. Yes, the sister had booked us in months in advance and she made sure we arrived well ahead of time, in our best appearance, of course. Thankfully for us, the weather had been kind and we managed to venture the surrounding area prior to our booked dinner time.

The restaurant staff were very professional and attentive towards our needs, which is always a positive gesture, especially when good ambience = happy visitors. We studied the menu a week before we landed in Sydney and hence, were just stuck on the task of deciding what to drink!

A fancy looking spoon which deserves a picture! Please excuse my behaviour; I am easily intrigued by new discoveries heh.

I had an apple martini whilst basking under the Sydney bridge lights.

Housebread is essential and a good indicator of how well the kitchen operates. Cold or stale bread is a big no no and am happy to clarify that the ones in this restaurant was warm, fluffy and fresh!

Complementary consomme to start the meal. The consomme was full of flavour and the addition of the mousse layer (from what I think I remember it was) works harmoniously together.

Fragrant poached chicken, white radish, sea scallops, pea blossoms, smoked white eggplant cream and virgin black sesame oil ~ As seen from Masterchef, this is a very technical dish but well-worth the effort. The chicken was moist, the eggplant cream was subtle but yet flavourful and the scallops were cooked perfectly.

Raw smoked Blackmore wagyu, fresh dory roe, horseradish juice, soured cream, milk skin ~ I have never had raw beef before and am surprised at how moist it was. I can hardly taste any undesirable beef-y aroma as I took a small mouthful of it. The milk skin was feather thin, which added a lovely contrasting texture to the overall dish.

Smoked and confit pig cheek, shiitake, shaved scallop, Jerusalem artichoke leaves bay and juniper ~ another subtle but yet aromatic dish produced by Peter Gilmore and have successful convinced me to appreciate other animal parts which are often underrated.

Roasted goose, forbidden rice, black miso and hatsuke radish ~ once again, I have not had goose before and wondered if this was a piece of salmon! I often associate meat with more robust flavours and am intrigued by the fusion of Asian flavours with the meat. Not a heavy/ filling dish and it got me excited for the next plate.

Pasture raised veal, bitter chocolate black pudding, slow cooked wallaby tail, salsify, smoked bone marrow, chestnut mushrooms ~ from memory, this was one of my favourites for the night. It was a hearty meal, packed full of flavour and crunch, albeit it's simplicity. Just goes to show that using good quality ingredients should be a priority in every kitchen:)

Slow cooked partridge with truffle, milk skin and congee~ please forgive me for forgetting what I had that night (this is a very delayed post, indeed!) and hence, the not-so-fancy-dish-name that I have conjured. The congee was no ordinary congee as it had various flavours already infused to it and the partridge melted in my mouth. Another favourite for the night.

Snow egg ~ now...did you think I had exited the restaurant without sinking my teeth into this notorious dessert? The sister and I both agreed that it was a beautifully crafted dessert that had the wow factor attached to it. The snow egg (which I reckon was constructed using meringue) had a soft interior and a paperthin crunch exterior which worked perfectly well. I can eat this everyday:)

Quay's eight texture chocolate cake ~ I have watched the production of this cake on Masterchef and had thought of recreating it at home. Scratch that idea. The amount of work that goes into making it was overwhelming for my simple mind and hence, I shall eat my cake here! Very chocolate-y (not like a mudslide cake) and the usage of warmed chocolate against the chilled cake was delicious!

Overall, the sister and I had enjoyed our little escape to Sydney and despite it being a busy/fast-moving city, I am glad to know that it's historical and scenic beauty is preserved well. Definitely an exciting foodie adventure and am looking forward to my next trip here:)