233 replies to this topic

[chrisnorth]

I'm heading to Tassie, Melbourne, and Sydney too in a few days and would appreciate comments & suggestions.

In Tassie we are staying at Cradle Mtn Lodge for 2 nights and I'm assuming that there aren't a lot of restaurants driving distance from there besides the one at the hotel -- which is supposed to be good.

Then Launceston for two days, staying at Hatherley House. We are having lunch at Stillwater on the 24th; haven't yet been able to find anything open for dinner that night which excites us.

Christmas Day almost nothing is open so we're eating at a place recommended by the hotel, Lawrence St Brasserie -- looks simple.

Dec 26th we have lunch at Strathlynn (Daniel Alps) and then fly to Melbourne

While in Melbourne we have reservations at Vue de Monde; was dying to try Flower Drum but they are closed Dec 25-Jan 9. :-(. Also considering the following -- recommendations? -- diningroom 211 and/or Mrs Jones, Asiana, Melbourne Wine Room, Walter's Wine Bar, Yu.U, France Soir, Soupierre.

Then to Sydney -- most of all for a repeat pilgrammage to Tetsuya, which on a previous visit offered one of the most memorable meals of my life.

We are eating at Wharf for New Year's. Other places we are considering trying: Sailor's Thai, Billy Kwong, Claude's, Bistro Moncur, Becasse, Marque. (Oh, and we're staying in Darlinghurst explicitly so we can eat breakfast EVERY DAY at bill's ... I still have dreams about the scrambled eggs from the last time I was there. Well, maybe we'll make it to Bather's Pavillion for a second breakfast one of the days we're there ...)

Any comments or suggestions gratefully appreciated.

Chris

[episyd]

Hi Chris

In Sydney at the moment Tabou is great.....the foods excellent and they do a 3-course lunch for around A$30 which is great value.
If froggy-bistro stuff is your thing Becasse in Surry Hills and Balzac in Randwick are fantastic also Bistro Lulu in Paddington.
For superb views and food, Quay [opposite the Opera House on Circular quay] is awesome, Icebergs [ stunning view of Bondi beach from the south end]is the hottest place in town and after a meal there last week it thoroughly deserves its reputation - you must book and it isessential to have a pre-dinner drink in the "look-at-me" bar before dinner.

Here's a great list of the best and most exciting restaurants in Sydney from a review in the The Age early this month

http://www.theage.co...0127334401.html

Good luck and don't forget to write up your trip.

Cheers
Paul , Sydney

[Fi Fi La More]

Hi Chris

It is a shame you will have to miss the Flower Drum. I visited Asiana about a year ago and really enjoyed it (if you like wine they have a very good wine list). I think Walters Wine Bar is a bit past its former glory. Please post on your experience at Vue de Monde as I would love to hear about it.

In Sydney, if you enjoy Thai food I think Sailors Thai is a must. You have a lot of great restaurants in your list and Paul has given you some excellent suggestions. I would also strongly recommend Quay and Becasse. I also really like Pier (mentioned in the link provided by Paul) for exceptional seafood. If you can sacrifice some food quality for a great experience - try breakfast at Ripples (under the Harbour Bridge near the North Sydney Pool). It is no bill's but is it pretty cool location.

Good Luck!

[Niall]

And try the corn fritters at bills aswell...

[chrisnorth]

Thanks for the recommendations. We have added Icebergs to the list based on recs from Sydneysider friends, also Bistro Lulu. Claude's is closed for an entire month, unfortunately. Neither Sailor's Thai, Billy Kwong, nor Bistro Moncur take reservations so we'll take our chances. Am also thinking about a repeat visit to Longrain which I rather enjoyed 2 years ago.

Will report back in mid-January ...

Chris

[episyd]

Yep, Longrain is still going strong and pushing out excellent thai

Cheers

Paul

[Fi Fi La More]

With Sailors Thai I think it is only the Canteen that doesn't take reservations. The main restaurant takes reservations unless there has been a recent change in policy. As an aside I saw Tetsuya dining at Sailors Thai last time I was there.

If you go to Longrain you must get there early otherwise you can start to wonder if it is worth it after a three hour wait at the bar no matter how good those cocktails are.

[ecr]

I'll probably have abt six days total in Sydney. Some food goals:

1) mindblowing sushi. Somewhere we could put ourselves in the sushi chef's hands
2) an Italian meal that will make me think I'm in Italy
3) some very good Mediterranean --- preferably Turkish or Greek. If not that, then Moroccan.
4) a relaxing Saturday or Sunday (or Friday) lunch by the shore in a lovely (but not fussy or overdressed) setting
5) a meal where the focus is fish fish fish (this in addition to the sushi meal)
6) a meal somewhere that I can get a fabulous cheese plate (preferably Aussie and NZ cheeses)
7) lunch with an Aussie friend who doesn't splurge on herself much ... where should I take her?
8) oysters on the half shell!!! could be a meal or with drinks

I live in Asia so I'm not looking for Asian food (other than sushi) .... and the above are all things that are in short supply where I live. Sydney is my chance to sate my cravings! We're not real comfortable in haute, dressy type restaurants (never feel I can laugh out loud); and my husband won't wear a tie. Friendly, welcoming atmosphere is important. Budget is sort of middle range - expensive (though I certainly wouldn't complain at suggestions in the low-middle range). We will allow ourselves one really blowout (in terms of expense) meal, could be any of the above.

Thanks in advance (and to those who answered my query abt AGT too).

[Maliaty]

Hi ECR


1) mindblowing sushi - the last great sushi I had (at a sushi bar) was at a place in Crows Nest called something like Chango - not sure of spelling, but it specialised in food for sumo wrestlers - the chef could see (b/c we were at the bar rather than the table) how much we were digging it, and started giving us things that weren't on the menu to see how we liked it (we liked it! we liked it!). I have heard good things about the sushi place - um, something like Unkai, in what used to be the ANA hotel, now I think the Shangri La in the CBD.

2) Italian - I live quite close to Leichhardt, which has the Norton St strip of Italian restaurants. most places we have tried along there have been pretty good - Sorriso's has a "hat" in the good food guide, and we quite enjoyed it - but have only been there once. Buon Ricordo in Paddington is well regarded, Bel Mondo in the Rocks is / was superb the last time we were there, but both are bit more expensive than Norton St. Tra To Ra Ro (again, not sure of spelling) in paddington was great last time we were there (but that was about 8 yrs ago).

3) Mediterranean. Hmm. Greek - Eleni's in Newtown, or Mylos in Glebe Pt Rd, Glebe are okay, but if you have time, think about going out to Brighton Le Sand (past the airport) which has many Greek restaurants - including one I have always wanted to try that advertises Greek yum cha. The mind boggles. Moroccan - Kasbah in Balmain (Darling St) is a favourite of mine. Sorry, can't offer any suggestions for Turkish restaurants, but there is a great Turkish pide place on King St, Newtown.

4) Relaxing lunch by the shore. Pricey - watermark or Bather's Pavilion - both at Balmoral (Mosman) but gorgeous. Across the road at Balmoral - you can get great fish and chips from a place called Bottom of the Harbour - and eat on the beach. Palm Beach has some nice places, but that's a bit of a drive if you are staying in the CBD. Manly has some great places for a relaxed lunch - it's just a short hop on the Manly ferry or jet cat (brief chance to be a tourist) (Brazil, BarKing Frog) opposite the promenade on the Surf Beach, and a new brasserie has just opened in the old Manly surf club if you fancy a walk up from the corso - or in the other direction is the Kiosk - or a great cafe half way round which I have forgotten the name of (pregnancy brain - I'm due today and trying to distract myself - does it show?). Alternatively, on my side of the harbour are some great places down at Bondi - the Icebergs surf club has a new restaurant that is always getting great write ups (which you have probably read in AGT) and at the opposite end is another one - fellow Sydney siders, help me out!

5) Fish fish fish - Watson's Bay - Doyles, or Doyles at the Fish Market are both reputed to be great. Shores or Fresh Ketch at the Spit Bridge (bridging Mosman and Clontarf) are pretty good. There is - slightly more touristy - Jordan's at Darling harbour.

6) Fabulous cheese plate. Hmm. Not really my thing. Suggestions, anyone else? Simon Johnson - providore - stocks a fantastic range of cheeses (either in Paddington or Pyrmont), but can't help you with restaurants.

7) Aussie friend splurgy lunch...depends where she lives, what her tastes are etc. Luke Mangan's Salt gets great write ups (probably in the AGT somewhere), Tetsuyas is always fantastic but expensive and you need to book well in advance...friends of mine rave about Jonah's (which is up towards Palm Beach)...

8) Oysters on the half shell - half way along from Circular Qy to the Opera House is a great oyster bar. Alternatively, Milsons in Kirribilli has some great treatments of oysters....or (my fav option) - just go to Sydney Fish Markets (hop on the light rail from Central, or the Haymarket or Darling Harbour is the easiest way to get there) and go to the oyster seller just inside the main hall, purchase some delicious sydney rocks, or Sth Australian anything, or tasmanians, take outside after acquiring some good beer / sharp wine and devour (watching out for seagulls and pelicans). Okay, the Sydney Fish Markets smells of fish - if that's not your thing, cross the road to a big green park and eat there.

Hope this all helps. It has certainly made me hungry - and one of the first things that I need to eat after bub arrives is definitely sushi!!

Cheers
Maliaty

[Fi Fi La More]

Hi ECR

Here is my input:

1. Sushi. Wasavie in Paddington has fantastic sushi and also some other great dishes (eg amazing braised pork belly). The drawbacks are that it is super popular (I had to book a few weeks a head to go on a Friday night) and there is only a communal table. If you want something more high end and innovative I believe Yoshii in the Rocks (Best Japanese in the Good Food Guide) is the way to go.

2. I haven't discovered any amazing Italian yet.

3. Mediterranean - maybe you could kill two birds with one stone and go Moorish on Bondi Beach (It was the other place Maliaty was trying to think of at the other end of Bondi Beach).

4. As Maliaty suggests there is Watermark and Bathers Pavilion at Balmoral. I also like The Wharf Restaurant at Walsh Bay. It is set at the end of an old Wharf and is a great place for a long relaxing lunch.

5. Pier at Rose Bay is the place for fish (Best Seafood in the Good Food Guide). It is really pricey but I can remember every mouthful of my meal there. I have not eaten better seafood anyway. It also has a lovely setting over the water.

6. Lunch with Aussie Friend - What does she like?


7. Cheese Plate. I haven't anything that blows me away (maybe that is because of my recent trip to France). However as Maliaty suggests Simon Johnson is the place to go. I buy all my cheeses here. The one in Pyrmont is really close to the Sydney Fish Market so you could go there when you go to get your Oysters.


8. Oysters - Definitely the Sydney Fish Market.

I hope you and your husband have a wonderful trip.

[ecr]

Wow, my mind is reeling at all these suggestions. Thank you!

The Aussie friend is born-raised Sydney, loves it, hates Canberra where she is currently working, doesn't get back to Sydney too often. She misses Sydney, she eats anything/everything, so I'm open to suggestions. Hmmm, she does really like Chinese, I suppose I'd be willing to go Asian for that meal, but it should be a nice meal. Anyway,what would you want to eat first in Sydney if you were returning after an absence?

Big blowout/expensive meal ... would it be Watermark, Bather's Pavillion, The Wharf, one of those?

Perhaps no Italian meal as replies are not resoundingly positive.... but would Leichardt be where I'd head to buy Italian ingredients .... like salt-packed capers and anchovies, etc.?

Maliaty --- more specifics on the Turkish pide place please (after you've delivered!) --- King St., Newton ... landmarks?

I'll do my homework and come back in a few wks with more questions...

[Niall]

1) mindblowing sushi. Somewhere we could put ourselves in the sushi chef's hands
Sushi Counter in Crows Nest does really good Omakase for about $55. I think Chango at Crows Nest (if it was the place on the Pac Highway) has closed down.

2) an Italian meal that will make me think I'm in Italy
As said before, Buon Ricordo in Paddington is the best I've had. At Norton St try Grappa; the pizza there is really good.

3) some very good Mediterranean --- preferably Turkish or Greek. If not that, then Moroccan.
A said before, Moorish at Bondi is supposed to be good, but I haven't been there yet.

4) a relaxing Saturday or Sunday (or Friday) lunch by the shore in a lovely (but not fussy or overdressed) setting
Watermark is great but expensive. Bring a picnic on the walk that goes from the Spit bridge to manly. The walk will take about 3 hours; if it's a good day, climb down to one of the beaches after you pass Clontarf beach.

5) a meal where the focus is fish fish fish (this in addition to the sushi meal)
The boathouse on Blackwattle bay is fantastic. Eat the snapper pie. I don't agree with Doyles at the fishmarket, but doyles watson bay is worth a visit too.

6) a meal somewhere that I can get a fabulous cheese plate (preferably Aussie and NZ cheeses)
I agree with most other people; buy the cheeses at Simon Johnson. Eat them on your walk from the spit to manly...

7) lunch with an Aussie friend who doesn't splurge on herself much ... where should I take her?
Tetsuya, Quay, Aria, Salt, Buon Ricordo, Milsons.. there's quite a few to choose from. If it's a romantic occasion and you have access to a car go to The cottage point inn and start over.

8) oysters on the half shell!!! could be a meal or with drinks
Oysters can be quite variable; your best bet is to do as the others have suggested and go to the fishmarkets where they are freshly shucked. Wildfire at Circular quay has some good one sometimes; go for the native angasi oysters or the rock oysters; the flavour is much better than the pacifics.

[episyd]

Where are you staying?

We don't want to be sending you from one side of sydney to the other as well as sightseeing etc.

Just quickly
** agree with Niall re Buon Ricardo for Italian - forget Norton St Leichardt

**agree with Milarty re Pier at Rose Bay for seafood - actually think this would be a lovely place to take your sydbneysider currently working in ACT. It's located on a pier (wharf) out into Sydney harbour and on a Sat or Sunday with all the boats on the harbour it would be superb - her's the current menu and there is a couple of photos of the restaurant http://www.pierresta....au/menu02.html .

Unfortunatley the Boathouse's view is pretty ordinary overlooking either a public high school, industrial wharves/cement producer and fish market and a dirty big bridge which you either love or hate - but the fish is excellent

** Big blow out meal showing off the best of australian cooking, but not at a restaurant with a lovely view etc. I don't think you can pass up either Tetsuya or Claudes. Both have been discussed on a number of other oz posts.

Hope that's some help.

Cheers

PaulV

[Maliaty]

Hi ECR

Yes, Leichhardt is definitely the place to go for capers, anchovies etc - and specifically, the Leichhardt grocer (looks like a fruit & vig shop), on Norton St, in the Leichhardt shopping centre (downstairs) which fronts a pedestrian crossing.

The Turkish pide place...King St in Newtown is the main "drag" (newtown has a high population of alternative lifestylers....and if you are coming soon, it will be in full mardi gras regalia...definitely fun). The shops start past Sydney Uni, and the pide place is closer to the Uni than the other end...hmmm...on a corner, on the left side of the street and called something like "effies". It is past the biggest secondhand bookshop (and most disorganised bookshop) that I have ever seen (called Goulds), past a big complex of apartments with a Thai place down the bottom... and beyond that, my description fails me. Hope that helps!

The other Italian recommendation I had was Aqua Luna, also at the Quay. The most memorable dish I have had there is their roasted bone marrow, on woodfired bread. V indulgent (and I don't want to think about the fat content).

Reservations - for the blow out meal, sooner rather than later (particularly if you are thinking of Tetsuya's, which you need to do as far as possible in advance - someone help out with when you have to ring??

cheers
Maliaty

[Chris Cognac]

You have to get a meat pie at Harry's Cafe De Wheels. Its been one of my dreams to go there, please eat one with mashed potatos and the green pea sauce and tell me about it!

[DJOblong]

Hey there.

Not sure if you are still looking for info but here's my two cents:

1. Sushi - there are some truly excellent Sushi places in Sydney. More expensive there is Unkai on top of ANA Hotel in the city - unbelievable view but expensive.

2. There is a top italian place in Balmain called Il Piave where the little old Italian grandmother hand makes the pasta every morning - trei Italiano, no?

3. There is an awesome cheap Turkish place on Cleveland Street in Surry Hills, near the corner with Crown Street, called Erciyes. They have this lamb shish kebab which, for such an assuming place, is so succulent and tender it is astounding. Great dips too - hummus, chilli, to have with Turkish bread. Great baklava for dessert.

4. Lunch by the shore - Doyle's is an instiution but forget the one at the Fish Markets - Watson's Bay is the money, with great views of the harbour. The snapper pie at the Boathouse in Blackwattle Bay is legendary and well worth a visit.

5. Fish fish fish. A good place called Mohr Fish in Surry Hills is cheaper ($20 main) and for the shiz-nit, yes Pier is fantastic, but very expensive. Jordan's is just WAY too touristy.

6. Fabulous cheese plate. Well I did have a great cheese plate at one restaurant called Becasse in Surry Hills. Not sure whether it is the best cheese plate around but you should defninitely go to becasse. Absolutely world class food at less than world class prices. Constantly changnig menu and very resonably priced degustation menu - $90 and it includes cheese. I think there is an option to have it with wine for $120. Lots of good french wines. Prob one of my top 2 or 3 restaurants in Sydney.

7. Splurgey lunch? Well if you are looking to just spend serious cash - Bel Mondo, Rockpool, Aria, Quay. Take your pick. Aviod Rockpool in my opinion - over-rated. Quay one restaurant of the year here and great views of the harbour. Cottage Point is a cool option too.

8. Oysters. Not my bag, baby. Looks too much like snot.

[wesza]

I'm surprised that no ones mentioned Sydney's most famous Seafood export, that at it's best when served in Sydney.

Sydney Rock Oysters from New South Wales are possably the worlds best Oysters.

They are kept in special nets and allowed to fatten via the Rivers tidel currents before being harvested.

Another specialty are "Morton Bay Bugs" that are more well known as Slipper Lobsters, available live in Sea Water Tanks they are very delicious. They also have available a large crayfish called a "Scabie" and several special Crabs.

Irwin

[DJOblong]

I think you mean "Yabbie". Scabbie sounds like the guy that crosses the picket line when the workers are striking. And yabbies are great - very similar to Marron which are found mainly in Western Australia - big, sweet, crustaceans bigger than king prawns but not quite lobster size

[lamington]

I didn't see mention of Alhambra anywhere above, and it just happens to be in Manly too! CLose to the ferries. Can't remember the address (West Esplanade?) but the tourist office know it, and it's in the phone book. Good Moroccan.

[truffles]

Great weblinks again - thanks!
I had already followed the earlier thread about Sydney restaurants and had seen the reference to Cottage Point Inn, but the photos really drive home the appeal. It's on our list...
The Clonakilla winery also looks very appealing as does the science museum in Canberra. We probably will do the drive down through highlands and back up along coast. Our 11 yr old has this idea that he's going to learn to surf. Which beaches (north or south of Sydney) would you recommend for a). lessons, b). watching the regulars?
Finally, I don't recall reading much about Indian restaurants in Sydney. Do you have any recommendations?

[Niall]

Piar, malabar and nilgiri's in crows nest
Amars down near circular quay, Zaafran in Darling Harbour harbour

There are many more around; particularily in Newtown and Glebe, and most are reasonable quality. Most Indian Home diners are pretty decent. Is there any area in particular you are interested in?

Edit: add beach info

On the south side, Do the Bondi to Coogee walk; it will take a couple of hours and you will see quite a few beaches; if you just want to go to one beach for the day try Bronte for both the kids and people watching; there's a great little park with a little train that goes around a small loop. Bondi is good for people watching, but it is overly busy, and half the people there are english and Irish backpackers. Coogee is the same.

On the North side, there a plenty of good beaches; Manly is a bit touristy, but good for people watching; walk down to Shelly for a smaller beach; it's good for snorkling or learning how to swim because it is sheltered. Dee why/ long reef is a great beach; and if you do go up to cottage point, head across to either palm beach, avalon or whale beach; if you're interested, Palm beach is where that awful aussie soap opera, Home and Away is filmed. You can see th Summer Bay Surf Life savers club from the show on the beach; but it is still a beautiful beach.

Edited by Niall, 11 March 2004 - 03:19 AM.

[Maliaty]

Oh yes on Alhambra - on Friday or Saturday nights, they also have flamenco dancers (from memory). They do tapas as well as mains - and only a short distance from the ferry.

Cheers
Maliaty

[cakewench]

Coming into this conversation really late, but:

When a foodie friend of mine came to Oz to visit me (I was in Adelaide, we met up in Sydney), he had done all sorts of research into what restaurants he wanted to try while he was there. He really wanted an excellent sushi dinner, and had discovered that the ANA Harbour Hotel had the area's big (quoted x amount of stars, don't recall, didn't care much about sushi, honestly) sushi chef. He treated me to an very expensive meal there, and he was absolutely delighted with it. He said it was the best he has ever had. He is not prone to hyperbole, so I took him at his word. (my own experience... well, it was okay, but I really am not a sushi person. I like stronger flavors, and cooked food. )

Anyhoo. I would recommend that place, just because he loved it so much. He's hard to please. BTW, the view from the top floor (where this restaurant is) was fantastic.

[kenteoh]

i'll be going down to sydney in a few months' time, just hope the good folks here can point me to some good and cheap (max. around aud 20 per meal) places to eat while i'm there. no malaysian, chinese or indian food though, i get enough of that here in malaysia. thanks ppl.

so far, i've got these items on my list of must-trys:

- freshly shucked oysters at sydney fish market
- sailor's thai canteen
- meat pies at harry's cafe de wheels
- breakfast at bills

Edited by kenteoh, 28 March 2004 - 11:06 AM.

[aidensnd]

I finally got around to eating at Bills the other day and to be honest I was somewhat disappointed. I had the scrambled eggs and bacon and while it was good it wasn't anything that blew me away, which after hearing people rave about them I suppose I was expecting something magical. Then again I have a problem in general spending good money for something you could whip up for $2.00 at home with the same results. I would also have liked to see a bigger selection/variety on the menu.

Just my opinion.

[DJOblong]

There is an excellent turkish place in Surry Hills/Redfern on Cleveland St (cnr of Crown St) called Erciyes. Order the lamb shish kebab and have hummus and chilli dips with it and their turkish bread. The restaurant looks really shabby but the lamb is so tender we could not believe it. It is also really consistently good. You won't be disappointed. Cheapish, but not dirt cheap

[Romaney O'Malley]

Hi guys - this is my first post on the Aussie leg. Just wanted to get your advice. Am coming to Melbourne for a week in November - has anyone been to Flower Drum since Gilbert Lau handed over the reins? If so has there been any noticeable change in quality of either food or service? I am assuming not given the handover appears to be have been pretty seamless - no harm in asking tho

We are staying in St Kilda at the Prince - Have read good things about Circa - is it comparable with the places you have discussed above or should we give it a miss?

[PCL]

Am coming to Melbourne for a week in November - has anyone been to Flower Drum since Gilbert Lau handed over the reins? If so has there been any noticeable change in quality of either food or service? I am assuming not given the handover appears to be have been pretty seamless - no harm in asking tho

The Drum keeps on beating... couldn't resist that one.

The staff are still the same. Gilbert was a great PR man, and perhaps inspiration and driving force behind the works, but he left behind a great ship, awesome crew, so as long you've got cash in your wallet, or an expense account or two, the Drum is still up there, but anyone going there should be encouraged to eat off the menu... there's only so much sweet sour one should consume in a lifetime, and frankly, the majority of the non-Chinese clientele have no real idea of what the Drum is really about.

Be prepared to spend to around $150 sans vin per person.

[Romaney O'Malley]

thanks PCL - do you know how far in advance I should book? (a month?)

[petemelb]

Romaney,

Circa has always done high standard food in a great setting. They have recently changed chefs and I haven't eaten there since the change. The new chef is Andrew McConnell, formerly of Dining Room 211 (now Interlude, he sold it to his former Sous Chef). Andrew's other restaurant is Mrs Jones (featured in this month's Gourmet Traveller).

I recently had a great meal at the new Brasserie by Philippe Mouchel at Crown Casino. Philippe is a bit of a legend in Melbourne and has recently returned from being in Tokyo for a couple of years. Very good French Brasserie food.

You should try to get to Ezard at the Adelphi as well. The best East meets West food in Melbourne.

Hope this helps,

Petemelb