Broken English

Awesome. With David Chang opening in Sydney a little after I disappear for my year long hiatus, I am doubly keen for this. What would you recommend for a solo diner with a big appetite?

Peking duck is, in my mind, the perfect dish. Unimprovable by man or Ferran. I'll have to check this place out next month.

To ensure it's chilled thoroughly is my guess. I have not had any trouble with 2 hrs fridge time for conventional stuffings, so long as it's tied. I am not sure with Transglutaminase, as I mentioned in the other thread. Maybe some other members can shed some light on that subject?

I have been having a little trouble binding meat to the same level as some of the posts I've seen on here, is it simply a matter of using more TG, or less? I've not tried it for anything more ambitious than binding together a rolled stuffed roast lamb saddle, but I found I had to tie it anyway. I just sprinkle a fine dust on, brush excess off with a brush, roll in cling film and refrigerate for 4-6 hours. It sort of binds, but not to the level I was expecting. Is there a technique I'm missing out on here?

That's not what I meant at all, I just mean that I hate feeling conspicuous, and I just find it a little awkward. I'm all for the taking of photos, it gives a good preview of the dishes I will hopefully enjoy one day. I managed to get a table at Bilson's at less than a weeks notice, so if it's a weeknight you shouldn't have too much trouble. The 15 course menu is very good, although you'd best not eat lunch beforehand, and of course, it is very expensive.

Haha, I can relate to that. May just stick to serving them as an amuse bouche for blue marlin then.

When I cook swordie, I treat it the same as tuna. and wahoo: ie. serve it rare, at the very most, medium. I find it just dries out to the point where it's pretty unenjoyable when it's cooked past medium. I also like to use it as a tartare or carpaccio.

That looks great. I have never really had much to do with eating skipjack tuna, we used to just use them for marlin bait. Are they anywhere near as good as Yellow or Bluefin?

Pan roasted duck breast, creamy polenta, snow peas, shiitake mushrooms, honey soy jus (made from the stock I made from the duck carcass. I was quite happy with it, though I can't imagine not being happy whilst eating duck.

Well the Quay menu is completely different (bar the snow egg) to the time I last went there in November last year, and the only dishes remaining on the Marque menu are the almond gazpacho and sauternes custard, again from last November (though I've had those dishes every time I've been since February 2010). I went to Bilson's a few weeks ago, and it was great, the El-Bulli polenta dish is one of the greatest things I've ever eaten, texturally speaking. It's not remotely cheap, but it is very good. Anyway, thanks again for the great weeklong blog. I'll have to post a review of Becasse this week, though I don't have a camera and would feel really self conscious and, well, touristy taking photos in a restaurant, so we'll have to rely on your photos.

I suspect the week would have been somewhat like the seven day "super-size me" experiment conducted by Jay Rayner in Paris three-stars. Some surprising information though: Pier is clearly nothing of what it once was in terms of quality, and I'm stunned that a completely raw beef dish made it to the table at Quay. Thanks for the write up anyway, this thread's made great reading over the last week.

I suspect the week would have been somewhat like the seven day "super-size me" experiment conducted by Jay Rayner in Paris three-stars. Some surprising information though: Pier is clearly nothing of what it once was in terms of quality, and I'm stunned that a completely raw beef dish made it to the table at Quay. Thanks for the write up anyway, this thread's made great reading over the last week.

I'm in NY next month, and upon discovering the devastating news that Per Se will be closed the time I'm there, I had to book Masa. $450 for a 20-25 course prixe fixe menu at the sushi bar, plus drinks and tip. I'm excited, but bloody hell, it had better be good for that price.

Sounds amazing. I'm in NY next month, what's the easiest way to get into Ssam, does it have the same booking policy as Ko, or are you able to just walk in?

Glad to hear you enjoyed Becasse. It's long been a favourite of mine, I can't wait until next Thursday when I eat at the new premises for the first time.

That seems a little unfair. Marque is, in my mind, the best restaurant in the country. I rate it above Quay. I'm a little disappointed that they no longer serve the Arpege egg, although the replacement bonito sandwich looks and sounds amazing. Interesting you note that the food doesn't appear as though it's attended to by hundreds of lackeys bearing tweezers. As far as I know, there are only 5 chefs in the kitchen, and I know that there's barely enough room to swing a cat, should you be so inclined.

I am very partial to a good corn fritter. 3 cups self raising flour 1 cup plain flour 1 large pinch baking powder 1 large pinch baking soda 1 pinch smoked paprika 4 eggs About 750ml milk (add until a thick, batter-like consistency is achieved) Seasoning Chopped basil and chives Cooked corn kernels The key for these is to shallow fry them, before transferring them to the oven for about 3-4 minutes. They puff up beautifully, and are so light and crispy. You can also make a stunning variation using grated zucchini.

I still don't get how this place has two hats. It's good, sure, but not that good. Seems to me that they have awarded hats for the decor, because it is rather stunning inside.

I went about a year and a half ago. It was good, although more homely than haute cuisine, which for the price, surprised me. The menu when I went was half Chinese influences, half South East Asian influenced. I think Jimmy Liks in Potts Point and China Doll in Wooloomooloo are better bets though.

I've never been to any of those restaurants, Sake is somewhere I really want to head next time I go out in Sydney though. Guillame's stuff has never appealed to me particularly, not sure why. Can't wait to read the rest of them though, hope your week is enjoyable.

I like the idea of both an entree and main of duck ... Well, duck is the Chuck Norris of meats, after all. Kind of a shame you're not going to Rockpool though, I would really like someone to vehemently disagree with my experience last time I went there. I found it so boring and repetitive. I mean, I love soy and ginger, but in a degustation menu I don't expect them to be repeated 5 times in nine courses. Neil Perry's dishes on Iron Chef last season give me some hope though, maybe it was just a bad night.

I worked at Otto for almost a year, just before the last chef, James Kidman, left. The food is good and simple modern European, but it is quite expensive. I've eaten there once since I left and the food has gone up a notch under new chef Richard Ptacnik (he was senior sous when I worked there). I've been wondering about Rockpool Bar and Grill, I can't see how it's worth anything like two hats, especially when restaurants like Bilson's and Tetsuya's are also two hats. In my opinion, it's good, but overhyped beyond all belief.

Sounds like a great list. I'd love to know what the new Becasse is like, I have a booking there in two weeks. Make sure you have the Peking Duck consomme at Aria. It was my favourite course last time I went.

I'm heading out alone to what's touted as "Sydney's most expensice degustation" tonight at Bilson's. I'm looking forward to it, there's an El Bulli dish on the menu (labelled Polenta, Zucchini, Parmesan, Hazelnut from the 2007 season). Diego Munoz, the current head chef, worked there a few years ago.

In top restaurants I prefer to dine alone, that way I can immerse myself in the experience, without having to worry whether my dining partner is as into it as me. I don't get bored or lonely, I love watching the service of a busy restaurant. For mine, that beats most coversations. Maybe I'm weird, but hey, I can live with it.