Birthday dinner

[Maliaty]

Dear all

I've been out of the fine dining game for a while (mother of a 3yr old), am huge with second child, but have a dear of a husband who would like to take me out for a birthday dinner.

We've been to Tetsuya's and while it was lovely, don't want to besmirch the memory by going back. we've had celebrations at Rockpool in the past.

Sydney siders, help me by suggesting a fine dining experience - preferably in the CBD / inner west that is going to see me through for another couple of years! I've had Glass, est, Quay and Sailor's Thai recommended... but would love to hear first hand experiences from you guys.

Thanks in advance

Maliaty

[cookaburra]

I had a very nice meal at The Welcome Hotel in Rozelle recently(22.11.06).It's not a fine dining atmosphere but the food is not far off it.

Some notes I took on it read........Big duck leg(generous).Just warm scallops(perfect).fine dining presentation.all delicious.perfect wine-Barwick margret river chardonay

The items we had were....Scallops wrapped in pancetta,salad leafs,sc vierge,crisp pancetta.Duck confit salad,haz nut,apple,cress,red wine vinaigrette.Chicken ballotine, cabbage and diced leek and carrot,jus.Pork belly and blood sausge wrap in proscuito, parsnip cream,crisp and dice,jus.

The only points lost were for over cooked hazelnuts.

I'd like to try Omega this month for a birthday celebration. I have the Entertainment coupon book , so can get one free main course with a paid one.

[Ylee]

Cookaburra: Omega has closed down, unfortunately.

Maliaty: My favourite place to eat in Sydney is Yoshii, if you like Japanese food. Also Pier at Rose Bay, especially just when the sun is setting. I revisted Quay recently and had a very good meal there (mud crab congee was a highlight). We took some photos, which are here

http://blog.lemonpi.net/?p=788

if you're interested in seeing what the food is like.

[Shinboners]

I've been out of the fine dining game for a while (mother of a 3yr old), am huge with second child,

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I have a lot of empathy for you. My partner and I used to dine out monthly and try new restaurants each time. But since the birth of our daughter, we go out less, and to a couple of favourite haunts (that also happen to be baby friendly). That's not to say that I'd give up my daughter to go back to dining out all the time!

Anyway, good luck with finding somewhere to go. If you look up the index for Australian discussions at the top of this page, you'll find links to reviews for a few Sydney restaurants.

[Snadra]

I've been to Cafe Sydney (does that qualify as fine dining? for the price it certainly should!) several times in the past year. I used to think it wasn't worth the price, but on my last two visits the food really met my expectations. The views from the outdoor area are fantastic, and it's especially lovely in the evening.

For something more low-key, I can heartily recommend Selah at Circular Quay. It's a small, cozy room, service is lovely, warm and knowledgable and food is really excellent. Great value as well.

Finally, what about Level 41? I know it's not the 'in' place it used to be, but I think it still makes for a special ocassion, and great food. Parking, easy access and comfortable chairs are also most likely here, I think, which might be important to you at this point!

Snadra

[Julian Teoh]

Since Maliaty evinced a reluctance to return to Tetsuya but not Rockpool, I cast my vote for Rockpool.

The current degustation menu is an absolute rip-snorter. 13 courses of sheer bliss. It took me over 3.5 hours to finish the meal, and trust me, we were not lingering. At $175, it's a considerable investment but the returns are indeed handsome.

I would also recommend Astral at Star City (which comes with the Entertainment Book bonus - save 25% up to $50 or something). Stay away from the more experimental dishes like apple powder and apple foams; Sean Connolly is a fine classically-trained chef and his "non-avant garde" but modern dishes can be quite remarkable. There's also always a foie gras dish on the menu somewhere if you are into that kind of thing.

The wine list is excellent. Let them know you are celebrating an occasion and they'll plonk you by the window with a marvellous view of the Sydney skyline, and maybe send you off with a complimentary plate of nibblies as a present.

[cookaburra]

Since Maliaty evinced a reluctance to return to Tetsuya but not Rockpool, I cast my vote for Rockpool.

The current degustation menu is an absolute rip-snorter.  13 courses of sheer bliss.  It took me over 3.5 hours to finish the meal, and trust me, we were not lingering.  At $175, it's a considerable investment but the returns are indeed handsome.

I would also recommend Astral at Star City (which comes with the Entertainment Book bonus - save 25% up to $50 or something).  Stay away from the more experimental dishes like apple powder and apple foams; Sean Connolly is a fine classically-trained chef and his "non-avant garde" but modern dishes can be quite remarkable.  There's also always a foie gras dish on the menu somewhere if you are into that kind of thing. 

The wine list is excellent.  Let them know you are celebrating an occasion and they'll plonk you by the window with a marvellous view of the Sydney skyline, and maybe send you off with a complimentary plate of nibblies as a present.

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That sounds nice actually.I was thinking about celebrating my b'day there using my entertainment book.It was a hard decision but I decided to go to Altitude in the Shangra la Hotel.Just checked out the eatability website though and notice mixed reviews.Most say that you are paying just for the view,some don't even get the view,while others have to deal with waiters in training shoes.Everyday requests should be easily met by 5 star hotels.They don't seem to acknowledge that.

All that said , I will see what it is like tomorrow night.

[cookaburra]

That sounds nice actually.I was thinking about celebrating my b'day there using my entertainment book.It was a hard decision but I decided to go to Altitude in the Shangra la Hotel.Just checked out the eatability website though and notice mixed reviews.Most say that you are paying just for the view,some don't even get the view,while others have to deal with waiters in training shoes.Everyday requests should be easily met by 5 star hotels.They don't seem to acknowledge that.

All that said , I will see what it is like tomorrow night.

A change of plans .We are going to the summit for dinner,even after their poor good living review.They can't be as bad as the review now, i imagine.I think the review over-reacted negativly to some poor aspects of the restaurant so I'm gonna give them a chance .Hope they live up to my expectation.

[Shalmanese]

A change of plans .We are going to the summit for dinner,even after their poor good living review.They can't be as bad as the review now, i imagine.I think the review over-reacted negativly to some poor aspects of the restaurant so I'm gonna give them a chance .Hope they live up to my expectation.

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Why would you go to a restaurant just because it couldn't be as bad as they said it was?

[Julian Teoh]

Cookaburra,

By coincidence, I ate at the Summit on the Friday evening before the Good Living review was published. I thought it was excellent, the view notwithstanding.

By further coincidence, none of the dishes that we ordered were the same as those discussed (and generally slagged upon) in the review. And I did not encounter any of the problems which were highlighted in the review.

We had:

Entrees - Beef carpaccio with dukkah coated egg; some sort of tart with beetroot and slow cooked onions - good stuff!

Mains - Roasted snapper with potato champ (great); some sort of lamb rack

Dessert - Framboisier - smashing (This was the only dish-in-common which Simon Thomsen reviewed, and I'll be damned if he has gotten over the "cultural cringe"). I was contemplating ordering the Lenotre "daily special" of a chocolate cone filled with more chocolate but decided against it.

In short, you are right - it is nowhere near as bad as the review. These days, I tend to read the Good Living reviews more for personal amusement than for dining tips.

Enjoy your dinner tonight, I'm sure you will. Looking forward to your report.