Antarctica Diary Day 2: Crossing the Drake Passage
16 hours ago
Monday, June 8, 2009
Quay Restaurant Sydney 10 May
We have been supplying Quay Restaurant in Sydney with Suffolk lamb for 12 months now and after much chiding from the better half a booking was made on the weekend we visited Sydney for the 2009 Vogue Entertaining and Travel producer awards. In the past 12 months Quay has won the Syney Morning Herald Restaurant of the Year and the Gourmet Traveller and Restaurant and Catering Association National Restaurant of the Year awards as well as being named in the World's top 50 restaurants.
As such expectations were High!
After scoring a sensational table with amazing views of both the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House we took a chance to look at the menu which to be honest was a struggle - there were 4 courses and 4 choices per course and to be honest only 3 of the 16 didn't appeal to me. After much deliberation the meal began
For first course I had the Mud Crab Congee. Sweet crab with a well spiced congee and silky smooth rice porridge was pretty good start to the night but there was better to come! Next I went for the Confit of Pig Belly with abalone and cuttlefish braise. It was an subtle combination of flavours and textures all of which were smooth and unctious in their own way with the belly being cooked to perfection. The surprise in the second course was the dish chosen by Liz a Confit of shaved squid - this was sublime and like no other squid dish i have ever tasted. If I ever get back to Quay and that dish is on the menu I'm having it as 1 forkful was not enough!
At this point we were getting set for "mains" when were surprised by the kitchen with 5 textures of southern rock lobster. As a South Aussie I know that these suckers are good and Quay didn't let me down. The "plate" for this was something I'd not seen before and it came apart to reveal 2 dishes one a consomme over a mousse of lobster and the other a stack with butter poached lobster, lobster and tapioca mousseline and what I discovered later was lobster with egg whites. All in all very clever and very good.
So now time for the Suffolk Lamb - a loin with baby carrots, nasturtims, capers and tiny olives it came with a side of sheeps milk fromage that to be honest I was a trifle worried about apon reading the menu. However it worked - all the ingrediants were allowed to speak for themselves and it was testemant to the chef that the flavours were allowed to out and the fromage was wonderfully mild and complemented the unique flavour of our very special suffolk lamb.
As someone who is not a huge "dessert eater" I finished with the cheese platter which was lovely but it was now that we got our last surprise. The 8 texture chocolate cake appeared on our table. Now I have no idea of the exact 8 textures I was eating - all I can say is that this was the best cake I have ever eaten and it has ruined me for all others as now I know what is possible.
All in all a brilliant night with fantastic service and amazing food
As such expectations were High!
After scoring a sensational table with amazing views of both the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House we took a chance to look at the menu which to be honest was a struggle - there were 4 courses and 4 choices per course and to be honest only 3 of the 16 didn't appeal to me. After much deliberation the meal began
For first course I had the Mud Crab Congee. Sweet crab with a well spiced congee and silky smooth rice porridge was pretty good start to the night but there was better to come! Next I went for the Confit of Pig Belly with abalone and cuttlefish braise. It was an subtle combination of flavours and textures all of which were smooth and unctious in their own way with the belly being cooked to perfection. The surprise in the second course was the dish chosen by Liz a Confit of shaved squid - this was sublime and like no other squid dish i have ever tasted. If I ever get back to Quay and that dish is on the menu I'm having it as 1 forkful was not enough!
At this point we were getting set for "mains" when were surprised by the kitchen with 5 textures of southern rock lobster. As a South Aussie I know that these suckers are good and Quay didn't let me down. The "plate" for this was something I'd not seen before and it came apart to reveal 2 dishes one a consomme over a mousse of lobster and the other a stack with butter poached lobster, lobster and tapioca mousseline and what I discovered later was lobster with egg whites. All in all very clever and very good.
So now time for the Suffolk Lamb - a loin with baby carrots, nasturtims, capers and tiny olives it came with a side of sheeps milk fromage that to be honest I was a trifle worried about apon reading the menu. However it worked - all the ingrediants were allowed to speak for themselves and it was testemant to the chef that the flavours were allowed to out and the fromage was wonderfully mild and complemented the unique flavour of our very special suffolk lamb.
As someone who is not a huge "dessert eater" I finished with the cheese platter which was lovely but it was now that we got our last surprise. The 8 texture chocolate cake appeared on our table. Now I have no idea of the exact 8 textures I was eating - all I can say is that this was the best cake I have ever eaten and it has ruined me for all others as now I know what is possible.
All in all a brilliant night with fantastic service and amazing food
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