Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Quay


From number 29 of S.Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurant's list in 2012, to the recent announcement of becoming the restaurant of the year from SMH good food guide 2013, Quay is no doubt the restaurant to go to when you seek for the ultimate dining experience.














We decided to treat our family a nice dinner, so there we were sitting around the table, enjoying the unbeatable view of the harbour side.


The staffs there were friendly and professional, that kicked a great start for our meal. We all ended up selecting the 4-course dinner menu ($165pp) as we prefer to have different choices for each dish (5 choices for each course).

(OMG can I just mention how adorable was the presentation of the butter??)


So we started off with the Amuse Bouche, the sashimi was cool and fresh, with a hidden touch of sweetness.


Congee of Northern Australian mud crab, fresh palm heart, egg yolk emulsion.

This was the first course I picked and probably my favourite one of the night. The mud crab flavour has fully soaked into the congee, and it was warmed just to the perfect temperature. The egg yolk emulsion felt gentle, and it actually melts in your mouth along with the soft mud crab meat.

(Also we've got the complimentary bread - I've picked black sesame one, and it went really well with the butter)



Gently poached southern rock lobster, hand caught Tasmanian squid, golden tapioca, lobster velvet

This dish allowed me to imagine diving deeply into the ocean, and perhaps swimming pass by the vivid lives under the sea. It was almost like a contemporary art, where the shaved squid pieces slipped mischievously through the pile of glowing pearls of golden tapioca. Just one spoonful was good enough to make the impression last.



Berkshire pig jowl, maltose crackling, prunes, cauliflower cream, perfumed with prune kernel oil

When this arrived, I instantly smelt the sweet aroma. The maltose crackling has hugged onto the pig jowl beautifully, and the layer of prunes and cauliflower cream underneath made it looked extra outstanding. I loved the crispy and syrupy layer of maltose crackling, combined with the juicy fat from the pig jowl. Then you get a lighter flavour of the cream, together with a little sourness from the prunes.
 


Some of the other dishes we have picked (clockwise from top left):

- Sashimi of Corner Inlet rock flathead, Tasmanian trumpeter, salt cured wild oyster cream, black lipped abalone, raw sea cabbage, nasturtiums, warrigals, periwinkles
- Fragrant poached chicken, shaved sea scallops, Chinese artichokes, silk noodles, smoked white eggplant cream, Korean virgin black sesame oil, wasabi flowers
- Salad of preserved wild cherries, albino and chioggia beetroots, Treviso, creme fraiche, black truffle, violets
- Smoked and confit pig cheek, shiitake, scallop, Jerusalem artichoke leaves, juniper, bay



Quay's eight texture chocolate cake

Dear god, you have to believe that this creation has almost reached "Mission impossible". At least, I felt that way! As we watched the 8th texture of hot chocolate pour right into the cake and melting the centre quickly, our drools have already formed about 30cms. Yes, it was absolutely divine. You can no longer find words to describe the combination of layers that you taste! Let's just call it the flavour of love, it's complicated.



Jackfruit snow egg

*Beating drums* TA-DA!! Here it is! It's the wide-known signature dish from Quay, that lovely snow egg. If the eight texture chocolate cake was complicated, this is definitely something more. The outer layer was exactly like the form of a real egg, where you have to beat it and let it crack, and then you get that layer of smooth egg white, and the little surprise of egg yolk. Sitting on top of ice, it almost created a "Christmas look" inside this tiny cup. You know what I wished for? That I can shrink myself and jump inside this cup, and then enjoy this sweet treat for a little longer...


Good time comes to an end, but our memories will be everlasting. The dining experience at Quay certainly opened our eyes, satisfied all of our curiosities, and truly felt like we were on top of the world. We appreciated all the efforts put into each dish in order to make those stunning presentations and incredible flavours. Now we are looking forward to continue searching for dishes that will make us feel special just like Quay.



Address:
Upper level, Overseas Passenger Terminal, The Rocks, Sydney

Phone number:
(02) 9251 5600

Email:
reservations@quay.com.au

Opening time:
Lunch
Tue to Fri 12pm - 2.30pm
Dinner
Mon to Sun 6pm - 10pm



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4 comments:

Mel said...

Wow, what an amazing feast! I've only had congee twice before (this year actually was my 1st time) and it didn't look anything like this! I laughed at you wanting to shrink yourself to jump into the snow egg. Funny.

Unknown said...

how nice is the congee aye?! loved it >< haha yea would be pretty cool if that really happens :P

Anonymous said...

Did you still feel hungry at all after the four courses? I'm oscillating between choosing the four course or the eight course (which may or may not be overkill lol)...

Unknown said...

I actually felt quite full after 4 course, but maybe it's because I have a relatively smaller appetite >< We were thinking about choosing the 8 course but thought it was good to have a wider range of selection, if it was smaller number of people, I think alot still prefer the 8 course :)