Top meals Down Under
Sydney, Australia offers a vast array of tasty choices for dining out
SYDNEY— This is such an awesome city, full of natural beauty, tremendous things to see, and wonderful people to hang out with, that you might forget it’s also one of the great food cities of the world — especially if fish is your dish. From high-end elegance to pub-style munchies, it’s all good. The prices below are in Canadian dollars, but they still might cause a bit of sticker shock until I warn you of two things: First, when you see a price on an Australian menu, that includes all taxes; and second, it also includes the tip, unless you’re at a very high-end place where you might want to add another 5 to 10 per cent. Other than that, enjoy! FLYING FISH: This was my first meal in Australia and it’s one I’ll never forget. The beautiful location on the Jones Bay Wharf and the stunning open-plan décor set the stage for one of the best seafood dinners I’ve ever eaten. I went with its six-course tasting menu ($122), which included a seared tuna/ruby grapefruit combo, a confit of ocean trout that shimmered on the palate and a dessert tray that combined salt and caramel in a marriage that should be trademarked. (19-21Pirrama Rd.; 9518-6677, www.flyingfish.com.au.) LORD NELSON BREWERY HOTEL: Just to prove that Sydney can sparkle on a budget as well, check out this gem in The Rocks district. It’s Sydney’s oldest hotel (1841). Lord Nelson Brewery has a classier brasserie upstairs, but the pub food downstairs is more than good enough and its tempura ale-battered fish and chips with wasabi mayo ($18) is high on my list of favourites anywhere. Monday is also “Pie Night” with yummy crusted concoctions weighing in at $6. (19 Kent St.; 9251-4044, www.lordnelsonbrewery.com.) HARRY’S SINGAPORE CHILLI CRAB: This is one place where you have to go on blind trust. A waitress from Flying Fish recommended it as “a funky alternative.” As we walked through the seedier parts of Sydney’s Chinatown, I wondered if she was joking. Once there, you find a full Chinese menu. But you come here for the Singapore Chilli Crab, picked live, steamed quickly, and drenched in a chili sauce that still tingles in the back of my mouth. The crabs are huge and you pay market price, so you might have to shell out $160 for a giant one (2.5 kg) — but it’s worth it. (198 Elizabeth St.; 9281 5565, www.harryschillicrab.com.au.) ROCKPOOL: This is one of the classiest restaurants I’ve been to in the world, but without a drop of pretension. This particular location is the standardbearer for Neil Perry’s various eateries around Australia. What’s called the 4-course tasting menu ($170) is actually six, by the time you factor in the canapés and petit fours, but every minute is a total showstopper of unexpected delights. It has flavours you’ve never tasted, and combinations you didn’t know existed. Chinese roast pigeon with smoked eggplant, blue swimmer crab with corn congee and a passion fruit soufflé for dessert. A once-in-a-lifetime place. (107 George St.; 9252 1888, www.rockpool.com/sydney.) RIPPLES AT MILSON’S POINT: Location, location, location. This simple spot allows you a view of Sydney’s two trademark sights: the harbour bridge and the opera house. You’re actually almost under the bridge and it’s a great place to go after you’ve hiked over, especially on a Sunday morning. The menu is simple, but well prepared and you can’t go wrong with its smoked salmon omelette ($10) or the hot apple cakes ($9). The view? Priceless. (Olympic Drive; 9929 7722; www.ripplesmilsonspoint.com.au.) FISH AT THE ROCKS: This place is a compendium of everything great about Australian restaurants. Wonderful fresh food, inventive presentation, smart, breezy staff and value for your money. The menu changes weekly depending on what’s in season, but you can usually get the grilled barramundi ($32), a white-fleshed fish that’s moist and meaty at the same time. Try some of the briney Sydney oysters ($18 for a half dozen), but save room for their profiteroles, stuffed with homemade espresso ice cream and served with peanut brittle and hot fudge sauce ($12). You’ll never come home. (29 Kent St., 9252 4614, www.fishattherocks.com.au.) Richard Ouzounian’s Six Meals column usually runs the first Saturday of the month.