Rockpool est 1989 (Sydney)

For our annual Christmas celebrations (and last one before the baby arrives), we went to Rockpool Sydney to try their degustation menu. This would be my first visit at their current location, after great experiences from their original restaurant.

We really enjoyed all the dishes and the flow of the whole meal. The Asian ‘fusion’ was executed beautifully – not over the top at all. The highlight for me was the sauces in 3 of the dishes – prawn mousse, partridge, and wagyu beef. Afterwards the vacherin of pandan dessert gave the meal a refreshing finish.

Details:
Rockpool Sydney
11 Bridge Street
Sydney
http://www.rockpool.com/rockpoolsydney/

Mr Wong (Sydney)

Before going back to full-on mode at work, we had at lunch at Mr Wong with a couple of friends.

There was a large range of dim sum on offer so the meal was an up-scale yum cha at a fascinating venue (do have a tour around the underground level). Quality of food was good but not overwhelming given the price. I had much expectation on the foie gras prawn toast but the foie component seems a bit light. Prawns in the Har Gow was super fresh but maybe over seasoned – probably a way for diners to order more drinks.

Details:
Mr Wong
3 Bridge Lane
Sydney
http://merivale.com.au/mrwong

NOLA Restaurant (New Orleans)

On our last night in New Orleans we dined at NOLA Restaurant by Emeril Lagasse. We fortunately got a table without a booking as the 3-storey dining room filled up very quickly.

The menu contains all the familiar regional dishes that we have observed in our time in New Orleans. The crab cakes as well as the shrimp and grits had a hint of spiciness from the sauce. And my ‘blackened’ fish fillet was nicely charred and combined beautifully with the bitterness of the baby sprouts.

Details:
NOLA Restaurant
534 St. Louis Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
http://www.emerilsrestaurants.com/nola-restaurant

Scoma's (San Francisco)

We stayed at the Fisherman’s Wharf during our visit in San Francisco and on our first night we were taken to Scoma’s for our first dose of fresh seafood. The restaurant sits right by the Wharf with a glimpse of the bay.

Portion size was huge. The starter platter was enough for a family rather than 2, with crabcakes full of the sweetness from the crab meat. Do go for the classic dishes – my sauté scallop main had TWELVE full sized scallops, and the pasta Garibaldi had a generous mix of seafood with as well balanced tomato sauce.

Details:
Scoma's Restaurant
Pier 47 on Al Scoma Way
San Francisco CA 94133
http://www.scomas.com/

Crave Sydney Luke Mangan Pop Up Restaurant at Thomas Dux

We made it to Luke Mangan’s pop-up restaurant at Thomas Dux Crows Nest as part of the Crave Sydney festival. The deli section of the grocery was bracketed for 40 diners with Chef Mangan and his team working behind the counter.

The meal was served tapas style and all the dishes were accentuated by different spices “from Morocco to Mexico”. My favourites were the curry spiced tempura prawns in steamed buns (served like a taco), and the succulent BBQ rubbed baby chicken.

Confession: we took an extra chocolate doughnut dessert home for later (sorry!)

Details:
Luke Mangan Pop Up Restaurant
Crave Sydney 2012
Thomas Dux Grocer Crows Nest
http://cravesydney.com/event.php?intid=3581