Sunday, October 14, 2012
Unknown
Neil Perry's building quite a stable food empire these days, looking to ambitiously expand abroad. A jump into high risk, high reward openings has been incredibly successful for him and was built around hard work and ambition. It's not the first time I've been to Rockpool Bar and Grill. I've had the wagyu burger here before and whilst not the best burger, it came pretty damn close. And of course onion rings and chocolate jaffa mousse cake followed up after that and were just brilliant. It's been a while since I came back but I managed to convince a friend to go (the lure of watching Looper proved helpful).
Rockpool Bar and Grill is almost an iconic Sydney space in it's own right. In stating the glossy green marble columns, art deco building, dark stained oak tables, leather seats, neon purple tinted windows, open stainless steel kitchens, legions of white jacketed front house..., I'm describing what countless others will have already recognised. It's cool without being outlandish and edgy, sophisticated and grand without being too intimidating (it is initially) and I'm all for it. But you know the usual story, dark lighting and plating make for terrible photos so let that be the last we ever speak of it.
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| henney's dry cider 15 |
The Henney's cider had a pricey mark up but was delicious with a fair bit of tannin; needless to say it was dry but it pleasantly bittersweet with only a sadly mild apple flavour.
Bread and butter start us off although we can hardly stop at one serving.
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| Brioche with Slow Cooked Hen's Egg with Bone Marrow and Red Wine Butter Sauce 21 |
Brioche, good. Gorgeously silky, oozy, slow-cooked egg, good. Sweet cooked down onions doused in a rich red wine jus, goooood. (Friends reference by the way, Rachel's trifle), but what really does it for me are the small discs of pale bone marrow with pink centres that is truly the epitome of foodie joy. Only just holding together, the melting fattiness is beyond mesmerizing.
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| Cape Grim Dry Aged 36 Month Old Grass Fed Scotch Fillet 220g 49 |
Various condiments are offered with the your steak but it comes unadorned, with none of the suspect chips and salad, except a wedge of lemon which is more than enough. A had the scotch fillet grass fed that felt, despite the lighting, was a little more on the medium side rather than the medium rare we ordered. The incredibly pungent harrisa has the slightest bit of heat and tastes almost Indiany/ Moroccan whereas the bearnaise was much more rounded and light in flavour with the usual hints of tarragon bringing it up.
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| Cape Grim Dry Aged 36 Month Old Grass Fed Rib-eye on the Bone 350g 60 |
My experiences with wagyu, besides the wagyu brisket from Marque, have been bafflingly disappointing given all the hype that surrounds it. I choose, instead, a grass fed rib eye which I found more giving than the previous sirloin and it has me imagining how much more tender a grain fed could of possibly been. It had a robust complexity and a gorgeous crust going on although the charring from the wood-fried grill resulted in a few burnt bits that were bitter. And of course gnawing on the bone isn't exactly the most civilized thing to do but it's always the best bit.
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| "Mac and Cheese" 9 |
Our Mac and Cheese was superbly cheesy and rich; featuring a gratinated top, a mixture of gruyere, parmesan and cheddar and was just beyond delicious.
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| Royal Blue Potatoes Sauteed with Wagyu Fat and Rosemary 12 |
The potatoes with rosemary are a must have here, hearty, soft and crispy with the distinctive licking of meaty fat.
Rockpool Bar and Grill isn't on the cheaper end of the dining spectrum; there are steaks here that run for 110 dollars and a caviar toast that goes for 600. In saying that, you do get what you pay for; all the ingredients are superb and quality driven. It's beautiful, hearty, well cooked food although it could do with a little more needle-like precision that comes with the expectations bounded with the place. The professional service is incredibly consistent and has you well looked after. It's the sort of place you'd take someone out to impress; the food isn't polarising as opposed to the some of the other places I've been to lately although the bill in the end might be. I begrudgingly admit I didn't manage to finish all of it which I found surprising given I can polish any degustation with ease. Must have been all the potatoes and servings of bread I hard earlier. We came out bursting at the seams and very content however I'll leave that 110 steak for some other day, maybe when someone else is paying...
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This is hardly the first time I've been to Mother Chu's. Always packed with keen eaters, you'll be hard pressed to find Mother Chu's empty at any given time of the day. As a family favourite, we already know what to pick and what to avoid.
