Dear Reader,

The Sydney restaurant scene has been awash with awards of late ... Congratulations go to Quay which won Restaurant of the Year as well as three chef's hats at the recent Sydney Good Food Guide Awards. The other three chef's hat awards went to Claude's, MG Garage, Rockpool and Tetsuya's.

Chef Peter Gilmore has been at Quay for just over 12 months, having come from De Beers at Whale Beach where he quickly earned two chef's hats. It's not just the taste and texture of Gilmore's food which delights, it's also the unusual geometric presentation (either square, rectangular or circular).

"It's become a signature of mine to present dishes in this way"says Gilmore. "I like the cleanness of the edges and the surprises lurking underneath."

Only a few upmarket Sydney restaurants can claim dress circle position as well as innovative food, excellent wines and service and Quay is one of a handful of these rare gems.

Quay, an outsider, landed the award over industry favourite Becasse. Best New Restaurant of the Year award was won by Guillaume at Bennelong (Sydney Opera House) - an irony given that Guillaume Brahimi used to be chef at Quay.

Sailors Thai (The Rocks) pushed Longrain out of the Best Thai category. Another surprise was Azuma (Chifley Square) which was announced as winner of Best Japanese Restaurant. Pier (Rose Bay) won Best Seafood Restaurant. Prime won one hat and was nominated Best Steak Restaurant, its third consecutive award. It also picked up an Award of Excellent for Best Steak Restaurant from the Restaurant and Catering Association NSW. Unlike the GFG Awards, the R&C Awards are nominated by the public. Pier (Rose Bay) won Best Restaurant and Seafood Restaurant in the R&C Awards, Sailors Thai won Best Thai, Bathers Pavilion won Best Breakfast and Level 41 won Best Fine Dining. Janni Kryitsis, soon to leave MG at Surry Hills, was inducted into the Hall of Fame. Congratulations Janni!

PRIME
Grill Room at GPO

Tucked away in the basement of Sydney's former GPO is this outstanding steak house. It's a little difficult to locate but if you enter through the lobby of Westin Hotel in Pitt St, taken the down escalators and make a U-turn, you'll find it discreetly located at the back. This is a grown-up's restaurant, where the emphasis is on the food and wine. Sandstone walls and arches, black leather chairs, crisp white damask cloths set with Riedel glassware and smart lamps lend a modern look to this stylish room. But it is the food and wine which are outstanding. Prime fillet of beef, sirloin steak, T-bone, Chateaubriand (for 2) and Rib Eye in 300g to 800g portions.

Aged, tender and perfectly cooked to order, these steaks will satisfy the tastes of the most discerning beef connoisseurs. Side dishes include a choice of sauce (red wine jus, bearnaise, smoked bacon and mushroom) and potato (puree, chips or gratin). My companion chose a classic combination of fillet steak with bearnaise sauce and gratinated potato and rolled her eyes in ecstasy as she devoured it. We shared a mixed tasting plate of clean flavours to begin - freshly shucked oysters, crab and avocado timbale with gazpacho sauce, Kervella goats cheese on a parmesan wafer, sliver of poached master stock chicken dressed with sesame oil.

My main course - Confit Corn Fed Chicken with Savoy Cabbage, Roasted Eschalots and Foie Gras Jus was full of flavour and beautifully cooked. Desserts were stunning. I especially liked the Liquorice Baked Cream (similar to a creme brulee) and my companion was delighted by her architectural Valhrona Chocolate and Strawberry Vacherin (stacks of meringue interspersed with very rich chocolate ganache lined with triangular strawberries). The wine list is suitably impressive with a number of wines by the glass to choose from.

Cost: approx $170 for two

Prime
Lower Ground Floor
No. 1 Martin Place Sydney
Ph 9229 7777
Lunch Mon-Fri, Dinner Mon-Sat

QUAY

Situated at the northern end of the Overseas Passenger Terminal at Circular Quay, Quay looks directly out over the glistening white sails of the Opera House and the ever-changing canvas of Sydney Harbour. Ferries and River Cats glide back and forth, water taxis scoot by, yachts and ship replicas sail past while massive container ships are tugged in. A virtual work of art!

Gilmore's signature dish of Crisp Confit of Pork Belly with Queensland Sea Scallops is outstanding. Oblong pieces of pork belly are cooked very slowly in olive oil and pork fat, star anise and cinnamon bark, then crisped in a hot pan and oven. These sit on top of a harmonious salad of fine noodles, jellyfish, shiitake mushrooms, black funghi, coriander and sesame seeds and are topped with lightly seared scallops.

Fresh seasonal produce is another important feature of Gilmore's cuisine and you can taste the results in his Sashimi of Yellow Fin Tuna which sits atop a refreshing salsa of diced eggplant, ligurian olives, baby parsley and pink grapefruit.

Another dish not to be missed is the Wagu (or Kobe) Beef which is sliced thinly and poached in veal stock, served with a medley of sauteed mushrooms and finished with foie gras butter and a little duck broth. It's a fine example of Gilmore's skilled combining of French and Asian cooking techniques.

Desserts are equally impressive. There's his famous Five-Textured Valhrona Chocolate Cake and a remarkable Terrine of Muscatel Raisin and Amaretto Ice Cream layered with chocolate sorbet, Amaretto cream and topped with a Valhrona chocolate coated glass biscuit. Heaven!

Entrees range from $22 - $28; main courses average around $38 and desserts $16. The wine list includes an extensive range of local and international wines.

QUAY
Overseas Passenger Terminal
Circular Quay West
The Rocks
Ph 9251 5600

return to current postcard