Rice Paper Scissors: A (delicious) taste of Melbourne’s street food.
When meeting up with former Dubai friends (this time in Melbourne), we decided on a relatively casual approach to our evening — which involved rooftop bars, two failed attempts at out of the way/secret/small capacity bars, a drink (or three) in Southbank, and dinner in an alley. Melbourne is home to plenty of smaller streets which are maximized for their space — and one such example is Rice Paper Scissors, a smallish venue located on Liverpool Street. As we approached the slightly overwhelmed, but still funny host, he mentioned that wait times were close to an hour (or more). Deciding it was worth our time, we headed over to a nearby (and also recommended) Madame Brussels for cozy drinks (honestly, I’m super jealous at the number of options in the city). Receiving a text (and five minutes to return to the restaurant), once inside RPS, we hopped onto bar stools at…
Riley St. Garage: A creative approach to dining.
Meeting up with some friends from our early days in Dubai, I was more than happy to a) see them again and b) have someone else choose the restaurant. With nearly 20 days of meals to choose in our tour across Australia, I was running out of steam once we returned to Sydney (which could also be related to the un-fun vacation cold I managed to pick up in Port Douglas). Therefore, when someone else told me when and where to show up, I was over the moon. Throw in a fun cocktail menu, a dynamic interior, and some excellent food and Riley Street Garage was the location for a perfect Friday evening. We decided to first have a drink in the lounge area (beers for the lads, but I was happy with Thai-Curious, AUD$20). Finishing our drinks, it was time to move over to our table. In case you…
Nautilus: Port Douglas charms (with bonus bandicoots).
If you look up ‘oldie but a goodie’ I’m certain this restaurant will show up somewhere in the mix. And if you haven’t specifically been to Port Douglas, I’m certain there is a similar restaurant in your favorite holiday town. Although we’d had a long day at sea checking out the Great Barrier Reef (me from above and Hubs from the depths), we summoned the energy for a seven-course tasting menu at the iconic Nautilus. Walking up the long path to the restaurant, I started to wonder what exactly we were in for. For those not in the know, the entire restaurant and lounge are located outside (don’t worry, the kitchen and restrooms have their own building). That’s right, you look up straight into the canopy of palm trees and the stars above. With fairy lights and candles, it’s a very romantic location. Honestly, how often do you get the…
Automata: My favorite Australian dining experience.
I think it’s fairly clear by now there were a number of food highs and lows during my trip to Australia. Restaurants I thought were going to be amazing but did not live up to the mark, and those I had literally no opinion of (or did little research on) that went way beyond the hype. In a city like Sydney, which already has plenty to choose from, perhaps sometimes it’s the luck of the draw and a little bit of trusting your instincts. In this instance, while staying at the Old Clare Hotel (separate review to follow), I noticed an insert for the nearby (practically next door) Automata and was intrigued by the lunch special (offered Fridays and Saturdays only). Fighting a cold and the weather (which couldn’t make up its mind for our last 3 days), we decided to stay closer to home for a long lunch over the…
Sage Dining Rooms: Checking out Canberra’s fine dining scene.
Having a disappointing evening at Quay, I debated a number of properties the following night in Canberra (yes, we’re the weirdos who didn’t fly between Sydney and Melbourne) and finally came up with Sage. The main reason? Besides the fantastic reviews, it was located on Batman Street — no, I’m not kidding. I hoped the tasting menu would be an ideal experience for a chilly winter evening (or, at least cold by my Dubai standards). Warmly greeted by the staff, I noticed the restaurant was relatively busy for a random Tuesday night (with a run of guests including a large party on the outdoor patio, couples, girlfriends and a family or two thrown in). Ready to settle in for the chef’s choice 5-course menu, I was unexpectedly and happily surprised with the majority of the menu. In fact, the Yellow Fin Tuna, turned out to be one of my favorite dishes…
Attica: #32, World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
When we saw the Chef’s Table episode for Attica, I was impressed. And the continued honors for the restaurant and Chef Ben Shewry have been many — as the current Australasia best restaurant (2017), I literally couldn’t wait to enjoy a meal at the venue. Friends, as I always strive for honesty, I have to admit that after the experience, I’m going to take a break from the World’s Top Restaurants for awhile. I think that I need to start doing more research on my restaurant selections when traveling. It’s not that the food was particularly good or bad, or that there was anything wrong with the service (it was professional, but not overwhelmingly personal), it’s more that for the price point and reputation my expectations were considerably high. Were they too high? I don’t know. As Hubs and I had our best meal of the year (so far) at…
Quay: #95 World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Before even entering the restaurant, Quay comes with a bit of a reputation. I’ve had a number of foodie friends visit this iconic Sydney property — some have thoroughly enjoyed the experience (placing the meal in the upper echelons of remembered meals), and others have thought it was a bit overrated (praising the view and not much more). Where, exactly, would our opinion lie? Let’s first start with the positives — the view from the dining room is among the best in Sydney. Full stop. Given that we dined during Vivid, we had a front row seat for the brilliant lights of the festival, which were at times absolutely show stopping. Additionally, I thought the service staff (and all front of house) were highly professional and involved and appreciated the ability for the kitchen to adhere to Hubs’ no gluten or dairy preference. Unfortunately, friendly staff and a beautiful view do…