Rockpool is the flagship restaurant of Australian Chef, Neil Perry, having occupied its position on one of the main streets of The Rocks area of Sydney since 1989. Although there are a number of Rockpool restaurants, they tend to be in the more casual Bar & Grill format. Brad’s school friends from Sydney know he’s a dedicated foodie these days, so they all pooled together to get us a voucher for the Sydney restaurant. We were lucky enough to get a booking for dinner at short notice whilst we were staying in Sydney for Christmas.
Unbeknownst to us, we actually had the first sitting of the evening. When we arrived, the staff were busy getting some sort of briefing session inside whilst we peered in the windows perplexed. After a few minutes of looking at akubras and ugg boots in the neighbouring tourist shops, the doors mysteriously opened and in we went. I must admit I found the greeting to be rather cold and when we were seated in a table perched above the restaurant right next to the serving station, things weren’t looking good. I asked to be moved and they moved us to a section of the restaurant tucked away around the corner. I was hoping for some natural light but oh well.
The food started well with a refreshing canape of Queensland Spanner Crab with Heirloom Tomatoes, Avocado, Celery & Lemon Verbena. I loved the serving bowl too. There was a lovely selection of bread served but the drinks were slow to arrive and we had to remind the waiter to bring water as we asked. I also knocked off a piece of cutlery, while the waiter was quick to scoop it from the floor, I had to remind them when they brought out the next course to bring me another one.
The starters followed next, Brad opted for Rich and Noble Lobster Congee, Star Anise Scented Peanuts, Chinese Fried Bread and I went for Chilli Oil + Squid Ceviche with “schulz” Bacon, Lime and Coriander. Brad was excited about receiving an authentic congee and what arrived wasn’t any way close to what you’d expect from congee in an Asian restaurant. The impressive elements of the dish were plonked in a plate, with little thought for artful arrangement that you’d expect at a restaurant of this calibre. I’ve come to the conclusion that I find squid ink rather off-putting and this tainted my impression of this dish. Although billed as containing bacon, I can barely remember tasting any, although there does appear to be a tiny sliver of something resembling bacon on top.
The second course was a big improvement on the first, I opted for Pan Fried Whiting with House Made Tofu, Kaffir Lime Agnolotti, Vongole, Yam and Ginger Puree. I was concerned when it arrived and I saw what looked like an egg yolk but it was actually filled with a different flavour entirely. This oozed over the crispy piece of whiting and delicate agnolotti. The only minor niggle was the white tofu left a rather unappealing residue in the sauce. One of the highlights of the night was Brad’s Macleay Valley Rabbit and Veal Sweetbread Pie with “laphroaig” Whisky Sauce. Brad raved about the boozy sauce and the pie’s meaty filling. It was a dish that would cause food envy in the most genial of dining companions.
If you are a regular reader of this blog, you will know how much I love roast pork. When I saw the daily special of Hapi’s Suckling Pig with Eight Treasure Cabbage, Peach and Miso there was really only one option for me. The crunchy crackling would have to be the best I have ever tasted. Not fatty, not chewy but a perfectly even crunch across all of the meat which married well with the tangy peach and miso sauce. I was in heaven. Easily my favourite dish of the night. Brad went for a rather disappointing dish of Lotus Leaf Wrapped Burrawong Chicken with Szechuan Dauphine, Black Garlic, Tempura Broccolini and Strange Flavour. He was tempted by the idea of strange flavour but there is really only so much you can do with chicken. Whilst the individual elements of the dish were good, chicken is such a safe choice in a restaurant.
At this point we had enjoyed a few wines and were being rather romantic. We had only just got married less than a week ago. Awwww!
Onto the desserts, I went for the Date Tart, an original recipe which dates all the way back to 1984. To me, it felt boring and the presentation was bland. It looked like it belonged in a cafe, not a fine restaurant. Brad had the Selection of Cheese - Holy Goat La Luna, Mastorazio, Edel de Cleron, Roquefort which was a rather generous plate, with a good choice of well made biscuits and the sliced apple accompaniment. The Mastorazio easily was the winner of the four, a lovely Italian hard cheese in the style of a Pecorino. The Edel de Cleron was probably our least favourite, the waiter mentioned something about it being infused by truffles — although according to my research it is reminiscent of them but actually wrapped in spruce bark.
Petit Fours and Coffee were included but my macchiato had obviously been sitting for some time before it was brought out as it was barely lukewarm. We were served a solitary jube lolly and a praline log. Both appeared to be an afterthought rather than an extra chance for the kitchen to shine (a la what you see in Le Gavroche)
We paid another $AU$150 in addition to the generous gift voucher we’d received all up. It does pain me to be so critical on what was essentially a gift but we did enjoy the experience — being able to critique the food as it arrives is half the fun — but I did feel that Rockpool was a restaurant which was resting on it’s laurels while others like Quay are overtaking them. There was flashes of brilliance (Brad’s pie, My suckling pig) in the cooking but they were let down by the very average service we received. If they are going to remain in cooking folklore, Rockpool is really going to have to raise it’s game.
Rockpool, Sydney
107 George St
The Rocks NSW 2000
Australia
Phone: +61(0)292521888
http://rockpool.com/
