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Cooking Across 4 Generations

Using recipes collected from 4 generations of one family

Month

June 2015

Sydney sojourn, day 2, Lunch at Rockpool

After a good night sleep and breakfast, we decided to look at our dining options for the day. After some careful and in depth consideration and discussion, we decided to visit Rockpool for the two course prix fixe lunch offer. We love a good lunch offer.

Interior Rockpool
Interior Rockpool
Interior Rockpool
Interior Rockpool

We have been trying to get back to Rockpool since we had our snack of caviar last year.  The prix fixe menu for lunch is a great option, and you are able to choose from entree/main or main/dessert.

Rockpool Prix Fixe Menu
Rockpool Prix Fixe Menu

First to come out was a beautiful loaf of spelt and honey bread, baked ricotta topped with roasted kale, and a compound butter made with rice mould and kombu. The bread was amazing and the butter, a total taste sensation. It was so good we had two lots of bread.

Spelt and honey bread with compound butter
Spelt and honey bread with compound butter

On our visit, the entree was an oxtail chong fun noodle, shiitake and black fungus. I have never had oxtail before and was going to choose the dessert rather than entree, but I am so glad Mr. CA4G talked me into the entree. The flavours in the dish were spectacular. Bit of spice, bit of sweet, so much going on but all worked so well together, Heaven!!   Even the bowl was amazing.

Entree
Entree

Main was a ‘chou farci’ Chicken and prawn mousse wrapped in iceberg lettuce, with umami broth served with a little pile of fresh edamame. I quite enjoyed this dish as well, flavoursome, elegant and delicious. I did find the shellfish flavour in the  broth a little too overpowering for my taste, but then I am not really a fan of soups, bisques and veloutes made from any seafood. But everything worked together and I would definitely recommend the dish. We also decided to have the matched wine which was a 2013 Te Whare Ra, pinot noir from Marlborough in New Zealand which was a great match for this course.

Main course
Main course
Main course
Main course

I look forward to a return visit to Rockpool to another of their prix fixe lunches .

Sydney Sojourn, Day 1, Felix Bistro

Due to some dental issues we had to cancel a planned holiday to Tokyo, but decided to book some time in Surfers Paradise. But before then we decided to have a few days in our own city, staying at our favourite Sydney hotel, The Hilton, in a relaxation suite with spa.

Our suite looking to the lounge area
Our suite looking to the lounge area
Our suite lokking to the bedroom
Our suite lokking to the bedroom

The spa was rather large and shaped so that two people could sit facing each other. The citrus scented bath salts were quite lovely and refreshing. Of course when having a romantic spa, a good bottle of wine is handy. For us it was a bottle of Rockford Basket Press 2009. Love the bottle the Basketpress comes in and the wine is a great example of Barossa Shiraz.

Purely medicinal purposes, Rockford Basketpress and spa
Purely medicinal purposes, Rockford Basketpress and spa

Our suite faced west with a view over the Queen Victoria Building. Sadly the weather was quite inclement so the view was limited. Despite the weather we did a bit of shopping and window shopping.

View from the spa bath
View from the spa bath

For lunch we went French with two courses at Felix Bistro in the Ivy complex. A great start to our holiday dining! Mr. CA4G had SteakFrites with red wine jus and cafe de Paris butter, while I ordered my favourite, confit duck which was served with braised cabbage, cubes of celeriac and apple with a thyme jus. We also ordered a bottle of Chateau Val de Roc, Bourdeaux Superieur 2012, a cabernet blend, quite enjoyable without being too over powering.

Steak Frites cafe de Paris butter and jus
Steak Frites cafe de Paris butter and jus
Confit duck
Confit duck
Salad
Salad

While the desserts sounded lovely we decided to go for a selection of 3 cheeses. There were five cheese to choose from and we opted for Milchzapfen (Zurich, Switzerland), St Maure de Tourraine (loire Valley, France) and Epoisses (Burgundy, France). These were served with a selection of breads, quince paste and fruit.

Cheese selection
Cheese selection

After lunch we wore ourselves out with more window shopping before returning to the Hilton for a siesta. As we were quite full from lunch dinner was a light affair of snacky bits in the Executive lounge.

Stay tuned for where we lunched next!

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