Rise - 3 year anniversary special Omakase degustation
Oh, the food was fabulous, I'll definitely be back.
How often have you said those words after having a satisfying meal? Well, I've committed that crime too many times. Sometimes I'd go back for that one specific thing they left me craving, other times it'd be to see a cute waiter (ha!). There's something unique about all my favourite restaurants, and the reason I love Rise, is because of their genuineness, quirky service and innovation. Plus, for their 3 year anniversary, there's even a special Omakase degustation running between 17th - 22nd June for almost half price.
So naturally, I went on the first available day, booking the 8pm session in advance... knowing that it'd be another long evening in the office. No one likes timed seatings, but hey, from a restaurant owner's point of view, it's basically doubling the revenue prospects of each table! And at $36 per person, I'm not complaining.
I've been down with the flu for a couple of days, so it was sparkling water for me, and this luscious lychee cocktail for Zen.
The first dish was produced and brought out in masses. Behind the sushi bar, I admired the quick production line. There were boxes of washed and perfectly trimmed witlof leaves and more. The tuna tartare is a staple item on the Rise menu, regularly making an appearance in the seasonal plate. It was nice to see it used as the main entree ingredient. I also couldn't get enough of the wasabi flavoured guacamole.
I think Rise had discovered the secret to making the best clear soup stock and I'm so glad they've kept using it. The soup was warm, cleansing and delicious. Somewhere amongst the dumpling-looking calamari tortellini, rocket and cherry tomatoes were bits of kaffir lime leaves -so fragrant they are!
When the assorted sashimi platter was served, I understood why we weren't forking out the usual $60. To my shock, they had reduced the 4 servings of fresh sashimi to 2. See my previous posts here and here as proof. Nonetheless, the salmon and kingfish was fantastic. Its texture was so delicate and the flavours... mmmm.... the flavours enhanced every morsel in the shot glass.
The seasonal plate was good but not great. I didn't like how the wonton cup had been fried so early that it lost its crunchiness.
The main dish was chicken. That's right, plain joe... But wait, there was a twist... the lemongrass scented coconut cream worked wonders for this otherwise boring dish.
And lastly... the pannacotta, tapioca rice pudding looked like a 3 year old's wacky Hulk experiment but tasted of something familiar to fine dining. It was the combination you wish you had thought of. Yum!
I don't know what it is, but there's something good they're doing right. It seemed like the general consensus around the dining floor was that most had dined at Rise several times before.
Happy 3 year anniversary, Rise!
July 28, 2007
Tetsuya's
I've been waiting for the perfect excuse to spend $185 a head (plus drinks) on Tetsuya's 10 course degustation. And here it was... the first birthday of jenius.com.au, which also coincided with my very own birthday!
As the countdown begun, I eagerly read up and drooled over every review online. The week before, I started fantasizing about Tetsuya's signature dish. How it intrigued me... the texture and taste of what lay beneath the crusty konbu (kelp).
The service at Tetsuya's really impressed me. From the moment we drove in via the sensored gates, it seems like everyone was notified of our arrival. The valet parking attendent briskly drove Zen's car away as we were ushered indoors. I suppose it made sense that the seating arrangements and table numbers were set already, seeing that most people would have made bookings at least a few months in advance.
Soon after being seated, a wait staff brought out a basket of freshly baked and still warm sourdough and white Italian bread rolls. The black truffle and parmesan salsa butter was nothing like I had imagined. Its aroma was magnificent. I lathered each mouthful of bread up with a thick spread of the butter. Just for the record, I managed to finish off 2/3 of the pot, along with 2 sourdough rolls. I am in desperate need of a jar of this at home!
Starters was the pea soup with bitter chocolate sorbet. The pea soup was served in a fancy glass... it was robust and full bodied, but the bitter chocolate sorbet didn't really do it for me.
The next was an extra course (add $18)... four plump oysters were served with Tetsuya's famous oyster dressing -grapeseed oil, rice vinegar, soy and ginger. They were absolutely divine!
There are specific ways to ensure you make the most of each dish. Take for example, the second course; we were instructed to break open the scallop mousse so that each fork full contained a bit of everything. This dish was so elegant... creamy and scrumptious!
The leek and crab custard was such a delicacy. The custard was silky soft... the savoury essence of the leek and egg simply complimented the flakes of crab.
The third part of the 2nd course consisted of raw scallops [all-time favourite :-) of mine]... which leads me to say that this dish was the highlight of the night! All the contrasting textures and flavours were married together so well. There were these tiny citrus things which exploded with flavour... the cubed and what appeared to be buttered and toasted coutons deliciously highlighted the light and creamy textures of the scallop. I want more!
It must have been at least 2 hours into the night already because I had started to feel the effects of consuming the 2 bread rolls. Nonetheless, the ocean trout was lovely... as I had fantasized. The salty crusted konbu enhanced every tender bit of ocean trout.
Another favourite course was the next. Truely simple ingredients of basil, tomato and balsamic, served in the most delectable manner.
Abalone? This dish took me by surprise, as there hadn't been any mention of it before. It was such a delightful surprise... the abalone was carefully crafted into artful pieces. The braised ox tail and orange flavours were so flavoursome. It was mouth-watering goodness.
[Edit 1/08/07: Some of you have queried why I didn't write anything about the spatchcock... it was pure laziness! So if you were wondering, the spatchcock was moist & tender. The olives and capers were a flavoursome blend which didn't overpower the natural juices at all. Overall, very rich & succulent... although more greens would have also been nice! ]
The last of the savoury courses was fantastic. Imagine thinly sliced wagyu beef rolled up with a leaf of shiso and cooked medium rare. The earthy quality of the mushroom and the oomph of the lemon, sea salt flakes and wasabi brought me to total amazement. Each of the individual flavours brought out the best in each other... ah, that's what I call team work!
We were advised to eat this in one go. And so we did... it was sweet... and that's about all I can recall :-P
The palate cleansers were so, so, so good! The beetroot and blood orange sorbet was vibrant and uber refreshing. Tetsuya's strawberry shortcake was great too... we were instructed to mix the layers together. I cheekily tried them apart. The bottom was nutty and fragrant... inbetween the cream and strawberry syrup were bits of berries... nothing too special when eaten apart, but absolutely spectacular when consumed together!
What can I say? The next one up was another favourite! I love dates and white beans. The chewy texture and the sweet caramel flavours worked wonders with the shot of espresso.
I asked a wait staff to take this photo of us... and somewhere in the conversation, she asked what we were celebrating... hooray, birthday cake!
I didn't like the cocoa dusted sweet potato balls. It was floury and bitter! But the dates and cookie centred coconut balls were yummy! They looked so simple to make... I might just give them a go in the kitchen!
Overall, I loved Tetsuya's to bits! And yes, the 4 hour dining experience was totally worth every dollar! Thanks for finally making this happen, Zen!
Next on the list... El Bulli!!
Tetsuya's
www.tetsuyas.com
February 26, 2007
Omakase (degustation) @ Rise Restaurant
Zen was back on Friday night after his first working week in Wollongong; so we caught up over an initimate dinner at Rise. Heading straight to Darlinghurst after work, we were rather early... though this meant we were able to grab the cosy window seat :-)
The menu was really impressive and forced a battle in my mind between the degustation or the a la carte. There's actually 30% off the Omakase menu on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Sundays, but we decided go for the whole experience anyway. The degustation it was.
First of the 7 dishes was the chicken and tofu salad. The tofu was chilled and silky soft. Its flavour was so refreshing with the crisp spanish onion and shallots, and the chicken was tossed in a flavoursome sesame and miso sauce. Mmmm, give me more.
Next was the soup, which was cleansing and fragrant with kaffir lime leaves and lemon grass. The fried tofu and calamari mince had such a nice complimenting texture.
Aww, sashimi. Check out this piece of artwork! It was so beautiful... each shot glass was filled with such tender flavours.
And then we had the seasonal plate which consisted of:
The pasta dish featured lightly blanched rice noodles with shredded green papaya and a large scallop which was seared to perfection. Topped with dill, coriander and chilli, this dish was uber tantalising.
I heart Rise.
Rise Restaurant
23 Craigend Street, Darlinghurst
Phone (02) 9357-1755
Web http://www.riserestaurant.com.au
October 25, 2006
Hats Off @ Yoshii Restaurant
Yay! I've been counting down since last week to dine at the sensational Yoshii Restaurant. This was literally a life changing experience... I learnt anger management; and then I did some self-exploring... and ofcourse I tasted some fine food, which has set new standards.
They say pictures speak louder than words. So I was slightly pedantic with my photography. As you do, I snapped up an astonishing 55 shots. Later in the evening, I overheard a diner ask her partner why people take photos of food... Ahh, I was too involved with my meal to even bother with an answer...
The Hats Off dinner at Yoshii was a twice-off, 10-course degustation.
My first taste of Foie-Gras... it was so delicate and rich, it just took my breath away! The eggplant worked really well in this dish in allowing me to soak up all the goodness.
The restaurant was tiny and the service was nothing special ... but since I sat at the sushi bar, I was able to witness the talented Ryuichi Yoshii execute his dishes in style. The food was absolutely amazing.
Yoshii Restaurant
115 Harrington Street Sydney
Phone: 9247 2566
Web: www.yoshii.com.au
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