Given the excesses of my last experience, Lydia decided to match and meet - 600g of sashimi!!!
Yep, that girl sure does look happy with her 500g of salmon and 100g of kingfish! 
Look at that beautiful succulent flesh. *sniff* so lovely.
Fish heads, fish heads...We decided to not get pipis but to instead walk around and look at the stalls. I saw some truffled brie for sale and to this day, I'm not sure if I was extremely disciplined or foolish to not purchase some. I can't remember how expensive it was ($14 for 100g?) but it was enough to make me think twice...but...truffles...brie....*sob*. Anyway, I did get some deep-fried calamari rings because it's been years since I had some. Again, I don't know why it's taken me so long between drinks.
For dinner, Lydia and I had our big decadent meal - dinner at Aria, the restaurant of another Masterchef celebrity chef, Matt Moran. We skipped the entrees and went straight to the mains - quail for Lydia, jewfish for me. For sides we had truffled mash potatoes and the broccolini, with the cheese platter and some dessert wine (botrytis) to finish. Located on Bennelong Point, Aria has a lovely view of the Harbour Bridge and Opera House which was duly reflected in the prices.
That's not to say dinner wasn't excellent, it truly is, but I will admit to baulking a bit at the mains which started at $52 (okay, $44 for the vegetarian meal). Was it worth it? Hard to tell. Of course, because they are completely different meals on different strata, it's difficult to judge if it was 'better' than the dumplings at Din Tai Fung or the ramen that come at a fraction of the cost. I can't help thinking that when things get into 'fine dining' levels whether it is truly worth it, regardless of it be in Melb, Syd, London or Paris etc. But my fish did have a beautiful crispy skin and tender cooked flesh, those potatoes were truffled (or at least truffle oiled). If everything were not perfectly just so, I would definitely have reservations about it. But it was, so I guess you get what you're paying for. And the view.
A view of the Bridge and Opera House at Bennelong Point. Not the one from Aria.
For dinner, Lydia and I had our big decadent meal - dinner at Aria, the restaurant of another Masterchef celebrity chef, Matt Moran. We skipped the entrees and went straight to the mains - quail for Lydia, jewfish for me. For sides we had truffled mash potatoes and the broccolini, with the cheese platter and some dessert wine (botrytis) to finish. Located on Bennelong Point, Aria has a lovely view of the Harbour Bridge and Opera House which was duly reflected in the prices.
That's not to say dinner wasn't excellent, it truly is, but I will admit to baulking a bit at the mains which started at $52 (okay, $44 for the vegetarian meal). Was it worth it? Hard to tell. Of course, because they are completely different meals on different strata, it's difficult to judge if it was 'better' than the dumplings at Din Tai Fung or the ramen that come at a fraction of the cost. I can't help thinking that when things get into 'fine dining' levels whether it is truly worth it, regardless of it be in Melb, Syd, London or Paris etc. But my fish did have a beautiful crispy skin and tender cooked flesh, those potatoes were truffled (or at least truffle oiled). If everything were not perfectly just so, I would definitely have reservations about it. But it was, so I guess you get what you're paying for. And the view.
A view of the Bridge and Opera House at Bennelong Point. Not the one from Aria.
1 comment:
Awwwww look it's Lydia! On Melbourne Gastronome, she appears as "Miss L", one of the "Ladies Who Lunch". :)
Love the look of that sashimi!
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