Special occasions in my dictionary must be accompanied by the great views that Sydney has to offer. Seriously, no one is more of a sucker for Fine Dining than me.
Revolving 47 levels high above the city of Australia Square, the Summit Restaurant offers 360 degrees of the iconic yet always breathtaking views of Sydney.
It was M's birthday dinner and so an order of champagne or anything sparkling was in order. We wanted to try the NV Jansz Rose but unfortunately they had ran out for the night. So we went with the 08 O'Leary Walker Pinot Noir Chardonnay - Adelaide Hills, SA ($14.00 per glass) instead. As we took our first sip, we both just nodded in secret mutual agreement that we have no clue as to how the wine experts distinguish good wine from the norm. It just feels good to be fancy every now and then :P
All restaurants should feel the pressure for my being judgemental on their complimentary bread. This one was quite good as it was nice and crunchy and served hot. Seriously, I smear so much butter on my bread that it's becoming quite a concern...
The entrees at Summit were definitely the highlight of the night. My favourite was M's choice of Korobuta Crisp Skin Pork Belly ($32) with late summer figs, spices, raw almonds and salad . My god, the pork belly crackling was everything that the words crunchy and sensational epitomised. The meat was awfully tender which just made the contrasting textural combination a party in the mouth. LOVED, LOVED it!
Oddly enough, M's favourite was MY entree: Pan Seared Scallops & Yamba Prawns ($37) with grilled corn, chipotle, pancetta and basil. Both the scallops and the prawns were cooked beautifully but the secret of the dish was definitely the sauce. It was a bit spicy but so creamy and when dipped, made each bite more flavoursome and enticing. Look how amazing the colours look on the plate! Great presentation on both entrees :)
We honestly can't shy away from the steak options at any Modern Australian Restaurant. Each time our attempt to step away from the usual order of meat is overturned by the paranoia that we might miss the next best-steak-of-our-life.
M's 350g Rib Eye On The Bone - grass fed yearling QLD ($56) did not meet his expectations sadly. M likes his steak nice and tender but this one failed to pass the test I guess? I think his choice of sauce was Bearnaise.
The side of Double Cream and Butter Mashed Potato ($12) was quite interesting in appearance. We couldn't help but crack some totally inappropriate and totally immature jokes about its shape :P
Anyways, moving on! For my choice of main, I decided to be spontaneous and order something totally different from my usual conventional choices of steak and fish. The kind waiter recommended the Glazed Duck Breast ($48) with cardamom and agave, prune paste, scorched onions, walnuts and mint. The duck was infused with flavours of Asian Cooking and indeed quite delicious. Wish there was more of the sauce but!
The Hand Cut Potato Chips with Smoked Paparika Salt ($12) was golden crunchy and the choice of aioli is absolutely never a bad idea. The proportions of the sides were quite large in size and we didn't end up finishing either.
Apart from my usual excitement with complimentary bread, dessert gets me just as excited. M's Chocolate Creme Brulee ($24) was very rich and chocolatey, and came with two marshmallow-like-sandwiches (which we weren't a fan of). On the whole, I think the presentation could've used more work! The plate just looked a bit too empty...
My Hot Chocolate Souffle ($26) with 71% caraibe dark, salted caramel ice cream was one of the most interesting desserts I have had. I loved how they had intentionally mounted the souffle lopsided so that it resembled a Leaning Chocolate Tower of...The Summit? However, it tasted a little different to your usual souffle as the texture of each bite was quite smooth and more similar to a panna cotta. As it was served hot, the salted caramel ice cream was amazing in combination.
Overall, the Summit Restaurant was quite nice in terms of the service, the food and the amazing views. Despite feeling that the food was a litle overpriced, the entrees were definitely very memorable for me. On a side note, The Orbit Lounge Bar looked like a great place to come by for drinks and was buzzling with people chatting away with their fancy cocktails!
The Summit Restaurant
Level 47 Australia Square
264 George St Sydney
http://www.summitrestaurant.com.au/
Labels: Fine Dining, Modern Australian, Steak
