M and I celebrated our three years anniversary this week and as always, the special occasion meant our stomachs deserved an extra treat - to our absolute delight of course! Flying Fish was selected as the destination of choice upon hearing raving reviews from my colleagues and other fellow foodies. Whilst the location of the restaurant was slightly tricky to navigate at first and compelled us to really question our map-interpreting skills, we managed to get there in the end and was pleasantly surprised by what came afterwards.
Flying Fish is situated in Pyrmont and the easiest way to direct you there would be...to use Apple Maps :P Ok if you understand the following then it might help too - walk straight down the road from where The Star is located before making a right at Jones Bay Wharf. You then walk towards the end of the wharf where you'll find this beautifully secluded restaurant, sitting right across from the Harbour Bridge. We were directed to the second level of the restaurant which was fantastic because it allowed us to really appreciate the gorgeous lights that hung down from the ceiling.
Honestly it doesn't get more beautiful and romantic than this! The lights really made for a dreamy atmosphere.
At Flying Fish, you can opt for the Degustation Menu which sits at $170 per person or the A La Carte - we went for the latter.
We started the night with this awesome quote. Unfortunately as uni students, sometimes it's simply too difficult (expensive) to achieve said objective.
Apart from the menu staples, Flying Fish has a daily specials menu which revolves around fresh seafood (judging from the restaurant name, seafood is their specialty) such as oysters, sashimi and crab.
M and I don't drink together often but everytime we go to a fine dining restaurant, given it is most likely always a celebration, some bubbly is obligatory. The Veuve Clicquot ($25 Per Glass) was refreshingly crisp with a nice sparkling finish - a classic order you can't go wrong with!
Then the moment came. The unexpected moment that was widely anticipated by both M and I, but in no way did we expect it to end so spectacularly. It's no secret that M and I are obsessed with sourdough bread and we use it as a measure to judge every fine dining restaurant we go to - I am also slowly trying to develop my no shame game in requesting for seconds.
So without further ado, I would like to introduce you to the BEST BREAD along with the BEST BUTTER we have ever had. Sure the claim is high but every bit well-deserved. The bread was divine in its superbly crunchy exterior but was then pillowy soft and chewy on the inside. The butter melted and oozed the minute the knife touched the bread and each bite was as heavenly as the next. I told M afterwards: "I could eat a whole meal just from that bread." 100 thumbs up!
The Seared Scallops ($33) with Miso Chicken, Sweet Corn and Finger Line was absolutely divine - big juicy scallops seared beautifully, which married well with its condiments and seasoning. The chicken was slightly random at first but I enjoyed the tasty bites. Nevertheless I probably would've preferred an extra scallop because they were just too delicious and two is never enough.
M's WA Marron ($34) with Brown Butter & Tamarind Emulsion, Charred Lettuce and Aged Balsamic won the 'Best Entree Dish' award to date. First of all, the marron was lovely and fresh, cooked well and was tenderly succulent. The hero of the dish though was definitely the sauce. Not quite sure exactly what it was but it was definitely a magical concoction of some sorts because it just meshed so well with the marron and was dangerously addictive. I would be happy to dip anything into that sauce - it was THAT good.
The entrees really exceeded our expectations and so we were quite excited to start on our mains. My Hapuka ($46) with Butternut & King Prawn Pancake, Date & Tamarind didn't disappoint. It was infused with a creamy rich curry-like sauce which really boosted the flavours of the dish as a whole. Usually fish dishes can come off as quite bland and ordinary but Flying Fish definitely made the Hapuka just one level more exceptional.
M's John Dory ($45) with Peking Duck Broth, Calamari and Zucchini was another stunner. Again, Flying Fish just nailed it with the broth - they really are good with their sauces! The peking duck broth was ultra flavoursome and this really seeped into the John Dory, which was cooked to perfection. Love that it was gorgeously crispy on the edges!
The entrees and mains were seriously amazing and so we had high expectations for dessert...unfortunately we were quite disappointed.
The Fig, Coffee Cake, Walnut Ice Cream and Marsala ($18) had so many elements in it and sadly, M and I were not a fan of them. The combination of flavours was a little odd to us and didn't quite go down as expected.
The Aerated Mint Chocolate ($19) with Mandarin Parfait, Chocolate Crumble and Orange was okay but compared to the countless amazing desserts we have had in the past, this was mediocre at best. The juxtaposition of creamy chocolate against the sweets bursts of citrus orange and mandarin was unique but perhaps not the best combination. At some point it got a bit too sour and didn't mix so well with the rich chocolate.
Overall, despite the slight letdown with the desserts, both M and I were still very pleased with Flying Fish. To do well in both the entree and mains categories is no easy task and they aced both! We would definitely recommend ordering seafood wherever you can, although I must admit when I glanced over at another table, their steak looked pretty awesome as well.
The staff here are so professional and friendly - one even offered to take a photo of M and I outside in front of the Harbour Bridge before a large ship was about to sail by. So thoughtful and kind!
As you can see, at night this place can be quite mesmerising! I love their use of lights - subtle but stunning in effect. Overall, not bad at all :)
Flying Fish
Jones Bay Wharf
Lower Deck 19-21
Pirrama Road
Pyrmont NSW 2009
(02) 9518 6677
http://flyingfish.com.au
Labels: Fine Dining, Modern Australian, Seafood
