CATALINA Restaurant

1 Sunderland Avenue, Lyne Park, Rose Bay, Sydney, NSW 2029, Australia  Phone: +61-2- 9371 0555  About 20 minutes cab ride from downtown Sydney.

Overlooks beautiful Rose Bay, opposite from where the world famous Sydney to Hobart yacht race commences.

Situated in a sheltered bay that is part of Sydney Harbour on the site of a former famous flying boat base from which Catalina takes it name.    TO BEGIN, I had to try the Sydney Rock Oysters, that were billed as the best in Sydney.  I chose the oysters natrural with sauce Vierge, they were topped with caviar and tomato salsa to which I added a little bit of Tabasco.  These were served in a silver bowl on crushed ice and totally lived up to their claims. 

A slice of sourdough bread baked twice daily on the premises would have done the best of San Francisco proud.   I could not resist a second slice.  My dining companion chose scallops with salted cod and brussel sprouts which combined with the special sauce was outstanding.

FOR MAINS: we chose the Castricum rack of lamb, with parsnips, red pepper and porcini salsa, complimented with globe artichokes  and grilled salmon served with shrimp and broad beans.  Although not needed, the side order of green beans with fetta and almonds, almost reason enough to return.

DESSERT: Honey bavarois topped off with poached rhubarb. My partner chose Caramelised blood orange and Grande Marnier crepes. I must admit that we were struggling to fit in the desserts but the temptation was too great and worth the sacrafice.

Open 7 days continuously from midday until late. Closed Sunday Night. Reservations suggested.

For something different, try a water taxi from Circular Quay Downtown, (about 15-20 mins) with great views of Syndey’s harbourside homes) Phone from Sydney 1300 666 484. (Cost around USD$37 flag Fall and USD$9 per person)

Australian seafood is “the best” try the Sydney Rock Oysters. SERVICE: Excellent, friendly, not overdone. FOOD: Generous flavoursome food  Executive Chef Paul McMahon. Winner of many awards including winner 2004 Restaurant and Catering NSW Metropolitan Awards for Excellence: Best Modern Australian Informal All major credit cards.  AVERAGE PRICES: for two: 3 courses about USD$125 excluding wine)  Fine wine selection. Suggest best Australian. From around USD$45 to USD$1500  RATING: Most Highly Recommended.   My highest rating. Sydney’s society loves this restaurant. It is a most popular lunch spot.   I will certain be returning to this fine restaurant.(reviewed October 2006) by John Pond & Sandra T.)

Otto Ristorante Italiano

6 Cowper Wharf Road  Woolloomooloo 2011 Ph: 61- 2- 9368 7488

A very short cab ride from downtown Sydney - or walk from City Center (about 20mins).

Otto is one of the seven excellent restaurants situated along the Woolloomooloo (pronounced Wool-a-ma-loo) Finger Wharf, an old cargo wharf which has been developed into multi million dollar apartments, a 5 star hotel and more.

If Otto is full, which it often is, there are many other fine adjoining restaurants worthy of visiting. All overlook the magnificent Sydney skyline and million dollar boats anchored at the marina which forms part of the Wharf.

We decided on dining at 6 p.m. so we could see the sun setting over the magnificent city skyline views.  The restaurant also re-opens at 6 p.m. and we were among the first diners.  Our waiter was friendly but needed glasses as he stumbled through the reading of the evening’s specials from the blackboard at the rear of the restaurant.  By the time he had finished reading we had forgotten all the specials. 

Several small pieces of bread were served prior to the meal with a single bowl of olive oil.  As we are multiple dippers, we would have preferred our own bowl .

APPERTISERS: we had Sydney Rock Oysters with Yarra Valley salmon roe with verjuice and salmon dressing and sliced proscuitto with melon and grissini. 

Mains: Mezzaluna di zucca con gamberi consisting of moon shaped pasta filled with pumpkin and ricotta with grilled Spencer Gulf shrimp and sage burnt butter. The five pasta parcels had a shrimp atop each parcel except for one. When asking the waiter what happened to the last shrimp, he replied that the accountants had told them they had to cut down on their food costs and that if we had come last month we would have received a shrimp on each parcel, we felt slightly cheated on a dish costing USD$28.

Also, Strozzapreti con gamberi which was artisan pasta with fresh Yamba shrimp, tomato, chilli, calamari and black olive sauce.  My request to not have olives in my sauce was noted and I was presented with a most flavorsome dish.

DESSERT:Date pudding with mascapone sabayon, butterscotch sauce and vanilla bean ice cream.  We shared this.  It was very rich and more than enough for two.

Indoor and outdoor seating is most pleasant on a fine nite. The view overlooking the city’s skyline and Sydney Harbour is spectacular.

SERVICE: Good.  FOOD:  Italian Style - not traditional.  All major credit cards.

AVERAGE PRICES: for two: 3 courses about USD$123 excluding wine)

Fine wine selection. Suggest best Australian. From around USD$52 to USD$217

Bookings suggested.   DRESS: Casual Awards: several, including Conde Nast Traveller USA 2001 - “One of the top 100 hot tables from around the world”.   Unfortunately, although I had a reasonably good dining experience, I feel Otto’s did not live up to its claims.  A fine restaurant, but not one I would be in a hurry to come back to.  I was struggling to come up with my food selection. RATING: Recommended. Great location, not impressed with food choice selection.

Opening Hours Tuesday to Sunday, Noon until Midnight. Kitchen Closes 10.30pm. (9pm on Sundays)

Lunch from Noon until 3.30pm. Dinner from 6pm. Bookings suggested. Dress: Casual. All major credit cards.

(reviewed October 2006) by John Pond & Sandra T.)

the East Chinese Restaurant Shop 8, No.1 Macquarie Street, East Circular Quay NSW 200 Phone: +61-2-9252 6868

Opening Hours Lunch Mon-Thu Noon-3pm; Fri-Sun Noon-5pm;Dinner Mon-Thu 5-10.30pm; Fri-Sat 5-11.30pm; Sun 5-9.30pm  Special Features

Outdoor Dining  Water Views

Situated opposite the overseas shipping terminal along the walk to the Sydney Opera House, I believe this is perhaps one of my favourite Sydney Chinese Restaurant. Sydney, I believe has some of the finest Chinese restaurants in the world. Servings are generous, decor is elegant and the outdoor dining area is magnificent with views to the Harbour bridge and opera house.

The menu is outstanding, sauces don’t overpower with efficient quick service.Try the East Duck, similiar to Peking Duck, four servings of crispy fried duck served in pancakes with hoi sin sauce, great value at $21 (serves 2 to 4 as an appertiser).

Then  for mains we ordered Magic Chicken, served with garlic, ginger, fungus and snake beans in soy. Also Spicy Eggplant Hot Pot with Minced Pork. I prefer boiled rice always as the flavours of the dishes are not masked  Every dish that passed our table looked mouthwatering. All mains were priced around  USD$16 to $23. This is considered slightly above average for Chinese restaurants: considering the view and food quality, this equals outstanding value. There are tanks with live lobsters and other seafood, these are costed at market price. The East gets my highest rating, I cant wait to return. “Dis”.

Ice Cube Seafood Grill  Ice Cube Seafood Grill is located at Sydney’s Darling Harbour on the ground floor of the Imax Theatre Complex, central to some of Sydney’s major attractions and a lazy stroll from the city. They claim Sydney’s best seafood, but I wouldn’t go that far. Very pleasant waiters although not fully professional and not up to the standard one would expect from a venue of this supposed quality and price.

I started with a prawn cocktail (which didn’t sound very exciting) but it was perhaps the best I have ever tasted. The fresh, peeled fresh medium sized prawns were elegantly displayed on a bed of avocado in a sensational dressing, cost a reasonable $15.50. For mains I chose the old fashioned “Surf & Turf” a small steak with half a very small lobster. Cost around A$42. Unfortunately the steak was very tough and the lobster tasteless. When I asked if my mashed potatoes could be replaced by a few french fries,  I was told no.

The waiter asked if I wanted something else in place of my tough steak. I said I was very hungry and would not worry. He talked to another waiter, who it turned out was an assistant manager. He came other a re offered another steak, which I accepted. I finished my lobster: then the new, bigger and better quality steak (a different cut) arrived on a small plate. My existing plate was a mess - the few potatoes left were cold. I suggested that the steak should have been brought over on a dinner plate with some potatoes. He Returned with same. The second steak was excellent but I had lost my appetite by that time. My guest had Salt and pepper squid for starters - this was excellent. For mains she had  Western Australian Scampi,  Some bread rolls would have been appreciated.

CONCLUSION: I may return and give them a second chance, the starters were so good.  Prices were in keeping with most 5 star restaurants - but at this time they only get 3-4 stars. Waiters were attentive but lacked serving skills.  An almost good dining experience, but don’t order the surf and turf. All the fish dishes looked great.

Opening Times Lunch and Dinner from 12noon - 11 midnight , weekend a little later. Ph: +61 2- 8267 3666 “Dis”.

The Malaya Restaurant King St Wharf Restaurants

Steeped in a 40-year history of delighting diners with friendly service and serving the best and authentic Malaysian cuisine. (Nonya Style).
Spectacular harbour views, the spirited nightlife of the Wharf and delicious cuisine.
An array of sumptuous Malaysian delicacies such as their legendary Laksa, Otak Otak and Rendang. Owners :Lance & Givie Wong

Manager : Tri Le Malaya Opens: 7 Days  - Lunch & Dinner.

Phone:  +61 2 9279 1170  Email:  samala@themalaya.com.au  “Dis.”

Malaya Cuisine : Malaysian - Traditional south east Asian cuisine  Fully Licensed

SOME STARTERS: Otak Otak White fish fillet minced with chilli and spices, wrapped in a banana leaf and barbequed. 2 per serve $13.00

SOME MAINS: King Prawn Laksa  An old Malaya favourite. Rice vermicelli and beansprouts topped with king prawns, served in a spicy milk soup, garnished with dry onion, shallots, corriander and finished with Malaya Laksa chilli. $23.00

Singapore Curry Fish  Authentic Singaporean style curry made with tomato and eggplant. Medium hot $28.00

Kwai Du  Flat rice noodle stir-fried dry style with chicken, prawn, beansprouts, onion, shallots, chilli and egg.

$20.00  Kapitan Prawn  Panang Style curry made with fresh chilli and coconut milk served with lightly battered king prawns.

$28.00  King Prawn Paggang

Marinated king prawns skewered, barbequed and served with a spicy chilli, peanut and coconut sauce.

$28.00  Szechuan Eggplant  Marinated eggplant stir-fried dry style with shallots, cashew nuts and dry chillies. Served on a bed of English spinach.

$20.00  Beef Rendang

Indonesian style beef curry. There are two varieties to choose from, tomato base or dry coconut base. Medium to hot

REVIEWS

RESTAURANTS

Catalina P1

Otto P2

the EAST Chinese P2

Ice Cube P3

Malaya King St. P3

Wrest Point Casino Hotel

Restaurant

HOTELS

Harbour Plaza

Hong Kong P5

Landmark Manadrin Orintal Hong Kong P5

Hyatt-Regency Honolulu P5

Four Seasons

Las Vegas P6

The Benjamin

New York P6

The Handlery

San Francisco P7

Mandarin Oriental

Hong Kong P7

Four Seasons New York P7

Wrest Point

Tasmania P8

Editor:  John Pond with Sandra T.

WREST POINT HOTEL-CASINO, Hobart Tasmania, Australia.

The rooftop revolving restaurant features a wonderful menu with local produce which is second to none. To my delight many “old fashioned dishes”, favorites of the original owner, are featured. Open for dinner nightly but only for lunch on Fridays (other restaurants are available in the hotel).

For starters we had Cured Ocean Trout with farm churned horseradish butter and coriander salad, my partner had Herb Gnocchi with sweet potato roesti, haricot vert and beurre noisette.

For mains (remember Australians call American Entrée MAINS) we had Sauteed Beef Tenderloins “Diane Style” flambeed in brandy, red wine jus and cream and Prawn Flambe cooked in a spicy coconut and banana curry finished with Pernod. Both dishes cooked at the table. As sides we had hand cut fries and local garden vegetables. The food was even more spectacular than the view.

Lots of great Australian wines to complement the dishes at reasonable prices.

The flambe mains were the most expensive on the menu. Cost for two dishes each (no room for dessert) around US$140 for two. The meal was most memorable with excellent attentive silver service. The staff seem to go out of their way to please.

Suites are of international standard - 5 star, other standard hotel rooms are not lavish -4 star, but comfortable with all the amenities. The views are spectacular, make sure you ask for a city view overlooking the harbor, famous for the end of the Sydney - Hobart yacht race held late December every year.

The hotel casino has shrunk since my last visit - now with opposition casino in Melbourne - the high rollers head there. Most casino games are available except craps. There are hundreds of slot machines and a great atmosphere.

Hobart is a delight with availability to many tours. A must see is the  Salamaca Market Place held by the dockside every Saturday.

Prices: Ocean view Tower bed and breakfast package for two around US$169

Tower Premier Suite Bed and breakfast for two around US$256

Facilities include: 3 restaurants; 3 bars; nightclub; indoor pool;  2 lit tennis courts; health club; 24-hr. room service. Wheelchair access.

mailto:email@wrestpoint.com.au

Toll Free: 1800 030 611 (Australia only) or +61 3 6211 1750

Postal address: 410 Sandy Bay Rd, Sandy Bay, Tasmania 7005