Rockpool Est. 1989

In conjunction with celebrating Josh’s graduation, his sister, Ange decided to treat all of us for dinner at Rockpool – thank you again!
I had super high expectations for Rockpool. Being 1 of the 4 three hatted restaurants in Sydney, you’d definitely do not want to expect anything less right? I’ve set my standards on the basis of the other 2 three hatted restaurant I have already had the pleasure of dining at – Sepia and Quay.

Not to mention that I have finally the time to write my thoughts of the night as I am going into my 3 week of clinical round in the hospital. I’ve decided to take the day off and we came here on a Thursday night (14th May). The atmosphere of Rockpool was very dim in lighting, kind of featuring sort of a smoky-esq and mysterious setting to the area. And seeing as I’ve only got a table lamp to work with, these are the best pictures I could come up with to showcase the amazing degustation we had that night.

First course – 

Chirazhi zushi of snapper, kingfish, bonito, squid and uni with cucumber jellies, avocado, kimchi

Oh man! How complex does this dish look? I can’t imagine the amount of technique that goes into slicing the different types of seafood to the companions that is the cucumber jellies, kimchi and chilli.
It was a very fresh start to the course.

Second course – 

Mud crab with silken toufu and fermented black vinegar

This really reminded me of one of my all time favourite comfort foods – hot and sour soup. The combination of flavours just tasted exactly like it. One of the other textures of this dish also reminded me of how shark’s fin soup tastes like. You can’t really see the toufu, but beneath all of that lies a bed of really soft toufu that just melts in your mouth.

Third course –

Prawn mousse in squid ink sauce

Getting into the hot dishes, this was a great start. The prawn mousse had the texture of toufu with actual bits of prawns in the centre. The chilli crumbs on the top added the crunchy texture to the dish and the squid ink sauce – despite giving us black coloured lips – tied all the creamy-ness together.

Fourth course – 

Duck heart with hazelnut sauce

I would have to say that this was my least favourite dish. Only because of the duck heart as I am not really one for spare parts. It’s probably a mental thing rather than a taste thing. HAH! But that hazelnut sauce was amazing! So nutty and so much depth of flavour. It was definitely what made me want to finish the whole dish.

Fifth course – 

Spanish mackerel with shiitake condiment

Haven’t I mentioned that I don’t eat fish at all? Definitely several times. However, this dish was a winner! Might have made me liked fish a little bit more! But only if it’s cooked as good as this. The condiments were definitely the highlight. It had a really good kick of spice to it which is always a win for me.

Sixth course – 

SA lamb with buckwheat risotto and mint sauce 

A hearty dish to end the savouries with an all time favourite Aussie meat – lamb. The lamb was very well cooked as it’s evident in the picture. The risotto was creamy and the rice still had a bit of a crunch to it. The mint sauce gave everything freshness amongst the heartiness of the dish.

Seventh course –

Ricotta parfait with strawberries, almond, grapefruit and coconut sorbet

Palate cleanser! So refreshing. It’s everything you’d want after such a hearty meal.

Eighth course – 

Vecherin of pandan custard with coconut parfait, jasmine sorbet, kaffir lime granita

Almost like follow-up to another palate cleanser. The flavours of the dessert was very spot on, there was no subtlety in any of the mentioned flavours by the waiter. I could just go back for this. The favourite element of this dessert was the pandan custard for me. It just reminded me of home, and there is nothing better than food that take you back to your home.

Petit fours – 

Date tart & white chocolate and green tea mini eclairs

The ever famous date tart from Rockpool has lived up to the hype from so many people I have heard before coming here. Chewy and dense crust with a thick curd and dates on the inside. The down side was that there was only one each.
The texture of the mini eclair was to my surprise, was very good! For something so small, you’d think the texture of an eclair pastry would be different than of a larger one.

The waiters and their services was friendly and very accommodating. Their presentation of the meals was insightful and a pleasure to listen to as we weren’t given any menus at all. It kept it wondering what was next each time and that was very exciting. The meal portions were so generous that we left with a food coma.

Overall rating: 8.5/10

Rockpool Est. 1989
11 Bridge Street SYDNEY 
www.rockpool.com/rockpoolsydney