est: SIFF 2010 Let's Do Lunch, Sydney (5 Oct 2010)

Establishment Hotel

Level 1, 252 George Street, Sydney NSW 2000

http://www.merivale.com/#/establishment/est

Perfectly cooked fish

The grand high ceiling of the est. restaurant is always a great setting for a special lunch and SIFF 2010 makes the 3 Hatted Restaurant a lot more affordable too. Complimentary bread is good and the $35 lunch deal is a perfectly cooked Pan roasted aoraki salmon with crispy skin and moist and tender meat as hoped which is matched well with a drinkable Brown Brothers Chardonnay 2008. It comes with shaved fennel, asparagus, witlof, preserved lemon and dill oil which all balances well on the palate. The Brown Brothers Shiraz 2009 was also well liked. A glass of wine and coffee is included in the meal price — my cappuccino is good without being too bitter in taste. A bowl of Mash ($10) helps fill the stomach with it's creamy goodness. Petit fours ($4) can be ordered with your coffee which comes with a selection of 6 little sugary morsels. The est labeled chocolate is probably my favourite. It's great to finally see the toilets now use soap dispensers rather than a cake of soap which I noticed in my previous visits.

Other visits to est.:

• 17 Oct 2011 - Let's Do Lunch: Barramundi with asparagus, Sashimi of ocean trout, Salad of spanner crab, Italian buffalo mozzarella

• 5 Oct 2010 - Let's Do Lunch: Pan Roasted Salmon

• 12 Mar 2010 - March Into Merivale: Oysters, Scallops, Veal Parmgiana, Corn Fed Chicken, Mesclun Salad

• 30 June 2009 - Winter Feast: Scallop linguine, Barramundi, Lamb rump, Chips, Cheesecake, Slow poached quince

SNAPSHOT REVIEW:

PROS: Nice decor, Professional and welcoming service, Perfectly cooked fish, Nice balance of flavours, Reasonably priced petit fours

CONS: Might need to order some side dishes to help make the meal more substantial, No entree or dessert specials

MUST TRY: Pan Roasted Salmon, Petit fours as a cheap dessert alternative with your coffee

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Complimentary bread

Pan roasted aoraki salmon, shaved fennel, asparagus, witlof, preserved lemon, dill oil ($35) with wine and coffee

Brown Brothers Chardonnay 2008

Brown Brothers Shiraz 2009

Mash ($10)

Cappuccino

Petit fours ($4)

Bill $158 for 4 people

Table setting

SIFF Let's Do Lunch menu

Sides menu

Seating

Merivale specials promotion — candied scorpion anyone?

Finally have soap dispenser instead of cake of soap

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