Flying Fish: Wine Selectors Marriage of Food & Wine Event, Pyrmont (6 Sept 2011)

19-21 Pirrama Road, Jones Bay Wharf, Pyrmont NSW 2009
http://www.flyingfish.com.au

Real wine, producers & regions

“There's a great wine for every occasion — it's all about epxloring, finding what you like and what suit the event. There's nothing worng with having an affordable bottle of Shiraz with your sausages on a Monday night”

Thanks to Carla Carafa from Keep Left PR for inviting me as a guest to this Wine Selectors event. It was an educational dinner where I discovered that even though there's over 3000 registered wineries in Australia probably half the volume of wine is bought from only 8 mega wine companies. Which apparently means the majority of the smaller wineries are never discovered by the general wine consumer that only visits places like Coles and Woolworths. I also learnt the supermarket giants actually own places like Dan Murphys, Cellarmasters, Vintage Cellars, 1st Choice Liquor Superstore and BWS which I always thought were independent — so sneaky. There's only a small number of independent wine cellars in Australia that help to sell a wider choice of wines to the consumer. I've noticed the Wine Selectors stands at airports and always thought they were just selling marked up wines to tourists that you could get cheaper in your local bottle shop but I know understand they're helping to sell wines from some of the smaller producers which you wouldn’t find in most liquor shops. They tell me their pricing guarantee matches what it would cost to buy directly from the winery so that's good to know as I hate paying more than I have to.

A selection of wines were matched with the Flying Fish dinner menu. Out of all the wines sampled the 2009 Coriole Vineyards Sangiovese Shiraz certainly had some ‘presence’ as it was described. The tiny Cornet of ocean trout tartare with chive crème fraiche ($5 each) was enjoyable and the Freshly shucked Sydney rock oyster with soy and ginger ($5 each) was pretty good but seemed to be missing a fair bit of its fresh brine I was hoping for. A nicely presented Roasted blue eye trevalla ($48) looked great and I really enjoyed the flavours of white anchovy & herb vinaigrette topping. For the hot chip fans the Flying fish hand cut chips with chili salt ($12) are definitely worth trying. Fair amount of noticeable spice but perhaps could have been a little more crunchier for my liking. Cabot cloth bound cheddar ($15, Individual portion 40 grams) seems to be popular these days in restaurants which had the right amount of bite. I really enjoyed the Delice de Bourgogne from France — more please. My Affogato with Frangelico ($19) comes at a steep price but worth it for a special occasion. Look out for the Ginger and cardamon chocolate petit four which was my favourite of the selection offered.

Check out Noodlies for some video footage of Chris Barnes explaining the wine selection

Other visits to Flying Fish:

• 2 Sept 2011 - Wine Selector Marriage of Food & Wine Event

• 2 March 2011 - #summermenu Tweetup and Blogging Event

SNAPSHOT REVIEW:

PROS: Greater access to wines from different regions, Water views and glimpses, Nice decor, Interesting and well-presented dishes, Quality ingredients, Professional service, Private dining sections available

CONS: Expensive, Restaurant located a bit off the beaten track with limited free street parking for only limited time, I still don't like the toilet setup

WORTH TRYING: Cornet of ocean trout tartare, Hand cut chips, Affogato with Frangelico, Dishes that tickle your fancy, Delice de Bourgogne cheese, The Ginger and cardamon chocolate petit four

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Acqua Panna mineral water, Prosecco di Valdobbiano Sorelle Bronca; 2005 Chrismont Riesling

2010 Dandelelion Vineyards Wonderland of the Eden Valley Riesling; 2010 Riposte by Tim Knappstein No 1 Pinot Noir

2008 Tarrawarra Estate Reserve Pinot Noir; 2009 Coriole Vineyards Sangiovese Shiraz

Girls and boys bomboniere

Cornet of ocean trout tartare with chive crème fraiche ($5 each)

WORTH TRYING :-)

Freshly shucked Sydney rock oyster with soy and ginger ($5 each) — missing a bit of the brine I was hoping for

Toasted brioche with duck rilletes and foie gras mousse ($5 each)

Garlic butter, plain butter with bread

Roasted blue eye trevalla with textures of potato, white anchovy & herb vinaigrette ($48) — nice condiment flavours

Flying fish offers a complimentary green leaf salad with main courses

Dutton park duck breast & confit leg pastilla with buckwheat, quince & pan juices ($47) — tender meat, nice flavours

Flying fish hand cut chips with chili salt ($12) — nice amount of spice although could be a little more crunchier for my liking

WORTH TRYING :-)

Cabot cloth bound cheddar, cow’s milk, Vermont, USA; Delice de Bourgogne, Burgundy, France ($15, Individual portion 40 grams)

WORTH TRYING :-)

Affogato with Frangelico ($19)

WORTH TRYING :-)

Petit fours — Mandarin and guava jelly, Passionfruit meringue really nice

Ginger and cardamon chocolate

SIMON FAVOURITE :-)

Small camera, big camera

Chris Barnes explaining Wine Selectors

Open kitchen

Seating and bar upstairs, Goodie bag of wine, Selector magazine and Lindt caramel chocolate

Looking through the wooden decor

Table setting and wall feature

Nice little lantern lights

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Flying Fish: #summermenu Tweetup and Blogging Event, Pyrmont (2 March 2011)

19-21 Pirrama Road, Jones Bay Wharf, Pyrmont NSW 2009
http://www.flyingfish.com.au

Flying Fish tweets up a feast

Thanks to Denea Buckingham from Gourmet Rabbi and the team from Flying Fish for inviting me to their #summermenu tweetup event — although I'm a little confused since it's now autumn. The first time I tried dishes from Flying Fish was at the Taste of Sydney 2010 so it's great to have the opportunity to check out the actual restaurant. Commanding two levels of cosy and atmospheric décor with fully open kitchens and partial water views depending on where you sit makes it quite an impressive space. Bar Manager Rob prepared a refershing welcome cocktail called 'Breakfast at Tiffanys' which isn’t on the menu but I think it definitely should be — perhaps ask for it by name. For starters the freshly shucked Claire de Lune Sydney Rock oysters with ocean trout pearls ($4 each) thankfully still contained their briny goodness. The specially prepared canapé of Paleta jamon iberico crostini with espresso mayo worked well and was superbly wafer thin — I could have breathed in a whole plate of them quite easily. The unusual Pop corn prawns with mayo and coriander ($4.50 each) were tasty treats using decently sized king prawns although watch out for any hard unpopped bits.

Sommelier Joe Turnaturi and Head Chef Stephen Seckold talked us through the matching wine selections and dishes. It was clear how passionate and competent they were. Our first dish of Seared yellow fin tuna with ruby red grapefruit ($33) is possibly regarded as one of Flying Fish’s signature dishes — same one they served at Taste of Sydney 2010. I liked the accent of red grapefruit against the ever-so-tender tuna although the sauce was bordering on just a bit too sweet for my palate and a lighter dressing would have better suited me. I enjoyed the Confit of Petuna ocean trout ($32) better delivering the right amount of light crunch from the puffed quinoa. The melt-in-your-mouth ocean trout cooked in olive oil for 8 minutes at 43 degrees reminded me of Tetsuya’s signature dish. The 2008 Vouray Sec Champalou Chenin Blanc was an excellent match which somehow further emphasised the fish’s sea taste on the palate.

My favourite dish was the Prawn ravioli with poached scampi ($35) served in a unique bowl design although it would have been a little easier to eat from a flatter bowl. Good balance of flavours and matched well with the 2009 Vinhos Verdes Quinta do Ameal Loureiro Mihno from Portugal. It’s presentation reminded me of Tetsuya’s Crab ravioli dish. Another tasty dishes was the Pan roasted hapuka with hazelnut ($44) with green grapes that had their skins individually peeled off — the attention to detail is appreciated in the dish. White balsamic potato provided the right about of acidity to compliment the flavoursome and slightly creamy sauce. The Wagyu Mb7+ sirloin ($48) cooked via a sous-vide water bath for around 5 hours produced tender meat still medium rare. I really enjoyed the full flavoured king brown mushroom with its criss cross surface cuts.

To finish the Gingerbread crumble, apple ice cream, roasted almonds & fennel ($18) had nice depth of flavours although I felt it lacked a centerpiece ingredient to pull it altogether like a poached pear, peach or nectarine. For me it was like having the top of an apple crumble without any filling or base. My fairly non-bitter Cappuccino ($6) helped wash down a large assortment of petit fours. The fruit jelly seemed to be one of the table favourites. Our Polish waitress Iwona was professional, friendly and accommodating which I’d expect all service to hopefully be at such a fine dining establishment. All in all the well presented and thought out dishes gave me a good insight into this 1 hatted restaurant and the only major flaw I found was the very scary toilets which can make your privacy feel very exposed. I think the Restaurant Designer, Michael McCann, from Dreamtime Australia Design has certainly gone for the shock factor just like the Pee Pods at The Argyle — you’ve now been pre-warned but I guess there goes the surprise factor.

Other visits to Flying Fish:

• 2 Sept 2011 - Wine Selector Marriage of Food & Wine Event

• 2 March 2011 - #summermenu Tweetup and Blogging Event

SNAPSHOT REVIEW:

PROS: Water views and glimpses, Atmospheric decor, Interesting and well presented dishes, Extensive menu options, Quality ingredients, Professional service, Private dining sections available, Outdoor style lounge and bar, Impressive wine selection

CONS: Expensive, Small sized toilets for such a large restaurant which also make you feel very exposed and possibly uncomfortable due to the design of cubicle walls, Located a bit off the beaten track with limited to no free street parking, Some tables for two are positioned in less intimate thoroughfares

MUST TRY: Freshly shucked oysters, Paleta jamon iberico crostini with espresso mayo, Prawn ravioli with poached scampi, Having a cocktail at the outside bar

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Pre drinks and canapés

Cocktail 'Breakfast at Tiffanys' Grey Goose L'Orange (30 ml), Lemoncello (20 ml) and Massenez Creme de Peche (10 ml) with muddled fresh strawberry (x3), orange (wedge) and lime juice topped with lemon zest

SIMON FAVOURITE :-)

Claire de Lune Sydney Rock oysters, South Coast NSW with ocean trout pearls ($4 each)

Canapé style: Paleta jamon iberico crostini with espresso mayo

SIMON FAVOURITE :-)

Pop corn prawns with mayo and coriander ($4.50 each)

Just be careful of any hard pop corn bits that might be left

Summer Menu dinner

Summer Menu

Bread roll made on the premises served with plain butter and smoked butter with black salt — although the presentation of the butter could perhaps look a little less like a piece of Playdo

Seared yellow fin tuna with ruby red grapefruit, sweet crackling pork & black pepper caramel ($33), and deconstructed dish to reveal pork that lies underneath. Matched with 2010 Rogers & Rufus Grenache Barossa Valley

2010 Rogers & Rufus Grenache Barossa Valley

Confit of Petuna ocean trout with pea & black sesame mousse, puffed quinoa & tangerine oil ($32) matched with 2008 Vouray Sec Champalou Chenin Blanc, Loire Valley, France

2008 Vouray Sec Champalou Chenin Blanc, Loire Valley, France

Prawn ravioli with poached scampi, shaved abalone, zucchini flower & tomato & coriander vinaigrette ($35) matched with 2009 Vinhos Verdes Quinta do Ameal Loureiro Mihno, Portugal

SIMON FAVOURITE :-)

2009 Vinhos Verdes Quinta do Ameal Loureiro Mihno, Portugal

HAPUKA Pan roasted hapuka with hazelnut, white balsamic potato, green grape, Pantelleria capers & beurre noisette ($44) matched with 2009 Gabo do Xil, Godello Valdeorras, Spain

2009 Gabo do Xil, Godello Valdeorras, Spain

Wagyu Mb7+ sirloin & braised short rib with smoked leek, king brown mushrooms, beetroot & horseradish ($48) matched with 2006 J. Bouchon 'La Mercedes' Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz Malbec Maule Valley, Chile

2006 J. Bouchon 'La Mercedes' Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz Malbec Maule Valley, Chile

Gingerbread crumble, apple ice cream, roasted almonds & fennel ($18) matched with 2006 Coteaux du Layon Domaine Beaumard 'Cote d'Or' Chenin Blanc Loire Valley, France

2006 Coteaux du Layon Domaine Beaumard 'Cote d'Or' Chenin Blanc Loire Valley, France

Cappuccino ($6)

Individually wrapped brown and white sugar — first time I've seen these but it's a shame about the extra packaging for the environment

Petit fours

Trying to cut a macaron in half — unsuccessfully

Extra fruit jellies

Dinner guests and staff

Pre drinks and canapés

Photographing the canapés

Twittering about Flying Fish #summermenu

Tweeting and sitting down for Flying Fish #summermenu

Everything is photographed including the butter

More twittering about Flying Fish #summermenu

Sommelier Joe Turnaturi and Head Chef Stephen Seckold explaining the matching wine selection and dishes prepared

Photographing the dishes

Iggy Pintado twittering with ipad and iphone

Bar Manager Rob discussing cocktails with Helen Loves Food and Gourmet Rabbit

The unstoppable AskTonyFood prepared with camera, laptop and iphone I suspect

More twittering about Flying Fish #summermenu

Daily Addict, Gosstronomy, Teknetia and Me

Helen Loves Food, Gourmet Rabbit and Me

The restaurant

Outside bar and lounge

Main open kitchen

Raw kitchen

Dessert kitchen

Private dining room

Upstairs dining area

Downstairs dining area

Upstairs private room

Dining for two

Riedel glassware — nice and expensive

Mens toilet has a semi reflective glass urinal wall that's located openly right next to the sink providing very little privacy (if any) which is also fully visible from entry door when open — hello ladies. Also the frosted cubicle glass is semi translucent when look out so creates unfortunate silhouetting — OMG I did not need to see that! So now you've been warned.

Womens toilet uses automatic sensor frosted glass for cubicle walls although you can still see shapes and movement through it. Also if you don't move for a while the sensor will turn off and go clear — OMG watch out if you're inside!

End of the wharf with view of city skyline and harbour bridge in the distance

Located down the end of Pier 19 to 21

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