White Nectarine Snow Egg
Our outing to Quay was amazing. I had been dreaming of the Snow Egg since Masterchef last year, and then after I bought the Quay cook book a month or so ago I have been obsessing about it. Peter Gilmore is a very impressive chef, and I really love the commitment he has to local and artisan produce. He works closely with a farm in Blackheath to produce organically grown boutique crops, such as the Heirloom carrots I had.
The attention to detail is impressive. Every plate looked divine and you could see the care that went into the preparation. I was also really impressed to see that the vegetarian option for each course were well thought-out and executed. It certainly felt like the vegetarian options were given the same amount of care as the meat and seafood choices, and with a good balance of flavours and textures, I certainly didn’t notice the absence of meat for my first two courses.
It was a moody day, but the restaurant is very open with loads of mirrored surfaces to catch the light. It comes as no surprise, but its booked out for dinner on Friday and Saturday nights until late this year, but we scored a Friday lunch booking the same week, so perhaps aim for a lunch booking if you aren’t fussy? I actually really liked the daytime view, all the boats going past and the Opera House in full view.
Obviously this kind of dining doesn’t come cheap, but that is to be expected of a restaurant that won 26th best in the world in the S.Pelligrino awards and also a three-hat restaurant. The four-course lunch option is $135, or you could choose the three-course option for $115. This includes an amuse bouche and yummy Sonoma bread. For dinner, the four-course option will set you back $155 and you get an extra choice per course. There is also a Tasting Menu which is $220 and is available at both lunch and dinner.
Overall, I loved it. Every course was impressive and really hit the mark in terms of flavour, texture and skill. I would definitely consider heading back there, perhaps in summer to experience the seasonal variances (and if I can convince Reece!)
Smoked eel jelly, carrot cream, breadcrumbs and fennel
Sea Pearls: Sashimi tuna, sea scallop, crab, smoked eel, octopus
Salad of French breakfast radishes, pickled beetroot, goats curd, blood sorrel, violets, olive, pine resin, balsamico
Butter poached coturnix quail breast, pumpernickel & ethical foie gras pudding, walnuts, quinoa, truffle custard, milk skin
Organic heirloom carrots, cumin, fennel & celery seeds, comté-infused curd, almonds, amaranth
Bass grouper, white carrot puree and baby vegetables (there was more but I can't remember)
Quay's Eight texture chocolate cake
mamacita mahns 