There were 2 dining options – 7-course degust or 4-course a la carte. We opted for the a la carte because there’s no chocolate dessert on the degust menu :P
Amuse bouche of tuna, tapioca, creme fraiche:
Course 1 – we all chose the sea pearls: Sashimi tuna, aquaculture caviar, sea scallop, smoked eel, octopus, mud crab, abalone
Blue fin tuna was naturally sweet and mellow. Loved the octopus which was mixed with tiny droplets of egg whites. How did they make them? Abalone slice was surrounded by solidified broth. Scallop was intense and sweet. Excellent dish to start with. It tasted as good as it looks.
The Sommelier recommended a glass of Semillon (2002 Falls Wines from Canowindra NSW). Compliments my courses 1 and 2 nicely.
Course 2
Mr Chan’s - Five textures of Southern rock lobster.
Ok... you can’t see any lobster here! But it has been converted into infused tofu, tapioca cake, steamed lobster slices, rich consommé, custard. The tofu/tapioca/slices was combined with a light creamy emulsion with a hint of lemon zest. The rich consommé and custard was an explosion of flavour despite the clearness of the broth.
Both Mrs Chans’ - Crisp confit of pig belly, braise of abalone and cuttlefish, handmade silken tofu, Japanese mushrooms, chive flowers
Skin was crisp as advertised and combined well with the abalone/cuttlefish/tofu/mushrooms. If I have to be ultra picky, the texture of the pork could have been a bit more supple. Dixon, your roast pork is hard to beat!
Course 3
Mr Chan’s - Braised black pig jowl, smoked eggplant, baby kabu turnips, Chinese artichokes, spinach, wasabi flowers, konbu consommé.
The jowl was literally “melting in my mouth”. The meat/soft bone was cooked for a long time and there was good marbling on the meaty bits. The smokiness of the eggplant gave the broth some kick. This dish was light and rich at the same time!
Mrs Chan junior’s - Bass Groper, parsley crust, slow braise of baby abalone, periwinkles, sea scallop, winter melon, hasuimo, green tea and seaweed consommé
Mrs Chan senior’s - 24 hour slow cooked milk fed Suffolk lamb, sheep’s milk fromage, heirloom baby carrots, Arbequina olives, capers, nasturtiums and rosemary flowers
Very tender and flavourful.
Course 4
Mr Chan’s - Eight texture chocolate cake featuring Amedei 'Chuao' Chocolate
Mrs Chan told me beforehand that Amedei is world’s best chocolate, better than Valrhona. And YES! it’s the best chocolate dessert I’ve eaten to date. The final (8th) texture was served at the table as the waiter poured a dollop of ganach onto the dessert. The warm ganach melted the dessert and created a hole in the middle. I scraped the dish clean and I was in chocolate heaven.
Mrs Chan junior’s Raspberries, violet, almond, vanilla cream.
Very very beautiful presentation and Mrs Chan loves it.
Mrs Chan senior’s Pistachios, rose, watermelon, vanilla.
Wow... the rose ice cream was SOOOO unique. Very strong yet very refreshing rose aromas.
Mr Chan’s ratings:
Food – 9.5/10 – Course 1 was beautiful. Course 2 was interesting and innovative. Course 3 was uniquely tasty. Course 4 was heavenly.
Ambience – 9.5/10 – you can’t get a better view. World class.
Service – 8/10 – Not too bad overall. One good waiter. Sommelier was a little arrogant. 2 waiters were mumbling/insensitive.
Value – 7/10 – The 4-course is $155, but there were “supplements” (of $20 per dish) for the sea pearls and lobster.... their degust has risen twice this year, now standing at $210! So Tetsuya’s now the “better value” option.
Overall – 9/10 - a lovely gastronomic evening with Mrs Chan X 2. This experience is neck and neck with Tetsuya’s. Different food styles. Perhaps Tetsuya’s has an edge in precision and execution, but it’s unfair to say Quay is any worse. Quay finished the meal with top notch stunning desserts, whereas Tetsuya’s degustation showed off extremely intricate cooking techniques. The view at Quay does have a big impact. Service is definitely better and more professional at Tetsuya’s. Both bloody expensive dining venues!
Photos courtesy of Mrs Chan's 450D.
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