Back in Syndey after a full day hiking through and exploring the magnificent Blue Mountains to the west with our super guide Norman we were pretty hungry and headed around the corner for some fresh fish at FISH AT THE ROCKS. It's a small unassuming place with maybe twenty tables. The woman at the counter asked if we had a reservation and we did, but she could not find it. I looked at the computer and saw Will's name mispelled(Stephenson) as well as 745pm, not 7pm. They seated us and we noticed the couple behind us said they had a reservation as well and nobody could find it; they were finally seated after she produced the email confirmation. It was confusing.
We ordered a bottle of Vasse Felix Premier 2022 Chardonnay from the Margaret River region in Western Australia which we had up north and loved its nice acidity and slightly oaky flavor. We had questions on the menu, but the woman who was serving seemed confused. We finally asked where she was from, and it turned out she was French from the Alps and had only worked there for a couple of weeks.
We got some answers from the woman who seemed to be in charge and ordered. Will did not choose as well as I did, and while the food was very good for me, his was just okay. My starter was Queensland Panko-crusted Crab Cakes with a Gochujang Mayo (more of that would have been nice) which came with a julienne salad which was basically 2 tablespoons of slaw. The crab cakes are a tad creamier here than what we like at home, but were quite tasty. Will had the Crab & Prawn Spring Rolls with Asian Slaw(same as me, but a tad more) and a Nuoc Nam(fish) dipping sauce, which again there could have been more of. we noticed the starters (called entrees here) run in the 20$AUD(about $15-18US) and mains are only a tad more at $30-45AUD($20-30US).
Will's main was Fish & Chips made with local Flathead, beer batter chips(fries) and Lemon Tartare Sauce. He was hoping for those thick cut UK-style chips which did not come and he said the fish had too much batter and did not live up to UK standards.
My BBQ'd Moreton Bay Bugs (I had to enquire as to what these were) were fabulous. These specialties are somewhere between a giant prawn and lobster tail and came with a kick ass XO dipping sauce and a nice-sized Greek salad on the side. I would order these delicacies again anywhere, even at the $90AUD($60US) price as it is more than a full-size lobster as I got 7 of these yummy bugs! I let Will finish the Chard and had a glass of Ponting 127 Shiraz 2021 from Barossa as my dish was quite strong and these guys stood up well to a big red with that XO sauce.
We were full and exhausted so headed back to our suite with no dessert.
