Blue Fish, Darling Harbour
There is no sadder sight than a forlorn foodblogger regretting her menu choice at lunchtime.
Blue Fish Famous Fish & Chips $24.50
Beer battered and served with house tartare sauce
Two years ago we'd tried the fish and chips, and back then I'd said "the batter was a little more greasy than light for our liking". I wish I'd remembered to read my own post before heading back for a second visit to Blue Fish in tourist-magnet Darling Harbour.
The fish, to my utter dismay, was soggy and flavourless, the batter was heavy and greasy on my tongue. And for fish and chips that was priced at $24.50, presentation was no saving grace, arriving on an oval plate that was as overcrowded and ungainly as a daily special at your RSL bistro.
As my eyes welled up with tears of regret, I stared out across the water, gazing wistfully at the facade of Pier 26 on the other side of the bridge. Visions of their beer-battered flathead danced painfully through my memory, a batter all golden and crisp and heavenly light, that crunched with each mouthful and left a faint taste of beer. And to rub salt into the wound a Pier 26 dish of perfection cost a mere $17.00. I blubbered a little more into my untouched lunch.
The philosophy behind the restaurant is promising enough. Their menu blurb espouses a commitment to buying only fish of sustainable stock and it also enquires on fishing practices to "avoid those which harm other marine life and environments". They have a glossary of the fish and seafood used in their kitchen, describing the flesh colour and taste, state of origin and whether it contains levels of Omega 3 and/or 6.
Fish of the Day Balinese Style $28.50
Lime and lemongrass yellow curry (mild)
Served with jasmine rice and steamed vegetables
My lunch companion had better luck. He dug in with glee into his Balinese fish curry which although a little sweet, seemed tasty enough.
There was fish and there was blue. The fish was blue, the blue was me.
Blue Fish
Shop 287 Harbourside Shopping Centre
Darling Harbour, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9211 0315
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner 7 Days Till Late
Fully Licensed, B.Y.O. Corkage $ 4.00 Per Person
Related GrabYourFork posts:
Blue Fish, August 2004
Blue Fish Famous Fish & Chips $24.50
Beer battered and served with house tartare sauce
Two years ago we'd tried the fish and chips, and back then I'd said "the batter was a little more greasy than light for our liking". I wish I'd remembered to read my own post before heading back for a second visit to Blue Fish in tourist-magnet Darling Harbour.
The fish, to my utter dismay, was soggy and flavourless, the batter was heavy and greasy on my tongue. And for fish and chips that was priced at $24.50, presentation was no saving grace, arriving on an oval plate that was as overcrowded and ungainly as a daily special at your RSL bistro.
As my eyes welled up with tears of regret, I stared out across the water, gazing wistfully at the facade of Pier 26 on the other side of the bridge. Visions of their beer-battered flathead danced painfully through my memory, a batter all golden and crisp and heavenly light, that crunched with each mouthful and left a faint taste of beer. And to rub salt into the wound a Pier 26 dish of perfection cost a mere $17.00. I blubbered a little more into my untouched lunch.
The philosophy behind the restaurant is promising enough. Their menu blurb espouses a commitment to buying only fish of sustainable stock and it also enquires on fishing practices to "avoid those which harm other marine life and environments". They have a glossary of the fish and seafood used in their kitchen, describing the flesh colour and taste, state of origin and whether it contains levels of Omega 3 and/or 6.
Fish of the Day Balinese Style $28.50
Lime and lemongrass yellow curry (mild)
Served with jasmine rice and steamed vegetables
My lunch companion had better luck. He dug in with glee into his Balinese fish curry which although a little sweet, seemed tasty enough.
There was fish and there was blue. The fish was blue, the blue was me.
Blue Fish
Shop 287 Harbourside Shopping Centre
Darling Harbour, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9211 0315
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner 7 Days Till Late
Fully Licensed, B.Y.O. Corkage $ 4.00 Per Person
Related GrabYourFork posts:
Blue Fish, August 2004
posted by Anonymous on 8/07/2006 09:34:00 pm
4 Comments:
At 8/07/2006 11:53 pm,
Rachel said…
Thanks for the heads up! In Sydney, its hard to pick a good restaurant. It sounds like Blue Fishes touting point would only be its eco friendliness rather than the ptrowess of their chef. I hope you get the "better choice"next time you're out! My family has a game where we tease the person with A) the most dissapointing looking meal with which everyone gives them a piece of their main to try and B) the meal that arrives last as they are usually the hungriest person!
At 8/08/2006 2:37 pm,
ragingyoghurt said…
sob. i weep for your misadventure. $24.50!!!
did you really not eat any of it? did your waiter notice?
if you're ever in the area, balmain blue has one of the nicest fish and chips i've had -- the batter is golden and crunchy, with bits of green herbs through it (herbs also sprinkled on the chips), and the part i like best -- the fish has that slightly mysterious freshwater taste about it. all for $7.
At 8/10/2006 4:18 pm,
Reb said…
Total bummer. SOunds like they put more work into the menu writing than the cooking. A very bad sign. And you must know that Pier 26 is booked out because of your flattering raves :) everyone is going there and now YOU can't get in ! :(
At 8/11/2006 8:00 pm,
thanh7580 said…
Over twenty dollars for some fish and chips, you do expect something good. I just had some fish and chips today from the shop near work and it was delicious. The batter was light and crispy. The chips had a nice taste and I got a dim sim and potatoe cake too, all for $6.
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