Tetsuya’s

I have been really looking forward to this meal, since that first magical taste back in 2001. A couple of years, and a few Michelin star restaurants under my belt later, how would Tetsuyas compare? I have to say, I had very high expectations, and was disappointed.

Food

I had read some reviews before hand, and it seems like Tetsuyas doesn’t really update his menu very often – now there seems to be too many dishes that remain due to customer demand, so that the result is somewhat stale and not keeping up with the times. I don’t remember exactly what I ate last time (yes, that was before the days of the blog), but the ocean trout was definitely on the menu. I am glad to see its return as it was one of the better dishes, but others are not very exciting and could definitely do with an update, especially after being wowed by the likes of Noma and every single restaurant in Spain.

Our 13 course degustation consisted of:

• Cold Corn Soup with Saffron & Vanilla Ice Cream - a very good start. A light subtle flavour, but you can taste the sweetness of the corn.
• Smoked Ocean Trout & Avruga Caviar - this had good ocean trout, and nice caviar, but anyone can put this together
• Oyster - this was an “extra” course that you can request. I ordered it because I can’t resist oyster…and the sauce was nice, but I think I still prefer the natural taste
• Leek & Crab Custard - the custard was well executed, again, the flavours were subtle so that you can taste all the components
• Sashimi of Big Eye Tuna with Wasabi & Ginger Vinaigrette - another seafood based dish, nothing much in terms of creativity here.
• Confit of Petuna Tasmanian Ocean Trout with Konbu, Daikon & Fennel - after 2 similar dishes earlier, this was not anything different – it still tastes good though
• Seasonal Green Salad - very fresh, from his own garden I think
• Ravioli of Queensland Spanner Crab with Tomato & Basil Vinaigrette - I was expecting more excitement with this one… maybe because I’ve had a lot of ravioli now, but this was plainly boring
• Grilled Fillet of Barramundi with Braised Baby Fennel - I do love barramundi, and of course, the dish was cooked well. Besides that, nothing special here.
• Twice-Cooked De-Boned Spatchcock with Caper & Olive Jus - must not have been very exciting as I don’t even remember eating this dish
• Grilled Wagyu Beef with Lime & Wasabi - I had better wagyu at Hayman Island. Nicely cooked though.
• Comte with Lentils - this was very interesting, lentils as a savory dish…a bit like the Chinese red bean soup, with interesting texture… taste wise, it’s ok.
• Apple Sorbet with Apple Jelly - I love the apple sorbet, it really captured the essence of apple.
• Mont Blanc - another mainstay on the menu, it was nice, but yet again, boring
• Caramelised Fig with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream - another well executed but non exciting dish
• Chocolate Terrine with Mascarpone & Cognac Anglaise - I think I had just enough desserts at this point. Good chocolate taste though.

Rating - 7

Atmosphere

The last time, we sat in a private dining room, and had a personal waiter all to ourselves, this time, we were thrown in with the crowd. The room was pleasant, overlooking a little pond. There were only about 5 table, but we could see, and hear, a big party going on in one of their private rooms though.

Rating - 2

Service

. Because we were spending so much money last time, Tetsuya himself came to greet us. Our waiter told us he was an aspiring actor, and proceeded to charm us all. ..Not this time though. We were asked if it was a special occasion when we arrived, we said no, and she acted really surprised. I have to say I have had better service at lesser restaurants, it wasn’t that she was incompetent or bad in any way, just that it was so bland and so rehearsed, you could tell her heart wasn’t in it, or that she wasn’t into us.

Rating - 2

C-factor

With the way the £ is going, it’s not as cheap as it used to be. Still, it was a bit of money to pay ($195), and I didn’t feel that I got the 3 chef hat experience this time around.

Rating - 0

Brownie Points - 11

Info

529 Kent Street
Sydney
NSW 2000
Australia
Phone +61 (0) 2 9267 2900
Website