Est. - Australia's restaurant of the Year!

After Kate and I graduated last month, my parents took us all out for dinner at Est. (The Establishment) - which is Peter Doyle's restaurant. It was exquisite food, here is some of it.

Above, tranche of duck foie gras, bosc pear, sauternes jelly, toasted brioche 33

This was a special of the night, a crab salad.

salad of duck breast, artichoke heart, girolles, chestnuts, purslane and foie gras, walnut oil 33

grilled white scallops and pork cheek confit, celeriac, jicama, apple and cress salad 33

grilled black angus fillet of beef, bone marrow, wild mushrooms and glazed shallots 46

juniper crusted saddle of venison, butternut, salsify, roasted chestnuts, potato semolina gnocchi 46 - this was mine, perfectly cooked and soo tender.

pan roasted barramundi fillet, on vongole, fennel, confit tomato and lemon 45 (apparently the best barramundi my sister kayo has ever had).

Over all it was all top notch - the service was impeccable, the location very tasteful and all of the ingredients were clearly of the highest order. But I am surprised it was restaurant of the year. The ambience is nice, but its above a overly loud bar, and at well over $100 per person in total, i didn't think the food was THAT good. I am looking forward to trying Tetsuya's and some of Sydney's other fine dining establishments to see how they compare. 4.25 out of 5