Rockpool review by Franz Scheurer on Australian Gourmet Pages

At the moment everyone talks about Rockpool Bar & Grill but Neil Perry and Trish Richards’ original Rockpool, although 20 years old, is still cutting edge, both visually and culinary.  

Rockpool focuses on relationships with suppliers and seasonality of ingredients and Rockpool’s kitchen and floor staff strive for perfection. Neil Perry believes strongly that the cornerstone of good cooking is to source the finest produce and this unwavering philosophy has successfully driven Rockpool for more than twenty years. 

Rockpool has always been a destination restaurant, a place for a big night out, but I wish people would eat there regularly and enjoy the fabulous food and great service and not just treat it as a place to celebrate. You should eat at the Oyster Bar, too, a place where sublime food is very affordable. You could have a Lobster Roll and the original Date Tart and a glass of wine and still only pay about $80 or have a Crispy Fish on Rice with Ginger and Shallots and a glass of wine for $39. 

The main restaurant animates you to eat multiple courses and make sure you have the time to enjoy. If you’re doing a pre-theatre ‘drive by’ then eat at the Oyster Bar.  

I love the room in it’s simplicity and, despite a couple of refurbishments, it’s familiarity. The second I sit down all the worries of the world seem to seep out of me and the focus is 100% on food and wine. It is no secret that I love Rockpool, they live up to my expectations more than most.  

The ‘Chirashi Zushi of Tuna, Prawn, Bonito and Squid’ is sensational. It’s very stylised but the seafood is so fresh it almost jumps off the plate. I love the complexity and textures in ‘Fragrant Crab Broth with hand picked Mud Crab, Dashi Custard, Tapioca and Wild Bamboo Pith’. After about a year’s absence the live scallops are back, shucked to order and they are a must-try. Nothing prepares you for the briny, salty-sweet bivalve with the acidity in the dressing; perfect harmony. Another of my favourites has to be the ‘Partridge Pie, fresh Tasmanian Truffles, Parsnip Puree and Truffle Sauce’. It is a very clever dish and it brings comfort food to a new level. Rockpool’s chefs have always excelled at cooking fish and the ‘Shiny Skin Bar Cod with King Prawns, Radish, Pea Tendrils and Oyster Vermouth Sauce’ or the ‘Snapper poached in Saffron, Bone Marrow and Mushroom “à la Grecque” sauce’ are the best proof of finely honed craft meets boundless ingenuity. For dessert you can’t go past the original ‘Date Tart’ (since 1984) in my book, but the ‘Amadei Chocolate and Hazelnut filled Pain Perdu with Banana Ice Cream’ comes mighty close. 

The wine list is extensive and there is something for every taste or budget. Service is slick and friendly and did I mention the food is superb?

See you there! 

Score: 9.5/10

In the course of a Rockpool year, we like to get involved with a number of charity events and in the past have done ourselves proud in raising much needed funds for organizations such as The Starlight Children’s Foundation and Bear Cottage, amongst others. 

Occasionally, we like to get our hands dirty and speak out for Greenpeace, take on the plight of intensively farmed animals – and make our point known on sustainable seafood.

This…and more. 

So we thought we’d start to keep you up to date on the extra bits and pieces.

 Monday October 19^th will see us join with OzHarvest in “Cooking for a cause”.

OzHarvest is a non-denominational charity operating food rescue programs in Sydney, Wollongong and Canberra, and has jusy been chosen as the charity of choice for the upcoming Sydney International Food Festival.

Neil will be joined by 4 other chefs on the night to create their masterpieces in an informal, interactive and fun setting at the Uniting Church in Paddington.

http://www.ozharvest.org.au/index.php

Spice Temple menu change is in full swing from today. Some really delish dishes. Love it when a plan comes together!

We are stir frying Mark Eather’s scallops with  cat’s ears noodles and hot bean paste. Sweet and sour pork ribs are a great chew off the bone.  The hot and numbing dry Wagyu is chewy, silky and succulent as well as hot and numbing all at the same time – its destined to be a classic here as it is in Sichuan – only they don’t use David Blackmore’s full blood Wagyu to make it.

Flounder with black beans and salted chilli, spicy, soft and sexy – a real treat, the flesh so juicy by the bone.

Egg noodles tossed with a dressing of dried chillies and black vinegar, great crunch to the noodles, lots of peanuts, really hot and impossible to stop eating.

Hot and fragrant prawns. Yes, eat the whoel prawn, crunch away at shell for a yummy Hunan style dish that rocks.

A great morning’s work!  Now it’s off to Rockpool to finish playing around in the kitchen with Phil, working on the new salt crusted lamb dish, this is really starting to look good.

All up a great week of menu changes in the restaurants.  Don’t forget to swing by and see us, and be the first to taste the amazing new dishes.

~ Neil

Rockpool has a great opportunity for a passionate 1st or 2nd year Apprentice Chef to join our prestigious restaurant and dynamic kitchen team.

If you;
- are passionate and truly care about food,
- have experience in a fine dining environment (preferable but not essential),
- have the ability to work under pressure,
- are reliable with a flexible attitude,
- hold a commitment to being part of a team,
we would love to see your resume.  Please send it to us via fax (02 9252-2421) or email phil@rockpool.com

This position is available to start immediately.

Please note: Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Rockpool Bar & Grill Sydney wins three awards at the
Australian Gourmet Traveller 2010 Restaurant Awards 

25 August 2009: At last night’s announcement of the Australian Gourmet Traveller 2010 Restaurant Awards, Rockpool Bar & Grill Sydney scooped three major awards including ‘New Restaurant of the Year’, ‘Wine List of the Year’ and ‘Maitre d’ of the Year’, won by Restaurant Manager, Tom Sykes. 

Neil Perry and his business partners, Trish Richards and David Doyle were thrilled with these awards and commended the restaurant’s dedicated team for creating such an award-winning restaurant and wine list in the five months since it opened its doors. 

Perry says that Rockpool Bar & Grill Sydney is a culmination of everything we have experienced and learned in our years of running restaurants and it is such an honour to receive these awards from Australian Gourmet Traveller. 

“David Doyle, with his extraordinary knowledge of wine and extensive collection, has assembled one of the best wine lists in the world with selections for all price ranges and tastes. 

“Tom Sykes, a long time employee of the Rockpool Group, has been a hard working and dedicated manager for the past 13 years and it is wonderful to see him achieve the recognition he deserves.  He has embraced our philosophy of care, making sure that the staff are in a position to look after the guests, and that the guests themselves are relaxed and ready for a great dining experience. 

“We are incredibly proud to have three of our restaurants rated in the Top 20 in Australia and four within the Top 100, and we could not have achieved these accolades without the unwavering dedication of our entire Rockpool family,” says Perry. 

Rockpool Sydney was also commended receiving the highest rating of ‘3 Stars’ (and number 6 in the Top 100 ranking), while Rockpool Bar & Grill Sydney and Rockpool Bar & Grill Melbourne received ‘2 Stars’, and Spice Temple received ‘1 Star’. 

- Ends - 

For further information and media inquiries:
Contact Michelle Campbell, Minc Communications, T 0410 614 433, E michelle@minccom.com.au

ROCKPOOL BAR & GRILL SYDNEY had a fantastic night at the Fine Wine Partners & Australian Gourmet Traveller Wine Magazine Wine List of the Year Awards in 2009.

It was an extremely proud moment for us taking out Australia’s Wine List of the Year in 2009 plus Best Restaurant List and Best New List – The Tony Hitchin Award.  To read more about these awards and Rockpool Bar & Grill Sydney click here.

And that wasn’t the end of it…

Our very own Sophie Otton took out the National Judy Hirst Award which focuses on sommeliers whose unique talent and knowledge elevates the public’s appreciation of the role within the industry.  To read more on this award click here.

Sophie Otton in the wine room at Rockpool Bar & Grill Sydney

MMMMMM, DELICIOUS BURGERS…

Read about Simon Thomsen’s pet hates and best-loved burgers in his Sydney Morning Herald blog.
Click here to be taken to  Table Talk

Rockpool Bar & Grill Wagyu Burger

Tried the new Lobster Roll in the Oyster Bar yet?

Rockpool | 107 George Street | The Rocks  NSW  2000 | Tel: 02 9252 1888

Lobster Roll at the Oyster Bar, Rockpool

Deep Sea Treasure
Sydney Morning Herald Good Living Magazine
Tuesday August 11, 2009

Sydney chefs excitedly show off their newest fresh ingredient, Australian wakame.

It’s now appearing on restaurant plates, including at Rockpool and Sean’s Panaroma, and is on sale for the home cook.

Neil Perry features fresh wakame on Rockpool’s menu.  ” I had never seen it before but we just had to get some,” says Rockpool chef Phil Wood.  “We are using it in an abalone dish.  It’s head and shoulders above anything else.”

Rockpool’s salad of abalone and fresh wakame on fine noodles with chicken skin crisp.

Media Release

The Rockpool Group’s four restaurants win
Wine Spectator awards

3 August 2009: Rockpool, Rockpool Bar & Grill Sydney and Rockpool Bar & Grill Melbourne were three of 727 restaurants worldwide and only nine in Australia to receive a “Best of Award of Excellence” in Wine Spectator’s recently announced 2009 Restaurant Awards.

Spice Temple also achieved an “Award of Excellence” for its interesting and exciting selection of exactly 100 Australian and imported wines.

A “Best of Award of Excellence” is granted to restaurants that clearly offer a well-chosen selection of quality producers along with a thematic match to the menu in both price and style.  Their wine lists also display vintage depth, with vertical offerings of several top producers from major regions, or excellent breadth over several winegrowing regions.  They also typically offer 400 or more selections, along with superior presentation.

An “Award of Excellence” is Wine Spectator’s entry-level award, for lists that offer a well-chosen selection of quality producers, along with a thematic match to the menu in both price and style.

Directors Neil Perry, Trish Richards and David Doyle were thrilled with these four prestigious awards and commended Sommeliers Paul Gardner (Rockpool), Sophie Otton (Rockpool Bar & Grill Sydney), Christian Denier (Spice Temple) and David Lawler (Rockpool Bar & Grill Melbourne) for their outstanding expertise and experience in wine list management.

“We have some of the country’s best Sommeliers and these awards are testament to their exceptional knowledge and dedication,” says Neil.

Rockpool and Rockpool Bar & Grill Melbourne have received numerous awards for their contribution to Australia’s dining scene and are recognised as two of the country’s premier restaurants, and since Rockpool Bar & Grill Sydney and Spice Temple opened their doors early in 2009, they have established a solid reputation for their unique design, superb food offering and extraordinary wine lists.

With Neil Perry and Trish Richards’ focus on quality food, service and ambience as well as David Doyle’s passion for wine, the Rockpool Group of restaurants have become true wine destinations and world class dining experiences.

For further information and media inquiries:

Contact Michelle Campbell, Minc Communications

T 0410 614 433, E michelle@minccom.com.au

Wine, Rockpool Bar & Grill Sydney