Indulging Gluttonous Urges: Rockpool on George

A family member took us to Rockpool for a lunchtime birthday celebration. Since it's located in the historic site of the Rocks, parking nearby was elusive but not impossible to find.

Rockpool is tucked amongst a bunch of shops and cafes, and we passed it several times trying to find number 107 before we saw the sign. The doors opened at 12pm sharp and we hoisted my grandma up into the restaurant - there's quite a high step, so it's hard to access if you are of limited mobility (it is definitely not wheelchair accessible as they do not have ramps).

We were welcomed cheerfully by the staff and taken up their spiral staircase to a more private area. The lunch menu was a three course affair, but our host graciously asked for plates of fresh oysters (see below). The accompanying sauce complemented the oysters well, the chilli sauce giving them tanginess.

Oysters, Chilli Bean Sauce and Salt

The style of the dishes on the menu was mainly asian fusion. For my entree, I selected the chirashi zushi, a Japanese dish with a selection of fish, prawn, squid, rice, black sesame, avocado and the (addictive) chilli bean sauce. Once again, the freshness of the chilled seafood really popped out. As a cold dish, it was probably not such a great choice for a winter meal, but it was nevertheless very enjoyable.

My main dish was a medium/ well-done wagyu beef, which turned out to be very tender and succulent (despite what many people might have thought!). The crunchiness of the accompaniments melded well with the fatty meat, and it was consumed all too soon. My appetite is generally quite small so the portions were just right for me, but heavier eaters would probably have to order some sides to feel comfortably full.

Chirashi zushi

Wagyu fillet, fennel, onion, olive and celeriac

While waiting for our desserts to appear, our host ordered cheese platters and dessert wine. I'm not one to appreciate strong cheeses, but I am assured that they were very good, so I drowned my blue cheese in honey.

Cheese platter

Next came our desserts! I had the vacherin of pandan custard, coconut parfait, jasmine sorbet and lime granita. The outside doesn't look like much, as the meringue encases all of the layers. It cracked open with the pressure of my fork, and citrus from the lime granita ensured that the overall dessert was light on the palate, not overbearingly sugary.