I wonder if the live coral trout from Australia is cheaper in Australia.
They are worth reserving but no need to reserve to far out. Many are OK the day before or even on the day. Although that does depend on the day - Friday night will be busier.
Not certain - I tend not to buy in restaurants as always too expensive for me. If I eat lobster, bugs, etc I tend to buy to eat at home. My preference its always a (moreton bay) bug and they are definitely work trying.
You also may see Yabbies which are fresh water crayfish - more subtle taste and can be very good
Itās about a 4 to 5 hour drive from Melbourne to the 12 Apostles so a good 10 hour round trip (without stops).
You can obviously do a shorter trip and circle back but wise to be conscious of the distance and its tiring if you are hiring a car. Part of the attraction is stopping in Lorne or Apollo Bay and taking a bit of time.
We are thinking of doing multiple tours, based in Cairns. Checking out Dain Tree/Cape Tribulations, Kuranada, and Atheron highlands in addition to the reef.
In regards to Melbourne, I donāt have much desire to drive this time around and Iām thinking of maybe a train ride to Geelong for a destination outside of Melbourne (any good places to eat there?). I like to think of this trip as a cursory touch down in a few places since I donāt have much time there.
I think that is a good thing to find out haha!
Oooh those sounds interesting. Will keep an eye out!
I see the Hamster agrees with my view of Cairns - I really encourage you to rethink. Port Douglas is best but even Palm Cove (very small - but nice and some decent food - Nu Nu) would be better. And wonāt the best day trips require a drive from Cairns through Port Douglas to get to the Daintree, Cape Trib etc.
Geelong wouldnāt be on my list of great places to visit (The Mornington Peninsula or Daylesford are better - but you need to drive). But there are three good eating options. In Geelong you have Igni and Tulip but close by (you have one of Australiaās top restaurants (number 44 on worlds top 50) Brae in Birregurra approx 60km away.
They would, but the majority of the tours start off in Cairns. Also heading to Kuranada and the Atherton Tablelands are also closer to Cairns.
We might play it by ear on Geelong if we wanted to go that distance. Oh is that Heston Blumenthal restaurant inside that Casino worth going?
I am afraid I have not been there. I have eaten at the Fat Duck but Dinner never really tempted me. The offshoot in Melbourne is/was cheffed by Ashley-Palmer Watts who is one of Hestonās top alumni (who I think was the one who was the chef at the original) so its likely to be as good as the London operation.
It is in a good location, its sumptuous, and has good views so I donāt think it will disappoint. The top food restaurant in Melbourne is Attica - less grand but outstanding modern Australian food.
Melbourne also has Australiaās top Cantonese restaurants - Flower Drum which maybe something of interest to your parents.
I have never tried any of his restaurants. The closest I can imagine to his style of cooking that I have been to is Alinea (or maybe one or two dishes from In Situ), but is it worth giving that a go versus some of the other restaurants in Melbourne is my question I guess. I think Iād probably give Attica a try instead based on how you phrased it haha.
I think we will give Flower Drum a visit as well though not sure if we should go for lunch or dinner. Any thoughts on which one might be better quality? Though dining styles are different for the choice. Maybe play it by ear and see the mood on that day?
I have also eaten at Alinea and it was a bit different to the Fat Duck - less playful, apart from the walls and the dessert. But Dinner does look a bit more conservative to me (and was far cheaper so logically I think he was expanding his footprint to address the TV market).
Attica was a stand-out meal when we ate there a few years ago. The food was very imaginative and also had playful elements. Definitely up there with Alinea, Manresa etc.
I have not been to the Flower Drum so canāt advise about dinner vs lunch. I would be very surprised if it was much different. Unlike Europe top restaurants I donāt see that Australian restaurants serve cheaper lunches than dinners so you tend to get pretty much the same food and service.
Hmmmā¦ Iāll take a closer look to Fat Duckās menu, but probably leaning towards Attica at this point.
Regarding flower drum, was just wondering if Dim Sum was better than traditional dinner fare. Price is different on what we order haha, but just curious if one was stronger than the other.
Oh, and I have heard some people mention a restaurant called Tetsuya in Sydney. Have you tried it?
Tetsuya was a favourite of ours about 20 years ago. Tets was really on of Australiaās top chefs and his Japanese/Australian fusion was really ahead of its time. His Salmon Confit (poached in oil) is now an all time classic.
My last meal there was many years ago and it was good but no longer wow. That said I have very fond memories of the place and would love to return if there were not so many new places to try. I am nor certain how much time Tets spends there these days as he opened Waku Ghin in Singapore and that gets a lot of his focus.
Other really top places in Sydney are Quay which closes 1st April for a big refurb - I went recently and liked the food but all the portions were so small they were gone before you got a feel for them. Sepia is also really good - about to relocate to Melbourne but still open - probably a much more modern interpretation of the Japanese fusion style than Tetsuya. I last ate there a few years ago and have a hankering to head back. Another I have not tried is The Bridge Room that gets high ratings.
Wow all the places look amazing. Probably choose one of them, since I donāt want to go brokeā¦ hahaā¦
EDIT:
I just realized, after reading some of klyeohās posts on Melbourne I never really addressed breakfast. Do you have any tips for that in Adeliade, Cairns, Melbourne, and Sydney?
Edit #2:
Just realized that Iāll be in Sydney after April, so Quay would be closed then. Alas
My advice on coffee in the cities is to avoid anywhere with no queue. Coffee is bit of a religion so people do follow good baristas. And for many workers coffee and a muffin, Turkish toast with vegemite, or a cheese croissant are standard breakfast fare.
But for something more substantial here are some ideas:
Adelaide - I was there last year and sort of failed on breakfast. The best spot for options are The Central Markets (check opening times) which is a superb market with lots of cafes etc. Poh (a Masterchef runner up and TV chef) has her place there which looks good. Another one I have read about is The Pot in Hyde Park which has a good reputation.
Melbourne - as Klyeoh mentioned Higher Ground or their sister place Top Paddock are worthwhile. Interesting and very different food - I have enjoyed all my visits. It is a city with lots of great cafes both tucked into the laneways of the CBD and out in the burbs - Carlton, Fitzroy, St Kilda etc. Easy to get to be tram and part of Melbourneās scene - Acland St in St Kilda is still the home of indulgent old style European cake shops (get Myki cards from newsagents to travel on trans and trains).
Sydney - I like Pablo & Rusty, The Grounds of the City, Cabrito Coffee Traders, and Regiment in the city. In the inner suburbs Billās is the famous breakfast spot, famed for scrambled eggs and ricotta hot cakes. Cornersmith is good, so is Black Star Pastry. But a good idea could be to head to Bondi or Manly for breakfast by the sea. The trip down the harbor of on the ferry to Manly is the most scenic then head to Shelley Beach (head through the Corso to the Ocean Beach, turn right and walk along the coast path and itās not far) the Boathouse is good for breakfast.
Wow thanks for the big list!
Iām trying to whittle my way down, but it always seems like too many restaurants not enough time (or stomach roomā¦). I just realized that my trip in Melbourne starts pretty much on Easter so I have to go figure out what restaurants are open now, most likely Iāll lean towards Flower Drum for dinner as I presume most Chinese restaurants will remain openā¦ I canāt find any room for Attica alas (should have tried booking things earlier).
Regarding Sydney, I did manage to reserve a spot for the Bridge room so Iām pretty excited to go there (probably my big splurge dinner in Sydney).
The day to watch is Good Friday as many Australian restaurants, pubs and shops are closed altogether. Easter Sunday and Monday is usually far better but because of the penalty rates (below) for staff many places donāt open.
If they do donāt get sticker shock about the Bank Holiday surcharge on menus etc. Its typically 10 to 15% on top of menu prices and pays the āshift penaltyā.
The restaurant/bar has to pay extra on public holidays on top of staff wages which by law equals 225% of their normal pay - so about $50 an hour over Easter (Friday thru Monday is a holiday).
This is why we generally donāt tip in Australia as hospitality wages, conditions and overtime rates are set by government. Credit card machines sometimes prompt you for a tip but many locals just ignore it and pay the amount on the billā¦if you have an American accent I assume wait staff may try it on and expect tips.
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Hoo boy, Iām still in Cairns on Good Friday and basically in between on Saturday. Interestingā¦ didnāt think it would be considered a big holiday that would cause closure of certain places. Iām now basically emailing around haha. Thanks for the update.
Huh and the edit button disappears after a while.
Anywho, just found out that Maghill Estate Restaurant itself will be closed for a private event on our possible lunch visit but they have opened up a more casual eatery called Maghill Estate Kitchen. Have you ever tried that place?
Last went to Maghill estate soon after it first opened 20 odd years ago. It was really good and not suprisingly had fantastic and unusual Penfoldās wines.
They then hit a rough patch but a few years ago literally relaunched the whole thing with a new chef, direction etc and it is meant to be back on form. The next door kitchen is next door and less formal - but I suspect still pretty good - and they have a great wine list.
Its a pretty location, slightly elevated, on the edge of the city so will be good if the weather is nice.
That sounds like a good idea!
Oh and a little random, but have you seen these in Sydney?
Iām thinking of attempting to bring a case backā¦ lol.
