Poseidon's Catch Fish Cafe Restaurant

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It's not often friends call to invite you to dine at a local fish shop. They think it's so good that it has become one of their regular dining choices, often inviting others to share the experience.

These friends often judge an eatery by the coffee it serves. Although this might seem strange for a fish cafe, Poseidon's Catch got the seal of approval early in the piece. First coffee, then food, all good, let's come again. That's the way it worked here.



Nick, our host and part owner with his brother and father, makes you feel totally at home. He's not just providing good service. He treated us as if we were house guests. Nothing was a problem, even when it was getting late and we were bordering on wearing out our welcome.

We discussed ordering oysters, but Nick suggested we might try their fresh scallops. Three each sounded good, but the boys thought 4 each would be better! Oh "and while you're at it, why not a few calamari rings" - that's entree! A small platter arrived with 12 beautifully cooked scallops. Another plate arrived with calamari rings and some salt and pepper squid thrown in for good measure - all cooked to perfection! Normally, that would have almost been enough but the night was young.



The seafood is the freshest of fresh, being delivered daily from selected suppliers who will often not only bring what has been ordered but extras to choose from from the fisherman's daily catch. .

Food can be grilled, battered or breaded. Most of our choices were cooked on the stainless steel grill, with things like battered fish and chips being done in a deep fryer. Most establishments, depending on volume of cooking or usage, change their oil once a week, filtering it in between. Nick changes his oil almost every day giving a healthier more golden result.



Prices for individual meals are under $16.00 with "fish & chips" being less than $10. Then there are calamari packs, burgers, grills, sandwiches, salads, children's meals and a large selection of very generous sharing platters, all cooked to order.



We came here upon the recommendation of our friends, and specifically to try the fresh fish they had been raving about. There were four of us and we all ordered something different, all fish fillets. One grilled Barramundi, one grilled Atlantic Salmon, one grilled John Dory, and one battered John Dory. The two John Dory eaters were debating whose was more moist. One had it battered yet peeled the batter off. He believes the batter keeps it more moist, although he chooses not to eat it. The other insisted his grilled Dory was just as moist and he didn't need to waste good batter!



A choice of two salads is offered to accompany your meal, and a couple of the diners were naughty and ordered potato scallops, just because they wanted to try them ... sure, good excuse!

Nick knew were in the mood to try things, so he topped off the evening with something I would normally describe with some pretty strong adjectives - deep fried Mars Bar. Accordiing to Wikipedia "The dish is said to have been created in 1995 in the Haven Chip Bar (now the Carron) in Stonehaven, near Aberdeen on Scotland's northeast coast." Mars Inc. have never condoned this practice but that hasn't stopped the practice becoming popular in fish shops and home kitchens across the world. In the interests of 'research', I did have a small nibble taste and must admit it's rather luscious but very naughty. I would suggest it's something that one shouldn't eat too often.



During our stay, a steady stream of 'takeaway' customers passed through whilst others found seating at one of the many tables in the under-cover courtyard. My guess is that most are regulars, this being a small suburban shopping strip.

When we eventually did leave, the staff had cleaned up. All the fryers, cooking and serving surfaces and refrigerators were sparkling clean, like mirrors and ready to start afresh tomorrow.

Poseidon is the God of the sea and protector of all aquatic features. In this case, Poseidon's catch is the providore, cook and server of good quality seafood. That might be drawing a long bow in the connection stakes, but it works for me.

If I needed to sum up the experience, I'd say: food great, service excellent, attitude friendly, atmosphere shop-like inside, relaxing in the courtyard. I'd come again.

#cafes
#coffee
#fish_and_chips
#lane_cove
#lane_cove -west
#lunch
#north_shore
#restaurants
#seafood_restaurants
%wnsydney