Ocean Restaurant

Ocean Restaurant

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Posted 2013-07-19 by Owen Chow follow
The beach stretched beyond the asphalt road, tumbling with waves that foamed and roared from the turquoise depths only to be calmed by the morning air, sliding and sighing against the tan canvas of sand.



The same wind that lashed the waves and throttled treetops drove us inside into black decor. White tablecloths draped islands of tables that rose out of the black, populated by silver and glass and ceramic like statues of symmetry.

Everything white or black. Silence hung on blank walls and columns. The place smelled like money. It honestly reminded me of a fashion store. I felt like I'd walked into Saxony.



I don't give praise often, not because I have high standards but because it seems to me that most restaurants exist to churn out formulaic recipes, like a conveyor belt of ingredients with technicians who glue everything together. Tastes like that too. See, high standards.

Let me state right now, this place makes art. It is a temple of culinary creativity. Granted, I'm sure there are many restaurants of this calibre, but there are also many temples and ways to worship at the altar of good living. I've heard money helps.

The menu, much like the venue, is minimalist. It offers two courses for 44 dollars, or three for 54. I chose the Mussel and Shellfish Chowder with Toasted Bacon and Crustacean Oil for an entrée. The thick, creamy soup was tinted spicy, in which crustaceans dwelled in its rich ocean. The strong stew provided the basis of the flavour, for the afterthought of the chewy, tangy seafood.



In contrast, the Asparagus and Pea Shoot Soup with Seared Sea Scallop was light and sweet, flowing with a dab of parsley oil.



For the mains, I had the Wagyu Beef Rump with a marble score of 9 with Forest Mushroom Sauce, peas and mashed potatoes. The rump was infused with its own cooking juices, hearty and moist and salted, layered by contrasting lighter topping.



The King Salmon with Lemon Mayonnaise was the softest salmon I've ever had; the glistening, pink flesh parting into layers underneath a fork and seasoned with oil and creamy mayonnaise to balance the taste.



The Fish of the Day seemed a tad bland, being deep fried with a side of tartar sauce, but if nothing else, the fish had a fresh quality in its lightness. For their respective categories of beef and fish dishes, the mains were of the highest quality, their sauces and seasonings providing contrast to offset the natural taste of the meat into something altogether more pleasing.



For the desserts, we were served a Rhubarb and Black Berry Crumble and a Fig and Date Toffee Pudding by our attentive and smiling waitress. The crumble's fruity belly, churned with its warm, crunchy skin and snowball of ice cream was a jumble of sensation, kaleidoscopic in flavour and texture and temperature.



The pudding was coated in butter scotch, and is so rich I was wincing at my potential weight gain. The moist, spongy cake absorbs the sauce like a mop and clashes with the cold ice cream like a war of climates inside my mouth. The end taste blends the smooth, overwhelming creaminess of the toppings with supple fluffiness of the cake.



With presentation holding an artistic quality, premium table service, a beachside view and, most importantly, everything tasting uniquely flavoursome, fried, boiled or baked to produce a particular texture and blend according to dish, I thoroughly recommend Ocean Restaurant. That was an understatement, but I feel I'd have to reach into my sexual lexicon to adequately express myself, which is something I'd rather avoid considering there was a child at my table. And my family.

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123577 - 2023-06-13 01:00:38

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