Astral, located on the 17th floor of the Star City Hotel Tower, it has one of the most magnificent harbour & city views that we Sydneysiders take for granted. Dining at Astral that evening I felt like a tourist, re-discovering the magical Sydney city through Astral's floor to ceiling glass wall. Its modern interior with a touch of elegance and dim lighting are the perfect setting for fine dining.
Unfortunately we were slightly disappointed with the level of service that evening. Even though we were immediately ushered to our table upon arriving and presented with the wine list, it wasn't until a good 15 minutes later when we finally had one of the waitresses attention. She came with her pen & notepad ready to take our order, but soon realised that no one has even shown us the menu! Thankfully her professionalism shined through & we had her full attention all night.
My first dish was the light and aromatic Smoked Salmon, one of Sean Connolly's signature dish. The dish arrived covered with a smoky glass and as soon as the cover was lifted, the smoked chamomile aroma fills up the room. The thinly sliced salmon was very fresh & soft, and it had that subtle smoky taste.
Marinated king salmon, Isigny crème fraîche, pea tendrils, chamomile pearls, chamomile smoke
My husband had the Mandagery Creek Venison two ways, tartare and carpaccio. Initially I was slightly afraid that the venison might have a strong smell, but the dish proved me wrong. Wonderfully lean and freshly cut tartare, it just melts in my mouth. The carpaccio was marinated long enough to soak the vinaigrette flavour, complimenting the raw venison taste.
Tartare & Carpaccio with crisp potatoes, grebiche vinaigrette
We paid an extra $40 for one of the mains, the Australian Marron Tail. Such a delicate dish, we were definitely paying for the quality instead of quantity and it was worth every dollar. The marron had that crunchy fresh texture and mildly sweet taste. The bisque & parmesan froth was creamy yet light, I kept soaking the perfectly cooked ravioli into the froth and savour every moment of it.
Slow cooked marron tail, open ravioli, creamed leek, bisque, parmesan froth
The other main was the Beef Cheek with potato puree & sauteed mushrooms. A generous serving of beef cheek, cut thickly but cooked long enough to achieve a very tender result. This tender meat was paired with the soft & creamy potato puree that has soaked up some of the beef jus.
Potato purée & sautéed mushrooms
To end our meal we ordered one dessert each, but of course I had most of mine and some of my husband's. As a chocolate lover I ordered the Chocolate Dacquoise. An interesting layer of sweet & sour passionfruit and coconut cream flavour, covered in tempered chocolate and topped with champagne foam. The coconut sorbet was like a palate cleanser, very refreshing and not too overpowering with coconut flavour.
Passionfruit, coconut & champagne foam
Surprisingly, I enjoyed my husband's dessert more than mine. Having had 2 meat dishes for his entree & main (venison & beef cheek) he went for the light & refreshing Mandarin sorbet. The mandarin sorbet was served with fresh mandarin juice, jelly and the most interesting ingredient: pop rocks candy. Pop rocks candy creates a fizzy reaction when it dissolves in the mouth. So imagine eating the sweet mandarin sorbet & juice and suddenly you have this sparkling sensation.
Sorbet, compressed segments & soup; lemon balm & hibiscus jelly
Another spectacular dining experience that was full of flavour & creativity. Where to next?
Astral Restaurant
Level 17, 80 Pyrmont St
Pyrmont, Sydney
Pre-Theatre
2 course $70
3 course $85
