Charcoal Fish, Rose Bay (15 Sept 2021)

670 New South Head Rd, Rose Bay NSW 2029 

https://www.charcoalfish.com/

https://www.instagram.com/charcoal.fish/

Ofishially now open in Rose Bay

“Our mission is to make restaurant-quality, grilled Australian fish more accessible. Just as a BBQ chicken shop offers only one kind of chicken we believe that by focusing on Murray Cod we will be able to put more effort and attention into sustainability, perfecting cooking methods and our hyper-seasonal salad and vegetable options.”

Opening day was hugely popular and welcomed by the locals. My menu choice of the day was the Fish & Chips ($28) with fried murray cod, pickles, yoghurt tartare and chips. Chef Josh Niland's batter is exceptional (and always has been) — thin, ultra crisp and delicate. I suspect working with Heston Blumenthal in the past might have helped to achieve batter perfection in the kitchen. The Aquna Murray cod fish was cooked perfectly, with chunks of flakey and moist meat. 

Good to see fresh hand cut chips are being made instead of resorting to frozen ones — the real potato flavour carries through much better and you can avoid using chicken salt to make them interesting. Zingy sliced pickles that have a nice crunch and a housemade tasty tartare sauce completed the satisfying meal for one with a wedge of lemon. A top-notch looking fitout with friendly and energetic service. The daily seasonal salads and hot vegetable dishes on display looked very tempting. Will definitely need to revisit to try more of the menu. Looking like a great dining addition for the Rose Bay community. A shortage of parking will probably be an issue for most visitors but that's always been the case around this Eastern Suburbs shopping precinct.

Battered at the Bay, La Perouse (28 Jan 2019)

51 Endeavour Avenue, La Perouse NSW 2036
https://www.facebook.com/batteredatthebay/
https://www.instagram.com/batteredatthebay/

Chips ahoy in La Perouse

My first time checking out this place which is looking much better than the previous fish and chip shop that used to be here. Calamari and chips ($13) comes with 6 pieces of tender calamari that's prepared right without thankfully any stringy elastic membrane left intact. Good crispy chips. Will definitely need to revisit to try their fish. Parking on the weekends is a big challenge being such a popular area. Service was friendly and under pressure at the time. I thought the order was going to take a while but it came out a lot quicker than expected. Fair amount of seating on the balcony that overlooks towards the beach area. A well located spot for those craving a fish and chips fix.

The Squire's Landing, The Rocks, Sydney (24 May 2018)

Overseas Passenger Terminal, Circular Quay West
The Rocks, Sydney NSW 2000
https://www.jamessquire.com.au/brewhouses/the-squires-landing/
https://www.instagram.com/thesquireslanding

Beer with a harbour view

Great spot to enjoy a beer at this prime location with a view of the harbour bridge and opera house — when the cruise ships aren't docked. Enjoyed the James Squire The Swindler Tropical Pale ($6.50) for half a pint and there's plenty more to choose from on the taps. Freshly shucked oysters, natural, mignonette dressing, lemon ($4) were from Clyde River, Batemans Bay. Shucked to order as hoped with excellent brine retained for the win. No small fork for the oysters and spoon for the mignonette so hopefully they'll be part of the cutlery set in time. The James Squire Beer Battered Fish & Chips - Dory, chunky chips, salad, tartare, lemon ($28) had a nice crisp batter using One Fifty Lashes Pale Ale and a generous serving of two pieces of fish. Chips were fairly crispy and the accompanying salad seemed undressed or perhaps just very light in dressing flavour. A squeeze of lemon helped to make it better. The tartare could benefit from a more punchy kick of capers and gherkins for my liking to make it extra special. Service was friendly and helpful and there's heaps of seating to accomodate large groups both inside and out. Returning later that evening for the official launch event the cruise ship had thankfully left dock allowing a great view of the Sydney Opera House. Well located for a Vivid Sydney watering hole as well.