Restaurant Review: Rockpool Bar & Grill (Bar section)
/Location: Crown Casino 8 Whiteman St, Southbank
Phone: (03) 8648 1900
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Overall Impression: 8/10
For a review of the restaurant, please click here.
Overall Impression: 8/10
For a review of the restaurant, please click here.
I am so over Neil Perry. The Qantas ads, the various appearances on MasterChef. And then walking through Crown to go to either J's or my brother's place I see his establishments Spice Temple, The Waiting Room and Rockpool.
Bla bla bla. So much hype for one man, but I digress.
Bla bla bla. So much hype for one man, but I digress.
The focus of Rockpool is on its beef. Its delicious succulent beef. Aged? Wagyu? Grass fed? Grain fed? They've got a cut to suit everyone, but at a price.
J has been talking about taking me to Rockpool for a long time now but I have been very sceptical. A high quality piece of meat, cooked well, will always be delicious. That is a fact. What I don't like is the idea of paying through the nose when little effort has been put into the preparation of the food I am served.
I understand that it is locally sourced produce and that the meat is of the highest quality, but at the end of the day, all they do in the kitchen is sear it on a grill, chuck it on a plate and what? I am supposed to be blown away?
J convinced me to have lunch with him there. Despite my initial reservations, curiousity got the better of me.
J has been talking about taking me to Rockpool for a long time now but I have been very sceptical. A high quality piece of meat, cooked well, will always be delicious. That is a fact. What I don't like is the idea of paying through the nose when little effort has been put into the preparation of the food I am served.
I understand that it is locally sourced produce and that the meat is of the highest quality, but at the end of the day, all they do in the kitchen is sear it on a grill, chuck it on a plate and what? I am supposed to be blown away?
J convinced me to have lunch with him there. Despite my initial reservations, curiousity got the better of me.
I decided to order the Cape grim dry aged 36 month old in a Fillet Minute Style with Cafe De Paris Butter. As it did not come with anything other than the steak, we decided to share some sides. The side dishes were good but not exceptional.
The steak, however, was delicious. Although it did not look like much on the plate, it exceeded all of my expectations. This is the first time I have ordered a minute steak and it has actually been cooked to my liking: medium rare. Delectably juicy and tender. Simple but perfect.
I now see that there is certainly value in dining at establishments such as Rockpool. Of course, Heston Blumenthal type molecular gastronomy can be mind blowing and amazing, but sometimes when you nail the basics it can be just as impressive.
Guess we will be going back for dinner at the restaurant.
