Tonight my boyfriend and I had tickets to go see Dirty Dancing on stage at the Lyric Theatre which I was very excited about, so we decided to make a night of it and go somewhere around Darling Harbour for dinner as it was close by.
We decided to try out Blue Fish Restaurant and as it was still fairly early we managed to get a table outside and enjoy the view, even though it was still pretty muggy and humid – I really need to start acclimatising to this heat urgh!
So, our waiter who showed us to our table brought us our menus and I went for a glass of Sauvignon Blanc, whilst my boyfriend went for a Pina Colada cocktail. Whilst perusing the menu and deciding what to have, the table next to us had gone for a Seafood Platter to share which looked absolutely divine. I saw in the menu that a Giant Family Seafood Platter was also available for $195 and consisted of Oysters, Tiger Prawns, Moreton Bay Bugs; Mussels, BBQ King Prawns, Calamari; Crumbed Prawns, Octopus, Squid Rings; W.A Rock Lobster Mornay, Atlantic Salmon and Barramundi and comes with chips, rockmelon and accompanying sauces. How delicious does that sound? I would have to try that another time with people who can eat seafood.
So, now that I was getting hungry from looking at other people’s food I decided to go for the Seafood Paella as I had been craving paella for quite some time now, as many restaurants I had visited only served paella for two – grrrr another annoyance of mine.
We decided to share the Salt and Pepper Squid to start, which for some reason we always end up trying this dish everywhere we go (maybe I should create a post on the Top 10 places to go for Salt and Pepper Squid. Watch this space).
Our drinks took a little while to come out, probably due to the cocktail which was fine. I just admired the water views of the harbour and people watched (trying not to eye up people’s food this time though, to avoid getting looks!)
Next our entrees came out. We were sharing the large portion and this was the perfect amount for the two of us. If you were having this dish on your own it might be a bit too much if you wanted a main as well. I guess it just depends on how hungry you are!
This squid was cooked beautifully and was mouthwateringly tender with a good amount of seasoning, although we could have done with a touch more aioli. However it tasted great and we finished the lot, and it was nicely presented.
After a rest, our waiter brought out our mains. I had a little bit of food envy when I saw my boyfriend's dish. He had the Atlantic Salmon and it was very elegant on the plate, full of vibrant colour and really did look delicious.
My Paella was also a very good looking dish, served in the traditional black Paella pan with the Giant BBQ Prawn taking centre stage – it was huge! You couldn’t really see the rest of the seafood until you dived in (excuses the pun!). The rice was cooked perfectly, although in my opinion it lacked seasoning and was a little bit bland, it needed just a bit more flavour and oomph. However, there was plenty of seafood to keep me happy; 3 prawns, 3 mussels, 3 clams and calamari, as well as tender chicken pieces and chorizo – yum! It was that good that I ended up clearing the dish entirely and it was very filling.
The waiter had brought out a dish to put the shells in, but had forgotten to bring out a hand dipping bowl (de-heading and shelling prawns can be an awfully messy business!) – he soon remembered just as I finished the meal where we shortly asked for the bill as there was no way I would be able to eat dessert.
Overall, we had a good, friendly service, though slightly lacking on the slow side at times, but anything we asked for like more tap water was brought to the table. Prices were a little bit expensive, but a lot of the restaurants in this area are around the same price as you are also paying for the view and location as it is a tourist hotspot.
However, I thoroughly enjoyed my meal (apart from the lack of seasoning) and would definitely come back to try something else. There was a good amount of seating inside and out. Don’t forget to say hello to the fishes in the fish tank on the way to going to the toilet!