As some of you may remember, towards the end of last year Tony took an ill-fated business trip to Sydney to scope out the viability of starting a food blog in Australia.
It was ill-fated for two reasons:
1) I got food poisoning on the first night of a week long trip to the other side of the world.
2) It turns out the vast majority of Australians can’t actually read – rendering a potential food blog redundant.
Sydney rock oysters
On my last full day in Sydney, with my bowel back to full working order, I decided I should treat myself to a nice lunch.
After some Googling my options seemed to be:
1) Eat a packet of chicken flavoured Twisties
2) Leave my hotel.
I opted for the latter. I ended up at the William Blue college of hospitality management. I think I was drawn in by the catchy name.
It’s a restaurant run by hospitality students. I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to inspire the next generation of hospitality workers.
Anyway, I got a table for one and an eager young man fetched me some water and some bread. Bless him, he was so nervous he was shaking. He was obviously clued up on the foodie world and knew he was serving a FoodieBoy!
To begin I ordered the Sydney rock oysters with red wine, shallot (they called it ‘eschallot’ for some reason – bloody Australians) and tomato vinaigrette. The vinaigrette offered a sharp contrast to the (insert adjective for texture which can apply to oysters here) of the oysters.
Roast pork loin
My main of roast pork loin, crackling, crispy kale, colcannon croquette and apple cider jus was tender and very tasty. The colcannon croquette was a treat.
I asked the waiter to sing me the colcannon song while I ate, but sadly he was unaware of the lyrics. Upon hearing this I leapt from the table, adopted my best ‘Oirish’ accent and sang, merrily:
Did you ever eat Colcannon, made from lovely pickled cream?
With the greens and scallions mingled like a picture in a dream.
Did you ever make a hole on top to hold the melting flake
Of the creamy, flavoured butter that your mother used to make?
The chorus:
Yes you did, so you did, so did he and so did I.
And the more I think about it sure the nearer I’m to cry.
Oh, wasn’t it the happy days when troubles we had not,
And our mothers made Colcannon in the little skillet pot.
Repeat to fade:
Did you ever eat Colcannon, made from lovely pickled cream?
With the greens and scallions mingled like a picture in a dream.
Did you ever make a hole on top to hold the melting flake
Of the creamy, flavoured butter that your mother used to make?
Blushing, the waiter said, “Crikey mate, that’s one of the most bloody moving things that’s every happened to me, mate.”
I said, “mate, stop calling me ‘mate’, mate.”
We embraced, I sat back down, and told him to bring me dessert and a glass of shiraz.
The dessert was a chocolate delice, orange and cardamom ice cream, pop rocks and orange sherbet.
Chocolate delice
This was most pleasant.
I asked the waiter to sing me the orange and cardamom ice cream song while I ate. He looked worried. “Only joking, there isn’t one!” I said, as I laughed myself to tears.
A very nice meal indeed.
Four boys out of five.
