Lu Ming Yi Restaurant, Shantou, Guangdong Province

Bombara Seafood Wollongong NSW

No longer are you required to collect your own cutlery like some years back.

The views are still lovely, offering different moods of the sea, escarpment and weather.  You can check out the surf from a vantage point or feel the breeze on your face and hair at the verandah.

Vehicle parking can be a pain at certain times of the day and night, especially during summer.   On Friday evenings in summer, there may be an outside food fete near the Lighthouse area.

The servings are generous, especially the platters, whether in the classic modern Australian style or those with a decidedly Mediterranean influence.  

Get dirty with your fingers, ask for any crab clamps, dig into the variety of sauces and cool down with wine or beers.   You may even come across an acquaintance, neighbour or good mate.  Families and couples, visitors or locals, they are all here.

Bombara Seafood is located at  the upper floor of the Fishermen's Coop Building at 1-2 Endeavour Drive, Wollongong Harbour, NSW.
Contact +61 2 4229 7011
Opening hours are from 7am to 10pm every day.

An independent review by Kevin Yong

My dish recommendations at the Bombara Seafood,  Wollongong Harbour are as follows:

Cob loaf of organic olive and rosemary bread slices served with hazelnut and balsamic butter.

Grilled fish - your choice of Barramundi, Atlantic salmon, John Dory or Snapper.

Sizzling prawn hot pot.

Hot and cold seafood platter for two with an upper tray of Moreton Bay bugs and lobster; with a lower plate of fresh and battered salt and pepper prawns, grilled Snapper fillets, salt and pepper squid, smoked salmon rolls, oysters Kilpatrick on the shell, dipping sauces and chips.

The Gantry Restaurant & Bar, Sydney Harbour NSW

They say, on a sunny day, Sydney Harbour sparkles at its best, especially with a gentle but sturdy breeze.   What then is an opportune time to catch up and have a meal beside a renovated pier, with no hint perhaps of its past, but within a contemporary designed hotel as a bonus.    Welcome to the Gantry.

The Gantry is located at 11 Hickson Road in Walsh Bay off Sydney Harbour, New South Wales.
Executive Chef:  Chris Irving
Contact +61 2 8298 9910
Opening hours are from noon to 230pm and from 6pm to 10pm every day.
Public holiday surcharges are 10 percent.
Group bookings are considered for nine or more guests.

My butter fish mains, accompanied with Samphire, leek, mushrooms and corn sprouts.  Samphire is a succulent Euro variation of the parsley.

The emphasis is on seafood, Australian, Sydney....I felt we were in some retro colonial setting with a marine going heritage and yet contemporary.  The entry landing area does not squeeze a guest and the check in for your booking is wisely tucked away at one side.   Oh yes, another portion can lead the restaurant guest astray to the lobby of a boutique hotel (the Pier One Sydney Harbour).   The interiors are designed by Bates Smart, with timber floors, steel frames and yet retaining aesthetic looks.


The ambiance is South Pacific, yet English and American.   The young staff member who attended to our table is Euro, as if off from some large cruise passenger ship.   I like his accent, his alert eyes and his articulation on the dishes and offerings.


The chairs offered are comfy and makes me want to just lounge for the whole afternoon, perhaps eyeing an author or celebrity or two.    We are given a table in the out deck area, as if in a tourist section of Sydney Harbour  - oh yes, it was precisely that.   We could see passing ships, huge, carrying on with their business and care.   Strangely I do not remember any saltiness in the air, but just a refreshing perspective and feel that afternoon.  
I do not reckon doggies were allowed.  There was a wedding function at a hidden corner tucked away on the sea front, with Malaysian Chinese accents of spoken English.

Chocolate, coconut and cherry Trio, very Aussie.

I loved my mains, the butter fish.   Elegantly served, a portion of the fish melted into my bite.    The chef knows his art, science and skill.   It was not under flavoured, in fact it oozed with a rewarding taste and a soft texture.   The menu has an underlay of Mediterranean and Asian influences.    More importantly,  what seeps through is care of selected ingredients to nurture, garnish and enhance the main item on your plate.

There seems to be a hint of seating us on the out deck, albeit under cover of plastic sheets, instead of being inside.   I preferred to be out there, one with the elements.   There is a contemporary designed washroom, though no baby change room.   Full, degustation and pre show menus are offered, with choices for vegetarians.

Blueberry, corn, maple and buttermilk Gelato

The Gantry offers more than just my preferred dessert offerings.  With one Chef Hat from the SMH Good Food Guide,  it has commenced on strong foundations.   Service is like what you expect from a five star hotel.  I was immersed in our selection of desserts, with sprinklings of petals, colourful touches of the heart and things that go crunch when I needed it.  And we did not go to the bar that day......


Executive Chef Chris Irving hails from Canada and worked with Brit Gordon Ramsey.   Chris grew up in the Yukon Territories, so he knows his seafood, especially those wild and free.   And wait, he is also associated with being the chef to David Beckham.   There is seating  for 70 people inside and another 60 outside (in my fav out deck space) but that means a little crowdedness on the good ship Gantry.  oh yes, there are a few cushioned sofas and raw ceilings.......but a Captain had never had it so relaxing on land.

Lychee with Piel De Sapo melon and Mango De Leche, a rich and decadent sauce.

Pier One Hotel , of which the Gantry is associated with, has rooms and suites with window wide views of Sydney Harbour and the Bridge.

An independent review by Kevin Yong

My dish recommendations are as follows:For entree, raw scallops presented with sea urchin, Daikon and veal; plus the
Pigs head with purple mustard, mulberries and prune.

For mains, Holmbrae Hen, with apricot, Panisse and legumes; and
the Dry Age Lamb Rump, served with blueberry, Euclaypt and parsley root.

Parking can be a challenge on nearby streets and even inside the lane leading to the restaurant, but do be patient with the Council meters that seem to only work with credit cards.   Best way to reach the Gantry - by boat or by walking.

 

Whole Crabs in Cuisine

Eating crabs can be messy, liberating, expensive, yummy and rewarding. Gather a group of mates and enjoy the experience together.  Usually this sensation of best eating crabs is to use the washed hands, wear thongs and be practical about a humid, tropical climate.  The compulsory bowl of lemon flavoured water does wonders in refreshing and cleansing the hands.  Even more useful is the ability to nudge the flesh out from the shell of the cooked crab.

The Chinese put all sorts of meaning into anything and the ability to indulge in crabs means abundance. They are also seen as honouring people they respect when invited to join in such a dinner, usually steamed or stir fried with ginger, chillies and runny egg of chickens.   Eating cooked whole crabs is a communal or family thing, and often part of an eight course banquet to mark a special occasion, reunion or celebration.

An initial issue for diners is how do you extract the delicious and flavourful meat inside the crab shells, especially with the skinny crab legs?   Aunties and uncles observe how determined, patient, frugal and diligent youngsters are in how they extract crab meat within the shell. The general answer is to dig in with your hands and wash them later with the provided lemon infused wash water. Don't worry about the chopsticks or Victorian table manners - ask any Singaporean!

Having the metal spanners or so called crab crackers to help break crab shell, especially of its limbs, can be useful but veteran diners do not require that.  The experts in crab cuisine also sing praises of the crab egg roe  - they calculate the tides and sightings of the moon size before they even consider going out to buy crabs.  Some claim that female crabs are much sweeter in taste and they can be identified by a U shaped back on their shell (the males have a V).   When choosing crabs from the markets, apply common sense - that the crabs do not smell fishy, have no dark markings and have a feel fro them if possible.

The chef's preparation of whole crabs is an art and a skill.  The live crabs brought home in a  card board box are placed in extreme ice cold water buckets fro them to "go to a gentle sleep".  After this, be mindful that over washing under tap of the whole crabs can cause them to lose flavour and it is best to pat dry them with paper when preparing them.

 The crabs have their shells hammered to make them more pliable for cooking, but not to the extent of being smashed.   Sections of the whole crab are then segmented.  The claws are singled out for special attention, cracked more to allow better permeation from the cooking.

The main focus is on the top shell of the whole crab.  Once you pull this top or main segment out,  you find a bit of a messy filling from the guts, gills and other bits of the inner body.  All of these can be bitter in taste or unsightly.  You may just want to retain the crab roe and place them aside.

When dealing with the two sides of the crab left after separating the top shell, do look for the natural slope of the sides for more effective cutting - do not place your knife against the gradient and flow of the side body.

Steamed or stir fried, these crab segments then require preparation of sauces or a gravy to enhance their delicate flavours.   It may not be emphasised, but what is also quintessential to me is the flavour, quality and texture of the accompanying gravy or sauce.   This can be eaten by sliders of toast bread.   Western culinary methods tend to roast or grill them.

Eating crabs to East Asians is seen as having a cooling effect for the human body in the thinking of Yin snd Yang. - this is why they are served with body warming ingredients like ginger and Shaoxing yellow wine.  Cantonese cuisine has a specific dish with crab meat still on the shell that I adore - that cooked in a hot pot with vermicelli and flavoured with XO sauce.

Or an excellent idea is crabs with spices in a curry.

Crab curry preparation follows a recipe that is mostly not different from others, but has tomatoes, tamarind juice, coriander, cumin, tumeric and garlic that match with the flavours of the harvest from the ocean.   The subsequent question is then do we need to serve steamed rice or the ubiquitous Roti with such a crab dish?   I would say just eat the crab curry by itself or with slices of toast bread for the best effect.

Crab meat is utilised to fill up Shanghai dumplings, or as an ingredient in corn soups. or an important ingredient in making Rissoles and is often a popular but more expensive ingredient when serving Linguine.

Singaporean chili crab comes to mind for many in east Asia, Australia, New Zealand and the western Pacific.    This iconic dish from the island nation is  actually a fusion of both Chinese and Indian culinary styles as you can observe the use of light soy sauce, white vinegar and cornflour starch (which the Indians hardly use) on one hand, whilst other important ingredients to assemble before cooking are tomato puree, chopped up small red chillies and tomato paste (which Chinese culinary hardly uses, except in Sichuan cooking).   This dish was created in south-east Asia, so the Belachan shrimp paste adds to the zest for this.

Freshness is everything with crabs, whether for the Cantonese, Sri Lankan, Shanghainese or Mediterranean societies. That is why they were still alive in their water tanks half an hour before they are served as cooked.   This may not go down well with some - this is perfectly understandable - and at times it is better not to view the live crabs before they are cooked.   However this can be the practice, like in Chinese restaurants, to try reassure the diners of the freshness of the sea food used.

Western society tends to make something else from the crab meat - whether they are in savoury crab cakes or in crab sauce then used to accompany other food.  To me, nothing beats the splendour, uniqueness and joy of biting into a mean fresh sliver of crab meat that echoes the smells of the sea and the pinnacle of shell food.

In societies where garbage collection is not carried out every day, but once a week, disposing the crab shells can pose a potential issue in cleanliness and public hygiene.  Urban populations do not have the options of disposing the shells as organic waste for manure and the offal has to be securely packaged up to have minimum smell and spillage. This is similar to throwing off durian shells after savouring the custard like fruit. 

Can one eat both durian fruit and crab meat at the same time?   Both items cost more than a bit at the markets or in restaurants.   Both are seen as food rich in calories and contributing to high cholesterol levels (well, this may not be so important after all after years of us being advised in medical and mainstream media).   Both are delicious (okay, not to some people I know and I respect their preferences).   I reckon what cannot be consumed in the same eating session is alcohol - never drink that whilst enjoying eating crabs and durians.

Sydney Fish Markets Revisited

There are fish markets of all sizes in Australia - in shopping centres, in quaint family run  shops by the beach, in farmers markets, near fishing village marinas and more.

The biggest Daddy of them all is the one at Blackwattle Bay, Pyrmont, south west of Sydney's city centre.  At last count, around two million people visit the markets each year.

Accessible by driving, light rail, walking or from the waterside, the Sydney Fish markets are not particularly large in area or variety of shops when compared with some of those overseas like Tsukiji in Tokyo and the La Nueva Viga markets in Mexico City.  What the SFM offers best perhaps is a laid back atmosphere, an authentic wet market feel, lots of tasty bites and easily watching the world go by.
Crabs, clams, oysters, octopus, shrimps, squids and lobsters are popular with visitors apart from grilled fish of different varieties.

Seagulls and black Ibis wander around without a care, whilst pelicans love to show off with their exercises in take off and gliding down to land off wooden piers.  Families gather especially on the weekend,  tourists take delight on most days, young students saviour their first experience with sea urchin or Barramundi and in one spot, every one can appreciate the variety of fresh seafood and produce.  Wild harvest, frozen packs and aquaculture produce are available apart from the usual fresh seafood items displayed on open shelves or in boxes.

You can also join walking tours conducted by the SFM to watch oyster shucking, better understand the Dutch reverse auction system for seafood and view sashimi making, for up to two hours.

Well, it is not just about seafood and beverages in this venue - you can carry off your selections of seasonal fruits and veg, plus meats.  A captivating feature of the SFM is enjoying fresh and raw oysters shucked off their shells, or carting off per dozen cardboard trays for home.  There are wholesalers for businesses and retail for every one.   There is a souvenir shop at the front of the main entrance, making the SFM an obvious touristy place.  Since 1989, there has been a Seafood School operating at the SFM. A Chinese restaurant on the upper floors offers lunch and dinner, with it being used as a wedding reception venue as well.

The eating tables can look messy on the outer promenade by the water, as fauna try to clear up let over bits and there is no one employed or seen cleaning used tables.

The source of the seafood is labelled by law, and many a treat comes from wild catches and farmed produce from the eastern seaboard of the Australian continent, or Tasmania.   Avoid going to visit the SFM during the Easter or Christmas periods, unless you do not mind being stuck sitting in a traffic jam.  The convulating nature of road access to the SFM also does not help, oh please do something the powers that be!

For wholesalers, auctions are a sight and experience to behold. It is said around 20 thousand tonnes and a hundred varieties of seafood exchange hands at each such auction at the SFM.   In terms of tonnes, the SFM is the third largest in the world but is second ranked in terms of seafood variety (after Japan).

It is often rewarding to explore parts of the SFM away from the sometimes maddening crowd.  As long as it is not slippery or cordoned off, you may wander and enjoy perspectives away form the sales, snacking and vehicle parking areas.  Oh yes, parking fees are rather on the high side.  I recommend eating fresh on the spot, rather than bagging purchases home, but if you do the latter, do organise your eskys and car boot.

The Sydney Fish Markets are open  from 5am each day until mid-afternoon.  As any seasoned seafood devotee knows, the best catch is early in the day.  Unlike the fresh veg and fruits markets like Flemington and Paddys in other parts of greater Sydney, there are no real value bargains of you go later in the day as the freshness of seafood can change.

The SFM is not a monopoly for seafood sales in greater Sydney.  In New South Wales, seafood catchers can supply direct to any one in possession of a valid Fish Receiver's Permit.

Auctions of seafood at the SFM since 1989 follow what was used for tulip sales in Holland a few centuries ago - the Dutch reverse auction system, whereby auction prices start around three dollars above assumed market prices and then go down a dollar every computerised revolution until a buyer stops the button.  Running concurrently with the main Dutch auction practice, since 2001, is an online trading system introduced by the SFM.

For travellers around the world, other interesting fish market sites include Hong Kong's Aberdeen Seafood Markets; the Mercamadrid in Spain; the Maine Avenue Fish Markets in Washington D.C; the Busan Cooperative Fish Markets in South Korea; New York's Fulton Fish Markets and the Faskekorka in Gothenburg, Sweden.

The Black Marlin, Simon's Town - South Africa

You want to take a drive with your loved one along a scenic coast and surprise her or him with a relaxing meal.  You want to feel the breeze in your face and that of your special someone.  It is the weekend. You want to get out of the urban centre but not too far, maybe you both shall stay over night. Both of you love ocean views and the harvest of the sea.   You look forward to delightful ways of cooking with lobster, fish, prawns and shellfish.   You love retro architecture and heritage surroundings.  You prefer local produce.

Welcome to the Black Marlin, located in the Southern Cape,  with interfaces with the southern Atlantic waters, beautifully located.  You are welcomed with cuisine influences from both Europe and Africa  - grills, pasta, curry, steaks and pudding!   There are also other activities you can join pre and post meals.

At nearby Boulder's Beach.

Fishermen in boats are working just outside the bay near the restaurant.

My group ordered some black West Coast mussels apart from the three course lunch. I liked the accompanying sauce made with garlic sauce, cream and white wine to down these mussels on the shell.  I loved the saffron flavoured rice that came as my mains and oh yes, the lobster was fresh and tasty.  Chowder soup that day was not up to my expectations - ha ha, I would have preferred the lobster bisque - but dessert was welcome with Malay pudding graced by butterscotch saucer and vanilla flavoured ice cream.  Another unique dessert to wind up a meal is the Angel's Delight ( a baked Belgian chocolate tart with orange sorbet).

Some dishes are seasonal, like the ostrich curry.  On my day of my visit, I noticed the Karoo lamb cutlets, Cape Malay chicken curry, chocolate mousse and pesto pasta for lunch as well.   Other options like chicken livers Peri Peri, while grilled sardines  and prawn spring rolls go down well definitely with beer.   Calamari is also made in various ways, deep fried, plain grilled, with Cajun sauce or in stripes, tubes or rings.  There are three sauces made to serve with meats - Madagascar, mixed berry and creamy mushroom.   Other seafood highlighted are Norwegian salmon, the Hake, Kingklip, tuna and the crayfish.

You can consider whale watching tours (July to December), wedding and functional packages or just a family gathering as well using The Black Marlin as a base.  The Black Marlin has been run since the sixties so this is an iconic place in the Cape.

I reckon a leisurely breakfast by the sea is recommended here.  Their False Bay or Sunrise combinations reminds me of those served in Wollongong and Sydney area cafes, with side options available as well.  Depending on where you sit, you can have your private corners or join in the boisterous surrounds of the main dining room - when I was there, there were a few tables of Italian visitors from Europe.

Three salad offerings stand out.  The Blackened Chicken version comes garnished with cucumber, tomato, chili and coriander Salsa, with an option to add Jalapeño.  The caramelised pear is served with Gorgonzola on a bed of rocket and drizzled with a blue cheese dressing.  Marinated beetroot is also available with mixed greens and topped with goat's cheese.

Other good starters to consider are Carpaccio, snails smeared with garlic butter and the Cape Malay fish cakes.   Total vegetarian are dishes in curry, cous cous and spring rolls.  

The Black Marlin's signature dish comprises of cubes of hake wrapped in bacon, grilled on skewers and accompanied by salads, seasonal vegetables, chips, rice or mash and a choice of sauces - lemon butter, garlic butter or chili.   What stands out to me is the Kingklip or King Rock fish, native to South African waters, with the name of Dutch origin.  The Black Marlin serves them either in skewers or in cubes, Du Jour version.

The Black Marlin Restaurant is located at Miller's point, Simon's Town, Southern Cape, South Africa.

Telephone 021 786 1621 and 021 786 1623

Ambiance: Seaside delight.
Service;  Professional, friendly and quick.
Seating:  Outdoor, indoor with white cloths and casual on the decks.
Variety:  Ample.

Watergrill, Kirribilli Club Sydney

Enough said - the Watergrill at the Kirribilli Club is upstairs and so commands a captivating panoramic view of water, bush and sky at the northern side of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.   Add to this a perfect winter's day where the sun shines intently, the air is coolish but guests were all tucked inside behind glass windows.  This is another outlet of a chain that operates in Girraween and Cronulla as well in greater Sydney.  Here you can sample not only the food, but a portion of lower north shore residents, visitors and tourists, families and other groups, having a good day in!

Vehicle parking can be a challenge in this petite suburb of Lavender Bay with its narrow and sloping roads and almost all metered parking requirements by Council.  There are only 65 vehicle parking spaces provided by the Club with a FIFO policy and no reservations allowed - parking tickets need to be validated at the Club's reception and paid on leaving.

Strong on seafood, emphatic on the Aussieness of grilling, celebrating both the produce of the garden and paddock, the Watergrill menu is extensive, generous and pays attention to ingredient and cooking styles.   Asian choices have crept in - oh I see Penang curry chicken and Sichuan flavoured ones, plus tofu served with Enoki mushroom slices on steaming rice!   The tapas plate, at around 25 dollars, caught my eye - breaming with five spice powder flavoured pork belly cuts, crumbed fried Brie with relish of cranberry and duck meat spring rolls accompanied with Hoisin sauce.

Of course, the hot or cold seafood platters are inevitably available, reflecting the origin of Watergrill from the Shire in southern Sydney.   There is an interesting salad offering that throws in balsamic cabbage, rocket, feta cheese, pearl cous cous and pulled pork - perhaps a rather optimal lighter choice.

A room with a view.

Coffee can be pretty standard as this is part of a club but I reckon people love to come here to gather the clan, to savour special occasions and to see what can be achieved with good old produce from both the Aussie heartland and multicultural inspirations. Barramundi is grilled to be served with Kalamata olives, sundries tomatoes, Kipler potatoes and wilted spinach.    There is a gourmet salmon and prawn pasta selection heaped with capers, fresh Dill, garlic and Spanish onions.   Your mate can have the Souklavi skewers with Tzatziki, whilst you can still have your 300 grams of pork cutlets, Scotch fillets or surf and turf combos.

I noted the beef Fajita that comes with avocado Guacamole , caramelised onions, sour cream and tortillas.  Prices of mains are from mid to high 20s.   Service was not to complain of on  rather busy Sunday afternoon.  The logistics that day inside the kitchen must have been over whelming. And id fellow lunchers still have room to spare, there are the usual bright gems from the dessert menu - chocolate fondant, cream brûlée, cheese plates and sticky date pudding!

A limited menu is available away from the rush eating hours, after 230pm and before dinner time.
There are separate winter and summer menus, a couple of us visited in early winter.  Kids would love the ambiance here as there is space for them to wander.  I had no issues with my mains, delightfully garnished with thoughtful sides.



The Watergrill Restaurant is located at the Kirribilli Club, 11 Harbourview Crescent at Lavender Bay.
There is a distinct cafe area separate from the dining area - window seats are better secured in this cafe spot on busy days and nights.
Gluten free or vegetarian selections are indicated in the menu.
Telephone: 612 9945 2245

Bombora Seafood - Wollongong Harbour NSW

Located a floor or two above the compact Wollongong Harbour, Bombora can mean different things to various people.  To me it is a fish grill place, close to the supply source, in tune with Nature and sited to provide customers with sweeping panoramic views of both ocean and escarpment. To some others, who may not be so used to self service, it can be an experience collecting your own cutlery, drinking water, napkins and plates.  Yet to many others it is a casual relaxed joint that epitomises the Aussie beach side lifestyle and to soak in the sun and sea as well.   Vehicle parking can be rather limited on summery days.  There is  selection of drinks in the fridge but you can have your coffee, smoothies, organic teas, Aussie beers, cocktails, iced and other specially freshly made drink delights as well.  Yes, staff only serve you coffee at the very least but they get a chance to really work and cook where it counts - in the kitchen.  The wine list choice can be extensive, with equal emphasis on both reds and whites.

Open seven days per week for a long time now, I first tasted Bombora menu when it was only a daytime affair.  Classic Aussie fish and chips? You can have them here.  Planning an intimate dinner? They are open till late.  Popular with locals and tourists alike, they can stroll along the Belmore Basin  or go surfing between meals.  Bombora has a unique early bird arrangement for its customers - a two or three course meal combo of various seafoods, my favs being the Asian marinated chargrilled prawns, Massaman curry lamb shank and the pear and rhubarb crumble.   I frequented Bombora years ago not so much for its breakfasts, but the early morning menu remains simple, effective and refreshing.  Examples of unique items are salmon cakes, char grilled polenta and Captain Sparrow (coconut pancakes with salted caramel rum sauce, topped with cream and walnuts).

The floor plan seating consists of inside and outside, looking informal and relaxed.  For lunch and dinner, a good suggestion is to try the cob loaf, especially when you have more than a couple at the table.  Olive and rosemary flavoured bread is baked and served with both hazelnut and balsamic butter choices.  The bruschetta is ideal, with a rich offering of marinated prawns,avocado, salmon pate and fresh smoked salmon.   My heart for Bombora still remains in fish like barramundi, snapper and Atlantic salmon, but do look at the Pacific oysters and the flat head fillets.  A family may opt for the sizzling prawn hot pot, with wedges of olive and rosemary cob bread on the sides.   For an Asian based mains, try the sautéed seafood bounty for mains, with lots of finger licking sauce covering delights of squid, prawns, scallops and mussels.  Non seafood lovers may ask me to stop now and excuse themselves, but Bombora also has chicken and beef offerings, albeit in  a limited way.  Pasta, risotto, sandwiches and salads are also available - the best being the Thai beef salad and the Vietnamese prawn salad.  Kids can have a variety accompanied by chips.

Cured Salmon and Pecan Nut Apple Salad

A squeeze of orange, lemon and lime. Sprinkle a measure of granular salt.  Select carefully the portion of the salmon belly, for each niche part of the exquisite fish is delicate, unusual, different and unique in taste.  The art of curing, enhancement and delicacy is surely an art that echoes not he experience, patience and intuitiveness of the chef.

Granny Smith green apple cuts are transformed to gently accompany  the elegant seafood. Oh wait, there is magic......

the caramelised pecan nuts - from half a minute heat up on a flat pan with sugar for the pecan nuts and then cooled down on lined paper tray.  Hey, there are also Pink Lady apple cubes.  And the whole presentation is enhanced with basil leaf.

Nothing like lovingly prepared food, deft of skill and attention to details.  The cut of the salmon, from which portion of the delightful fish and how its stands after being cured, all add to the finesse.   The person fortunate enough to partake in the fruits of such a process has his or her eyes and mindset opened.  Combining the subtleties and sensations of quality ingredients with compatible and contrasting outcomes on the palate. I could allow the sourness go submerged under the savoury and the texture of flavours from the seas. I recognised the citrus undertones of produce of the Earth, a result of sunshine, good soil and lots of water during growth.  Add to this the whiff of refreshingly green herbal aromas.  There was no overall sweetness, just a satisfying gratefulness of the appetite being teased, restored and fulfilled.  What an entree, what a way to start a meal.

Rick Stein's Bannisters - Mollymook, South Coast NSW

The forte of the man is fish and his passion is for fish and various cooking styles, whether in South-east Asia, India, Spain or in his native England.  Rick Stein is a television, culinary and book personality and was appointed the official  food Ambassador for the federation of Malaysia. He can be chatty, offer embracing smiles, make interesting observations and does not mind getting into the elements to emphasise the uniqueness of a food ingredient or the beauty of a place.  I reckon I am fortunate that I live at the start of the New South Wales South Coast - and only two hours drive away from my home is where I can find one of Stein's culinary ventures in the South Seas, Bannisters Restaurant is located in Mollymook at the end of the aptly named Bannisters Hall Road, adjoining the Bannisters accommodation for guests who live a hideaway and over looking the rather captivating and sometimes calm Tasman Sea.

Passing by the village of Milton, with fine  restaurants like the Bacchus and the Tipsy Fig, you turn left at the first major set of lights if you are coming from the north.   Then you follow your heart down the road leading to the coast.  What can you expect - England in the bush, a haven of Aussie produce or an oasis of a culinary adventure?  May be it is all of these.  When I last visited, the skies were cloudy but it was  a summery Sunday, temperature wise.  I had perceptions of fine dining, serious but attentive waiters and expensive prices.  I must say Bannisters has friendly and cheerful staff, who are also well trained and bother to mention to you the details and nuances of their various dishes.  It is fine dining that greet you at a place that does not open every day, offers a healthy spectrum of a menu and dishes that are priced and judged in the eyes of the beholder and diner.  They had just closed for a hiatus after the breakfast session on this weekend drop by, so arriving too early for the strict 1230pm opening for lunch meant hanging out down stairs at the Pool Bar.  When lunch time officially arrived at the Bannisters, the crowd was mainly Anglo-Celtic, possibly British or Australian retirees.

The dining room has a view, as it is located on an upper level of the building, with Ulladulla Bay outside beckoning you to a rather relaxing outlook.   Rick Stein does believe in utilising local produce - and so here you can have your choice of the South Coast oysters, Cootamundra beef, Hervey Bay scallops, Eden mussels, Tasmanian salmon or salt water barramundi.   Attention to detail
in garnishings and niche ingredients can be illustrated by the use of tamarind, tarragon, brocollini, sugar snaps, Pilau rice, Parmesan and foie-gras.   Mollymook, the site of Bannisters, has a rather enchanting and clean long beach, a village-like community and an atmosphere of summer crowds and winter quiet.  I was not too impressed with the look, inside or outside, of the motel-like guest rooms.
The day spas were rather quiet that Sunday.

Lunch is served on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays - this can be important to know, for passer-by visitors who are not staying overnight.  I plan to try their breakfast. I am told that must haves are the Indonesian seafood curry cooked with squid, king prawns and the subtle Ling fish.   Standards like the lobster Thermidor , pan fried fish plus fish and shell fish soup are in the menu.  I chose the Bannisters fish pie, with a rather interesting crusty top and with yummy scallops, mushrooms, prawns and three types of fish ( snapper, salmon and barramundi) inside.  I wonder if you canobtain this dish back in the original Rick Stein restaurant in Padstow, Cornwall in merry old England, but perhaps not with the barramundi included.

I eyed the Madras curry at another table, served with Blue Eye Trevalla, but we did not ask how that went with the guests.

I absolutely adored and loved my entree choice of the grilled Hervey Bay scallops served on the shell - the best thing about this dish was the exquisite and light gravy juice, served with toasted hazelnut and coriander butter.   Perhaps my expectations had then been raised -  and after the  mains, we were rather full on in the stomach as well.  There is a selection of cheeses like the Saint Agur from Auvergne, the Buche Noir made with goat's milk from the Blue Mountains in New South Wales itself and the Farmhouse Cheddar from the United Kingdom.  I then had to make a moderate choice of an Affagato.   At the Pool Bar, I was told about the rather lively nights during the high tourist season, but I also realised how it can be so cosy on winter evenings as well for lovers and other couples.

Licensed, Bannisters offers an impressive variety of wines by the glass or bottle, with carefully made options from estates and vineyards in Europe and Australia.   Parking is rather liberal on the rough and ready ground near the ocean, as those near the resident rooms themselves can be limited in space.   Some people think this place can be too inaccessible, or just a place to visit only once.   Others may make it a regular stop along the way on the road trip to somewhere else.   It is  place to de-stress.  There are no heliport pads to fly in or piers for boats to  navigate to, only land access  - and a vehicle is essential.

Bannisters at Mollymook, NSW South Coast, is around a three hour drive south from the Sydney Harbour Bridge.  It is about two hours by road south of Wollongong and 45 minutes north of Batemans Bay (or over  two hours from Canberra).