Capital Grill – Circular Quay, Sydney

Wednesday, 23 Feb 11

“I don’t drink wine.” I don’t talk to strangers. And I especially don’t let other people pay for me. The beginning of the relationship between Tim and myself was marked by fights about paying for things…like lunch…and the cute handbag at the shops (He wants to pay, I don’t want him to pay). Yes, I have slight independence issues. Which explains why for me, being invited to sample the summer menu at Capital Grill made me feel somewhat self-conscious.

And so Tim and I debated all the way down from Town Hall to Circular Quay. Do we ask for the bill at the end? Would we get to choose what we eat? What if they forgot about us? We contemplated calling Suze and asking for advice haha. And then we realised that Number 1 Macquarie Street isn’t the same as Number 1 Macquarie Place and had to walk back. Ooops. But we did get to see a giant cruise ship, the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. =)

Once we finally found Capital Grill (corner of Reiby Place and Loftus St is probably more accurate), we were welcomed in and made to feel at home with an amuse bouche of carrot and cumin puree with an orange and balsamic reduction. Of course, this is where I made my first crucial error of the night. The table that we chose to sit at was quite dark, and illuminated mostly by a single candle and wall mounted reddish light, which while making for a lovely romantic atmosphere, threatened even the widest aperture of my 50mm lens. Deciding it wasn’t worth the graininess of a high ISO setting and red-faced, we requested a seat change, which was kindly obliged. *highly embarrassed*

This was one of the items that had been recommended by Emma of BangPR, as part of a special summer partnership between Capital Grill and POM Wonderful showcasing pomegranate. I adore the fruit, as it brings back memories of summer days spent lazing on the lawn crunching on the sweet jewels and spitting out the seeds like machine guns, and so it’s no surprise that I loved the house cured salmon with pomegranate vinaigrette. The potato thins and caper aioli added a certain creaminess to the dish which was well balanced by the sweetness and acidity of both the pomegranate seeds and the lemony fennel salad.

We were also tempted into sampling the matched wines, after seeing the downcast look of our host when I made the statement that began my post. Neither of us are winebuffs, and personally, I’d usually go for a certain green melon liqueur and lemonade over most wines, but it was a good thing we took his recommendations. I can’t tell you much beyond the fact that Semillon Sauvignon Blanc was fruity (and how to spell it lol), but it worked with the smooth texture of the salmon, rather than fighting with it. A revelation, for me at least. </pretending to know anything about wines>

Next up, grilled kingfish, crisp bacon and spring peas, nestled lovingly amongst potatoes and tomatoes in a heady bouillabaisse. As I leaned back to take photos, I felt a pang of regret, as the task was taking me further away from the gorgeous aromas rising from the plate. The kingfish was perfectly cooked, crisp and golden on the outside, but tender and moist on the inside and easily flaking with a touch of the fork. It’s hard to get Tim to eat anything other than steak or pasta mains, and he almost licked the plate clean, it was simply that good. (So did I). The kingfish was matched with a pinot gris.

A slight break – this was the view through the mist of curtain behind us. Pretty, huh? Those were the interior lights of the Gateway Building that the upstairs dining area overlooked.

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Dessert was also one of the limited edition items that celebrated summer and pomegranate – fresh mango, orange and grapefruit with pomegranate syrup and a fluffy halo of vanilla-spiked cream. I would wax lyrical, but really, its strength was in its simplicity. It all worked together to evoke summer, whether it be Weiss bars with the mango and vanilla, or the best fruit salad I’ve had because it involves my favourite fruits and doesn’t include rock-melon or banana. The dessert wine was a Monbazillac, being apparently less sweet than other dessert wines. For me, I was glad, as it steered away from being overly cloying and overpowering the mango, though Tim thought it fit better with the citrus. Enjoy it, we did. Wine critics, we are not.

Pretty floaty balls. ‘Nuff said.

So, what did we think overall? We enjoyed ourselves thoroughly, and had no faults to find in the food or service. The setting was gorgeous and Tim loved the soft jazz that floated unobtrusively behind our conversation. It’s a place that more people should try for themselves, as it was relatively quiet, even for a Tuesday night.

Of course, the question in my head remains, are my opinions due to being invited by the restaurant? I’ll be honest, I felt a lot more self-conscious than I usually would in a restaurant, definitely not through any fault of the staff, who were absolutely lovely.  It’s more that in my head, my mother’s voice keeps reminding me not to let someone else pay for me and never to owe other people money.  I felt the need to be more careful with what I said and did (which inevitably means dropping something from my fork and having bouillabaisse splash everywhere).

But I don’t feel pressured, at least not consciously, in what I write today (though I am somewhat more embarrassed than usual to share all my screwups of the evening). I think it’s telling that we were already planning when we’d next return and with whom, even before the bill had been settled. We want to come back, this time just as anonymous us, and not as ‘the bloggers’. We’ll leave the camera behind, and sit in a less well-lit corner. And we’ll definitely take at least a few recommendations for wine.

Capital Grill
The Gateway Building
1 Macquarie Place Sydney
Ph 02 9247 4445

Tim and I enjoyed the pomegranate-inspired summer menu as guests of Capital Grill and Emma of BangPR.

Posted at 8:12 pm in Eating Out | Respond?

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