As I walked up towards the Ocean Room still high from my interview with Fergus Henderson and the strong coffee I had just sipped, I spied a gigantic black ship with Steve Irwin written on the side. I checked it out and it’s a Sea Shepherd anti whaling vessel. As a whale lover I’m interested to go on board and take advantage of the free tours while they are docked here. Reem arrives shortly after and she is interested in going on board too. First things first, we girls need to eat.
The Ocean Room is a beautiful space with a high ceiling. Looking up I see wooden batons suspended from the ceiling (my first thought, French rolling pins) all in different sizes to create a wooden wave feel. Apparently there are 42,458 of the suspended Javanese wood batons. In the centre of the room there are winding banquettes and at the front there are dark wooden tables where we are seated to take advantage of the view. Normally the view is of the Sydney Opera House, however today the view is of the ship Steve Irwin which is docked today.
I ask for the speciality and there are two items, tuna done 5 ways or the tuna wing which takes 40 minutes. We’re running out of time as we want to go onboard the boat so we order a few dishes and do what food bloggers do best. Share and dissect everything. Maximum tasting opportunites you do understand… Service is polite and the meals are brought out quickly as per our request.
Complimetary Tomato Somen
The glass of chilled tomato somen is delicious with a clear taste of tomato in it despite the somewhat clear look of the broth. It also has a touch of bonito flavour to it and the noodles are silken and slippery and styled prettily.
Chotto Collection Raita’s collection of five assorted Chotto $23
A tasting platter is a food blogger’s nirvana, after all this means that we can try more. At one end there’s the Tuna Cornet which is a curious cone indeed as it has a biscuity sweet taste – we expected something more savoury as it’s said to be a rice cracker cone. The blue fin tuna inside is delicious and spicy with chili and sesame.
The soft shell crab taco provides a lovely crunch and the soft shell crab is covered by a deep fried piece of taco shell and is accompanied by pickled bean sprouts. It’s a little too salted for our taste though.
The chicken wing Nagoya style is all mine as Reem doesn’t like chicken wings. It’s soft and the meat comes off the bone easily and it’s marinated in a sweet soy and dusted with a three peppercorn blend which is tasty giving it an almost sweet salt and pepper flavour to it.
The Kushikatsu is panko breadcumb coated pork pieces on a stick deep fried which is served with Japanese BBQ sauce and a mustard aioli which lifts it and makes the deep fried morsels sing.
Our favourite was the anchovy and tomato sorbet with a piece of thinly sliced toast cracker topped with a marinated anchovy and a small quenelle of cooling tomato sorbet with the flavours marrying incredibly well together.
Blue fin Tuna Five Ways $23
Our plate of Blue Fin Tuna Five Ways is brought out and my initial reaction is “thank god I didn’t bring Mr NQN here to order it“. On the plate are 5 cubes of tuna blue fin tuna sushi. It starts with the leaner Akami then the “chutoro” which is one of the types of toro belly tuna which is found between the Akami and the tuna afficianado’s favourite the “otoro” which is so fatty that it falls apart and melts in the mouth so easily and there is one cube of this otoro tuna. They are flame seared, fresh raw, oil blanched and marinated.
There is a legend that comes with it showing each type of tuna and how it’s prepared and its accompaniments. They’re all delicious but the stand out for both of us was the Fresh Raw Akami with black salt, Jalapeno and yuzu zest. The marinated akami with truffle salt is an unusual combination – with the truffle salt being quite strong against the delicate tuna.
Let’s do Lunch Prawn Four Ways $35 with a glass of wine
The rectangular plates seem to very much feature here and our Let’s Do Lunch deal of King Prawn four ways comes out with 3 pieces of prawn sushi roll which is delicious, two tempura prawns on daikon radish kim chee which is so fresh it’s an absolute delight to eat, two crispy fried prawns with wasabi aioli which I was a little wary of at first as I fear a lot of wasabi but in fact it’s absolutely in perfect proportion and the wasabi lends it more taste rather than any sinus clearing properties and there’s also two salt and five-peppercorn prawns wok-tossed on a rocket salad which is on the overly salted side.
Dessert Assiette Plate for two $34
OK we’re girls so when they ask us if we’d like to take a look at the dessert menu we nod in agreement. They all sound rather fabulous and we can’t resist the dessert assiette plate. Restaurateurs, please do more assiette plates! We start off with the classic crème brûlée which is rich and vanillaey with the requisite hard toffee crack that is our kind of addictive crack. We then sample the ice cream: there’s a strawberry ice cream which is creamy and singing with true strawberry flavour as well as an apple sorbet which is wonderful and like eating sweet, fresh apple. The delicate crisp, dried perfect round of apple on top is lovely too.
We then try the warm mini pink lady apple almond gateau which is curious, we can’t put our finger on it at first but i’s not like your usual apple tart and feels like it’s missing something. We realise that there’s no cinnamon in it which is one element that is so often paired with apple in cakes that it seems like there is something missing. To me, I can almost taste a savoury flavour to it too. The sugar coated pastry sticks are wonderfully crunchy though.
We then move onto the Chocolate desserts. They’re not quite as exciting as the other desserts on the plate. They’re essentially variations on chocolate, ganache, sponge and some nuts and whilst they aren’t bad, the fruit desserts call out more. The white and dark chocolate parcel was beautifully constructed though.
Reem most definitely tweeting
We then step onto the Sea Shepherd owned Steve Irwin which is docked at the Overseas Passenger terminal until today (I believe, don’t quote me on that, they seemed unsure). It’s a fascinating tour of the boat which was named after Steve Irwin as he was a supporter of their work and was supposed to go on one of their trips before his demise. There are between 20-60 people on board at anyone time and they rely on donations of practical things such as batteries to vegan food. If you happen to be in the area or want to donate it’s worth a visit.
So tell me Dear Reader, do you Tweet while you’re out and about?
Ocean Room
Ground floor, Overseas Passenger Terminal
Quay West, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9252 9585
The Let’s Do Lunch offer is available during the month of October. For $35 you can get the Prawn 4 ways, a glass of wine or sparkling mineral water and tea or coffee.
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31 Comments | Add your own
Does anyone not love a tasting platter! More restaurants definitely need them. Sounds like a fabulous lunch/day out.
Looks delicious, I tweeted for the first time while out and about last week! Haven’t done it again yet.
The tuna looks lovely but so dainty! Im signed up to twitter but I dont tweet when Im out =)
Oh I definitely love my seafood, and even though as you know I’m not a fan of raw stuff, that platter of tuna cubes look delicately tasty!!!
Love tasting plates! I haven’t jumped on the twitter bandwagon
Looks like it was a very good lunch! I love to know how the apple sorbet is made.
Love the presentation of the dishes, especially that tuna with the little spoons.
Those dishes look gorgeous, Lorraine. I can’t wait to go there
And yes, I most certainly do tweet when I am out – usually a quick twitpic if the food is good!
that tuna done 5 ways looks super yummy. *is envious*
Mmm… I’m craving that dessert plate! Everything is so beautifully presented. I haven’t been to Ocean Room yet but it’s been on my list for a long time!
‘Restaurateurs, please do more assiette plates!’
Ditto!!!
That dessert assiette plate definitely takes my attention. Everything looks so tasty. I would order the second plate while eating the first. I love the combo of apple and cinnamon, too, so maybe I’d order some cinnamon to sprinkle on the tart:) Would it be so weird?
yum yum!
was circular quay the place they held the masterchef wedding challenge?
i kinda remember the scenery and it was similar…or maybe not.
Great post! everything looks yummy and FRESH!
I’d tweet all the time if I had an iphone!!!
That tomato broth is FASCINATING!! I wonder how it got infused with the tomato flavor and yet retains its clarity?
wow, the Blue fin Tuna Five Ways looks stunning ! really really really wanna try
Yes yes yes more assiette plates please! Would I feel this way if I were not a food blogger? Not sure… perhaps yes as the piggy in me feels like I get more food for my buck when there’s more types
Nope, no tweeting from me, as I am not a twitterer/tweeter/whatever the term is!
I just came from the World Chefs Showcase and tasted some of the Ocean Rooms dishes. Its so amazing how much they put into their preparation and their presentation. I will most definately be going to the Ocean Room soon.
Love the prawns and the dessert platter. Being a sweets kinda girl, if I had to choose one item, it would be the dessert assiette.
The brulees look so good. Can’t resist a good brulee
I don’t tweet, i tried it for about a month and could’nt see the appeal.
I facebook way too much though!!!
I want to find a place in Brisbane where I can find a good fresh tuna, but have no idea where to look…
Ooh, everything looks so good, so beautifully presented! Hehe. Tasting platters are pretty much perfection, aren’t they?! I never tweet or FB when I’m dining out, but a lot of my dining companions do it.
hooray for tasting plates! first of all, no cinnamon in the apple dessert? travesty of all travesties! and secondly, tomato sorbet? awesome.
…Not judging Reem, however, since you asked, nqn, I call tweeting while you’re out in good company, twatting!!! I find it very bad manners, and find technology more invasive than connective at times… but each to their own i-touches.
Ladies, what a wonderful lunch! And, Oh That View, I miss it
Well, if there was any food worth tweeting, you certainly found it.
The food looks amazing! All beautifully presented as well. I especially like the long handles on the spoons used in the tuna dish. Is it wrong that I’m not trying to figure out where I can get those?
such a beautiful view! vat a great place and all the food look so amazing!
cheers!
We stopped by the Steve Irwin on our way back from Bhodi yum cha yesterday. What a fantastic cause to support. The tour was great and all the guys very knowledgeable.
Check out their documentary on foxtell called ‘whale wars’.
Ahhh looks like a great lunch you ladies had
Haven’t been back to Ocean room for awhile. Time for me to visit and get a plate of soft shell crab tacos!
Hi Barbara-I know! Aren’t they great!
It was indeed!
Hi Bill-Hehe really! It might be the start of an addiction
Hi Brianna-Ahh me neither! I did it for the first time last night!
Hi Trisha-They were so nice and fresh and clean tasting
Perhaps it might tempt you? 
Hi sandra-Hehe that’s cool! It’s quite addictive
Hi Julia-Yes I’d love to too! I tried to make one once and it wasn’t very good
Hi Y-Yes isn’t it cute!
Hi Fiona-Oh you should, beautiful view and great food
Ahh you’re so advanced, I can’t figure out how to do that!
Hi The Asian Pear-It was really good!
Hi Jacq-Yes it’s taken me ages to get there too! I don’t know why!
HI Kat-YAY! Yes I hope they’re listening
Hi zerrin-Hehe good idea! No it wouldn’t be at all, well in my humble opinion
Hi grub-Ahh I thought it was on a boat? I might be wrong though!
Hi Teresa-Thankyou! Hehe yes I think iphones make it a lot easier!
Hi sophia-I know, I am not sure either. Although if you cut and drain a tomato, the liquid that gets drained has a similar flavour
Hi Ja-Hehe you should!
Hi Conor-Yes! I don’t know but I know my friends love assiette plates too
Haha!
Hi Katherine-Oh cool! Lucky you
Wonderful, can’t wait to read all about it!
Hi Cakelaw-Yep, you cannot go past dessert can you!
Hi food.4.two-Yes and it had a nice crack of the toffee on top too (v important)
Hi Tara-Hehe fair enough! It takes up a lot of time! Hmm good question. Do you have a fish market?
Hi Betty-They are! I love them
Hehe I’m the same as you!
Hi grace-I know, I thought of you!
Hi PenelopePitstop-Aww poor Reem
So many ppl do it nowadays so I think it’s a definite trend!
Hi Christie-It won’t be long until you’re home!
Hi Angela-Haha yes amazing view and lovely, photogenic food
Hi Su-yin-Yes presentation is so important!
Haha not at all! I was too 
Hi nora-It was on both counts
Hi anna-Yes they’re so welcoming too! Thanks for that, I will!
Hi Yas-We did!
Absolutely and I bet you know Raita too huh? 
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