Mother’s Days can be tricky. You want to find somewhere good that will please your mother but often, especially if you are  paired up, you might have two Mothers to keep in mind. And if you are anything like Mr NQN and I and you have mums that are polar opposites. My mum: conservative, wears pearls, loves butter and expensive presents. Mr NQN’s mum: vegetarian, artistic and wears purple flowing clothes with scarves and never celebrates birthdays. So in my research, when I came across a place conservative enough for my mum yet artistic enough for his, I picked up the phone to book straight away. And got the answering machine of course since it was 8pm.

We arrive at 12 noon having dismissed the idea of the Afternoon Tea (said by some to be not as good as lunch). Tuulikki (Mr NQN’s mum) was waiting outside and we headed towards the restaurant on the ground floor. Underneath is the cafe (where we later peek and see a lot of exhausted people sprawled on chairs) and to the right they hold a children’s art class (a good idea to park your kids while you lunch although I think you have to collect them afterwards ).

There are floor to ceiling windows and the whole room is like a glass cube perched on the side of Woolloomooloo Bay.  The pick of the tables (and one that you can request when booking) are the ones facing the Harbour. Service is all male, smooth and efficient and comes in all sorts of soft accents. When there are exhibitions, the restaurant features set menus of 2 or 3 courses with an entry ticket and currently there is an Archibald Prize Set menu with 2 courses plus ticket for $59.50 and 3 courses plus ticket for $70. We go a la carte and share the food whilst Tuulikki as the only vegetarian picks her own.

Confit prawn, crisp pork belly, pickled cucumber $22

This is good, with a huge single prawn cooked well although the confit of prawn here doesn’t taste particularly different from other methods of cooking it unlike confit of duck which has quite a different texture. There is a soft pork belly and a vinegary pickled cucumber with flecks of chilli. It’s for those who might want a bit of seafood with meat (and no I didn’t mention surf and turf did I? )

Baked eggplant, fatoush, sheep’s milk yoghurt, mint $19

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“Run, run, get into the car before they attack us!” we yell at each other. We’re running away fron two very angry guests at Ripples, Chowder Bay and we’ve unwittingly just taken their taxi and they don’t look happy. Just minutes before they were swearing and creating a scene at Ripples and demanding that their food be comped so we are eager to avoid being caught in their ire. Allow me to rewind a few hours.

I was asked by Tourism Australia to dine with Valeria Di Napoli, an Italian screenwriter, book author, journalist and blogger who was visiting Sydney. They had suggested Ripples at Milsons Point but as I’d already blogged it, I suggested the Ripples in Chowder Bay which is another scenic location which also showed off the harbour.

Warm sun dried olives, chilli, orange and basil $7.50

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I’m confused and wandering around the Botanic Gardens. I want to ask someone directions but everyone else looks like a tourist. My phone rings and it is Christie. She too is lost too. Joggers are everywhere with earphones so I am loathe to stop them although I figure they are locals. I stop one that has no earphones and ask him directions. “Oh I’m sorry” he says with a friendly American accent “I’m a tourist”.

“Are you lost?” an English voice chimes in behind me.

“Well…yes I am” I admit.

“What are you looking for?” I tell her the Andrew Boy Charlton Pool and she is amazingly headed in the same direction. Even though I was born and bred here, I am directionally challenged and it takes a friendly visitor from overseas to lead me to the door where I find my fabulous blogging buddy Christie.

We’re about thirty minutes late for our booking and it’s pretty crowded. Downstairs, swimmers are bathing and doing laps . There are families still on holidays with their small kids and tanned gods (yes it’s said to be a popular gay haunt) strutting around in very small swimmers. Upstairs is  the cafe and we take a seat on the bright orange seats. We’re hot after our little traipse across the Botanical Gardens and all I want is a cold drink and the lukewarm tap water does little to cool us off.

We take a quick look at the menu but are too busy catching up. It’s been over six months since we last saw each other and the waitress really seems to want to take our order so we have a quick look. We’re both trying to eat healthier so we choose frappes and salads. There is a breakfast menu which we presume is available now as they’re presenting us with it and a lunch menu which is broken up into small plates with items such as Manzanillo olives, artichoke dip with crostini, zucchini flowers and lamb cutlets and then there are the mains which features salads, a prawn spaghetti and battered flathead fish and chips. Prices reach up to the low $20′s for a main.

very good looking men

Lychee, Strawberry and Cloudy Apple Frappe left, Blood Orange and Mango Frappe $6 each

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