Aria Restaurant, Circular Quay

I have been slack. Not slack in my eating, as that would be unthinkable. But I have been sitting on posts for way too long.

So I thought I'd make a come back with a bang. And what better way to start than with a post on Aria. Aria is a two hatter which has long been on my 'to eat' list, and I have been suitably excited about my lunch visit.






It was quite a trek to get to Aria, but boy the view was worth every step of the way. You have the Opera House on one side, and the Harbour Bridge on the other; and let's not forget the harbour view and clear blue sky. Need I say more?

The restaurant was surprisingly quiet when we arrived. There were only two tables apart from ours and the Kitchen Table. Not that we mind, as we got to have the whole restaurant to ourselves when the two tables left soon after.



Being the indecisive self that I am, I spent a long time chatting with the rest of the table while deciding on my food choices. After we ordered, a complimentary entree of Kingfish tartare was served. This was a pleasantly refreshing way to start our lunch.

And then out came our entrees. I had the Kurobuta sweet pork belly with pork croquette, paradise pears and pear chutney. With the glistening pork fat and crispy skin staring at me from my plate, I had high expectations and as such was a little disappointed when I tasted the pork belly, which was a bit on the dry side. However, I was blown away with the pork croquette, and not to mention the paradise pear which fruity sweetness went perfectly well with the pork belly.

Moving onto our mains, I opted for the slow cooked Petuna ocean trout, red radish, watercress and a pink grapefruit sabayon. Just one bite and I was in heaven! The fish was literally melt in your mouth. And I can't help but wonder if the crispy fish skin has been strategically placed on the plate to make it reminiscent to a shark.

I also tasted the rabbit tagine, which was the specials for the day. (In my Iron Chef host voice) If my memory serves me correct, I haven't tried rabbit before. The rabbit meat has a similar texture to chicken, and the aromatic spices in the dish made it very flavoursome. I think my standards for rabbit has been set very high by this dish.

We also ordered a few side dishes to share. The truffled potato mash was smooth and creamy, exactly how I like my mash. However I could not taste any truffle in the mash.

The salad of heirloom tomatoes, feta and Spanish onion was lovely, but the real winner was the steamed green beans with pine nuts and raisins. So much so that when I finally got around to photograph the dish, not much of the dish was left.

Two lovely courses and a few bottles of wines later, its time for dessert. This was the moment I have been waiting for; however, while I put my hands up without hesitation, the others were not so keen on joining me. Only Mr A was up for the cheese plate. But I was unstoppable and ordered the passionfruit souffle with passionfruit Eton mess.

My heart leaped when I saw the souffle looking so fluffy and tall! It was very passionfruity and not too sweet, although I would have loved a bit more of the Eton mess. Nonetheless, a nice way to finish an enjoyable meal.

But wait, there's also the petit three's! The nougat was lovely and the mini lemon meringue tarts was cute and tasty. I could not bring myself to try the chocolate truffle because even with my emergency stomach I am full to the brim.

ARIA Restaurant
1 Macquarie Street

East Circular Quay

Sydney NSW 2000