However unfortunate the name may sound, Gastro Park is definitely one of my top (if not favourite) restaurants in Sydney. What’s not to like about a place that tries to make food fun, like a playground, mixing unconventional flavours and plating styles to create something utterly new? This was probably my fifth visit and I have never been disappointed. However, after this many visits it would be great to see some of the mains shaken up and changed a bit after a few years of business – there are only four on the menu and I’ve already had three out of those!
- What we ate:
Our party of four shared two entrees – the amazing Soy and mustard glazed swordfish belly, textures of pickled cucumber ($14), which has always been one of my go-to dishes. The fish literally melts in your mouth, and the three textures of cucumber do great things in complimenting the fish. The Liquid butternut gnocchi, mushroom consomme, onion crumb and shimiji ($28) is another one of my favourites – it is just such a fun dish! You put the gnocchi in your mouth and it explodes with cheesy goodness! Can’t help but smile as you eat it.
It is unfortunate that there are only 4 mains – it means you’ll have to double up if you have more than 4 in your party, and I’ve always been a fan of everyone getting something different so you can steal some of their meal. I had the Rare seared venison, celeriac, puffed barley, roasted grapes, spiced red wine ($40), a dish I had on a previous visit as well, but it was nice to see that they had changed the plating style and some of the extras. The puffed barley was particularly complementary, adding a smokey, wholesome taste to the spicy red wine sauce. We also had the Crispy Scaled Snapper, smoked potato puree, calamari crackling and ink sauce ($39) – recently featured on Masterchef and also a dish I have previously had. Still can’t really wrap my head around the crispy scales on the fish, but the crackling and smoked potato are always great on the palate. The Roast grain fed beef fillet, braised cheek, crispy sauce, nasturtiums, sweet potato ($42) was also plated differently and thus easier to eat – originally the fillet was underneath a high stack of kale and crispy sauce, making it difficult to eat without everything collapsing and falling off the plate.
Desserts are always a highlight at Gastro Park. We shared the Nitro pavlova, coconut, pineapple and papaya ($20) – bubbly goodness that makes you feel healthy while eating it due to the high fruit content, and the Chocolate, honeycomb, mandarin sphere, cardamon, saffron ginger ($22). I get such a kick out of cracking open the sphere and have all that chocolatey goodness ooze out over the rest of the plate.
Gastro Park
5-9 Roslyn Street, Kings Cross
Sydney 2011
http://www.gastropark.com.au/
