Left: Wine storage facility in centre of restaurant - stairs spiral upwards
Address: 31 Wheat Rd IMAX Theatre Complex, Darling Harbour NSW 2000 (Sydney)
Tel: 02 9211 9888
Fax: 02 9211 8189
Email: sydney@themeatandwineco.com
Other locations: Paramatta (Sydney) and Melbourne
www.themeatandwineco.com
Being an avid steak cynic, I was convinced to try The Meat & Wine Co, where steak is their specialisation and they do it quite well.
Don't let the sea of business suits in the front fool you - inside there is an intricate weaving of tables in a haphazard (but very cool) layout, with persons of all demographics (young and old, dressed up and down).
The staff are attentive and look after the well-being of their particular table. The other good thing was that our waiter (can't say the same for all so don't quote me) was able to differentiate between the different meat, and cooking methods - which is a bonus because I have come across some completely useless staff.
Moving on to the food:
I am a self-confessed fatty, so I got a bit greedy ordering for a table for 2.
Pictured below, the mixed bread platter (half serve because the waiter acknowledged the full serve had about 10 bits of bread on it). In the centre is the 2nd best-tasting bruschetta I have ever eaten.
I was having a foodgasm going through the smoothness of the cheese, roma tomatoes, pesto spread, possibly had garlic and buttered crusty bread. The base of the plate was dressed with a sticky balsamic vinegar which completed the "tang". Heavenly...
The other bits of bread are garlic, and herb.
Below: I was curious to see what the Chef's salad was all about - because it sounded great on the menu. A mix of gourmet lettuce leaves, avocado, roma tomatoes, spanish onion, cucumber, preserved lemon and a a red wine and seeded mustard vinaigrette. It also features a very unique tasting thinly sliced cured beef called "biltong" which is actually a chewier derivation of beef jerky.
Now for the mains...
Pictured above: As advised by a previous diner, and the waitress, the meat skewers look and taste great. I wouldn't go as far as saying this is a snack, because it is quite a hefty amount of meat on a hook. I ordered the Prawn and Beef Skewer - "Tender cuts of Australian Angus beef skewered with Queensland King Prawns, grilled and served with chips". I was feeling greedy, not in the mood for a proper steak, and figured this would be a good alternative -and it was! The prawns aren't peeled, so a finger bowl is provided. I ordered the beef cooked medium on this skewer and it was great! Not too tough, I would say the meat was aged properly to gain the optimum texture.Pictured below: My dining buddy ordered a 350g rib-eye steak, described as "Selected Angus 120 day grain-fed cuts, matured to perfection. The quality of our beef is carefully managed from the Pasture to the Plate - our commitment that an exceptional product is served every time.
Grilled to order with our unique in-house basting and served with super crunchy chips".
I tasted this and it was great - just the way medium rare should be! This restaurant does not disappoint when it comes to the meat, so I would definitely recommend, even coming from a steak skeptic like me!
To complete the experience, a courtesy call was made to me the following day, enquiring toward my meal and service. I could only think of positive thoughts to recount on, and thanked them kindly for their call.
