From Melbourne now back to Sydney. I actually arrived in Sydney first and went to Melbourne last, but I liked “Red Spice Road” the most so I wanted to blog about it first 🙂 I have to admit that actually Red Spice Road isn’t my top most favorite restaurant in Australia but I’ve been told by my Aussie friends not to blog about my most favorite place, “Pie Face” 🙁 Well, if you really want to know about the joint then tell me in the comments. I will pull myself together to write about that for you!

Glass is the restaurant I’m writing about this time. It’s a fancy restaurant at the Hilton hotel in Sydney. I was so in love with the taste of natural ingredients that showed true in every dish I tasted. The most unfortunate thing about living in America is we rarely get to taste foods that were picked or harvested at the right time. I’m not talking about right for the farmers but the right time with respect to the optimum quality of the produce.

Do you know that if you pick fruits too young, they will NEVER ripen to their fullest, sweetest, most flavorful potential? The peaches, nectarines, plums in the supermarket are great examples. You can buy them and leave them to ripen for a long time and they never get ripe, and then they’re rotten.

So outside America is when I get to taste fruit that was picked and almost fully ripe at the market. I get to taste seafood, meat that still has some  freshly-killed  sweetness (I know it sounds quite barbaric, but it’s true) instead of eating something “previously frozen” that already lost it sweetness with the blood that seeped out when thawed. Foods here in the US often tastes like dead food to me…there is no trace of life left in them. OK I should stop talking about it, or the vampire hunters will come after me next.

Back to Glass. We enjoyed the chef’s creativity and the company, our lovely hosts, equally. I have to say that the lamb chops were the best of the whole trip.

WHERE: Glass Brasserie

Hilton Sydney Hotel, 488 George Street, Sydney, Australia 2000, Level 2

Tel: (02) 9265-6068

eMail: eat@glassbrasserie.com.au

WHO: Luke Mangan

WHEN: Opened everyday for dinner but only serve lunch during the weekday. Also served Hilton breakfast everyday but those are not by chef Luke.

Lunch Monday – Friday 12pm – 3pm Close Saturday – Sunday

Dinner Everyday, Monday – Sunday, 6pm – late

HOW: Call or book it through website

WHAT: Since I did steal the menu this time (I was so busy chatting with our lovely host, you know), so I don’t remember the detail of the dishes. I will just post the pictures. The menu change regularly anyway.

Crudo with tuna and salmon roe

Per Se Caviar (Spain) Sturgeon with classic garnishes

Fig tart (savory)

I don’t think I’m a big fan of a corn-fed beef anymore.

But I always a big fan of lamb 🙂 This is my best lamb dish in this trip.

And the winner is the butter pecan ice-cream!