Scoot 787 Dreamliner from Singapore to Sydney in ScootPlus

[yflyer]

A short break at the Pyrmont Bridge, taking in the views of the Sydney skyline...



...before heading into the city and ending my run back at the Little National.



Total distance covered: just over 10km. What a wonderful route.



It was good to be back in Sydney!

[yflyer]

Our first meal in Sydney was at 6Head, a steakhouse at The Rocks, near the Opera House and Harbour Bridge.



A fairly straightforward menu, with a tempting selection of dry-aged steaks...



The steaks here were coated in chocolate during the dry-aging process. This was something we had never seen before!



Kingfish ceviche to start...



...along with beef tartare...



Followed by 2 different cuts of steak, done medium rare...



Vanilla pudding with blood orange sorbet for dessert...



This was a satisfying meal in a nice location.

[yflyer]

Despite dining at 6Head for our first meal on our trip, I still had a craving for steak, and could not resist making a reservation at my favourite restaurant in Sydney, the Rockpool Bar & Grill, which I try to visit every time I come to Sydney.

I've covered this place in previous TRs many times, so just some brief highlights here. The dining space itself remains unique and absolutely jawdropping....



A view from the upper level looking down into the main dining area...



A much more varied menu here than at 6Head, with almost everything on the menu here worth a try.



The steaks here come pre-sliced (A great way to ensure the done-ness is right), and often on the bone.



Absolutely delicious, with a smoky, deep flavour that I have not been able to find at any other steakhouse...



Our dessert came doused in Champagne...



Yum...



A wonderful meal. It won't be the last time I dine here.

[yflyer]

The next morning, we caught a very early Virgin Australia flight to Melbourne.

We had just a few minutes before the flight to visit the Virgin Lounge.



This was a spacious lounge with ample seating and separate work/dining areas.



The Barista was very busy that morning...



Smallish breakfast menu...



..with both cold and hot selections...



Showers and restroom in the lounge...



No alcohol served before 12noon, but the fridge looked quite well stocked with beer and wine for after 12pm...



We spent just a few minutes in the lounge grabbing a bite and a drink, before heading to gate to board our flight from Sydney to Melbourne.

[yflyer]

Virgin operates a fleet of 737's on this sector. Today's flight was operated by a 737-700 with a very new interior (Although the plane was not new).



This was a very full flight. The SYD-MEL route is one of the world's busiest, with many daily flights by VA as well as QF.



Sleek seating with decent, but unexceptional, seat pitch.



Slimline armrests...



A very practical seat back design...



...with phone/tablet holder...

[yflyer]

The inflight menu...



A fairly extensive selection...



Beverages...



Amenities for a fee...



Complimentary tea & coffee...

[yflyer]

The bathroom on this flight had sleek, stylish design which I had not encountered before, with an angled WC...



Very nice!



Beautiful sunrise as we flew on this short sector...



On the ground in Melbourne!

[yflyer]

Our hotel in Melbourne was the Doubletree Hilton Flinders Street (Covered in previous TRs), which was directly across from Flinders Street Station.

At night, the station was beautifully lit up in gorgeous colours.



In Melbourne, I could not resist heading out for a run along the Yarra River...



Here's a typical route for one of my runs...



Next up, dinner at Attica...

To be continued!

[SQ228]

You almost ran to my place! It’s a pleasant section of the river.

[yflyer]

You almost ran to my place! It’s a pleasant section of the river.

Yes, that is one of my favourite running routes in Melbourne!

[yflyer]

In Melbourne, we headed to Attica for dinner. This was a well known restaurant, helmed by chef Ben Shewry, and had been featured on the TV series Chef's Table.

The restaurant was located in Ripponlea, a quiet neighbourhood a short train ride from the Melbourne CBD -- an unusual location for a restaurant of this nature.



We caught the train to Ripponlea from Flinder's Street Station, and took a short walk, in beautiful weather, to the restaurant.



Inside, the atmosphere was fairly informal, with white tableclothes on some tables, and unadorned polished granite from Mount Alexander, for others...



To start Bellebonne Vintage Cuvee 2020, a sparkling wine from Tasmania...



The set tasting menu, with optional wine pairing, was unlike anything we had ever encountered. We were only given the menu card at the end, so we never knew what to expect next as we ate...



The courses began with an emu parfait wafer...



...followed by a plate of 5 "first foods".



The highlight of the plate was the sprig of saltbrush, but there was a lot to taste on that plate.

Then the Saltwater Souva, which was minced crocodile on pita bread...



The next course, "Thinking of Australia", was slices of raw King George Whiting fish, shaped like Australia, and topped with seasoning from each state, for example green ants...

[yflyer]

At that point in the meal, we were led from our seats through the kitchen for a short "tour", starting with Pyengana cheese puffs...



...and ending up in an outdoor courtyard...



...where we were served a pie-like pastry with kangaroo tail filling, paired with beer...



We were invited to spend as much time we we liked outside before heading back in for our next course.

The next beverage was sake...



...served in a wine glass...



...to go with the Tart 3K, a tart with finely sliced vegetables...



Next, an unfiltered Vermouth, from Maidenii...



...with it's cloudy orange colour...



...to pair with the next dish of intensely flavoured tomatoes...

[yflyer]

The next dish was marron, a type of lobster, served with a creamy sauce and finger limes...



This was perfectly prepared, and absolutely delicious.



The marron was paired with Clos Cibonne Tibouren, from Cotes de Provence...



...a wine made from an unusual grape varietal,Tibouren (90%) and Grenache (10%).



Next, Alkina "Old Quarter", a Barossa Valley vine made from a blend of Grenache, Shiraz and Mataro...



...to pair with a dish called "Eat the Problem" Lasagna.



This was made with buffalo, wild boar and venison, with the pasta sheets infused with saltbush and green ants. The name "Eat the Problem" stems from the fact that these ingredients were all invasive pests.

The lasagna was very tasty, but all the portion sizes thus far were very generous, and we were both about to burst, and could not finish it all. Tasty though.

[yflyer]

It was then time for a series of desserts...

Caramelised apple with ice cream...


...then lime freeze, strawberry gum sherbet, sprinkled with ants (!)...



...ending with a stupendous range of petit fours from a trolley...

[yflyer]

What a wild journey this dinner was. Looking back at the meal, it was more of a one-off experience than something we would want to repeat on a regular basis. The creativity and inspiration was undeniable, and the use of local and native ingredients was something we had not seen taken to this level.

Given Attica's fame, our expectations were very high. While we both enjoyed dinner very much, I found that I had rather mixed feelings about the meal.

While some dishes were outstanding, like the marron and the saltbush, I could not help thinking that some of the flavours were not as refined as they could have been, and the use of ingredients such as crocodile, kangaroo, emu etc was such that you could not really taste anything distinctive about them -- it could have been any minced meat.

I also thought the portions were a little too large for such an extensive tasting menu. Towards the end of the meal, we could not finish everything, and they did not allow takeaway, which to me was a shame given how tasty everything was.

Mrs yflyer also felt that while some of the staff where cheerful and warm, others looked to be a little on auto-pilot, not as attentive or spontaneous as you would expect from a top-rated restaurant.

All these quibbles are relative of course. The restaurant well deseves its acclaim. If you are foodie, this place is definitely worth a visit.

So perhaps not a place on our "must dine again" list, but we were both very glad to have eaten there, and happy to have experienced the inspiration of this very talented chef.