We were looking forward to our dinner at Automata in the company of 4 friends we hadn't seen in a long long time. We'd had a good meal the night before at Kensington St. Social just next door and heard such good things about Automate that expectations were high.

When presented with the menu, nothing looked too unapproachable. Duck hearts would be a test and we expected our dining group to be divided on this one but hey, something to talk about.

We started off with cocktails and the Cher Pear one was very popular. Well balanced it was strong enough without being overpowering.

We started off with some "snack". A piece of asparagus each and a Wagyu beef roll. The asparagus was covered in something and tasted quite sharp and pickled. Unusual, not delicious but not off putting. The Wagyu was delicious - melt in the mouth meat and some enoki mushrooms.

We were also served bread throughout the meal with whipped anchovy butter. At one point the waiter provided us with a plate of three slices when we're a group of five which was strange but one of the more experienced wait staff spotted this and commented that it was a strange thing to do so evened out the numbers and brought some more bread so we could all have a piece.

• Raw Scallop, Cured Roe, Tamarillo, Yukari

The scallop was presented in a pretty purple shell which resonated with the yukari being a purple ish shiso salt. I enjoy raw scallop and this was all about that. It was pretty small but it was our opener dish so not the end of the World.

• Bug Tail, Eggplant Puree, Rhubarb, Dulse, Capers and Tamari

Tasty and complex, this dish was about how seafood can be rich and not always the "lighter" option but the size of this kept it light even though it was rich in flavour. Tasty but could definitely have done with more. At least there was bread...

• Duck Hearts, Onions, Black Garlic, Fermented & Raw Mushrooms, Thyme

I expected the duck hearts to be polarising but actually we all agreed this was the highlight; an unexpected highlight but definitely the stand out dish. So flavoursome with a creamy, silky smooth mushroom source and a tang form the onions and black garlic this was unarguably so clever a dish in terms of flavours. But again, small in size.

• Steamed Pork Belly, XO & Red Vinegar Sauce, Turnip Flowers

The piece of pork belly was hidden beneath greenery and we expected this to be the crowd pleaser when we received the menu but actually this was the one that not everyone liked. I didn't mind it but could see the argument that the pork was a bit fatty and gelatinous and the sauce a touch too sharp. I actually like acid flavours so liked the contrast with this and the natural sweetness of pork but have to say that it wasn't an entirely flawless dish unlike the duck hearts.

• Fleur du Maquis, Cherry Miso (plus $12)

We all opted for the cheese course which was well received and enjoyed by all and really given the small volumes of food, much needed.

And sadly, that's how we feel about Automata. It didn't really do it for us. Yes, it's two hatted and yes, there's plenty of supporters out there but we found it underwhelming.

There's some clever cooking, duck hearts being the example but one stand out dish in a $100 per head menu is just not enough. And it's not just the cooking but the generosity and hospitality. I didn't feel a sense of generosity and it's never good when just before dessert, a dining group readily agree on going somewhere else for something else to eat! Hospitality was professional but not personal so in all, not a place I'd really want to return to.

Incidentally, we had a meal at Ides in Melbourne which is one hatted and has a similar 5 - 6 course fixed menu and there we experienced some great cooking, some great hospitality and a lot more warmth and generosity so it can work and we can be pleased but Automata just didn't do it for us and that actually saddens me as I really really wanted to like it.

Steve and I took a weekend trip to Sydney for our 12th wedding anniversary and we stayed at the Old Clare Hotel in Chippendale. As well as being a pretty nice play to stay, it is also home to two restaurants: Kensington St. Social and Automata and our first dinner was at the Social.

Booked in for 8:30pm we arrived on time and were invited to have a drink at the bar as our places at the "Chef's Table" which is essentially the bar around the kitchen area were not quite ready for us. We weren't waiting for long though and very quickly were settled into a great corner spot where we watched the action.

The cocktail list is pretty quirky and fun to try. The food menu is a little more classical with many "Modern Australian" style dishes. By "Modern Australian", I mean that unique type of cuisine that Australia offers with Italian, Asian and other world influences.

The chef in charge that night served us our first course and I immediately recognised his accent from my hometown so rapport was built and we enjoyed that friendly Northern hospitality that is close to my heart!

The courses were served individually and designed to share. Looking around the restaurant it appeared that dining couples were seated around the bar and any larger groups were at tables. Kensington St. Social is one of many "Socials" all part of the The Social Company of restaurants set up by Jason Atherton. With all the sharing style of food, it is clear that it's a "social" kind of place...

• ​Native Rock Oyster, Cucumber, Chamomile, Gin Pickle

This was served with a cucumber granita to be spooned on the oyster so there's that icy texture and temperature. Very savoury I expected a little sweetness or citrus but the overall flavour was the briny sea flavours from the oyster. Not a bad thing to remain pure to the heart of the produce but I would have liked a little contrast whether that be zing, tang, acid or sweet. Steve was on the Dill or No Dill cocktail which is Tanqueray gin, cucumber, elderflower, smoked sea salt, dill and lemon and he said it was a great combination. I suspect his liquid accompaniment provided that lemon hit I was after.

• Tongue 'n' Cheek Croquettes, Picalilli

A cube of a croquette each and a sliver of tongue that just melted in the mouth, this was meaty and crispy and pretty tasty. Not exactly ground breaking with innovation and creativity, but it tasted good which is the main thing and I know I was seeking for some sharpness in the oyster dish and I got that contrast here with the zippy picalilli.
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• Persian Feta, Smoked Shiitake Mushrooms, Pickled Pumpkin, Nut Crumble

The pickled flavours continued but we went vegetarian for the next dish. The creaminess of the Yarra Valley Persian Feta was contrasted with some smoky earthiness from the the mushrooms and the piquant pickled pumpkin then mellowed out with some crunchy toastiness from the nut crumble. I actually really enjoyed this dish and thought the smoked shiitakes were genius. The chef told us he used to run a meat business making burgers, sausages and the like and for the vegetarians he used to smoke the large Portobello mushrooms and they were always well received so he brought that touch to this dish. I love hearing the personal aspect of food.

• Tataki Hiramasa Kingfish, Dill, Kale Togarashi, Vermouth Dressing

A refreshing and cleansing sashimi dish. Like the croquettes, tasted good, but not groundbreaking. Fresh fish, tasty dressing, some spice and seasoning - all very favourable and a crowd pleaser.

• Smoked and Crumbed Hen's Yolk, Fioretto, Young Green Garlic, Green Goddess Dressing

We requested this dish as an addition as we couldn't resist the sound of it. Whilst this set sharing menu was appealing to us, we did want to try the egg yolk and our server assured us it wouldn't be excessive to have the cheeky extra course. We're very glad we did as this was delicious. I didn't know if the yolk would be runny but it was actually more of a paste so it held it's shape but wasn't dry and it added a richness to the delicious green veg. Fioretto is like the cauliflower of broccolini to broccoli and it was another very satisfactory dish. Unless you don't eat egg, I can't imagine anyone disliking this.

• Swordfish, Celery Root Cream, Burnt Fennel, Onion Ash

It was a bit odd to have three pieces of fish for the two of us but I guess it really is about the sharing! I'm not a huge celery or fennel fan but I really enjoyed this. The celery root cream was subtle but delicious and the swordfish was cooked perfectly.
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• Yoghurt Mousse, Lemon Curd, Malt Meringue, Basil

Dessert was a snowball to split between the two of us. Totally my kind of dessert - fresh and sharp flavours make it refreshing and light and the little bit of meringue provided just enough sweetness and crunch. Steve prefers a more decadent, richer and heavier dessert but he definitely ate his half so it was obviously still good!

We had a great meal and I like the fact that it is a good place for groups to dine as the food is so approachable and delicious. It's all about the crowd pleaser and that's in line with the "social" aspect in its moniker. Like a group of friends. it comes together and there's good cheer and warmth in every bite and moment.

When reuniting with dear friends John and Craig (JCray to me), it's always about good food, good drink and good cheer so when we were in Sydney after New Year, they decided to take us to Mr Wong having heard good reports and learning that is one of Sydney's places to be!

We were greeted and advised that whilst they could seat us, they would need the table back within 2 hours which we were happy to comply with provided they could feed us in that time.

Not wanting to delay the chit chat with decision making coupled with the fact that the menu is huge with far too many choices we opted for one of the banquets which was the $108 per head option. I've forgotten the exact dishes we had but the current version of the menu posted online is as per below and much of it seems familiar so if anything there will have only been minor differences. Although now I look back we had two sashimi style dishes, one tuna and one kingfish and the kingfish isn't on the menu any more and I'm not convinced the tuna was with kohlrabi. Unfortunately I've had to forgo accuracy at the expense of time delay.

Wine decision making was equally hard so it was Tsing Tao beers all round!

Mixed dim sum selection
Yellowfin tuna, kohlrabi, sweet wasabi, soy and ginger dressing
Salad of poached chicken and jellyfish
Steamed fish with XO, ginger and shallots
Sweet and sour pork hock
Mr. Wong’s crispy Shandong chicken
Live mudcrab cooked in your choice of style and we chose the housemade XO sauce as per our waitress' recommendation
Four types of braised mushrooms with sautéed baby spinach and lettuce
Salt and pepper lamb cutlets
Fried rice and steamed rice

Choice of 2 desserts to share which for us were the below except my memory is a little hazy! I do recall something mangoey and fruity and light and a heavier chocolate and ice cream affair so having looked at the menu online I think it's these one...

Mango pudding, passionfruit granita, pomelo and pearls
Mr. Wong’s deep fried vanilla ice cream served with butter scotch sauce

Now Craig isn't a sashimi fan but he loved the two dishes and they were tasty, Different and unusual but really good flavour hits.

The mud crab was also super delicious and messy. We were given comedy bibs for this one; comedy but necessary! 

There was a lot of food and we thought we were done having not kept track of the dishes and courses but oh no. The sweet and sour pork hock was the last to arrive and it was a real shame it was a late entrant to the game because we were just too full to do it justice no matter how hard we tried and we tried hard. It wasn't the usual hot pink, gloopy, battered sweet and sour but almost like a braised and roasted version. Cubes of pork in a caramelised sweet and sour glaze - delicious.

This set menu took longer than 2 hours and we overstayed our welcome. We did flag to our waitress when we were chowing down the main courses to make her aware but she told us she would have been told and hadn't been so we were welcome to stay and not rush and at $108 per head we should enjoy! So we took that as issue resolved.

Unfortunately not and the front of house hostess came over and told us sharply that she had forewarned us we needed to give up the table and that we were not in her good books! We pleaded innocence and said we'd asked and spoken to the waitress so she flounced off and I suspect words were had. Anyway our waitress came back and told us not to worry and it had been sorted and the miscommunication that happened between them was not our concern or responsibility. I guess a little bit of front of house attitude is what make a place hip!

Anyway said front of house hostess did come by our table to apologise which I think takes courage and she was gracious and genuine so we were happy to forget and continue. By this time we were enjoying dessert. Two different desserts; one fruity and light and the other chocolatey and wicked. Great to have the contrast.

We enjoyed our Mr Wong experience. The table was a bit small for all our dishes if I'm to be super fussy. And shame the sweet and sour pork hock was held back so we couldn't enjoy fully. And it's pricey so is a special occasion place. But we didn't feel it wasn't worth it. And overall we had a great night.

I wanted to arrange a special lunch for my family and I during a reunion in Sydney just after New Year. There were 9 of us and my 2 year old niece. My family were visiting from UK so I really wanted something special. Some Sydney friends had talked about Cafe Sydney so much and a few of my Melbourne friends had also been.

I had concerns it would be more style over substance as everyone would talk about the view and the setting over the food. Food comments were always positive but were often an after thought following extremely positive opinions about the setting. Whilst my family like a good setting, it's always more about the food for them so yes, I did feel a little nervous.

When researching, I realised that the minimum charge for the private room was not far off what we would likely spend so it made sense to book it to guarantee a good table. The reservation process was pretty simple and I was contacted by phone and email to confirm. When discussing requirements I was asked several times if I wanted to pre order drinks and whilst I initially thought about it, I decided ultimately that for a group of 9 it probably wasn't necessary and we could choose on the day. Not knowing what our guests' food choices would be meant that wine decisions could also wait. As we were a table size of less than 12 we didn't have to pre order food and could choose from the a la carte rather than go with a set meal.

What I did find interesting is that whilst I was asked repeatedly and advised to pre order drinks; the function administrators I spoke to and had email contact with were not that interested in any other requirements. I wanted to order a few seafood platters to share as a pre appetizer so raised the request in an email which was acknowledged. When discussing the reservation on the phone, I mentioned I would be in touch closer to the time to finalise details. At the time I was still pondering over the pre ordering of drinks so thought that once I had decided I would contact them. I was advised not to call and they would call me because they had such a tight timetable of functions and were so busy that it would be better to wait for them to call when they were ready! I was reassured that they work through the rota of bookings efficiently and have processes in place that effectively I should leave it to the professionals! So much for personal service and I definitely felt like a number rather than an individual. I fully understood though that my booking was small fry compared to what they can organise so just let it lie. I couldn't help feel though that all the pressure relating to pre ordering drinks was really about lining their pockets and guaranteeing revenue rather than what I wanted for my small event.

In summary I guess what I am trying to say in the longwinded paragraph is that Cafe Sydney is a slick operation and when doing business with them, as a customer I was definitely made to feel that it's a money making commercial operation and that they held the power. Anyway as long as the experience was good I was prepared to forgo that valued customer feeling. 

My family loved the environment and the private dining room made us feel special and that they were truly on their epic Australian holiday of a lifetime. We were assigned our own waiter who was efficient throughout, if not the most personal or friendly. His impact on our experience can be summed up by the fact that I cannot remember his name or face whereas we have had some meals in places and I still remember the names and faces of the people who served us as they really contributed positively to our experience.

The irony was that in spite of claiming that the events management function at Cafe Sydney is slick and under exemplary control, as per my conversation when organising this reservation, they held no record of my request for seafood platters! So I re ordered and they came. It all worked out but wasn't quite the seamless service I was expecting.

The seafood platters looked very grand; two tiers of oysters, crab, Moreton Bay bugs, scampi, prawns, marron and a duo of sauces, mayonnaise and Marie Rose. The seafood was fresh and this a delicious pre cursor of our meal to come.

Drinks wise we enjoyed an array of cocktails, mocktails, beers, iced teas and wine. My mum and sister are not big alcohol drinkers and my cousin Carine is completely teetotal so it was great that there was such a wide choice of mocktails and iced teas for them to work through. One or two of their choices weren't quite well balanced in flavour being either overly sharp or too bland and our waiter was happy enough to take them back to the bar for readjusting such as adding more coconut water.

Foodwise people tried different things. Popular entrees were Wagy beef carpaccio, seared scallops, peach and prosciutto salad. Everything looked so pretty and were enjoyed.

Main courses included choices of roast chicken, crispy pork belly and beef tenderloin all accompanied by an array of french fries, mashed potato, asparagus and salad. We also had some fries arrive early so that Amelia could start eating.

Desserts were described beautifully in the menu and amongst us we had the chocolate and peanut buter slice and a berry. peach and meringue mix. Again each dish looked appetisingly attractive and there were appreciative comments from everyone.

We enjoyed the long leisurely lunch and the chance to be together in such beautiful surroundings and delicious food. My concerns about whether the food would deliver were unnecessary an exceeded expectations.

At the end of my family's trip, when discussing highlights, it pleased me that this was one of them and we had many good meals both in Sydney and Melbourne. I would say that a meal at Cafe Sydney is definitely one of the key necessary experiences of a successful Sydney trip much like having a drink at the Opera Bar. It's not going to be a personal experience and yes, I still stand that improvements could be made to make that better but the way it stands at the moment it doesn't diminish a positive overall experience. I guess that aspect is just not as necessary when the view, the company, the food make up for it and create a wonderful memory.

Aria was our Sydney treat and one that we were going to share with J-Cray and Kat. After a drink at the Opera Bar we headed over and were shown to a quiet dining room with a roomy table for the 5 of us. It was a shame only 2 of us could enjoy the waterside view and being the guests, our friends kindly gave us these seats.

We decided to go with the 7 course degustation and choose our own wines which was fun and meant that the quantity was also there! Our amuse bouches arrived very quickly and quite stealthily! In John's words, you can amuse my bouche any day! Beautiful parsnip soup with a lime foam not too different to Heinz chicken soup; oh that John has a way with words! Soup in a glass - fairly mainstream and although it tasted great isn't all that exciting.

Proceedings opened with  sashimi - Hamachi yellow tail and Carid prawn sashimi with ponzu sauce, salmon roe and sushi rice. Initially a little bland until the ponzu sauce was spread around, this fish was stonkingly fresh and the flavours delicate and beautiful.

Next came rabbit - ballotine with capocollo and foie gras, ginger bread and pomegranate. I was slightly surprised that this was a cold dish but loved the deep earthy flavours. The foie gras was intense, the rabbit ballotine deliciously savury and then a touch of sweetness form the pomegranante. So tasty.

The Blue eye trevalla was our fish course - roasted fillet with Jerusalem artichoke, Jamon and witlof. My fillet was beautifully cooked. Steve says his was slightly over so it was a bit drier. I loved the saltiness of the jamon that seasoned the delicate flavours of the fish. I also loved the meatiness of the fish combined with a bitter tone from the witlo and then some crunchy artichoke chips.

I was really looking forward to the Peking duck consomme with dumplings, shaved abalone and mushroom. My expectations were of an intensely strong and flavoursome broth and good robust dumplings. It was pleasant enough but didn't strike my heart with the umami hit I was after.

Kurobuta pork belly with chestnut puree and poached persimmons brought together beautiful classic flavours and was faultless.

Roasted loin of lamb with crushed borlotti beans, lamb croquette and nettle pesto was our main course. Blushing pink medallions of perfect lamb with a slice of jammy lemon to lift the richness of the meat. Amazingly delicious and to top it all off a bowlful of sinfully folded creamy buttery mash oozing with luxurious decadence. Roast lamb and mash is always a winner but elevate these versions to their 6 star levels. The table fell silent as we ate our lamb and mash and licked the spoon clean. It kind of reminded me of a family brought together by Sunday lunch.

There was a zingy pre dessert of something citrussy  in a shot glass...again nothing groundbreaking and then the dessert of sweetened goat curd with poached rhubarb, rosewater and strawberries arrived. Fresh and sweet it was a safe and nice way to finish of the degustation...well not quite finish off as we had petit fours but almost finish off.

Overall Aria is faultless in terms of flavours and quality but it's just all quite safe and conservative. No pizzazz or showtime. No personality or conversation starters or stoppers. Service was similar; efficient but stealthy so almost unnoticeable leaving no trace of bitterness or astounding brilliance. It was a great place for five friends to catch up and enjoy brilliant food and it was a truly lovely evening but I can't help but feel the restaurant was a mere backdrop to our reunion rather than the star of the show.