Forget The Exhaust Fan, The Price Is Right
Sydney Morning Herald
Thursday November 10, 1988
GIMMICK restaurants get me down. At some stage, everyone has had to contend with one (or more) in their quest for a genuinely good place to eat out.
The all-too-familiar scenario runs like this: in anticipation of a quiet, tasteful dinner, you bravely enter the restaurant of your choice, only to discover that you fight to be heard (and fight for breath) among the over-abundance of people, lose your companion among the plants, or have to hire a translator to make sense of the menu (which is reputedly in English). If all these items happen to be in order, the hefty price tag at the end of the evening is usually enough to make you wish you'd never eaten there.
Happily though, there are still restaurants which can fulfil your expectations of atmosphere and gastronomic skill without sending you to a psychologist or your bank manager. One such place is Tatler's restaurant in Randwick.
Here the art of understatement is alive and well, and the staff make a genuine effort to ensure you have a pleasant evening. We were met at the door by a friendly (but not genuflecting) waiter, who ushered us to our table and asked if we wanted to order drinks before dinner. We each ordered mineral water (Tatler's is BYO), and when it arrived at our table, so did the menus.
The entree and main course lists were not clearly defined (except perhaps by price), but in any case we had a hard time choosing what to indulge in. The thought of an entree of quail stuffed with olives and garlic ($7.50) was almost too good to resist, but being somewhat figure-conscious, both my friend and I decided to have just the main course.
After a great deal of deliberation, I ordered the pork medallions with steamed choy san (a Chinese cross between cabbage and spinach) for $12.50, and my friend chose char-grilled sirloin with green peppercorn sauce ($12).
When formalities were out of the way, I had time to take a good look at the surroundings. The floors were bare wood, dark and polished - the same colour as the hardback chairs on which we were sitting, and the peach colour of the walls was enhanced by low lights and the occasional plant. Nothing was overdone, or crowded and gaudy.
One thing that did surprise me was the kitchen, visible from shoulder level upwards behind huge glass windows. I couldn't think of a particularly valid reason for this, unless the owner wanted to show that he had nothing to hide. If that was the case, then it backfired somewhat, because everyone also had an exceptionally good view of the exhaust fan, which was spread in cumbersome ugliness above the entire cooking area.
I must admit that I quite forgot about it when the food arrived. Our main course was ready in under 15 minutes, and was served on large white plates with big brims (dare one say very vogue?), and with them came a dish of broccoli and lightly-browned potatoes - the vegetables of the day. My pork was cooked to a delicate perfection, and the sirloin - although slightly rarer than had been asked for - also passed inspection as very tasty.
Next came dessert, which cost $5 across the board. I chose a berry salad of mulberries, blueberries and strawberries with loganberry sorbet, and my friend indulged in the pick of the evening, frozen honey and raisin parfait in coffee sauce. I could easily have eaten two, and across-the-table tasting was rife.
We both ordered coffee to round off our meal, $2 and served with a small selection of what was termed "petit fours". They turned out to be macaroons(which I must confess I prefer anyway) and clusters of slivered almonds covered in chocolate. The coffee itself was delicious, a perfect ending to the dinner, and the height of the froth on my friend's capuccino was a sight to behold.
By the time we left, there was quite a number of people in the restaurant, some of them obvious regulars. Tatler's does good business, and it is no wonder: the staff are friendly, the atmosphere is quiet, the food excellent and promptly served, and the price is "right".
Dinner for two (without entrees) cost us $45, a fairly painless amount to pay for the discovery of a restaurant that you actually want to return to.
© 1988 Sydney Morning Herald