Sep 2, 2016
One of the best things about working for Precision Sourcing is our incentives, one of which is our Directors Lunch. On the last Friday of every month, those who have exceeded their monthly target joins one of our directors at one of Sydney’s best restaurants to be wined and dined for the afternoon. This is the first of our new blog series detailing our exploits across the city…….
Three excited Precision staff descended on Silvereye on the afternoon of Friday the 1st of June. One of Sydney’ newest high-end eateries Silvereye is making a name for itself in one of Sydney’s hottest new suburbs, Chippendale. In a first for a director’s lunch not one of Precision’s staff had eaten at Silvereye so we had an open mind and empty stomach’s that needed filling! Now this has to be one of the hardest restaurants to find, located on the third floor of the renovated Old Clare Hotel, around the back, up some stairs, in an elevator, up an elevator, across a walkway, over a bridge etc etc. Jay Wynter, our SAP specialist, commented that the décor looked like someone’s living room and with furniture that looked like high-end Ikea he couldn’t be more right.
Let the Meal Begin
We settled in for the 7-course dégustation whilst sipping on our pre-dinners aperitifs excited to see what the host of chefs, in a showcase open kitchen, would rustle up. The waitress delivered friendly and laid back service throughout the meal and she made it clear that we were to relax as this wasn’t an atypical fine dining restaurant. Before the first course arrived we were treated to none other than 5 snacks that could definitely not be described as conventional. A cracker made from pigs trotters, a whole turnip in artichoke tempura batter, whole spotted whiting with oyster cream, a single grilled mussel and possibly the greatest baked potato ever made (delivered in a little pouch) set us off on a whirlwind start.
It was at this time that Simon Hair (Precision’s Managing Director) decided to play a game of lookalikes and compared the sommelier to an unsavory character who will not be named. Thinking he had nailed it he proudly showed the waitress who took this surprisingly well, considering the sommelier was her partner! Embarrassment over, our matching wines started to arrive along with the first couple of courses. A huge highlight of the drinks had to be an unfiltered 2015 Chapter Sauvignon Blanc from the Yarra which looked like a cloudy apple juice and tickled the taste buds in much the same way. An Ardorfer Rosa from Austria also stood out from the crowd. Food wise the Oxtongue & Smoked Eel main course was a huge success, with the chefs delivering a dish so tender, it could have been the finest cut of the pig available. The desserts were a tour de force of fruit based dishes with The Big Raspberry ice cream/sorbet/cream combo delivering a variety of textures.
The Finale
Now, nicely oiled, the diners lined up their after dinner drinks with a Montenegro digestif, a favourite among most with others going for a more conventional port. Simply put, Silvereye is 100% a restaurant to visit and I can easily see them gaining at least one hat in their upcoming review, this means now is the time to visit before the prices go up and bookings become more sought after. As a team, we rated this directors lunch a very strong 9/10 and with a bit more atmosphere this could easily have been a 10/10!
Stay tuned for next month’s review.
