41 @ Chifley Tower, Chifley Square

I turned another year older last week, very fortunately had the day off work, didn't do all that much even with the day off (tried to do my X'mas shopping, household errands, all that sort of thing), Nandos for lunch and for dinner, Justin said we were going somewhere but wouldn't tell me where. I'd just assumed that it was somewhere nearby; it was a Monday night, not the most sociable of nights.

That was also the day that the sky split open with sun in the morning and then that massive hailstorm at night. On our drive out to dinner, I'd proclaimed 'Let's go home' when the heavy rain was making the road hard to see and the sky was roaring with thunder. Justin persisted though and said we were going to dinner. At the point, I still didn't know where we were going.

An hour later, I'm riding the lift up to level 41. I probably asked the dumbest of questions, 'We're going to Restaurant 41 right?' to which Justin replied 'Er...Yes'. Not quite the dinner I was thinking of but hey, I don't think you can get better than 41 where you've got potentially the best view of Sydney (for the boys, it gets even better in the toilet!! or so I hear anyway), a 6 course degustation menu (or what I call never-ending food), an awesome waiter and just being treated like a queen all night. Dinner went on for something like 4 hours!!

Our appetisers.

Sourdough bread with Extra Virgin Olive Oil. I can eat this bread all day and night!

Oysters. Not my favourite but having these, I could be addicted.

Scallops with an Olive Tapenade.

The Duck Pastilla (more or less a duck spring roll)

Salmon...my favourite!!

Ocean Trout. How much it tastes like Salmon!!

Tuna.

Wagyu Brisket. Feeling quite full at this point.

You can't see it very well in this photo but this has got to be the highlight of the night (and for me, this is usually dessert)!! Behold the Venison loin cooked medium rare.

Extra creamy potato mash.

Cheese Platter.

Our platter of dessert and 2 pot bellies :D Me & my Happy B'day plate.

Beyond enjoying this meal immensely, my love of food has most certainly grown! I can't stress how good the meal was; you honestly have to try for yourself! The intensity of flavours... how perfectly cooked each dish was...need I say more?

Thank you Justin for the best birthday and dinner ever! Dinner was flawless and one that I will remember for a long, long time. I'm not sure how you managed with the surpise bit of the b'day but it definitely made dinner even more special (I'm sorry if I hassled you a billion times beforehand to tell me where we were going for dinner...you usually always tell me!!)

chocolate kkomz @ eastwood

Amongst my favourite foods, Korean food features quite prominently. In particular, I love 'pajon' (Korean pancake), Bibimbap and spicy Hot Pot. I also love the way they marinate their meats (I know it's probably a little too sweet for the older generation) but for the 20 something year old, it's the best taste in the world! There's also Korean BBQ which leaves its taste literally in your clothes and when it's one of those all you can eat buffets, you can really knock yourself silly! Allow me to introduce Chocolate Kkomz in Eastwood; one of the regular Korean eateries I visit and also recommend.

I probably came here the first time with a close girl friend and have since been back many a time. With their comfortable booths offering a high level of privacy, I have found this place to be one of the better places to catch up with people and allows for chatting over dinner. There are bells at each table for you to get hold of a waitress so throughout your meal, you are rarely disturbed. One of my good friends has argued that this is a place for couples but I disagree (given he's a boy, I suppose this isn't the sort of place you pick up chicks at. Boys!)

Korean Pancake cooked to perfection.

Soba noodles with assorted bits and pieces (can't remember the actual name for this)

King Grill (assorted meats including chicken drumsticks, ribs, sausages, hamburger patty etc.)

My favourite: Spicy Beef & Kalbi Hotpot.Tofu Steak.

The serving sizes are generally quite large and are priced quite decently. Where they say on the menu 'Serves 2', you can trust that it will adequately feed 2 people (boys included). Service is probably a tad on the slow side and conversing with the waitresses can be difficult (I read on some other reviews that this had consistently been a problem). Hopefully this will change in time but for the food you get, and the price that you pay, this is definitely a place I recommend anyone to give a go. There's a few parking spots right outside but generally, it's quite easy to find parking on that street. Worse comes to worse, you can always park in the council carpark which is just a short walk away!