Espresso and Matcha's Foodie Odyessy - Sydney - Day 1 Lunch : The Tea Room - Queen Victoria Building

After my Gluttonous Sojourn last year, a close friend of mine, Queen V, decided that it would be a great idea to travel again to Sydney and hit some of the places we didn't go last year and try some other new places. Our first stop after getting off the plane was the iconic Queen Victoria Building, to have lunch at the infamous Tea Room, being one of her favourite restaurants.

 

With its high chandeliers and waiters in suits, I felt as if I had walked into a castle in an anime (fulfilling many princess dreams).

As Queen V is supremely organised, she made the booking well in advance, which ensured we were promptly seated.

We were provided with complimentary bread, a slab of butter, and some condiments. Whilst the bread was a good starter, I would have much preferred it to be served warm, so as to melt the butter. 

We started the meal with a shared entree, being the Lamb Wellington, which was cooked medium rare, and covered with a delicious flaky pastry and served with hummus and tabouli. I was really impressed with how tender the lamb was, and really appreciated how the pastry remained crispy without going soggy from the meat juices. The additions of hummus and tabouli really balanced out the dish to give it a lighter finish too.

After a very short wait, our mains and sides were served. Queen V and I ordered the same main, being the Wagyu rump, with radish and asparagus salad. We also shared sides of shoestring fries and truffle mash. 

The Wagyu Rump really exceeded my expectations. Being more of a tea room, I would have expected their scones and pastries to be very good, but their steak was very tender and smooth in texture. Whilst it appeared a little small, it was actually quite filling. The wagyu was well seasoned, and potato puree (mash), was also well infused with the meat juices.

As for the sides, we soon realised we probably ordered too much potato. The fries were freshly fried and crispy, but only seasoned with salt. We would have liked for it to come with options of dipping sauces, or at least sprinkled with herbs. On the topic of herbs, our truffle mash came sprinkled with chives. It was mashed quite smoothly, but the truffle flavours were really more subtle to what I would have liked it to be.

Price range: $50 - $70pp

Taste: 8/10
Value: 7/10
Service: 9.5/10
Environment: 9.5/10