Penelope’s

Penelope’s is a modern Australian restaurant at the beautiful Circular Quay with the backdrop of the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge and a neon sign leading into a spacious space with a wraparound balcony. Does the stunning decor translate into delicious food? Let’s find out.

Penelope’s is the latest Sydney restaurant from executive chef Cuong Nguyen who is also the chef behind Hello Auntie and Hey Chu, the food is inspired by Sydney rather than a particular cuisine in an attempt to redefine “Australian cuisine”. It’s interesting to see a chef that’s not obsessed over Asian fusion despite his Vietnamese roots but does the menu stack up to Nguyen’s lofty ambitions? Let’s get stuck into the menu and find out.

Drinks

*Cocktail selection (Photo credit: @penelopes.circularquay)*

Penelope’s boasts an extensive 100-bottle-strong wine list of local and international wines but if you know me, I’m more of a cocktails girl (the sweeter the better). I couldn’t drink when I visited but the cocktails on the menu sounded delicious - my eyes were immediately drawn to the No. 6 (pandan rum, strawberry, Licor 43, passionfruit, lemon, milk clarified), roasted caramel apple (Archie rose whisky, apple, crème de cacao a la vanille, caramel) and look at muối (Hennessey vs cognac, Kahlua, Vietnamese cà phê coffee, salted coconut, cream).

If you are not into alcohol, the non-alcoholic drinks are also tasty. I tried the Hyde Park spritz, which is made with rosemary, elderflower, and lemon—a really refreshing palate cleanser for the upcoming dishes.

Entrees

Sydney rock oysters

We came to Penelope’s for my friend’s 30th and the first thing she told us when we opened the menu was “I don’t like oysters”, it nearly broke my heart to realize that we might not get to try these but she eventually caved and we ordered half a dozen of Sydney rock oysters. I’m a huge seafood lover but often oysters are a hit or miss due to 1) the freshness and quality of the oysters and 2) the sauce/vinaigrette may be too overpowering. However these oysters were lip-smackingly delicious - perfectly moreish and the lemon, ginger, and chardonnay mignonette was umami yet refreshing with a zesty aftertaste to complement the oysters.

Raw tuna

My hands shook with excitement as I took this photo so excuse the blurriness. Still, these one-biters were DIVINE - the raw tuna is served on crispy potato with baerii sturgeon caviar and black pepper dressing. I’m not usually a big fan of caviar (too fancy and tastes salty), but with this combination of creamy raw tuna and potato rosti, it’s almost like a hash brown with tuna. Perfectly delicate yet crispy - I could have had 5 of these and can we admire the presentation for a second, the little edible flowers on top are gorgeous.

Bakar Chicken

Our initial hesitation at ordering a chicken dish dissipated as soon as this bakar chicken arrived on the table - this is the definition of flavour you can see that’s popping off the chicken. The dish is based on Ayam Bakar - an Indonesian chicken dish that means BBQ/grilled chicken, the chicken is brined for a week then cooked over charcoal with a layer of garlic toum then heavily doused with a layer of sambal lemongrass, kaffir lime, and turmeric. Due to the extended brining period, the flavours seep into the tender and juicy chicken, highly recommend getting the flatbread (we ordered 2 servings it was that good) to soak up the umami of this dish.

Black angus striploin

This steak is reminiscent of the steakhouses in Surry Hills (think Firedoor) and the flavours are both intense yet balanced - I loved the creamy richness of the bone marrow butter but this was artfully paired with a beef vinaigrette to mellow out the intensity of the butter. The striploin was cooked to tender pefection and each individual portion melted in my mouth - if you are a steak lover this would leave you very satisfied.

Dessert

PBJ ice cream sandwich

This ice cream sandwich features prominently on Penelope’s instagram page and for good reason - it’s constructed with peanut butter parfait and davidson plum jam stuffed between two pieces of filo pastry. This is Asian fusion done right, the ice-cream is unbelievably creamy and packs a flavour punch, think of this as an elevated PBJ sandwich from your childhood. Our table unanimously agreed that this was stunning and if you visit Penelope’s - please try this sandwich (we also tried their buttermilk pannacotta which is underwhelming in comparison).

Overall rating: 9.5/10

I’ve had a string of restaurants where the food was good but not amazing or memorable however Penelope’s has lifted me out of my foodie slump with its delicious and carefully curated menu. The stand-out for me isn’t one dish but the overall design of a menu that brings in Asian flavours in a subtle manner while still respecting the quality of the ingredients with a play on some Aussie classics (refer to the PBJ ice cream sandwich and raw tuna on crispy potato which is essentially an elevated hash brown). If you are looking for your next date night, birthday celebration, or just a catch-up with friends or family I would highly recommend giving Penelope’s a go. I will be back and I’m sure once you try this restaurant as will you.

Address: Quay Quarter Level R1 Enter from Philip Street, 50 Bridge St, Sydney NSW 2000

Instagram: @penelopes.circularquay

Website: https://penelopes.com.au/