…Where we aim to use 3 ingredients or less! Yes/No?
So after our intel-gathering visit to ‘Maker’s Dozen’ the previous night, we headed back to The Exchange food hall today for some lobster. Yum!
If you’re keeping proper count, we’ve reached the halfway point in attempting to eat at/drink at all 12 establishments in the bee hive. So Fish & Co. goes down as the 6th, and the first time we’ve walked away from Maker’s, feeling slightly underwhelmed.
Located on the northern end of the food court is Fish & Co., a two store chain (the other is at the Tramshed) restaurant-eatery which prides itself from sourcing its produce direct from wild fisherman.
Their menu reads like the blue ribbon section of a seafood store, e.g. lobster rolls, fresh oysters, scallop rolls, shrimp cocktail rolls, and freshly caught fish to go with your chippies.
And since it was Maine Lobster Rolls which caught our eye last night (we’ve had a proper Maine Lobster Roll when in the US), we definitely had to order that ($19.00), and since we wanted to try the best that they could offer, we also opted for the Chobster i.e. a lobster cheese toasty ($18.00).
After making our orders, there was a slight wait of 10 minutes before our food was brought out to us on cardboard trays. Lifting them up to gage its substantialness or lack thereof, unfortunately it barely moved the needle on the weigh and pay scales.
For my Maine Lobster Roll, it was served in a hot dog style brioche bun. Lining the bottom of the bun was lettuce, and positioned on top were strips of chilled lobster flesh. A squeeze of lemon gave it a slight flavour enhancement, but aside from these 2 ingredients a splattering of crinkle cut chips was the totality of a dollar change after handing over $20.
My wife’s Chobster was a toasted lobster cheese sandwich. A meagre serving of lobster strips, then cheese and lettuce and there you go, the 3 ingredients which made up the totality of a $18 sandwich. Although for my wife it was filling enough – but in her opinion it was not the best way to showcase a premium produce like lobster, as it was lost and overcooked in the cheese toasting process.
As my wife’s lobster was wasted among cheese and a sandwich press, so my boiled lobster was also wasted. It was fresh, and the lack of dressing and competing flavours enabled the lobster to be centre-stage. However in the opinion of any Asian, a boiled lobster is generally wasted, compared to the Asian style of cooking lobster (baked and then fried in battered sauce).
Our end verdict? 3.0 Stars from 5 (2 from 3 for Food (premium produce! But the presentation was too simple in our opinion, a home cook with equally fresh produce could have easily replicated this offering at home); 0.5 from 0.5 for Service (the staff were polite and efficient); 0.5 from 0.5 for Atmosphere (a month into Maker’s Dozen’s existence, and the place still feels new and funky); and 0 from 1 for Value for Money (I understand that we’re getting lobster here, but $37 for 2 people before any sides or drinks? And I’m still feeling hungry? That’s not value for money in our opinion)).
In conclusion, the menu reads a lot better than it tastes when served up on a plate …..Sorry, I mean cardboard tray. Although their mission is noble, being a sustainable restaurant, but sometimes you also need to give the patron what they want! A substantial meal, and some flavour please! If I’m seemingly looking like I’m trying to wrap up this blog post quick-smart….. You wouldn’t be wrong in guessing that, I’m just trying to get offline so I can grab a snack or something, ’cause I’m still hungry! Grrrr.
Fish & Co. – Saturday 5 October (3.0 Stars)
https://fishandco.com.au/
PH: 02 9518 6868
Makers Dozen food hall, The Exchange Building, 1 Little Pier Street, Haymarket
Mon-Sun 11am – 9pm
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