Gunners' Barracks Tasting + The Decision

This week we had essentially narrowed down our choices to L'Aqua and Gunners' Barracks. The service we had received at L'Aqua had been excellent, however we were disappointed with the food tasting. The other disadvantage L'Aqua had was that it would require a lot more decoration, however, it was cheaper then Gunners' Barracks. If it wasn't for the food tasting we probably would have instantly chosen L'Aqua.

On Thursday we visited Gunners' Barracks to try the food. Their restaurant is only open during the week for lunch and the menu is a little different from their wedding menu, the latter tends to be a bit simpler presumably to make it easier to mass produce. However, overall the two menus are in a similar spirit.

When we were there we were the only young couple, there were a lot of retirees and a few "stay at home" mothers who were all mainly having high tea. So the kitchen wasn't as busy as it would have been on a wedding day (but the same applied for the L'Aqua kitchen when we went for a tasting earlier). Also the staff knew we were here to evaluate whether to have our wedding at Gunners' Barracks.

Entrees:

1. Seared scallops, squid ink polenta, calamari, green tomato, pickled chilli

Seared scallops and Calamari with Squid Ink Polenta

The first thing with the entrees that stood out was the quality of the presentation of these dishes compared to L'Aqua. The scallops and calamari were cooked perfectly, and the squid ink polenta had a vinaigrette which went perfectly with the seafood.

2. Roasted quail breasts, scotch egg, pea and mint salad, ricotta

Roasted quail

Again the quail was cooked perfectly, not too dry and not undercooked. Diane found the quail a bit too heavy as an entree, and as we had mains and desserts coming I had to finish the dish off. I liked the quail, and the scotch egg (which separated the quail pieces, not sure if it comes out in the photo) but I wasn't a fan of the pea puree. Overall though, both Diane and I were comparing these dishes against the best food we had tasted rather than whether it was edible, which put it leagues ahead of L'Aqua.

Mains:

1. Steamed mulloway, crisp chicken wing, sweet corn custard, baby gem lettuce

Once again the fish was perfectly cooked, and again the presentation of both dishes I felt was ahead of what was prepared by L'Aqua. The crisp chicken wing was there for texture, however wasn't what I was expecting, since all it added was crunch, rather than taste. The sweet corn custard was infused with some spice, which gave it a slight curry taste, but overall was nice. Again Diane only managed to eat half the fish before feeling full, so I had finished off the fish. Typically I'm not a fan of steamed fish, but I did enjoy this one.

2. Fillet and belly of pork, mustard spätzle, globe artichoke, lemon, spinach

The fillet of pork was infused with some sort of spice which gave it a unique taste. However the belly of pork, the skin on the top was probably overcooked, and was too tough for my liking. However overall the belly of pork was still properly cooked and both dishes were very good. This offered a stark contrast to the main dishes we were served at L'Aqua.

Dessert:

1. ‘Croquembouche’, caramelised pink lady apples, chai tea ice cream

I was a bit disappointed with both taste and presentation compared to the desserts at L'Aqua. When Diane ordered the Croquembouche, I was expecting a mini tower to come out, rather than a blob as it was served above. Diane had been clearly saving herself on entree and main, and polished off the whole dessert and really enjoyed it. The chai tea ice cream apparently went well the croquembouche and brought the whole dish together, however I didn't really taste both of it.

2. Strawberry pavlova, strawberry sorbet, toasted almond, mint

I was not a fan of the deconstructed pavlova, the meringue was filled with cream, but overall the amount of cream was pretty stingy compared to what is served with a normal pavlova. I felt they went with the deconstructed pavlova to give it that 'fancy' feel, however I think a normal pavlova would have been a better finish, especially considering this place is known for its high tea.

Overall we probably preferred the desserts at L'Aqua, especially the Mango & white chocolate Galliano, which was one of the stand out dishes from all the tastings. But overall the quality of the food was better at Gunner's Barracks compared with L'Aqua.

The Decision:

After the tasting, we met with Natalie, the venue sales manager again to clarify details around the setup of the dance floor and other details as well as possible dates. There is no doubt Gunners' Barracks was a very popular venue and overall it left us with very little negotiating room as they had wait lists for the dates we wanted. 

L'Aqua was a lot more personal and didn't push the hard sale, as the person selling to us was also wedding co-ordinator rather than a sales specialist. In particular, it was disappointing that on the Thursday, we had asked to put a 7 day hold on 4th Jan 2014, but it was clear they did not want to offer the hold over the weekend as that was their busiest period to make sales. L'Aqua offered very good value for money, however the quality of the view, the food and the interior was unrivaled at Gunners' Barracks. 

It was a very hard decision, and all week both prior and after the tasting we probably had changed our mind on which venue we wanted at least 10 times. In the end while the savings at L'Aqua could be put to decorating the venue, Diane and I both felt that the food would be a let down.

So Gunner's Barracks it is, we are pretty much locked in, for 4th January 2014. It's good getting the venue and date finalised, as it is one of the largest items to get sorted. We will probably take a break over the next few weeks, before starting our hunt for photographers, videographers, DJs etc.

Subsequently, I found out one of my colleagues had attended a wedding at Gunners' Barracks for another colleague at Westpac. He highly recommended it (before he found out that I had actually booked), so this has given some comfort in the decision. 

L'Aqua Tasting

After visiting Gunner's Barracks we had our first tasting today of the food at L'Aqua. It has been tough with the venues, as each new venue we has surpassed our expectations set by previous venues. Gunner's Barracks was spectacular, and overall the venue didn't feel like it needed much extra decoration. Seeing L'Aqua today it was bare, and we know that on paper it is cheaper, some of the savings will have to be spent on decoration. The roof and some of the walls is just bare.

During the tasting, they did begin setting up for another wedding later this evening.

Before Decoration

After Decoration - Bridal Table

Half decorated table

Earlier in the week we selected 3 entrees, 3 mains and 3 desserts. We decided to avoid picking typical dishes, as we figured this was more to test their ability rather than pick safe options to serve at a wedding (i.e. steak).

Entrees:

1. Southern Ocean seafood tasting plate

Southern Ocean seafood tasting plate

This dish was easily the best of the entrees, it was simple, neatly presented and not too heavy for an entree. The individual elements were:

• Beetroot cured salmon seaweed salad
• Scallop & avocado ceviche
• Oyster with Shiraz mignonette
• Mango sorbet
• King prawns & tomato salsa

I'm not sure where the tomato salsa was with the prawns, or if it was separate, but I didn't see it on the dish. Overall if we were served this in a restaurant we wouldn't have been disappointed

2. Roasted Duck & Ginger Ravioli

Roasted Duck & Ginger Ravioli

This dish was acceptable, however I was a little disappointed that one of the ravioli pieces seemed to have burst (see the ravioli in the top left). They were only serving approximately 45 people there today, and I would have thought that they would have made the effort to get these small details right. I felt the duck wasn't as soft as I expected, but Diane did like the dish. I think we both agreed while we would have been disappointed if this was served to us at an expensive restaurant, for a wedding it was still reasonable.

3. Slow cooked marinated king salmon

Slow cooked marinated king salmon

This dish was a fail. The description of the dish was Slow cooked marinated king salmon, Shark Bay crab meat scordalia & sugar pea coulis. The sugar pea coulis was bland, and the crab meat was simply overpowered by a really salty piece of salmon. Texture wise I wasn't a fan of of crab meat, it was a little bristly. 

At our wedding we only need to find 2 dishes for each course, so the fact that this disappointed wasn't a significant issue.

Mains:

1. Roasted barramundi fillet with enoki mushroom, basil coriander & mint

Roasted barramundi fillet

This dish was served on top of prawn chilli & lime ravioli in a miso broth. I'm not a huge fan of steamed fish, especially barramundi. However I thought the dish was alright, it wasn't too spicy for me, although as we ate more the dish did become spicier. Overall it would have been acceptable, and the fish wasn't overcooked which I guess was one of the main tests.

2. Saltimbocca of Barossa farm chicken supreme

Saltimbocca of Barossa farm chicken supreme

This had the potential to be a great dish. The chicken was wrapped in Serrano & basil, served on top of a sweet potato filled tart, with a marsala glace. It tasted really good, however the chicken was slightly overcooked and a bit dry. Diane and I were sharing all of the dishes, so it wasn't too bad to get through, but if I was eating this by myself, I think the dry chicken would have been too much. Again this was disappointing, given the numbers involved, I would have thought extra care could have been taken to not overcook the chicken. Overall it was a toss up with the dish, but I think Diane and I leaned to the fact that it was acceptable. When chicken is served this way, very few restaurants don't overcook the chicken.

3. White River veal scaloppini

White River veal scaloppini

The veal was served with roasted balsamic shallots, vine ripened cherry tomato, creamy saffron risotto and marsala jus. We didn't like this dish, I had to look at the menu again to see if the risotto had blue cheese, but it was nowhere to be seen on the menu, yet somehow there was a blue cheese taste coming through. The veal was probably overcooked for my liking. 

Overall the mains were a disappointment, and if the deserts weren't good we would have ruled out L'aqua. We did have to bear in mind however that we had not ordered Black Angus tenderloin of beef, or the grilled pork loin cutlet, or the smoked atlantic salmon fillet which were probably safer alternatives compared to the dishes we tried above.

Another couple came round after we finished desserts and while they were disappointed with these, they did say the beef was good, although probably overcooked compared to the way they liked it and the pork cutlets were apparently excellent. Their desserts however were terrible.

Desserts:

1. Mango & white chocolate Galliano

Mango & white chocolate Galliano

This dessert probably saved the day. Especially after going through 3 entrees and 3 mains between the two of us, along with several glasses of wine, the dessert was refreshingly light. I'm not a huge fan of mango, although I typically don't mind it desserts, both the mango and the white chocolate was not overpowering and went well together. Both Diane and I really liked it.

2. Triple chocolate delight

Triple choc delight

Another success! Even Diane who isn't a huge fan of chocolaty desserts like this one. The components were: chocolate pyramid, chocolate fondant & milk chocolate mousse with a chocolate macaroon. We couldn't finish it, as it was too rich given all the meals we had gone through but again was more up to the standards of what we'd expect at a reasonably priced restaurant. The dish went well together and was exactly what you would expect of a chocolaty dessert.

3. Sugar & spice tasting plate

Sugar & Spice tasting plate

This dish was a combination of a blackberry meringue, cappuccino mousse cup, baby pear & strawberry consomme. It was alright, the individual components were fine, although the pear was a bit tough. The disappointing thing was that the components did not combine into a 'sugar & spice' or any other kind of theme, it was just random components that didn't go well together. Again it probably would had been acceptable, but didn't compare to the other two desserts.

Overall L'aqua didn't win us over at the tasting, however we still won't rule it out and we are going to Gunner's Barracks on Thursday to try their food. Diane and I had attended her 3yr med party at QVB Tearoom (part of the same group who run Gunner's barracks) and the food was terrible. If Gunner's Barracks is of the same quality we will rule it out, but they are separate kitchens and different menus. 

It was good to attend L'aqua and Gunner's Barracks in the same weekend, as both venues are fresh in our mind we could clearly see what we were giving up at L'aqua to have our wedding there. Hopefully should have made our mind up by the end of this week about which venue we would like to go with.

Andy

The Tea Room at Gunners' Barracks

Hi

We saw The Tea Room at Gunners' Barracks on Saturday at 9am - and to tell you the truth I almost didn't feel like going due to the early meeting time and also because I didn't think it would be my style. Having seen online pictures I thought I preferred something more modern, but it turns out we really like the place.

The venue is basically a private little Victorian-style sandstone house located in the suburb of Mosman, among a whole host of antiquated army barracks. Don't ask me which war it was. There are 3 main areas: the terrace, inside dining room, lounge room and outside sandstone courtyard.

Apparently the terrace area (shown below) was the result of a massive renovation recently. Half of the roofing is made up of a foldable fabric that is pulled back when the weather is good to fully expose the terrace to the spectacular views and natural surroundings. When covered, there is a durable plastic that wraps all the way around (also shown below but you probably can't see it) - giving the venue a great wet weather coverage.

Seating area on terrace

View from terrace

Doors connecting to inside area

The decor is very elegant, Victorian and cosy. The rooms are fully furnished with curtains, chandeliers and wall hangings. One advantage of this venue is that it does not require too many extra decorations. No chair covers, drapes or large decorations are needed.

Inside dining room

Bride's room

Lawns in front of terrace

We thought this outside area (below) would make a great dance floor in the evening when the overhanging fairy lights are turned on - definitely great for a romantic first dance.

Outside sandstone ceremony/dance area

And finally this is a spare room for lounging around or it can be turned into a dance room in wet weather. I love the idea of having some cake with tea/coffee whilst mingling or chilling out in this room.

Lounge room/wet weather dance room

We really like the idea that guests can wander around the different spaces and mingle as they like. Having the venue as a house creates a very rustic and intimate atmosphere.

For those who have cars, parking is free and easy but there is not much in the way of public transport.
We're planning on tasting the food here first before further considerations. I just remember The Tea Room at QVB was such a let-down and just bad last time we were there for a function. So we definitely need to test the food here to make sure it's decent first.

We are quite fond of this venue (although it is more expensive than L'Aqua).
Looks like it will come down to finances and food.

Venues at Darling Harbour

Hello there,

We inspected 2 venues today: one for the ceremony (Chinese Gardens) and one for the reception (L'Aqua).

The Chinese Garden of Friendship has been a tourist attraction in Darling Harbour for as long as I can remember. There is a strange feeling when you're inside among the vista of lakes and willows, and realise that beyond the garden walls, you're surrounded by high rise apartments and corporate buildings. In terms of holding our ceremony there, we saw a few different areas but most accommodate for less than 50 guests. The most appropriate area was the Hall of Longevity which seats 48 guests and up to 120 (the remaining standing).
It was unfortunate that the weather today was cold and cloudy, but the garden's beauty still shone through.
In terms of the ceremonial area, there was some rain cover (seated area below and standing area is undercover) but the venue would obviously not work with heavy rain.

Setting up for a wedding ceremony that afternoon

Peek into the lake area

We thought the garden would be a lovely setting for post-wedding photography and all guests are free to roam the area as well. I haven't taken photos of all the areas so this is just a peek at what is inside (if you haven't been there).

OK, so there is one potential deterrent - apparently there may be construction around the exhibition centre from Nov 13 onwards. Apparently, the plans will be drawn up at the end of this year and the tentative plan is to commence construction in Nov 2013. We will probably wait until at least the end of this year before we decide whether to book or not.

The coordinator at L'Aqua was more reassuring about the matter saying that firstly even if they did start construction it would not affect the L'Aqua area, and secondly construction would most likely not be very heavy (if it even happens on schedule) during Dec-Jan14...

We would really like to have our ceremony at the Chinese Gardens so fingers crossed construction won't interfere with that.

L'Aqua function centre of the Dockside Group is conveniently located above the Lindt Chocolate Cafe on Cockle Bay Wharf in Darling Harbour. It overlooks the bay and is opposite Harbourside Shopping Centre across the water. We saw 3 different venues but the one we liked best and the most appropriately sized one was The Terrace Room (below). The large windows and balcony area overlooking Darling Harbour adds something special to the venue.

The setup pictured below features the bare bones of what is included. No decorations had been added yet. It was nice to see a generous dance floor.

The green walls can be switched to white

Harbourside is across the water

Balcony area out front

Basically there are two huge benefits of this venue:

1. Value for money

• Substantial savings compared with the other venues
• Comprehensive wedding package (includes DJ and overnight stay at a 5 star hotel for the bride and groom with luxury car transfer)

2. Excellent service

• The wedding coordinator was very professional, organised and helpful
• She has made all the other coordinators look sloppy 

It sounded like this venue is fairly popular because there are already bookings for Jan14 across the rooms we saw.

There are still a few other venues we want to inspect but so far this one has been very impressive for the price.