Moby's - Whale Beach

For a sweet valentines day lunch, my partner took me to a nice but quiet, little yet not too little restaurant at Whale Beach. This restaurant had an awesome beach view, unjustified by the photo, and slightly dampened by the rainy weather.

Moby's

Greeted by warm and friendly staff, we were directed to what he described as "the best seat in the house". Given the layout of the restaurant, he probably said that to every couple who walked in on that day. LOL

We were quickly welcomed by the drinks menu - followed shortly by complementary bread which was crispy on the outside and nice and warm and fluffy on the inside. Drenched in melted butter, the bread tasted delicious!

fresh bread and butter - complementary

Shortly after we ordered, we were treated to complementary starters - thai fish-cake (made of salmon) with mango salad. Weren't the greatest fish-cakes, but it was good to know that it was actually really made of fish (enough to make me feel as if it's healthy).

salmon-filled thai fish cakes with mango - complementary

For starters, my partner and I could not resist the temptation of ordering the scallops and oysters. Or rather, my partner knew that I really wanted these two items and hence, posed it as if he wanted to order them :P

The sydney rock oysters were topped with salmon caviar and creme fraiche ($19.90 for half dozen). They were nice - smooth and tasty with that savoury satisfying *pop*from the caviar. However, my partner and I both agreed that they did not beat the oysters we had at Fine Fish (for the good food month).

Rock oysters with salmon caviar and creme fraiche - $19.90 (1/2 dozen)

The scallops were pan seared to perfection and served with parsnip puree, red peppers, and baby maiche ($24.50). I have a very slightly limited repetoire of foods I eat (I am a very picky eater), but I was tricked into eating this parsnip puree thinking it was mash. And, I am happy to say that I'm adding another wierd exciting vegetable to my repetoire of foods! Eating the scallops with the puree... mmm... delicious mix of aromas!

Pan seared Sea Scallops - $24.50

I ordered the steak and my partner opted for the barramundi (yeh, it was weird I know). As I forgot what my steak came with, I let the waitress talk me into ordering a side salad (though I was super tempted by the side wedges). The salad ($7.90) was fresh and crisp and added to my feeling of healthiness.

Side of green salad - $7.90

My scotch-fillet steak ($39.90), cooked medium, destroyed my feeling of healthiness almost immediately (but it was well worth it). The steak was super tender and super super super juicy. Eaten with the rich horseradish creme fraiche and dunked in red wine sauce... mmm... superb! The organic swiss mushies and the king brown mushies were also very much to my liking. My only complaint was that the portion was too huge! I felt as though I was eating two steaks! Luckily, my partner volunteered to help me out :)

Char grilled Scotch fillet with mushies in red wine sauce and horseradish creme fraiche - $39.90

My partner's wild gulf barramundi ($39.90) also came out perfectly cooked. I'm always scared that restaurants will over-cook my fish and make it dry and tasteless, but that was completely not the case with this barramundi. Served with perfectly cooked scallops and emersed with an asian soy-sauce taste, it was like a fusion of aussie and chinese food done well. The barramundi was also squashing bok choy, shiitake mushies, bacon, and wakame and was resting on a black bean, soy ginger broth.

Barramundi with sea scallops, bok choy, shiitake mushrooms and bacon - $39.90

By the end of the meal, I was too full for dessert (I know, it's rare), and I guess I wasn't too overly enticed by their desserts (or maybe I was thinking of splurging on dessert in Gold Class later on). Whatever the reason, we skipped the dessert.

The staff at this restaurant were friendly and helpful - I don't know if it was just the day, or whether they are like that normally. The ambiance is perfect for a quiet lunch/dinner. Has fabulousness view. And, by the looks of what they were doing, nicely decorate your tables when you have your wedding there. My partner curiously asked how many people they catered for for weddings (answer = 150), only to be met with an over-zealous staff offering us a look at the wedding package. Definately the wrong day to ask questions such as that! LOL

Definately recommending this place though! (even if the beach is choppier and less calm compared to Balmoral)

Ratings:
Food - 8.5
Service - 8.5
Ambiance - 9
Value for money - 8
Overall - 34

Moby's
227 Whale Beach Rd
Whate Beach, NSW 2107
tel: (02) 9974 2727