Photo by Michael Reiss

The stellar location of The Four Seasons Hotel Sydney, is only the beginning of the story. Why do we love this hotel? Let us count the ways.

The Four Seasons Hotel Sydney is superbly located at the hub of Sydney's activity, within close walking distance to the exciting "Rocks" district, the Sydney Harbor, the famous Opera House, the downtown business district and many other local restaurants and attractions.

Photo by Michael Reiss

As you approach the property, a warm smile and efficient curbside service awaits. The front desk staff make check-in a breeze. The concierge staff is not only ready, but willing and able to address your every question and request.

As you enter the foyer of The Four Seasons Hotel Sydney you know you are in a place of extra-special service and quality.

Photo by Michael Reiss

Your spacious room offers the luxury you expect with the high-tech touches you deserve. The housekeeping staff accommodate to your ever whim with glee. Room service delivers timely, well-presented, hot and delicious fare.

The Four Seasons Hotel Sydney's suites and rooms are beautifully and comfortably appointed, and most look out on the famous Sydney Opera House, right outside your window..

Photo by Michael Reiss

The swimming pool, fitness center and spa are at the ready, whenever you are.

And, if you are not convinced that this hotel, The Four Seasons Hotel Sydney, meets and exceeds your expectations, try the Executive Club, whose list of amenities is so long and value-laden that you will consider this "indulgence" a necessity.

"The Executive Club" at the The Four Seasons Hotel Sydney provides extra-special gourmet food and beverage service for the discriminating traveler.

Photo by Michael Reiss

Even by Four Season's exacting standards, The Four Seasons Hotel Sydney sets the bar higher and consistently makes the mark!

 

 

The Spa at the Four Seasons Hotel Sydney


Entering the The Four Seasons Hotel Sydney's spa area is like moving into a quiet meditative space....with peace and tranquility.

Photo by Michael Reiss

A serene setting and gracious staff await your arrival, ready to make your spa experience a memorable one.

Relaxing, rejuvenating treatments including their signature "Crystalus Massage," which uses indigenous ingredients--essential oils, fruits and flora extracts, salt and clay-- to help foster wellness and provides the ultimate in pampering in an atmosphere of comfort and discretion.

Complete your treatment with a dip in the swimming pool, hot tub, steam and sauna, and you are ready to meet your most demanding business or touring agenda totally revived!

This is The Four Seasons Hotel Sydney's private rooftop garden pool setting, complete with lounge chairs and Jacuzzi.

Photo by Michael Reiss

 

The Four Season Hotel Sydney
199 George Street
Sydney NSW 2000

Tel: 61 2 9238 0000
Fax: 61 2 9251 4745

http://www.fourseasons.com/sydney

Hot Picks: Sydney, Australia

Diane Sukiennik, Associate Editor, Food and Wine Access
          Michael Reiss, Editor, Food and Wine Access

Where to Eat

Tetsuya's

 

As you walk toward Tetsuya's Restaurant-- set back from the street-- and the the gates automatically open to a serene entrance flanked by staff awaiting your arrival, you know this will be a special evening.

Every step toward your table is filled with intrigue and possibility. Several intimate rooms surround an enclosed Japanese garden and offer a sense of privileged, private dining.

 

There is something magical and alluring approaching Tetsuya's Restaurant, walking from the street through the Japanese Garden to the brightly-lit front entrance.

Photo by Michael Reiss

A team of waitstaff are at the ready to inform and to start the procession of tempting tastes that make up the "Degustation Menu".

Every dish is proudly presented and explained, building the anticipation for the first bite. Chef Tetsuya brilliantly combines the clean, pure flavor profiles of his Asian heritage with the precise techniques of his French training. The result is a subtle, refined elegance and satisfying mouth-feel that exudes ethereal, palate-pleasing sensations.

The carefully crafted wine pairing underscores the delicate dance between food and wine.

Chef Tetsuya Wakuda is waiting to delight you.

Put yourself in the hands of a master.

Tetsuya's Restaurant bustles inside with activity,while facing a tranquil Japanese Garden outside.

Photo by Michael Reiss

 

Menu

Chilled Corn Soup with Saffron & Vanilla Ice Cream

Smoked Ocean Trout & Avruga Caviar

Leek & Crab Custard

Marinated Crystal Bay Prawns with Soy Caramel

Confit of Petuna Tasmanian Ocean Trout with Konbu, Apple, Daikon & Wasabi,
Seasonal Green Salad

Terrine of Queensland and Spanner Crab with Avocado

Grilled Fillet of Barramundi with Braised Baby Fennel

Twice-cooked De-Boned Spatchcock with Foie Gras & Gobo

Flinders Island Lamb with Blue Cheese & White Miso

Wagyu Beef with Lime & Wasabi

Comte with Lentils

Blue Cheese & White Chocolate Bavarois with Spiced Pear

Lemon Scented Floating Island with Vanilla Bean Anglaise

Chocolate Ganache with Green Tea & Red Beans

Coffee or Tea & Petit Four

 

Selected Wines for Pairing

NV Ayala Brute Nature, Ay, France
Tamanohikari Kake, Junmai-Ginjo, Kyoto, Japan
2008 Delatie Dead Man's Hill Gewurtzraminer, Central High Country, VIC
2007 Peirro Chardonnay for Tetsuya's, Margaret River, WA
2007 Bass Phillip Pinot Noir for Tetsuya's, Gippsland, VIC
2006 Torbeck for Tetsuya's, Mataro Barossa Valley, SA
2003 Parker Estate Terra Rossa Cabernet Sauvignon, Coonawarra, SA
2007 Heggies Botrytis Reisling, Eden Valley, SA
Romate Moscatel Ambrosia, Jarez, Spain

 

This is the "Confit of Petuna Tasmanian Ocean Trout with Konbu, Apple, Daikon & Wasabi,
Seasonal Green Salad," one of the artfully presented and creative dishes at Tetsuya's Restaurant.

Photo by Michael Reiss

 

Tetsuya's Restaurant
529 Kent Street
Sydney NSW 2000
Tel: 61 2 9367 2900
Fax: 61 2 9262 7099

http://www.tetsuyas.com

Kable's

Photo by Michael Reiss

 

 

Why go to a hotel restaurant, when there are so many freestanding options in sight? There is only one reason: a superior experience. That is exactly what awaits you at Kable's on the Second Floor Atrium at the Four Seasons Hotel Sydney.

Located at The Rocks in Sydney, Kable's provides a serene, elegant, thoroughly satisfying and often surprising culinary tour de force.

Chef Carl Middleton takes advantage of the hotel's well-deserved reputation to source the finest ingredients and craft them into artfully presented contemporary Australian fare with creative flair.

Chef Middleton's "Degustation Menu" showcases his signature dishes. The meal is generously portioned, thoroughly satisfying, and a tremendous value.

Restaurant Manager and Wine Director Filippo knowledgeable pairs each course with wines from Kable's international wine list.

Besides the global wine list, a complete "Water List" awaits your perusal. Whether selected instead of, or in addition to, other beverages, this list alone makes visiting Kable's a unique adventure, as the list divides waters into "still" and "carbonated" categories with low, medium, and high carbonation options available. Also indicated are the mineral contents and taste profile of each premium water selection.

Kable's setting offers a subdued cosmopolitan atmosphere. The second floor location allows for easy conversation, as strains of live jazz float up from the atrium below.

Kable's at The Four Seasons Sydney is a hidden gem that needs to be discovered and experienced by guests and locals alike.

 

Kable's on the Second Floor Atrium at the Four Seasons Hotel Sydney has a beautifully appointed interior space.

Photo by Michael Reiss

 

DEGUSTATION MENU
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Warm Tart of Honey Roasted Figs, Gorgonzola and Micro Herb Salad

***

Soft-Cured Ocean Trout, Smoked Sour Cream and Radish Fennel Salad

***

Pan-Seared Scallops, Summer Vegetable Salad and Chardonnay Vinaigrette

***

Tasmanian Lobster Mousseline, Forest Mushrooms and Spinach, Buttered Mixed Vegetables and Baby Potatoes

***

Chateaubriand Serves Two Rangers Valley Black Angus Beef, Grain-Fed 300-Days, Chateau Potatoes, King Brown Mushrooms, Baby Carrots, Béarnaise and Red Wine Sauce

***

Liquid Centre Chocolate Cake, Passionfruit Sorbet

***

Freshly Brewed Coffee or Tea

 

Selected Wines for Pairing

Kayena Vineyard, Mamar Ridge 2008 Pinot Gris, Tasmania
Robert Oatley, Charonnay, 2007, Australia
Earth's End, Marlborough, Sauvignon Blanc 2008, New Zealand
Brokenwood, Indigo Vineyard, Beechworth, Viognier 2006, Australia
Tyrrell's Wines, Steven's Vineyard, Semillon 2004, Australia
Giant Steps, Sexton Vineyard, Yarra Valley, Pinot Noir 2007, Australia
Yalumba, Shiraz/Viognier, Barossa 2005, Australia
Mount Horrocks, Clare Valley, Cordon Cut 2008, Australia

 

From "Soft-Cured Ocean Trout, Smoked Sour Cream and Radish Fennel Salad" to
"Liquid Centre Chocolate Cake, Passionfruit Sorbet" Kable's creative gourmet cuisine is artfully presented.

Photo by Michael Reiss

 

Kable's Restaurant
The Four Season Hotel Sydney
199 George Street
Sydney NSW 2000

Tel: 61 2 9238 0000
Fax: 61 2 9251 4745

http://www.fourseasons.com/sydney

 

Hot Picks: Sydney, Australia

Diane Sukiennik, Associate Editor, Food and Wine Access
          Michael Reiss, Editor, Food and Wine Access

What To Do

.

Sydney Seafood School
Sydney Fish Market

 

Photo by Michael Reiss

Sydney Fish Market is the largest working fish market in the Southern Hemisphere. It is a vibrant locale where more than 65 tons of fresh catch are sold daily, representing over 100 species of fresh fish and seafood.

Located within the walls of the Sydney Fish Market is the renowned Sydney Seafood School. For over a quarter of a century, students--without any prior background-- learn professional techniques and easy recipes highlighting fish and seafood.

The Sydney Seafood School has a focused and effective three- part instructional model and a full range of topical sessions offered daily at lunch or dinner.

First, a qualified instructor demonstrates the proper technique for the preparations of a series of dishes. Time-tested methods of handling fish and seafood are explained in the state-of-the art kitchen stage, complete with closed-circuit TV.

Second, the students then break up into groups of five. Each group or "cooking team" has its own cooking facility, knives, and assistant to advise and guide.

Third, when all three dishes are prepared by the students, they move into the dining room to taste the fruits of their labor accompanied by local wines. New skills and great commraderie are enjoyed by the students, many of whom are loyal repeaters at the Sydney Seafood School.

.

Here is the well-eqipped demonstration kitchen at the Sydney Seafood School.

Photo by Michael Reiss

 

 

The shared meal communally prepared, offers the opportunity to solidify new friendships. This skills based approach to culinary mastery is fun, effective and contagious. You are bound to come back again and again.

 

At the Sydney Seafood School all students get to eat the delicious gourmet sea food they have themselves prepared.

Photo by Michael Reiss .

Sydney Seafood School
Sydney Sydney Fish Market
Phone: 02 0994 1140
E-mail: robertam@sydneyfishmarket.com.au
http://www.sydneyfishmarket.com.au

 

High Tea at the Sydney Opera House

 

The Sydney Opera House--with its dramatic white-sail architecture--has become a symbol of the creativity,vibrance and vision of Sydney itself.

Imagine experiencing a gourmet tea in this iconic venue, complete with a private operatic performance!

This is High Tea at the Sydney Opera House.

Guests enter into the expansive space of the Restaurant Guillame at Bennelong. The gracious servers present a sparking Kir Royal and escort you to your table.

The tea service begins with a savory platter of finger sandwiches.

 

The expansive space of The Sydney Opera House is a wonderful place to enjoy "high tea" accompanied by an opera performance.

Photo by Michael Reiss

 

In-house Smoked Salmon and Cucumber
Tomato & Asparagus Quiche
Sausage Roll
Crab with Coriander Mayonnaise
Rare Roast Beef with Horseradish

 

This is then followed by a platter of pastries and scones.

Traditional Vanilla Bean Mille Feuille
Pistachio Macaroon
Trio of Chocolate Mousse
Scone with Home Made Jam and Clotted Cream
Lemon Tartlet

Following is a selection of gourmet teas and coffees including:

Lady Grey Tea; Russian Caravan; Ceylon Orange Pekoe; Casablanca (Green Tea with Moroccan mint); Chamomile Blend ( a blend of chamomile flowers, rosehip, orange peel & native Moroccan nana mint).

The piece de resistance for the High Tea at the Sydney Opera House is the private performance from the professional opera singer accompanied by piano. Performers include the distinguished Penelope Mills along with her sensitive and inspiring accompanist Simon Kenway.

High Tea at the Sydney Opera House with food service by Restaurant Guillame at Bennelong, along with a memorable operatic performance by professional artists is a must on your culinary itinerary.

 

"High Tea" at The Sydney Opera House includes a Kir Royal, freshly made coffee or tea, along with an assortment of delicious traditional tea-service food items.

Photo by Michael Reiss

 

 

High Tea
Sydney Opera House
Phone: 02 9250 7250
E-mail: tourism@sydneyoperahouse.com
http://www.sydneyoperahouse.com

Captain Cook Harbor Cruise

 

Photo by Michael Reiss

Nothing can quite capture the thrill and exhilaration of cruising Sydney Harbor. Captain Cook Cruises offer a range of trips and one that is particularly pleasant is the tour that includes a Seafood Buffet Lunch..

A Captain Cook Cruise offers the opportunity to cruise around Sydney Harbor and view the famous Sydney Opera House from many angles.

Photo by Michael Reiss

 

Experience all the sights of Sydney's Main Harbor, including breathtaking views of the Sydney Opera House from many angles with a full commentary.

 

Delicious food is offered on a Captain Cook Cruise.

Photo by Michael Reiss

The cuisine: fresh seafood including Sydney rock oysters or mussels, ocean king prawns, succulent baked fish & smoked salmon, plus a wide range of non-seafood and vegetarian items. The tour departs No.6 Jetty Circular Quay 12.30 P.M.. and disembarks at 2.00 P.M. daily.

 

Here is a stunning view of Sydney from the stern of a Captain Cook Cruise.

Photo by Michael Reiss

 

Captain Cook Cruises
No.6 Jetty Circular Quay Sydney NSW 2000, AUSTRALIA
Tel: 61 2 9206 1122
Fax: 61 2 9251 4725

www.captaincook.com.au

The Wine Odyssey

 

Photo by Michael Reiss

 

You may have been to a wine bar before but nothing prepares you for the unique wine experience offered by Wine Odyssey Australia.

Want to try the best Australian wine - including Penfold's Grange? At this heritage-listed wine bar in Sydney's "The Rocks," Wine Odyssey Australia offers an experience that goes beyond traditional wine tasting or wine appreciation. They take you on a sensuous wine adventure.

 

Wine Odyssey Australia has a number of beautifully-appointed rooms for sipping and relaxing.

Photo by Michael Reiss

 

They take you on a sensuous wine adventure. Besides the usual tasting format, you can enter the "Aroma Room and Tasting Theatre," which offers one of Australia's premier wine appreciation experiences.

You'll expand your wine vocabulary and taste six world-class Australian wines - including the world's greatest Shiraz, as you are guided on-screen by the winemakers who made them.

This is a particularly effective way to go beyond tasting into the realm of understanding of what makes a great wine. This heightens appreciation and adds dimension to the pleasure of wine tasting.

 

 

This is Wine Odyssey Australia's historic building found in "The Rocks" district in downtown Sydney.

Photo by Michael Reiss

 

Wine Odyssey Australia
39-43 Argyle Street (Corner of Argyle and Harrington Streets)
The Rocks, NSW 2000
Tel: 1300 136 498
http://wineodyssey.com.au