Foodie 101** The Ternary at Novotel Darling Harbour

A seemingly endless selection of bars and restaurants line Darling Harbour’s weaving promenade, each offering distinct cuisine options and rivalling city skyline views. Italian, seafood, Australian grill… you name it, Darling Harbour’s got it. New to the scene – only one month old – The Ternary at the Novotel is serving up something a bit different. Eschewing the confined structure of a singular cuisine option and a traditional restaurant setting, The Ternary (named after the Latin word for “group of three”) ties together three kitchens – Asian, Grill and Wine – into one cohesive menu. Guests are invited to sit around one of the three exposed kitchens for a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the making of their food or at one of the tables scattered around the open-plan restaurant.

The Executive Chef Anthony Flowers played host to an evening media dinner at the restaurant last week and we were given the chance to sample our way through his carefully-crafted highlight dishes. Seated at an intimate table at the rear of the restaurant against a floor-to-ceiling glass window overlooking the black sky and bright city lights, we sampled our way through 11 – yes, 11 – dishes, mostly all paired with a complementing wine decided by the restaurant’s resident sommelier. Anthony and the sommelier would frequently visit our table explaining the dishes’ origins and the wine pairings. Although we were dining as part of a special media dinner, the attentive customer service we were experiencing is a defining quality of The Ternary. Anthony mentioned the restaurant’s chefs are selected for their personality as much as for their culinary skills. He encourages his chefs to step from behind their kitchen counters and visit guests’ tables for a more engaging dining experience.

Starting things off with warm Naan bread and finishing with a decadent chocolate mouse and raspberry sorbet, we tasted flavourful and unconventional fish dishes (grilled cajun king prawns with toasted corn, and seared tuna with somen noodle salad and toasted sesame seed dressing) and rich, melt-in-your-mouth meat plates (pulled peppered beef in crispy pastry and water chestnut, and slow cooked lamb shoulder with roasted veggies). The chocolate finale, a sweet ending to the savoury meals, was paired with a thick port wine, which the sommelier advised us to hold in our mouth before adding a bite of the dessert.