Kingsleys @ Sydney (2023)

The last time I dined here was Mar 2020, one month before the borders closed. And then I tried to come in Oct 2022 after the borders reopened, but they were fully booked. This time I reserved beforehand.

Kingsleys Australian Steakhouse is housed in a heritage listed building constructed in 1833 which used to be an old soap and candle factory. It is renowned for its premium beef selection at a reasonable price. They are prepared in the simplest manner, just grilled with salt over charcoal grill. The meats are sourced from around Australia. The meat can be observed at their chiller.

I was surprised that the bread was separate order, unusual for a steakhouse of this calibre to exclude the staple as part of the dinner service.

Rock Oysters, Natural + Wasabi & Lime Dressing

Oysters grow naturally on the rocks of estuaries along the Eastern Australian
coastline, from Wingan Inlet in eastern VIC to Moreton Bay in QLD. All these native oysters are ironically known as Sydney Rock Oysters. The oysters we had tonight were succulent and creamy, and the wasabi/lime dressing was a wonderful substitute to the normal dash of lemon.

Hiramasa Kingfish Tartare, Avocado, Pickled Cucumber, Toasted Sesame, Puffed Rice Crisps

Hiramasa Kingfish is a high-quality sashimi grade yellowtail amberjack sourced locally. It has pale pink flesh with firm, large flakes and a sweet, rich flavour and is perfect for sashimi. Served with mashed avocado with toasted black sesame and a keropok-like rice puff to be used as a shell to assemble a small bite.

The cubes of yellowtail was dressed with olive oil and lemon, however the house-pickled cucumbers overwhelmed the light tasting fish.

Havericks Dry Aged Beef, NSW, Dry Aged Rib on Bone Pasture Fed 400g

I selected the Havericks Dry Aged Rib on Bone Pasture Fed from NSW, all 400g of goodness topped with a roast garlic and thyme butter. Dry aged is a special technique of hanging the whole beef primal up to aged in temperature and humidity controlled environment for the meat to slowly dry the exterior. In the process the meat develops a nutty and more intense flavour profile while increasing the tenderness as the meat breaks down over time.

Sauces are extras. We ordered three to share in sauce boats – (top to bottom) red wine jus, mushroom sauce, pepper sauce; the béarnaise sauce was too rich for my preference since we already had the baked bone marrow.

Some more sides and beautiful sauces for the steak.

Potato Gnocchi, Smoked Mozzarella, Sage, Root Vegetables

For the vegetarian in a steakhouse, this potato gnocchi was one of the few choices.

Cheese – Served with lavosh & quince paste

From left to right:

• Tarago River Tripple Cream Brie  – Gippsland, Victoria White Mould Cheese, Cows Milk; the white mould blooms on the exterior of the cheese within 10 days of production reacting sharp yeasty flavours near the rind that can become slightly musty and bitter as the cheese ripens. At maturity, the chalky core softens into a rich buttery texture with a clean, yet intense creamy, yeasty and earthy flavour profile.
• Milawa Blue King Valley – Victoria, – Blue Cheese, Cows Milk; the interior is a soft ivory colour; the streaks of blue invade a rich interior which melts in the mouth. Sweet cellar aromas with a buttery finish are a feature of this cheese. its natural rind has a rugged wrinkled appearance with various shadings of mould, the occasional pinkish yeast will occur. Milawa Blue is matured for eight to twelve weeks.
• Trinity Cellars Aged Cheddar – Gippsland, Victoria – Hard – Cows Milk; the cheese is cloth matured then waxed and matured for approximately 12 months. It has an extremely well balanced curd with an intense, full bodied flavour. The texture is firm but as the cheese matures it will develop a slightly cucumber pate, this is due to the moisture loss that aging brings.

Bombe Alaska, Salted Caramel, Hazelnut, Torched Meringue

Bombe Alaska is a visually attractive dessert. The very inner of a Bombe Alaska is the ice cream, which is then covered with slices of sponge cake and then coated in meringue. Topped with shaved hazelnut, I did not try this because I was already full with the main courses.

Afterthoughts

Overall a good steakhouse with really good service. The meat was well-executed, the correct doneness, and great sauces to accompany the steaks. The place was really quiet, except for a few tables. But still the kitchen and servers pulled all the effort to make sure our evening was really enjoyable.

Kingsley is not as expensive as Meat & Wine Co. yet serves comparable good quality and well-prepared steak in a classic steakhouse environment. However, I find their sister restaurant, Steersons, scored better in the environment and service departments, but at the same price level at Meat & Wine. That’s why I observed a lot of Asian come to this restaurant – 80% of the clientele this evening were Asian. We know a bargain when we see one!

Kingsleys Australian Steakhouse
29A King Street, Sydney, Australia
Tel : 02 9295 5080

Visited Jan 2023

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