Food Review at Manta Restaurant, Woolloomooloo

Beautiful view from the restaurant

Today’s food review takes us to Manta Seafood Restaurant at 6 Cowper Wharf Road, Woolloomooloo, NSW 2011. The restaurant is located along the wharf overlooking the beautiful skyline of Sydney CBD with the beautiful yachts docked at the wharf and the sea breeze blowing gently onto our face. This is a fine dining restaurant, therefore our expectations on the quality and presentation of the food are high.

"Classic" baked spanner crab lasagne

We started our lunch with the Manta “classic” baked spanner crab lasagne with shellfish reduction and chervil as starter. It is stated in the menu that this dish is meant to be shared. Well, it is also interesting to note that this dish is listed under the heading “Small” which we take it to mean that portions under this category are meant to be starters or entrees. When the crab lasagne was placed on the table, we could see that the portion was definitely small and it was just enough for us (there were 3 of us in this dining experience) to have one bite each. The crab lasagne is very rich and it is meant to be savoured slowly to appreciate the sweetness of the crab meat together with the chervil and the sauce which was lightly poured by the waiter when it was served. We would give this dish a 7/10 for its quality, taste and presentation.

The King Trout

Our first main was the king trout with crispy skin, celeriac puree, herb gnocchi, Alaskan king crab meat, green peas, shaved brussels sprouts and lemon butter. It is stated in the menu that the king trout was aqua-farmed and came from Gouldburn River in the state of Victoria. The trout was moist and well cooked. However, the “crispy skin” was a let down. It was more “chewy” rather than “crispy”. The celeriac puree gave the trout a nice balance in flavour. We would rate this 7/10 for its quality and taste. As for presentation, we would rate it 8/10.

King George Whiting

Our second main was the King George Whiting, pan-fried sourdough crumbed fillets, kipfler potatoes, preserved lemon, aioli and cornichons (savoury pickled cucumber). The menu states that the whitings come from Kangaroo Island in South Australia and was line caught. We must say that the whiting was fresh however when pan-fried, it changed the texture of the fish and became a bit too dry for our liking. The aioli together with the cornichons complement the whiting but we found that it did not bring justice to the flavour of the fish. We would rate this dish 6/10 for its taste, 7/10 for its quality and 6/10 for a very simple presentation of the dish.

Grilled King Prawns

Our third main was the whole grilled king prawns with parsley, garlic and extract virgin olive oil. The king prawns were fresh and succulent. The grilled parsley, garlic and extract virgin olive oil complements and bring out the beautiful flavour in the prawns. Amongst all the mains, we love the king prawns. We would rate this dish a high 9/10 for its taste and quality and 8/10 for its presentation.

"Angel" chips with truffle oil

We also ordered a side order of Manta “angel” chips with truffle oil and parmesan. The chips or fries were cooked well and tasty. We would rate this side order a 8/10.

In conclusion and based on our dining experience at Manta Restaurant, we enjoyed the ambient of watching the skyline of Sydney CBD in the background and the waterfront in the foreground. The service was attentive as well as prompt. Like in any fine dining restaurant, expect to pay premium prices for the food and service.