Mr G’s – Double Bay

Bianca: We’ve held a certain fascination for the Intercontinental in Double Bay since they reopened in 2014, Alex essentially lives his life as a Real Housewife of (insert city) so we’re always on the hunt for new and exciting openings in Sydney and Oz wide. Attached to the Intercontinental and just opposite Sake, is Mr G’s. A contemporary take on a New York steakhouse and owned by the Gallagher hotel group, hence the name. I currently have a Mister Gee’s in my life… so let’s just see if I have room for another.

With plush leather furnishings and prominent dark wooden tones, the space is inviting but lacked intimacy due to the open plan and seating. In line with the speakeasy vibe, we were encouraged to try a few cocktails, Aunt Mavis’s Favourite $23 was heady with Fireball whisky and tasted like Christmas in a glass, accented by the cinnamon pie crust. The Koko Mo $21 will satisfy the rum fiends with an exciting point of difference being the salted pineapple caramel.

Reading our minds, the waitress suggested we nibble on some Damn Good Corn Bread $4 whilst we decided on what to order. Corn bread is essentially America’s gift that keeps giving, served warm and incredibly moist with a nice mealy flavour and a gorgeous fragrant smell. Smeared with the accompanying bacon butter, I think I could make a meal out of a few small loaves.

Chris the manager suggested we order the Fish Taco’s –w/ kingfish tartare, finger lime & flying fish roe $22. A discernible citrus hit enveloped each and every bite. The kingfish was particularly velvety and a touch of sweetness. We loved the fried crispy shell as an alternative to a corn taco shell and the bursts of salmon roe.

Alex referred to the side of BBQ Creamed Corn $9 as ‘revelatory’. Buttery and creamy, with the salty pops of butter contrasting with the sweet corn kernels. The caramelisation just added a whole other dimension.

To complement our mains the Olive Wood Roasted Vegetables & Goats Cheese Salad $20 is perfect for a winter’s night with varying textures and temperatures but with the plethora of other dishes on the table, we didn’t gravitate back to this salad too often.

The Pasture-Fed Eye Fillet 180g $35 served with Chimichurri $4.5 and Black Garlic Butter $3. Was a flawlessly cooked medium rare, tender and juicy, the charcoal & wood fired oven really did add to the taste and texture of the steak. The Chimichurri had a bit of a kick and the herbs freshened things up. I’d probably skip the garlic butter.

Of course I had my eyes on the Wagyu Burger –w/ American Cheddar, maple bacon, pickles, lettuce, Gallagher’s special sauce & fries $29. Lettuce is a friend to no-one, so I promptly requested mine be free of the crispy water. The beef patty was cooked very well, medium to med rare with a nice char. Again the imparting of flavour from the chargrill was prominent. The onion rings didn’t add much in terms of flavour but were a nice textural addition. The maple bacon was crispy with a slight sweetness, creaminess from the melted cheese. Gallagher’s special sauce was an interesting one, a piquant mayo based sauce with capers and pepper. A flavour I haven’t encountered too often in a burger. Not exactly wallet friendly but a good burger – for the FBAS crowd, 3.8/5 pickles.

Not pictured are the Battered Onion Rings $12 with an excellent, oil free batter. But they needed a side sauce desperately.

Herb Crusted Carrots w/ smoked rosemary salt $12 were soft but still retained that ‘pure carrot taste’. A maple/honey drizzle might be a nice addition, they were on the dry side.

And finally dessert, you’ll want to save room. It was hard to pick just one but we settled on the NY Baked Cheesecake –w/a graham cracker crust $18. Decadent without being over the top. The gingery nuttiness of the base was lovely against the cream cheese. We were both in agreeance that the ratios were slightly off and we would have preferred more of the crust against the heavy cake.

So do I have room for a second Mr G’s in my life? A big yes, we were both impressed with the food. And I would be keen to make more of a dent in the menu.

Bianca

Photos by Alex

http://www.mrgsdoublebay.com.au/
*For Food’s Sake dined as guests but all opinions are our own and independent.