[invite] Bianca: Fairly new to Darling Harbour is bar/restaurant all-rounder, PLANAR.
The fit-out is SLEEK and for uninterrupted views of Darling Harbour make good use of the plentiful outdoor seating.
Honourary FFS member Felicitations and I settled in for delicious long lunch. Sunshine and Mojitos, is there a better combination?
My Dead Red Zombie -w/ Amaretto, triple sec, gold rum, Malibu, pineapple juice & grenadine $28 is a party best shared between 2… which I only read WHILST WRITING THIS! I did ask how many standard drinks this contained and was met with the reply, 4-5.. perhaps that was my tip-off. I’m a massive rum fan and thoroughly enjoyed it!
Starting with some entrees, Stone Baked Trio Dips -w/ green hummus, eggplant & beetroot & semi-dried tomato $18. A great little starter, I found myself constantly going back to the semi-dried tomato!
The Prawn Lollipops- w/Sriracha butter sauce, lime & bronze fennel $18 were delicious. Plump and juicy prawns with that heavenly butter sauce, they do pack a bit of a kick, make sure you save some bread or pizza and mop up that sauce.
The Wagyu Sliders -w/ steamed Bao buns, shredded wagyu beef, shallots & tomato & smoked BBQ sauce $20 were a good alternative to a burger. Whilst tasty, the bao’s do tend to harden & dry out fairly quickly and that BBQ sauce will be your best friend.
I can never go past Gnocchi when I see it on a menu and the Four Cheese Gnocchi -w/ Gorgonzola, mozzarella, scamorza, parmesan & asparagus $25 is not messing around. Expect an intense cheesiness, the gorgonzola was quite prominent, I was also picking up some interesting vegemite notes.
Okay, so this was a guilt order. I feel we strongly needed some sort of vegetable to offset all the carbs… Kale Salad -w/ Tuscan kale, quinoa, cucumber, black tomatoes, sweet potato, red onion, corn chips, buffalo cheese & pomegranate vinaigrette $24 is a great option for the healthy crowd, with the buffalo mozzarella added the sinfully decadent element.
With a purpose built stone pizza oven, I do strongly recommend taking advantage. Our Truffle Prosciutto Pizza -w/ Mozzarella, mushroom, prosciutto, black truffle & shaved parmesan $29 ticked all the boxes. The base was light and cooked well, a generous amount of toppings, I will say I wasn’t really a fan of the prosciutto used here but dip that bad boy in the prawn butter and you send me a cheque in the mail!
Dessert was off the cards due to the carbs! But we slipped another round of drinks in. Lychee Rose $20 for the lady and a Lynchburg Lemonade $15 pour moi.
I could definitely see myself returning to PLANAR, good food and drinks, chic fit-out and water views.
Bianca
*For Food’s Sake dined as guests of PLANAR.
The food looks pretty good! Love the sound of the prawn lollipops but don’t really get the lollipop reference (I thought they’d be on sticks?).