The Ternary
(Inside Novotel Sydney on Darling Harbour)
Level 1, 70-100 Murray St
Darling Harbour, Sydney
There is nothing quite like walking out of a restaurant with the same feeling as leaving a good family meal, and the team at The Ternary definitely made us feel very much at home. This is not your usual hotel restaurant and is a standout venue on the bustling strip of Darling Harbour. Located inside the Novotel, this open and bright restaurant has a great vibe from the moment you walk inside with bright, modern decor. The staff met us with a big smile and the Food and Beverage Manager, Tim, showed us to our seats.
We were lucky enough to sit on a bench right in front of the open kitchen and the first thing we noticed was a steak the size of our head on the grill. It was great to watch the chefs work in the open kitchen and we were surprised at how calm and smoothly things ran. The restaurant is an Australian and Indian / Asian fusion restaurant with two separate kitchen stations, as well as a pick-your-own-steak bench.
The bar manager, Jake, came over and showed us how to make their award winning Cherry Blossom cocktail with Japanese inspired flavours, including sake and cherry liqueur. The Viscountess then made the second cocktail and it looked pretty good. The cocktail was sweet and fresh and looked absolutely amazing - it’s easy to see why they won the award!
We left the choice of menu to the Executive Chef, Anthony, and he definitely did not disappoint. Naan with pecorino and truffle was the first dish of the evening, and as truffle lovers, the Viscount and Viscountess were very happy. The naan bread was soft and fluffy and the truffle was fresh and didn’t overpower the other flavours. Paired with the Paris Vineyard white wine, this was a perfect start to our menu. Anthony explained to us that this dish was created with the help of his daughter, and he kept it on the menu as a beautiful representation of the restaurant and the menu.
Next up was a beautiful and delicate appetiser of beetle leaf with salmon, caviar and fried shallots. All of these flavours worked so well together and made sure not to overpower the taste of the salmon, as the hero ingredient. Smoky and creamy, and with the gorgeous texture of the leaf, we could have easily eaten a few more of these.
This was the Viscountess’ favourite dish of the evening, which was quite unexpected. Brioche crumb with duck pate and a quince gel cigar sounded quite interesting, but the combination and depth of flavours was so surprising and really just left us with one word - wow. The brioche was crispy and was topped with the duck pate which nearly had a whipped texture, and beautiful smoky flavours. The quince gel cigar added yet another texture and a bit of a stronger flavour to the dish. It all worked so well together and we would definitely recommend trying this one!
Next up were the grilled prawns with kinda salad, beetroot, fennel, mint and parsley labneh. This was a beautiful and fresh seafood dish that would be a perfect entree for one person, or to share. The fresh salad, crunchy quinoa and creamy labneh worked so well with the beautiful, tender prawns. This was yet another dish that displayed such a thoughtful and considerate combination of flavours that just added to the enjoyment of the dish.
The pulled beef cigar was house made pulled beef with a punchy pepper gravy and deep fried to get a beautiful crispy pastry. The sauce was salty and had a beautiful strong flavour, and paired with the Grenache Shiraz it bought out the lovely spicy tones. Sitting by the kitchen we saw quite a few of these going out to the restaurant, it was definitely a crowd favourite.
Next up was the star dish of the evening, and the Viscount’s absolute favourite - the Surf n Turf. As a big steak lover, and slightly hard to please when it comes to meat, the Viscount could not fault this dish. We both agreed that the Scotch Fillet steak was the most tender and juicy steak we have had til date. Cooked absolutely perfectly, and in front of our eyes, we were so happy to be served this dish and ate in absolute silence (a testament to the chef from a chatty couple). Topped with a soft and tender Balmain Bug, and paired with roasted potatoes and spinach leaves, it was a beautiful and generous sized meal. Tim paired this dish with an Argentinian Malbec which complimented the flavours so well, and was actually just a really lovely wine.
I know what you’re thinking - that’s a lot of food. And it was! I’m not sure how we managed to agree to dessert, but everything had been so good we just couldn’t say no. The final dish of the evening was a dessert platter which included cheesecake with white chocolate ice cream, chocolate mousse brownie with raspberry ice cream and lychee creme brûlée with coconut sorbet. Each of the desserts were delicious and we could have easily stopped after one. The standout of the three desserts for us was the cheesecake, which is made with both cream cheese and ricotta and had a beautiful crunchy biscuit base. And with the white chocolate ice cream, was absolutely decadent.
We would sincerely like to thank Tim, Anthony and the team at the Ternary not only for a beautiful meal which we thoroughly enjoyed, but also for welcoming us so warmly into your restaurant and sharing your exuding passion for great food and a wonderful experience for each of your guests. We can’t recommend this restaurant highly enough. Special thanks to Rachel and Georgia from The Society Group for arranging this visit.