Looking forward to my first food post as I'll be venturing to The Apprentice in Ultimo Tafe. For those who enjoy some surprises in their food then this might be a nice place to try. The menu basically changes every week if not every day ! But where in Sydney can you get a 4 course dinner meal and 2 glasses of wine for just $35.

I'm so excited that I'm literally jumping up and down in my chair checking my watch every 2 minutes so that the day would go faster just so that 7 o'clock arrives sooner.........

The Apprentice - 19th May 2006

So there we were, in the lift at Building E in Ultimo Tafe, not know what to expect. We all look anxious to see how the restuarant would turn out without anyone having been here before. As we exited the lift, we looked left and right (just like school kids at a pedestrian crossing) and realised that the entrance was to our right.

We were escourted to our seats by Alison Trapnell along with a student named Tony (who was our waiter for the evening). The night began with a bang, when we were offered either a Margarita or a glass of bubbly...almost everyone had chosen the former ! ^_^

Everyone agreed that the Margarita looked intoxicating and for some it did the trick!

The Menu

I looked at the menu and didn't realise that it was this extensive. It felt like a degustation menu ! The menu was designed by May Panlap Ruktharat, which was Thai inspired.

The Appetiser

The Appetiser's came out once all my friends arrived and for a while we thought that we were suppose to order. Then I realised that we could only choose from the Entree, Main Course and Desserts.

Everyone who was lucky enough to eat the Steamed Scallop with nam jhim could not stop raving how good it tasted. The nam jhim sauce complemented the stringy texture of the scallop enough not to overpower the natural taste of the scallop and at the same time enticed the taste buds to have more ! "Yum!" A friend liked the nam hjim sauce so much he dipped the vegatable spring rolls in the sauce !

Steamed Scallop with nam jhim sauce

Lets not forget the vegatable spring rolls ! They had texture and flavour and combined with the dipping sauce (its not soy sauce) melted in your mouth....one of the more tasty spring rolls I have had for a very long time. If only my collegue who loves spring rolls was able to appreciate it. Oh well, more for me !

Vegetable Spring Rolls with dipping sauce

Entree

I chose the Spicy and Sour Prawn Soup.

The Spicy and Sour Prawn Soup was a little off an original Tom Yum Goog in Thai restuarants. I felt that it didn't have enough lemon grass and spicies to capture the true aroma and essence of the soup. However, it still tasted great because the tanginess of the soup was pleasing enough to ensure that we all finished it to the last drop !

Spicy and Sour Prawn Soup

Mango Salad with Thai Herbs

Grilled Calamari with Steamed Vegetables

Main Courses

I had the Sauteed Strips of Chicken. The presentation was excellent and I couldn't wait to dive into it when it was served! After a few bites, it left me disappointed as the chicken was too dry and the sweet potato was too squishy. I didn't manage to finish my meal, however I did squeeze in some Marinated Pork which was cooked well.

Sauteed Strip of Chicken on Sweet Potato

Marinated Pork with Green Pea Mash and Baby Corn

Red Duck Curry

Dessert

We were told early in the evening that they didn't have any Frosty Lemon Cake left. Which meant that we could only choose from the Honey and Ginger Parfait with cinnamon biscuit and Strawberry and Blueberry Muffin with anglaise sauce.

I didn't get a picture of dessert, because I was too busy chatting away with some friends that when my Honey and Ginger Parfait arrived, someone had already started on it and after devouring half the parfait, said that it was delicous ! I tried the Strawberry and Blueberry Muffin with anglaise sauce, there wasnt much to rave about. Thankfully my lovely sister had also ordered the Honey and Ginger Parfait. I'm not a big fan of ginger at all, but the parfait was FAB-U-LOUS ! The ginger wasn't overpowering, but enough to still taste the honey in the parfait. It melted in my mouth and before long, I was finishing off my sister's portions ! Thank you again sis. ^_^

All in all, it was what I expected. Nothing more, nothing less. It was a great night out with my friends and I'll be back with another group soon. The ambience at The Apprentice is nice because it gives you a feeling of warmth, almost like eating over at a friends place.

The Apprentice

Level 7, Building E, Ultimo College TAFE

695-731 Harris Street, Ultimo

SydneyTel: +61 (02) 9217 5527