Day 5: Sydney
I enjoyed another restful day in Sydney. I slept in, cleared some work email while drinking coffee, hit the gym (ran 3 miles and lifted some weights), before heading over to the Endota Spa at Martin Place. I’d walked by it a few times so decided to schedule a massage. While there, I asked if they had any opening for a pedicure, and they did later in the day.
The massage was good but not great. The room was cold so even though the therapist kept placing hot rocks on me, I pretty much had goosebumps for the full hour. Also, I’ve been going to the same massage therapist in Denver for more than a year. I think mostly I’m used to Juan Canas at Kredo Therapeutic Massage in Denver. So it’s probably a bit unfair to expect someone new to my body to find all of the spots.
Anyhow, I went back about an hour later for my pedicure, and it was with the same woman, who did my massage, in the same room. It started with me in a chair, feet soaking, with her sitting on the floor which was pretty unnerving compared to the typical American nail salon experience. But after my feet were washed, she led me back to the massage table to lie down. She covered me with blankets and hot stones again, covered my eyes, and then started the actual pedicure. I might have fallen asleep. So while the massage was only OK, the pedicure experience was fantastic and peaceful.
I had dinner at Automata, another Sydney restaurant getting rave reviews. The format is interesting: there is one shared long table, and the option to sit a few people at the bar. I’d reserved a “bar stool” seat. The kitchen is in the center of the restaurant, so I had a great seat to see the magic happening.
If my Aria dining experience in Sydney was all about refinement and elegance, Automata was all about edginess, experimentation, and bold flavor combinations. I was the oldest diner in the room by a decade or two. That was not the case at Aria.
The food and the beverage (not only wine) pairings were unique.
The first few courses were accompanied by all new adult beverage experiences for me – an unfiltered Soave (with a very pretty nude on the bottle), Sherry (surprisingly good), and an unfiltered Brown Rice Sake (very earthy – not sure I’d choose to drink this again). These first few courses were delicious, the red cabbage in the salad was fermented making it one of the most memorable and delicious courses of the evening.
I was a bit scared of the fermented mushroom pasta course. First, I was worried about gluten, but they do hand make a gluten free version which this was. But mostly, aside from very finally shaved truffles, I have a rather large mushroom aversion/phobia. And this course, albeit just a few bites, was 100% built around mushrooms. It was shockingly good. I still tensed up at every single bite. Pointless phobia!
Steak with a good red wine is my happy place, Automata’s was nicely done, but not as unique as the other courses. The first dessert course was knock it out of the park outstanding – simple ingredients but amazing. It was paired with a cocktail that also had Yuzu and some spice in it. The final dessert course was more courageous on the part of the chef – a very unsweet dark chocolate mousse with candied seaweed and kelp oil. Kelp oil might have magical healing powers or something but it does not belong on chocolate mousse. But it was paired with a delicious 10 year old Japanese plum wine.
One of the best parts of my dining experience at Automata wasn’t even the food. About half-way through my meal, another solo female traveller took the other bar stool seat. She’s a young lady from Los Angeles, in Australia for work. She’d spent a few days in Melbourne for her job (Netflix) before heading to Sydney for a few days of vacation. It was her first day, so she of course walked the Rocks, and toured the Botanic Gardens before catching an Uber to Automata. We’d both have preferred to have walked, but read similar alerts re: crime against women in the neighborhoods proximate, so both chose to Uber. She gets to travel extensively for her work, so it was fun to share ideas of places to go, things to see, and experiences to have.
I’m glad I only planned two big meals for this trip!
LOL! I don’t think I’ve met anyone with a mushroom phobia before! That was just too funny. I literally laughed out-loud when i read that!
It’s pretty embarrassing Clay. But I’ve managed to largely avoid them my entire life!
Even the magic kind? 🍄 😜