The Sharing House: set lunch (closed)
For my work Xmas lunch in December, just like the previous year, I became the Lunch Organising Committee.
This had both pros and cons.
The bad part of having ultimate responsibility is having to think of a place that’s suitable budget-wise and also in the right location (away from work but not *too* far). If you’ve ever been asked for a restaurant recommendation, you’ll know that this can be harder than it seems!
However, it did mean that I got to choose a place of my liking. Not that I’m hugely fussy, but the places other people might choose aren’t always going to be one that I pick. I highly doubt anyone else at work would’ve thought of The Sharing House, but it was my first choice. It’s in a nice location, has public transport access, the food is good, and from Monday to Friday they have a set lunch menu.
The set lunch menu is 2 courses for $35 and 3 courses for $45. (You can also order a la carte too, of course.) The day we visited, the options for the set menu were:
Course 1:
Salt and pepper squid, red pepper and fennel salsa
Yellowfin tuna tartare with compressed cucumber
Char grilled courgettes with crumbled goats cheese, pumpernickel soil
Course 2
Poached breast of chicken, white asparagus, green olive cous cous
Whole roasted rainbow trout, filled with provencal herbs
Heirloom tomatoes with buffalo mozzarella
Course 3
Eton mess: strawberries, meringue, cream
Passionfruit souffle
Cheese: Milawa King River Gold, crusty bread
We ordered a couple of serves of the chickpea fries ($6) for the table.
For my first course, I went with the salt and pepper squid with red pepper and fennel salsa.
This was a large serve – there was SO much squid in this, all of which was lightly battered, tender, and salty. I would’ve liked a bit more salsa and pepper to cut through the saltiness which was just sitting on the edge of too much for my taste, but it was still good.
For my second course, I chose the poached chicken breast with white asparagus and green olive cous cous. I know, I know, poached chicken breast? B-O-R-I-N-G right? Well I’d be damned, it was the juiciest chicken breast I’ve ever had.
And for dessert, I couldn’t go past the beautifully presented Eton Mess with strawberries. Strawberries have been so good this summer, and I loved this dessert. It wasn’t too sweet or rich – it was just right.
We also received a complimentary dessert for the table – the Violet Crumble with a rich dark chocolate mousse, honeycomb and milk ice cream.
I really enjoyed lunch, and the set lunch is really good value. The Lunch Organising Committee did good (hah).
It would probably have been better to share dishes (the place *is* called The Sharing House after all) but it can be a bit hard to do that with colleagues.
I still need to return for a meal off the a la carte menu at some stage – there is a Beef Wellington for two people that has my name on it…
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Hannah
January 9, 2013 @ 11:34 am
Can I please come and work from you when I come back to Australia? (No, seriously. I’m going to need a job.)
Agnes
January 13, 2013 @ 9:23 pm
Sure, if I can pay you in peanut butter. π
Sarah
January 10, 2013 @ 7:38 am
Great work choosing a good restaurant! I had to be organising committee (hehe) a couple of years ago and you’re right, it’s more difficult than it seems.
I love the look of that chicken breast dish π
Agnes
January 13, 2013 @ 9:22 pm
I was so surprised at how good the chicken breast dish was. I thought it would be the boring option. π
Thanh
January 10, 2013 @ 8:09 am
I was on the work dinner organizing committee. By the end of it I wanted to stab someone. Hence I’m happy to eat anything for work functions now as long as I don’t need to be on the committee haha.
Agnes
January 13, 2013 @ 9:21 pm
Haha when you’re a Committee of One, it makes things easy. π
msihua (@msihua)
January 13, 2013 @ 2:31 pm
Yum! I so do love this place! Must come back soon!
Agnes
January 13, 2013 @ 8:56 pm
Me too! It be good.