Saturday, August 4, 2007

Off to Sydney Fish Market

Went to Sydney Fish Market today for lunch since i couldnt really think of what else to have since I am still relatively new to Sydney.

Parking is $2 for the first hour and then gets progressively more expensive of about $5 for 1/2hr but i cannot rem when that starts (i think after the initial 1-2hrs).

As usual, the place is buzzing with people and activites and noise. From locals to Tourists, from Caucasians to Chinese, from adults to children. Its like a cosmopolitan city of its own.

I got there about 2.30pm and that is already off the peak lunch hour and the place is still crowded and overspilling with people. Once you get into the entrance, wide arrays of seafood awaits and greets you, tempting you, seducing you. Your eyes start losing focus not knowing where to rest your gaze in the myraid of red lobsters, pink prawns, fresh oysters. The benches are full and packed to the brim with people of all races, licking their finger from the sauces and the trays of half devoured "gems from the oceans" stare back at you, beckoning you to make your choice quickly.

The Q to all the different stalls are long and kinda messy. People are yelling over the counters and servers are yelling numbers for customers to collect their order. Its kind of like a "Food" wall street atmosphere really, and it pumps adrenaline into you spurring you into action.

So without further ado, I jump into the ordering Q and got myself half dozen oysters kilpatrick, a beer battered fish fillet, lobsters thermido, fresh squid. I wanted to try the steam scallops too but change my mind. I didnt want to over order and feel sick.

I manage to find a bench seat (communal table/ canteen table), sandwich between 2 different group. To my left was a family of 3 generation from china, and to my right was a Japanese couple (i think the guy fancys the girl but not a couple yet). It felt kinda strange sitting between them and listening, left ear overhearing the mandarin conversations and right ear listening to bits and pieces of Japanese and myself in English. I didnt know why but the image of "World World II" flash in my head and i found myself giggling in amusement. A singaporean stuck in between 2 nationalities that is kind of at loggerheads.

The China chinese son had a huge plate of steam crab with claws as big as half my palm. He and his wife kept insisting the dad (who looks 90yrs) to eat the sashimi. The son was saying "Eat eat! Its fresh! Today we are just focusing on fresh fish." I could see the old man nodding in agreement about the freshness but not really touching the sashimi either. His eyes lit up more when the crab was served. I wondered to myself, doesnt the son knows that in general, old people (from china) generally are not that big on raw food? So the son gorges away while the old man just look on. Still, I cannot say the son is not fillial. He seems like a nice bloke but I just think he just wanted his dad to try what he likes, not what his dad likes.

I finish my seafood platter in a flash and absolutely contented once again. Its a good lunch choice, feeling
absolutely happy. This is how weekend should feel like! Yummy!

2 comments:

Ah Dom said...

sounds very seafood haven like zhuhai, just that here is pumped with mercury :(

Anonymous said...

I love seafood but my cholesterol level is stopping me from consuming much nowadays. Gotta think twice when I'm in front of my favorite prawns and squids nowadays...