Last night we headed out for dinner to Aki's Indian Restaurant at Woollomooloo finger wharf, Russell Crowe's local Indian takeaway (and the place where the Indian cricket team eat when they're playing at the SCG). The locals refer to the area as simply "the Loo" and until a few years ago it was a bit of a no-go area; something like Hell's Kitchen in New York.
The finger wharf is a disused wooden passenger terminal built between 1910-1914. It was where the ten pound poms landed when they came to Sydney and it was where the Gallipoli soldiers waved goodbye to their loved ones, so it has some considerable history. As time went on it was used less and less, partly because air travel took off but also because they built the overseas passenger terminal at Circular Quay, admittedly a finer introduction to the city.
By the 1980's it had fallen into such a state of disrepair that it was listed for demolition but then the locals got hold of the story and managed to get a green ban placed on it, which wasn't lifted until the city council promised to restore it.
These days it's split into restaurants and apartments and one end is a swanky hotel. At the tip is Russell Crowe's $14 million penthouse - you can see right into it when the lights are switched on, which they were; mildly concerning if you're a celebrity, particularly one nobody much likes.
The inside of the structure is much more atmospheric at night; halogen spotlights pointing at the rafters until you can almost hear the voices of the men who used to work here loading and unloading the big ships.
Anyway, the food was great, you know, modest portions, delicate flavours, signature dishes infused with tamarind. I mean, it was the best Indian we've had in Sydney but it still doesn't beat the Grappenhall Tandoori, I don't care who lives nextdoor.
No comments:
Post a Comment