RESTAURANT: Opera Kitchen

I've never been a "touristy" sort of guy, which is probably why I felt dirtier the closer I got the Circular Quay. Partially dirty because I knew I was going to have to spend $4.50 on a bottle of water because I was thirsty.

There isn't enough steel wool in the world to get me clean.

I was there to see a movie that was showing at the Dendy (13 Assassins: 4 stars out of 7) and I FELT SO DIRTY.

Afterwards, the hunger pangs were almost unbearable. So we headed to the Opera Kitchen for some overpriced food in the shadow of the Opera House (do I need to capitalise that?) and in the shadow of tourists (fairly sure that doesn't need capitalising).

The great thing about Opera Kitchen is that they bring together all of these eating places--Miss Chu's, Cloudy Bay Fish Co, Becasse Bakery, Charlie & Co, Kenji--and you only have to order once. This is great for a fat dude like me because it means I get to start with Japanese food, move on the Vietnamese, then finish with burgers if I so wish. Oh, and (PS) I wished.

You order whatever you want, grab a seat and they bring it all out to you. Smart!

Kenji's nigiri was solid. Good quality. Tasty.

Miss Chu's was it's usual self. Which is good. And small in portion so you can smash heaps of stuff.

I got my first taste of Charlie & Co's chilli dog and it didn't disappoint. It wasn't perfect (the dog was a bit dry) but it hit the spot. Truffle (oil) and parmesan fries were also their dependable selves.

Yes it's all bloody expensive compared to the other locations of these outlets, but you get a view of the entire harbour, a cool breeze and the ability to create your own cross-cultural degustation. It's nice.

The tourists walk by awkwardly, looking for clues as to how to act in this mysterious land. You feel like a bit of a king. Because this view is yours. The cool breeze is yours. And you--you alone--decide if you want to give it out.

Oh. And you have a steamer basket in front of you filled with delicious treats.