Marque - Surry Hills, Sydney

It is quite fitting that I start my first post with a restaurant that have absolutely no pictures on their menu. In fact, there is no menu. Well, at least not until the completion of the meal. You see, as our waiter kindly explained to us, 'We want to provide an element of surprise with each course'.  I guess it doesn't really matter since we don't even get a choice with what we're going to put into our mouths tonight. It's a fixed 8 course degustation. So I think to myself, 'Please surprise me, in a pleasant way'.

Potato with Parsley, Mullet Roe & Brioche
The Amuse bouche took no time to make it onto our table. I must say, it's quite an unusual starter, I don't ever recall having carbs as a starter. But having said that, the contrasting textures between the light and fluffy potatoes with the savoury and crunchy roe and brioche was very enjoyable. Even my taste-bud villain, Mr Parsley, played a contributory role in this dish by adding a cleansing and refreshing touch.

Potato with Parsley, Mullet Roe & Brioche

Almond Jelly with Blue Swimmer Crab, Almond Gazpacho, Sweet Corn & Avruga
The first course followed shortly, when it landed on the table, I had absolutely no idea what it was. But when I heard the word ' Crab', my alert alarms came on and paid close attention to the dish. I am lucky to be a seafood freak living in Sydney. Our choice is wide and fresh, with the Sydney Fish Market just a skip and hop away. Back to the dish, the crab was juicy and sweet. If only this was a main course proportion...

Almond Jelly with Blue Swimmer Crab, Almond Gazpacho, Sweet Corn & Avruga

Pickled Calamari with Ink, Wakame & Caper Water
Stomach opened and ready for the next course, I didn't expect something smaller than the Amuse bouche. What appeared to be one udon noodle with two strands of seaweed was actually calamari, ink and seaweed with a vinaigrette dressing. I found this dish a little uninteresting although the sourness did achieve it's goal of working up my appetite.  Next!

Pickled Calamari with Ink, Wakame & Caper Water

Smoked Bonito, Potato, Foie Gras Butter, Olive Truffle & Sesame Salt
It took me longer to type the name of this dish than actually eating it. The bonito was served almost as sashimi (my favourite way of serving fish) with a strong smokiness. The extra thin and crispy potato sandwiching the bonito was like potato chips straight out of the oven. The foie gras butter added a nice moisture to the dish.

Smoked Bonito, Potato, Foie Gras Butter, Olive Truffle & Sesame Salt

Duck Egg with Black Cabbage, Brussels Sprouts & Vinegar
Woh! What an interesting looking dish, does anyone else think the thing in the middle look like a Mac mouse? When our waiter told us it was duck egg, my dining partner and I both gave each other the 'Oh I see' glance.

Duck Egg with Black Cabbage, Brussels Sprouts & Vinegar

I love my eggs, but only when cooked right. Chef, you did the duck proud! The egg was perfectly runny but firm enough to hold it's form on the plate. We spent a little while trying to work out what the green and white dusting was. I thought it tasted like instant noodle and seaweed seasoning,  hope I haven't offended the Chef. The side kick of the dish is definitely worthy of a mention. The brussels sprouts overturned all my childhood memories. They tasted clean, sweet and crisp. So this is what brussels sprouts should taste like...*mental note*

Runny egg...yum!

Pigeon with Boudin Noir, Cocoa, Parsnip, Yoghurt & Blackberries
The first of the mains arrived swiftly. After the highs of the duck egg, this dish was an anti-climax. The pigeon was tender and juicy but the accompaniments were a little unfitting. The parsnip strip had a bitter taste which was further enhanced by the cocoa. Eating it with the boudin noir lifted some of it's bitterness but there just wasn't enough sausage on the plate to accompany the parsnip. What made it worse was the puff pastry which the duck rested on. They too had a very strong bitter and burnt taste.

Pigeon with Boudin Noir, Cocoa, Parsnip, Yoghurt & Blackberries

Grain Fed Wagyu Bavette with Onion, Black Tea & Stem Salad
Unfortunately the second main course wasn't too much better. I like my beef bloody but not at a state where it makes the meat chewy and the fat still in a slightly solid form. I found myself just chewing like a cow and forcing the residual down my throat. Each main was served with a slice of cold bread and butter. Both hardly deserving a mention.

Grain Fed Wagyu Bavette with Onion, Black Tea & Stem Salad

Sauternes Custard
Our pre-dessert was served in a topless egg shell. The custard was cold and smooth but topped with an alcoholic syrup which I felt was a little over powering.

Sauternes Custard

Jerusalem Artichoke with Malt, Apple, Cocoa, Chestnut & Milk
Our final and usually 'most look forward to' dish  being the dessert was once again a let down. There was little sweetness to the dish overall. The only highlight was the apple droplets, which were sour and tasted like concentrated granny smiths puree.

Jerusalem Artichoke with Malt, Apple, Cocoa, Chestnut & Milk

Petit Fours

We ordered tea (additional charge) to accompany our petit fours. Our waiter gave us strict instructions on consuming them. We were told to start with the Bitter Bon Bon, then the Salted Caramel Chocolate, Sour Lemon Drop and finish with the Sweet Sugar-coated Jelly. First I popped the bitter bon bon in my mouth, the sugary shell quickly broke and gave way to a bitter liquid filling. The filling was so bitter it reminded me of cough medicine we had as kids. I quickly swallowed it and popped the second petit four in my mouth. The chocolate was dark without being bitter, just as it settled in my mouth 'BANG!' it exploded and a salty caramel filling covered my mouth. It tasted like my childhood favourite - Almond Roca. I was amazed at how quickly my taste buds had forgotten the bitterness which was dominant only a few seconds ago. Next was the sour lemon drop, I love anything sour, in fact, my favourite TV snack is a jar of pickled gherkins. Once again, it did not disappoint. Another explosion and I sat there with a huge grin on my face. To finish off the night, I finally got some sweetness from a tiny little jelly, something omitted from the dessert.  No explosion this time but these were truly magical. 

Petit Fours

Overall, it was good without being great. I must also commend the kitchen service. Each dish came out in a timely manner without any long gaps in between each dish. The wait staff were also attentive without being intrusive. 

Do not Miss: Duck Egg and Petit Fours.

Blink and Miss: The two mains.






View Larger Map