I specifically requested a corner booth at the time of booking and my request was granted without a fuss or even needing a reminder. The ambiance is warm and lively without being too noisy and the service is professional without being stiff. I was already impressed and the food hasn’t even arrived.
I juggled between the degustation and the 4 course a-la-cart. They were both slightly different to the menu on the website so I had to reconsider my decision. In the end, I just couldn’t resist the 7 course degustation.
Amuse bouche
Seared winter bonito, miso mustard, house made goat fromage blanc, pickled red radish yuzu, dashi jelly, shaved katsuobusji
Bonito meat has a firm texture compared to other fish and a very distinct flavour. If you like miso soup then you should enjoy this. My piece of bonito was an excellent cut except for a small bone which I managed to pull out of my mouth without damage. I guess it's the luck of the draw.
"Scallop sushi" Nori rolled scallop, pickled ginger, puffed sushi rice, avocado cream
This is absolute art on a plate. Surprisingly, the ginger and the avocado cream were the highlights. The scallop isn’t the best I’ve had but it was enjoyable nonetheless.
Queensland spanner crab and buckwheat risotto, mustard butter, shellfish essence
Making risotto with buckwheat is such a clever idea. The risotto is chewy and without the glugginess of rice. However, the soul of this dish lies within the foam shellfish essence. Our wait staff advised us to stir through the form and risotto before eating. After a gentle stir, the foam transformed into a fragrant seafood soup base for the risotto.
Spice roasted scampi tail, roasted Hiramasa kingfish, scampi cream, baby leek, lemon, shiso, eschallot and shellfish jus
This is my favourite dish of the evening. The scampi and kingfish were slightly overcooked and so the meat was a tiny bit too firm for my liking but in terms of flavour it was totally rocking on the tastebuds. Serving the dish on a black plate proved to be a nice change on the eyes but not on the camera.
Roasted Aylesbury duck breast, smoked confit eggplant, yoghurt, native finger lime, liquorice
The duck was a tad disappointing as it was a little chewy. The eggplant is soft and flavoursome and the liquorice sauce overwrote all my horrible childhood memories of black plastic rubber.
Roasted pasture fed Angus beef tenderloin, braised short rib, buffalo milk 'tofu', sansho roasted quinoa, garlic flowers
The Angus beef was cooked to perfection and parted with a gentle slice. The braised meat was ‘fall off the bone’ texture. Individually they tasted fabulous but I felt it was slightly heavy with two red meats in a single dish. The ‘tofu’ was silky smooth but didn’t alleviate the richness of the red meat.
Pre dessert
I was expecting something light, perhaps on the sour side to cleanse my palate. What I got was something a little too heavy and creamy with a strong alcoholic after taste. I actually felt fuller after the pre dessert.
"Chocolate forest" Soft chocolate, chestnut, elderflower cream, blackberry sorbet, blackberry candy green tea, liquorice, chocolate twigs, crystallised lemon thyme
Once again, this is art on a plate. The blackberry sorbet was smooth and glistened on a bed of undergrowth comprising of chocolate sticks, soil and dirt along with moss-like candy green tea. This is a must even if you are not having the degustation. Unfortunately I was unable to finish the dish once all the sorbet has been consumed, however, my chocoholic dining partner polished it off, dirt and all.
Toby's Estate coffee and tea, petits fours
The petit fours were quite ordinary, the usual chocolate and jelly. What started a conversation was the teapot. These black iron teapots weighed a ton and I was amazed at how they were carried to our table and served without straining a single facial muscle. If I was a wait staff here, I’d curse under my breath every time a customer orders tea.
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