My most memorable meal of 2010: Restaurant Arras

There are many reasons why a meal can be memorable – both good and bad – be it due to the food, the surrounds, the service, the company, the conversation, the occasion, or a combination of all of these things and more. Our meal at Restaurant Arras with the usual suspects was memorable because it came a mere few weeks after my wedding to Monsieur Poisson and it had felt like forever since we’d had the time to partake in a social outing with friends. It was also my first degustation (yes, that cherry took some time to pop), lasted close to 5 hours, and did not disappoint with its delicious and beautifully presented food with their whimsical names. Oh, and then there’s their infamous petits fours tray…

We step into the restaurant just after 7pm, having all found parking close by outside. We are introduced to a bowl of bread crisps, house made and of various flavours including fennel seed, poppy seed and caraway seed, sitting in a rubble of crushed peanut candy at the bottom of the bowl. The peanut candy is slightly salted and has Kiki ruminating about its similarities to Crunchy Nut Cornflakes.

We all decide on having the degustation and ordering duties for a bottle of red wine are passed over to Dr King as per usual. Warm bread rolls are served – white sourdough for Monsieur Poisson and a hedgehog-shaped garlic roll for myself. The garlic roll is fragrant but mellow in flavour and perfect with the oh-so-smooth butter.

We are next presented with an amuse bouche of deconstructed carrot cake. There is a salty-sweet carrot purée, cubes of sweet carrot cake and what we think are thin shavings of pickled radish and pickled carrot. Decorated with baby cress, the flavours and textures have me a little confused because I keep wanting to think of it as a sweet dish. It does, however, lead perfectly into the first degustation course.

‘The Raw and the Cooked’ is a pretty palette of garden colours arranged on a glass platter. Dollops of carrot purée from the amuse bouche feature alongside a crunchy, paper-thin, dried beetroot slice centrepiece as well as pickled vegetables and edible flowers. It is delightfully refreshing.

‘Smoked, roast and dressed’ has a flaky sardine fillet resting against a well-seared scallop sitting atop what we think are squiggles of celeriac purée. The disc of fennel balanced on top like a hat, as well as the tiny balls of cucumber and peanuts offer crunchy contrast.

My favourite dish of the evening is the ‘Quinoa Kedgeree’ which, traditionally made with rice, is subtly spiced and chewy-ish through its use of quinoa instead. Luxuriously smooth and smokily fragrant eel is used in place of the usual smoked fish, with soft-centred quail eggs finishing off the dish.

  

‘Birds of a Feather’ is a three-layered chicken terrine with a swipe of sweet pumpkin purée which reminds us of gingerbread through its notes of spice. A few mead-soaked raisins are scattered about and, although I’m not a fan of raisins generally, these are definitely not squishy in texture and offer complementary flavours when each component of the dish is eaten in conjunction with the others.

Blushing pink duck breasts are the focus of ‘St. Clements Duck’ with foie gras soufflé to one side in the guise of a fish finger. Carrot mash flanks the other side as well as some unidentified white vegetable dice. A stripe of duck jus forms the bottom border.

The final main dish is ‘Slow Cooked Lamb, Lavender and Honey Sweetbreads’. The lamb is soft and tender with a subtly lavender infused sauce drizzled around the plate. With a small mound of spinach to one corner, what surprisingly captures me are the honeyed and deep-fried sweetbreads. A conversation ensues about sweetbreads and I recall where I first most unexpectedly heard of them – in the movie ‘Red Dragon’ when Hannibal Lecter pulls out a copy of Larousse Gastronomique from his bookshelf.

By dessert time our stomachs are heaving from the main courses, but the pre-dessert has me cooing in delight. It is a donut with a raspberry centre, two yin-yang swirls of rich chocolate ganache, raspberry purée and what we think is a white chocolate ice-cream. It is the most generous pre-dessert I’ve had to date.

And then comes the playful ‘An Adolescent Breakfast’. I am sad to see that atop the peanutty cereal crumbs that the Chantilly cream is no longer presented in a cute toothpaste tube. Our waiter tells us that they had run out and were awaiting to be supplied more at the time. The chocolate caramel slice has a centre much like an Aero bar and the glass holds a quenelle of milk sorbet sitting on cereal crumbs. The dessert is light and not cloying in any way.

The meal ends on a high note with coffee and tea being accompanied by a petits fours tray where diners are allowed to choose as many or few as their hearts desire. The petits fours tray is impressive with its variety and is a veritable lolly shop on a large slate slab. Our waiter has the unenviable job of knowing what each and every sweet is and is able to repeat them at random when we are overwhelmed with choice. We are afforded a square slate tile each to house our selection until I proclaim I want “one of each, please” bar two from the blackberry jelly, nut truffle, flumph (?), peanut brittle, chocolate truffles, fudge, coconut ice, honeycomb, peach jelly, jam sandwich biscuit… *inhale*… and others on offer. It is somewhat embarrassing when I hear our waiter telling another staff member, "We'll need another tile here". However I do proudly eat most of the ones I've horded, except for the last few which I am only capable of nibbling on halves. My only advice is to allow room for these small beauties and to eat the honeycomb first, otherwise it will soften and become sticky from moisture.

A truly wonderful meal which set the bar high for future degustations and, although the menu will sure to have changed, it is a meal we speak of fondly which spurs the urge to return for more.

Restaurant Arras

24 Hickson Rd, Walsh Bay NSW

Tel: (02) 9252 6285

*NOTE*: Restaurant Arras has closed as of mid-2011, but will be reopening at Clarence St in September/October 2011.

Opening Hours:  Sun & Mon  CLOSED

                        Tues-Thurs  6pm-10pm (dinner only)

                        Fri  12pm-2:30pm (lunch)

                              6pm-10pm (dinner)

Sat  6pm-10pm (dinner only)

happy eating!

Birthdays Part 2: Ad Lib, 3 September 2010

Last year for Monsieur Poisson’s birthday we didn’t have anything planned. Well, I didn’t have anything planned and neither did I this year. More often than not, his birthdays are a chance for me to get a bit experimental in the kitchen and to try something new. I don’t know why I choose such occasions to boldly take risks when it could potentially make the event disastrous, but luckily he doesn’t mind. And although I had yet to formulate a menu, this was what I was thinking of doing this year.

We had read in a weekend newspaper lift-out that Ad Lib was Dietmar Sawyere’s latest venture following the closure of Forty One Restaurant and were rather excited about it being situated quite close to us. One evening whilst watching television, Monsieur Poisson quite offhandedly commented, “So, have you booked Ad Lib for my birthday yet?” Not surprisingly this was met with my mumbled, “Errr, no…?” before my mind started setting into guilty panic in having not organised anything at all. And this was after finding out that he was taking me to Tetsuya’s for my birthday, oh dear.

Truth of the matter is that neither of our birthdays were the main event for me this year. We had both arranged to take leave from work during the week which falls in between our birthdays and booked to spend a few of those days at the Hunter Valley (posts about that to come soon…ish). This was what I was really looking forward to and everything else didn’t register much on the radar. So the following day I made an online enquiry with Ad Lib whilst at work, with only a week’s notice, and was met with a most helpful response suggesting two dining times – one early and one late. I took the later one but did receive a telephone call on the evening telling us that the table was ready ahead of time. Although Ad Lib was already quite heavily booked, I do like a place which doesn’t shrug off ‘excess’ customers and that has good lines of communication.

And so, after having driven past it on our way up to the Hunter and again on our way back, we finally find ourselves seated in the cosy bistro on the Friday evening that is my husband’s birthday. We’re seated at a table near the doorway which is protected from prying eyes by a bookcase with square alcoves housing many, many bottles of pear liqueur and brandy. Each table setting has a fold-out paper menu and there is crusty sourdough and butter already set in the centre awaiting our arrival.

Everywhere we go both Monsieur Poisson and I have a habit of being suckered in by the specials menu and this particular evening is no different. For entrées, we order the soup of the day – potato, leek and black truffle – as well as the ‘Charcuterie, pickles, sourdough toast’ to share. The soup has that unmistakeable earthy mushroomy aroma that is black truffle emitting from the silky potato soup. It is hot but not scaldingly so but I take care not to have too much of this as I’m sure there’s a lot of cream involved – unfortunately my stomach and cream are not the best of friends.

Cured meats rate highly in my world of food but I’m afraid I can’t remember the individual names of those pictured on the plate above apart from liverwurst. Pickled gherkins always help to cut through the fat and salt of the meats and the sweet onion jam is sticky and mellow. All wonderful piled onto the sourdough toast. The cuboid meat pieces at the front of the plate worryingly remind me of pet chews but rest assured that they are very tasty!

There is a steak on the menu with café de Paris butter but I go against my usual persuasions and order the ‘Roast duck breast, confit leg, calvados and apples’ instead. It arrives and its appearance has us both intrigued – what are these things which resemble spring rolls? Turns out they are the duck leg component and we can only assume that the confit meat has been parcelled up inside. The shredded meat in the rolls is a little gamey in sharp contrast with the breast which is tender with skin which has been liberally seasoned. The celeriac purée, grilled apples and sauce all help to cut through the rich meat. The apple wedges are a particular delight and wouldn’t be out of place in a dessert.

Monsieur Poisson has gone with the special of ‘Braised beef cheeks, potato mash, bacon, mushrooms and eschallots’ which is rather large when it arrives. His dish is about twice the size of mine and proves itself to be extremely good value both in terms of dollars and hunger-satiating potential. The mound of potato mash is flanked by two generous pieces of beef cheek which are soft and fork-apart tender. The sauce has all the components of a bourgignon minus the red wine and, as a result, is much lighter on the palate.

We have greedily ordered a side of cauliflower gratin. Once it arrives, I question myself as to why I agreed to Monsieur Poisson wanting to order it – gratin equates to cream, lots of it, and, as mentioned above, is not good friends with my stomach. I scrape away most of the sauce, which is actually rather thick, and revel in the tender yet still crunchy florets of cauliflower and the crusty, browned cheesy topping.

We take a break before considering dessert, especially after my husband’s epic proportions of a main dish, although we had already both eyed what we wanted from the moment we first perused the menu. We are creatures of habit so it is the ‘Pear tarte tatin, white chocolate ice-cream’ for him and the raspberry soufflé for myself. But not before his usual caffe latte and my pot of Earl Grey tea. The Earl Grey here is quite fragrant and stronger in flavour than most so if it is one of your preferred varieties then I urge you to try it here.

Our after-dinner drinks are presented with a pair of chocolate truffles curiously sitting in a pool of molten chocolate. It takes us some time to work out whether the centres of the chocolates have exploded, whether the shells have been melted or whether they are indeed sitting in extra sauce. Nonetheless they are smooth and very chocolaty, if a little messy to eat!

The tarte tatin arrives resembling a miniature pineapple upside-down cake and is beautifully crusty and flaky. The ice-cream is too sweet for my liking but I find that is often the case with white chocolate. The thin caramel sauce surrounding the tarte is thankfully not overly sugary nor sticky.

But it is the soufflé which steals my heart in all its tall, proud, dusty pink glory. Light as a feather without even a trace of runniness at the bottom, it is enhanced further in berriness by the tart sorbet alongside sitting on a bed of tuille crumbs.

For those wanting a bit of performance to their dessert, order the chocolate mousse. We saw it being brought out in a soup tureen and spooned out to customers. Something for us to keep in mind for future at a place where the service is unpretentious and the food is the focus. They have an extensive wine list which we didn’t indulge in that evening, and have just earned their first Sydney Morning Herald Chef’s Hat to boot.

Ad Lib Bistro

1047 Pacific Hwy (near cnr Telegraph Rd), Pymble NSW

Tel: 9988 0120

Opening Hours:  Mon-Fri  from 10am for coffee and snacks

                                    12pm-2:30pm (lunch)

                                    5pm-10pm (dinner)

                        Sat  5pm-10pm (dinner only)

                        Sun  CLOSED

*EDIT*: As at June 2012, Ad Lib Bistro is closed for business.

happy eating!

The Vineyard, 23 April 2010

Monsieur Poisson and I were feeling particularly lazy one Friday evening and were in need of a date night. For the month or more beforehand we had been in the throes of the final stages of wedding planning (including the stress of having to organise a cake, last minute) and hadn’t had much quality time to ourselves. We didn’t go away for a honeymoon either, as we plan on lumping it in together with a more extensive trip later, so it was pretty much straight back to work for the both of us. And, you know, it’s nice to go out on dates every now and again, even if it’s with your own partner!

Mistress recommended The Vineyard to me after having visited for a work gathering. There is a relaxed area at the back of restaurant with large throw cushions and couches definitely suitable for small group functions or people just dropping in for drinks. Monsieur Poisson and I are seated at a table along the wall of a narrow section of the restaurant between this area and the main dining room at the front. There are decorative vines and grapes hanging from the ceiling of the whole place.

The wine list is attached to a beautiful wooden clipboard which I want to take home and I start the evening with a rather orange-hued and sweet bellini. We don’t do the name of the restaurant justice though, as this is the only drink I have for the evening while Monsieur Poisson forgoes any drinks altogether as usual.

And because I am feeling like salty cured meats, I lightly influence Monsieur Poisson to share the ‘Antipasto plate’ with me. It is quite substantial and advised to be shared with its spread of prosciutto, olives, salame, marinated capsicum, pecorino and housemade focaccia. A meal or picnic in itself, really.

For mains, as often happens with us, we get distracted by what’s on offer on the specials menu and order from there instead. I have the ‘Papardelle with duck ragu’ which has wonderfully soft and wide pasta noodles in a meaty sauce with plenty of depth. The duck is minced and has a livery taste rather than the shreds of duck meat that I expect, but it packs plenty of flavour and is very warming.

Monsieur Poisson’s main is the special of ‘Braised beef cheeks with potato-celeriac mash and prosciutto-wrapped beans’. Beef cheeks are seriously understated. They’ve been braised until they are fall-apart tender here, requiring only a fork to prise apart the strands of tasty meat. We discover the meal serves are rather generous and realise we’ve over-ordered with neither of us being able to finish our meals.

Somehow, of course, albeit after a much-needed break, Monsieur Poisson finds the room to have dessert. The ‘Chocolate tortino with Baileys anglaise’ has caught his eye and neither of us have qualms about having to wait the 10 or 15 minutes required for it to be made fresh. Along with his usual caffe latte, he is one happy camper when he digs his spoon in to reveal a molten tortino centre.

I stick with my usual coffee/ice-cream hybrid in the form of an affogato for, as Wifey has said, “There is always room for ice-cream!” For only $6 the scoop of vanilla bean ice-cream here is quite generous as opposed to when I literally do have my ice-cream drowning in a shot of espresso at other places!

The Vineyard has mainly Italian influences in its menu, although there’s an occasional French touch here and there. They get pretty busy on weekends and I have been turned away previously when I rocked up with another two people without a table booking, so I’d definitely recommend phoning ahead to check. Oh, and it’s a good idea to take a few people along to share the food too.

The Vineyard

104 Willoughby Rd (opp intersection with Holtermann St), Crows Nest NSW

Tel: (02) 9966 0906

Opening Hours:  Mon  CLOSED

                        Tues-Fri  4:40pm-6:30pm (happy hour)

                                     dinner from 6pm

                        Sat & Sun  breakfast from 9am

                                        12pm-3pm (lunch)

                                        dinner from 6pm

happy eating!

Eastwood Garden Peking (伊士活), 10 Nov 2009

As a child, the city was known to me as Peking until it became Beijing (北京) after China made a move to standardise all its geographical names in Mandarin. I am told by elder Chinese that Beijing was popularly known as Peking to the rest of the world due to foreigners being introduced to it pronounced under different Chinese dialects. To this day the widely loved Beijing-style roast duck (北京烤鴨), commonly served with pancakes/crêpes, hoisin sauce (海鮮醬), cucumber sticks and spring onion segments, is still known as Peking duck. Regardless of its name, it is a beautiful dish of duck with thin and crispy skin and is not to be confused with Cantonese roast duck found on display in barbeque shops.

When Monsieur Poisson’s friend, Mr Tokyo, was in back in town for a visit, a dinner was quickly arranged with a couple of other friends and venturing somewhere for Peking duck immediately sprang to mind. Monsieur Poisson tells me that Mr Tokyo is known to have eaten a whole Peking duck by himself during their high school days, so that was reason enough to visit somewhere for this dish!

And although not run by Beijingnese people, nor exclusively featuring only Beijingnese dishes on their menu, Eastwood Garden Peking is of consistent quality and in a convenient location for us. The constant hum of patrons and queue of people in the doorway even on ‘quiet’ weeknights are among the reasons that keep us coming back.

So we start with the signature Peking duck served two ways – our second style of choice is for the remainder of the duck meat to be served as ‘sang-choi bau’ (生菜包). The accompanying pancakes are warm and soft, the hoisin sauce sweet to offset the spices used to marinate the duck, and the cucumber and spring onion segments offer crunch in an otherwise stodgy ‘wrap’. The duck skin is smooth and glistening and its only downfall is that it has been sliced with too much meat attached. This is a personal gripe of mine though as, in days gone by, common practice was to present pretty much only the skin cut into neat squares for wrapping. These days even in Asia, you will find a lot meat attached to the slices of skin when it is served.

The remaining meat from the duck is usually offered either as ‘sang-choi bau’ or stir-fried either with rice or rice vermicelli noodles at most places. We have opted for the messy choice of ‘sang-choi bau’ in this instance (definitely not date food!) with the duck meat tossed with diced onion and other crunchy bits and served on perfectly trimmed rounds of iceberg lettuce.

Mr Tokyo puts in a request for the northern Chinese specialty of hot and sour soup (酸辣湯). It arrives abundant with strips of cloud-ear fungus, firm tofu, bamboo shoots and pork as well as swirls of beaten egg. The heat comes from the very obvious use of ground white pepper, whereas I prefer it when places use chilli oil instead. Nonetheless, the contrasting texture of the smooth tangy broth with the mostly crunchy ingredients is wonderful.

In a bid to have some vegetables in our meal, we order the ‘Chinese cabbage soup with green bean vermicelli, pork and shrimp’ which is more a descriptive naming of this dish. In Chinese it is known literally as ‘sand-clay pot Chinese cabbage’ (砂鍋津白) and is in a pork broth base which gives its distinctive milky colouring. Thin slices of tender pork belly can be found throughout and I especially enjoy this dish with some rice stirred through, pseudo-congee style.

We also order the ‘King prawns in sweet chilli sauce’ which is an attempt at ‘Kung-pao prawns’ (宮保蝦球), itself a variation of ‘Kung-pao chicken’. The batter is too thick and the sauce a far cry from what it is meant to be, so it won’t be something we’ll be trying again.

We finish with a serve of ‘Snow Crab’ (塞旁蟹) which has crab meat stir-fried with eggwhite. It is served topped with a raw egg yolk which is then mixed in along with Chinese black vinegar. (Unfortunately the waitress was too quick for me and I didn’t manage to catch a ‘before’ shot.) On this occasion, the eggwhite is not as smooth as we’ve had on previous visits but I still like the slippery combination which makes for great comfort food when mixed with a bowl of plain rice.

The boys can’t say no to dessert and order a deep-fried ice-cream each. Monsieur Poisson has his au naturel whereas Mr Tokyo has his with chocolate topping. I pass on both these options as they are things I’ve left behind with my childhood, but – who knows? – I could redevelop a liking for them in the future!

Eastwood Garden Peking (伊士活)

167 Rowe St, Eastwood NSW

Tel: (02) 9804 1289

Opening Hours:  7 days  11am-10:30pm

happy eating!