Gastro parK

Monsieur Poisson had, until recently, worked in a building which has a coffee kiosk in the foyer. He would usually stop in for coffee and sometimes raisin toast partway through the morning and would regularly chat to the owner/operator. One day, he and Coffee Guy were discussing where they liked to dine out when Coffee Guy handed him a business card saying it was for a new place where he knew quite a number of the staff. He urged Monsieur Poisson to try it and we made dinner arrangements there during a particularly busy period at work for me a couple of months ago. I had read very little about the place and was confused when online maps pointed to it being located at the site I associated with Blanco.

This newish baby of Grant King, ex-head chef of Pier, is intimate, cosy and tucked away from the, erm, bright lights of Darlinghurst Road. The service is friendly and I find it quite endearing that our waitress appears a tad nervous when serving us the complimentary bread when it doesn’t seem to want to leave the grasp of her cutlery-cum-tongs. I treat myself to a glass of Longbend sauvignon blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand which has tropical fruity notes, while admiring the squishy cutlery rests filled with pebbles suspended in a clear gel. (And, yes, I liked the wine so much that I bothered to have the name scribbled down for me so that I could remember it for future purposes.)

Gastro parK’s menu is brief but full of whimsy and playfulness. From the snacks section of the menu, we start with the ‘Putanesca wafer” and “Onion & mushroom macchiato, caramelised sweetbread”. The wafer is constructed from a framework of lacy grated parmesan which shatters easily and is a bit messy to eat, but a visual delight to admire being wedged into the crevice of a stone.

Monsieur Poisson is blown away by the flavour packed into the small glass of mushroom soup topped with sweet onion purée. The sweetbread has a sticky honey flavour to the outside and is presented skewered on a twig of rosemary.

We share an entrée of “Seared scallops, carrot tofu, Serrano ham, endive reduction, hazelnut” mainly due to Monsieur Poisson’s weakness for anything which makes mention of scallops. There are three scallops on the plate, of which one is encrusted in...I have no idea what, but its appearance resembles the coating on Cheezels! The carrot tofu looks like an orange-coloured panna cotta but tastes like carrot and nothing like tofu. I think at this point in time I started to lose my mind due to my eyes telling my brain to expect certain flavours and then they were anything but!

For mains, I’ve chosen the ‘Rangers valley beef fillet, sauté kale, onion soubise, caramelised veal sweetbreads’. The soft and juicy beef fillet features a thin, even crust and is flanked by onion purée akin to that in the macchiato as well as more sweetbreads. The kale is surprisingly crunchy with a texture like lettuce but served warm.

Monsieur Poisson has what has become Gastro parK’s signature dish – ‘Crispy scaled snapper, smoked potato purée, calamari crackling, ink sauce’. For starters there are the ink black components contrasted with the white plate, then there is the centrepiece of moist fish with an almost-bubbly layer of crispiness. Yes, those are real fish scales and not something else masquerading as. The calamari crackling is crisp like a light prawn cracker but a little oily on the fingers, and we still don’t know what those black little cylinders were!. This is the most fun dish of the evening and reminds us of dining at Restaurant Arras, especially when we are left guessing about the components.

Dessert is the shared ‘Pear & praline soufflé, Chantilly cream’. Soufflés are my default option to round off a meal as they’re light and also pretty to look at. If only we had the room to fit in a dessert each then we would have ordered the ‘Nitro pavlova’ as well!

I can quite confidently say this has been the most exciting meal of the year thus far. It was fun, relaxed and entertaining. Hey, even a certain Mr Durack gave them a 16/20 in his review.

Gastro parK

5-9 Roslyn St (corner Kellett Way), Potts Point NSW

Tel: 8068 1017

Opening Hours:  Sun & Mon  CLOSED

Tues-Thurs  6pm-10pm (dinner only)

Fri & Sat  12pm-2:30pm (lunch)

               6pm-10pm (dinner)

Le Chasseur giveaway winners

Thank you to those who took the time to enter this competition courtesy of Kitchenware Direct. Monsieur Poisson had the pleasure of reading all of your creative responses and has chosen the following one as the lucky winner:

Anonymous said...

Le Chasseur Nordic Square Grill Pan 25cm

This would be fantastic to own, grill steaks with the char lines, garlic bread with olive oil, vegetables etc. would be a great addition to the kitchen's cooking cupboard, the mrs will be happy :) cross fingers

10 July 2011 7:00 PM

Anonymous, I have sent you an email notifying you as the winner and someone from Kitchenware Direct will be contacting you soon regarding how to claim your chosen prize and to arrange for delivery. Congratulations, and I hope you enjoy creating some delicious meals!

Thank you once again Kitchenware Direct for their generous giveaway offer.

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!

Ripples Sydney Wharf (Pyrmont), 21 Feb 2010

The sun is shining high and it is hot – serious heat requiring the wearing of a flimsy summer dress. The sunglasses are on and I have the trusty navigational skills of Monsieur Poisson on board, but I realise that I do not have faces to put to the people whom I am meeting for lunch. What else could it be but a food bloggers’ gathering!

The lovely April from My Food Trail was visiting Sydney for an extended long weekend so this precipitated our lunch meeting with the Zumbo-encyclopaedia that is Belle from Ooh, look… and master baker Anita from Leave Room for Dessert. Several dining options were discussed, of course, before settling on Ripples at Sydney Wharf where none of us had been before, and it just so happened that Agnes from off the spork was also in town so the more the merrier.

Ripples Sydney Wharf is situated at the northern mouth of Darling Harbour and has sprawling views over the water. Although the scenery is not as spectacular as that at Ripples Milsons Point, it is still a relaxing oasis in the middle of the city. Under a canopy of clear plastic shade sheets, which have been drawn up to allow a gentle breeze to permeate, lies sleek silver-grey tables and Philippe Starck-esque red and orange chairs.

The husband and I share a couple of meals between us as usual and we can’t go past ‘Ripples' famous fish & chips with homemade tartare’ after receiving several recommendations for it. This is not your usual heavily battered fish with soggy chips affair – we’re talking about a thin, crisp crust with parts of the fish fillet barely being coated and chips that fried to a light, golden brown and liberally salted. The highlight without a doubt is the thick, creamy and herby tartare, which can be quite rich after a few mouthfuls, but is so good that it really could be bottled and sold. The only strangely surprisingly aspect to this dish is that it is served up in a silver plastic tray.

To balance out this oily, deep-fried platter of goodness, we order the ‘Vegetarian Tasting Trio’ which changes on Ripples’ menu depending on the season. At the time, it featured a goat’s cheese soufflé which was light and not too pungent, a truffle potato and leek tart which had crispy fried leek slivers crowning the tart, and an asparagus and herb omelette which unfortunately lacked flavour.

And thus conversation was exchanged, laughter was shared, food was enjoyed, photos were taken and faces were matched with blogs. And what pleasant fun it was to do so.

Ripples Sydney Wharf

Between Wharfs 9 & 10, 56 Pirrama Rd, Pyrmont NSW

Tel: (02) 9571 1999

Opening Hours:  Mon-Fri  12pm-3:30pm (lunch)

                                     6pm-9pm (dinner)

                        Sat & Sun  8am-11am (breakfast)

                                        12pm-4pm (lunch)

                                        6pm-9pm (dinner)

happy eating!

Koi (again!), 8 Jan 2010

With the array of wonderful food choices in Sydney it can sometimes be difficult making return visits to those that are extra spectacular. So when Ms London was back in town, we absolutely had to take her to Koi as she loves her Japanese food. The fact that she is also an avid photographer meant that I knew I wouldn’t be the only one taking photos of the beautifully presented food on their rustic plates. Yes, friends can serve so many purposes aside from providing enjoyable company.

With us being firmly ensconced in summer, I get a better appreciation of Koi’s entrance compared to our last visit in the darkness of winter. The pair of stone lions at the doorway seem less menacing but the daylight doesn’t take anything away from the dark wooden interiors under their soft, warm lighting.

Our square table in the corner has a beautiful floral centrepiece and we start our evening, as we did on our previous occasion, with ‘Seared scallop carpaccio with soy butter.’ The fragrance of butter drifts up to us and we dig into the scallop slices with their smoky seared surfaces and decoration of salmon roe and snipped chives.

This is followed by the ‘Tuna Tartare’ presented in a martini glass. A gentle prod of the egg and golden yolk is released from its centre to coat the springy tuna ‘mince’ in a lather of creamy, sticky goodness. The caviar on top provides some salty and almost crunchy contrast but this is a dish which we discover is rather hard to share!

There is no chutoro nor ootoro available when we enquire and Ms London orders the ‘Whiting usuzukuri with ponzu sauce’ instead. It is something that neither Monsieur Poisson nor I are familiar with and we are met with thin, almost translucent, slices of whiting arranged in a radial pattern. With a squirt of lemon and a quick dip into the ponzu, the thin yet firm flesh of the whiting is sublimely refreshing.

And because we are greedy, we order the ‘Large mixed sashimi’ (21 pieces) even though there are only the three of us. A long wooden plank makes for a dramatic entrance and Ms London and I snap away with our cameras in a flurry. Closest to my end is the snapper arranged as a rose petal atop a slice of lemon, followed by oyster with ponzu, kingfish and salmon before the intricate centrepiece of cuttlefish pinwheeled on top of a lime. The cuttlefish is sliced so thinly that it takes on an almost creamy texture.

The other end of the wooden plank plays host to sashimi of tuna, bonito, scampi, seared scallop arranged on a slice of lime, and cod. The lime and lemon which support several sashimi arrangements impart a subtle fragrance without their tartness dominating the fish in flavour.

Our gluttony is followed by my husband’s favourite uni sashimi which arrives atop a thick slice of grapefruit with half the peel pared back and tucked back on itself. It’s still not my favourite thing but I trust Monsieur Poisson and Ms London when they say it is fresh, creamy and sweet.

We then finally move onto our warm dishes of the meal with ‘Miso grilled silver cod’ which has a sweet miso ‘crust’ balanced by the peppery side salad of baby rocket dressed with an apple-y vinairgrette and sweet, stuffed zucchini flowers.

This is followed by our soft-shell crab roll which is served warm with a filling of finely shredded cucumber, avocado, tobiko and mayonnaise.

We decide that we can, indeed, squeeze in dessert and this is preceded by a palate cleanser of watermelon granita with chamomile and citrus foam. Oh, how I could just eat more of this as an actual dessert! So refreshing and fragrant and perfect for the season.

We order three desserts; all of which must be different of course. The ‘Single bean chocolate marquise’ is served with a sesame tuille which is chewy and nutty but not crisp or crunchy as we expect. Short rounds of coconut pudding adorn the plate with a texture akin to pannacotta and reminds us of the coconut pudding/jelly which is often seen at yumcha.

The ‘Macadamia cake with salted caramel mousse and wattleseed honey ice-cream’ is unfortunately the least attractive of the three desserts chosen and is very brown to photograph. However the cake is dense with a fine nubbly texture and is great with the wattleseed honey ice-cream and its smoky, charred flavour. The revelation is the salted caramel mousse which reminds both Ms London and Monsieur Poisson of Columbines!

I, of course, order the ‘White peach soufflé’ which is served in a copper pot and a side of raspberry sorbet. The soufflé is thinly crusty on top and is marshmallowy in the centre with the subtle flavours of white peach.

Full to the brim and feeling very happy with our efforts, no meal is complete at Koi without their complimentary fish-shaped chocolates served on a chilled stone platter.

We chat a little more while our green tea is continually topped up. It is dark by the time we leave and we wander down the road in search of our cars with satisfied bellies, wondering when we’ll be back at Koi once again.

Koi

102 Woolwich Rd, Woolwich NSW

Tel: (02) 9817 6030

Opening Hours:  Mon & Tues  CLOSED

Wed  6pm-10pm (dinner only)

Thurs  12pm-3pm (lunch)

           6pm-10pm (dinner)

                        Fri & Sat  12pm-3pm (lunch)

                                       6pm-10:30pm

                        Sun  12pm-3pm (lunch)

                                6pm-9:30pm (dinner)

*EDIT*: As at mid-2011, Koi has been "temporarily closed" according to their voicemail message.

happy eating!

Sam’s Café, 27 Dec 2009

It is still early in the evening after dinner at Mumu Grill when a friend in our dining party suggests somewhere a little different for dessert. She tells us there’s a dessert place in Epping that does Asian-flavoured desserts with modern twists which are often made fresh to order. We all hop in our respective cars, it starts raining on the way and there is miscommunication about its exact location, but we find Sam’s Café eventually which is hidden in an alcove under a couple of blocks of high-rise apartments.

The place is a Hong Kong-style (fusion) café or “cha chaan teng” (茶餐廳). It’s not terribly large, the interiors are garish, the menu is full of Chinglish and not very descriptive, but thankfully there is a wall full of photo examples of most dishes. Presumably it’s run by a fellow by the name of Sam whom we think is in the kitchen along with his wife who is in charge of desserts.

I order an ice-cream and red (azuki) bean shaved ice drink (雪糕紅豆冰) which strangely lacks the usual inclusion of evaporated milk. As a result the drink is sweet but watery, although the ice-cream does provide a little needed creaminess. A friend has ordered the deep-fried taro sticks (炸芋條) which appear to come coated in a light cornstarch-type batter and sprinkled with icing sugar. The batons of taro are surprisingly crisp and flaky without the starchy stodginess of when they are stewed.

There is a 20 minute wait on soufflés so, as Monsieur Poisson and I are the last ones to be seated, a couple have been ordered prior to our arrival. But these are not your usual soufflé flavours – the one in the pink ramekin below is mango, while the one in the yellow is durian. Neither are the traditional flat-topped soufflés but both are nicely risen and thankfully the durian variety is not too pungent as I am not a big fan of its flavour (as opposed to Monsieur Poisson).

Someone has also ordered the puff pastry-topped sweet tofu soup (蘇皮豆腐花), often also called “tofu flower”. The hot sugar syrup with layers of lightly-flavoured silken tofu is served in a mug topped with a layer of puff pastry that has been decorated with heart-shaped cutouts.

Monsieur Poisson has chosen the apple pie which is not so much a pie as turnovers. They are served with a generous amount of cold ice-cream which I love when contrasted with the hot filling of the apple parcels.

My dessert of choice is the mango filo fingers (芒果卷) which are nice and crisp on the outside but unfortunately the mango has some icy bits still in the centre. The desserts are cheap though, all coming in at under $10 per serve, so we have no complaints but it must be noted that there is a minimum spend of $10 per person here. Whether this is an all day thing or just a rule for later at night I didn’t take note, but nonetheless I wouldn’t mind going back and trying their other meals sometime in the future.

Sam’s Café

Shop 32, 74-76 Rawson St (near cnr Carlingford Rd & Beecroft Rd), Epping NSW

Tel: (04) 24 046 377

Opening Hours:  Mon-Wed  6pm-10pm (dinner only)

Thurs-Sun  12:30pm-3pm (lunch)

                  6pm-10pm (dinner)

happy eating!

Koi, 28 Aug 2009

Koi is located in Woolwich, one of Sydney’s many peninsula suburbs resulting from the inlet that is Sydney Harbour. Koi is tucked away almost at the end of Woolwich Road near a pub, in an area which is predominantly occupied by large houses. Diagonally across the road is Clarkes Point Reserve which offers distant views of Sydney Harbour Bridge and is a popular location for outdoor wedding ceremonies.

Monsieur Poisson and I were at an engagement party when Mr Jetset, knowing Monsieur Poisson’s love of sushi, recommended that we try Koi. He said the sashimi and sushi were both excellent and that he had become a regular customer through going back several times for both. But somehow through conflicting schedules of availability for the usual suspects, almost a year had passed since this recommendation to actually dining here taking place. In the meantime I had recommended Koi to Mistress who, along with her boyfriend, returned positive reports.

Koi is decorated in detail both inside and out. A pair of stone lions greets you at the heavy, dark wood doorway which leads to a small lobby-style area. Around the corner from an indoor garden water feature is the main dining room replete with a sushi bar which emits a hot pink glow from underneath. Lighting within the restaurant is soft and warm, and there are a couple of small rooms for private dining.

Our table reservation is confirmed by telephone call from Koi staff a few hours prior to our booking time. Upon arrival we are seated at a large, heavy looking, dark wood table in keeping with the décor, towards the back of the dining area. Hot green tea is ordered all round and we feel bad for the diligent waitress who continually refills our cups without request throughout the evening, as a teapot is not provided at the table. Points for service, however!

As our first few dishes arrive, Dr King becomes evidently enamoured with the array of plates used to present our food. Chunky stoneware with hewn edges in earthy colours feature heavily and we only see the same style plate appear twice across all the dishes we order – and that’s with four different desserts as well! But more about that later… We begin the evening with ‘Seared Scallop Carpaccio with Soy Butter’ which is surprisingly fragrant of butter from the moment it is set on our table, but subtle in taste. The scallop slices are large, evenly seared, arranged in overlapping flower petal fashion, decorated with a coral salmon roe centre and finished with a sprinkling of chopped chives.

The ‘Scampi Carpaccio with Nut Oil and Red Wine Vinegar’ is much less attractive in appearance, resembling more a platter of mush where the scampi meat is almost identical in colour to the centre of the plate. Do not let looks deceive you however, as it is a beautiful balance of fragrant nuttiness, faintly tart vinegar and soft, sweet scampi flesh.

We then continue with salmon toro sashimi which is simultaneously bouncy yet melt-in-the-mouth. Slices of salmon belly are served alongside ones rolled up to enclose avocado and fine lengths of cucumber like an inside-out maki roll. But even this calibre of beauty pales in comparison when placed next to the tuna chutoro sashimi, with its smooth, fatty texture which is not at all sticky on the palate. It is not cheap but absolutely worth its 'market price' cost. Koi also has the fattier ootoro which we will make a point of trying the next time we are there.

Our ‘Soft-shell Crab Roll’ and ‘Spicy Tuna Roll’ arrive served on the same plate. Warm soft-shell crab is rolled with cucumber, avocado, tobiko, mayonnaise and enclosed in rice and nori. Biting into the roll gives a satisfying crunch, not often experienced at other sushi bars. The spicy tuna roll has tuna sashimi rolled with mixed Japanese pepper, leek, sesame oil and shaved bonito. Both are simple in construction but sophisticated in flavour.

The ‘Coral Roll’ contains plenty of seafood with crab meat (NOT crab stick), scallop and cucumber enclosed in rice before being overlayed with thick salmon slices.

For more substantial mains, we have two dishes to share. The first is ‘Kamo’, which is a miso duck breast, alongside roast beetroot on sweet potato purée and a 62 degree duck egg. The duck is sweet with crispy skin and succulent, juicy flesh. The beetroot is tender and sweet. The duck egg has a sexy wobble and reveals silken innards when pierced.

Secondly we have the ‘Wagyu' featuring a 180 gram, grade 6+ Wagyu steak chargrilled, served with pickled capsicum and tarragon butter. The tender beef has a well-seasoned, thin, smoky crust which is beautiful on its own, but adopts another dimension when dipped into the creamy, Béarnaise-like sauce.

Then it’s onto dessert, and it is where our meal takes on a markedly European influence. Between us we order four desserts which covers most of the menu. But before we get into the swing of sweet things, we are treated to complimentary palate cleansers of green tea and white chocolate mousse with green tea ice. The mousse is so smooth and enjoyable that we all agree we would happily have it as a dessert in its own right.

I decide to have the dessert special of ‘Azuki and raspberry soufflé with raspberry sorbet’, and am rewarded with a fragrant and light soufflé with a crusty top that is studded with berries. We all think we heard wrong about there being an azuki component and assume it has been puréed into the soufflé batter, when I discover a smooth azuki centre hidden well into the middle of the pot. The sorbet is fluffy and tart, offering pleasant contrast to the soufflé.

Gingerbreadman has the ‘Black sesame crème brûlée with apple and sake purée, apple sorbet and sesame tuille’. It has a most surprising presentation for a crème brûlée, with slices being sandwiched between layers of sesame tuilles. There are sesames seeds everywhere! The apple sorbet is intensely refreshing but we don’t detect any of the sake.

Monsieur Poisson has the ‘Triple chocolate slice with chamomile poached pear, mango ice-cream and kiwi purée’. The slice is dense but not overly fudgy or brownie-like. The intense chocolate flavour is offset by the lightness of the pear spiked with tea flavour and the almost sorbet-like mango ice-cream.

Dr King has chosen the ‘Macadamia cake with pumpkin ice-cream and honey mousse’. The presentation is not what we expect when it arrives resembling a terrine, with the cake layer at the base, ice-cream in the middle and mousse sitting on top. The pumpkin ice-cream is subtle in flavour and not as unusual as it sounds. It actually tastes quite good paired with the honey mousse.

Feeling fully satisfied, we ask for our bill which arrives with some complimentary after-dinner chocolates – gold-dusted fishies served on a chilled platter.

Koi is a traditional Japanese restaurant incorporating a few, modern fusion touches used to good effect. It is undoubtedly the best Japanese meal I’ve had yet. Complemented by excellent table service, intricate interiors and beautifully-presented food on rustic servingware, it provides an intimate and authentic dining experience.

Koi

102 Woolwich Rd, Woolwich NSW

Tel: (02) 9817 6030

Opening Hours:  Mon & Tues  CLOSED

Wed  6pm-10pm (dinner only)

Thurs  12pm-3pm (lunch)

           6pm-10pm (dinner)

                        Fri & Sat  12pm-3pm (lunch)

                                       6pm-10:30pm

                        Sun  12pm-3pm (lunch)

                                6pm-9:30pm (dinner)

*EDIT*: As at mid-2011, Koi has been "temporarily closed" according to their voicemail message.

happy eating!

LATEST UPDATE: Koi scored 14/20 in The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2010, not quite making it to the mark for a Chef’s Hat Award.

A week in Melbourne: Bistro Guillaume, 10 July 2009

I make no secret of my love of French food. When planning for this Melbourne trip there were only two must-dine places on my list: one being Bistro Vue and the other being Bistro Guillaume. Just as I was thrilled to dine at Bistro Vue, the more casual cousin of three-hatted Vue de Monde, I was excited about dining at Guillaume Brahimi’s two-hatted Melbourne bistro, sister to Guillaume at Bennelong situated within Sydney Opera House with views overlooking the harbour.

I have made a table reservation through Bistro Guillaume’s online form but discover I have half slipped through the system. When I phone to check my reservation, my name is indeed on their list however no one has called to confirm as promised on the website. This is of minor significance though, as the important point is that we do have a tabled booked to try the food!

Bistro Guillaume is located along the riverside of Southbank and is part of the Crown Entertainment Complex. We are seated at a round, granite-topped table in the corner of two window-lined walls after having our coats stored away for us. The tables by the windows are interestingly devoid of tablecloths and are segregated from the other tables by a high bench with bar stools. The centre tables are covered with tablecloths and this arrangement gives rise to a sort of outdoors-inside look.

I order a glass of sauvignon blanc while Monsieur Poisson designates himself the non-drinker despite the lack of a need to drive. Complimentary chewy sourdough that is full of holes is brought to the table with a round of butter anointed with salt flakes. Before long an amuse bouche of gruyère choux puffs is placed in front of us, which are essentially cheesy profiteroles filled with cheese sauce – yum! The pastry is light and the filling delicately smooth.

Then it’s more cheese for me with an entrée of ‘Twice-baked cheese soufflé with salad of pears, walnut and baby rocket’. The soufflé is shorter and firmer than that at L’étoile and the sauce is richer as well. I love the little paella-style pan that the soufflé comes in especially when I discover a crusty layer of cheese sauce at the bottom, like at the end of a cheese fondue. My arteries, I think, constrict in anticipated terror.

Monsieur Poisson has the ‘Terrine du jour’ which is quite sizeable and is shaped like a slice of sandwich bread. There’s ample grilled bread to accompany the terrine because there so often isn’t when it comes to terrines, pâté and dips. The salad of shoots and neatly arranged tower of cornichons help to cut through any meaty fattiness.

For mains I order a classic ‘Steak frites avec sauce Béarnaise’ which is a very generous serve by fine dining standards. The steak is lightly charred on the outside and moist on the inside. There is a peppery watercress salad on the side and, oh, a mound of French fries covering half the plate! There are too many fries to finish, even when there is a wonderfully creamy, herby Béarnaise for dipping.

Monsieur Poisson opts for a lighter dish of ‘Pan-seared snapper fillet with salsa verde, pimentos and butter beans’. A golden seared fillet of snapper sits atop crunchy, young butter beans with a salty caper salsa punctuated by sweet pimento bits. The flavours are not French but are light, refreshing and work well together.

I have to pass on dessert but Monsieur Poisson ploughs on by ordering a ‘Crumble du Jour’ which happens to be apple and pear. Crumbles are a particular favourite of his and he is happily rewarded with his choice when he is met with what he has since described as the best crumble he has ever had. The top is both crunchy and crumbly without being powdery and the filling still has a little bite. On the side is a scoop of vanilla bean ice-cream sitting in its own little dish so that it doesn’t melt and run everywhere.

I sit back with a pot of Marco Polo Rouge tea and share some Valrhona chocolate truffles with Monsieur Poisson while he sips on a caffe latté. I consciously remind myself not to inhale when taking the first bite into a cocoa-dusted truffle but somehow manage to do so anyway. The centre is dense, smooth and fudgy and I very inelegantly suck it between my teeth. We are happy, satisfied and very full of food, and are in need of a detour for a short walk before returning to the hotel!

Bistro Guillaume

Shop 7, Crown Entertainment Complex, Southbank VIC

Tel: (03) 9693 3888

Opening Hours:  7 days  12pm-3pm (lunch)

                                    6pm til late (dinner)

happy eating!

LATEST UPDATE: Bistro Guillaume was recently demoted to being a one-hat restaurant in The Age Good Food Guide 2010.