It comes as no surprise that there's always room for one more. Restaurant I mean. Vincent has thrown open its French doors on leafy Queen Street, Woollahra. Tucked to the side of a boutique hotel, The Hughenden is a new francophile venture for chefs Todd Garratt and James Hird. The pair is well known around these parts for Buzo and the wildly popular Wine Library in the same suburb. The philosophy of Vincent is a simple one: to offer some of the best cheeses imported from France (aged in the restaurant's cheese room, obviously), to make their own cheeses and serve with some top notch drops (vino). Sounds like my kind of place!
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| My birthday bombe glacée - coffee, cocoa nib & toasted meringue. This dessert was definitely as delicious as it looked. The fluffy meringue makes the dish! |
Vincent maximises the available space with a pleasant front courtyard area and the sun room down the side. The restaurant has quite a similar vibe to Chiswick, suiting the ladies that lunch to a tee. If only the rest of us plebeians could spare the time and dosh to do this everyday. My plan B of food critic could perhaps be realised (probably in my retirement at this rate)... But no matter, there was certainly cause to celebrate - my birthday!
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| Sunny, peaceful & chilled - all those nice things. |
The menu is small plate shared style, which suited the group perfectly. There's actually a lot of choice there, with a variety of entrées e.g. potato baked in hay with smoked eel butter (YUM) working up to the heartier meat options e.g. steak frites 'beurre Vincent' (a French bistro classic). I was charged with ordering for the table, a task that I relished. Thus began a feast that rolled on, in a most delicious way!
The course of courses...
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| Baked comte custard, soubise, onion powder. The custard was a whole lot of oh my god. The texture was unbelievably delicate. The indisputable signature dish of Vincent, this was my favourite savoury dish by far! |
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| Braised lettuce 'polonaise': a rather saucy dish, added to the fact there was a soft poached egg on top |
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| Spetzle, braised oxtail, tendon, roast carrot. Home made spaetzle pasta with a slow braised sauce, a hearty made-for-Winter dish if ever there was one |
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| Spanner crab & asparagus omelette, beurre noisette. We had a hard time dividing this between everyone, tiny pieces of crab were strewn through the omelette |
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| Poulet au vin jaune: a very tasty dish, not just because I am obsessed with mushrooms. The chicken breast was succulent and tender, something that is usually difficult to achieve (even by restaurant standards) |
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| Duck crepinette, rhubarb compote, mustard greens. Yes, the serve looks small but the flavours pack a punch. The rhubarb was a very welcome addition |
DOLCE - so utterly important haha
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| Coconut sorbet, fresh mango, lime. This sorbet was so light and airy, almost like cream and rich in coconut flavour |
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Maple pot de crème = DANGER. Served with caramelised slices of brioche, the pot of crème is enough to satisfy even the sweetest tooth
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| Caramelised wafer, peach, rose & verjus. This mille feuille style dessert wasn't quite up there with the others. Poached fruit with a bit of pastry - perhaps it needed a bit more cream to bind it all a bit better? |
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| Chocolate & salted caramel tart, buttermilk mousse. A gorgeous little tart, though a good dig with a fork was required to break up the pastry. The cream I could do without (for obvious reasons) but c'est très jolie! |
After all that food and wine I was as happy as Larry. The food I really can't fault - lovely flavours with a good splash of technique. There was however a minor 'incident' with staff at the end when we were settling the bill regarding the size of our tip which left me a bit nonplussed. It rather tainted the afternoon for me. If I can't give the service top marks, make sure you go for the food, it's a treat.
Thanks for reading!
xGourmand
To the next place! You must know that I eat my way much faster than I can write...On this occasion I have found myself in the company of the Eastern suburbs poshies at Chiswick in Woollahra. The old Pruniers restaurant site had sat deserted for some years before Matt Moran waved his magic wand over the place. With a nifty looking overhaul and a kitchen garden out the back, what's not to like?
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Manicured lawns and a country townhouse revival has made Chiswick a welcome 'addition' on Ocean Street Source: GQ
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It was a hump day (Wednesday) night that we dined here and the place was rather full as well. Must be alright then! What's lovely about this place is the vibe. Chiswick is a sun drenched restaurant, with all those floor to ceiling windows. Channelling the Hamptons and country chic, Chiswick is like a little oasis that everyone happens to know about. Set back from the street, for a moment you can enjoy yourself without traffic as accompaniment. This suburban eatery is just screaming Sunday lunch. Moran was very mindful of the 'ladies that lunch' clientele and is pretty much pitch perfect on that score.
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| This was definitely a publicity shot, when is this place ever empty...? The wooden white chairs are quite stark, also comfortable! Note the green laser cut green wine bottle glasses. A nifty idea I first saw on The Thousands (here) Source: Daily Addict |
Now here's the low down on the edible stuff:
Just so you know, I had the House Ice Tea and found it to be super watery with next to no 'tea' flavour. Quite disappointed! I should have had a cocktail. What's lovely to see is the kitchen's prominent use of fresh herbs from the kitchen garden, and boy does it make a difference. The plan was to do a little Chiswick tasting menu. The plug on Masterchef S3 (the Moran family farm etc) was a good nudge in the right direction!
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| Moran's steak tartare, gaufrette potatoes: this had a nice hum with the onion. The potatoes, although they looked fantastic they were too oily and not crispy enough |
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| Veal sliders (left) and Crisp buttermilk chicken, chilli slaw, mango chutney (right). That buttermilk chicken was superb. Juicy meat and crispy outside, KFC is left for dead here. The harissa had just the right hit of spice. The veal patties were nice and tender and the pickles were perfect. The bread however, should have been toasted, it was a bit dense otherwise |
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| Wood roasted Moran family lamb, green olives, fennel. This was a massive show stopper, with the dramatic knife thing going. And with good reason too, the lamb was so succulent and falling off the bone, lit-er-ally. GAH. A total highlight of the meal. The sauce on top wasn't even necessary (also, a bit tasteless), the meat just shone. The cherry tomato and fennel salad with dill was a nice addition |
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| Hand cut chips, lemon thyme aioli (left) and Chickpea, eggplant, cumin yogurt, coriander, oregano (right). Man, those chips were gooood (and very filling haha). The aioli made is a big win. The chickpeas were a bit of a Middle Eastern curve ball, but very tasty all the same! |
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| Black forest slice, chocolate, cherries, vanilla ice cream (left) and Mango and vanilla bombe alaska, red currants (right). Now, we expected to see some fireworks here i.e. some flaming bombes but we were sadly denied this pleasure. Anyways, the bombe had a beautifully silky meringue layer and a coconut macaroon base. The black forest was rather a refined number, with vanilla ice (a bit too icy actually) and a base that reminded me of Baci chocolates. Chunks of cherry in the filling and a layer of tempered chocolate on top. What more could we ask for? |
We left a very contented table. Chiswick is a great spot, perfect for 'occasion' lunches and/or dinners. The only downside really is that food costs a mint. Without an alcoholic drop in sight we still paid over $50pp (hopefully this will become more and more acceptable as I start earning more dollar$). Chiswick's food is like (professional) home cooking wearing a pretty sundress. The food has minimal frills but is decidedly delicious. Give it a Sunday afternoon whirl.
Thanks for reading!
xGourmand
Claude's has undergone an extreme makeover of sorts. A complete overhaul in interior design has ushered in a new era for this little Woollahra shopfront. Gone are the days of pushing the doorbell to be admitted and of the stuffiness of Sydney fine dining. Claude's has been visited by swathes of food critics raving about the new do. And according to Terry Durack, apparently it's not half bad (17/20). Chef Chui Lee Luk has stayed true to applying French technique to Asian inspired dishes to deliver a menu that is clean but somewhat unconventional. Hello to the new you!
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| The downstairs bar: like visiting your uber trendy friend ja...with bar and bartender handy. The distinct lack of table cloths here speaks to the gen-Yer, more casual scene downstairs. The dangling pendant lights over each table made pretty eye candy. Pascale Gomes-McNabb has waved her magic design wand once again (see here). Photo credit: Daily Addict |
If there were not a massive hill preventing me, I could easily see this as my neighbourhood bar that I could stroll over to. It would be perfect for a pre-dinner drinkie or two before having a proper dinner. P.S. it's a good idea to book beforehand to guarantee yourself a table if you're planning to stay and dine :) Situated a couple of doors down from Wine Library on Oxford St, there have been so many times I have walked passed Claude's and not taken any notice. But today, I'd be sampling the menu available at the bar downstairs.
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| Attack of Ziggy Stardust: the upstairs (degustation only) dining room has been hit with the technicolour stick. It's a nice talking point before you get stuck in to your hours-long-feasting. Photo: Caroline McCredie |
We were shown to our table (one of two proper tables basically) and I could catch glimpses of the kitchen backwards through one of the bolt shaped mirrors. It was a very professional outfit with Chef Luk at the helm, head down and busy busy. And it was so quiet! Brilliant. The complimentary sparkling water was a nice touch. On perusing the menu it was a rather eclectic mix with offerings of charcuterie next to a Swiss cheese souffle to individual rock oysters. I suppose it all fits together in the end. Trying to fashion a dinner for ourselves, we ended up adding more dishes onto our order. Standard.
It soon became glaringly obvious who had come for the degustation dining experience and the plebs who had not (us included). We entertained ourselves trying to guess who was going upstairs and who was staying down. One clue was definitely age, clearly the baby boomers of the Eastern 'burbs were there for 'the real deal' whilst the gen-Yers stayed downstairs for bar snacks and wine (occasional alcoholics that we are). It was all a bit too easy - we discreetly judged diners wearing fur (get upstairs IMMEDIATELY), strappy stilettos and smoking jackets...how intriguing that the class divide has reached the restaurant scene! We even sighted a certain SBS news reporter heading up amongst them. Nice. Here's how we rolled:
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| Pig's face, black fungus relish sandwich. This slider trend is just unstoppable. Pork belly and chinese black fungus made for an interesting rendition. My only gripe here would be that the pork was cold. I would have preferred it warm thanks :) Nevertheless, Asian pride! |
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| Spanner crab, burnt butter crumbs on French toast. We lapped this one up! A couple of pieces of french-toasty brioche and bites of crab mixed with prawn meat. This one was completely delicious, and not an easy task to share amongst four! |
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| Ocean trout, apple dashi, palm heart. Flaky and beautifully smooth ocean trout with Asian greens. Clean, fresh, simple - bingo! It felt like having a wee detox before the next dish... |
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| Yowsers: Rangers Valley short rib, red wine & cafe de Paris. My heart stops just looking at the thing (uh, literally). Maybe that's why it's so small (and so expensive $38). So luxurious and naughty - the beef just melted in the mouth and the Paris butter helped it go down a little bit faster. And a beautiful glossy red wine sauce to round it all out. |
We also ordered the Boston Bay mussels with chilli and tamarind - a lovely sauce and fresh mussels, tiny as anything but so sweet!
The review of Claude's featured in Australian Gourmet Traveller is quite complimentary and I would echo those sentiments. The reservations they had about the downstairs operation (service) I can safely lay to rest. The food on offer is certainly 'no slouch' in the taste department. I'd imagine we only had a small peek into what delights are available to the lucky few degustation-ing. Each dish came as a small delicate portion (i.e. we want more!), each considered and finished with a delicate touch (tweezers ahoy!). Chui's food talks in moving whispers, not so much shouts across the room. The flavours are not slap in the face like we are so familiar with these days (read: Spice I Am, Porteno) more a brush across the cheek. Can you see the poetry here people? Baha.
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| Lemon curd, milk ice, muscovado. That bloody brilliant dessert that everybody's raving about (not quite but you get the picture) - my, GOD. Rated as one of the top ten desserts in Sydney. This is my #1 (at the mo anyway). The lemon curd was custardy with the right tang, accompanied with muscovado jelly (with a slight alcoholic note), coffee meringue and shavings of jersey milk ice ---- that's me DYING right now. So so perfect. Everything a dessert should be... balanced, restrained, all encompassing. Trust me, the kitchen had probably never seen a plate so clean! Photo: Caroline McCredie |
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| Dessert continues: Burnt honey souffle. I always delight in being able to order a souffle. The ones I've had at home have been rushed out from the oven only to deflate in front of your very eyes - magic! Not. A gorgeous souffle done well can't be sniffed at. Definitely not this one. Light, airy and yum! And aren't those copper pots adorable?! |
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| Chocolate Indulgence cake. Incredibly, this precise cake has been on the menu for over 30 years at Claude's and is a recipe by Josephine Pignolet. Her son Damien has a similar recipe featured here. Apologies for the terrible photograph - choquante! |
Apart from that dastardly green eyed monster (the whole night I so desperately wanted to go upstairs for the meal x8 i.e. degustation) I had a nice time! I am now busting to try the revamped and much touted upstairs dining room. Er, could we get an upgrade? The only conscientious objector to degustation amongst our party was described as being 'so weak'. Maybe next time... certainly something to look forward to! :)
Thanks for reading xo
