Friday, March 08, 2013

Tetsuya's

This place does not need any introduction really. Thanks to "C", "L" and I were given the opportunity to dine at this legendary place.



Eating at Tetsuya's is not just about the food, upon stepping into the restaurant, you are introduced to your personal waitstaff for the night and then led to your table which is strategically facing a Japanese orientated indoor garden away from the hustle and bustle of down town Sydney. Immediately you feel welcomed, relaxed and ready to settle in for the next three hours.

We were tended to by "Adam" that night who was most professional and very generous with the breads and spreads as well.


Given the choice of freshly baked Italian white and wholemeal, the breads were accompanied by a spread that was most delectable. It was a mix of Ricotta, Unsalted butter, Reggiano and truffle. Just as Adam stated, it was super addictive and we had many serves of it throughout the meal!
The meal consisted of three entrees, five main courses and four desserts.
Chilled Pea Soup with Dark Chocolate Mousse. The pea soup had a nice balance between a savoury and vegetal flavour with an added surprise from the bitter sweet chocolate mousse.

Savoury Custard with Avruga caviar. Egg custard with hand made caviar, finely chopped shallots and a touch of cream.


Salad of the Sea. A selection of Sashimi, fresh leaves and root vegetables.

Moreton Bay Bug Tail with Braised Witlof and Caviar Cream. The first warm main of the night.

Confit of Petuna Ocean Trout with Fennel, Unpasteurised Ocean Trout Caviar. THE signature dish from Tetsuya served with a balsamic vinaigrette salad.
 
Baby New Zealand Snapper with Soy Butter and Namko Mushrooms. This dish had a particular Chinese feel to it in contrast to the previous fish dish.

Grilled Breast of Partridge with Pearl Barley and Cavolo Nero. An exceptional combination of flavour, the savouriness from the meat and the tartness from the berries. All cushioned on a bed of braised barley and kale.

Lamb Backstrap with Summer Vegetables and Sheep's Yoghurt. The lamb was very tender and tasty. Along with it were rolled up anchovies which gave a rather nice addition to the dish.

Pear Sorbet. The first dessert of the night and also serving as a palette cleanser, this icy concoction was bursting with pear goodness.

Green Apple and Mint Ice Cream with Basil Jelly. Here, you can taste fresh apples with mint along with an added depth of basil.

Chocolate Fondant with Hazelnut and Praline. Chocolate and Hazelnut Marquise with Cognac Ice Cream. As it was a belated birthday treat from "C", I was presented with a mini chocolate fondant along with its very own candle. "L" was served the Marquise with Cognac ice cream.

Petit Four. A selection of after dinner sweets to accompany our tea and coffee. A fantastic finish to our meal.

529 Kent Street,
Sydney NSW 2000
(02)9267 2900
www.tetsuyas.com

B

Thursday, March 07, 2013

Classic French tucked away in Potts Point, Mere Catherine

In our early days in Sydney, "L" (Another companion) and me were researching into the best french food we could find. Mere Catherine was highly recommended and we decided to give it a try.

This quaint looking restaurant looks rather unassuming from the outside. In fact its interior only accommodates about 5 tables for each sitting, therefore it is ideal to call and make reservations beforehand.

So after perusing through the menu, L and I decided to go with the following:

A bottle of "Chemin Des Papes 2011" and some garlic bread to start of the meal.

To be honest, I am not really a connoisseur of wine but this bottle of red accompanied the meal perfectly.

The Garlic Bread was rich and buttery and the parsley gave it its signature herbal depth.

For entrees, we went with 2 different soups and a salad (needed the greens to keep it healthy!)

Pottage Lucifer as it's named consisted of a creamy and savoury base with shredded cabbage on top. Oh, it's spicy characteristic most befits its name too.

Age old French Onion Soup. This traditional dish came with a huge cheesy crouton (much to my delight)!

Roquefort Salad. Fresh cabbage tossed through a blue cheese dressing and garnished with spring onions.


For the mains, L and I went for the "Chateubriand, sauce bearnaise" for 2.




The Chateubriand came with a generous side of Creamy Spinach. For that added sizzling effect, you can choose to pour the bearnaise sauce onto the hot plate, however we chose not to just to avoid making a mess of the table.

Although we were totally satisfied at this point, we believed that the french tradition of ending the meal with dessert had to be observed. We proceeded to order the following:

Creme caramel. Homemade with perfection. Without being overpoweringly sweet enhanced by the ever slight bitter touch of the burnt sugar.

Chocolate Mousse. Thick, creamy and chocolaty. Absolutely Decadent.

Overall we were very happy with our first visit to this joint and believe that there will be many more happy times spent there in the future!

166 Victoria Street
Potts Point, NSW 2011
(02) 9358 2000

B

Greetings from Sydney everyone!

Hi there everyone,

I will be covering the gastronomic adventures mostly from down under and in the greater scheme of things in the southern hemisphere.

Whilst D is situated in the west, I am currently residing in Australia and will endeavor to cover as many places as possible.

The following posts will be reviewing various recommended eating spots in Sydney and it's surrounding suburbs.

Sit back, relax and hopefully, enjoy this experience with us.

Thank you!

B