Modern Australia

Bentley Restaurant + Bar – Sydney City – Tuesday 6 June 2023 – Dinner
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Bentley Restaurant + Bar – Sydney City – Tuesday 6 June 2023 – Dinner

It doesn’t matter how much I love an experience at an expensive restaurant, the chances of me going back are slim because of my propensity to try something new. As I approach Bentley Restaurant + Bar, the question is have I ever really been here?

In a different building, in a different suburb, with a distinctly different feel, the past decade (and a bit) since I have been here must have some stories behind it. Some aspects are similar with a seven course menu offered, and the same team behind the food and wine leadership. It goes to show how important the brains behind a restaurant are, and the ability to change and adapt to a restaurant scene that is incredibly demanding.

I didn’t see Sydney during the pandemic; it was hard enough to leave my postcode in Melbourne! As Vivid Sydney goes on in the background, there is no obvious impact of the pandemic in the numbers moving around the CBD, or in this dark, restrained, dining room.

Dining alone, and not being a huge eater, I decide on the three course menu (plus snacks, and petit four for good measure) at $150. For me, the amount of food is more than enough, and the variety is superb. But let’s start with the wine given the long time celebrity of Nick Hildebrandt’s wine lists.

Exceeding my lofty expectations, I drank extremely well tonight, and took home some extra knowledge too. In particular my extra learnings about the Savoie region of south eastern France, with its tiny plots, and particular love of wines made from the Altesse / Roussette white grape. The 2020 Maison Bonnard ‘De Montagnieu’ Roussette is stunning, and from my searches since is clearly a wine that is difficult (not impossible) to put on a list (or find for home!)

Not to be completely outdone, the 2015 Keith Tullock ‘Museum Release’ Semillon, grabs me on the list of white wines by the glass. Aged Hunter Semillon is a thing for a reason, and I think should be an option at more bars and restaurants. Later with my pork neck, the 2022 Murdoch Hill ‘Vis-A-Vis’ Cabernet Franc from the Adelaide Hills is a wonderful demonstration of a varietal that too often is smothered by Cab Sauv. As another option, a Dolcetto d’Alba was also provided to taste, which was a nice touch.

Speaking of the pork neck, it comes from Bangalow, served very generously with an unusual Chinese lettuce called “celtuce” with a macadamia puree. The pork neck is strong and rich, cooked delicately. I find myself going for some of the celtuce with each bite to temper the indulgent neck, and the macadamia allows some complimentary softness.

Earlier I’d started with snacks that were mainly superb. In particular the tender kangaroo striploin could be served at the end of a banquet and you’d still want more, and more. The tiger prawn, finger lime, and grilled hispi (cabbage), combination is also delightful. On the flipside, I didn’t appreciate the pearl meat, which may be an acquired taste. It was definitely enhanced by the charred grape underneath, but it was the lowlight of my entire meal.

In between the snacks and pork neck, coral trout is barely touched, prettily sitting in a disk with bright orange roe, and a jamon broth surrounding. Helped along by the Savoie, I enjoyed the combination of flavours, but found myself wanting for some contrasting texture towards the final bites.

Wait service, especially wine service, had been great through the evening. The dining room is full, but nicely spaced, and there are diverse groups, including some young adults with their parents (lucky things!) There is nothing awkward about dining alone, and gladly the staff do not try to compensate by spending more time at my table than others.

For dessert I am served the liquorice custard. Inside is white chocolate and mandarin. Here the softness makes complete sense; the sweetness is balanced; and the flavours all work with each other. Even better is the cold petit four following. When has ice cream covered in chocolate ever been passe?

I’m back at Bentley after a long time and just like the last time I want to come back again. It’s when not if, but with so many offerings in the stable of Brent Savage and Nick Hildebrand the question is whether I will make it before I try Monopole, Yellow, or Cirrus, on a future trip to Sydney?

Bentley Restaurant + Bar
https://www.bentleyrestaurantgroup.com.au/bentley-restaurant-bar
27 O’Connell Street, Sydney
(02) 8214 0505
Dinner Tues – Sat; Lunch Thurs & Fri
info@thebentley.com.au

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Hazel – Melbourne, City – Tuesday 2 November 2021 – Dinner

There are not too many people who would rather style over substance when it comes to food. Sure, there is a place for the fancy, but genuine flavour is prime. While some of my favourite dishes I’ve had are beautiful to look at, the reason I remember them is the taste, which is the sense that dominates when it comes to dining, even though visuals are also important.

Here, at Hazel, the style is strong, but the substance is palpable. Is it crazy to say my favourite dish was the barbecued potatoes with shoyu (Japanese style soy) and saltbush. To say these potatoes are cooked perfectly is a tremendous understatement. Like most of us, having had potatoes in the many forms, many times, this one had me thinking of the perfect consistency of Attica’s “potato cooked in the earth it was grown”. It was that good that to call it a side is offensive. I could happily have these on the bar on their own prior to my other favourite dish of the evening.

Before I get to my dessert, with the potatoes, Catherine and I also tried the chopped salad, and scotch fillet with mushroom butter. The chopped salad, you may find humorous, was epic. It is hard to describe why, and how, it was so great, and I’ve tried a few times to blank looks. In summary it is a combination of the most gorgeous fresh vegetables chopped in a small and rustic fashion. If I could get this in my repertoire I could win friends with salad.

The scotch fillet was very nicely cooked, and the mushrooms really shone. Somehow the steak took a back seat to our “sides” but was still excellent. Earlier we had a pig’s head croquette each, which were rich and delicious, topped with some nettles that had seemingly been pounded in a mortar and pestle. The charred octopus could have been a little more charred for my taste, but the broad beans were superb, and featured in the chopped salad too.

Back to dessert. The honey tart is quite simply stunning. Paired with cultured (sour) cream to balance the sweetness of the honey, this is a meticulously created dessert, from a technical perspective primarily, but because of the perfect technique, the result is a dish that I want to eat again now.

This ode to farm-to-table dining in the city is not in a rustic space. The dining room is sleek and stylish, with pale tones, and a bar acting as the centrepiece of the main room, with other spaces upstairs and next to the main room. There is a minimalist feel, with artistic touches, such as the sketch on the menu, which captures your attention immediately on being seated. The location in Richard Allen & Sons on Flinders Lane near many polished restaurants such as Kisume and Supernormal, is a smart choice from management.

We recognised one of our waitstaff who worked at places such as Bistro Gitan, and had a great manner about her. Generally service was good, and there is no stuffiness, even though the whole venture is very professional. When we entered early after Melbourne Cup day at Flemington, there was one table with a little baby enjoying herself (but very well behaved), and when we left a couple of hours later the whole restaurant was full on a Tuesday.

Catherine had discovered Hazel because the head chef, Brianna Smith, worked at Blue Hill at Stone Barns in upstate New York. We haven’t been to that three Michelin star masterpiece, but we’ve been to the city sister restaurant in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village and Hazel captures some of that vibe. Though in the end, the only vibe we needed is what was captured on our plates during a delicious meal, showcasing the best local producers and their seasonal produce. The low waste cooking, and sustainable sourcing, adds even more weight to the script.

Hazel
164 Flinders Lane, Melbourne
https://hazelrestaurant.com.au/
+61 3 9070 4938
info@hazelrestaurant.com.au