There never seems enough time to get ready, no matter how much time I think I have and how much I try to organize everything in advance. Things never look quite the way they do in my head and I lack the patience to dress rehearse outfits. Anyway, it all came together.
Barely had a chance to sit down before the taxi arrived. Bye – gotta run! See you at Becasse.
I think run was an optimistic plan. Walking in heels doesn’t come easily to me – let alone trying to run from where I stopped the taxi to where Becasse actually was. The difference between 104 and 204 Clarence St seems like miles when you’re in heels. I think I will gladly leave heels and the city to SJP. I padded along the street in my bare feet, while holding my shoes and trying not to look like I was getting in after the night before at 7pm.
Becasse is housed in a beautiful split storey space just away from the main streets of the CBD. The decor is warm with just a touch of luxe. The flocked wallpaper actually reminds me of our wedding invitations – so I guess the restaurant was the right choice for dinner. We went for the degustation menu and shared a bottle of Tasmanian sparkling. It had lovely lychee notes and was just right for the meal. Becasse also have a vegetarian degustation menu as well as a la carte. All the information is on the link I made to this post above.
I love bread. My favourites are the in house varieties that Sydney restuarants seem to excel at. There always seems to be 3 or more varieties and the staff are very generous in refilling your bread plate. The 3 varieties last night were a pumpkin bread (complete with a piece of pumpkin inside), a sour dough (the branching bread) and I think the last one had potato and rosemary in it. My favourite was the pumpkin.
Besides the standard butter for our bread, Becasse also serve an emulsion of olive oil. It is delicious and I am a huge fan. Never quite got used to olive oil and balsamic vinegar with bread.
The amuse bouche. Fennel and trout.
On the left is a view of the wine cellar (is it a cellar if it’s on the first floor?). The candle lit staircahse on the right. I think the candles were in preparation for lights down at 8.30pm.
The salad of organic autumn vegetables. Pea mousseline, white carrot puree, black olive and lemon balm.
A view of the kitchen and a hen’s night in progress in the mid ground. It was a very sedate affair.
Yabby tails and heirloom tomatoes. Green zebra gazpacho (you really can see the zebra effect in the gazpacho). The olive oil sorbet sounds strange but worked well in this dish.
I love the light fixtures. They were dimmed for Earth Hour.
Then arrived my favourite dish of the evening. Low temperature cooked Hapuka fillet.
Sigh. It was deluxe. I don’t know exactly how low temperature cooking works or is done but it was the perfect way to cook this dish. The fish was served with braised leeks, baby onions, clam beignets, curry and creme fraiche.
Fricassee of king prawns and hand rolled macaroni, above. Served with local prosciutto and smoked crustacea butter.
Below is the braised pork tails and smoked scallops.
For the next course, Mr SSG had the 12 hour briased shoulder of salt bush lamb with roast loin, aubergine, black olive oil and savoury jus.
I had the roast Gundooee organic grass fed Wagyu, saute of mushrooms, red wine and bone marrow, below. In true old married couple style, we swapped plates half way.
Creme fraiche pannacotta with kiwi fruit granita for the first dessert. Heaven. I love the green!!!
This is Mr SSG’s banana creme brulee with salted peanut brittle and milk coffee sorbet. Unfortunately, he’s not really a dessert person so I had to finish it for him.
As well as my dessert – fresh autumn berries with lemon verbena and white chocolate parfait and an almond dentelle.
It was a special meal for a special evening and I couldn’t have picked a more perfect person to share it with.
