I've always been interested in chemistry but was never any good at it in school. I remember in class once, my science teacher had two beakers with clear liquid in them - one was water, the other was lead. It was impossible to tell the two apart until he mixed them together and it turned into a bright yellow paint-like consistency. How and what?!
Eight years later and I'm still as fascinated and as confused as ever when it comes to science. Then we have gastronomy; the fusion of science with food and art. The whole concept is completely beyond me, who even thinks of these things? My gastronomy 101 lessons came from watching countless eps of Heston's Feasts, but while I'm miles away from experiencing anything Bluementhal (obviously I didn't get picked for The Fat Duck in Melbourne), I can at least get a taste of it at chef Grant King's restaurant, Gastro Park.
Having been opened since 2011 and consistently maintaining its Two Hats status, Gastro Park has always been on my "go-to" list (along with 500 other places though, of course). After seeing their Game of Thrones inspired menu last year, I finally made it my mission to tick it off the list.
No surprises that Iwe was running late for our reservation, but we called in advance to let them know. The staff were very accommodating, taking our coats and umbrella when we arrived and made sure we settled properly before ordering drinks. I do apologise that I've forgotten to take the drink names, but they don't do many reds by glass from memory. I'm not usually a red wine drinker, but thought this went well with the courses dinner - not too sweet, nor bitter - sort of 'cleansing' between each dish.
When our complimentary amuse bouche arrived, Rvr and I just stared at it wondering what it was. To this day we don't know and I can't seem to find it anywhere online... Hiding among the stones (yes, they were real stones not imitation ones like Sepia's dessert) were two black wafer thin cracker-shells. The black soil-like filling eaten together with the micro-herbs was an interesting combinations of flavours...
Our second snack was the was wagyu on grissini. The rare paper thin slices of smokey wagyu just melted in your mouth, with a nice crunch from the grissni and saltiness from the cheese. So simple but so good.
Foie Gras, cherry, rhubarb and toasted grain
I haven't had foie gras in the longest time, it's too much of a luxury and I don't know many places in Syd that serve it. Nothing can compare to that smooth, rich and buttery goodness of foie gras. The toasted grain added a crunch, like if you were to eat it with bread/crackers, and the cherry and rhubarb gave a light sweetness to it. Perfect way to begin a meal.
California recently lifted their foie gras ban, and every time I see chefs post pictures of it on IG there's thousands of negative comments about it. There's a lot of stigma against foie gras because people often see it as animal cruelty. I've watched a couple of documentaries recently (like this one) and it's a real eye opener. I enjoy eating it and foie gras can be ethical and natural fed. As well, force feeding does not make it unethical if you put in perspective the environment of the ducks and geese. It's an interesting topic of discussion - feel free to comment on your thoughts!
Roast scallop, cauliflower tofu, leaves, branches and lobster sauce
Ermaghhaaad, scallop! Juicy, plump and sweet jewel of the sea! The lobster sauce added sweetness to an otherwise bland dish. I thought the cauliflower tofu sounded real good on paper but the flavours and texture got a bit lost since it was crumbed so finely.
Liquid butternut gnocchi with mushroom consomme
Now we get to the good stuff. This is what I've been waiting for, what food gastronomy is about to me. The little ball of gnocchi just POPS in your mouth, melts and transforms into a sweet liquid. It actually reminded me of those bobba pearls things you can get with your froyo! The consomme was rich and full of flavour, they must of used tonnes of mushroom to create such depth. Completely new levels of excitement and Rvr and I both agree this was the best dish of the night.
Excuse the lack of dish name, I'm sure it was lamb with caramelised figs... But I could be wrong as this is a super laterpost and my memory doesn't serve me as well as it should. The meat was cooked well but it wasn't anything spectacular in terms of flavours, nothing memorable to say the least.
Again, another apology for missing dish name. I'm fairly certain this was the kangaroo dish, an additional $15(?) on top of the tasting menu courses. We figured we were already there so why not? The roo was incredibly tender that went well with the jus, but like the lamb this wasn't anything I'd be writing to home about.
Crispy scaled snapper, smoked potato puree and ink sauce
The signature dish at a famous restaurant is always a must! It's like not trying the snow egg your first time at Quay, unheard of! A standard item as part of their a la carte and tasting menu and it's easy to see why by looking at it. The dish is beautiful and the saying "you eat with your eyes" has never been more appropriate. The crispy scales add a unique technique to an otherwise plain fish. The snapper was moist and juicy, but lacked a little seasoning. I loved the puffed grain cracker that was a bit salty and reminded me of eating chips with my fish. The puree was super silky with a nice hint of smokiness, which went well eaten together with the fish. I've never been a fan of ink and have always thought of it as a decorative purpose, but it def does pull together the whole presentation.
I am actually missing a photo of the quail dish we had! It tasted sort of like pork so we thought we were missing a dish until we realised... oops! The quail was juicy and I preferred it over the red meats, but like most of the mains it didn't seem too technical or gastronomically challenging.
By now we were quite full from the main courses, but it only means the best course is next... DESSERT! There's always (ALWAYS) room for dessert ^_^. And... 1-2-3-Boom.
Chocolate, honeycomb & vanilla sphere, cardamon, saffron and ginger
How sexy is this dessert? An unassuming spherical chocolate shell, crack it open and out oozes the vanilla and honeycomb lava. The honeycomb chunks are sweet, sticky and adds texture to the flowing mess. Eat all the elements in a spoonful and you can see why this dessert will never be like any other.
Gastro Park is understated fine dining and it's no wonder why it retains its two hat status year on year. It's refreshing to see Sydney offer experimental restaurants like GP who just do things a bit differently and with flair. While there were some stand out dishes (dat gnocchi tho), some also fell short of expectation and amazement - the bill was also not too amazing :'(. We were quite exhausted after the entire tasting menu, which took 2-3 hours. Rvr and I are just not very fine dining people and we're ok with that. I've also read that a lot of people were put off by the location in the heart of Kings Cross, and to that I call them cry babies. While the Cross is not like what it use to be, with the restriction of lock out laws, stepping into the restaurant you feel at least half a suburb away. The interior is rustic and darling, so don't be fooled by the location.
Food gastronomy amazes me, so hats off to King and his team for their incredible work. Now... to wait for the day I can get a seat at one of Martín Berasategui's restaurants...
Labels: food