let's do lunch at bécasse

Bécasse
204 Clarence Street, Sydney
+61 2 9283 3440
www.becasse.com.au

As Good Food Month draws to a close for 2007, I decided to venture out with Vicky for one more Let’s Do Lunch - this time it was Bécasse.

Ever heard of “saving the best till last”? It was wonderful!

I tried to book two weeks ago and was told they were fully booked up for the remainder of the month, but Georgia North (co-owner, restaurant manager and spouse de chef) told me to try on the day we wanted to dine since people booked well in advance and then cancelled.

It was good advice and this morning they squeezed us in for 1:15pm.

Upon arrival we were escorted upstairs, through a very full restaurant, where most of the other diners seemed to be eating the Let’s Do Lunch special too.

Service was friendly, professional and prompt. 10 out of 10. Georgia North was decidedly thinner than last time I visited (when she was very pregnant and still managing the floor) and two of the same waitresses were still there! They must be good employers for staff to stick around in such a fickle industry.

First we were treated with a very yummy amuse bouche. The base was like a parmigiano shortbread but I can’t, for the life of me, remember what else was in it! It was very pretty, extremely tasty and provided excellent brand exposure.

Although they offered a special entrée to match the Let’s Do Lunch main, we went straight to the “slow roast rump of rose veal with crushed potatoes and a warm vinaigrette of spring vegetables”.

The veal was luscious and pink, just as the name promised. It was served cut into thin slices that just tore with pressure from a fork. The vegetables were perfectly cooked, soft but still toothsome and they were dressed in warm juices from the veal. A mash of potato, olive oil, lemon juice and (perhaps) parsley made the perfect accompaniment. The meal was so flavoursome and yet afterwards we feel refreshed.

The main was served with a glass of Brown Brother’s Barbera. I’m almost embarrassed to admit that I liked the wine. It was very sweet, not unusual for Brown although it’s softness was a good match for the veal.

Vicky and I decided to order some dessert but before this arrived we were served a palate cleanser of vanilla and cardamom pannacotta with blood orange granita. The granita was sweet yet didn’t take on the blandness I associated with alkaline blood oranges. Tiny pieces of fresh blood orange added textural contrast before we scooped up spoons of creamy, decadent pannacotta. I couldn’t taste the cardamom or vanilla overly, but the combination with the granita reminded me of a red Splice, an ice cream I ate as a kid.

For dessert, we couldn’t go past the musk stick soufflé with yoghurt ice cream and cantaloupe coulis.

This was the best soufflé I’ve had in years. It was light and tasted nothing like egg, both qualities I have been unable to find in other recent soufflés. The potentially overpowering flavour of musk was fragrant and gentle, with flecks of nuclear-pink candy peaking through the fluffy soufflé. The yoghurt ice cream was perfectly sour to counter balance the sweet musk and fruity rockmelon sauce.
The flavour combinations reminded me of Frutti della Luna, a unique gelato flavour I would order almost every day when I lived in Rome. Oh the memories!

I was very pleased that Bécasse could accommodate us: we were the last lunch table to leave the restaurant as we tried to delay the deliciousness as long as possible . . .



Tags: morsels and musings food blog food and drink australia sydney gfm sydney good food month good food month restaurant reviews restaurants reviews let’s do lunch bécasse