Decided on the Seasonal menu as my trip was coming to an end and I hadn't had much Australian produce. Besides, the Classic menu would always be available if and when I visited Core in London/ revisited.
Service:
Very thoughtful. As the only solo diner, cookbooks were arranged on my table to keep me company during the meal (no other restaurant has done so). Also, given a great view of the Harbor Bridge and Opera House. Sommelier was nice and friendly, engaged in small talk, usually they just recite the drink.
Minor quibbles, the table is very large. So if you have lots of plates, glasses, need to move things around, rather cumbersome. Also, there was some food crust on my duck knife. Despite the minor quibbles, didn't impact my dining experience.
Food:
+Amuse-bouche. Strong start, enjoyed the chicken liver tart, chicken/ duck (forgot) roulade, gougère.
~Western Australian marron 3 ways. Of the 3, the consomme was most surprising. Usually, lobster 'soup' comes in bisque form and the lobster flavor is too rich and forward for me. This was light and delicate, while keeping that depth of flavor.
+Port Phillip abalone, blue oyster mushrooms, squid. Each component provided different levels of chew. The chew helped bring out the meatiness of the ingredients. However, back to back consomme and broth was too salty for me. Nonetheless, favourite dish.
+John Dory. Tasty potato and leek mousseline. Classic champagne sauce. However, the potato scales felt redundant/ for show. Boiled/ steamed potato didn't provide a different texture or flavor from the mousseline. Akin to having lumpy bits in your mash. (Pan) frying/ baking scales might've provided additional crisp and flavor.
+Jerusalem artichoke. Really enjoyed the malt sauce. I only wish there was more of the fondant Jerusalem artichoke! Second favourite.
+Tathra place duck. Heart and sausage were delicious. Breast, standard fare, could be more pink. Smart nose to tail dish.
~Cuttaway Creek rhubarb. Palate cleanser. I was hoping the verbena dessert was still on the menu, (was most excited for it).
~Lemonande parfait, yoghurt, honey. Leans floral and on the yoghurt-y side, not very lemony, though when paired with the Temperance pairing lemonade becomes overly sour.
~Petit fours. Found the wine gummies too boozy as a final bite.
One thing I noticed was lots of restaurants are closed on Sunday and/or Monday. So if you're town hopping, spreading meals out is not so easy. One other place I would've liked to try is Hubert for their Koffman trotter, but I didn't have enough people (serves 2 – 4).
4/5
by lexicalsatire
Dining and Cooking