SingleThread (*) – Sydney, Australia

SingleThread (Michelin ***) decided to come to Sydney for a month (28 July – 23 August), with the owner chef Kyle Connaughton and a portion of their kitchen, FOH teams coming as well (some of them stayed in the US as they are still operating there too).

Their course is quite Japanese-influenced but not a kaiseki either. They still focus heavily on the heavier/bolder flavours of Western fine dining. I thought they included a good level of creativity in their dishes although I do think the ingredient quality at top Japanese kaiseki restaurants are way better and prefer them)

Overall though, I thought SingleThread produced pretty good food (aside from their appetisers which I thought were very mediocre).

Their duck farfait really stood out to me as a standout, with the flavours having a deep umami. The outside layer was slightly crispy with the inside soft and buttery, paired with vinegared vegetables to cut through the saltiness.

The marron (shellfish) was also good, being lighter in flavour a bit more similar to a traditional Japanese style dish (probably the closest dish to what you would get at a kaiseki meal).

They had a Murray cod grilled over a traditional Japanese grill (with cherry blossom bark), then wrapped in a barley crepe with a tare (sauce) of fish bones, black vinaigrette. The aroma was really good for this one, giving it a nice smoky smell and subtle smoked taste.

The dry aged duck had a beautiful crispy skin, with an intense flavour, paired with a nice fresh cabbage.

The final savoury dish was a Wagyu mb9+ dish with rice cooked in beef stock, producing a strong buttery flavour almost like risotto. This was also paired with mushrooms and slow cooked (48 hour) braised short rib.

Most of the courses after the initial set of appetisers were generally good (at least based on my relative experiences of other Western fine dining restaurants).

To try and replicate their farm to table approach, they actually got the Bathers Pavillion restaurant (where they are operating out of) to grow produce which would be used during their stay in Australia. Full course was:

Hassun (Appetisers)

1. Oyster from Douglas Bay
2. Mackerel with Carrot Sauce and Pepper Reduction
3. Silver Trevally Sushi with Red Shiso
4. Scallop Tamago with Crab Paste
5. Bluefin Tuna (Akami and Chutoro)
6. Turnip panna cotta & Sturgeon Caviar
7. Fried Turnips with Pumpkin Seed Sauce

Mains

1. King George Whiting Tempura & Pumpkin Tempura with Umeboshi Sauce (top Japanese restaurants do tempura way better, from quality of ingredients to overall execution)
2. Molten Potato with Sea Urchin (Port Phillip) and Yarra Valley Trout Roe
3. Prawn Mousse, Chawanmushi, with Poached Marron &

Prawn Consommé
4. Duck Parfait with Winter Greens, Fingerlime Seeds, Pink Lady Apples
5. Smoked Murray Cod Wrap (Over Cherry Blossom Bark on an Ibashi Gin grill), with Miso of Nettle & Shio Koji Fish Bone Tare, Black Vinegarette, Radish Salad
6. Olive Tapenade, sliced mandarin, toasted soybean, mandarin sorbet with lemon myrtle
7. Dry Aged Wollemite Duck, Grilled, garlic Sabayon, Cabbage
8. Wagyu (MB9+) with Rice cooked with beef broth, braised short rib (48 hours) and mushroom

Dessert

1. Barley cake with cream and honey, beeswax ice cream, homemade Madeline with bees pollen dusted on top and caramel inside
2. Mint and marigold tea with Japanese snacks (cheesecake with blackberry, kanten jelly, dango with toffee glaze)

While the meal overall was quite good, I think I generally still prefer traditional Japanese kaiseki that really lets the ingredients shine. The meal was approx $750 AUD before drinks and $850 AUD after drinks per person.