Four in Hand

Does the thought of Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea make you a bit squeamish? Then the giant squid sketching that dominates the room only illuminated by tea lights probably isn’t for you. They seem to take Earth Hour quite seriously. Not a bad thing, except if you want to see what you’re cutting into.

That said, the avocado puree a good platform to accentuate the cuttlefish cassoulet and sweetness of the plumb seared scallops. Real skill shown to cook the medallions. Duck egg sunny side up surrounded by parsley, croutons could have used more duck meat cooked in its own fat. Chef gets creative to incorporates lesser cuts into the mains, such as the earthy ‘nose and tail’ pudding with the Berkshire pork fillet with a side of crackling and a smokey savoury pancetta jus and the tender braised beef cheek, veal tongue’s gives contrasting firmness.

Plenty of work, 16 hours to be precise, results in a baked apple terrine, the now gelatinous fruit paired with a prune and sherry ice cream. Interesting but not for me. A fail-safe marriage of spice and cocoa in the decadent dark chocolate delice that’s almost ganache, the cinnamon and nutmeg accents in the ice cream very nice.

If you can get past your phobia of the monster cephalopods, then you’ll find an old English charm to the place and good French food. Full steam ahead Captain Nemo.


3 / 5 yums!
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Where? 105 Sutherland Street (Cnr Elizabeth Street), Paddington, NSW
What? Entrees $20, Mains $30, Desserts $15