est. – Sydney CBD, Sydney
Have a very Merry Disco… I mean Christmas!
There was cause for celebration for Pupu as she had received word that she had passed her exam which was worth 100% of her course (yay!) and so I took her to celebrate the only way I know how… with food ^^! It was also the perfect excuse to try out a nice 3 hatted restaurant like est. which I have been wanting to try for a very long time.
Oohh purdy place
When the elevator doors opened I was in awe of the setting and atmosphere of this place. Felt very prestigious especially when the waiter explained that the owner is very concerned about photography of the place.
Browsing the menu
There were quite a few dishes that we wanted to try on the menu as they all sounded quite fantastic so we decided to go with their lunch tasting menu.
When in Rome….
Might as well get the whole treatment since we are here already hee hee. Of course, first up is the bread! There were 3 different types of sourdough to choose from and the first round produced a cold bread which made it hard to spread the butter. But the second time they came around, the bread was beautifully warm and crusty on the outside with soft and fluffy inside just the way I like it. After munching on the bread Here Comes the Food.
serrano jamon, compressed rock melon, white asparagus, almonds and nasturtium flowers
Our first dish did create a good impression as it packed a punch with its beautiful strong colours and interesting flavour combination. The jamon was smooth and silky and goes well with the soft rock melon and crunch of the almonds. The compressed rock melon was very interesting as it was slightly jelly-like and burst sweet juices with each bite. There was a good harmony between the sweet rock melon and the salty jamon.
grilled prawns and octopus, pimentos de pardon, chorizo, goats cheese feta, chilli and green olives
If I had to choose a favourite dish (out of the savoury ones) this one would have to be it. Beautifully presented with a smear of squid ink, some surprisingly large prawns and cute little green pimentos with a nice charred skin. All of the individual ingredients worked together in this dish with the feta creamy and melty and the chorizo salty and nudge of spiciness while the soft and tender prawns and octopus chunks soaked up all those beautiful flavours and burst them throughout the mouth.
steamed fillet of snapper on shaved abalone, snow peas, oyster mushroom, ginger – shallot vinaigrette
This fish was a fail for a restaurant of this caliber as we found a total of 4 scales between our 2 pieces of fish. Tsk tsk to whoever scaled these fishies, however the taste was still undeniably good. There was also an Asian fusion feel to this dish with the vinaigrette and the abalone (which was dried abalone tsk tsk). The fish was cooked perfectly to a good soft and flaky condition while the julienned snow peas were very moreish especially in the sauce.
honey glazed grilled duck breast, grilled nectarine, pak choy, black vinegar sauce
This dish also had some Asian fusion going on and to be honest I had expected something epic but was slightly disappointed. I am not saying it was bad, it was still very tasty and delicious but not as good as I had expected it to be. The duck was juicy but did not have that honey sweetness I wanted and the skin was not crispy to my liking. The nectarine was well done and gave a slight sourness which would go perfectly with some sweeter duck meat. There was also a chunk of fried polenta(?) which was crunchy on the outside and smooth on the inside.
passion fruit souffle
Whhheeeee dessert time ^^! There were two choices in the tasting menu so we had to get one of each hee hee and OMG this souffle was sooooo good! It was so light and fluffy it was like eating a passionfruit cloud. There was a good hint of passionfruit flavour which packed some sourness but the sorbet and cream balanced it out nicely. We attacked this souffle with the utmost ferocity, the poor thing did not stand a chance hee hee.
mango and pineapple, banana cake, star anise ice cream, jasmin
Our other dessert was also very spectacular with some of the sweetest mango cubes I have had so far. The banana cake was soft and fluffy and worked well with the fresh fruits and ice creams. We were not sure which one was the star anise ice cream as they did taste of other flavours as well but a bit of everything for each bite meant a beautiful melody in our mouths.
We were feeling quite chuffed at this stage
mignardises
A great way to finish off the meal with these bite-sized desserts. Each with its own unique flavour and texture. After our 2 hour lunch (longest lunch I’ve had) we waddled away content and happy with our experience at est. There were some bumps in the meal, like the fish scales, but overall it was a memorable dining experience.
est.
252 George St
Sydney, 2000
Ph: (02) 9240 3000
Head Chef: Peter Doyle
FFichiban
December 17th, 2009 at 12:29 am
I’m sure the owner doesn’t need to be worried about you photographing the place because your photos are always gorgeous =D Food looks amazing, especially the passionfruit souffle! Shame about the scales on the fish, really not something you expect in such a high-calibre place such as est. Congrats to Pupu as well!
December 17th, 2009 at 1:08 am
Oh that passionfruit souffle looks divine! The compressed rockmelon sounds very intriguing too. Well done to Pupu and aren’t you sweet for taking her out to celebrate
December 17th, 2009 at 2:20 am
I passed my courses too…shout me lunch!
December 17th, 2009 at 4:21 am
So how did you get away with photographing everything despite their ‘concern’? I’ve been stopped from taking photos in all manner of places – markets, chocolate stores, cafes – give us some tips please!
December 17th, 2009 at 7:51 am
Eating and paying for food at est, you’d want it to be something special. Looks like they delivered on the whole
Was the compressed rockmelon like the compressed mango we had at Zumbo?
December 17th, 2009 at 7:53 am
I was wondering the same thing about the photos too! The duck breast looks great but it’s a shame you were slightly let down. The presentation of all the dishes is beautifully done. There seems to be polarising thoughts about .est, so I am glad it was enjoyable.
December 17th, 2009 at 8:00 am
Yes, always georgeous photography!
And would love bite-sized desserts.
December 17th, 2009 at 8:24 am
Oh my god, everything looks so damn good. I love how your photos really capture the presentation… I never quite manage to do that with mine haha
December 17th, 2009 at 8:38 am
That passionfruit souffle looks to die for – so gorgeous!!!
December 17th, 2009 at 3:16 pm
Aww congrats to Pupu and what a great way to celebrate
I am in love with the Christmas disco ball display and those desserts look amazing! Especially the souffle!!!
December 17th, 2009 at 4:27 pm
Gorgeous! The decorations look so nice and the food- well, just so tempting! I’d definitely choose the prawn and octopus main too!
December 18th, 2009 at 1:29 am
ooh purdy indeed! haha man you always seem to go to the most beautiful restaurants
December 21st, 2009 at 9:44 pm
Ohwoar! Gorgeous photos
I love the vivid colours in them. And since when do disco balls look so chic? 