Fine Dining at Tetsuya's
October 24, 2013
Tetsuya's
is discreet in its location, hidden away from the hustle and bustle of the CBD.
I booked 2 months in advance and only managed to secure a reservation because I booked for a weeknight. All weekends were booked out which was certainly no surprise.
Upon
arrival we were greeted and were immediately shown to our table. Service was
prompt, professional and not intrusive at all. The restaurant decor was
minimalist and modern with a fusion of Japanese design. I regret not taking a photo of the Japanese garden outside.
We ordered a cocktail each, the names of which fail
to come to my memory. But my oh my, I will admit that it was the first ever
cocktail I thoroughly enjoyed. It was a lovely blend of iced tea which was
extremely refreshing. I remarked that this would be a great drink to have
during those hot summer days if only I could replicate it.
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| Famous truffle butter |
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| Fancy shell bread |
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| Pacific oysters |
Our
first dish was the oysters which was not part of the 10-course
degustation and something that we could order if desired. I was not too keen on it admittedly but was glad DT decided to get
them. They were Pacific oysters marinated in rice wine vinegar and ginger. The
oysters were silky smooth and the Asian flavours really helped to mask the fishy taste. They were void of the gritty texture which was a
thumbs up from me.
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| Savoury custard with avruga |
Next up was the savoury custard with avruga. Avruga is herring roe which is used as a caviar substitute (according to Wikipedia). The presentation greatly resembled sago pudding however this was not a dessert. It was an interesting dish especially with the bursts of roe and it did take some getting used to as it was a tad salty. The texture was like a thin custard so it was not heavy at all.
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| Salad of the sea |
Salad of the sea wins in the presentation category. This was a very
beautiful and refreshing salad with some extremely good sashimi. The fish was
thinly sliced so it almost seemed to melt in the mouth. There was actually a
small portion of rice underneath so I would liken it to a deconstructed sushi
or nigiri with a salad. One of the stand-out dishes for me.
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| Marinated scampi with walnut oil and egg |
This
would be my least favourite dish of the entire degustation. It was marinated
scampi with walnut oil and an egg yolk nestled inside. I did not like the
texture, it was too soft like baby food and it was lacking in flavour. The egg
yolk was a nice element but it did not go together well in my opinion. DT
enjoyed the dish however so it must be because I am not a big fan of seafood
and had never tried scampi before.
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| Confit of petunia trout with a salad of celery, witlof, apple and unpasteurised ocean trout roe |
Lo
and behold Testuya's signature dish. The confit of ocean trout was like art on
the plate and tasted amazing with the roe and thinly cut celery, witlof and
apple. The trout is topped with a nice savoury crust consisting of konbu (dried
seaweed). I cannot even begin to describe the texture of the trout other than
it was so easy to cut through and almost melted in the mouth. I am not even a
fan of raw fish but this was fantastic.
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| Blue cog with baby kale and celeriac puree |
Pictured above was the blue cod with baby kale and
celeriac puree. This was an average dish for me. The fish was cooked nicely but
there was nothing that really made me go wow. The puree was quite good though.
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| Tea smoked quail breast with parsnip and calamari |
Thankfully
the next dish made up for the blue cod. This was tea smoked quail breast with
parsnip and calamari. The quail was extremely succulent, tender and full of
flavour. The calamari was particularly amazing because it did not taste like
the tough and chewy calamari I have become accustomed to having. There
was no bite to it at all which made me second guess it was noodles.
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| Seared loin of venison with seasonal beetroot and native Australian apples |
The seared venison with beetroot and apples was
another outstanding dish. The venison was very tender and seasoned perfectly. I
am not a big fan of rare meat but this was definitely an exception and you really have to applaud Tetsuya's on their presentation.
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| Lychee granita with strawberries and coconut |
Now
it is time for my favourite part of the degustation: desserts! The first
dessert was lychee granita with strawberries and coconut sorbet. I am not fond
of heavy desserts so everything about this was perfect. The sorbet was amazing
with a strong hint of coconut but not overwhelming at all and the lychee
granita with the diced strawberries was a match made in heaven.
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| Bread and butter pudding |
Next was bread and butter pudding. Who knew that there could be such a fancy rendition. It looked like a
creme brulee but there was actually bread at the bottom that was soaked with sugary goodness. The top was perfectly torched to achieve the perfect
crunch and once I dug in, it was delectable sweetness throughout.
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| Creme D'Anjou with pistachio and raspberry |
The
next dessert I did not enjoy as much because of the cheese. I could not fault the pistachio ice cream
but the cheese did not cut it for me as I like my desserts to be quite sweet.
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| Tetsuya's chocolate cake |
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| Petits Fours |
We finally reach the end of the degustation with
the Petits Fours. They look decently sized in the photo but once you dine at
Tetsuya's you'll be surprised at how miniature and cute they are. The best of
the lot would be the profiteroles, the custard inside was delicious.
All
in all Tetsuya's was quite amazing although not every dish was to my liking.
Each dish is intricately executed and made with quality ingredients so it is
definitely pricey, but worth it for the experience if you are in for splurging
for a special occasion.
1 comments
the cod looks a bit overcooked and the Trout Rose look like to was left out for too long in the pic but at least you enjoyed it
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