As much as I love going to chef hatted restaurants it must be planned well in advance as it would firstly, make a dent in my bank account, and secondly, tend to be difficult to book on weekends. The latter being more applicable to restaurants in Sydney. So when DT and I had a mini weekend road trip to Canberra it was the perfect opportunity to sample one of the finest and with a $66 three-course lunch menu that sealed the deal for me. Courgette has been awarded one hat for the past 4 years so I was expecting great food.

I was thrown off by the decor but it really grew on me as it was a mish-mash of minimalist and grooviness. My favourite aspect was the funky apple green chairs which were comfortable to lounge in. So far, the most relaxed and casual atmosphere I've experienced for a fine dining establishment.

Three-course lunch menu

At $66 per person, it was $22 for each course which was incredibly affordable for the quality of food served.

Bread to start

The roll was so soft and and warm and layered with butter it was incredibly comforting to eat.

Light and creamy butter which melted instantly on contact with the warm bread provided.

Plating food is such an art that I truly admire and respect especially considering you would need to replicate it countless times. For my first course I had a beautifully presented liver parfait. I was puzzled at first as I thought the terms parfait and pate were interchangeable but apparently not although a pate becomes a parfait after it has been pushed through a sieve to remove all the lumpy bits. Compared to the thick texture of the pates found in my favourite pork banh mi the parfait was obviously a huge step ahead with its superior silky smooth and creamy consistency. Seriously, it just glided on effortlessly on the most buttery toasted slices of bread I had ever sank my teeth into. Saltiness from the chicken liver parfait and the sweetness from the quince onion jam countered each other to create the best spread.

Admittedly, I was too engulfed with my first course to properly taste DT's pick so I can only provide an inaccurate brief recollection. The cannelloni filling was a prawn mince of sorts which was subtle in flavour. The most memorable feature of the dish was the cannelloni itself which I deduce attained its yellow colour through the use of turmeric powder. The filling could get away from having strong flavours due to the yellow spice's characteristically aromatic and poignant earthiness. DT wasn't particularly fond of the dish and my summation would be that it was an interesting dish with a unique medley of flavours but didn't exactly work for me. 

Dutton Park ducks are grain-fed, free range Aylesbury-Peking ducks that are aged 9 to 10 weeks to produce a duck that is leaner and meatier. Although it was leaner, the process of confit enabled the flesh to become fall off the bone tender and hence easily shredded into appropriately sized mouthfuls.  A thick ring of parsnip puree complemented the meat perfectly with its light creaminess and mild saltiness. The highlight of the poultry was most predictably the skin which was fatty and melty and well seasoned. Overall, a solid dish but it didn't knock my socks off but I am partial to Peking roast duck which is tough to beat. 

The experimentation of flavours were bold and the tart kick from the Dijon mash added a new dimension of flavour that matched well with the protein. The beef fillet was cooked medium rare and while it was fairly tender and didn't require significant effort to chew the fact that the cut was quite thick prevented it from being more enjoyable. A gravy sauce would have been more suitable as opposed to the olive jam which didn't have the sustenance and rich flavour a gravy would have offered to pair with the beef. Courgette's plating is worth commending though as the lovely contrast of colours and the delicate flowers to add vibrancy were very aesthetically pleasing. DT did remark at the time that the arrangement of the sauces looked like the shape of a band-aid and I can't un-see that image.

It was essentially three desserts in one so there were certainly no complaints about that. I don't know where to begin as every element was pretty scrumptious. I suppose I'll start with the baked chocolate mousse that was dense, decadent and rich in chocolatey goodness. It was served warm which allowed it to be even more divine with small spoonfuls of delicious crunchy nutty ice cream. A thin and crisp batter which I would liken to a cinnamon doughnut in terms of appearance and taste encapsulated a ripened and gooey banana. It was so good, even DT couldn't help himself and kept stealing parts of my dessert.

Marvelled by large shards of chocolate and caramel upon a white chocolate cheesecake log, it was a delightful sight. However, in this case the dessert looked better than it tasted. The cheesecake had a wonderful texture but lacked in flavour because as far as white chocolate goes, I didn't detect much of it. I did like that it was rolled in toasted ground hazelnuts which added needed crunch against the soft and smooth texture of the cheesecake. The best part of the dessert was without a doubt the shards. Dark, white and milk chocolate, and sweet sweet caramel, I happily ate them all as DT had no desire to.

Courgette represented great value for money for being a chef hatted restaurant. It excelled in presentation but the dishes were hit or miss. The standout was the chicken liver parfait which was splendid and unlike anything I've ever had. I also really enjoyed the chocolate mousse with ice cream and banana fritter on the side. The confit duck and steak were above average. For a hatted restaurant I was expecting more of a wow factor but I wouldn't rule it out completely, it was still a lovely restaurant serving decent food with good service.

I always look forward to the complimentary bread offered during fine dining and sour dough bread seems to be the carb of choice which is unfortunate for me as the sourness of the bread and toughness of the crust hasn't won me over. There is nothing classy about trying to tear through a slice of these with my teeth and I always leave evidence of my messy eating in the form of scattered crumbs on an otherwise immaculate table.

To counter that sourness, I smothered it generously with the amazingly soft and smooth butter which helped redeem the bread. There is something oddly satisfying about getting the butter to seep into those crevices and then having it ooze out as you bite into the bread slice. Though not on par with Tetsuya's famous truffle butter it tasted very light and had a whipped cream consistency which made it a dream to spread.

I went with a non-alcoholic beverage and frankly, I was not pleased with my choice although DT enjoyed it. I suppose it was too much of a "manly" drink for me which I wasn't expecting, and I particularly didn't like the aftertaste of the thyme honey. Now that I think about it, the fact that in the description "sparkling" was included it should have rung alarm bells in my head as I dislike sparkling anything with a passion. Lesson learned.

How funny that DT ended up with such a "girly drink" unlike me and I preferred it a lot more because I like my alcohol with strong sweet notes in order to mask that bitterness.

The flesh of the bug was so exquisite, not unlike the texture of prawn however it was more firm and succulent and best of all, didn't have that characteristic prawn taste which I despise. It was flavoured perfectly with XO sauce and it didn't overpower the star of the dish as opposed to Quay's XO sea treasures which had the seafood sitting in a pool of it and as a result I wasn't particularly fond of that dish. The organic turnips and radishes were delightful elements and not only did they make the meal aesthetically pleasing with its gorgeous colours, they were also refreshing on the palate.

Brilliant mixture of flavours and textures and the perfection that was the spherical egg yolk made it all the more difficult to burst and watch it disappear into the depths of what DT described as a cereal - a gourmet umami version of course. The wagyu tartare tantalised my tastebuds with its smokiness and I could barely tell that it was raw especially when coupled with a spoonful of the blend of crispy puffed grains, mushrooms, seaweed and sesame.

DT enjoyed his choice for the main course of which I had a couple of bites of and I was not disappointed. I can vouch that the protein was perfectly cooked to medium rare and had that beautiful pinkess to show for it. The fillet could be cut through effortlessly and was very tender and full of juiciness. Toasted hazelnuts, Swiss brown mushrooms and smoked parsnip were carefully placed to complete the flavours and textures and the wonderful plating. 

When the waiter came by and placed this in front of me I was taken aback at how large the portion was and I definitely don't mean that in a bad way because when one is splurging on fine dining, one envisions meals that are easily polished off with a few bites. The fish, being served on the bone meant the provision of an empty bowl to put those troublesome and fiddly things in. The flesh was easily pried away from the main network of bone however you would have to worry about the little translucent ones which were quite abundant throughout. While more effort was involved in delivering food to my stomach it was so worth it as the fish was perfectly cooked to achieve a slightly crisp, flavoursome skin and flesh that was devoid of any dryness. The coastal greens and orach were saturated with umami butter making them extra juicy and allowed them to literally explode with umami flavour in the mouth however the downfall to that would be the hits of saltiness which did become too apparent and overwhelming.

Bennelong's complimentary cake for the birthday boy came out with a lighted candle and it was certainly a much appreciated and thoughtful touch to what was already a very enjoyable evening. The cake itself was delicious. The dollops of piped cream was so airy and light and likewise can be said for the layers of sponge. Upon savouring my first bite I was instantly reminded of the textures of Black Star Pastry's watermelon cake but I think I prefer Bennelong's cake more because of the inclusion of white chocolate, it's a tough choice. The delicately sliced raspberries matched the overall flavours of the cake which overall wasn't overly sweet.

A popular dessert choice among diners and choosing it was a no-brainer for me. There was no way I could resist the temptation of what was essentially eight layers of mouth-watering chocolate goodness. To be honest, I couldn't distinguish between those different textures individually but I can say that it was extremely decadent and very rich. The pouring of chocolate ganache was the perfect finishing touch.

Such fail at cutting because you can't see the layers at all but let's admire how thinly the chocolate was tempered and the glorious consistency of the ganache.

My expectations for this raved about dessert were more than fulfilled and I personally loved this a lot more than the Snow Egg from Quay which I thought was a bit of a letdown. Everything about Peter Gilmore's fancy lamington, from the beautiful chocolate glaze, the light sponge enriched with sweet  and tart cherry jam and the delicate flakes of coconut ice cream which melted on the tongue were nothing short of amazing. I will never think of a lamington the same way again, move over desiccated coconut, coconut ice cream flakes are where it's at.

I highly recommend Bennelong restaurant for an excellent fine dining experience, a three-course dinner will set you back $130 per person but it's relatively good value for money as the portions are decent and DT and I left surprisingly full which meant no burgers from Mary's as a second dinner.

LuMi Bar & Dining is ever so popular for its relatively affordable degustation so of course it had to be ticked off my list. LuMi is located in Pyrmont and its wide panelled windows permits views of the waterfront and there's plenty of natural sunlight, on a nice sunny day of course. When DT and I arrived we were the first people there and were seated right away. The service was attentive but not intrusive and the food was paced well.

Appetisers to share (left to right): Cheese tartlet and corn, salt and vinegar rice chips, potato and rosemary focaccia

We finally made a booking to try Sokyo which is located in The Star at Pyrmont. Sokyo is considered expensive but I believe the quality of the food is excellent and you can leave feeling quite full without spending as much as on a degustation at any other fine dining restaurant. I am planning my next visit to Sokyo as it is truly a gem of a Japanese restaurant in Sydney. Now onto the food.

I couldn't help but silently stare in awe at how gorgeous the presentation was as it was placed on our table. Honestly, it looked too pretty to eat! Tuna would have to be one of the fish I quite enjoy eating raw and when it is seared, well that makes it even better. The tuna was incredibly soft in texture and I loved how the searing brought out a lovely smokiness to the fish and added flavour. The intricately plated salad was refreshing and really helped to cut the density and rich flavour of the tuna.

The description of the cocktail led me to believe that this would be a relatively sweet cocktail however it was quite the contrary. It was quite sour and found it hard to finish, only managing a few sips in-between dishes.

I had the pleasure of celebrating my 24th birthday at Quay thanks to DT and it was a much anticipated dining experience, mostly for the famous snow egg made popular by the Master Chef TV show. We came on a weekday because that allowed for a booking 2 to 3 months in advance as opposed to weekend bookings which are much harder to secure. Unfortunately that night our view was obstructed by a cruise ship so that was quite disappointing but not the restaurant's fault so I will let that slide. We were originally set on the four course dinner menu but were finally swayed towards the tasting menu so we could sample a bit of everything they had to offer.

DT and I went here back in December last year to celebrate our 3 year anniversary. We had booked 2 months in advance via their online booking system. I originally wanted to dine at Quay because I really wanted to try their famous Snow Egg dessert after watching Masterchef but they were booked out.

Aria was just how I expected it to be, very fancy and upper class and offered a nice view of The Opera House. The wait staff are very professional and extremely well-mannered so the service was excellent.

This entree was a consomme consisting of duck dumplings, shaved abalone and mushrooms. The soup was rich in flavour and was reminiscent of the Chinese herbal soups my mum used to make. The dumplings were tender and the skin smooth in texture and not doughy at all. While the entree was good I don't believe it was worth $39 as it did not amaze me.

I am sad to discover that this restaurant has been closed down for business and has been replaced by Chur Burger.

What used to be Assiette has recently been transformed into Albion Street Kitchen and I was extremely excited to try this restaurant after buying a voucher from Travelzoo. The $49 voucher entitled us to $100 worth of food from their entire menu which was definitely good value.

The service was great, staff were friendly and attentive.

DT and I ordered 2 entrees, 2 mains, a side and 2 desserts to share between us. We didn't wait long for the food to come out which was awesome as I was fairly hungry and I was expecting the food to take a lot longer to appear.