Top Marque

For a special birthday treat (maybe more for me than him) I took my hubbie to Marque restaurant in Surry Hills for the degustation menu. Marque is an understated elegant restaurant on Crown Street and they pride themselves on showcasing the food more than the views! We've heard fabulous reviews of the restaurant so I was excited to be trying it finally!

The first course came out, a mandarin crisp which was so fruity it was almost juicy (even though it was a thin crisp!) and a large prawn cracker. After this unusual palate cleanser the real show began with course after course of interesting textures, fascinating cooking techniques and delicious flavours.

We started with an Almond Jelly with Blue Swimmer Crab on a sweet corn custart. It had crumbs of Popcorn to add a little texture.

Next was a normal Calamari straw, with a Calamari pickled in Ink which had a texture of kelp, with some compressed mint. This was probably my least favourite course of the night. It was a bit difficult to eat, although was interestingly flavoured!

One of the most delicious courses followed, a wafer thin potato crisp sandwich, filled with bonito, fois gras butter and olive truffle. The crisp of the potato contrasted to the creamy fois gras and the dish just melted in his mouth!

The course that bridged the seafood to the meat was a beautiful duck egg poached at 60 degrees for 45 mins. The resulting egg was soft and sticky inside and perfectly cooked. The small brussel sprout crispy leaves were a delicious complement to the egg!

The next course was unusual and probably my favourite course of the night - Pigeon with Poached Oyster in a foam, on Sautéed Lettuce. The little Pigeon leg was flavoursome and tasty, but not as succulent as the amazing breast meat. It looked beautifully decorated on the plate with some little edible flowers.

Wagyu Beef with Onion, Black Tea & Stem Salad, with a Sorrel sauce was the final savoury course. It was beautifully cooked and tender with a great flavoured fresh sauce.

To ease us into the Dessert we had a Pre-Dessert which was a luxurious Sauternes Custard served in an egg cup. It really did look like a soft boiled egg but didn't last as long - there would have been no patience for soldiers!

Finally, we finished on a fun combination of flavours called "Pomme Pomme:" Jerusalem Artichoke ice cream with apple, caramel, cocoa and chestnut tasty sauces. The balance of tastes was a really nice fresh,  and the dessert wasn't too sweet an end to a fabulous meal.

Happy Birthday Cam!

For a special birthday treat (maybe more for me than him) I took my hubbie to Marque restaurant in Surry Hills for the degustation menu. Marque is an understated elegant restaurant on Crown Street and they pride themselves on showcasing the food more than the views! We've heard fabulous reviews of the restaurant so I was excited to be trying it finally!

The first course came out, a mandarin crisp which was so fruity it was almost juicy (even though it was a thin crisp!) and a large prawn cracker. After this unusual palate cleanser the real show began with course after course of interesting textures, fascinating cooking techniques and delicious flavours.

We started with an Almond Jelly with Blue Swimmer Crab on a sweet corn custart. It had crumbs of Popcorn to add a little texture.

Next was a normal Calamari straw, with a Calamari pickled in Ink which had a texture of kelp, with some compressed mint. This was probably my least favourite course of the night. It was a bit difficult to eat, although was interestingly flavoured!

One of the most delicious courses followed, a wafer thin potato crisp sandwich, filled with bonito, fois gras butter and olive truffle. The crisp of the potato contrasted to the creamy fois gras and the dish just melted in his mouth!

The course that bridged the seafood to the meat was a beautiful duck egg poached at 60 degrees for 45 mins. The resulting egg was soft and sticky inside and perfectly cooked. The small brussel sprout crispy leaves were a delicious complement to the egg!

The next course was unusual and probably my favourite course of the night - Pigeon with Poached Oyster in a foam, on Sautéed Lettuce. The little Pigeon leg was flavoursome and tasty, but not as succulent as the amazing breast meat. It looked beautifully decorated on the plate with some little edible flowers.

Wagyu Beef with Onion, Black Tea & Stem Salad, with a Sorrel sauce was the final savoury course. It was beautifully cooked and tender with a great flavoured fresh sauce.

To ease us into the Dessert we had a Pre-Dessert which was a luxurious Sauternes Custard served in an egg cup. It really did look like a soft boiled egg but didn't last as long - there would have been no patience for soldiers!

Finally, we finished on a fun combination of flavours called "Pomme Pomme:" Jerusalem Artichoke ice cream with apple, caramel, cocoa and chestnut tasty sauces. The balance of tastes was a really nice fresh,  and the dessert wasn't too sweet an end to a fabulous meal.

Happy Birthday Cam!