When we dine out with a particular group of friends, friends of nearly 15 years, I get a bit nervous. Because one of my friend’s husband’s is called Hot Dog. He has a Grizzly Adams beard and as I say on my dining companions page, for a waiter he can either be your best friend or your worst nightmare. And we’re just hoping that we get a waiter with a sense of humour because when dining at expensive restaurants, Hot Dog likes to play it up. It’s hard to explain 15 years of friendship with his wife to restaurant staff, so we just hope that they play along and realise that he is only joking.
The six of us are booked into Quarter 21 which is one of Justin and Georgia North’s new restaurants. The quarter in the name represents the four quarters of the business; Becasse, Etch, Quarter 21 and Le Grand Cafe. The twenty one is a reference to twenty one grams or what has purported to be the weight of the soul. The restaurant slogan says “eat for the soul” and I almost expected slightly different food to reflect this although the offerings are very much in line with their other restaurants.
We decide after some dithering to go with the degustation for the whole table, $90 for seven courses or $130 including wine per person.
Amuse bouche
The amuse bouche is thin slices of bresaola (air dried beef), feather light with some anchovy mayonnaise. It is a lovely salty start to the evening and of course Hot Dog starts on our poor waiter where he asks if he had to pay for this course. The waiter is well versed in people like Hot Dog and has him firmly in his crosshairs charming him. Relief!
Salad of beetroot and endive, Bellingham blue, hazelnut and pear
This salad has beetroot in a few incarnations: pickled, raw and confit with small endive leaves, some Bellingham blue cheese mousse, hazelnuts and lightly poached pear. It comes together perfectly with the slightly sweet beetroot, rich blue cheese mousse, a contrast from the slightly bitter endive leaves and the toasted hazelnuts give the dish a lovely warmth.
Cured kingfish, citrus, radish and black pepper
When they sat this down I exclaimed that this was one of my favourite dishes. I’ve had it at their sister restaurant Etch a couple of times and I’ve had it at a recent dinner where Etch chef James Metcalfe cooked it for us. It’s a fillet of kingfish that is marinated in aromatic Asian spices like star anise and coriander and it is then cured with salt. Although this time it wasn’t my favourite dish as it just tasted predominantly of citrus from the sour pink grapefruit. I much preferred it when it had ginger and sesame on it which also gave it a lovely sheen and glossiness whereas the kingfish is comparatively more matte on top.
Civet of ocean jacket, prawn and mussels, scallop tortellone, lemongrass and ginger
I wasn’t sure about the meaning of civet which I only knew as that little cat like creature that produces the renowned Kopi Luwak coffee or a stew made out of game meat with onions, lardons and red wine finished with hare’s blood. This is nothing like either definition and it turns out to be a foamy soup except that it’s mostly foam covering some beautifully tender fish, prawn and mussels with a luscious scallop tortellini. The soup has flavours of lemongrass and ginger which lift the seafood subtly.
Caramelised Kurobuta pork belly, smoked bacon consommé, mushroom, slow cooked yolk and cured pork jowl
When this dish is set down it prompts comments about where they buy their dishes as this two parter seems tailor made for the dish or vice versa. I always know that they do pork well at any of the North’s restaurants and it never fails to impress. This dish was a sticky, caramelised Kurobuta pork belly, a smokey bacon consomme which you could smell when it was put down in front of you-a viscous smokey liquid, enoki mushrooms, a slow cooked egg yolk which had the texture of spreadable ganache and two thin strips of almost translucent cured pork jowl set on top. We take a bit of everything and then Philippe murmurs “Mmmm bacon and eggs” and he’s quite right. It’s not your normal bacon and eggs-it’s about ten times richer, but with a bite we are transported back to breakfast.
Slow cooked free range chicken, Brussel sprouts, chestnuts, swede and smoked potato purée
The chicken was a last minute replacement for the menu’s original pheasant and it is a tender and slow cooked breast with halved brussel sprouts, chestnut halves, swede and a delectable smoked potato puree. For the final meat dish though, I didn’t feel that this was quite big enough as usually the final meat courses on degustations are slightly larger. Some of the menfolk would have liked a little more.
Pressed belly and roast cutlet of lamb, Jerusalem artichokes, preserved lemon and anchovy jus
A bigger dish of the two I’d like to give a better opinion of this except that Mr NQN and I were supposed to swap half way and he kind of forgot as he wolfed it down-oops!
Rhubarb granita, pickled ginger and sheeps’ milk yoghurt
Hot Dog looks at the granita dubiously especially when our waiter (who surely must be filing some sort of Worker’s Comp claim for dealing with a difficult customer 
) explains that there is sheep’s milk yogurt in it. But like some other dishes, when he tries he is is silenced. I left some of the Japanese picked ginger behind but I adored the crunchy crumbs and the rhubarb with the right amount of sweetness and the gingery uplift. The sheep’s milk yogurt is dotted throughout and it is mild and creamy but not cloying.
Banana crème brulée, salted peanut brittle and milk coffee sorbet
We dubbed these the UFO plates and this one comes out looking very UFO like. Underneath the sugar top which we crack, are slices of caramelised banana, a banana creme brulee, chunks of surprisingly large salted peanut brittle and on top was a tiny scoopy of milk coffee sorbet which was an interesting and not often seen pairing with banana. I think we polished off every little scrap of this it was so delicious.
Warm 68% Alto Beni Zokoko chocolate pudding, orange and tonka bean ice cream
I’m not really one for chocolate desserts at the end of a degustation nor am I a chocolate orange lover but this converted me to both. The chocolate fondant served warm has a lava gush of liquid chocolate in the centre and the chocolate used is a good balance of sweet and bittersweet. I usually eat a bite or two and pass it on but Mr NQN had to insist on his rightful half to this.
Butterscotch souffle with cinnamon ice cream
We were so enamoured of the desserts that when another two desserts arrive, gifts from the Norths, we find more stomach space. This was a butterscotch souffle with cinnamon ice cream. I’m not usually a huge souffle eater finding them sometimes overly eggy tasting and not very exciting but when you split open the top and pour in a jug of the butterscotch sauce all bets are off. The ambrosial butterscotch sauce also masks some of the overly eggy flavour of souffles. The cinnamon ice cream is nicely scented with just the right amount of cinnamon, never becoming overpowering.
Citrus madeleines
A final course, six warm madeleines with a citrus curd and with what tastes like honey drizzled on top are a nice way to end off the evening.
As we are in a shopping centre, which is something that some people have commented is hard to get used to, we have to exit via a different exit from whence we came. We go down in a lift and are escorted out by a security guard and it is admittedly a little strange wandering around closed boutiques.
So tell me Dear Reader, do you find the idea of fine dining in a shopping centre unusual or is it all much of a muchness for you? And do you prefer a la carte dining or degustations?
Quarter 21
Westfield Sydney, Level 5, Shop 5018, Cnr Pitt St Mall and Market St, Sydney, NSW
Tel: +61 (02) 8072 7755
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42 Comments | Add your own
I want a friend named Hot Dog.
Per Se and Masa are both in time warner centre, a shopping centre in ny so I don’t find it strange.
Nice post. Yes I would find it weird dining in a shopping centre. I think atmosphere is very important and it somewhat detracts
Lorraine, you do have a lovely writing style. I can almost taste each course you presented. I personally prefer to dine à la carte as I would really rather not eat so much. We did a tasting menu several years ago in Montreal with flights of wine and I discovered that I don’t always like the wine that is best paired with the food (I always prefer a dry white, my head doesn’t agree with reds).
Haha, there’s always a Hot Dog in a group of friends isn’t there? Despite it’s physical size, my tummy is actually quite small, so I tend to go a la carte, or lots of sharing as I fill up easily. And I generally prefer to dine somewhere with a view, I’m old-fashioned that way!
oh my – those desserts look particularly delicious!
I love degustation dinners as I feel the chef has had a chance to put together the best possible meal from all his favourite dishes.
This degustation looked absolutely amazing!
The shopping centre thing is a bit off putting though
I am torn between a la carte and a degustation. I enjoy having the choice of being able to choose what I want from the menu that is presented. However, sometimes it is just too overwhelming and you want to try everything (or most) and so the degustation is prefered in this case as it offers a tasting plate of many of the dishes on the menu.
Strange name for a restaurant, even with the story behind it…interesting concept.(I did see the movie, so wasn’t surprised). Lovely presentation.
I like both, and that is a good thing since degustation dining doesn’t often happen here in San Miguel de Allende…we are still pretty much being offered a la carte.
I love degustations. You don’t need to spend ages deciding between dishes, you can just relax and let them bring it all out. And you get to see a wider range of food and techniques.
I am yet to dine in a shopping centre, but I think it might feel a bit weird coming in and out but once you are safely ensconed in the restaurant it would feel like any other fine dining establishment.
I ate at Becasse a few months ago and admittedly, it was strange walking into the shopping centre for dinner, but once you are inside, you are really transported and could be anywhere.
Quarter 21 certainly looks like an affordable way to do degustation though. I love the shop that they have out the front.
Everything looks so refined and delectable, my savoury preference would be the Civet dish ( this morning’s trivia… a Civetta is an owl in Italian!)
OMG,four dessert courses plus Madeleines, I’m there!!
I agree it’s rather strange to have a fine dining restaurant in a shopping centre, as strange as gyms popping up there as well. Catering for city folk perhaps?
Thanks for the post. I was wondering what the interior and food and quarter 21 was like. I hate shopping centres and hate leaving at the end of a meal. I will never get used to it, and dont want to. Sad that this is what fine dining has come to.
I love the colours used in this restaurant – just gorgeous and warm. The madeleines look so syrupy and wonderful!
I think if it were any other shopping centre it might be odd, but Levels 5 & 6 of Westfield Sydney have really gone beyond the ordinary shopping centre!
This looks such a lovely meal with a surprising amount of pink in the dishes. I’m not sure I like the idea of being in a shopping centre, though.
Yeah I have to say, its a little weird that they have put many a fancy restaurant in the middle of the westfield. I’ve been dying to go here though and I find myself walking through the store quite often looking for more goodies haha
This degustation menu is identical to the one from July when we dined here, but I guess it’s the winter menu and the new one will come soon. It was a good meal but nothing really stood out to me that would lure me back. Shame really.
Small minuses, big plusses
! No, I do not like a ‘classy’ restaurant being in the middle of a shopping centre. And the decor, in spite of the brown ceiling and warming coppery lights, left me somewhat cold 
! Ceiling too high, chairs looking uncomfortable . . . ? The food looked great throughout almost all of the menu: interesting and beautifully presented. Lovely first courses; lamb and chicken to die for! Even the desserts appealed!! I remember when degustation menus were started in Europe, way before us. I loved being able to have small portions of so many dishes and still do 
! And, for once, the price for what you did get seemed reasonable. Would have loved to be a hungry bird on your shoulder, Lorraine 
!
I haven’t yet dined at the restaurant but I’ve been to the cookery school a few times now.
I love the looks of the pork belly dish and ALL the desserts.
There is a banana and peanut brittle tart at Becasse Bakery that’s sublime – I don’t even like banana! It sounds similar to that delicious banana dessert you had.
I had the degustation with matching wines and I thought it was fantastic value for the quality of food and wine. Although we got lost getting out!
Those plates are perfect for the dish, aren’t they? The pork belly looks amazing- of course:)and the lamb too.
Degustations are the BOMB! There’s a lot of pressure on an a la carte menu, if you’re paying 30plus dollars a plate, it had better be good. But everyones idea of ‘good’ is different! If you have a range of smaller dishes, the chef has a chance to really showcase a variety of foods and techniques, and there will always be something in there everyone will love (even Hot Dog!)
I love degustation, in particular when you know that everything is going to be fantastic and it’s sort of a surprise every dish you get!
But…fine dining in a shopping centre, I don’t like the idea.
I’ve had the ‘Banana crème brulée, salted peanut brittle and milk coffee sorbet’ at Becasse a couple of times and it is my all time, most favourite dessert in the universe!!!! Im glad it made it over to Quarter21. It looks like North’s cooking is still well-thought, beautifully cooked & immaculately presented.
Nice review!
Thanks, Lorraine. Great review (as always), so now planning a trip to Quarter 21. Always knew it would be good, as I am a great fan of Justin North’s. Curious about the use of ‘Civet’… can you get Mr or Mrs N to explain?
Don’t mind shopping centres or where the restaurant is at, as long as the food is good.
Re the crockery … think I read somewhere that Justin North has plates made specially for him somewhere in the Blue Mountains.
Love the special plate with the pork belly and egg – can think of all sorts of dishes that would be great served on that plate.
Warm chocolate pudding, oh how I could gobble that up right now. It’s freezing in my office!
Looks really nice there! I want that butterscotch souffle!
I’ve never dined with a Hot Dog before. I’ve only eaten them. LOL
But I would dine any night with that butterscotch souffle.
oh wow that place looks fantastic! i’ll definitely try next time i’m down there!
Oooh, love the beetroot and pear salad! I think fine dining in a shopping centre is a little weird, but certainly makes it accessible.
—I love Hot Dog!
but not more than you, L.
How fun you all must have had together.
Now, I’d like (LOVE) the “Butterscotch souffle with cinnamon ice cream” Yes. VERY badly. NOW.
Xx
With the grade of the food court and restaurants surrounding it I think it is very well placed. Looks like an amazing meal and I can’t wait to give it a go – Thanks Lorraine
The pork belly dish makes me think of some sort of slimy alien creature slinking into the room! (And I swear, I wrote that before getting down to the Banana UFO
)
I’ve always thought I’m an a la carte person through and through, but so many of the degustations you’ve showed us have an emphasis on lighter, fresh, seafood, and vegetable options, with multiple desserts, and so maybe I’d like to try a degustation one day
A friend of mine went to Quay the other night and had Pork Jowl. She asked me if I thought it should have been called ‘Pork Cheek’ instead. I have no idea but it is curious that if it is from a cow it is ‘cheek’ and if it’s from a pig it seems to be ‘jowl’. I think eating in a shopping centre is more Singaporean than Australian.
Stephen’s dad is the same as Hot Dog, except he flirts with the waitresses as well, which is incredibly embarrassing, and with his wife right next to him! I always think the worst of restaurants in shopping centres, so I’d find it disconcerting to say the least.
That’s real good value for a degustation! I remember the banana creme brulee from Becasse (clarence st not westfield) and it was absolutely divine!
I think prices are too cheap for this level of food quality. Then again, there are constraints being located in a shopping centre among other very competitive options.
JN has done some great things to Sydney dining and I would like to think he is capable of combining the intricate equation of balancing food and business issues to continue giving us special moments.
I love getting tasting/degustation menus so I can really try a wide array of a chef’s specialties but I find that I begin losing the flavor of each halfway through and by the time I have left nothing remains. If I went here to eat I can definitely see just 3 or 4 things I would try
I’m a little bit against eating in restaurants in shopping centres. There’s just something about it that I don’t like.
That butterscotch souffle looks amazing. Butterscotch with cinnamon must have been soo good!
I love degustations (not that i’ve had many of them). The opportunity to try lots of different dishes is too good to resist
Hot dog is an interesting nick name. Fine dining in a shopping mall sounds a bit unusual but then some malls are more for the upper end of the market
I have been meaning to try out this place. That display of the meat is sure to win my hubby over…we would have to eat steak though if we went there!
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