There are some advantages to having a mid-week birthday. Usually I feel lucky if my birthday falls on a Saturday, thus making it easier to plan my birthday. However this only happens once every 7 years. One advantage to having a mid-week birthday is spreading out your birthday dinners to cover two weekends, thus prolonging your “Mememe It’s MY birthday” moment.

I’m not one of those people who hates celebrating my birthday like my mother in law, or one that doesn’t care about my birthday like my husband, an attitude borne out of being given rocks from the back garden for his 10th birthday present from well meaning alternative parents. It’s an unashamed “ME” fest and I am trying to coax the inner kid out of my husband and make him love celebrating his birthday too by giving him a full birthday weekend of activities and surprises and loads of gifts. I think I’m getting him to like Christmas too, he was also traumatised by a Christmas gift box of toilet cleaning supplies from his mum received about 8 years ago so he was similarly unenthusiastic about Christmas. My aim is to have him as enthused about birthdays and Christmas as I am.

So with my friends Teena, Philippe, Gina and Hot Dog, we decide on Balzac. Housed in a lovely sandstone building that has previously housed a Pizza Hut for over 10 years and changed hands many times over, it’s finally settled on Balzac. The 2 hatted restaurant featured in the SBS show Heat in the Kitchen was one that we’ve always been meaning to go to but for some reason never have. The couple Matthew Kemp (ex Banc chef) and Lela Radojkovic were living in their parent’s garage while the restaurant was starting up, giving us a glimpse into the hard life of a restaurateur and we shared their relief when they got their first hat and now they have their second.

The main thing when dining with this particular group of friends is the service. Hot Dog is one of those patrons that loves to make friends with the waiter or waitress but on his terms. He loves to cajole and tease them and try and get them to give him something for free or refer to an item as “Item 24 dollars”, and this is especially true when we visit expensive restaurants . Some waiting staff have been unsure how to deal with him slinking away uncomfortably with a scared expression on their face but some just laugh along with him and tease him right back which he loves. So it’s fortunate tonight that our waitress Yasmin is extremely lovely and seems to be a deft hand at dealing with Hot Dog. She has him eating out of the palm of her hand.

There are 6 mains to choose from and between the 6 of us we manage to sample 4 of them. Hot Dog is the only one to order an entree and I have a quick peek at the dessert menu which looks promising.

Our Amuse Bouche is the first to arrive and it’s a fennel veloute with harissa foam atop served with a salmon croquette. The tiny cup of soup is lovely and creamy and foamy but the harissa, usually a spicy and hot ingredient is very mild with virtually no chili taste to it at all. The salmon croquette is freshly fried and packed with salmon and an instant hit with the table and certainly does it’s job of exciting our tastebuds.

Big man+ small cup – Philippe takes a dainty sip

The accompanying bread is soft and warm, almost like a damper with a slight panini crust to it. It’s delicious and even a confirmed low carber like me takes a roll with the perfect temperature butter.

Smoked Salmon en Papillotes with Vichyssoise Mousse and House Smoked Oyster Vinaigrette $24

Hot Dog’s entree arrives, Smoked Salmon en Papillotes with Vichyssoise Mousse and House Smoked Oyster Vinaigrette. The mousse and potatoes are lighter touches and I expected to taste a more sharp flavour via capers or the usual smoked salmon accompaniments. Nevertheless Hot Dog is a satisfied customer and any grumbles he may have about the size are quickly quietened after his first bite.

Beef Short Rib with Smoked Ox Tongue, White Onion Puree and Mustard Dressing $36

Our mains appear at the same time, starting with Philippe and Gina’s Beef Short Rib with Smoked Ox Tongue, White Onion Puree and Mustard Dressing and it looks impressive. I try some of Gina’s rib and it’s deliciously soft, and prying it from the bone is easy. I wish I had ordered this instantly and the softly textured beef is fragrant and unctuous. The Ox Tongue is very thinly sliced and despite preconceptions of it being chewy, is delicately delicious to eat.

Confit Pork Belly with Shaved Cuttlefish, Chorizo, Chickpeas and Capsicums $35

I try Hot Dog’s Confit Pork Belly with Shaved Cuttlefish, Chorizo, Chickpeas and Capsicums and whilst he isn’t that impressed, Gina and I adore the taste and find it full flavoured and beautifully textured with the slightly crisp on the edge fatty pork belly perfect against the soft capsicums and other flavours. Another dish I wish I had ordered.

Ballontine of Chicken Leg with Pancetta, Potato Fondant, Baby Leeks and Parsley Jus Gras $34

I try some of my husband’s Ballontine of Chicken Leg with Pancetta, Potato Fondant, Baby Leeks and Parsley Jus Gras. It was nice but not as wowing as the other two mains. Granted he only gave me a bit of the actual Ballontine of chicken leg so I didn’t get to try it with the accompaniments which may have been cause for the less favourable comparison.

Barramundi with Duck Confit Rillette, Lentils and Thyme Butter $38

My Barramundi with Duck Confit Rillette, Lentils and Thyme Butter is covered with a foamy thyme butter sauce which is mildly fragrant. The barramundi is beautifully cooked, being slightly undercooked in the centre but not raw so that it is beautifully moist. The piece of fish needs a little more seasoning. The Duck Confit rilette is delicious perfection, soft and stringy in that glorious Duck Confit way and the pebbly lentils provide a textural contrast to the softness of the fish and duck.

Mixed Leaf Salad with Walnut Dressing $7

I try our sides, the Mixed Leaf Salad with Walnut Dressing is full of herbs and mixed leaves but a little light on the dressing.

Roast Sebago Potatoes with Beef Dripping, Thyme and Garlic $8

The Roast Sebago Potatoes with Beef Dripping, Thyme and Garlic sound the most promising and look glisteningly so but the potatoes themselves are awfully starchy and dry inside, they’re like eating roast potatoes that have been sitting under a buffet heat lamp for hours: dry and unappetising.

We take a short break before we’re lured by the dessert menu. Teena and I choose the Chocolate Bombe Alaska with Hazelnuts and Hazelnut Liquer, Gina chooses the Pumpkin pie with pumpkin seed ice cream and Philippe chooses the Rhubarb and Apple Crumble with ginger ice cream and custard, $2 of which will go to the HeartKids NSW for the month of May.

Pre-dessert: pannacotta with sweetened stewed plums and a praline top

Before our desserts arrive, we are given our pre-dessert which Hot Dog mishears for a Free Dessert which makes him rather happy but he was hoping more for ice cream with chocolate sauce. It’s a pannacotta with sweetened stewed plums and a praline top. It’s gorgeously soft with the crunchy praline on top providing the necessary crunch and ending.

Chocolate Bombe Alaska with Hazelnuts and Hazelnut Liquer $17

It’s not long before our desserts arrive and I dig into my Chocolate Bombe Alaska, the outside is nicely singed and spiky like Lisa Simpson’s hair. The inside ice cream is rich with bittersweet chocolate ice cream and it’s surrounded by hazelnut liqeur foam and crushed, roasted hazelnuts.

Our waitress is not happy that my Bombe has arrived sans a birthday candle so she has a word to the kitchen and she brings me out a lit candle with 3 petit fours: a cranberry fudge square, a chocolate fennel fudge square and a Chai truffle. It’s a lovely little touch to make me feel special. The Chai Truffle is very interesting, certainly very heady in scent. The fennel fudge isn’t very strong in fennel and tastes mainly like a rich dark chocolate fudge whereas the cranberry fudge square is lightly flavoured with cranberry resembling a slight cranberry flavoured jersey caramel.

Pumpkin pie with pumpkin seed ice cream $15

I try Gina’s Pumpkin pie with pumpkin seed ice cream. Being Canadian she is very well versed in Pumpkin pie and makes a mean pumpkin pie, draining her pumpkin mix for days to ensure that it’s the right consistency. She finds it too spiced for her liking and indeed it is very heady with nutmeg and cinnamon. The pumpkin seed ice cream is delicious, resembling a pistachio ice cream studded with lots of nubbly nuts.

I don’t get to try Philippe’s dessert, he is a little averse to sharing having grown up in a family of boys where mealtimes are a fend for yourself event but I am assured that it was indeed delicious. I adore the little copper pot serving style and mini jug of custard.

As we’re leaving our waitress wishes us a nice night and a Happy Birthday to me again. Hot Dog proclaims the service to be the best he’s ever received and we can see why it won the Silver Service food award from the SMH. High praise indeed for the service fussy Hot Dog!

Restaurant Balzac

141 Belmore Road Randwick NSW 2031
Tel: + 61 2 9399 9660
Fax: + 61 2 9399 6929
Email: restaurantbalzac@tpg.com.au
Web: www.restaurantbalzac.com.au

Open Tuesday through Saturday
Dinner from 6 pm onwards
Fridays for Lunch 12- 3
Last Sunday of Each Month for the Seasonal Degustation Dinner – 6.30pm onwards

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Somehow I missed the bulletin that told me that finding a parking spot on a Saturday night in Crows Nest almost rivals finding one in Darlinghurst. Its a warm Saturday night and the last thing I feel like doing is cooking so we’ve decided on somewhere local-ish to try. Little do we realise that Crows Nest is in full swing, with every restaurant and cafe full of patrons. Sentosa is a Singaporean/Malaysian restaurant with a well loved Singaporean Chef in “Willy” (complete with mustachioed picture of him in the menu). We’re not particularly hungry tonight, more peckish so its two mains for us. Service is friendly, and we don’t have to wait long before they take our order. Alas, we tried to order the Laksa but they have just run out.

Our Beef Rendang ($17.90) arrives first, a fairly decent sized serving, aromatic of coconut. The beef is soft although not as fall apart soft as I’ve had and its gravy is rich in coconut, specifically dessicated coconut. If anything it needs lemongrass and ginger and the requisite spices. Here, while its very tasty and heady with coconut, it lacks the other dimension that the other spices and flavours give it. Heat wise, it is fairly hot but the coconut tempers this somewhat.

Our Sambal chicken ($19.80) arrives, colourful with chili and snowpeas. This is delicious, we both adore the sambal, a flavoursome mix of salty dried prawns, chili and a range of spices and flavours. The chicken breast is tender and small bite sized and the snowpeas give just the right amount of crunch. Indeed I could probably just order the Snowpea sambal happily for myself.

I am looking forward to dessert as I had heard that they do a good Gula Melaka (sago pearls in palm sugar and pandan syrup) but apparently desserts aside from plain ice cream are no longer served here which is a disappointment as I had saved some stomach room for this. We are given the complimentary orange slices and hot hand towels. Oh how I love these hand towels and wish every place gave you one. We are refreshed and well fed, ready for the long walk to the car.

Sentosa

48 Willoughby Road, Crows Nest
Tel: +61 (02) 9438 5526
Lunch until 3pm, dinner 6 – 10pm. Closed Sundays.

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Deusexmachina is a motorcycle shop that we’ve driven past many a time which peaked our interest due to the clever name and eyecatching windows. Deus Ex Machina means literally in Latin “God out of a machine” which is a rather clever name for a motorcycle shop, cum cafe, cum gallery. The way it reads on the outside almost looks like “De Sex Machine” which really catches the eye. And for those who can’t quite recall what Deus Ex Machina means, it’s a plot device used in books, movies or television that allows for the improbable but neat solution to resolve a situation or plot. Think Dallas and the question “Who Shot J.R.?” being resolved with “It was all a dream”. I couldn’t have ever imagined stopping there to have a look as I don’t have any interest in Motorcycles until I read that they actually had a cafe attached to it, called naturally, Deus cafe.

One lazy Sunday afternoon we decided to have lunch there (ok it was brunch but at lunch time). As they close at 3pm we had to get our butts into gear, across the bridge and down the peculiarly numbered Parramatta Road earlier than we would normally leave the house on a cold Sunday.

Entering the huge space of the cafe you’re immediately struck by the low lighting, large communal tables and the fact that it is jam packed for an area that doesn’t have that much nearby. The mark of Dare Jennings, the Mambo founder is stamped across everything. It’s that rustic, laidback, boy friendly but not girl unfriendly look where objects look like a collection of cool vintage and new.

We share some surprisingly soft and comfortable wicker couches with others and I go to order. I take a good 5 minutes standing (probably open mouthed) trying to decide that to order. There are specials that finish at noon, cakes, rolls, salads, breakfast eggs in all sorts of variations as well as more substantial lunch food like lamb shanks. I wanted to order the Bircher muesli with fresh stewed fruit but they’ve sold out, as they have with the granola with yogurt and fresh fruit. I settle on the fruit toast ($4) as I’m told it’s made on the premises, a New England Clam Chowder with Deus roll ($10) and a Lamb sausage with tzatziki, tomato confit on Deus bread with chips ($12). It’s order and pay at the counter and they provide complimentary help yourself filtered water. There is a huge tables of magazines from the New Yorker to the Sunday life and newspapers so I grab some and get reading.

Fruit toast $4

Our fruit toast arrives first, two thick wedges of lightly toasted raisin bread with 2 squares of butter at the perfect temperature so that it spreads easily. I am glad to see that it is packed with lots of raisins and even though my husband isn’t a big toast eater, whereas I am, he enjoys this as much as I do.

New England Clam Chowder $10

The New England Clam Chowder and the Lamb sausages arrive together about 10 minutes later. The clam chowder is full of lots of bacon, celery, potato and some very tiny sliced up clams. Although it’s not particularly clam-my or briney, it’s creamy and comforting and lovely with the freshly baked roll, which is like across between a panini and a turkish roll. I’m hoping my husband won’t like it but of course he does.

Lamb sausages with tzatziki, tomato confit and chips $12

The Lamb sausages sit within a split lightly toasted Deus roll with two confit of tomatoes and a generous serve of tzatziki. The sausages are strong in fennel seed and whilst it’s nice, there is a little something lacking in the sandwich. I find myself adding salt which improves it slightly but not enough for me to want to eat more. My husband finds that there is too much roll for the filling and I have to agree. The french fries are actually stone cold which is a disappointment but we can’t be bothered waiting to wait for a fresh serve.

We’re full so we walk into the shop adjacent to the cafe where there is the distinct smell of grease and oil. Lots of motorcycles, books and interesting displays adorn the shop and for a motorcycle enthusiast, it’s probably their idea of nirvana.

Deus Cafe, part of Deus Ex Machina

98-104 Parramatta Road Camperdown
Tel: +61 (02) 9557 6866
Parking to the right via Barr Street
Open 7 days:
Mon-Sat: 8:00-3:00pm
Sunday: 9:00-3:00pm

http://www.deus.com.au/

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