Just Opened: Joie, Chatswood

Joie at Chatswood Chase is a stylish French Asian brasserie serving comfort food with a twist. Think juicy dairy-fed pork chop with bacon gastrique, crispy lasagna rotolo, tuna nicoise with katsuobushi aioli, warm sourdough with potato aioli and elegant desserts like burnt pavlova and chocolate mousse with ginger crème anglaise. Find out what to order, prices, atmosphere and why this new Chatswood restaurant is already packed almost every night!

It's Saturday night when Mr NQN and I head towards Chatswood Chase shopping centre to try out a new restaurant located there. Joie is on the first floor of Chatswood Chase amongst the luxury brands and is located right next to Loewe.

Joie (pronounced Joy or in the French way Joie) is by Vuza Group, the same group that has Hongdae Pocha, Allta, Funda and Buttered. But this isn't a Korean restaurant, it's a fusion brasserie with French and Asian flavours. The chef Jung-Su Chang is from Allta Sydney and has worked at a French restaurant in Korea, then in San Francisco learning how to make all the French sauces that are so integral to the dishes here.

Joie opened in late April and was originally designed to be open during the day but there was demand to open at night and it is very busy this evening with all of the tables and booths taken and just as quickly turned over. Booking is recommended, especially in these early days to avoid disappointment as the restaurant seats a cosy 60 pax. We slide into a comfortable, spacious caramel toned curved booth and study the menu. Service is very thoughtful and friendly.

The drinks list has some signature cocktails and they mark the ones that can be made into mocktails. I'm not a big drinker so I get the Paris Spritz (Strawberry Gum, Peach, Fizz) made into a mocktail while Mr NQN really enjoys the Saint Tropez with Archie Rose White Cane Spirit, Rhubi Mistelle, passion fruit and pineapple.

Start with a wedge of the locally made sourdough with a divine potato aioli. Plans are in place for them to make their own bread in the near future but this is a very good rye sourdough that is served warm and sliced into wedges. And this bread will come in handy later too because of those French sauces.

The tuna nicoise salad is their version of the classic French salad. This version has sweet, crisp green beans, cauliflower, soft egg, grilled corn all pulled together with a divine katsuobushi aioli as well as seared tuna slices on top. This is crunchy, fresh and sings with flavour and this is a wonderfully satisfying salad that I'd happily eat every day.

Usually I like the look of entrees but here I love the sound of the mains. Also the other entree that most people order is the octopus but I don't eat octopus so we decide to try the stuffed cabbage main made with Napa cabbage stuffed with a pork and fennel sausage and served with a rich brown chicken veloute sauce and Comte cheese. It's pure comfort food and that brown chicken veloute is wonderful especially when you dip the crusty bread in it. This main is on the smaller side.

It is genius serving the lasagne as a rotolo (Italian for scroll or coil). Having the pasta rolled vertically placed means that there's maximum potential for crispy bits which are the prized bits of a lasagne. There's no shortage of crispy bits along with the bolognese sauce, onion bechamel, Comte cheese, mozzarella and basil. It's incredibly satisfying and you just have to decide who gets the third roll!

The dairy fed pork chop is one of the signature dishes and there's a reason why. The pork chop is incredibly juicy and tender and melts in the mouth. It is paired with a bacon gastrique sauce to add a brightness to the rich pork, sautéed green & radicchio. The bacon gastrique is divine with sweet and spicy vibes of bacon jam. I would order this again in a heartbeat.

There are just two desserts on the menu plus a madeline. The chocolate mousse is given an Asian twist with a ginger crème anglaise, cacao tuile and sesame seeds with a smear of fig jam. It's dark, rich but still light and the ginger creme anglaise interplays perfectly with the chocolate mousse while the tuiles add a crisp texture.

Or for something light go for the Burnt Pavlova with pineapple pieces, passion fruit curd and sorbet. The pavlova is firm so we need to be careful when cutting into it so it doesn't end up in someone's lap but the flavours are fantastic together, especially with the lime zest shaved on top of the sorbet.

So tell me Dear Reader, do you like French-Asian fusion restaurants or do you prefer more traditional flavours? Which dish do you like the sound of?

NQN and Mr NQN were guests of Joie but all opinions remain her own.

Joie

1F/345 Victoria Ave, Chatswood NSW 2067

Phone: 0449 993 950

www.joiesydney.com.au/