Becasse

As predicted, I am quivering. Absolutely gorgeous experience with absolutely gorgeous friends and adorable waitresses and sommelier.

To my friends that treated me to Becasse - You are two of the best people I’ve ever encountered. Thank you for giving me such an amazing gift and for thinking so highly of me. You are both beautiful people and I know this friendship will last a lifetime.

Here is a recount of our culinary adventure:

Please excuse the missing wine pairings. I did not record down the pairs and will have to call Becasse to find out exactly what they were. Unless one of my friends can tell me?

Snacks - Tapioca crisps, soubise mousseline, fried bread, cured lardo

A bowl full of warm, crispy, slightly sweet and fun treats. Soubise mousseline is basically a lighter version of a mousse, with a more foam-like texture, of soubise. For those that don’t know what soubise is - it’s a deliciously smooth, cheesy-onion flavour like bechamel sauce. I’ve just learnt that lardo is actually what the name implies - fat. But no fear! there is not a lot of it and you only live once.

Great way to soften the raging munchies at the beginning of the meal.

Assortment of Bread - Poppy seed, tomato and spring onion, olive

What can I say? High quality bread from the Becasse bakery. Very tasty, though I preferred Quay’s assortment of sliced bread.

First Course - Local radish, melon, oloroso and green zebra gazpacho

Beautifully light, the melon, oloroso gelee and radish just added this sweetness that was a real surprise. To be honest I didn’t think the oloroso gelee (sherry jelly- the clear jelly cubes, one clearly towards the bottom of the dish) would go with radish, but it does! This was one of my favourite courses.

Second Course - Chilled ocean consomme, Pacific oyster, scallop and octopus

Many people complain of tasting ‘dirty sea water’ when eating seafood. This course tasted like the ocean. But not the gross green-black, cigarette butt littered ocean from the harbour…. It felt like a cool, refreshing, artificial ocean. Almost like that light spray you can taste on a windy autumn day by the sea. I know that’s very cheesy, but that is the exact image that was conjured for me and thus Sir North has achieved his goal. I have no idea how this flavour was captured in this dish but it was unexpected and clean.

Third Course - Spanner crab, chamomile, young coconut and persimmon

Unfortunately this was my least favourite dish. I felt that the sweet silkiness of the young coconut was not an ideal match to the very creamy, subtly metallic and salty taste of the spanner crab. It did not help that I had to pick out two bits of shell from my mouth. Disappointing as I truly was looking forward to this course. The wine pairing was a chardonnay I believe. It wasn’t that it was a terrible match, I just didn’t care for it. Usually a good match will induce a reaction, something wonderful happens on your palate. But this was almost like drinking a dry, bitter and prickly wine and eating a chunk of coconut right after. There was no harmony for me.

Surprise Course! - Potatoes (Cranberry red, dutch cream, purple sapphire and Monty), South Australian King Prawn, cured pork jowl and prawn bisque

Absolutely genius. I believe that this was a table favourite. The gems of little Monty potatoes, the size of a pea, hand grown by head chef Monty Koludrovic. They were bursts of soft potato with that hardy vegetable crunch from the skins. Soft mashed creamy potatoes combined with those heavenly crispy jowls - my god, you will never beat that combination.

Fourth Course - Flame grilled mussels, caramelised calves sweetbreads, duck prosciutto and kohl rabi

This. This was absolutely wonderful. Combining 4 of my favourite ingredients - mussels, sweetbreads, duck and kohl rabi. Delicious. No, spectacular! Really honestly enjoyed that buttery smooth sweetbread, the salty kick of duck, the crunch of kohl rabi and that plump, NOT dry, smokey mussel. Wonderful.

Not even caring that it looks almost like an unappealing mass of shiny goop. It was a pleasant surprise.

This was my second favourite dish, above the first course.

Fifth Course Option One - Slow cooked lamb shoulder, pine smoked summer heirlooms (carrots), cardamom jus

I have a penchant for anything lamb. This was a perfectly cooked lamb shoulder. Melt-in-your-mouth-don’t-ever-want-to-brush-teeth-again kind of lamb. The fat was perfect. Honestly, it had rendered through the meat, and this soft layer that sits on the shoulder was crispy on the outside and delectably rich and soft. The carrots were a good flavour pair, but nothing really special. The cardamom jus - this is a fantastic flavour match with lamb.

Fifth Course Option Two - Roasted Kurobuta pork, endive, olive, fennel and lemon myrtle

I did not try this but it looked beautiful and my friend seemed to enjoy it.

Cheese Course - Soft Tasmanian blue, sesame crisp and quince assiette

Have ever had flavours just make love in your mouth? I know that quince, blue cheese and sesame is a very common marriage of flavours, but each and every time you place these flavours all at once in your mouth, you will know that they are in there, consummating that marriage.

Sixth Course - Autumn Still Life (burnt butter cream, toffee, biscuit crumble, a touch of heaven)

Work of art. Now you’d think ‘how unconventional, and definitely un-French, burnt butter flavour!’ You’d probably think that Marco Pierre White might have your head on a stick for it or something… but this… this was a magic show. What a pleasant treat.

Seventh Course Option One - 68% Alto Beni Zokoko chocolate cadeau, apple, black cumin and sheeps milk sorbet

If I remember from 4th form French, cadeau is ‘gift’. This little ball of what was described as ‘heaven’ looked amazing, especially as it collapsed in on itself as caramel sauce was poured over it. Wow! I didn’t eat this option as I thought it may put me in a diabetic coma.

Seventh Course Option Two - Meyer lemon pith meringue, pink passionfruit jelly, creme fraiche and grapefruit

I had this one, thinking it would be less sweet. Also I’m not that big a fan of chocolate. This dessert was a real treat. Tangy, fluffy, sweet, crispy, smooth it was a joy to eat. If you don’t like sour things, be careful of the grapefruit and passionfruit jelly. I found it odd that so many sour things would be paired together, but it does work.

Petit Fours - Artichoke Jube, salted caramel, and carrot and cardamom cake

They came out with plate that had ‘happy birthday’ on it. My friends claim that they did not notify the restaurant, so all I can say is… the waitresses really listen and this was a great surprise that brought such a big smile to my face.

The food was absolutely fantastic. But that wasn’t the last of the treats. The waitress was SO lovely that she offered to give us a little tour of part of the kitchen and Quarter 21 area. She was so knowledgeable and it was such an honour to see behind the scenes and where they hosted the chef’s table. 

Not only that, the head chef of the night signed a copy of the menu and wrote ‘Happy Birthday’ to me and Becasse sent us home with a beautiful cinammon and fruit roll for breakfast!

All in all, an incredible night with truly incredible friends. I feel so special and so well treated. It was such a blessing.