As you all know, I love to eat...and truth be told, I love to eat out more than I love to cook. Discovering new restaurants with delicious food would have to be one of my favourite hobbies. This was our first visit to BLACK by Ezard, even though it has been a fixture amongst The Star, Sydney's fine eateries since 2011. What took me so long?
Part of Teage Ezard's stable of restaurants, BLACK encapsulates the spirit of Sydney - sophisticated yet comfortable. The plush interior with its 30 chef show kitchen is visually appealing and so is the view from many of its tables. We had an early pre-theatre show booking and were seated next to the large windows overlooking the harbour, making not only for an amazing view (and some interesting people watching), but also great lighting for food photography - a rare treat!
We started off our dining experience with a complimentary, delicious, warm mini brioche loaf and butter. Surprisingly, we were brought a second loaf after we downed the first...and we just couldn't refuse!
Following is a visual feast of the rest of our food. My husband likened these dishes to those at the 6 star Wolgan Valley Resort in terms of presentation. They were pretty amazing in terms of flavour combinations as well. Not surprising, considering BLACK by Ezard was awarded Three Chef's Hats in the 2014 Gault & Millau Sydney Restaurant Guide and One Chef's Hat in the SMH Good Food Guide 2015.
We decided to share a couple of starters. The first was the Tomato Vine Ripened Salad which included a variety of tomatoes, buffalo cheese, green kalamata olives, white balsamic and basil dressing. It sounds deceptively simple yet tasted amazing and looked pretty as well. With added mousse, the saltiness of parmesan and the crunch of pine nuts, it delivered as an entrée to a great menu.
We also enjoyed the King Prawns with seaweed butter. I can't say that they slid out of their shells effortlessly but they were worth the cutlery struggle. Again, the presentation looked clean and fresh.
We could have chosen something from the wood burning grill for our mains but we couldn't go past the two following dishes! They sounded too good to pass up - and our deal was that we had to share with each other!
I ordered the handmade Potato Gnocchi, which I must say leave mine for dead! They absolutely melt in the mouth and teamed with crispy zucchini flowers, hazelnut dressing and ricotta cheese, they are undeniably delicious. I would never think to add whole hazelnuts to a gnocchi dish but the nutty flavour worked so well with the ricotta and zucchini flowers. I found myself scraping the bottom of the plate with my fork, trying not to leave any drop of deliciousness behind. I highly recommend this stunning dish.
Anyone who knows me, knows I can't go past a delicious sounding pork dish - which is exactly why I convinced my husband to order it hehe... I must admit that when it first arrived at the table, it wasn't what I was expecting. I wasn't sure how tender the pork would be but one mouthful and I was in heaven. The Spice Crusted Pork Tenderloin was teamed with blood plum, fennel and witlof, cider, mustard emulsion and puffed pork crackle. An almost perfect dish. The pork was extremely tender and the flavour combination was spot on! The puffed pork crackle looked great for presentation but in this respect, I'm a traditional girl - give me a piece of pork crackling any day - I want the real deal! Don't let this put you off this dish though. It's still worth every cent of the asking price.
Part of my aim in making an early booking was to ensure we had time for dessert before rushing off to watch the show. This dessert does not disappoint! It's not far off being described as orgasmic! Butterscotch Crème Brulee with green apple and toasted pistachio, a sorbet that lent a touch of bitterness and a smooth mango puree. The crème brulee was silky smooth and melted in the mouth, as a good brulee should. It could stand alone as a dessert and still impress, however set with the other elements on this dish, this dessert is lifted to a whole new level. I'm sitting here salivating as I type - a definite winner and another dish that I highly recommend. It had everything - great taste, great texture and great looks!
All in all, we could not fault our first experience at BLACK and will definitely return to taste more from this European and American grill inspired menu.
