Balzac Restaurant
Editorial
“Honest, full of character, a little bit quirky but completely genuine” is a good description of both the Restaurant Balzac cuisine and of its chef, Matthew Kemp. Inspired by the French way of looking at food and by his own British roots, Kemp has married the two concepts splendidly. The result is a modern French menu that features dishes made with the head-to-tail approach (and uses ingredients like brain, trotters and black pudding). But before you recoil with horror and start typing a harshly-worded email to yours truly, consider that this restaurant has won many accolades (not the least of which is two chefs’ hats). While seemingly experimental, the menu is not so much put together to test your endurance as to offer traditionally “peasant” meals in a distinctly fine-dining light.
Although the menu changes as regularly as Kemp ventures to the markets (which is often), the dishes you might spy on the menu include pig cheek “schnitzel” with pumpkin and pickled pears for entree and Macleay Valley rabbit and trompette pie with a ballontine of saddle and baby carrots for mains. You’re also likely to find Kemp’s famous bread and butter pudding, which is caramelised on top and served with homemade pain d’epice ice-cream. To match the stellar menu, Restaurant Balzac has recently acquired a new sommelier. Since coming on board earlier this year, Guy Collins has set his sights on sprucing-up the wine list with new vintages, including some hard-to-come-by sparkling British wines. The hunt for decanters is also on, so several size options should soon be available. One thing is for sure, Restaurant Balzac is a place where you’ll get to try something unique and, judging by its repeat fanbase, it seems you’ll not only try, but fall madly head-over-trotter in love.
Agnes Gajewska, March 2010
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