squishies 28 September 2008 Dessert, Modern Australian 8 Comments  Print This Post  Email This Post

I’ve been to Selah a couple of times, once for an anniversary and the other a birthday, and both times I remember the food being pretty good – especially the scallops (oh, their scallops were perfect). When I received their newsletter informing me of their new menu, it wasn’t decision of whether I should go, it was of when I should go.

I bugged a lot of people to come with me to Selah (the more people who go, the more dishes you get to sample, yes? Though it’s a bit of a dodgy reason to get more people to come, I must admit), but in the end, it was just Ram who accompanied me to dinner (but that was okay too). I was so excited that I had already planned out what I was going to order as soon as I saw the menu.

Garlic Bread $4

Ram’s a big fan of garlic bread and so we got a plate of it, even though I fretted that it might fill us up too much for the rest of the meal. I was glad that we got it though: the bread was nice and crispy, and the garlic and herbs weren’t too overwhelming but still flavoursome.

Seared Scallops & Duck with Eschalot Puree, Fried Leek & Pomegranate Dressing $18

This was one of the dishes I’ve been waiting for weeks to eat and it wasn’t a disappointment. The plump scallops were cooked to perfection – it’s soft, smooth, and juicy – and the duck added a touch more savoury flavour to the dish. The cost of the dish does seem a bit dear for 3 scallops and some duck, but it was overlooked in my adoration for their scallops.

Confit Ocean Trout with Sauté of Kipflers, Shimeji, Peas, Chervil & Eschalot Butter Sauce $30

I’m also a big fan of ocean trout and again, this dish did not disappoint. The ocean trout was so soft, it practically crumbled into flakes as I poked it with my fork. The butter sauce was so wonderfully creamy, working well with the vegetables, and what sauce left over was dutifully mopped up with the fish. I was a bit sad when it was all gone, but I was so very full by this stage that I was kind of grateful there wasn’t any more (the fish was a bit on the large size for me in terms of stomach space, sadly enough).

Slow Cooked Lamb with Crisp Polenta, Eggplant, Pepper & Oregano Salsa; Gremolata $30

I think Ram doesn’t know it yet, but he’s very much into the slow cooked lamb dishes – choosing this dish made me realise the trend he’s been setting. The lamb on its own was succulent, but average tasting. However, when eaten with the polenta, the lamb was transformed into something quite very tasty. I had to help myself to two tastings of the dish, “for review purposes, of course” I told him.

I always find it interesting how different ingredients interact with each other (enhancing or flattening the overall flavour, for example) and it still amazes me how people find that certain combination that makes a dish go from what could be average to absolutely scrumptious.

Selah Bombe with Macadamia Praline Parfait, Sponge, Burnt Meringue & Raspberry $14

Ram picked this dessert solely for the parfait component, I suspect, whereas I was intrigued by the praline and burnt meringue side of things. I thought it looked impressive as it came out and Ram loved the juxtaposition of the warm (meringue and sponge) and cold portions (parfait) of the dish once he dug in. I actually didn’t quite like it as much as he did – it left a slightly bitter alcoholic taste (something he didn’t notice until I pinpointed what didn’t agree with me and he liked it all the more because of that!).

Passionfruit Marshmallow with Steeped Mandarins, Biscotti, & Coconut Sorbet $14

The marshmallow was really delicious in its slightly sweet-sour fluffy way, the sweet-sour flavour was enhanced by the mandarins (which I was surprised to find pips in, though in hindsight I shouldn’t have been) and smoothed by the coconut sorbet (which was really scrumptious). I never know what to do with the biscotti, but it seemed to break up the flavours as I ate it in-between mouthfuls of yummy fluffiness and cool smoothness.

We had a bit of a battle of wills over dessert, as Ram was getting too full and he didn’t want to be rolled back to the car (or roll me for that matter). Happily, I won out by sheer bullying and we had two desserts instead of just the one. It also worked out that we liked our individual selections more than the other person’s, so there wasn’t any vying for the “better” dessert.

Selah has firmly established itself as one of my favourite restaurants – I’d recommend it to people who are after a nice formal dinner in a not-so-formal setting. I find the atmosphere quite relaxed and chatty – something I like as then I don’t feel out-of-place if I were to burst out laughing a little bit too jolly-like.

The service is polite and attentive (even when it gets busy), but also quite friendly. As we left, our waitress smiled and said that it was good to see us again, which surprised us since we haven’t been back there for at least a year (she remembered us when we were there the second time as well). Her farewell left us with a nice, warm feeling, which made a great night even better.

Selah
12 Loftus Street
Circular Quay, NSW, 2000
Ph: (02) 9247 0097
Web: www.selah.com.au