Bistro CBD, Sydney
Fancy a 3 course meal for lunch ?
Having met Reemski at my first Sydney Food Blogger’s meet, I always wanted to know a little bit more about what she does (as I am also in the Web/Technology space). She suggested we try out Bistro CBD for a meal and a chat, and I must say it didn’t disappoint (the food and company!).
Having worked in the area for a while now, I have always walked past Bistro CBD thinking it was another restaurant offering pub food and nothing more. After a bit more research, Bistro CBD have actually had one chef’s hat awarded to them and is one of the many establishments owned by Justin Hemmes. Justin who? you might be saying ? Don’t worry, I had to google him up as well.
For the month of November, Bistro CBD have introduced a ‘fixed rate feast’ which is supposed to assist us in battling the credit crunch while still having a decent lunch. Every Monday to Friday during lunch (12-3pm) you have the choice of a 2 or 3 course meal for $30 and $40 respectively.
You know, you start to realise that you spend too much time on your blog when you secretly get excited by a window seat with good lighting. In saying that, the ambience and lighting in Bistro CBD is refreshing and makes a good getaway from the hustle of the CBD. However, it did get quite noisy once the place began filling up.
We were both pretty hungry and didn’t want to skimp on dessert, so the three course meal it was!
Waldorf salad, black pudding, pickled pear
I had a bit of Reem’s entrée and the black pudding (also known as blood sausage) was surprisingly good. The pudding was quite rich and had a crispy exterior. The richness was nicely offset by the pickled pear. While the pear was generous in portion, it definitely packed a punch.
Ocean trout, shaved fennel, radicchio, citrus dressing
My entrée was sensational despite looking like something which just came out of a can. The ocean trout was very fresh and was seasoned liberally with the citrus dressing. The side of fennel and radicchio once again was a good balance to the strong flavours of the ocean trout and fish roe.
Pork belly, roast pumpkin cream, spinach, red wine jus
I’ll mention it again, I’m a sucker for pork belly. The pork was cooked to almost perfection and was very tender. The pumpkin cream was an ideal partner in crime with the pork, ensuring that it wasn’t too dry. I was a bit disappointed that there was no crackle, but perhaps this was intentional. The spinach didn’t do much for me, but the presence of some sort of vegetable made me less guilty for having pork belly for lunch. But in saying that I have probably had worse things for lunch, such as four packs of Indo Mie Goreng with bacon and eggs.
Fish of the day, crab and zucchini remoulade
I only tasted the crab and zucchini remoulade which was delectable. I could actually taste the crab quite distinctively which was a surprise. I was a bit put off by the watercress salad though, it had a bit of a funky tasting dressing which we couldn’t make out what it was. Think of balsamic vinegar which has been in the sun for a bit too long.
Reem's dessert
I didn’t get to try this at length, and unfortunately I couldn’t get the name of it. However, we did both agree that the chocolate at the bottom tasted like it was something from the top shelf of a budget supermarket.
Yoghurt panna cotta, fresh strawberries
I finish off my meal with a refreshing dose of panna cotta. It was chilled and prepared as expected and while the yoghurt taste was noticeable it definitely wasn’t too overpowering. The addition of strawberries was a nice touch, effectively balancing the creaminess of the panna cotta.
I don’t usually spend $40 on lunch, but for the three courses I thought it was good value for money. Despite what may of read like a shocking review of Bistro CBD, the quality of service (very friendly), food and preparation was top notch and I would be interested in coming back and trying other things on the ale carte menu. Though a word of warning, the ‘fixed rate feast’ is only valid through November. So that effectively ended on Friday, unfortunately.
Bistro CBD
Level 1, 52 King St (cnr King & York Sts)
Sydney, NSW, 2000
Phone (02) 8297 7010
Lunch : 12pm – 3pm
Author
By Howard
We started eatshowandtell in 2008, it was meant to be just a journal of where we ate. The first thing I usually do when I'm looking for a restaurant is check out eatability and the restaurant website. But what is usually missing is pictures of the food, how do I know I'm getting what I expect? This blog hopefully plugs that gap.
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This article was written on 03 Dec 2008, and is filed under Dessert, Modern Australian.
Current post is tagged
Dessert, pork, Seafood, Sydney
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lol i was there on the friday and had the corner window seat! too bad it was dark and rainy
we opted for the main menu desserts: the chocolate marquis and rhubarb souffle. both delish. bistro cbd is one of my comfort places to eat. even when the chef’s not having a good day, the food’s still not too bad!
i need to start my own food blog. pronto!
lovely photos as always. the ocean trout roe look so shiny and delicious!
Helen’s last blog post..Guylian Belgian Chocolate Cafe, The Rocks, Sydney
Ahhh I have really wanted to try this place for a while! Thanks for helping me choose the pork belly yuummm!!!
FFichiban’s last blog post..Adriano Zumbo Café Chocolat – Balmain, Sydney (2)
looks yummy! reem’s dessert looks like a pretty cool balancing act of 2 scoops of ice cream wedged by a sugary crisp thingie.
s
Simon Food Favourites’s last blog post..Adriano Zumbo Pâtissier (30 Nov 2008)
poptart : I was there on Friday as well, were you sitting with a girl ? No, I’m not a stalker
Helen : It was great, it’s one of my favourites now. I had something similar at Flying Fish, no doubt it was at least double the price!
ffichiban : The pork belly was nice, but I’m not sure if it would get you full. Get an entree with it at minimum.
Simon : It was really nice, but I can’t remember what was in it :/ . Hopefully Reem remembers!
I was actually sitting with 2 lovely ladies! maybe you went on a different friday cos i’m sure we would’ve noticed someone else taking food pics too!
Wow, a 3 course meal for $40? I’d never have thought I’d see it in Sydney at a good restaurant. I hope they extend it-as long as the credit crisis is going. It looks great, especially the black pudding-yum!
Lorraine E’s last blog post..Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester, London
[...] been cooked properly or not. The taste I had was pretty good, however as Howard points out, there was a disappointing lack of crackling… To attempt to offset the richness of our tasty mains, we ordered a side of beans with olive [...]