Blancharu, Elizabeth Bay
Another gem?
Quite possibly.
Nested in the back streets of Elizabeth Bay, near the back of Kings Cross, Blancharu is another gem worth trying in this area. Around the Kings Cross, Potts Point & Elizabeth Bay area, you will find most cuisines to your desire, and the quality is top notch. Specialising in Japanese-Franco cuisine, chef Harunobu Inukai (formerly of Galileo & Bilsons) has expanded his horizons and opened up his own culinary experience for those to not enjoy his one-hatted restaurant quality dishes, but also to escape the flurries of the city and cook in a non-pretentious space.
For the past few months, my dear friend Mandy had completely hyped up Blancharu, and when it was time for me to FINALLY pay Blancharu a visit, her last words were “I hope it lives up to your expectations… I’m scared now!”
On arrival, we are shown to our table in an outside but covered region. Being summer, I’m a big fan of eating outdoors, and what perfect weather for it too! Tonight, we order the 7 course chef’s degustation. At $80 a head, I wasn’t sure if the next few hours would strain & expand my tummy more than my Christmas feasts.
French onion sourdough
For starters, we were given a choice of sourdough or french onion bread. “French onion?” That was definitely the more interesting choice of the two, so naturally it was my selection. There was definately french onion in the bread. There was a nice crunch to the outside.
I decided to revert to being a pescatarian tonight. They mostly left out the meat products from the dish or attempted to replace it with non-meat.
Entree: combination of two favourites
Entree course #1: The first course was a combination of two different entrees: Corn-fed chicken liver terrine/Risotto Nero, squid ink & spiced beer battered squid + ‘Aburi’ Ocean trout with green mango salad and Japonaise dressing. For me, the risotto as a substitute of the chicken liver terrine could have been better substituted. The risotto had good flavours, but it didn’t really excite me.
However, the next course was the utmost favourite.
Eggs, sunny side up - vego version
Eggs, sunny side up - meato version
Entree course #2: Served on a pan, the sunny side up eggs were very fun to eat! Each bite got tastier and tastier. /the flavours were not too overpowering, more simple. Towards the end, I was trying my hardest to savour what was left. The runny egg yolk gave this dish the additional star.
Beer battered zucchini flower with seared scallop
Entree course #3: The beer-battered fried zucchini flowers were stuffed with a sort of fish paste, served with a seared scallop. The dark sauce is what made this course not the wooden spoon of the degustation.
Soup du jour
Pasta & Risotto course: With big bits of crab floating around in the soup, this was also another favourite. I guess I’m a fan of crab AND soup, so combined, I would be a double fan. The soup was savoury and not too overpowering. I just can’t pinpoint the flavour here…! Anyone know what “du jour” is?
Fish of the day
I simply can’t remember what this dish was called, only because by this time, I was quite full! It was the fish of the day and the skin was nicely fried with a nice tinge of saltiness. The yellow sauce was light and melted together well with the each bite of the juicy, moist fish.
Wagyu minute steak, sautéed mushrooms & yuzu pepper sauce
According to my dining companion, the wagyu was not too fatty and tender. There didn’t feel like anything was too interesting other than the fact that it was wagyu.
‘Ebi fry’ King prawns, bouillabaisse vinaigrette & seaweed salad
The last of the mains… Prawn was sweet & crunchy.
Dessert: Mango panncotta with crispy meringue, coconut soup
With mangos currently in season for the Australian summer, this dessert was a great choice. Filled with big chunky pieces of mango, it was wonderfully refreshing for a warm summer’s night. Generally, I am not a big fan of dessert (I’m a savouries lady), but this was surely a winner. The meringue just melted in my mouth… sugar heaven!
The EST crew love to dine with me due to the fact that they usually get 1.5 meals. Unfortunately, I had no leftover saviours with me tonight, and to be honest, I didn’t really need any! The portions were just right and not too heavy. For a summer menu, each dish was light and flavours not too overpowering. And to end the meal with a fantastic cooling dessert, it really did end everything with TWO cherries on top 
What I liked about Blancharu was the warmth of the staff. They are all very polite and knowledgeable. What was great was the fact that, during the night, chef Haru often stepped out from his kitchen to greet his diners, ask about their food, simple & lovely chitchat. This definately makes you feel closer to the creator of your fabulously tasty meal. Although I would not hurry to make a second visit to Blancharu, I would hope the egg sunny side up will last till next time!
Blancharu
Shop 1, 21 Elizabeth Bay Road,
Elizabeth Bay, NSW, 2011
Ph: +61 2 9360 3555
Web: http://www.blancharu.com.au
Author
By teresa
Teresa lives in New York City. She's originally from Sydney, like the rest of the EST crew, but crossed the Pacific to explore the culinary delights of the United States. In a country known for artery-clogging, cholesterol-filled, join in on Teresa's culinary adventure!
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This article was written on 21 Jan 2010, and is filed under Degustation, Dinner, French, Japanese, Sydney, Inner East.
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Yay! So glad to see someone who agrees with me that Blancharu is an absolute gem. I had the same dessert and I agree it was a winner. Those eggs look mouthwatering and I’ve always wanted to try the soup of the day.
Have been meaning to get here for ages. The egg sounds amazing! Love the look of the mango pannacotta too – it looks so light and ethereal.
‘Du jour’ simply means ‘of the day’, so whatever the chef feels like!
Teresa, I am a little bit confused by your review. You sounded like you thoroughly enjoyed yourself (disregarding the risotto which you didn’t rate that much); yet you said you shan’t be hurrying back! Can you also please define what would constitute a ‘non-pretentious’ space as opposed to one that is, preferably with Sydney examples of the latter (in your opinion)? I am always intrigued by that term, as well as ‘down to earth’, especially when used by bloggers/reviewers. To me, ‘pretentious’ is when something or someone is trying to be something that it isn’t, eg a suburban bistro passing itself off as a fine-diner. Again, bloggers/reviewers (not you) seem to adopt the term whenever faced with situations they’re not familiar with or intimidated by. Ok, shall stop bombarding you now! PS I like Blancharu too. Gobsmack’d
I’ve walked past this place a couple of times but never been in, but it seems like it’s getting lots of positive reviews lately
The sunny side up eggs look so good!
Blancharu is a nice spot to have dinner, last time I went we got the earl grey brule, it was soooo good!
Steph: What did you get when you went? I loved the panacotta a lot! Desserts don’t usually tickle my fancy, but this one surely did!
Helen: Go try it whilst it’s still summer! Sadly, I was told that it was the last night they would be serving the mango panacotta. They were changing it to a chocolate panacotta? Maybe just as good!
mademoiselle délicieuse: Oh! thanks for the definition. Definately a great choice from the chef then so it was T-A-S-T-Y!
gobsmack’d: Sorry to confuse you! For me, although a restaurant is an absolute gem, I don’t usually hurry back to it. Not because it’s not a great place, but I want each occasion to feel special everytime I visit. The more I go to a place, the less special it feels (such a girls way of thinking!). Also, I think since I ordered the “chef’s” degustation, I don’t feel I need to hurry to try other meals anytime soon. And your question re: pretentious vs non-pretentious. In my personal opinion (no offense to anyone else out there), the Ivy is pretentious place. Don’t get me wrong… I still go to the Ivy and find the interior fun and exciting, but the atmosphere makes me feel nervous and slightly weird. I completely agree with your definition of “pretentious”: a place/thing trying to be something and not quite getting there, but still pretending that they are. As for a non-pretentious place, I can’t really think of one, but would describe it to be a place/thing with their own sense of character and “personality” without pretending to be something else. Hope that explains my thoughts on your question! (Sorry for the long response!)
Jacq: Go visit! I’d go back just to have the eggs sunny side up!
D: It’s even better during summer. I like their half outdoor area with the benches. I think their dessert is a WINNER!
glad you liked it Teresa
mmmm … the pannacotta was so delicious.
The service was probably not at its top notch best that night, I’ve had it much better but they were still lovely … funny that they’re starting to recognise me now hahahaha!
More eating adventures to come I hope
First time me & C went last year was a total surprise for us for the quality of the cooking as we had the Galileo dishes in our minds when we went there. The dishes presentation were not too great (functional withoug the fluff) but the flavours were spot on. In particular their pasta dishes were seriously good. However 2 months ago we revisited the place & somehow the standard dropped slightly, every aspects slipped a little, not much but still noticable. We can understand why the place dropped the hat, wish they can put more effort in & make a come back. Oh their dessert is still their weakest link.
First time me & C went last year was a total surprise for us for the quality of the cooking as we had the Galileo dishes in our minds when we went there. The dishes presentation were not too great (functional without the fluff) but the flavours were spot on. In particular their pasta dishes were seriously good. However 2 months ago we revisited the place & somehow the standard dropped slightly, every aspects slipped a little, not much but still noticable. We can understand why the place dropped the hat, wish they can put more effort in & make a come back. Oh their dessert is still their weakest link.