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Restaurant Cara&Co, Westfields, Sydney CBD

Restaurants seem to be popping up around Sydney at an exponential rate these days, but when I hear about restaurant Cara&Co from two sources in one day I’ve suddenly got a dinner date with P to check out this high-end experiment of fine fashion and food.

Tucked away on level four of the new Westfield complex, the name Cara&Co glows enticingly from behind a shop window of seductive mannequins. Stepping inside I suddenly feel as though I’m walking through a museum of gorgeous clothes and furniture, even knowing that the restaurant is tucked away at the end of the store, P still whispers to me asking if I know where we’re going.

It’s the glowing tiles on the floor as well as the projected screens of models strutting across the catwalk that let me know we’re in the right place. On a Wednesday night the restaurant is empty apart from a few tables, and with a quick smile the waiter has us seated and poring through the menus.

Before we’ve even come close to deciding on our dishes for the night our first surprise from the kitchen arrives. Adorable lollipops of Goats Cheese coated in Mandarin sit lopsidedly on a plate and are offered to us as we decide, they’re a quick bite and a lovely whimsical way of starting our meal.

Just as we’ve made our orders another surprise arrives from the kitchen, this time in the form of hand cut French Fries with Mayo and Ketchup, they’re gloriously fluffy and I end up mopping the last of the Ketchup up with pieces of bread unable to let it go.

The title of this dish, Back to Your Roots immediately grabs my attention, the potato and aged cheese are simply bonuses on top. I’m immediately struck by the similarities I see between this dish and the Bespoke Miniature Garden which I tried at Becasse a month earlier, in this variation the young vegetables are firmly planted in a bed of mash all sprinkled with a generous layer of cheese. The young beets are easily my favourite, a sweet sensation but the bed of mash is surprisingly heavy in texture and by the end I’m struggling a little to finish off the dish.

We’re struck by the sheer theatricality of the ‘Trifle’ Delight, moments after the dish is set down at our table the chef arrives to shave fresh truffle over the dish. It’s over so quickly I don’t even have enough time to get a decent photo! The intoxicating smell of the truffles overcomes me for a moment, and it takes a moment for the taste of the rich spinach mixed with silky egg yolk to penetrate, but my favourite component is the Puffed Rice that gives us a crunch to our bites.

There’s a selection of 5-6 mains available, tonight I’m in the mood for something light and opt for the seafood choice. In all honesty it’s the quail egg that tips my choice, something about miniature eggs that I find absolutely adorable. My knowledge of history and geography fails me and I’m not able to figure out the connection between Echoes from Antwerp and dish components, but that’s all moot when the fish arrives.

Presented on a generous smear of buttermilk potato, the John Dory is seared to a beautiful gold and is complimented by the vibrant colours of the Tasmanian Salsify flowers. The puffed rice I loved so much in the starter is back and again is a perfect contrast of textures. In hindsight, if I’d realised that potato was such a major component of each of my choices I would have chosen another main as the potato is too heavy by the end of my meal.

As much as Risotto is my nemesis, it’s P’s favourite dish to order at dinner. She’s utterly unable to go past the Devil’s Risotto but I think we’re both a little taken aback by the sheer red-ness of the Risotto that arrives.

The Beetroot flavouring results in a Risotto much sweeter than any other I’ve tried in the past, the sweetness is slightly overwhelming but the presence of the apple and horseradish are a welcome counterpoint to help cut through it all.

I’d had my heart set on the cheese platter moments after looking through the menu, however our waiter’s enthusiasm is infectious, and when he pulls out his mobile to show us a photo of the Nutty Lemon I switch my choices immediately. Luckily so, because it’s my favourite dish of the night!

Presented in a rustic looking style, the Nutty Lemon looks more like a patch of forest than a dessert. The hazelnut flooring is actually concealing a base of mild lemon curd, and the Silver and Gold rocks are more nuts in disguise. Especially beautiful on the plate is the scoop of ice-cream, made on the premises and churned only minutes before serving, the only miss on the plate are the curious puff of sweet breads which is somewhat jarring in texture and doesn’t really add to the dish.

As though she’s running on a red theme tonight, P’s last choice is the serious sounding, In Rhubarb We Trust. The tang of the yoghurt is great with the overly sweet nature of the rhubarb, but again it’s the scoop of ice-cream on the dish that shines the most.

We’ve chosen well for our desserts, on their own they could each be a little overwhelming in sweetness or citrusness, but together it’s a great way to end the meal. They’re a great example of how the simplest dishes can be amazing, and the crisp exterior and fluffy insides are almost too much for my stomach but somehow I find the room to accommodate them.

There one last surprise from the kitchen, two piping hot Madelines arrive with our bill, along with a quick note from the waiter that they’ve only just come out the oven. They’re a great example of how a simple dish can shine, the crisp exterior and fluffy interior are almost too much for my stomach at this point but somehow I find a way to fit them in.

Cara&Co is a curious concept, away from the glitz and glamour of the designer clothes it’s easy to forget that I’m in the middle of a fashion boutique in the middle of a shopping centre. There’s a bit of tweaking that could be done to a few of the mains to lighten up some of the components of the dishes, but service is quick and friendly and the night flies by in a flurry of food and friends.

Being a Wednesday night the curtains have closed early on the boutique side of Cara&Co, I regret not taking the time to stop and shop before dinner and can only take a peek at some of the goods hiding away. Never mind, we live to shop (and eat) another day!

Cara&Co Restaurant – Sydney
Shop 4001 Level 4, Westfield
188 Pitt Street
Sydney, NSW 2000
Ph: (02) 9226 9988
Web: http://www.caraandco.com/en/restaurant_caraandco/carares/