Bar H, Surry Hills
It was one of those mildly wet, slightly miserable days last year when we met up for dinner at Bar H.
Once settled in our trendy surrounds, we sipped on some pretty nice cocktails as we waited for the first dish to arrive (you must try the MeiWei!); mindful of my light-weightedness and empty stomach, I sipped carefully and hoped I hadn’t turned beet red just yet.
Steamed Pork Wontons with Chilli Oil Dressing
My slight anxiousness of the wontons being a bit too spicy for me was surprisingly unfounded. Sure there was a kick, but it was quite mild and made me feel like I’ve actually increased my chilli tolerance somewhat. That is until S gave me a look when she said “what chilli?” Haha bother.
In any case the wontons packed a punch in flavour – pork was seasoned and steamed perfectly and it left me wanting more.
Pickled Cucumber Salad
I was curious to see what the pickled cucumber salad entailed and was fascinated to see the dish. This is only sounds weird out of context (I hope), but I love black fungus; even as a child I couldn’t get enough of the stuff. I adore its texture: slightly crunchy, but soft and I thought it went rather well with the crisp cucumber bits, topped off with a refreshing tanginess from the dressing.
Braised Beef on Sesame Leaf
The braised beef on sesame leaf was wonderfully tender; the combination of a bright, sweet sauce and fresh herbs really made for a delicious mouthful.
Calamari Salad with Fresh Herbs
The calamari had that perfect soft, chewiness you come to expect and want. The crisp radish and slight crunch of the black fungus added a nice contrasting touch, while the herbs brought a bright and refreshing aspect to the dish.
Deep Fried Tofu with Caramelised Tomato
The deep fried tofu was quite different to what we expected: yellow, slightly wrinkly looking cubes, but what we got were white, crispy tofu. I thought it was a little strange, but to be honest, I was quite delighted in its crunchiness.
The caramelised tomato added a lovely sweetness to the tofu; I discovered that A didn’t care much for tomatoes, studiously avoiding tofu with tomatoes draped all over it – this meant more of that sweet goodness for me, I mean the rest of us… Most excellent.
Crispy Chilli Chicken
S was highly anticipating the crispy chilli chicken, but was a bit disappointed to find that it wasn’t quite as crispy as she (or we) expected. The thick sauce was quite flavoursome and only had a slightly stronger spicy kick to it than the other dishes, while most of the chicken bits were scrumptiously succulent and cooked perfectly (a couple of the bigger pieces seemed a little bit on the raw side).
Caramelised Beef with Fresh Fennel and Radish
This had to be one of the star dishes of the night: the caramelised beef was absolutely divine in flavour and texture. It was slightly sweet, juicy and oh so tender (it was so tender that it seemed to break apart from the lightest touch) while the pomegranate seeds added a nice tart accent to the sweetness of the beef. It was definitely no surprise to us that it was gone within minutes, though much to our sadness.
An iceberg lettuce salad with a tangy dressing was served as a side dish and we tucked into the main dishes with what seemed like a never-ending supply of fluffy jasmine rice (we must have gone through at least two large bowlfuls!).
Peach Sorbet, Apple Cider Sorbet and Peach & Jasmine Tart
S decided to order the sorbets for her dessert. The apple cider sorbet was refreshing, but the peach sorbet blew our minds. It had such an incredible, intense peach flavour, but it didn’t overwhelm the taste buds and lingered hauntingly once it all had gone.
R and I ordered the peach and jasmine tart, which was perfectly heavenly. The tart wasn’t too dense, but rather buttery and flaky; while at first bite sweetness from the peach flood your mouth, a light jasmine flavour comes after quite steathily and quietly that one might miss if they weren’t looking for it.
Combining the peach sorbet with the tart was epic.
Chocolate Truffle and Watermelon Jelly
A ordered the richly dense and decadent chocolate truffles, which she found delicious and generously shared it with the rest of the table.
As we sipped our teas, we nibbled on some watermelon jelly. The flavour was quite strong and we felt it didn’t quite compare to our wonderful desserts.
Busy Chefs at Bar H
Bar H is a cozy, trendy restaurant tucked away on the corner of Campbell and Foster St. The wait staff are lovely and so attentive; the service was quite efficient – we didn’t have to wait long between our dishes at all.
I’ve been dreaming of that caramelised beef and the desserts for a while now, I think it’s time that I wrangle F in for a visit. Hehe
Bar H
50 Campbell St
Surry Hills, NSW, 2000
Ph: (02) 9280 1980
Web: http://www.barhsurryhills.com/
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By squishies
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This article was written on 17 Jan 2012, and is filed under Dessert, Dinner, Modern Australian, Sydney, CBD.
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What beautiful looking food. The restaurants in Surry Hills are so good.
OMG, the Caramelised Beef looks amazing! Awesome pics as usual!
Aww thanks =)
I loved my dinner at Bar H, each plate of food was better than the last! Beautiful photos as always.
Miss Piggy´s last [type] ..Courtney’s Brasserie, Parramatta
^_^ Thanks!
I adore the food at the H – it was my first experience of “modern” Chinese.
Everything looks so glossy there :S Definitely one of my faves in Surry Hills.
Tina@foodboozeshoes´s last [type] ..No fakes: Sydney’s own Petaling Street
Wow, I’m loving the Asian twist that Bar H has taken. I <3 black fungus and radishes, great that they've included those in a few dishes.
Gaby´s last [type] ..Review: Wasabi Bistro
Wow really punchy photos! I admit I’m not really keen to try higher end asian food as it doesn’t seem as ‘foreign’ to me but this seems like it comes with a nice modern twist. The peach and jasmin tart looks so pretty too! Making me regret not buying that online voucher now
Hehe I know what you mean Dee – I always baulk as well. Though it is rather interesting to see what spin they put on it when I do eventually go.
Maybe the voucher will come around again – here’s to hoping!
all the pictures are so nice . .
Thanks!
Looks Amazing! Sadly, while I enjoy black fungus, I was introduced to it as ‘pig’s ear’, so can’t get that out of my mind when eating it!
Haha omg my goodness! I remember it being called that when I was a kid… totally forgotten about it until you mentioned it =)
I’ve only had a quick lunch here once but I’ve been so keen to go back. Your pics and descriptions makes me want to go sooner than later! Can’t wait!
Jen´s last [type] ..BLACK By Ezard at The Star
still dreaming of that peach sorbet!