Graze, Pyrmont
Ever visit a restaurant because you’ve heard so much about a particular dish? Yep. So this is the famed Cauliflower Milkshake with Jamon & Cheese toasty ($12) from Graze (182 Harris St, Pyrmont). While most of the dishes on the menu are meant to be for sharing this is one dish I would not share if I could help it. And seriously, how freaking cute is that old skool milk container! It was very tempting to nick it and take home but I resisted. If the glass was a magical container that kept refilling then yes I would totally nick it because the cauliflower ‘milkshake’ was incredible. Smooth and oh so flavourful, it is perfect alternating sips with bites of the cheesy Jamon toasty and just feels like receiving a warm hug from the inside out.
Smoked Cod Brandade Croquettes ($14) are crispy golden goodness with the perfect crumbed exterior crunch to smooth creamy innards ratio. The smoked cod flavour is not as strong as I expected with the taste of potato being more dominant. But hey it’s deep fried and just salty enough to be moreish and paired well with the extremely large glass of cider I was consuming.
While the slabs of Confit Salmon ($18) are perfectly cooked and the pea mousse surprisingly light and fluffy, the cardamon flavour in the vinaigrette is a tad overpowering and I end up passing my portion onto the boy to finish.
The Sweet Potato Cigar ($14) is a textural delight, biting through layers of flaky filo pastry to the smooth sweet potato innards with a swipe of the neon green spinach and cream cheese sauce.
Baby Red & Golden Beetroot with Goats Cheese Mousse ($12). If you’ve read my blog at all you’ll know that I have issues with beetroot. Yes I know it’s un Australian but meh whatevers man it totes tastes like dirt. And not being a big fan of goats cheese either meant this was my least favourite dish of the night.
The two tiles of Smoked Free Range Chicken Terrine ($15) are meaty and tender but are no match for the eye catching dukkah spiced hens egg which is reminiscent of a scotch egg, breadcrumbed and fried but with barely set yolks.
The Slow Cooked Short Rib of Beef ($22) is hands down amaaaazing. Ridiculously tender meat with ribbons of creamy fat and bathed in a port glaze, oh em gee I could die happy right now. We dunk the planks of crispy polenta into the remaining sauce as my brain debates with my stomach on whether it could make room if I ordered seconds.
Aaaand there was a side of Crispy Truffled Potatoes with Parmesan($8) because hey we love our carbs!
Dessert time! I always have a soft spot for the Eton Mess ($14) and with super sweet strawberries, lashings of double whipped cream and shards of meringue, what more could a girl want? Ahem more meringue for one thing but that’s because I have a sweet tooth like no other 😛
There was a vote by the table to order the Coconut Pannacotta ($12) but I have issues with coconut in desserts so stayed away from this which was lucky because it was demolished in a heartbeat.
Last but not least, the Treacle & Lemon Tart ($12). With a buttery base and a gooey lemony filling this dessert was my favourite of the lot, the dollop of creme fraiche brought the sweetness down a notch though a part of me thought a scoop of ice cream would’ve kicked this into sublime. But no matter, the plate was scraped clean.
Service was pretty awesome and while there were a couple of hits and misses that night I would definitely return for the cauliflower milkshake and the short rib!
