Two Rooms

By Franz Scheurer

A well respected Sydney reviewer calls Two Rooms ‘the son of Balzac’ and, typical of family, the child reflects the parents’ heritage but also has a rather independent streak, nursed by Wade Brown, the brilliant young chef running the burners. Let me say up front: the food is fantastic! It’s great-value-for-money bistro/comfort food and it’s food I want to eat (preferably every day).

Two Rooms is exactly that: two dining areas. The high ceilings and minimalist wall decorations and lights are warmed up by red feature walls (reminiscent of a 1960s Jaguar interior) and I especially like the little touches like a tiny red table lamp in the corner of the back room. Tables and chairs are comfortable enough and the good tableware compensates for the bistro nearness to the next table. Service is professional, with a smile, engaging and knowledgeable.

We love the fact that all the more substantial dishes are available in both entrée and main course size. This enables you to construct your own degustation menu or eat as little or as much as your tummy desires. We were gluttons…

We tried the ‘White Onion Velouté with Fresh Marjoram’ (S10), a surprisingly light but punchy soup with colourful drops of marjoram oil. A portion of ‘Air Dried Wagyu with Pomme Batataille and Truffle Vinaigrette’ ($15) presented very well and reminded me of good ‘Bündnerfleisch’ (air dried beef from the Canton of Grisons in Switzerland). The ‘Carpaccio of Hiramasa Kingfish with Beetroot and Horseradish Remoulade’ ($14) was sliced a lot chunkier than we expected but it worked a treat. Superb! The entrée most fought over was the ‘Calzone of Fennel and Fontina’ ($12/24). What a textural sensation with all the flavour in the world to back it up.

For mains we tried the ‘Grilled Sardines with Sicilian Sauce’ ($12/24) only to be reminded just how potent sardines are. The ‘Steamed Snapper with Risotto Nero and Lemon and Herb Butter’ ($12/25) was served with pitch-black risotto, wonderfully al dente and a l’onde (creating a wave), just like the Venetians prefer it and a perfectly crisp skin snapper. The ‘12hr Confit Pork Belly Stuffed with Morcilla, Carrot and Anise Purée’ ($13/26) was soft and gelatinous with the sweet flavours of the pork and the purée balanced by the spicy blood sausage. A ‘Cannelloni of Bone Marrow with Daube of Beef’ ($12/25) easily the best rendition of this dish I have ever eaten and the ‘Sweetbreads Villeroy with Cauliflower’ ($12/25) the dish of the night. What can I say? Fanbloodytastic!

For desserts (we were definitely slowing down now as portions were generous) we tried the ‘Poached Quince Trifle with Pain d’Épisse and Spiced Tuille’ ($10) and the ‘Tart Citron with Sharps Strawberry’ ($12). The tart was exceptional, but the quince was too heavy and a touch gluggy for our tastes.

The short and concise wine list is appropriate, intelligent and, again, great value for money. Two Rooms might not represent ‘fine dining’ by Sydney visual standards but the food speaks volumes. I love it!

Score: 7.5/10

For more information or bookings:

Two Rooms

38/40 St. Paul’s Street

Randwick NSW 2031

Tel.: 02 9398 1011