Claude’s

By Franz Scheurer

Claude’s is a restaurant with an impeccable pedigree. From its early beginnings (yes, the original owner’s name was Claude) it was good. Under Josephine and Damien Pignolet it reached previously unknown culinary heights for a Sydney restaurant and Tim Pak Poy continued the tradition of excellence and innovation, introducing dishes that would challenge the most experienced of diners. Gastro-tourism brought gourmands from all corners of the globe and, with Tim’s handover to Chui Lee Luk (his second chef for a number of years), diners can relax in the sure knowledge that both the cutting edge and the self-imposed restraint will continue in the time-honoured tradition.

Claude’s is a very intimate dining room. Small and understated with a hushed silence reminiscent of a church, it is a place where all the attention is on the food. This can be intimidating for some diners, but as soon as you start eating you’ll forget all about your surroundings. They just may have one of the world’s best kitchen teams at present, and it is never let down by the floor staff. Service is attentive, professional, unintrusive and nothing is ever too much trouble. Stemware, tableware and linen are all first class; everything comes together, perfectly. Although licensed, they understand that a special occasion warrants a special wine and allow BYO wine.

When Chui first took over, I knew from eating her food over many months, that Claude’s would remain one of the gastro-temples of the world. I didn’t expect too many changes in a winning formula. The à-la-carte menu is still familiar and old favourites are still there. The degustation is just as challenging as under Tim Pak Poy… so what has changed?

It is subtle. The place smells different. Aromas wafting in from the kitchen and down the stairs from the pastry section upstairs have a new edge and, regardless how well you know the food, make you salivate in anticipation. Chui, in my opinion, seasons just a touch more in every direction. If a dish is slightly saltier, it is also sweeter and more acidic, always in perfect balance. The same goes for Christopher Thé, in charge of the pastries, desserts and breads. My nose detects more spice, my palate enjoys more sweetness and more acid. Everyone at Claude’s has a total understanding of textures, something Sydney diners are only slowly getting to appreciate. It seems to me that Chui Lee Luk has managed to assimilate Tim Pak Poy’s easy combination of his Asian heritage and French techniques with her own Chinese understanding of textural subtleties, all driven by an incredibly trained and capable palate and a will to be the best there is.

So go and try the ‘new’ Claude’s! Stick to à-la-carte if you want the familiar and try the degustation for a culinary adventure. It’s good, as it has always been and it’s new and challenging… as it always has been.

Score: 9/10

For more information or bookings:

Claude’s

10 Oxford Street

Woollahra

Tel.: 02 9331 2325