By Franz Scheurer
This is what I had to say a couple of years ago:
Colin
Fassnidge, another ex-Banc boy and a very talented chef, runs the burners at
this surprisingly stylish bistro. Hidden in the backwaters of Paddington, this
pub dining room is a gem, lots of dark wood, homely, with comfortable chairs, a
terrific wine and spirits list, and good service team. This is a tightly run ship with the
customers comfort and satisfaction being of foremost importance. I love the
big cephalopod image running over two frames on the back wall.
The
menu is a great read. To be truthful, I want to eat it all. However pure greed
loses and we make choices.
An
amuse gueule of Tomato Terrine with Roast Garlic Pure and Crisp Courgette
Flower looked and tasted sensational. Entres were just as good. We
ordered the Roast Rare Breed Pork Belly, Confit Neck with Black Pudding and
Apple Sauce and the Carpaccio of Swordfish with Crisp Cuttlefish, Fennel,
Grapefruit and Saffron. A couple of mid-courses really whet our
appetite. The Sugar Cured Smoked Salmon with Bois Boudran and Beetroot was a
sensational combination of textures and contrasts. I loved the Bois Boudran
sauce, a cross somewhere between a mayonnaise, a rmoulade and a sauce tartare.
The Roast Red Mullet and Confit Chicken Wing with Seared Scallop and Radish
Salad showed off perfectly cooked fish with good textured accompaniments.
For
mains we tried a daily special, a whopping 300g Grain fed rib-eye with Pomme
Fondant and Sauce Bordelaise perfectly cooked, perfectly seasoned and with a
sauce that definitely contained bone marrow (as bordelaise should in my book).
We also tried the Glenloth Chicken (Poule-au-Pot) with Summer Vegetable
Cassoulet, light, ethereal and another winner! The only disappointment:
undercooked, flavourless and squeaky green beans with toasted pine nuts and
ordinary Pommes Frites.
For a
quick and light lunch we certainly ate a lot more than planned and all we could
muster (passing up a fantastic looking cheese platter) was an Apricot Tarte
Tatin with Crme Frache Sorbet. The apricots were rather tart but the
caramelised sugar made up for that and the pastry gave it body. The ice cream
stood out, although I am not sure I would call it a sorbet.
In
the wine department we decided to go with wines by the glass and we had a
Domaine Pichot Vouvray Sec (Chenin Bland), a Verget Macon-Bussiers, a
stunning Domaine du Gros Nore (Mourvedre/Grenche) Ros and a Domaine Gallety
Shiraz Grenache, finishing with a glass of Kracher Beerenauslese Riesling. Now
thats what I call choice by the glass! Terrific!
This
is a delightful venue with terrific food, excellent service and outstanding
value for money. Its a real joy to be a guest at Four in Hand.
I
gave it a score of 7.5/10 and having been back a few times I realize after
todays lunch that I have been most unkind to Colin Fassnidge. In reality
little has changed with the exception of the menu (it changes regularly) and
there are always a few terrific specials written up on the mirror on the wall
towards the kitchen.
The
service is still ace, the space till fantastic, buzzy, comfortable and so
Sydney, and the wine list special. What has changed is that the food has come
of age, grown up into superbly tight, flavoursome creations that cant do
anything else than make you sit up and take notice. This is really, really good
food. The kitchen team knows how to combine flavours, knows how to treat meats,
fish and vegetables, and succeeds in putting a huge smile on a face of a jaded
restaurant critic. Its fresh food; its food I want to eat.
Dishes
like the Lime Cured Kingfish with Avocado, Radish and Ginger Jelly get my
undivided attention: a symphony of sour, salty and umami that makes my toes
curl up and the Eel beignets served with the Spanish Mackerel with Beetroot
and Lemon Thyme Gnocchi simply knock your socks off. We also tried a special
of the day which was a deboned braised pigs tail served with tiny leaves, crab
and a superbly rich lobster bisque. It was easily one of the best dishes I had
this year so far. An Orange Braised Beef Brisket with Pomme Fondant and Autumn
Vegetables shows that the team can get the most out of a cheap cut of meat and
the vegetables are both interesting and seasonal. In typical French fashion the
cheese platter is presented before the dessert and what a platter it is: perfectly
ripe, perfectly room temperature and interesting cheeses to boot. For that
alone they deserve top marks! A dessert of The 4 Snickers finishes a
fabulous meal, which is Colin Fassnidges interpretation of a deconstructed
snickers bar you never knew it could be this good.
This
is a fabulous spot in every way although its buzzy and noisy.
Would
I go again: Absolutely
Would
I recommend this to a friend: Without hesitation
Noise:
81 db
Score:
8.5/10
For
more information or bookings:
Four
in Hand Restaurant
105
Sutherland Street
Paddington
NSW 2021
Tel.:
02 9362 1999