381 - 385 Crown St
Surry Hills, Sydney
Yes the White Horse has gone French - or at least in their new restaurant - Bistro @ Cheval Blanc. In a street of international flavours a French bistro is a welcome addition. Whilst the dining area still partly opens onto the bar area it has been separated nicely with furniture to create a comfortable and cosy space.
Our starting entree was the pan seared scallops with brown butter and lemon.
Presentation was lovely and the six scallops that arrived were plump and beautifully cooked - its so easy to overcook these delicacies.
The brown butter and lemon went nicely and was extremely delicate so it didn't overpower the scallops. At $16.00 it was the most expensive entree but it was certainly very tasty and good value for the quality and quantity.
Entree number two - for Mlady - was the artisan greens, farm fresh pear and chevre with dried cranberry and sherry vinaigrette.This was a huge serving and it was so fresh. The goats cheese was lovely, the pears fresh and crisp and the cranberries added a unique but nice flavour. At only $12.00 it was excellent value.
If I see duck on a menu its hard for me not to order it. So when I saw confit duck leg comprising twice cooked leg of duck with potato it was always going to be hard to resist.
This was a simple but lovely dish. The twice cooked canard was beautifully done. The meat was perfectly tender.
It arrived on a bed of thinly sliced potato with a drizzle of jus and several fresh cherries as a garnish.
It all tasted so good together. This dish was possibly the most expensive and was still only $27.00
Mlady had an urge for seafood so the bon rouge bouillabaisse caught her eye.
It was described in the menu as market seafood with saffron-fennel broth, potatoes and rouille.
Rouille is a spicy, olive oil and garlic sauce - sometimes with breadcrumbs in it.
There was a lot in this dish - plenty of seafood and plenty of flavour. At $25.00 it was both filling and delicious.
Our meals also ended on a nice note. Firstly there was Mlady's poached pear.It consisted of a farm fresh pear, poached in rhubarb, cinnamon and red wine stock with mixed fruit sorbet.
For a mere $8.00 it was not only good value but extremely well prepared and Mlady loved every mouthful.
My finale was a given from the start. Crème brulee is almost always a must for me when dining in a French restaurant.
This one was silkily smooth and had beautiful flavours. It cost $12.00
Bistro @ Cheval Blanc was a surprise for all the right reasons. The food is great and the service attentive and courteous without being overpowering. It's a place well worth visiting.
Sir and Mlady dined as guests of Bistro @ Cheval Blanc.
