Whitefire Grill and Bar213 Delhi Rd
Chatswood West (Lane Cove River)
Sydney
Whitefire is a new restaurant that's managed to grab a lovely spot in a venue that's had a variety of dining establishments over many years. It's in such a beautiful location overlooking the water - Lane Cove River in fact. By day you can lunch and gaze out over the water.Owner/chef Nadel has put a lot of thought into the decor of the venue and the food and drink menus. Drawing on his French training in Corsica there are some lovely dishes and great sauces - he spent years perfecting sauces having prepared around 2,500 of them!
Whitefire has ample parking, is in a very central location and seats around 160 people (inside and outside. It's also open for breakfast on weekends!
Of course pre-dinner drinks are just as important! I had a lovely orange martini - orange vodka, cointreau and mandarin liqueur, and Mlady had a tall creation especially made for her which she loved. Whilst the cocktail list has plenty to offer they are more than happy to create something unique here as well.
We had some delicious king prawns resting on a bed of mango and garnished with pomegranate seeds. The combination was simply delicious - mango and seafood go so well and the pomegranate gave it a nice edge.
The tender pork with figs was simply lovely as well. The meat was perfectly cooked and we found that the figs were and interesting and tasty pairing.
The prawn with watermelon was another great pairing that again surprised and delighted our taste buds. All these starters were both vibrant and appetising.
A bottle of Torbreck Barossa Valley 2008 "The Steading" went so well with our meals.
After these lovely starters we had - more starters - and we're so glad we did!
The cumin and cayenne baby calamari with lime aioli was a winner. Tender and tangy, it hit the spot.
The scallop dumplings with grilled scallops, corn chowder and lemon garnished with a hint of spicy onion was delicate and a great combination again. This is a lovely dish.
Mlady had the grilled snapper served on a caponata with an olive tapenade that didn't overpower the dish. It was garnished with freshly steamed asparagus spears.
Mlady loves seafood and this dish came beautifully presented with a lovely aroma and a taste to match.
The fish was perfectly cooked and she completely devoured every bit of it.
We also had a delicious side of panzella, mixed bell pepper, tomato, Spanish onion, sourdough croutons garnished with crisp basil. This had a great mix of flavours and textures.
Being a duck-aholic I chose the crispy roast duck served with sweet spices, Asian green, orange puree and kumara. The duck was both delicious and plentiful - it was a really big serving with flavours that all combined so well .
A side of mixed seasonal vegetables again went well with all the dishes!
I cant resist a good creme brulee so as soon as I spotted the orange and Grand Marnier creme brulee with orange salad it was my choice!
The creme brulee was soft and silky smooth with a lovely layer of crunchy toffee on top.
The citric tang of the side serving of orange salad contrasted nicely as well.
It came beautifully presented in a clear glass allowing us all to see inside to all the layers.
We were reliably advised that it was silky smooth and delicious.
I decided to indulge a bit and have a Jamaican coffee. It was my inner rum lover creeping out! The Jamaican coffee consisted of rum, Kahlua, hot coffee and whipped cream.
It was rich, tasty and so good!
Mlady certainly had her sweet tooth (or teeth) active this evening. She had the affogato with amaretto, biscotti, vanilla bean ice cream, espresso. Oh yes was the reaction!
However she also had the hot chocolate fondant with hazelnut praline and bitter orange puree. It was divine. It's chocolate, so of course it appealed to her but its warm crust and flowing molten chocolate looked and tasted amazing!
Whitefire Grill & Bar is in a peaceful location on the edge of the Lane Cove River but the food alone is worth the trip - it's impressive. It's well worth visiting!
Sir and Mlady dined as guests of Whitefire Grill & Bar and its owner Nadel. Thanks to Aage and Shireen for looking after us so well. We were also joined by the lovely Michele Herson from Herson Communication Services who was great company. Special thanks also to Chana O'Neill from Hersons for arranging everything so professionally.
