Restaurant Atelier (Modern European) - Glebe

It has been almost a year since I was bitten by the degustation bug, and since then, I have enjoyed many a fine meal at some of Sydney's degustation-offering nosheries. One of the first I had was at the modest Restaurant Atelier in Glebe, and it was time for a revisit seeing the first and only meal I've had there was almost twelve months ago and quite memorable, and was in the pre-FoodiePop era.

Restaurant Atelier is rather inconspicuous as it is situated in a quaint but elegant sandstone cottage on busy Glebe Point Road. It can almost be mistaken for being a residence except for the 'Restaurant Atelier' sign on the fence out the front.

The food here is described as Modern European, and the menu is well varied, especially as we see venison on the menu. We perused the menu for a little while but we knew the degustation was the destination. It is one of the least expensive degustations I've encountered, being $85 for seven courses ($140 with matching wines), so it's very good value. The degustation is also tailored to each table at the discretion of the chef, so there's no set menu. It may encompass just the dishes in the a la carte menu or may include dishes on the specials board (although I don't think there is an actual board), so each dish is a mystery until it hits the table, which can be a good or bad thing depending on your propensity for surprises. Of course, we are also asked for any dietary restrictions and allergies so the chef knows there won't be an Epipen-requiring episode in his dining room. When each course is brought out, we are given a thorough description of everything on the plate, which is wonderful and should be mandatory for all degustations.

Salad of Alaskan crab lightly dressed in virgin olive oil and lemon juice, served with piquillo pepper jelly, baby fennel, ocean trout roe, and crispy fried pig's ears

This first course is so beautifully presented: lots of colour and delicate placements of numerous ingredients, with little dabs of roe here, little dibs of small edible flowers there. The piquillo pepper jelly was light, the pop of the roe wonderful (as usual), the crispy pig's ear lovely, and the main component of the Alaskan crab clean and fresh. Everything together was delightful with the contrasting textures, and the flavours were excellent. It was a very good start and we couldn't wait for the next course.

Tartare of New Zealand wagyu beef with truffled brie ice cream and grissini

When the second course arrived, K screwed his face up as he detests tartares, and any sort of rare, uncooked food in general. But boy did he change his mind. Again, this dish had a fabulous presentation and is well thought out. The truffled brie ice cream was really good, and incorporated into the tartare (as we were advised to do to enhance the flavour), it was divine. Sure, it was a little overbalanced onto the sweet side, but it was stellar. The coolness of it was extremely refreshing (and will be even more so when it's not so wintery outside), and again the textures were great, especially with the light crunch of the reed-thin grissini. The wagyu beef was also excellent, and tasted very fresh, not slimy like some tartares I've had recently. This ended up being K's favourite dish of the evening, which was a huge shock to me, and him!

Cholula-spiced twice cooked king quail served with crispy brick pastry cannelloni filled with goat's cheese spiced with confit eschallots and Spanish peppers

The third course was our first meat course, and it was a nice looking quail dish. This was a special, so I'm unsure as to whether it is "Cholula-spiced", but it was good whatever the spice is, as it was delicate and not overpowering. I think quail is quite inelegant to eat as it's hard to tease out the last dregs of flesh away from the tiny bones, and it was the same here. The brick pastry cannelloni was nicely crunchy, with the goat's cheese filling inside soft and pillowy. I don't like goat's cheese much as it can be overpowering, but its tartness seemed to work well in this dish.

Poached John Dory, jerusalem artichoke veloute, celeriac remoulade, olive oil poached potatoes, baby King Swiss brown mushrooms, red elk lettuce, dried fennel pollen.

The fourth course is a little difficult to see because of the red elk lettuce smothering everything except the fish, but it was another elegant dish. The large disc of poached John Dory was perfectly cooked and lightly seasoned to let the flavour of the fish shine, and the accompanying components were complementary. Little cylinders of soft potatoes was good with the dried fennel pollen giving a licorice flavour, and the mushrooms and celeriac gave balance. I'm unsure about the lettuce though, even if more vegetables is always welcome. We also thought it strange that the fish course came after the quail course, but it didn't matter to us.

Roast Grimauld duckling breast served on swede puree, with crispy fried confit duck leg, French trompet mushrooms, bitter orange sauce, and caramelised witlof

The last main course was duck, and I love duck (I almost order it everywhere I see it on the menu). The duck here is cooked and served two ways: one is a breast roasted, and the other a confit of duck leg shredded and rolled then fried. The breast was a sizeable chunk and very juicy, but the thickness of it made it hard to cut with the knives given. Perhaps it should have been served sliced like I've had at other nosheries. The duck leg was very nice and you can tell the labour that went into making it. The vegetables were great accompaniments and the bitter orange sauce was a fine counterbalance to the fried duck leg confit.

Tonka bean creme brulee, poppy custard topped with coconut sorbet and pop rocks

The first dessert course was a good way to start: light and refreshing with a hint of substance. The creme brulee is as good as I've had, having that lovely hard caramel on top that cracked with ease. The custard was light, and together with the coconut sorbet, a good combination. The addition of the pop rocks added that extra playful dimension, fizzing and teasing the mouth and throat right up to the end.

Chocolate and cherry souffle, white chocolate ice cream, and cherry milkshake

The final course is another playful dish, comprised of three components. The souffle was delightfully pillowy and light, although I didn't like the alcohol-soaked cherries sitting on the bottom because it can be very dominant, especially in someone like me who doesn't drink. The white chocolate ice cream was super smooth and surprisingly not cloying, as a lot of white chocolate can be. The cherry milkshake had a lovely top layer of perfectly formed bubbles (see picture below), and a cute chocolate straw to drink the milkshake through (and to consume afterwards); I couldn't really taste any cherry in it though, but it may be because I only sipped a little of it before pouring the rest into the souffle (as suggested by the waiter).

Bubbles ....

After dinner mints

After seven fantastic courses, I was so happy to have reacquainted myself with chef Darren Templeman's fine European offerings. Every dish was likeable and well liked, with some standouts that are truly memorable (the entrees were particularly special). The desserts for us were the weakest parts of the degustation, but only because the previous five savoury courses were of such a high standard. If the desserts were better, then this would be one of my favourite degustations bar none. In fact, as one of the few sub-one-hundred dollar degustations in Sydney, it really is a great night out that's easier on the pocket. With the service also very efficient, friendly, and eager to please, I'm sure we will be back here sooner rather than later. Highly recommended.

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