Alchemy

After the relative disappointment that was The Euro, it was a pleasure to bounce back and experience a top notch restaurant like Alchemy so soon afterwards.  Jen and I had long made plans to visit this eatery on a couple of occasions before but for one reason or another, they always fell through.  Celebrating Jen’s birthday in early September provided the perfect excuse to lock in a reservation and give it a go.

Chilli Crab Omelette with Lime Sesame Broth and Snow Pea Salad

Glazed Pork Belly with Popcorn Cromesquis, Apple Puree and Pork Crisps

Basil Crusted Lamb Loin with Pancetta Artichokes, Roasted Pumpkin Puree and Lamb Jus

Hot Chocolate Marbre with Crunchy Honeycomb and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Birthday treat, Chocolate Honeycomb Bar with Sugared Raspberries and Limoncello Sorbet

Where to start?  The service was excellent.  Our waiter for the evening was actually having an off night.  The cork was being stubborn and didn’t want to come out, the wine didn’t pour right and splashed on the table and he couldn’t quite remember the full list of ingredients in the specials.  But who cares when you can see that the guy is putting in a real effort and made sure our glasses were topped up all evening?  The service felt genuine and our patronage valued.

The food itself is delicious, well presented and offered a well rounded Modern Australian selection of good hearty dishes with nothing too fanciful or over the top for the sake of it.  The variety of dishes we had were universally tasty and immaculately displayed.  The Happy Birthday dessert dish was a nice touch.

There is some unfinished business that I have with Alchemy.  They are famous for a dessert course which dips some treats into liquid nitrogen.  Unfortunately, the company I was with completely wussed out on trying this out as a sixth course.  So I would like to return one day with some heavy-set, big bellied companions who can make room for this speciality.  Until next time.