Seared scallop, pork lardo and corn $32
In recent months, Sydney has really been inundated with new cafe and restaurant openings to the glee of foodies in town. It is definitely a very competitive time for restaurateurs as there are so many exciting and new dining options to choose from.
Japanese food is going beyond the normal take of sushi and sashimi where freshness and elegant presentation is already a given. Italian restaurants can no longer entice Generation X & Y whose living memory of a carbonara may be as faint as the trendy lighting in some of these newer joints.
Sydney restaurants have been doing the “scallop and pork belly” take to death over the last 5 years. And what seems to be popular is still an interpretation of traditional dishes albeit with an innovative twist that is not too far out. The trick is to balance familiarity of tastes and flavours and combine ingredients to create new taste sensations.
Mysaucepan has been wanting to check out The Bridge Room, a collaboration between ex-Rockpool Executive Chef Ross Lusted with renown hospitality investors Fink Group, who has invested with such celebrity chefs as Peter Gilmore, Tony Bilson, Mark Best, Guillaume Brahimi and Peter Kuruvita.
Dining room at The Bridge Room, Sydney
The dining room at The Bridge Room is minimalist and long. I like the furniture that is retro of the 60’s and 70’s.
Money tree succulent, pink salt flakes and tea light
I prefer mid-tier restaurants to do away with tablecloth simply because Sydney is the epitome of a casual lifestyle.
Sourdough bread
Kirin beer $10
Japanese beers are dry and I love this style because it is flexible with so many different kinds of food.
Chefs at work at The Bridge Room, Sydney
We did not see Ross Lusted but it appears his chefs are hard at work as we wait for our food.
Seared scallops, pork lardo and corn $32
Mysaucepan is a real fan of scallops so it’s no surprise that she chose the seared scallops with pork lardo and corn. It is not easy to cook scallops well, but these are nicely seared on the outside while still gently soft and translucent inside.
I guess it is the contrasting sweetness of pork and scallops that has made Sydney restaurants pair these two ingredients like husband and wife.
Dining room at The Bridge Room, Sydney
Service is attentive and unobtrusive although it is relatively quiet for a Friday night at this restaurant.
Ash grilled duck with caramelised pears, lentils and preserved lemon $44
Mysaucepan orders the ash grilled duck with caramelised pears, lentils and preserved lemon. The succulent slivers of duck breast is gently pink to perfection with a delicious ribbon of fat that is nicely seared on the skin.
The sauce is tasty and although the pears and preserved lemon add beautiful layers of complexity to this dish, she finds the flavours a little too complicated with these ingredients in the mix.
David Blackmore’s wagyu rump cap, artichoke, slow-cooked veal tongue and dutch cream potato $44
I don’t normally order rump but I think the words “David Blackmore” and “wagyu” just kind of tipped the balance in its favour tonight.
I am not one bit disappointed because the veal tongue tastes like soft ham with just that small hint of familiar offal texture. It is definitely more elegant in texture than the usual BBQ tongue in Korean and Japanese yakiniku restaurants.
The artichoke is velvety soft and it is these two texture that left a lasting impression before I have even tasted my steak.
David Blackmore’s wagyu rump cap, artichoke, slow-cooked veal tongue and dutch cream potato $44
I am not a fan of pre-sliced steaks as it seems to take the joy out of discovering the colour of a medium rare.
However, one bite of this succulent rump and it is among the best rump I have ever tasted. Sprigs of thyme are gently woody but the flavour combinations were elegant and delicious. The meat is extremely tender with a small layer of flavoursome fat that I love.
Pink salt flakes
Although the steak is full of juicy flavours, I couldn’t help adding just a small pinch of pink salt flakes to each morsel and it seems to bring out the flavours in the meat even more.
This David Blackmore wagyu rump cap is truly one of my most memorable steak experiences.
Strawberry marshmallow meringue, strawberry ripple, strawberry paper and yoghurt $18
Mysaucepan orders the strawberry marshmallow meringue, strawberry ripple, strawberry paper and yoghurt.
Strawberry marshmallow meringue, strawberry ripple, strawberry paper, yoghurt $18
It is an innovative take on texture and subtlety. Once opened, the crispy meringue drools of a soft and velvety marshmallow.
Dining room at The Bridge Room, Sydney
The Bridge Room is elegant and Ross Lusted’s menu is precise, well-thought and showcases a host of exciting ingredients cooked with creativity and passion.
The Bridge Room
44 Bridge street, Sydney 2000
Tel: +61 2 9247 7000
I just love scallops too, and they do match perfectly with pork like that- yumm!
Oh wooow, what a lovely meal you guys had. Those dishes sound exactly like what I would order too. And wow, what a star-studded line up of celebrity chefs. Really wish I had known about this place when I brought my parents to Sydney in December, am sure they would’ve loved it loads. Thanks for the intro to this great restaurant!
Sounds like another great place to dine in Sydney
Until I started following yours and other Australian blogs, I never knew Sydney is somewhere that I would visit solely for eating. I just didn’t know. Like you said I guess all the high quality restaurants are emerging more because people’s tongue is used to sophisticated tastes. I’d really love to visit one day. I know I won’t be disappointed by the food there. Everything looks good. Is the strawberry paper made out of fresh strawberry or something?
The fresh corn under the scallops and pork lardo made me want to hurry the seasons up a bit. (Then I remembered you’re in the middle of summer!) I will try to be patient.
Beautifully photographed food and descriptive writing… such a treat.
P.S. I love discovering a perfect medium rare, too — that was a great way to put it!
Any place that uses lardo already wins my heart — and stomach. 😉
Needs more phallicness.
That sounds like a place I would love to visit…I love seeing innovative takes with a touch of familiarity. It’s a subtle kind of culinary creativity.
Have only heard good things about Bridge Room. The duck looks sensational!
David Blackmore’s wagyu is something special isn’t it? Just melts on the tongue
Everything looks amazing and *sigh* you post the best restaurant reviews! Delicious food and descriptions and honest evaluation. I am thrilled you enjoyed yourselves….and now I’m hungry!
Not sure I will ever tire of scallops with a pork product of some kind
Hahaha I like how you’ve described it 😛 ‘scallop and pork’ thing LOL I’m still kinda new to the food scene so it’s funny to know that they’ve been doing it for 5 years now!
The food here looks great, especially that wagyu rump! I’d love to try some of that~
And the dessert so delicious 😀
Damn you eat at some nice places Chopinand! Those dishes look amazing! I was especially curious about the strawberry paper – any idea how that might be made? At a guess I’m thinking it was pulped and then dehydrated, but who knows…
Your reviews always leaves me HUNGRY!!!! And you are a fine diner, for sure 😀
You really do find some fabulous places to dine. And you photograph your experiences so well. I do love the look of the Bridge Room, it looks cosy, intimate and understated. And I do love the look of how the duck breast and the rump were presented. It looks like you had a great dining experience and thanks for a wonderful review.
I’m not a fan of the scallop and pork combination actually. I usually hate to mix meats in the same dish. The dessert is definitely something to look at, though!
What a lovely looking meal, and too bad on the over complex flavours of the duck. The Boy would love the scallops and beef too! *sigh* Another one to put on my list for Sydney!
So many new restaurants to try! Thanks for the review on this one!
Oh, I wish I could say that my city “has been inundated with new cafe and restaurant openings”
The Bridge Room looks like another place in Sydney I would love to visit.