Assiette

Bread and butter. Why did I take a photo? It was there. That's about it, really. Oh yes it was good bread, the crust giving the requisite crunch, my plate a mess of crumbs, and all the rest. Right, let's move on then.

Friday set lunch menu : $35

Prix fixe - there should be more of it, really. Two of us chose this option, but in the meantime, there was the amuse bouche, an not-always-expected but pleasant surprise for lunch.

Amuse bouche : pumpkin soup

An ideal sort of an amuse bouche for a light lunch and for a soup lover. Light of taste, comforting, and boding well for the courses to come.

Rock oysters with Vietnamese dressing and baby coriander

Coriander isn't something with which I am particularly enamoured, so this was obviously ordered by someone else. The someone else is a bit of an oyster fiend and assured me that the dressing had a good punch to it and that the combination was pleasing to her palate.

Field mushroom risotto

My choice for the first course of the prix fixe was the the risotto. At a restaurant like Assiette, it would be of note if something like risotto was not done well. The expectation is that dishes such as this are cooked without a wrong note. And so it was, a solidly executed risotto which I enjoyed.

Roasted blue eye trevalla with pea mousse, stuffed zucchini flower

The fish Trevalla was an a la carte option. She who ordered it declared it superb, and the best fish that she had eaten in a long time. I would have snuck a bite, only she seemed to be enjoying it so much that I didn't feel that I could ask for a taste.

Salmon croquette with tomato, chickpeas and mussels

The main course chosen by myself and the third of our party. This was a photograph of mine. The other serving was not identical. In fact it was missing part of one of the ends. I am not sure how it managed to leave the kitchen that way. In terms of taste, it was rather interesting, as the person who received the incomplete croquette enjoyed it more than I did mine. We both enjoyed the salmon, it was the tomato/ chickpea/ mussel 'sauce' that we had differing views about. My friend enjoyed it, whilst for me, I found it good, but would have preferred a bit of something extra  (a bit of chilli, or paprika or something, perhaps) to excite my tastebuds a bit more.

Mash with garlic butter

There was no disagreement with the two sides that we ordered. We do have a tendency to order potatoes (in whatever form) if we're meeting for lunch, and as one of us was carb free, the other two of us were quite content to eat her share. Soft, silky, buttery. Nothing more needs to be said.

Baby beans with toasted almonds

I've found that beans are one of those vegetables where people seem to inevitably fall into the two opposing camps of those who want them cooked to quite a soft texture, and those who still like a bit of crunch. I fall into the latter camp, so Assiette's beans worked well for me.

Vanilla rice pudding with coffee ice cream

Parts of the Sydney dining seen seem to be enamoured of serving things in jars, and so it was with this rice pudding. Aesthetically not all that remarkable perhaps, but I was assured that the taste more than compensated.

Watermelon and persimmon salad with cassis sorbet

At the time, I was in the middle of a "no dessert/ cakes/ biscuits for six weeks" phase in sympathy with someone who didn't actually manage to complete the six weeks. Perhaps it was stretching it a bit, but I figured that fruit would be permissible, the extra sugar notwithstanding, and I enjoyed every healthy fruity mouthful.

Oh and yes, I did manage the six weeks. Once you get past the first two, it's actually quite easy.

Assiette was full to capacity on this day. A quick glance seemed to indicate that a majority of people were having the fixed price menu. At $35 for three courses, it is value for money. What are you waiting for?

Restaurant Assiette
48 Albion St
Surry Hills
NSW 2010
Australia
Ph : +612 9212 7979


[AP]