Bistronomie by OK is a new French bistro on Crown Street in Surry Hills. Gone is the pop-up Khanaa after 6 months and in its place Chef Opel Khan focuses on a classic French bistro with well priced dishes.
It's a chilly winter's Saturday night when I meet Carla at Bistronomie by OK. Bistronomie is the portmanteau of Bistro and Gastronomy. Chef Opel Khan is in the kitchen supervising. The restaurant doesn't look to have changed much at all since it was Khanaa, a Bangladeshi restaurant. Staff are friendly although can be a bit unsure at times.
Carla and I start with drinks: I have a Mademoiselle Fizz with gin, Cointreau, lychee, lime, vanilla, rose and elderflower tonic which is actually perfect for me as it has a bit of sweet and a bit of sour. Carla has a glass of pinot noir. The wine and food menu is short and sweet and pared down with three choices of white and three choices of red wine and everything appears on one page.
The house-made baguette comes out crisp and warm with soft butter to the side. It's the perfect size for 2-3 people and comes out already cut so that it is easy to share.
We then try the oysters paired with a zingy eschallot vinaigrette. The oysters are served out of their shells in ceramic versions of oyster shells and they are fresh and delicious although they don't really have the brine that you get with oysters in the actual shell which adds a juicy slipperyness to each mouthful.
The steak tartare is a hand-cut fillet of beef that comes already mixed with Tabasco, pickled baby cucumbers, pickled cocktail onions and mixed herbs under a cover of discs. At first I thought that the discs were potato but they're made out of pastry and you are to scoop the tartare onto the pastry and eat it. They are quite thin and delicate for the tartare.
The duck leg confit ravioli is two round ravioli parcels stuffed with duck leg confit meat in a pool of duck jus. The ravioli is al dente and the filling soft and we both like the distinct duck flavour of the jus. The toasted slivered almonds add a crunchy element to this dish.
The cauliflower custard is aerated, creamy and light in texture with the distinct flavour of cauliflower. There are fresh peas and mint leaves on top to balance the rich custard.
The mains start at $29 for the chicken and go up to $65 for charcoal grilled beef. The beef eye fillet is cooked in a pan with thyme, garlic and butter and is served with confit mushrooms, creamy mash and a red wine reduction. The steak so tender and soft and cooked perfectly medium rare.
The desserts are all $18 each (the website menu lists them as $10 which stood out as I haven't seen a $10 restaurant dessert in Sydney for long time!). There are three to choose from: apple tarte tatin, bannoffee and chocolate mousse. Carla loves the chocolate mousse, a rich, thick dark and milk chocolate mousse with tangy fruit powder on top and nuts for crunch and served on a bed of chocolate soil.
I love banana desserts and Bannoffee and this is an interpretation of bannoffee with banana ice-cream, slices of hot banana with a salted caramel foam and cocoa powder on top. If you're looking for a traditional bannoffee this may not hit the spot but if you like banana flavours then this is a lovely dessert.
So tell me Dear Reader, are you looking for more restaurant deals or well priced options at the moment?
NQN and Carla dined as guests of Bistronomie by OK but all opinions remain her own.
Bistronomie by OK
3/355 Crown St, Surry Hills NSW 2010
Tuesday to Saturday 5:30–10 pm
Sunday & Monday closed
Phone: 0401 549 188
https://www.bistronomiebyok.com.au/
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