Recently my partner Rob and I enjoyed a pop-up, French themed meal at the Victory Theatre Café in Blackheath. We were joined by lots of eager locals. Many of us are sad that chef David doesn’t open regularly for dinner and hope he might change his mind! Being mid autumn it was the first really cold night of the year.
However, even a glance at the menu was enough to warm body and soul.
It must be hard to choose a set menu that will appeal to everyone, but as far as I was concerned it was perfect. First up was a rich prawn bisque, to help thaw us out. I enjoyed it so much that I forgot to take a photo.
Entrée was confit of duck, beautifully presented and complemented by the traditional flavour of orange.
Onto the main course. Now I have eaten cassoulet in Carcassone, so my expectations were high. Could there be a more suitable dish to serve in a Blue Mountains village we affectionately call ‘Bleakheath’ ? Just look at the traditional ingredients of this famous ‘peasant’ dish.
I closed my eyes and dreamed I was back in the south west of France. I wonder why more restaurants don’t serve this? There was a side dish of green beans with slivered almonds.
And so to the dessert. It just had to be crème brulee, truly the king of custards.
Oh that delicious moment when the toffee cracks and your spoon dips into the silky, vanilla flavoured custard. I do have a word of advice for Australian chefs though…..please give up serving strawberries. Raspberries are so much more reliable.. Strawberries are always a bit firm and tasteless. Why, I have no idea, it’s a sad mystery of life. I did love those miniature marshmallows though.
Chef David tells me he is planning for the next ‘pop-up’ to feature curries. That will appeal to Rob more than me, but I’m willing to give them a go. If you are interested in attending, put your name down at the café and you will be advised of the date and theme when a final decision is made. It will be mid winter by then, so the heat of a curry does sound appropriate.
I forgot to say that the Victory is not licensed. We took along a bottle of Moscato. It was my choice; sweet, light and low in alcohol.
French dining in Blackheath ……a double delight.
Hmm…I have sitting at the computer trying to catch up on e-mail and blog-reading, but all the time thinking I need to get up and get something to eat. My lunch consisted of a large portion of cabbage salad. Period. Earlier, I had a small snack of peanut butter on a few rice crackers and a few beet/balsamic vinegar crackers. It’s nearly 5:30 pm here and definitely time for food. Your post had made me doubly hungry. And the mention of curries? Oh, dear. That’s one of my favorites. Wish I lived nearby. 🙂