Mark Best’s Marque Restaurant named no. 1 in the Australian Gourmet Traveller Restaurant 2012 and 2011 awards – something to be proud of. It was also included in the World’s Best 100 Restaurant awards for 2012. That’s some reputation to maintain – Marque does this with ease.
It’s a unassuming place, looking out from Crown St, along from Billy Kwong. The curtains hide a very comfortable modern dining elegance – the food, service, wine and contemporary deco. Marque is a small intimate dining space with very professional wait staff and sommeliers. The word at Marque is discrete.
After being welcomed and shown to our table, our waiter explained that the Marque approach to dining was to offer an eight course degustation ($160). Appropriately, he also checked any allergies and food preferences. You can also choose to have matched wines with the courses. As each course was delivered, we got an explanation of the dish. And at the end of the meal, the menu is given to you, like at Momofuku, Sydney.
Food – Marque is fine dining, amazing flavours and complex combinations that really quite simple and tres beautiful. Some of sydneycool’s highlights – blue swimmer crab, almond gazpacho, almond jelly, sweet corn and avruga. Succulent pieces of crab immersed in an almond gazpacho finely balanced with the saltiness of the avruga – perfect introduction to a perfect meal!.
Tiger prawn smoked, avocado, buttermilk, hazelnut and cured egg yolk. The intense smokiness with the crunch of the prawn, also again the smokiness of the top of the charred but soft avocado, smoothness of the buttermilk, hazelnut was quite breathtaking, and the soft texture of the cured egg. A brilliant dish!
Roast veal sweetbreads with vadouvan, heirloom carrots and saltbush. These small melt in the mouth sensations balanced perfectly with the finest sweet puree of carrots and the deep fried saltbush leaves.
Radicchio vermicelli with grapefruit and mint was the refresher before the chocolate mousse ‘ecrase’ – simplicity and coolness on the palate.
Desert chocolate mousse – light and gentle with dark earthiness of the beetroot, blackcurrant and the final lift from the violet .
We could go on but that’s the teaser and the dishes change dependent on what’s in season. You can also sample Mark Best’s inspired and original food through their Friday prix fixe lunch – three courses for $45.
The wine our sommerlier recommended was a French chenin blanc – 2009 Nicolas Joly Les Vieux Clos Savennieres – perfectly dry.
Marque has earned its place in global fine dining – a cool Sydney fine dining restaurant.
PS – Some of the photos above are Marque’s – sydneycool was happy to use the above !
The food photos above does not correspond with the text.
Marque Restaurant
4/5 355 Crown St Surry Hills NSW 2010
sydneycool rating ♥♥♥♥
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