'Save the best for last.'
From the first moment I learned of Sidart, I knew that I had to dine there. The simplicity and elegance of food translated in photos had captivated me from the beginning. So it would come as no surprise to anyone that I made a dinner reservation prior to booking my ticket to New Zealand - as noted, my priorities were definitely in the correct order.
Located humbly in Ponsonby, Sidart overlooks the city skyline. Once you step afoot into the restaurant, you simply forget everything. It is such a surreal feeling; forgetting where you are and that you just walked along some everyday, not so fancy street to a boastfully beautiful restaurant. In no ways is the interiors extensively lavish. Just simple and beautiful to match its three hatted appraisal , yet somewhat comforting too. There is a sense of closeness, and home. There is integrity; something that I had wondered would be lost at a high end restaurant.
I will apologise in advance, for my lack of knowledge and poor memory - there will probably be a fair few elements which I can't quite remember what they were.
For drinks, Dad had a glass of red - Pinotage, while I decided to try the Herbalist - a perfect blend of Bombay Sapphire Gin, Benedictine, Cointreau and apple. The alcohol was subtle, and there were fresh nuances from citric flavours to waken the palette. Later in the evening, I had the Fresh Passion mocktail. The passionfruit provided played forte on the taste buds, while the mint combination was quite rejuvenating.
The typical bread and butter was served before our courses began, but not with your average butter. From memory - a sourdough rye with butter using fig leaves. The butter was nice and smooth and spread easily on to the bread. The flavours were well balanced; the crust however a little too hard.
To commence our dining, had four amuse-gueule. First- an almond, lemon and lychee mousse. The fragrance of the sweet lychee mouse danced on the tongue, with a clean cut of acidity from the lemon. The puffed grains added a lovely light crunch to the dish. It was a beautiful beginning and strayed from your atypical generic savoury dishes, without being heavy handed on the sweetness. Light, fresh and elegant.
Next, a blackcurrrant olive and thyme macaron. Personally, I am someone who tends to stray from sweet on an empty due to past experiences and tend to favour savoury courses. But Mr Sahrawat has carefully created a well scripted balance to excite one's senses, leaving me to be more optimistic about how such a beginning can be just as wonderful, if not more. The chewy texture and light crisp shell was executed to perfection, and I cannot fault this dish even if I tried.
Our third appetiser consisted of a shiitake broth with white soy and kaffir lime. Served in a little tumbler, the warm clear soup was quite inviting and carried earthy notes in the dish. Unfortunately, it was a little too concentrated with saltiness and lacked the balance seen in the earlier dishes.
To conclude the first round we finished with cigars - comte, tenglo and sumac. The casing of the cigar was brittle and crisp, while the ends coated with sumac. There was a light tangy flavour to the dish, while the comte cheese was creamy without being overbearing.
Served with a side of sweet corn, peas and onions - these elements carried a lot of natural and fresh sweetness. The light resistance from each individual vegetable complemented the soft fleshiness of the sashimi style scallop. A light pinch of salt saw the sweet corn come alive, while the grounded macadamia (I think) added a beautiful nuttiness to the dish.
Second - a vegetarian themed dish of carrot, cashew, celeriac and walnut. The carrot was so soft and full of flavour as though it had been cooked in some sort of stock. The vibrant orange made this plate so visually attractive. It was grounded and carried a certain earthiness without being too overpowering.
Moving on was a piece of snapper served with parsnip, basil and woodear. The flesh of the fish was perhaps slightly over, but married well with smooth textures of the fungi. A crispy skin would have been a wonderful addition, and would have given this dish further dimension. While this dish in itself was wonderful, my encounters at the Lakehouse with the most beautiful and freshest barra I have ever tasted only left me to draw comparisons.
The fouth - venison. miso, date and fennel. The tartare carried a slight bite and chewiness from the meat. There was mention of coffee (I think, apologies if I am going crazy) - which added a slight bitterness to the dish; contrasting well with the sugary sideof the dates. The greens added a light freshness to refine the dish a little further.
We then finished the last round of mains with lamb; cooked so tender and respectfully. The meat was still a light rosy and was full of flavour. The butternut seeds helped to celebrate the wonderful dish, adding an earthy undertone while the baby kale gave a thin crispiness. I have not eaten a lot of lamb before, and this dish left me question why I hadn't done so.
The cheese icecream carried a savoury note, but at the same time was creamy and refreshing. Juxtaposing the softness was a crisp wafer, and honeycomb; making for an impeccable dessert combination. This was perhaps one of my favourite dishes of the night. Small, but inviting and delicious all in one. It strayed from the typical flavours you find in general desserts, which was what drew me to it more.
Moving forward, the first dessert - dehydrated raspberries with a cucumber sorbet, and lemon verbena. Wow. The sorbet was very clean cut and light, while the sour notes from the raspberry and verbena did the trick. Accompanied with a milkfoam wafer, the dish carried an interesting aerated texture and was nothing but a delight to eat. I could not help but smile the whole time.
To finish the Discovery Menu for the evening, we were welcomed to macerated plums with black sesame sponge and apple sorbet and passionfruit. The sweetness of the plums married well against the fragrant bitter sponge. Again, this dessert was very light and a pleasant way to conclude the evening.
Just as we thought the night was done, the staff brought out a slice of chocolate brownie cake and a quenelle of ganache on the side. While this dish was rich in flavour, the bitterness counteracted to make it feel less heavy and over the top; a better alternative than if this had been milk chocolate. The ganache was nice and smooth, while the brownie top was crisp while the meat of the cake was moist and soft.
Then, another surprise - two macarons with hay infused cream. Again, the macaron was beautifully made; a perfectly smooth surface with the delicate external crispiness as you bite into it - only to be met with a chewy texture. A little bit too sweet, but lovely nonetheless.
What a dream it was to dine here, at Sidart.
The staff were courteous and warm. They felt like a mutual friend who had extended both arms to welcome us in, and were gracious all evening long. I cannot begin to express my gratitude towards them for making this a seamless evening for my father's birthday. Personally for myself, it was an unforgettable experience.To have my first three hatted dining experience and to take my love for food to foreign borders carried such significance to me. It honestly felt like I had taken my first leap to living my dream and broadening my horizons.
Until next time.
Sidart
A: Three Lamps Plaza Level 1/283 Ponsonby Rd, Ponsonby AKL 1011
Ph: +64 9-360 2122