Baroque Bistro 88 George Street, The Rocks, Sydney 2000 www.baroquebistro.com.au
Snapper steamed with clams, fennel, red capsicum, roast scallop consomme
Baroque Bistro, opened in 2009 by the Charkos Family of La Renaissance Patisserie continues the family tradition of providing quality French food made famous by their late ‘Patriarch’ Master Patissier and Cuisinier, Pierre Charkos. Inspired by the ‘Bistronomique’ movment, Baroque’s recently appointed Chef de Cuisine, Drew Bolton’s provides exciting and creative dishes which strike at the heart of contemporary French bistro fare.
Mains feature a beautifully delicate NZ Red Snapper (pictured above) which is steamed and garnished with fennel and clams. An aromatic roast scallop consommé is served table side. Highlighting chef Drew’s commitment to sustainability and utilising as much of the animal as possible is the roasted corn fed chicken breast with a gently braised wing and cock’s comb served with truffled white polenta, charred leek, roasted shimeji mushrooms and a classic Vin Jaune (Manjimup black truffles are also offered as a supplement to this dish when in season). A crispy duck egg wrapped in Katafi pastry before being deep fried, broccoli puree, confit kipfler potatoes, globe artichokes, white asparagus and truffle vinaigrette is a delight for the vegetarians. Desserts are a collaboration with the La Renais-sance pastry team led by Jean Michel Raynaud and features a beautifully rich Valrhona chocolate onctueux (literally meaning creamy/smooth) with roasted banana sorbet and a refreshing yuzu finish which cuts through the richness of the chocolate (pictured below)
Diverse, thoughtful, and classically driven, Baroque’s seasonally changing menu is a delight to the eye and the palate. Fresh combinations are plentiful, with the visually stunning entree of baby beetroot roasted in hay served with sour onions, goat cheese and radish, the hay giving the beets a warm earthy fragrance. Seasonal ingredients work in harmony with quality proteins such as scampi roasted in butter which sits on top of a delicate lobster and scampi custard, celery heart puree with Marcona almonds, grapes and shaved bottarga (dried mullet roe). A bistro classic, beef tartare (pictured) has been reworked unsing Cape Grim tenderloin and includes white anchovies, horseradish, brioche, pickled mushrooms, and charred onions bringing out the natural umami flavour of the beef
As always the crowd favourite Macarons are available individually or in a café gourmand selection (three macarons with a coffee/tea). During the day is the more casual Baroque Pantry focusing on fast, fresh and fun food for breakfast and lunch, with a nod to the French Bistro classics.
Drew Bolton, Chef De Cuisine New Chef de Cuisine Drew Bolton comes to Baroque Bistro after a culinary career that has seen him work in acclaimed restaurants in Sydney, NSW and worldwide. Drew grew up in a family that had a deep respect and love for food. Drew’s father Ken Bolton, a talented chef, taught him to cook from a young age and, with his guidance, Drew’s love for food quickly grew into a passion. Drew’s passion for food saw him progress to some of Sydney’s top kitchens including time at the prestigious Aria Restaurant under Matt Moran. Drew lists his years at Aria as being some of the most influential and formative of his career. Drew’s yearning to expand on his knowledge and diversify his skills led him to the USA. Here Drew undertook stages at Eric Ripert’s three Michelin starred Le Bernadin in New York, and Thomas Keller’s three Michelin starred The French Laundry, as well as Terrance Brennan’s two starred Picholine. Work in these internationally acclaimed kitchens instilled in Drew an appreciation for the meticulous detail and precision that is required to execute at this level. Drew’s experience both at home and abroad further consolidated his love for producing top quality French cuisine. Drew’s role as Sous Chef at Darley’s at Lillianfels under Carl Middleton helped form his culinary philosophy of the impotance of seasons and treating every ingredient with the respect it deserves. Drew also cites Carl as one of the most important influences on his career. Following on from Darley’s, Drew returned to Sydney to work in the kitchens of the acclaimed Peter Gilmore at Quay before moving to work once again alongside his former Darley’s mentor Carl Middleton at the Sydney Hilton. Drew’s culinary experiences, in particular the influence of growing up in a family with a deep respect and love of food, make him a perfect fit for Baroque which itself has deep family roots with the second generation Charkos boys continuing their own father Pierre’s philosophy and passion for quality French cuisine and Patisserie
Jean-Michel Raynaud, Head Pastry Chef Baroque and La Renaissance Multi gold medal winner Jean-Michel Raynaud began his long career under the tutelage of a master Patissier in Marseille and quickly worked his way to the kitchens of the best institutions such as the famous French restaurant “Le Petit Nice”, a culinary institution rightly deserving of its 3 Michelin stars. It was Jean-Michel’s exceptional skills in pulled sugar, traditional piping and chocolate carving that ensured his meteoric rise to head pastry chef by the age of just 20. Jean-Michel specialised in the exclusive wedding cake market as the head chef of Sweet Art and Planet Cake for over 12 years and has been the creative force behind some of the most recognisable original cake designs, copied around the word and appearing in countless books, magazines and TV shows. His list of clients include celebrities from world of politics, sport and even Hollywood legends - he made the wedding cake for Bec & Lleyton Hewitt and crafted other scrumptious treats for Nicole Kidman, Delta Goodrem and even Bob Hawke. Jean-Michel has an MBA in business administration and is a certified trainer, completing an Advanced Leadership course at Harvard University. This combination of qualifications, together with his formidable creative skills, has not only enabled him to inspire students on three continents, but has led to countless appearances on both television, OPENING HOURS Tues - Saturday 6pm till late (02) 9126 8970
MEDIA ENQUIRIEs christophe@baroquebistro.com.au WEB www.baroquebistro.com.au www.baroquepantry.com
ENTRÉE
Sydney rock oysters - Wapengo Lake, NSW Your choice of natural or champagne and oyster emulsion with tapioca and lemon ea. 4, ½ doz. 24, doz. 44 Beetroot Baby beetroot roasted in hay, sour onions, goat cheese, radish V 18 Pork Smoked pork cheek, red cabbage, apple, turnips, mustard 20 Beef tartare Handcut tenderloin, pickled mushrooms, horseradish, charred onions, egg yolk 22 Scampi Sautéed, white celery purée, grapes, Marcona almonds, bottarga 26
MAINS Duck egg Crispy duck egg, white asparagus, globe artichoke, confit potato, broccoli, black truffle vinaigrette V 28 Chicken Roasted hen breast with slow cooked wing, mushroom, leek, white polenta, cockscomb 30 Snapper Steamed with clams, fennel, red capsicum, roast scallop consommé 36 Lamb Parsley and quinoa crusted loin with braised neck, onion purée, artichokes, tomato and olive jus 36 Quail Roasted crown with a ballotine of the leg, celeriac, savoy cabbage, boudin noir, blackcurrant 36 Beef Grass fed Cape Grim tenderloin, croustillant of ox tongue, spinach purée, swiss chard, shallots 38
SIDES Mixed leaf salad with verjus vinaigrette 8 Roasted sweet potato, fourme d’ambert and rocket salad 8 Potato purée 10 with Manjimup black truffle 13
DESSERT Crème brûlée Rich egg custard, beurre noisette ice cream 16 Valrhona Chocolate Onctueux Yuzu, coriander & roast banana sorbet 16 Pineapple Caramelised with coconut, meringue, toffee and passionfruit 16 Assiette Mignardisé Plate of petits fours and macarons 20 Cafe Gourmand 3 macarons with your choice of coffee/tea 12 Cheese Choice of 3 cheeses and accompaniments 22 Please see our display for today’s cakes from the patisserie Baroque Bistro 88 George Street, The Rocks, Sydney, Australia (02) 9241 4811 www.barqouebistro.com.au
Tues - Sat 6pm - late
Have you tried breakfast or lunch from Baroque Pantry? www.baroquepantry.com Open 7 days 9am - 3pm
Scampi, white celery puree, grapes, Marcona
Grass fed Cape Grim tenderloin, croustillant of ox tongue, spinach, swiss chard, shallots
Baby beetroot roasted in hay, sour onions, goat cheese, radish