Wooden Spoon Bar & Restaurant, Cremorne

My first restaurant invite, excited! A week ago, I got an email from the owner of Wooden Spoon and Bar to do a review for their newly established restaurant. I never heard of the place before and so I looked up online and visited their website. It is located in the heart of Cremorne which is easy to find and I know the area pretty well cause my workplace is around there. On top of that, the menu looks appealing and I always loved Asian Fusion dining. 

Went there on a Wednesday night with Bebski. The booking was at 7PM and our meal was a 5 Degustation menu. The restaurant menu is the first thing at the front of the entrance and also showed their current Degustation event called "Be My Guest". Diners can enjoy the 5 course menu for just $55! (Check their other upcoming events on their website at the bottom of the page)

I was taking pictures outside of the place and the owner Livia saw me from inside and noticed that I must be the one she's expecting ;) So I went in with Bebski and was greeted with smile. She explained about the foods tonight and I am asked to rate the 5 dishes. 

The decoration of the place is modern and classy. It also gives you a comfy homey vibe when you're in there. I know sometimes Fine Dining place can be quite intimidating but this place somehow has that relaxing atmosphere, perfect place for chillin' out after work :)

I was seated at the end of the restaurant where there is plenty of light. Livia said that she knew I needed a spot with good lightning for my pictures , How thoughtful...  :)

The place was still pretty empty when we arrived but the crowd start later at around 8PM.

Not long after we were seated, a glass of water is served for each of us. We were offered wine but Bebski can't drink cause he needs to drive and I'm not a fan of wine. So water will suits us well.

To start with, we were given a board of freshly baked warm sourdough bread. The sourdough is soft and crusty complemented well by the creamy butter and flakes of salt.

Not long after that, they serve us a shot of shitake and wakame miso soup. It has a strong seaweed flavour and again some people might like it but to others such as Bebski, it can be quite a challenge to drink. At the bottom of the cup is a sheet of seaweed to provide some texture to the soup shot.

First course arrived. It is a sweet potato dosa puree with BBQ okra, Red grape tomatoes, Puffed cassava and served with Coconut & Lime dressing. I never tried Okra before and I must say, I like it! The puree is smooth and I think that having the crispy element such as the cassava is great as it gives a different texture to the whole dish.

Bebski & I were counting on the time for our next dish and we found out that it took 15-20 mins for the next dish to be served which I think is a reasonable amount of time. Some fine dining took longer than that.

The second course arrived and it is pan seared scallop with BBQ pork neck, beetroot puree, thin sliced cucumber, black sesame crumble and ponzu. I love ponzu! It is depth in flavour and the BBQ pork neck is juicy and melt in the mouth.. The scallop is fresh and cooked to perfection and the puree is creamy. Never thought that beetroot works well with ponzu and black sesame ^^

The third dish is my favorite! Barramundi on creamed kale, curry oil and cumin roast pumpkin, cauliflower puree,topped with crispy vermicelli noodle and roast vegetable jus. The skin of the fish is crispy, the pumpkin has a lovely flavour and aroma and all the element on the plate match perfectly well.

The fourth dish is Bebski's favourite...BBQ Mutton & Lamb, Pea Fricasse, Roast baby Capsicum, Mirin glazed Shallot, baby turnips and Taiwanese BBQ Sauce. The mutton and lamb are tender and the sauce complements the meats really well. Especially the pickled turnips, for me is a great addition to the plate for tanginess and freshness.

Lastly,,,, The Dessert! Chocolate Mousse cake with Coconut Custard, Toasted Rice, Cherry Sorbet and Hazelnut crumble. Chocolate and ice cream is the best dessert to finish up my meal, almost every time! The cherry sorbet is luscious and goes really well with the moist cake. The unfortunate thing is that I can't really find the toasted rice ;P

Pretty looking dessert,, Worth another shot ;P Black & red on a plate is classy *wink

That's the end of our meal. A pleasurable time and food, very good service and I think their aim to create a memorable dining experience is a success! I highly recommend this place for a romantic dinner celebration whatever the occasion is or private function and gathering ^^

Took a shot with the Owner, Livia Wang. A very nice and cheerful lady :)

The rating paper for the foods. I gave 7-8-9-9-8 for the 5 course in order :)

http://www.woodenspoonbar.com.au/