Bird Cow Fish: Last suppers at the bistro, Surry Hills (9 Feb 2012)

500 Crown Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010
Phone: (02) 9380 4090
http://www.birdcowfish.com.au

LAST SUPPER 11 February 2012 before closing

Blogger Journalist Twitter

After 23 years as a chef, Alex has decided it’s time for a new focus, beyond the daily grind of the kitchen and running a busy restaurant. Family comes first. Classics such as her prawn gnocchi, the seared hanger steak with a sweet & sour veal jus, the beef cheek pie and of course the chocolate tart will be on this last menu.

There’s nothing quite like a restaurant closing to make you spontaneously try and book a table, especially when it’s on your wish list due to enjoying the chef’s Regal King Salmon & Potato Fishcakes at Taste of Sydney. I thought my request for a table for two just days from closing would be futile but a tweet confirmation and phone back to Howard made it all good to go — except I still hadn’t organised someone to go with. With only a couple of hours notice my friends and fellow bloggers already had plans. At around 6 pm I was totally convinced I’d be dining solo until I caught a tweet from one Karen Lateo (The Week Magazine) saying “@SimonLeong I'm free and in Surry Hills...but I don't know you, Simon!! You don't want dinner with a stranger, do you?? @birdcowfish”. I thought why not with a bonus advantage of trying more dishes. Arriving at 6.40 pm for the restaurants 6.30 pm first sitting I met Karen chatting with Chef Alex Herbert about the unusual circumstances of the dinner meetup made possible so quickly through Twitter.

Karen had dined at Bird Cow Fish once before and already had her mind set on the Seared Coorong hanger steak ($35.50) with bold flavours and a richly supportive jus — thankfully she was kind enough to share. Not known for being tender the chefs competent skills in cooking the hanger steak did the meat justice. Being a lover of nose to tail cooking the Sautéed Barossa chicken livers ($18.50) was another easy choice for Karen. The richly flavoured ingredients were joyously combined with a runny poached egg and worked well as a dish. My Potato gnocchi with prawn meat ($20.50) was sautéed in burnt butter, verjuice, capers & crispy sage. I was impressed how the gnocchi kept its shape while having the consistency of a slightly firm mash potato. My Beef Cheek Pie ($35.50) had excellent flakey pastry as hoped. The very tender meat had a good depth of flavour with noticeable wine on the palate although I’m glad we ordered the Steamed greens ($8.50) to help cut through the richness of the filling. Perhaps a side of minted pea mash would have also complimented well.

With no vanilla ice cream available my request for an affogato could not be catered for although the silver lining was probably best for my stomach to have the Penelope Sach Organic Herbal Peppermint Tea ($3.80). Two people meant two desserts of course. Karen’s Cherry mille feuille ($15.50) had good flaky pastry and plump cherries that worked well in the dish but its very delicate construction quickly found the power of gravity wins in the end. I ordered the Chocolate tart ($15.50) only because it was mentioned as a signature dish but feared it would be very rich and heavy and thus sending my stomach over the edge in a bad way. Thankfully its super thin pastry and surprisingly light yet richly flavoured chocolate was very enjoyable. I wondered if some slithers of candied orange on top would have helped cut through the chocolate a bit more and add an extra taste dimension plus my preference would have probably been either whipped cream or ice cream rather than the runny cream which had trouble sticking to the chocolate dust on top.

I wish Chef Alex Herbert all the very best in her future endeavours and may the soul of her food find a path to new beginnings for the enjoyment of others.

SNAPSHOT REVIEW:

PROS: Quality ingredients, Interesting menu, Tasty dishes, Nice decor and buzzing ambience, Howard had a very pleasant and accommodating phone manner

CONS: A bit expensive but seemed worth it for the quality, Didn't like the table support positioning and table tops were a bit smallish so felt a little cramped, Service was a little absent at the start but improved later in the night, The restaurant is unfortunately closing, No affogato

MUST TRY: Chocolate tart, Seared Coorong hanger steak

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Hepburn Springs Sparkling Mineral Water ($8)

Blue Cow Mule cocktail including Hendrick's Gin ($18)

Sonoma sourdough baguette with Pepe Saya cultured butter ($2.50 per person)

Sautéed Barossa chicken livers, smokey pancetta, pangrattato, bitter leaves & a poached egg ($18.50)

Potato gnocchi with prawn meat sautéed in burnt butter, verjuice, capers & crispy sage ($20.50)

Seared Coorong hanger steak, sweet & sour garlic, anchovy, oregano, raisin & veal jus sauce ($35.50)

WORTH TRYING :-)

Beef Cheek Pie ($35.50)

Steamed greens ($8.50)

Short black ($3)

Penelope Sach Organic Herbal Peppermint Tea ($3.80) — unfortunately an affogato was not available because no vanilla ice cream

Cherry mille feuille with mascarpone & pistachio praline ($15.50) — so delicately balanced it fell over very easily

Chocolate tart with cream ($15.50)

SIMON FAVOURITE :-)

Pouring the cream — although I might have preferred whipped cream or ice cream

The chocolate dust repels the cream — I wondered if I would have preferred a freshly whipped cream or vanilla bean ice cream instead

Good, simple, delicious menu philosophy

Bill $183.30 for two

Me and Chef Alex Herbert

Front dining area

Back dining area

Aesops and Scented Space Fragrance Diffuser Olive Leaf in the toilet — so Surry Hills

SMH Good Food Guide Awards 2011 One Chef's Hat

Table supports not quite to my liking for comfortable foot placement and tables were a bit on the smallish side — and how did that green bean get on the floor?

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