Kurrajong Hotel has had a completely new revamp and one of the cornerstones is the Park Street Bistro by former MasterChef judge George Calombaris. It’s the first Sydney project for his new hospitality group. So what is it like? We take a look after the renovation and the new menu.
The rain hasn’t dampened the spirits this Friday night. It’s a full house at Park Street Bistro at the Kurrajong Hotel on the corner of Swanson and Park roads in Erskineville. The pub, hotel and restaurant opened mid September after a multi million dollar refurbishment. The hotel has 20 rooms of accommodation with views of the park.
The dining room seats 80 including some bar seating and there’s also a good sized dog friendly outdoor section. This is the first Sydney venue from Harbour Hospitality Group, a new hospitality group by Culinary Curator George Calombaris and CEO Terry Soukoulis. The Executive Chef here is Francesco Castellana (formerly of Vue De Monde and Per Se) and George is here this evening.
The room’s design is all about moody lighting and feels like an occasion restaurant. With the redesign they’ve kept the existing tiles and joinery but added custom lighting inspired by the Kurrajong flower, linen curtains and local artwork by Peter Lewis. The open kitchen faces the restaurant. The tables are a little tight together so that the waitstaff have to do a little shimmy to carry plates to tables. Service is lovely and helpful and we get some tips on what to order from the friendly staff. The menu is European with French and Italian dishes.
The drinks list has their spin on traditional cocktails like the Negroni, Martini, Manhattan and Whisky Sour. We have a blood orange version of a French 75 made with Siphon Darling Dry, sugar, sparkling wine and blood orange juice that is crisp and lightly sweet. We sip on these while snacking on the complimentary and very moreish French onion soup popcorn.
When you see lobster nuggets on a menu, you know you have to order them. These are made with lobster tail, prawns and mornay sauce and are delicate little bites topped with finger lime pearls, with dill sour cream in the centre tying everything together. These are a definite must order.
The kangaroo vol au vent is a larger size ideal for sharing between two. The layered puff pastry is filled with tender kangaroo tail and pork meat and a tomato and prune ketchup that gives the kangaroo a really tangy counterpoint. The kangaroo isn’t gamey; instead it’s very mild and this is like a delicious little meat pie.
Another favourite starter is the chickpea panisse topped with mixed mushroom fricassee with 4 types of mushrooms: oyster, king brown, shimeji and Swiss brown mushrooms and finished with creme fraiche. These come out piping hot and are delicious.
Kurrajong Signature Fresh Lasagna $42
The middle courses are filled with dishes like spanner crab tagliolini or chicken cotoletta (their take on a chicken schnitty) but we go for the signature dish, the Kurrajong lasagna. Each lasagna is made with a fresh sfoglia pasta sheets with a 3 hour beef and pork ragu and each is baked individually so you get a nice amount of the crispy crust around the edge. We both really enjoy this version especially with the Bolognese style ragu and crispy edges.
Jack’s Creek Angus Striploin MB4+300g $59
We also order the steak cooked on the Josper Grill, served with Café de Paris butter. Each grill item comes with a choice of a butter or sauce and they recommend the Cafe de Paris butter. The Jack’s Creek steak is perfectly cooked medium rare and we like striploin as it is a good balance of fat and lean, but more lean with a strip of fat at the edges.
Fearing that mashed potato might have been too heavy with the lasagne we go for the French fries which are perfectly seasoned and piping hot.
Instead of a green salad, we opt for the blue cheese, apple and walnut endive salad with a creamy buttermilk style dressing. It’s light enough to go with a steak but is a little bit more interesting than a plain garden salad.
Dessert here is all French from the crème brûlée to the apple tarte tatin to the chocolate tart and the bombe Alaska. The bombe Alaska is strawberry and vanilla ice cream (the flavours change regularly) topped with piped meringue with brandy poured all over it and set alight. The brandy flavour is still strong and apparent even after the flame has gone.
But it is the Apple Tarte Tatin that we both love. The sweetness of the apples straddles the balance between tart and sweet while the pastry is rich. It is served with a warm calvados creme anglaise. And I can’t think of a better dessert for a rainy spring night.
And at the end of the night, all guests get a little gift from this server. It’s a card offering a complimentary dish chosen by the server giving them another reason to come back.
So tell me Dear Reader, has a restaurant ever given you a little parting gift? And what would they have to offer to tempt you back?
NQN and Mr NQN were guests of Park Street Bistro but all opinions remain her own.
Park Street Bistro
Kurrajong Hotel, 106-108 Swanson Street, Erskineville NSW 2043
Phone: (02) 8355 1935
Website: www.kurrajonghotel.com.au
Opening hours: Wednesday to Sunday, 12pm until late.
