There’s something that they don’t tell you about cooking school when you sign up: that the education is nearly a decade behind what’s currently happening in the food scene.
Scallop and crab boudin blanc, tomato crab bisque and black caviar, $18
Chicken Liver Parfait, Cherry Marmalade and Brioche, $16
Sticky Wagyu Brisket Bourginon, Caramelised Shallot and Truffled Mash, $30
Roasted Half Duck, Gnocchi and Cherries, $36
Hand cut chips with Rosemary Salt, $8
Rhubarb Blanc Mange, Cinnamon Crumble, Apple Sorbet, $14
Hayes St Wharf serves up perfectly tasty food in lovely, relaxing surroundings. The expectation and the experience was a touch disparate, though – the information I had pointed to a modern style of French dining, but the experience felt fairly old school. Boudin blanc, bourginon, blanc mange…these just transport me back to cookbooks of the late 80s and early 90s, though not entirely in a bad way.
Except for the French rap music playing in the background. That was new school, a bit…odd. To me, at least.
Front of house also didn’t have too much off-the-cuff knowledge about the food, which is slightly worrying – sure, you can always find out from the kitchen, but it causes a break in the seamless experience of being in safe hands.
It is, though a nice little place to catch up with friends or have a date night – you can hear each other talk and there’s a professionalism to it all without being too intimidating. Shame that it can’t capitalise a bit more on the surrounding views, though, it would have really made the travel time more worthwhile.
Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of Hayes St Wharf Bistro.
Hayes St Wharf Bistro
13 Hayes Street
Neutral Bay, Sydney, NSW
Phone: 02 9908 1133
Website: www.hayesstwharfbistro.com.au/