This new venture from Dining Concepts is instantly inviting, with a space created by Neri & Hu Design that sports a neutral palette with wood and bronze finishings. It’s both homely and chic here.
Bizou’s menu is pretty brief, a telling sign that this place goes for quality rather than quantity. So we’re expecting great stuff, however when the bread basket arrives it’s a tad underwhelming. Not only is the dough’s texture chewy and dense, it also lacks flavour. But that’s where the letdowns end. Our starter of pan-roasted sweet prawns ($148) is tremendous. The crustaceans are sweet, succulent and excellently paired with a creamy soft white cheese and hot smoked paprika. Our only gripe is that there are only four of them. Next, we tuck into another starter, the grilled octopus ($158), and our knives sink like butter into the cephalopod. Each moreish tentacle has a smoky char, balanced by mint hummus, sumac and a hint of lemon. Delish!
We just have to go for the cow for our mains, opting for the aged grass-fed New York strip ($268 for 250g). That means more bite and stronger-tasting beef than many other cuts. Grass-fed steak like this has a pronounced earthy flavour and doesn’t need any fat. Hell, it’s every bit as good as we hoped: toothsome with a slight chew, purple in the centre with a good sear outside and boasting some serious flavour. It also pairs well with the fried lemon potatoes and parsley.
All through the night, the bar by J Boroski shakes up some pretty cocktails with candy floss and floral decorations and we promise ourselves we’ll be back to try them. There’s a whole new adventure waiting as we’ve just gotta pair those tipples with that damn fine steak.
Author: Val Chan