On a recent trip to Sydney we booked into Becasse and enjoyed the seven-course degustation. Becasse is a boutique restaurant with only seven dining tables, set in a gorgeous old sandstone building—which happens to be part of the Westfield Sydney complex on the Pitt Street Mall. The flagship restaurant of renowned chef Justin North, Becasse is a sparkling jewel in the Sydney restaurant scene. This place definitely makes a lasting impression.
‘A first-class restaurant in a shopping mall?’ you ask. I was a little dubious too. The surprisingly intimate experience starts at the front door—wrought iron covered in leafy vines. Guests are greeted at the door by a staff member who leads you down a long hallway, decorated with branches and vines. To me, it felt like being welcomed into an enchanted forest. The hall opens out into the elegant dining room, with a honey-hued sandstone feature wall, large arched windows and more branches and leafy vines amongst velvet-clad lounges. The atmosphere is very warm and inviting, at the same time it feels luxurious…and all this before the food and drinks begin!
The seven-course degustation actually ends up being about nine courses with the extra bits and pieces that are brought out as part of the dining experience. Our degustation included:
- Snacks—tapioca crisps, soubise mousseline, fried bread, cured lardo
- Becasse artisan bread, olive oil butter
- Local radish, melon, oloroso and green zebra gazpacho
- Chilled ocean consommé, Pacific oyster, scallop and octopus
- Spanner crab, chamomile, young coconut and crab jelly
- Flame-grilled mussels, caramelised calves sweetbread, duck prosciutto and kohl rabi
- Extra course (not on the menu so I don’t know precisely what to call it): a smashed potato gratin
- Slow-cooked lamb shoulder, pine smoked summer heirlooms, cardamom jus OR Slow-roasted pork, endive, olive, fennel and lemon myrtle
- Autumn still life
- 68% Alto Beni Zokoko chocolate cadeau, dulce de leche, peanut and milk sorbet OR Verbena crème caramel, golden peach, blueberry and lemon balm
- Petits fours.
The overall dining experience could only be described as decadent. The food is breathtakingly beautiful in presentation and, combined with the sommelier’s wine selection to complement each course, a foodie’s delight to eat. The flavours are delicate and refined as you would expect any good French restaurant to serve.
I’m not sure that I could pick a favourite course but I was pleasantly surprised by the calves’ sweetbreads. Having never eaten brains before, I wasn’t sure what to expect but they tasted like perfectly-cooked tender veal, although a bit softer in texture. Delicious…
At the end of the degustation it feels like you’ve been on a very exclusive journey with your fellow diners. Like a secret shared only with a select few. And taking excellent customer service to the extreme, when signing the bill we were given takeaway bags with lovely breakfast pastries from the Becasse Bakery. It certainly leaves you with a warm fuzzy feeling about the evening. A very nice touch indeed.