Complimentary bread - I love the butter to bread ratio here!
Friday lunch. One of my favourite times of the working week because a) it's nearly the weekend, and b) there are lunch specials to be had! I've previously been to Assiette and Marque for their Friday lunch specials, but this time we headed to Randwick to try out Restaurant Balzac's lunch special, which offers a three course set menu for $35.
The restaurant interior is clean and white with lots of natural light flowing through the windows. On this particular Friday it was pretty full and I saw that most diners were having the lunch special, though the regular a la carte menu and degustation are also available. We were presented with some complimentary bread while we waited for the rest of the food to arrive.
Lyonnaise tart with Holy Goat La Luna and fresh thyme
The seasonal menu changes weekly and our entree was a Lyonnaise tart with goats' cheese and thyme. It was quite a small serving, gone within a few delicious bites. The sweetness of the caramelised onions on the tart and the salty, pungent flavour of the creamy goats' cheese paired well together, while the fresh thyme added a splash of colour to the plate.
Braised brisket of Wagyu beef with truffled pomme puree and broad beans
Not being a big fan of goats' cheese, Sir D wasn't particularly happy with the entree but his eyes lit up when the main was brought to the table. A piece of succulent braised brisket adorned the plate along with a crispy "spring roll" type thing which contained more braised beef. Along with the toothsome broad beans and creamy pomme puree, it was like meat and two veg, fine dining style. Both of us made sure there was nothing left on our plates - it was simply too good to leave anything behind.
Vanilla rice pudding with poached strawberries and rhubarb
A creamy white vanilla rice pudding with strawberries and rhubarb concludes the meal. The rice pudding is pleasantly sweet and doesn't feel stodgy, with the strawberry and rhubarb providing a burst of occasional tartness. Though it doesn't feel like we've eaten a lot of food, we feel full and satisfied at the end of the meal. And the best thing about it was that we got a full three courses of excellent quality food for a fraction of the normal price! Gotta love Friday lunches...
Note: Restaurant Balzac is now open for lunch on Thursdays and Fridays and has a $39pp three course menu (choose one of two items per course). See website for more details.
Restaurant Balzac
141 Belmore Road
Randwick NSW 2031
Ph: +612 9399 9660
Lunch: Thursday and Friday, noon to 3pm
Dinner: Tuesday to Saturday, from 6pm
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These three-course lunches on Fridays are great aren't they? Good food without breaking the bank.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a great lunch - my manager always raves about this place and the lunch deal as it's her local. Will have to try it one day!
ReplyDeleteSo jealous that I can't get to do Friday lunches... :(
ReplyDeleteThe 'spring' roll looks like what Balzac does at the Taste of Sydney festivals - so at least I can have it there... :)
Great pics!
*jealous* If only I was in the vicinity of such great Friday lunch offers! (PS. I don't like goat's cheese much either...)
ReplyDeleteI have been wanting to try the Friday lunch (now on Thursdays too) for ages. Tiny entree, and I am not a fan of goats cheese either. The rest looks wonderful.
ReplyDeleteHi joey - Gotta love a good lunch deal! Definitely suits a poor, food-loving student like myself haha
ReplyDeleteHi missklicious - It was my first time at Balzac and I loved it! Your manager is lucky to live so close to such a gem :)
Hi Tina - Hm yes now that you mention it, it is a lot like the 'spring roll' that I had at Taste of Sydney last year!
Hi mademoiselle délicieuse - Maybe it's a sign that you need to take a Friday off to treat yourself!
Hi Sara - I think goats cheese is one of those foods that divides people. I can't say that I love it but I don't absolutely hate it either.