Review: Silk's Brasserie, Leura

I don't remember the night anymore...not really anyway...

It went something along the lines of a bunch of friends wanting to go up to Lithgow in hope of adventure and finally reach the destination and realise that there REALLY wasn't much to do after 5pm over there, then driving all the way back to Leura in search of some food.

We came across Silk's Brasserie, and even though we had no reservations and there was an explicit recommendation that bookings are essential, we were starving and cold, so we tried our luck nevertheless and sent two scouts inside to see if there was any room.They came out with smiles on their faces, but the only remaining table were the two closest to the door. It was freezing outside, so the cons were obvious.
We walked away at first, but having browsed through the menu displayed outside, we quickly changed out minds and walked back towards the restaurant. Cold wind or no cold wind, we wanted the chance to dine at Silk's.Not long after we were seated, the waitress brought a basket of bread freshly out of the oven. It was still warm, and the delicate sweet scent filled the table and we all eyed the basket keenly. It was a struggle to back everyone off while I took the photos. As we bit into it, we noticed that it was rather sweet tasting, and extremely soft and delicate in the centre, but crusty on the outside. AL pondered over whether we could buy a loaf off them to nom on later.

I had asked the waitress what was in the bread, and she kindly informed me that it was a multigrain bread with two secret ingredients. The first one, honey, was obvious, as VH and AL both called it out as if they were on a game show. The second, we guessed, was thyme, but unfortunately we were wrong.

Until this day, we still know not of the second secret ingredient. Any guesses?

Saffron Mussel Cream Chowder with Smoked Trout + Horseradish, with 3 Premium Oysters and Cheese Straw - $22

We ordered two entrees to share as a way of starting things off. JL and VH chose the Saffron Mussel Cream Chowder, which I happily shared with them. Despite being slightly on the salty side, it was an absolutely delightful dish which I would be absolutely thrilled to have over and over again. The oysters were very fresh and perfect with a splash of lemon juice. I wish I had saved some of my bread to dip into the Chowder, but alas I had been too eager. The bread was just tooooooo good.Pan Seared Scallops on White Bean Puree with Avocado Gremolade served with Tempura Zucchini Flower - $21

AL and HL chose the Pan Seared Scallops to share. Needless to say, they looked gorgeous and plump as they came out, and were so moreishly sweet and fresh.House-made Potato Gnocchi + Asparagus Spears, served with Blue Cheese Cream, Sage and Parmesan Straw - $29

VH ordered the Potato Gnocchi as her main. The gnocchi, while delicious and plump, were not as soft and pillowy as I would have liked, but were still far, far better than the store bought stuff. JL thought the Blue Cheese sauce was too rich, and he would have struggled to finish, but I found it to be the accompaniment for the gnocchi. It was beautiful and creamy.Beef Cheeks Slow-braised in White Wine + Star Anise, served with Dutch Carrots, Broad Beans, Potato Gnocchi and Onion Jam - $35

HL opted for the Slow-braised Beef Cheeks. The beef was really well braised and as we watched HL pierce into a piece and watched it fall apart, a smile appeared on everyone's face.
Pan-fried John Dory fillet on Asparagus with Cherry Tomatoes, Cocotte Potatoes + Beurre Blanc - $34

The John Dory was a popular pick of the night as it appeared on many tables around us. There were two plates of this on our table alone as AL and JL had both picked it. Personally, I would have preferred it a little less dry than it was, but having said that, I'm really just nitpicking. The serving size was on the generous side and both AL and JL enjoyed their pick.Confit of Spatchcock on Baked Polenta with Muscatels, Garlic Grapes, Toasted Almonds + Lemon Rosemary Butter - $33

Then there was my Spatchcock. I don't know why I chose it, but I'm glad I did. I'm not usually a fan of having fruit in my savoury dishes, but for some reason, the Grapes really gave me quite the surprise as a thoroughly savoured each bite of it with the spatchcock. The dish was on the sweet side, very much to my liking. My only beef with the dish is that I was not a fan of the baked polenta. Don't get me wrong, I like polenta, but I just found that in this dish it was a bit out of place, and the taste was lost in amidst the garlic grapes and spatchcock.

And then came the desserts...Vanilla-bean Creme Brulée with Sumac Strawberry Salad + a slice of Almond Financier - $15

VH, AL and I all vied for the Creme Brulée. Luckily the serve was HUGE and we all managed to get a good share of the creamy goodness. VH was given the honourary task of cracking the top and we all ooh-ed and aahh-ed at the sound of the gentle shattering.
Mille Feuille of Slow-Poached Quince layered with Creme Patissiére, served with Corella Pear + Saffron Syrup - $15

Obviously we could not leave the boys out of dessert, so someone on the table (most probably me), chose the Mille feuille. The creme patissiére was light and sweet, and the individual layers were crispy and totally moreish.
And to top the night off, we were given a complimentary chocolate which resembled somewhat like a Ferrero Rocher - minus the Hazelnut and wafer centres. The dark chocolate inside was simply divine and I think I would have eaten both AL and JL's share if it weren't for the fact that I was already so filled to my eyeballs in food.

Gosh I want to go back there...

Silk's Brasserie
128 The Mall
Leura, NSW 2780
Tel: (02) 4784 2534