Wednesday, 27 January 2016

Dragoncello, Surry Hills

Dragoncello is one of the hottest new restaurants in Sydney. How does it live up to all the rave reviews?


Dragoncello is located in Surry Hills and has an intimate and romantic feel to it. My friend has read really good things about Dragoncello and suggests this as a venue for us to catch up to celebrate a delayed Birthday. We are tempted by the degustation menu but settle on ala cart given we have both eaten too much earlier in the day. 

The amuse bouche is creative (below). It's a fish curry with apple foam to stir up the senses. I smell the foam and there is a distinctive apple flavour. You'll have to lick your way through the light foam to get to the curry. The curry is mild but still has a big flavour kick to it. I jokingly lick this as seductively as possible and my friend looks amused. 



Recommended by the staff, I order the entree of Pumpkin Pot Stickers with pumpkin seeds, kernels, beurre noisette (brown butter sauce) and nasturtium flower gel ($17, above). The skin of the pot stickers is slightly crispy and the pumpkin is silky smooth. The sauce and crunchy pumpkin seeds and kernels provide some tasty crunch. A definite recommend.

For mains, I ordered the lamb neck with hay cream, mint, sour cream and mushroom sauce (below, $34). The lamb is so tender after being cooked for 40 hours and melts in your mouth. The sauce is subtle so you can appreciate the flavours from the meat. I think I have ordered really well.



For those who want to try something a bit different, the waiter also suggested ordering the roasted cauliflower with apricot kernel, smoked red wine and chocolate beurre noisette and caraway (below, $28). The winner of this dish is the sauce which I ordered a side of potatoes ($8, below) and absolutely soaked up the red wine and chocolate sauce. For those who are less adventurous then perhaps order something else. I quite liked trying something a bit different.



The potatoes were perfection by the way, if you are a hungry hippo then I suggest you order some potatoes as a side ($8, above). My friend Mel and I are massive potato fans and enjoyed crisp of the potatoes.

Even if you are full, you cannot skip dessert. I had major foodgasms eating dessert even though I was extremely full. My friend Mel was a fan of the chocolate pave with banana ice cream with dandelion leaf ($19, below). The chocolate pave was sweet but still light. When you add the other touches of the chocolate soil, ice cream and the sauce, you get a nice combination of flavours and textures. The dandelion is a bit different. I quite liked this dessert. The other dessert was when I foodgasmed.





The willow bark cake with sour cream snow topped with chips and caramel (above and below, $16) was just absolutely mind blowing and amazing. I could not stop saying "wow" as I took bites of the cake, with a bit of snow and chips. The caramel just brings everything together. What really makes this dish is the mix of textures, temperatures of hot and cold, flavours and how well it all comes together.  This dessert is a MUST order and I am still thinking about this one. I loved it.



I am incredibly full but really enjoy the meal, the experience and the company with my friend Mel (photo above). We always have great chats about all things in life and myer briggs.

Head Chef and Owner Roy McVeigh has an extensive CV and brings a wealth of experience and deliciousness to his own baby Dragoncello. I managed to have a chat to him about Dragoncello and he is nice enough to oblige in posing for a photo. #fangirl

Overall, I had a lovely experience and would highly recommend Dragoncello for a nice meal. The degustation is quite reasonably priced so I may have to come back!!! I can't stop thinking about that dessert. It's amazing. Total foodgasm.







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