SIFF Let's Do Lunch - Baroque Bistro, The Rocks

It's sadly the end of Crave Sydney for 2011. So much to try in so little time. Baroque Bistro is not just your average French restaurant, it is renowned for its desserts, macaroons and other sweet treats. Ended up trying out this menu as I have never tried an assiette plate before. And lamb is one of my food weaknesses. The layout of the restaurant has a modern contemporary feel with the beautiful Sydney Harbour view in the background. It was in fact still buzzing at 2pm at lunch on a Tuesday.

Complementary bread and olive oil

I am definitely a sucker for the good ol bread and olive oil. Which isn't doing well for my attempt in a low carb diet. Bread was a bit crusty which is well suited for a French restaurant.

red red wine...

Assiette of spring lamb, spiced arlette, onions and anise

This was definitely a dish bursting with flavours! It was interesting in trying out the lamb in different forms. It ended up being a mess when the lamb was mixed with the watercress puree and the white block of what I assume is the spiced arlette (as described on the Crave Sydney guide). This was unique as I have never heard of an arlette. Google didn't help either surprisingly. From what the white block tasted, it was creamy. Too creamy for my liking. But combined with zestiness of the warercress puree, the overall flavours were balanced out.
(Since Crave Sydney is over at time of print, this item is no longer on the menu sadly :(. However the whole menu looks very impressive!)

Crispy potato skins with aioli

I gave this side dish a go in case I am still hungry from the main meal. Boy was I mistaken! This was definitely a bigger serving than I expected and struggled with finishing especially after the bread and the main meal. The potato skins were very indulgent despite being so filling. It delivers its crunch even by the end. The disappointing thing about this dish was that the staff forgot that I've ordered this dish and brought it to the table after delivering the main meal. Had they decided to bring it out soon after the bread and olive oil, the whole meal would not have been a struggle to finish.

Macarons!!!

A sample of Baroque Pastry Kitchen's Masterpieces

By the end of the meal I was sooo stuffed that I had to force myself out of my seat. The staff here were friendly and attentive although the late delivery of the potato skins was slightly disappointing. However, I would still come back here to try the rest of the menu as it does look very tempting to taste. And the macarons and masterpiece dessert creations were hard to resist even with a full stomach!

YUMMMMM!

Baroque Bistro and Patisserie
88 George Street, The Rocks 2000
Contact no: 02 9241 4811
http://www.baroquebistro.com.au/