133 Avoca Street, Randwick NSW 2031
Tempting menu to choose from
Thanks to
Charlotte Foot Public Relations for inviting me to dine as a guest of
Bistro Avoca as part of a bloggers dinner. I've previously enjoyed dining when it first opened a few months ago so I was looking forward to seeing how it was going. Bistro Avoca seems to be one of those frustrating restaurants which has a menu that all sounds so good it's hard to make a choice (for me anyway). Most of the dishes I tried were worthing of recommending but my favourites would have to be the well-flavoured
Thai oyster shot ($3.50 each), good flavour combination of the
Seared sea scallops ($17) and the tasty and tender
Salt & pepper squid ($9). I'm sure the vegetarians will enjoy the
Linguine with heirloom tomato, zucchini flowers ($14.50 entree). Overall I think the dishes are quite reasonably priced for the quality. Flavours seem familiar and mostly balanced without being too daring nor overly boring. Definitely leave room for the desserts which are well-presented and seem to hit the spot most of the time for a satisfying sugar hit. My
Affogato with Frangelico ($16.50, or $8.50 without liqueur) thankfully came with a decent amount of ice cream and if you really can't decide on a dessert then I'd recommend the simplicity of the
Crème brûlée with strawberries marinated in orange syrup ($14).
Other visits to Bistro Avoca:
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6 July 2011 - Thai Oyster Shot, Scallops, Tempura Prawns, Lamb, Confit Duck, Warm Sticky Toffee Pudding, Creme Brulee
SNAPSHOT REVIEW:PROS: Nice décor, Good menu variety, Quality ingredients, Well-presented dishes, Friendly service, Reasonably priced wine
CONS: Possibly a bit out of the way for those who don't live in the Eastern Suburbs
WORTH TRYING: Thai oyster shot, Seared sea scallops, Salt & pepper squid, Crème brulee with strawberries, Affogato with Frangelico
NEXT TIME: I must try the Pacific oysters topped with rice wine & eschallot vinaigrette and Atlantic salmon caviar
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Freshly baked crusty bread roll with butter ($1.50)
I love taking photos of bloggers taking photos
Thai oyster shot with fresh herbs and ginger, garlic, chilli, lemongrass & lime nam jim ($3.50 each) — robust flavours although may have overpowered the oyster this time
WORTH TRYING :-)
Blinis served warm with sliced smoked salmon, pickled Spanish onion and dill sour cream ($16.50) — flavours work together although a little awkward to eat as a blini in one go. Perhaps with a bit less salmon would make it easier
Seared sea scallops, cauliflower puree, bacon crumble and pesto oil ($17) — a good combination of flavours
WORTH TRYING :-)
Duck & shitake mushroom spring rolls, pickled ginger & rocket salad, sweet chilli dipping sauce ($14.50) — decent size, crispy shell although I found the filling a little dry and wondered if cutting diagonally in half would jazz up the presentation a bit like the lady fingers at
Lebanon & BeyondSalt & pepper squid with spring onions, chilli and lime ($9) — tender, nice flavour, crispy outer, decent size for price to share
WORTH TRYING :-)
Linguine with heirloom tomato, zucchini flowers, extra virgin olive oil and parmesan ($14.50 entree) — nicely cooked, good fresh flavours, flavoursome vegetarian dish
Market fresh fish of the day (bream) in crisp beer batter, chips, salad leaves, tartare sauce & lemon ($25.50) — looked like a generous size
Black angus sirloin steak, Irish colcannon, fresh asparagus, sugar snap peas and red wine jus ($28.50 specials menu) — simply yet nice flavours, sugar snap peas retained their crunch
Black angus sirloin steak ordered and received medium rare
Crisp skin Atlantic salmon, lemon, pea, mint & fetta cous cous, lemon scented labne ($27.50) — nicely cooked, flavour combination worked together well
Pork cutlet, crushed potato, fennel & mustard, french beans, green apple & cranberries with maple ($28.50) — didn't try but looked like a lot of different flavours on the plate, maybe too many?
Noisettes of lamb, caramelised sweet potato, zucchini ribbons, brocollni and onion marmalade ($28.50) — didn't try, looked pretty good and a hearty size
Rocket, pear and parmesan salad ($6.50) — simply flavours, decent size for price, although I much prefer the larger leafed rocket they serve at
Fix St James
Affogato with frangelico ($16.50, or $8.50 without liqueur) — decent amount of ice cream served which gets a special tick of approval from me
SIMON FAVOURITE :-)
vxdollface going in for the shot of my affogato, Baileys Liqueur coffee ($9.50) above right
Coconut pannacotta, lime jelly and fresh mango, coconut biscotti ($14) — very limey jelly, maybe a little too tart for some
Crème brûlée with strawberries marinated in orange syrup ($14) — simple yet satisfying
WORTH TRYING :-)
Vanilla and raspberry bombe alaska with rhubarb confit and praline ($14) — looked great, nice flavours
Warm soft centred chocolate pudding, kahlua crème anglaise ($14) — rich flavoured chocolate which delivered on the soft centre, a bit awkward to add the crème anglaise though without making a mess I think
Shortbread, vanilla bean ice cream, butterscotch sauce & honeycomb ($14) — looked pretty decadent but perhaps the least sophisticated in presentation
Vanilla pannacotta, sour cherries and pistachio biscotto ($14 specials menu) — strong tasting cherries possibly overpowers the pannacotta but it's all quite nice
Sticky toffee pudding, stuffed dates, butterscotch sauce and ice cream ($14 specials menu) —I tried this dish on my first visit which didn't have the dates before. I found the hard toffee a bit thick making it a little harder to eat without breaking your teeth, nice flavours although pudding perhaps could be more moist
2008 Parker Coonawarra Estate Favourite Son Chardonnay ($7.90), 2011 (2010 on menu) Villa Maria Two Valleys Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough ($7.80), 2008 Mount Langi Billi Billi Shiraz Barossa Valley ($6.50) — reasonably priced
Decor and specials board
Main dining room including large mirrors and acoustic panels
Back room dining area
Clean and functional unisex toilets — maybe some fresh flowers would add a nice homely touch
