Now Closed
We had dinner with friends last Friday at Bistro Ortolan, a two hat French restaurant in Leichhardt. The food and service were both excellent, and it was easy to see how they had impressed the critics. I managed to have two courses with foie gras, so I was feeling very opulent that night (as opposed to Saturday morning, when I was feeling very corpulent).
My entree : Rillette of Macleay Valley White rabbit with duck liver and Armagnac parfait, foie gras and freshly toasted brioche.
Pete’s entree : Rare loin of Yellowfin tuna with almond and sherry velouté and blue swimmer crab rémoulade
My main : Pot-eu-feu of organic Burrawong chicken with foie gras, Jerusalem artichokes, Dutch carrots and Black winter truffle.
Dessert (which seven of the eight of us chose) : Raspberry and white chocolate ‘Bombe Alaska’ with fresh raspberries. This tasted magnificent, although I was a little disappointed by the plating. I don’t think the raspberries needed the silver leaf hats, which actually looked like bits of foil.
Christina’s dessert : Earl Grey and chocolate brownie crème brulée with Pedro Ximenez ice-cream and warm chocolate fondant.
Petit fours : I don’t know what these were, because I was so full by this point that I couldn’t eat anymore. The little Lumix coped well with the low light (it was about 11pm by this stage), especially given that I refused to turn on the flash!
All in all, a wonderful night out – we had fantastic food, great service and made some new friends. Is there a better way to spend a Friday evening?
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
Looks delicious…particularly your main course. I will have to add this one to my list to restaurants to try – very organised now, I type them into a note on my phone (as opposed to thinking I will remember, or writing the name on a scrap of paper).
Your new camera is a little gem. Great night photos without a flash…and compact so not too intrusive at a restaurant.
Spice, my favourite was the rabbit entree – fantastic and something new to me. I love finding tastes and flavours that I haven’t experienced before! The new Lumix is a winner – I was able to push the ISO to 1000 to compensate for the low light. I hate using the flash, so it’s nice not to have to!
Celia
hi Celia,
What a fab meal it was! It’s great to relive the visual (if not the taste) magic of the Bombe. Sensational!
Lou
The meal was great, the company was even better, Lou. :)