Marque (Surry Hills)

By St 

Boing! Boing! That’s supposed to be the sound of Tigger from Winnie the Pooh jumping in excitement. That’s how I felt eating at a 3 chef’s hat restaurant. Not only that, a few weeks after dining here, Marque was named the 2011 SMH Good Food Guide Awards Restaurant of the Year. Boing!

It’s hard to spot classy Marque on Crown Street but look for Bill’s and Billy Kwong and you will find Marque smack bang between them. Only recently did they start opening for Friday lunches so Timmy and I sacrificed a working day (oh, the things we do for food) to try out the lunch prix fixe ($45 pp).

Wow, a h'orderve to open up the palate and it presented itself in such simple elegance: a semi-poached egg. Chaud-Froid free range egg to be exact. It has two temperatures: the warm yolk and chilled whipped cream. Three flavours come from: salty grissini, sweet cream and sour from some vinegar. The idea is to dip the grissini into the runny egg to experience all three flavours at both temperatures all at once. Of course! I could have dreamt of that in my sleep. You could also smell the subtle aromas coming from the clove, chives and nutmeg. 

Chaud-Froid free range egg

Hmmm… the entrée looks like a science experiment. Despite the tremendous greenness, this experiment was a success! The incredibly big chunks of fresh kingfish, swimming in the green pea sea with bursts of lime was marvelous. Having been to Japan and drinking their matcha latte like it was water, I am going to say I am a matcha expert (green tea). For those who don’t like it, never fear as the matcha in this dish is so subtle, I the expert, could not detect it :(

Kombu cured kingfish with pea, matcha tea and lime

I don’t have duck much (except the fatty ones with my pad thai) but I’m telling you, this was one super soft and silky duck. The green flowers are nasturtium, used to pretty up the plate but also edible (just tastes like chlorophyll). The duck was incredible but teamed up with the fried quinoa, which added flavour and crunchy texture, this dish transformed from model to supermodel. Tyra would be thrilled and it also took a fierce photo.

The staff suggested we have the potato puree with grand cru butter (extra $14) with the main. It was creamy, not too heavy, and went well with the duck. 

Roast Muscovy duck with baby leek, quinoa and nasturtium

The pre-dessert was a sauternes custard and crème caramel. It was very bitter due to the wine and so I ended up scraping off the caramel and having the custard on its own. Like the egg earlier, I think this was to clean the palate but I would have preferred something else like sorbet. 

Sauternes custard

The smell of the violets and caramelized pastry was so heavenly. The entire plate looked so divine with the violet touches that you did not want to break and eat it but inhale, inhale. The apple and bayleaf icecream filling was good but mild, nowhere as tasty as its exterior. 

Smoked vanilla mille feuille with apple and violet

They must sponsor all the top restaurants around but again, Aesop soap in the bathroom!

I know a few people who were strongly disappointed when they went to Marque, vowing not to come again. These comments can’t be a coincidence. Maybe they were there for dinner and so I can’t judge but my experience from the food to professional service to the bathroom was very enjoyable.

Wokking rating /5:

Marque Restaurant

4/5 355 Crown St

Surry Hills

02 9332 2225

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