Tapas are small and usually served with drinks so today's review on Bentley Restaurant and Bar will consist of small portions and hopefully you're reading it with a glass of wine in hand.
You are usually surrounded by men and women in smart suits having lunch at Bentley so of course Timmy and I rocked up in tees and jeans. Bentley is contemporary with a chilled-out vibe whose European inspired food has won many critics including the SMH and Gourmet Traveller. It opens for lunch Tuesday-Saturday so we took the opportunity to try the lunch tapas menu ($55pp).
Kingfish ceviche. Very refreshing with its vinegar and acidic taste and ended up being Timmy’s favourite from the lunch. One mouthful is not enough.
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| Kingfish ceviche with pickled diakon & yuzu mayonnaise |
Jamon serrano. Means dry cured Spanish ham so think prosciutto.
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| Jamon serrano |
Smoked eel parfait. The parfait was smooth and tasted like a tofu mousse. The kombu and seaweed are great so take a leap and try out new food. The celery powder on the side was very mild, an unnoticeable taste, so its main role is for the aesthetics making the dish look like a funky artwork in line with Bentley's modern setting.
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| Smoked eel parfait with white soy, kombu and seaweed |
Parmesan custard & asparagus. Slighty thick and heavy, and quite rich so thank goodness for the light lavosh. I loved the crunchy asparagus!
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| Parmesan custard with truffled asparagus |
Soft shell crab. How many times at work have we encouraged our colleagues to be a bit daring and try some soft shell crab. This would be a good starting point as the shell is so soft it doesn't feel like you're eating crustacean making it easier to eat it whole. The salsa was disappointingly not hot and I would have been content with the crab alone.
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| Soft shell crab with green chilli salsa |
Poached egg. Timmy read that this is Bentley's signature dish. Apparently they cook the egg at a high temperature for over 1 hour to give it a thicker oozing texture without being running. Despite me reading that many other diners enjoy this dish, I found the yolk overpowering with the harissa and chickpeas relegated to the sideline.
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| Poached organic egg with chickpea, preserved lemon & harissa |
Black sausage. From the seaweed eel parfait creation we now move into the period of cubism. I like some of my fruits with salt but I found the saltiness of the sausage a bit too much. It's very crusty on the outside and airy and porous inside. One good thing to counterbalance the saltiness were the sweet mandarin and peach puree.
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| Black sausage with prawn & mandarin |
Chocolate ganache. Chocolate lovers won't understand but I found this ganache to be on the heavy side! Yes, me who loves dessert, sometimes eating them for morning tea. I like my sweets and Timmy doesn't so no surprise he finished the ganache praising its darkness and subtle saltiness.
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| Chocolate ganache with orange oil |
All and all a very enjoyable, artistic lunch with my favourites being the smoked eel parfait and kingfish ceviche.
Wok rating /5: 
Bentley Restaurant & Bar
320 Crown St
Surry Hills
02 9332 2344
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