March 27, 2009: Harvest

Conti House, Michael as well as I were at it ane time again - this fourth dimension jetting to Sydney to hang out with numerous friends nosotros originally made inward Brisbane. Phase One involved a ferry to Balmain to cheque out Jack as well as Emma's novel lodgings. They've been calling Sydney domicile for simply iii months as well as when they spied a highly recommended local vegetarian eating seat inward their Sydney Eats guide, they were variety plenty to concord off visiting until nosotros were introduce to bring together them.

Apparently Harvest has been closed to a long fourth dimension - yourRestaurants gives it 36 years, though I idea I read alone sixteen elsewhere. Regardless, it's a well-established nook intended for a slightly special dark out - it's white tablecloths, soft lighting as well as $20 mains, though the chalky vegetable drawings on the walls are to a greater extent than homely. The carte du jour is expansive - inward add-on to 6 entrees as well as 7 mains, there's a Chef's Special page with a farther iv entrees as well as iv mains. Vegans are good catered for - the vegan as well as vegan-adaptable items are well-marked as well as constitute 40% of the entrees as well as 45% of the mains - but the remaining items exhibit a penchant for cream-based sauces as well as cheese. We were all overwhelmed past times the array of tantalising options as well as came upwards with a conception that pleased me no terminate - we'd part iv entrees as as well as part tastes of our mains.

Entree #1 is Three Mushroom Ravioli ($12.50). The carte du jour assures us that these pasta shells are stuffed with porcini, Roman as well as plain mushrooms but I simply tasted warm, comforting savoury mush. We chose the intriguing orangish as well as basil sauce over the grain mustard as well as cream alternative. They actually pulled it off; though it looked close similar a sugary Chinese takeaway condiment the season was subtler, less sweet. The basil ready it off perfectly.

The Indian pakoras ($10.90) were sizable but a lilliputian bland. However they were saved past times the accompanying yoghurt as well as mint dressing - perchance the best ane I've always tasted.

Feta parcels ($11.95) may non audio specially imaginative but when they're this good executed, it doesn't matter. Fresh out of the oven, they had the balance of flaky outer as well as creamy inner simply right.

The twice baked goats cheese souffle ($13.95) came from the Chef's Special listing as well as it certain was special. The texture was perfectly cloud-like, the season non besides eggy, as well as the lemon myrtle sauce was stunning. The overall final result was really rich as well as I was content to bask my quarter part as well as transcend on the remainder.

For their principal courses, Emma as well as Michael chose the English linguistic communication spinach as well as kumara gnocchi ($20.50) inward its 2 guises. Emma's were baked inward a tomato plant as well as sage sauce (above), a decidedly less rich dish than Michael's lemon as well as garlic cream (below). Thankfully nosotros were handed a large bowl of salad to part closed to the tabular array as well as cutting through the fat.

Jack had the coveted Harvest Meditteranean Augbergine Tower ($21). In add-on to the obvious eggplant, this was layered with goats cheese, roasted cerise capsicum, sweetness potato, English linguistic communication spinach, tomato, basil as well as a plum as well as tomato plant glaze. Michael enviously declared this his favourite principal of the night.

I had a become at the savoury mushroom pancake stack with an English linguistic communication spinach sauce ($21.50). In stark contrast to the other mains, the sauce was sparing - some would in all likelihood notice this dish besides dry out but I was quite content. The sauteed mushrooms as well as potatoes had the most incredible deep flavour, as well as the pancakes were theatre as well as crusty similar fritters.

That wily waiter of ours slipped dessert menus nether our noses earlier we'd fifty-fifty decided if nosotros could check it in. Once we'd seen the 8 options (only ane vegan!), of course, nosotros couldn't assistance but negotiate 2 or iii to part alongside us. There was a flake of a misunderstanding that meant they didn't arrive at an apple, berry as well as nut crumble for Emma, but she as well as Jackson had plenty on their plate with these 2 seemingly trifling truffles ($10.90). You tin in all likelihood say how creamy as well as rich they are but that's non the whole story. That dark chocolate ane upwards the back? It was some variety of dark hole of cocoa, sucking whatever other season into its trial horizon. Even the fairly violent cerise vino nosotros were drinking was completely defeated past times it! I don't retrieve those 2 fifty-fifty managed to destination the plate.

Michael was generous plenty to allow me pick out for the both of us - the iii chocolate terrine with a citrus sauce ($10.90). The texture is amazingly smoothen as well as buttery; similar a mousse but denser, similar a ganache but firmer, similar ice-cream but less cold. I forced it downwardly as best I could.

Our dark at Harvest was a existent process all round. The atmosphere was serenity but comfortable, the service warm as well as capable, as well as the nutrient strayed alone occasionally from existence excellent. I may last biased past times the detail dishes nosotros chose, but the Harvest chef(s) seemed specially skilful at whipping upwards delectable as well as sometimes surprising sauces. Their cream content powerfulness last the alone thing belongings me dorsum from regular visits, if I lived inward the neighbourhood. (Because inward the bizarre parallel universe where I alive inward that neighbourhood, I retrieve naught of eating $20 mains regularly.)

Address: 71 Evans St, Rozelle, Sydney NSW
Ph: (02) 9818 4201
Licensed, BYO vino only
Price: entrees $9.50-$13.95, mains $19-$22.50, desserts $10.90