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Bistrode CBD

Terry Durack
Terry Durack

British$$$

Some of the finest brains in Sydney can be found at the new Bistrode CBD between the hours of 12 and 2pm. And some of the greatest hearts and the crispest ears, as well. Either the business world is devouring itself organ by organ, or this is the start of an offal renaissance.

It was all very well for Jeremy and Jane Strode to quietly play with their livers and thymus glands in their foodie little bistro in Surry Hills but the stakes are somewhat higher now Jeremy has been lured to the bright lights of the big city by the dynamic Merivale Group.

It's a smart move on their part, given the nature of the business lunch is changing. Time was, the male-dominated corporate crowd kept it straight up and conservative, preferring steak to fish, potatoes to salad, red wine to white. But these dinosaurs are being joined by younger, food-savvy, mixed-gender office types who don't want to eat as their fathers did.

Jeremy fits the bill perfectly. While the British-trained, modern Australianised chef has made a name for himself with his gutsy, nose-to-tail cooking, he's also at home with straightforward grills, simply prepared fish and sparky little salads. So the much-loved Strodisms of calves' liver and bacon, tripe and onions, and wagyu corned beef are presented here alongside the more customary orders of Sydney Rock oysters, chicken liver parfait and aged rib eye steak. And a light fish dish of kingfish with fennel, avocado and blood orange, just in case.

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Like the new room mate who turns up with a truck-load of prized possessions, Strode has been encouraged to make this buzzy, tall-ceilinged, multi-windowed dining room his own.

The monochrome Earl Carter photographic portraits of chefs Mark Hix, Michel Roux, Pierre Koffman and Fergus Henderson that once adorned the original Bistrode (now muraled but still being run by Jane) all look quite at home. So does the starter service team, a mix of polished Merivale Group veterans and keen recruits under the affable direction of Steven Kirkpatrick, last seen at Mad Cow.

Nobody does offal quite like Strode. Take the pig's ear ($18), which has been slow-cooked, pressed, finely sliced and quickly fried into crisp curlicues tumbled over plugs of rich, dark black pudding, softly cooked egg and bouncy bacon cubes and leaves, in a masterly play of textural balance and counterbalance. Then there are the Lamb's Hearts and Minds ($17) – crisply crumbed, meltingly soft lambs' brains with fine, ruddy slices of grilled marinated lamb's heart and a pretty salad of French beans, frisee and watercress.

Those traumatised by the idea of mystery meats can relax with a simple dish of thick, silky folds of soft, buttery "half-cured" petuna salmon ($21.50), served with a creamy ball of shredded celeriac dressed with wholegrain mustard mayo and a wedge of lemon.

Any dinosaurs still living can go for the grain-fed, dry-aged, rib eye ($39.50) on the bone, a fine piece of meat topped with a disc of glossy, mossy, nettle butter and served with the British gastropub chef's favourite green: watercress. The steak is great; well-grilled and well-rested but there are more interesting things on the menu – such as a gutsy slow-cooked, crisp-skinned Texel lamb shoulder ($132 for four) that tastes like lavender-scented lamb shank and comes with a lovely mish-mash of celeriac and a jug of pan juices.

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A ripely rich 2005 Hatherleigh Pinot Noir ($70) from the classy, contemporary wine list is of interest; it's made by wine consultant Nick Bulleid in the Southern Tablelands. What, not a deep-throated, boy's own shiraz? No, and staff advise they are in fact seeing a switch to pinot from shiraz . . . and that, some days, the kingfish out-sells the steak. It seems the blood lust has gone and greed is not so good any more.

The Strodavarian desserts include rhubarb crumble and custard for two ($34) and "Jane's honey tart" with peanut butter ice-cream ($17), which is a bit like eating sweet jellied honeycomb.

Jeremy is known for his great, simple, gutsy-elegant food; now all he has to do is make sure he can do it for greater numbers. The Merivale Group has its detractors but it's right on the money with this one. In return for surrounding him with infrastructure, clout, stylish staff and resources he never knew existed, it gets a high-cred, food-oriented city address that will pull the new business crowd. Clearly, there are brains at work.

tdurack@smh.com.au

 Jeremy and Jane Strode are regular contributors to Good Living's recipes pages.

 

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Terry DurackTerry Durack is the chief restaurant critic for The Sydney Morning Herald and Good Food.

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