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Claude's

Claude's
Claude'sSupplied

Good Food hatGood Food hat17/20

Contemporary$$$

The name alone conjures up nostalgia and respect for chefs past, tinged with the excitement of the here-and-now. Continually evolving, Chui Lee Luk’s cooking shows innate harmony in all she touches. A sense of calm pervades the restaurant upstairs, in contrast to the more upbeat bar below. Among muted colours and dramatic angles, the upper salon takes the degustation route, marked by the sensitive timing of maitre d’ Louise Tamayo as she explains the intricacies of each dish and matches wine with aplomb. Food can be a playful amuse of Jerusalem artichoke, the skin crisp as a base for crab and grated egg, and in a puree with crab jelly, served in an eggshell with pickled cauliflower. Poached oyster with white-cut chicken, watercress puree and tiny, shelled snowpeas shows a heightened sense of textural contrast. A nod to Chinese tradition is evident in egg-white custard, braised apple, shaved fresh lychee and muscovado ice. Prices and culinary interest warrant repeat visits, and the whole experience is seamless.

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