The Butcher's Apprentice

It is rare in this age of competitive foodie-ism that a top-notch restaurant should remain undiscovered for long, so we are slightly suspicious when heading to the Butcher's Apprentice in Wahroonga as to why there hasn't been more commotion about it, after it opened three months ago.

Is the upper north shore simply too far from the trendsetting orbit, or has the kitchen fallen victim to an overly ambitious menu?

The friendly and professional maitre d' who shows us to our table sets the tone for the night. The food is designed to be shared, he explains, and the menu is divided into five sections: Snack, Graze, Big, Vegetable and Indulge.

The spacious room has various seating options – benches overlooking the street, the cocktail bar and the kitchen, as well as larger tables for groups. The vibe is more akin to a modern bar than a high-end restaurant. It is quite loud, but in a way that raises the energy – cocktail shakers, friendly chatter, bass-driven European house music – rather than people's voices.

For a quieter, more casual option, there is seating out the back, where the restaurant connects to the the Butcher's Block, the cafe next door also owned by father and son duo George and Anthony Karnasiotis​. After opening the cafe 2½ years ago and hearing customers lament the suburb's limited evening dining options, they decided to open the sibling restaurant.

We are seated on two bar stools overlooking the open kitchen. It's an exceptionally efficient and relaxed operation and the chefs chat to us intermittently, asking us how our day was, where we have come from and if we are enjoying our meal. I ask Anthony later if they are instructed to engage with guests, and he says a willingness to chat is in their job descriptions.

Sitting next to the kitchen is a blessing and a curse. Every dish that emerges looks and smells superb, leaving us excited and envious. Thankfully, our first course arrives minutes after we place our order. The chunky polenta chips are spongy white inside with a crispy golden skin. We use them to wipe the plate clean of truffle hollandaise, served with an egg yolk in the centre to look like a fried egg. With our plate cleared, head chef Brad Wilson, who has returned to Sydney after a stint in a big Dubai hotel, leans over to ask when we want our mains.

This gives us the welcome chance for a digestive pause before we get stuck into tea-smoked salmon belly, sticky smoked short rib, which slides effortlessly off the bone, and a side of baby dutch carrots with sumac yoghurt and crushed walnuts. The carrots are so tasty and the portion is so generous that I could eat them as a meal on their own.

The salmon, however, is the most outstanding. The strong, smoky flavour is unusually and daringly paired with a sweet beetroot lime meringue. It is bold, memorable and like nothing I've ever tasted. Anthony is pleased when he hears this. They wanted to create dishes that were "a bit trippy" and would "rock the waters", he says.

Given the quality of the food, our plan to forgo dessert is ditched. The chocolate panna cotta is served with chocolate floss, chocolate pearls, shaved chocolate, chocolate crumble and marmalade. It seems absurd, but despite the festival of chocolate, it's not overly rich. We polish the whole thing off, savouring the different textures, but it is large enough to share between a number of people.

We are entirely impressed by the whole experience. For a just-opened restaurant, it feels almost implausibly polished, and the mystery remains about why it hasn't had more fanfare. The locals, meanwhile, are all over it. They know a good thing when it opens.

THE LOW-DOWN
THE PICKS Polenta chips, tea-smoked salmon belly, chocolate panna cotta
THE LOOK Sophisticated and warm, but unpretentious
THE SERVICE Faultless