If you go down to the woods today, you’re sure of a delicious surprise… in the very heart of Sydney’s lush Botanic Gardens lies Botanic House, a fusion of South East Asian cuisine and native Australian ingredients crafted by chef Luke Nguyen.
The Vibe
It was Friday night, and the ambience was serene, a peaceful oasis just minutes walk from the bright lights and big city bustle of the CBD. Friendly staff led us to a table right next to the windows that stretch all around Botanic House, offering a panoramic view of a leafy part of the gardens. This would be a perfect place for a romantic or intimate dinner, the acoustics made conversation easy.
Drinking Dragonflies
We started with two house mocktails – the Dragon Fly arriving with an artistic surprise, a dragon fly that looked real at first glance. Fortunately (assuming you’re not a gourmand insectivore) it turned out to be a kind of edible floating transfer. It was very pretty, atop a super sweet melange of Lyre’s Pink London Spirit, mint, palm sugar and apple. We also tried the Phoney Colada, featuring Lyre’s Classico sparkling, vanilla, lime, passionfruit and pineapple – a tangy yet equally refreshing combination. The restaurant is fully licensed with a wide range of house cocktails as well as wines, beers and spirits – we were just on the soft stuff tonight!
The Menu
We chose the Signature set menu to try a wide range of dishes. The meal opened with a Vietnamese favourite Gỏi Cuốn Gà Nưông – a super fun roll-your-own turmeric lemongrass chicken rice paper rolls with vermicelli and herbs. DIY food is always a favourite and this was extra enjoyable, having to dip and soften the transparent wrappers first.
The rolls were followed by the absolute flavour-bomb of Sốt Canh Chua – Hiramasa kingfish crudo with sweet & sour sauce. The sauce was so incredible we polished it off with a spoon – not a drop of deliciousness could be wasted! The Mực Rang Muối – Salt & pepper squid, lemon myrtle, lemon pepper dipping sauce was another winner, the crispy lemon myrtle leaves adding a bushtucker touch to a crispy seafood favourite, accentuated by the sharp tang of the lemon sauce.
The Mains
Large plates were next (to be honest, the first course was sufficient as a light meal in itself, but we came equipped with extra hearty appetites). These were Cá Kho Hanoi – Caramelised salmon with choy sum, cauliflower blossom, tomato, chilli and lime. The salmon was sticky sweet and sumptous, tasting more like a treat than a healthy superfood – though of course it’s both. A fabulous surprise addition here were sprigs of a succulent native plant from the Botanic Gardens themselves – native karkalla or pigface. This was wonderfully moist and crunchy, and grows easily in Sydney with stunning pink flowers, so could be a good edible to add to the kitchen garden. We’re always a fan of native Australian ingredients!
The salmon was joined by Bò Kho – Slow braised beef short rib with star anise, lemongrass, zucchini with warrigal greens. The beef was melt-in-the-mouth tender, the vegetables were tender-roasted to perfection, the hint of anise in the sauce the perfect backdrop. I don’t know we finished it all as the portions were very generous – accompanied by super pillowy white rice – but we did.
A Flantastic Finale
Served affogato-style, poured over with hot coffee at the table, the grand finale took the form of a Bánh Flan Trân Châu -Vietnamese coffee creme caramel adorned with boba pearls and topped with vanilla ice cream. The lovely thing about creme caramel is that it just slips down. No matter how full you are, it finds a space.
What We’re ADDICTED To? That crudo sweet & sour sauce. It was an intensely moreish flavour bomb that we couldn’t leave a single drop of – the absolute star of the show.
What We Need To Be More ADDICTED? It’s honestly hard to say – the meal was perfection. Maybe even more of the Vietnamese and SEA native ingredients, and perhaps a guide to what some of them are and where to find them for our own kitchens.
Botanic House Sydney, The Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, Mrs Macquarie's Rd, Sydney NSW 2000 (once in the Botanic Gardens, follow the signs to Restaurant).
Hours: Mon-Thurs 11am-2.30pm, Fri-Sat 11am-3.30pm, Sunday Brunch 9-11am, Lunch 11am-3.30pm. Evening dinner service 13th, 20th, 27th March. Signature Menu $105pp designed to share, minimum two guests.
