In the 1800’s the pangram (a sentence using every letter in the alphabet) ‘The Quick Brown Fox Jumps Over The Lazy Dog’ first came to fame in the Boston Journal. Perhaps there is a parallel in that this menu uses each and every flavour from beautifully sourced ingredients in a new menu. Stretching your senses, palate and, um…waistline!

Brother and sister team Ben and Emily have teamed up with head chef Daniel Grey, (ex Apollo, Aalia and Devon). Ben oozes passion, knowledge and charisma – so much so, that we really just want him to pull up a chair and join us with a Fox Mule, Provence Rose or any of their delicious drinks really. This inner west fav unveils a new sophisticated interior – think English Country crossed with The Hamptons. Soft greens, cream wooden panels mixed with sections of open brickwork.

The interiors really pop as strings of overhead light bulbs blow in the breeze. A pink neon sign encouraging you to ‘Eat Drink Sip’ in the cosy fireplace room says it all. Well, shall we begin?

Union Street is famed for its 1800’s sandstone buildings and on a warm saturday lunch there isn’t a spare table in the house (or street) and dogs are bathing in the sunshine too! The breakie menu has been paired down and lunch has a flavour fueled rocket booster of choices and ‘truffle with everything’ options. The lunch menu really allows Daniel to show off in all the right ways and into a destination restaurant worthy of crossing the bridge for. There are moments that remind you of Chiswick or Apollo. 

We kick off with a handsome mushroom croque monsieur, it’s showered with parmesan cheese, charred to a dark suntan and is literally glowing in the sunshine. It’s hard to know whether to wrestle it with two hands or attack with a knife and fork. The filling is dark, moody with slow cooked field mushies, with creme fraiche and mustard which give it a nice acidity. One bite leads very quickly to an empty plate. A special of folded egg and spanner crab has us in a debate, does it need the addition of truffle? We agree to disagree, but then most of us would say everything is better with Manjimup truffles from WA.

Their iconic congee is something they just couldn’t take off the menu, regulars would say they can’t improve on perfection. We disagree, this version takes it more boldly into Asia. The chicken stock rice is a cuddle in a bowl, it’s topped with wide ribbons of wakeme and a generous slice of glazed speck and a glossy fried egg. The whole dish is pulled together with a chilli oil that provides heat, crunch and spice.

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Onto lunch. Starters all have their own moment of mmmw, wow, try this and yum. Taramasalata is a cream circle of fish roe, bread and zingy lemon with an orange centre of cod roe pearls. Chargrilled bread is the scoping device. Piel de Sapo is the choice of melon in Spain. Here it is cryovaced which breaks down the cell walls intensifying it’s delicate flavour and is paired with a classic prosciutto. Ben’s pick is the salt n pepper squid. This Hawkesbury cephalopod has butter like texture and sweet flavour with dusting of red spices and is ridiculously morish. The burrata is an orb resting on an oil painting of green hues. It takes you back to a childhood of pouring coloured oils on to water and laying a sheet of paper to create a masterpiece. It looks and tastes phenomenal.  Two delicate oblongs of wagyu are lifted off skewers and layered with fish like scales of cucumber and sesame seeds. 

Mains of linguini is an elegant tumble of spanner crab, broccolini and fennel with pea tendrils. It nails the brief, as does a golden pan fried fillet of snapper languishing on a bed of lemony ponzu kombu and topped with ribbons of cucumber. Don’t miss the oversize juicy nuggets buffalo ricotta gnudi so big, so indulgent paired smoked tomato and brown butter. 

Let’s face it. There is nothing ‘quick’ about us leaving this lovely lunchtime spot. In fact, a food coma is starting to kick in with my dining companion in the loveliest of ways. Lazy? No, but happy, contented and dazzled by the team’s constant evolution. C’mon QBF, when is dinner on the menu guys!!!???

Quick Brown Fox, 2 Union Street,Pyrmont, Sydney NSW 2009
Opening Hours: Open 7 Days Breakfast – 7am-11:45am,Lunch – 12pm-3pm