Michael E. Generalireview collection- bench mark wine bar
June 23rd 2007 01:46
When benchmark’s owner Tasso Rovolis leased this ex retail site in early 2003 he literally built the restaurant from the grease trap up. Tasso who owned la lupa in Dickson had spent before leaving canberra spent years on the gold coast expanding his wine and management experience ,The front window displays some the hundreds of empty wine bottles involved in gaining this knowledge. The head chef Avram Tsidiridis formerly of The Tower restaurant runs the kitchen with unflappable efficiency so much so that he was working alone the night we dined in the booked out restaurant.
The luxurious dining room has a theme of wine paraphernalia and wood grain, this is interspaced by gumleaf green feature panels all under 16 foot ceilings. Benchmark is a wine bar first and fore most, but where many restaurants concentrate on the cuisine to the detriment of a wine list, the reverse cannot be said of Bench mark. We arrived early evening and soaked up the cosmopolitan atmosphere while parusing the wine list, there were many delightful selections (500 wines, 100 of which are available by the glass) so we left it to our waiters to come up with the options to match our meals. The dinner menu is not huge, yet every dish sounds sumptuous. I start the night with the pan seared scallops ,roasted pork belly, salsa vierge and aromatic herb oil. The delicately cooked scallops snuggled into one shell topped with crispy pork belly. The salsa vierge was secreted beneath the shell. All together the salsa accented the sweetness of the scallops with the pork providing texture and salt. this was partnered by a Pierre de la Grange, 'Vieilles Vignes', Muscadet, Loire Valley, 2004 ($12.5) a subdued and elegant white great with delicate seafood flavours.
my wife selects the crumbed pan fried meredith goat's cheese with semi dried tomatoes and an oregano balsamic syrup (16) the beautifully browned goats cheese puck was smooth and tart. the accompaniments identify this dish as Mediterranean with modern European flair. A bay of fires pipers reisling sparkling compliments the dish being fine competition for any import.
For mains I ordered char grilled eye fillet on a black truffle rosti and wilted leaves with a ('grant burge') shiraz jus ($29). I could not fault the succulent steak or glossy sauce. The rosti was addictive and probably should have a warning, strong truffle scented and creamy potato with a crispy outside terrific! For wine the Cape Jaffa, cab sauv Mount Benson, SA, 2002 ($14/$56) was a full bodied red with spicy oak characteristics which referenced the shiraz used in the jus. My wife’s king island blue cheese risotto with mushroom and pear forestiere and baby spinach ($24) a favourite combination with the exotic fungi and blue vein complimented perfectly by the sweet freshness of the pear garnish. a chilled glass of the meadow bank 2004 pinot noir matched beautifully with its strawberry bouquet and subtle oak measuring up to the earthy qualities of the mushrooms in the risotto. To the dessert menu all options sounded great but the grand dessert plate for two could not be passed by. There were no less then 8-miniature desserts on the platter all magnificent. This included a brulee, home made ice cream, a pistachio panacotta, champagne bavarois, fruit jelly, chocolate terrine, a slice of lemon tart, and the rox a traditional greek dish of syrup soaked doughnut pastry topped with walnuts. From the moreish bitter chocolate terrine to the light and tart bavarios to the deep nutty pannacotta I cant and wont pick a favourite, and my wife would have married the dessert plate on the spot if it had time to pop the question before being devoured. We toasted to our sweets with two dessert wines. A Chateau la bouade sauternes Semillon sauvignon muscadelle 2002, which had distinctive potted fruit aroma and refreshingly less sweet then many dessert wines. My wife chose the Grand Maison 2004 Monbazillac which was very sweet and reminiscent of most Australian botrytis styles. To sum it all up if you go to bench mark whether for dinner, after noon tapas or just a quiet red after the theatre you will find it hard to leave disappointed in fact you may not wont to leave at all.
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The luxurious dining room has a theme of wine paraphernalia and wood grain, this is interspaced by gumleaf green feature panels all under 16 foot ceilings. Benchmark is a wine bar first and fore most, but where many restaurants concentrate on the cuisine to the detriment of a wine list, the reverse cannot be said of Bench mark. We arrived early evening and soaked up the cosmopolitan atmosphere while parusing the wine list, there were many delightful selections (500 wines, 100 of which are available by the glass) so we left it to our waiters to come up with the options to match our meals. The dinner menu is not huge, yet every dish sounds sumptuous. I start the night with the pan seared scallops ,roasted pork belly, salsa vierge and aromatic herb oil. The delicately cooked scallops snuggled into one shell topped with crispy pork belly. The salsa vierge was secreted beneath the shell. All together the salsa accented the sweetness of the scallops with the pork providing texture and salt. this was partnered by a Pierre de la Grange, 'Vieilles Vignes', Muscadet, Loire Valley, 2004 ($12.5) a subdued and elegant white great with delicate seafood flavours.
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