Rating: ★★★★☆

Address: 2/F,Carfield Building, 77 Wyndham Street, Central 中環雲咸街77號嘉兆商業大廈2樓

Telephone: 2530 1600

https://www.diningconcepts.com/bellbrook/

澳洲籍名廚David Laris最近在雲咸街開了一家新餐廳。餐廳的前身是Laris，是一家較高級，供應現代澳洲及地中海料理的餐廳，現在化身為氣氛休閒的The Bellbrook，主打地道的澳洲特色美食。菜式特別而且挺美味，不怕的話還可以試試袋鼠肉哦！晚餐大概每位$500，都是中環一貫的價錢。

The Bellbrook Bistro Oz is a collaboration between David Laris, the Australian-Greek chef renowned for his hip, popular restaurants in China, the Dining Concepts Group and the Cachet Hotel Group. Named after BellBrook in Australia where David’s parents came from, this new baby serves a selection of exotic dishes with a multi-cultural Australian flair.

The Bellbrook occupies the space on Wyndham Street which was previously Laris (see my review here), a sleek, high-end restaurant that served Australian and Mediterranean cuisine. Wooden furniture, blackboards scribbled with daily specials and an open kitchen (inherited from its predecessor) complete an upbeat, casual vibe. The staff were young and energetic and the service was helpful.

One of the best things about this pioneering restaurant was its carefully thought out details. Our bread came with what looked like a little potted plant, which was actually butter covered in some biscuity “edible soil”!

(1) Twisties ($78), thick potato chips held on a wooden rod, were swiftly brought to our table. These came in three flavours, and I recommend truffle salt, which had an enticing aroma of truffle oil.

(2) Baby Tuna ($158) was a dish that arrived dramatically in a glass dome filled with smoke.

The dish was revealed after the smoke had dissipated. The vine leaf and finger lime (the pink caviar-like pearls on the tuna) gave off invigorating flavours which complemented the tuna marvellously.

(3) Dad’s pickled octopus ($98), which was spicy and sour, was enjoyable, and the octopus was appealingly chewy.

(4) Butter Fried Cauliflower ($118) did not disappoint. The yoghurt cream, capers, and raisin pine nuts added nice touches to this dish.

(5) The Aussie steak tartare ($158) was done “the Bellbrook way” and was mixed with some bone marrow. Expecting chunks of fresh beef, I found this dish less satisfying than I had imagined, but it was nonetheless a creative attempt!

(6) The Smokey eggplant & burrata salad ($158) was one of my favourites at the meal. The burrata was deliciously creamy, but what I loved the most was the smoked eggplant. Paying homage to the indigenous Australian cuisine, many ingredients have been smoked to imitate the traditional flavours. While some of my friends were not too enthusiastic about this cooking method, I found the smokey flavour an excellent match with the soft, smooth eggplant!

(7) The Black Pork Scotch Egg ($78), served with horseradish and crème fraîche, was fantastically crunchy on the outside and beautifully molten in the middle.

(8) The Braised green lentils ($168) were served with winter root vegetables which added a mélange of flavours and textures. The fully flavoured lentils were sinfully buttery and very enjoyable!

(9) If you are looking for special, memorable dishes, Grilled Kangaroo Loin on Smoked Hay ($298) would tick the box. It was served flaming, so the staff anxiously waited for us to finish taking photos before he hastily put out the flame. The kangaroo loin was tender, and tasted largely like beef but just a bit more gamey. It was perhaps not the most tasty dish at dinner, but it is definitely worth a mention!

(10) The Wagyu flank steak ($298) turned out to be a surprise for us. The Wagyu beef was pleasantly pink-middled and tender, and the marbled fat melted adoringly in the mouth.

(11) The Coco Agago ($78) was comprised of roasted banana, banana ice cream and hazelnut croquant. Even though the dessert was a bit of a sugar overdose, the banana ice cream was too good for me not to finish!

(12) Lastly, the Sticky date pudding ($88) arrived. The pudding, which was warm and pleasantly moist in the middle, was slathered in a brandy caramel sauce and served with a large scoop of madagascar vanilla ice cream. It was very filling, and very sweet, but worth the last inch of our stomach space!

Our meal at this hip, buzzing restaurant was full of surprises, and after we had finished eating, we were shown a few bottles of Blair’s Hot Sauce (https://blairshotsauce.com/), i.e. some of the most spicy sauces in the world! You need to sign a disclaimer before trying a drop of these, and I hate to admit that none of us dared to try it.

The cuisine at The BellBrook Bistro Oz was a melting-pot of exotic, rustic flavours. A meal here will set you back around $500 per head, which is not too expensive for such a fun, exciting dining experience!