Eat: Silk’s Brasserie, Leura
We recently went on a short getaway to the Blue Mountains as part of our 6 month wedding monthaversary. We had only two things on our agenda – to relax, and to eat (of course, duh). Sadly, our first two choices for dinner were closed Sundays (we’re not in Newtown anymore Toto). So after a quick and desperate scan of Urbanspoon, we made a snap decision and booked a table at Silk’s Brasserie, Leura.
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Driving in to Leura on a Sunday night, the streets were so quiet that it felt like we were the only ones still awake. However, as we drove down the deserted main street, from a distance we spotted the front window of Silk’s glowing like a beacon. The lack of humans meant we quickly found parking, and we quickly skipped towards the welcoming warmth of the restaurant. We were greeted with a smile and ushered into a charming room that belonged to a by-gone era, complete with black-and-white checkerboard flooring and an old-time bar.
The menu was French inspired, with Asian influences – we couldn’t wait to get started.
Entree
seared scallops with avocado, diced marinated salmon, salmon roe, tatsoi salad and light wasabi dressing
The scallop was cooked to perfection, the avocado and salmon were tasty complements, and the salad was refreshing. It was a good start.
pan fried duck livers on baked polenta with black pudding and fig, served with balsamic dressing
I’m not a big fan of liver, but I love black pudding, so I went for it. The duck liver was well cooked, but I still struggled with its sharp iron-y taste and distinctive texture. I had to make sure each forkful had a smidgeon of liver, with loads of black pudding, fig and salad piled on top. I’m getting there.
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Mains
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tenderloin of grain-fed beef on creamy mash with English spinach, mushroom ragout, mustard-seed butter and madeira jus
Patrick was very happy with his main – the beef was tender, the mash moreish, the perfect meal for this chilly autumn night.
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tenderloin of pork in five-spice on roast sweet potato, beetroot, with rocket and cress, minted jus
The five-spice was deliciously rich, with the sweet potato and beetroot cutting through the punchy Asian flavours. Unfortunately, my pork was over-cooked and quite dry. Still, it was tasty and an enjoyable meal.
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Half way through the main meals, I was stuffed. Urbanspooners did warn about the huge servings, but did I listen? Of course not! I insisted on dessert, stubbornly ignoring my full stomach. Patrick conceded by suggesting we share a plate… but I foolishly refused. We ended up with a chocolate fondant and banana tart.
Warm bitter-sweet chocolate fondant served with apricot and orange compôte, passionfruit sorbet and a croquant wafer
I cracked the fondant open with my spoon and the chocolate centre came oozing out – perfection.
death by oozing chocolate
The passionfruit sorbet and compote were deliciously tart and added a sophisticated dimension. Even though I was stuffed, I enjoyed this immensely.
Caramelised warm banana tart served with vanilla ice cream
It was really well presented, the banana was fanned into a perfect garland. The caramalisation added a lovely texture to the softened banana, but sadly it was too sweet even for this sweet tooth. The pastry also seemed to melt into the banana, so we couldn’t differentiate between the layers.
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Still, we had a wonderful evening at Silk’s Brasserie. This elegant restaurant oozes romantic old-world charm that typifies the quaint township of Leura. What began as a last-minute booking suprisingly ended up being the perfect twilight dinner for two in the Blue Mountains.
Silk’s Brasserie, Leura
128 The Mall
Leura NSW 2780
www.silksleura.com
mmmm I do love the oozing chocolate of a choc fondant!
I will keep an eye on this place when we visit the Blue Mountains.
Good place to unwind rather than going overseas. Very nice. So where is the next….seventhhh..sary??
Thanks mama-B! Next trip to Tassie maybe?!?
Betty, let’s go to Leura, have a girl’s overnight outing one day! My mouth is watering while looking at Maria’s pictures hahaha. I love it!