8th October 2011
Having headed up to Brisbane for my birthday, we were had organised dinner out with parents to go to the Buffalo club (unfortunately my first choice Restaurant 2 clearly doesn't want me to come as they have had organised functions the last 2 times we have tried to book). Situated in Fortitude Valley, we organised an 8pm booking. Despite the 8pm booking when we showed up we were told that the table was not ready and we could either head to the Sky Bar for a drink or into their bar for a drink while we waited and they would come and get us once it was available.
Unfortunately 25 minutes and 2 drinks passed before we decided that they were not coming to get us and we made our way down one level to the restaurant, where the hostess remembered us but failed to acknowledge she had failed to get us. We were shown to our seats next to the big open glass windows that provided an uninspiring but surprisingly entertaining view of a busy intersection between several pubs and clubs in The Valley. We were handed a menu and told they would explain it but when a slightly sour young girl came back she just asked which menu we wanted rather than fully explaining. She served us the rest of the evening, and ended up becoming more engaging and convivial throughout the meal, as well as a man in a full tartan suit that had to be seen to be believed. (it was so amazingly bad yet mesmerising).
The menu offered 2 options on a Saturday night, the 8 course Cape Buffalo menu or the 12 course White Buffalo menu. The menus were sealed in an envelope which offered a hint of the theatre the meal would offer. Feeling extravagant and for only $40 more we decided on the 12 White Buffalo menu. Along with the food menu we were given a reasonably extensive wine menu and explained the beers which offered a weird mix of beers which happened to include my favourite beer, Budvar. Unfortunately the wine we selected had run out but we were offered a suitable substitute of greater value for the same cost.
The menu had very simple names for the dishes but offered variety of different techniques and playful variances on the ingredients to show the mastery of the chef and also add textures and whimsy to the dish.
Even with the 12 courses to come we were offered a pre dinner appetiser which consisted of a Quince Collins (like a Tom Collins with Quince instead of gin) and Gougère, pastry filled with melted cheese rather than within the pastry and covered in a garlic snow. The pastry was soft and the cheesy great and the quince Collins was very good. (However i preferred the Gougère at Jacques Reymond).
All the dishes were beautifully presented with a high level of technique and flair associated with the dish. They usually featured a variety of different textures and techniques (soils, gels, purees) and involved the use of one ingredient done in a variety of different ways. The presentation combined soups poured at the table, a variety of beautiful cutlery and different beautiful plates and bowls depending on the dish. Every element of the presentation had clearly been thought out .
The first of the actual courses was a dish of thinly sliced duck combined with a salad of radish and other mini vegetables. Combined with drops of honey, it was light and fresh salad combined with the rich thin slices of duck to add a great depth of flavour. A good start.
The second dish involved thin slices of Octopus, combined with a smokey artichoke puree and other tiny flourishes. The smokey artichoke puree bordered on the too smoky but apart from that the dish was excellent.
The third dish was a delight with a perfectly poached piece of trout that broke away into its different pieces easily but still maintain a firmness. Combined with a pea puree and a cold almond soup poured at the table, the flavours worked well together and was a great dish.
The fourth dish was my parents favourite dish. A large perfectly runny duck egg covered and surrounded by both cold shaved and cooked pieces of asparagus with a hazelnut soil. The egg broke apart perfectly and the warm runny yolk flowed onto the other elements and the flavour was excellent.
The fifth dish had a similar theme to the third with a piece of meat in the centre, this time foie, with a puree, almond parsnip smeared on the side of the bowl, and a soup poured at the table, Chestnut soup. Unfortunately on this occasion the combination did not work as smoothly. The individual elements were great, however the rich and flavourful chestnut soup completely drowned the foie both in appearance and flavour.
The sixth dish unfortunately was another slight disappointment. Little pieces of potato gnocchi combined with mini pieces of cauliflower and squid shaved fine into long thin slices to resemble pasta. This was decent although not for everyone on our table. But the veal tendon reduction that was poured over the top was not a great addition to the dish and i did not enjoy this element.
After the sixth dish and before the 2 slightly more meaty and main course dishes, we were offered a palate cleanser. Combining a cucumber covered in juniper salt, a gin and tonic foam and cucumber granita, it looked fancy but the gin and tonic portion of it was not for me. Maybe i didn't combine the cucumber granita with it as much as suggested but the tonic was so off putting i was unable to even finish it.
After the palate cleanser i was glad for a dish to remove the taste. And it was a worthy dish. A piece of lamb combined with pecorino cheese and courgette with a black olive soil. The meat was cooked well and the cheese was great. It also combined well together.
The eighth course was a piece of onglet (a particular section of skirt from wagyu beef- which was kind of a letdown as we have been speculating as to what an onglet was). Combined with slices of onion, onion and garlic gels and tomato puree, it was a perfectly cooked piece of meat with great textures and flavours from the other elements.
After the main courses was a segue from savoury to sweet dishes with a dish of goat's curd, with a pumpkin puree and beurre noisette. Unusual but great combinations of flavours and a good lead in to the deserts.
The first desert course was beautifully constructed and presented dish of a single scoop of high quality 70% chocolate mousse, with a chocolate and cookies crumble, with crumbled meringue and a variety of different strawberry elements, quartered strawberries, gels and crumbles. Great flavours different textures and a well thought out and executed dish. This was my favourite.
To finished we were offered a dish called Candy. Consisting of three elements - a milkshake separated into 2 elements and served in a tiny milk bottle, apple donuts in a paper bag and pineapple sugar lolly in a plastic bag filled with a ginger sherbet. These were very cute but also tasted great and an excellent finish to the meal. (Although some complained that milk after drinking beer and wine all meal was a bit odd).
As with some degustation menus, there were some elements that were amazing but others that were not to everyone's taste. Overall it was a very good meal. The service started out poorly but got progressively more engaging and charming. The length of the dinner (nearly 4 hours) made this an event that you would not normally undertake and would only be recommended with people you know well as there were significant breaks between courses. (definitely no first dates). The cost was also substantial at $150 per person just for the food but the attention to detail, quality sourcing of ingredients and technique involved showed the dollars were put into the quality of the food rather than decor or profit margins. The meal was an event and well worthy of a visit (just not every weekend) and on a equivalent level as some of the 2 Hat restaurants in Melbourne.
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