When we were in Hobart last year, Jude and I found ourselves dining at the tiny neighbourhood restaurant Templo, seated next to another couple from the EB (Sydney’s Eastern Beaches) – go figure. We talked a lot about food, restaurants, and they asked us if we’d been to Blanca in Bondi yet, which we hadn’t.
They did such a great job at selling Blanca in that it went straight onto the list of Sydney restaurants I’m gagging to try (a list that’s more scroll-like than list-like, and so big it’s housed in the spare room).
Fast forward six months to when I was looking for a restaurant that was worthy of claiming a spot in my 30th birthday festival line-up, Blanca stood out. Saying goodbye to your 20s seemed like as good a time as any to boot scoot on over to Bondi and give this badboy a whirl.
European meets Japanese fusion
Opening just a tad over 12 months ago, Blanca is the creation of Finnish celebrity chef Tomi Bjorck and ex-Dinner by Heston Blumenthal chef Samuel Cole. So there’s pedigree here.
Tucked off Hall Street in the arcade-like precinct that houses Harris Farm Markets, A Tavola and Gelato Messina, Blanca brings a new level of sophistication to the beachside suburb that’s overrun with beach babes, backpackers and British sunburn.
The restaurant and bar is split into two: one side a sophisticatedly rowdy bar, serving snacks and fancy drinks. The other, an equally sophisticated and fun, heaving restaurant. As you might expect, the space is beautiful. Beautifully all white, with white rendered walls, white linen and white chairs – it’s whiter than my legs in winter.
Image credit: Blanca
As for the menu, it’s a fusion of sorts. If you put European style, Japanese flavours and top Australian produce in a bowl, whisk it around and plate it up – you have Blanca. Everything is designed to be shared, which may cause a few problems because some of it you simply don’t want to share. Lucky it was my birthday, and Jude knows better than to argue with birthday royalty.
I LOVE a tasting menu
Sometimes life is just easier when you render control to the kitchen and opt for the chef’s menu. You don’t sit there umming and ahhing over whether to get the pork ribs or poached chicken, debating it over with the table like a new bill trying to pass the senate.
Although at Blanca, once you decide you want to do the tasting menu (and you’d be silly not to), things are a little more complicated because you then have to decide which one – there’s bloody six of them! A seven ($77), eight ($85pp) or 10-course ($93), and then vegetarian versions of each.
We originally had our greedy eyes on the 10-course tasting menu, but calmed down and settled on the eight-course option with matching wine and sake (an extra $56pp). Plus, we added two oysters to start with because – well, why not.
Sydney rock oysters
The pace is set with some cracking snacky starters and a palette cleansing Japanese sake. Both the raw beef and sesame leaf, and humpty doo barramundi sashimi leave you pretty happy. But the kingfish rice cracker steals the show, working beautifully with the Margaret River Riesling. Although I’m not sure Jude agreed, who thought the wine “smelt like straw a horse would eat”… Yep, that happened.
Humpty Doo barramundi sashimi, with kombu soy, daikon and mandarin crème
Kingfish tartar, with dashi mayo, Japanese taramosalata and bottarga on a rice cracker
The signature Blanca black bun certainly makes an entrance with crab claws theatrically emerging from the pillowy buns – but gosh the claws (and everything else accompanying them) are good.
Soft black bun, with crispy soft shell crab, XO mayo and spicy red cabbage
Saikyo miso monkfish, with white soy, yuzu dashi, kale, asparagus and radish
Come main time, the menu swerves into the realms of rich flavours, with the burrata and artichokes a surprisingly hearty dish. Not normally a burrata fan, even Jude was won over, commenting it was the “best ball sack of cheese he’d ever had”. No lie.
Burrata and artichokes, with roasted artichoke puree, walnuts and kombu
Meanwhile, the cheek of beef, which you’re instructed to scoop into fresh lettuce cups and top with a trio of sauces, sends you straight to crazy rich food dream territory. And the Barossa Valley Shiraz – good choice.
Blanca Beef ssam – glazed beef cheek in sherry jus, with leaves, beetroot pickles, yuzu crème and spicy chilli sauce
The finale comes in the form of a cherry ripe – Blanca-style. That’s milk chocolate cremeaux and cherry sake sorbet, with a bunch of other fancy stuff making it extra amazing. Cadbury needs to watch out. The chilled, ultra fruity, grapefruit-tasting sake is an admirable pairing.
Cherry ripe Blanca dessert – milk chocolate cremeaux, cherry sake sorbet, coconut, cherry, crispy meringue
Then, bless their socks, the switched on staff also brought me a little birthday treat. A chocolate brownie topped with ‘Bondi Sands’ (that’s a mash-up of salted caramel, mascarpone-vanilla crème, hazelnuts and mandarin). So fricken yum, I definitely didn’t share this.
‘Bondi Sands’ birthday cake
Blanca is….
My second-best meal in Sydney so far (sitting politely behind the now-retired Gastro Park). There just wasn’t a dish that let the side down, and given we had 10 dishes in total that’s a high run rate.
Put simply, I really enjoyed the entire Blanca experience, and it was the perfect meal to see out my 20s. I must really thank our Templo friends for putting us onto this winner.
Blanca Bar & Dining | 4/75–79 Hall Street, Bondi Beach, New South Wales
Phone: (02) 9365 2998
blanca.com.au
