Fine dining - modern Australian @ Silk Leura

The definition of fine dining ought to be all-encompassing from the taste of food to impeccable service given the exponentially higher price that patrons and customers pay. Falling short of either, a good restaurant does not maketh.

You could tell that the chef loves to use a lot of cream in its sauces and soup. This mussel chowder served in tiny bowl is flavoursome but that is probably all that you would like to consume as an entree. The spicy bread stick comes from a nice and soft layered pastry dough. Disappointing are the tempura prawns that are a tad too soggy. If it is called tempura, it should be crisp and non-oily. Otherwise call it light batter or by some other name. The secret to good tempura is in the flour, batter mix proportion and temperature of the oil for frying which seem lacking in this recipe. To its credit the seafood is fresh and succulent but lacks finesse in food prepration.

I love zuchinni flowers and would not miss a chance to have it as it is challenging to prepare and not many folks in my vicinity would like to share this dish when it is cooked in batches. The scallops are fresh and pan seared to perfection. Do you think this is an expensive entree which costs more than AUD 20?

This meat and vegetable main is a bit more substantial but you'll have to like Moroccan type cuisine and spices to enjoy it.

Though it looks like the run-of-the-mill fish and chips one could easily buy from a hole in the wall type of shop, the taste of flathead is extremely sweet. However, like the tempura prawn in the entree, the batter does not rise to the occasion. The hot chips are well fried and crispy, neither soft nor oily.

Sweet endings

This creme brulee appears and tastes good too. It goes well with the fruits and almond slice.

Quince in cripsy filo tart with whipped cream and poached pear. Other dessert are quite ordinary such as chocolate and sundaes, nothing to die for.

The verdict is : the bill does not fit the value and quality of the meal served at Silk. Yet this restaurant is usually fully booked and does three turns during busy seasons such as the floral festivals. Curiosity has attracted us to try just once.

A restaurant opposite called the Goblet, serves traditional French food is probably a better bet if you are just after a good meal but be forewarned that the service there is slow and lacks personal attention.