MAGICAL MEALS
Stunning food awaits diners at hotel
The pandemic didn't quite steal Christmas. In fact, for some, there's holiday magic. There is no better escape from the microscopic grinch than Bacchus restaurant in the Wedgewood Hotel.
The stately old-world room, elegant and calm, and the beautifully decorated lobby and lounge areas insulate you from woes with a warm hug. And to elevate the experience, co-owner and managing director Elpie Marinakis Jackson is a personification of hospitality like her late mother Eleni Skalbania before her.
In the Bacchus kitchen, chef Montgomery Lau has been rather unsung for his beautiful offerings. The last place I'd met his food was at the now-closed Secret Location where he showed his agility with modernist techniques. The meal included an olive oil marshmallow dotted with beet sauce and a blueberry red wine sorbet balloon that spilled out a blueberry sauce flecked with gold leaf when whacked. Few with avant-garde ambitions can pull off such balance between theatre and something delicious to eat and look at.
But at Bacchus, any show-off moves are subtle in a mastery of classical techniques.
“The food matches the ambience of the room with European preparations with local influences,” he says. “I have a huge respect for sauce making.”
And I have huge respect for his light and lovely sauces.
Before his Secret Location gig, Lau had worked at Market by Jean- Georges and at Metropolitan and Westin Hotels with the amazing Hamid Salimian, learning a few of those modernist tricks from him, I'm sure.
The pandemic was a sucker punch and Bacchus was down to four staff when it reopened in June, and now are up to 40 per cent.
Wait staff are polished and attentive as always. I had dinner from Lau's fall and winter menu recently and realized he really deserves a shout-out — I hadn't written about Bacchus since he had taken over. Price points are a little higher than, say, at Hawksworth, but portions are generous. Seven-spice crusted albacore tuna with mandarin textures, Cerignola olives, celery heart, Marcona almonds and lemon balsamic ($21) featured a beautiful piece of fish with crunchy and vibrant counterpoints.
Pan-seared Rougie foie gras with house-made brioche, brandy macerated cherries, pineapple, pistachio and sherry black pepper gastrique ($29) is made with a premium Quebec product. Lau doesn't employ the sous vide machine much, but he does with the foie gras for a meatier texture and even cooking. Lovely.
Truffle fries ($11) had me at truffles, but this was to be the only blip in a fantastic meal. While cooked to a nice crispness, there were too many little crunchy bits. I'd had them on another occasion at lunch and I know it can be better.
A miso maple glazed sablefish with shiitake, stewed spelt, parsnips, lime and roasted Jerusalem artichokes ($48) was gorgeous. The brining in maple syrup and miso cast some magical spell over it. So delicious.
Chicken often needs decoy flavours and in this case caramelized chestnuts, glazed apples and pomme dauphine did enhance, but the chicken was delicious on its own. To get there, it sits in a brine mixture with spices including clove, allspice and orange peel; the skin is dried in the fridge before the meat is roasted at a low temperature. Before service, it's pan-roasted.
For dessert, the sticky toffee pudding has long been on the winter menu and it's a great light and deep-flavoured version of the classic. And it tastes of the holiday season.
During COVID-19, the wine list has been truncated, but if you're thirsting for a larger selection, just ask. There's still nearly three dozen options and everything is offered by the glass, including some splurge-worthy selections from Napa and Tuscany. A variety of classic cocktails is also available.