Bastille Day came rolling by and The Rocks
had specials popping up all over their sandstone-laid walkways.
Ananas had a month-long
Bastille Day events to celebrate the French holiday.
The hidden restaurant was adorned in French
patriotism and the ambient atmosphere made you feel like you were an intimate
club.
We were initially seated at the bar where
we conversed with the friendly bar tenders and picked up a couple of cocktails
to begin the evening.
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| The Big Smoke and Porcelain Heart |
The Porcelain Heart cocktail had a very
floral undertone that was lifted by the lemon myrtle vodka and the lemon. While
also being a very pretty drink it was almost like a lemon sorbet in liquid form
with a floral and lychee finish. I would definitely order it again and I really
loved the rose petal garnish.
The Big Smoke came quite literally with
smoked star anise to add to the theatrics of cocktail-making.
I personally am not a fan of whiskey or scotch
so this drink would never be something I'd pick up. My boyfriend, who is an
aficionado in both, absolutely loved the drink. It was smooth, smokey and had a
good citrus kick as well. The barman was kind enough to show us how we might
replicate it. However, our cocktail-making skills are quite limited so
we'll probably just come back for more!
We waited to be seated for about half an
hour and when we questioned it, they admitted that we had been forgotten but it
was quickly recified. Soon, we were welcomed into the main dining room full of
patrons enjoying their dinner.
The menu was a carefully selected three
course meal of classic French dishes and matching wines. The menu seemed to
have a nice flow to the evening.
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| Chorizo & Pork Rilette, ham hock terrine, celeriac remoulade, chorizo crumble |
The Pork rilette served with warm toast
made for a great start for the meal; the rilette was full flavoured and moist.
The pickle added acidity that cuts through the rich meat and creaminess from
the celeriac.
I thoroughly enjoyed the rilette and it's
my first time trying something like this it was almost like the fanciest open
sandwich ever.
 |
| Braised Beef Cheeks red wine sauce, apple, celery |
The beef cheeks sat upon a delicious
smooth pedestal of mashed potato and accompanied by chip cut apples to compliment
the meaty cut of beef. The beef was incredibly tender and juicy but
unfortunately my cut of beef had a thick ream of fragrant unrendered,
gelatinous fat that made the other half of the beef really distasteful.
I've had beef cheeks in the past but none with such huge mouthfuls of fat
in it. It was a shame for such a beautiful dish.
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| Vanilla Creme Brulee |
The creme brulee did not
disappoint in the slightest. The thin cracking of the sugar surface and smooth
consistency of custard was incredibly satisfying. The berry compote with its
fresh rich flavour was a welcome addition to the creaminess of the creme brulee..
The dessert was my favourite dish of the evening as Ananas have certainly
mastered a simple and classic French favourite.
A glass of Chateau Prost
accompanied the creme brulee. The wine was perfectly matched with the dessert
and concluded the meal with a rich honey based finish.
Ananas was a beautiful restaurant with a
very intimate and warm atmosphere. I love that the restaurant is constantly
involved in new events such as Bastille Day, champagne brunches and other low
key events. It really gives you an incentive to see both the decor of the
restaurant and the exciting menu they have set for each event.
The staff were lovely
but were seemingly stressed by the amount of people that were dining that
evening. It was a little bothersome that we were left waiting at the bar without
follow up despite our booking. However, they were honest about their mistake
and rectified it as soon as they became aware of the situation
I would love to come
back again to see their other events or even just their regular menu.
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