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It's
not every night you should allow an award-winning author to prepare
your dinner, but when the
scribe has won the international Julia Child Cookbook Award, fears should
quickly abate. They may be
rekindled though when the focus of the menu is Australian fauna and
flora, journeyed through the looking
glass of French cooking styles, or lack thereof - after all, "Skippy
Tartare" may be a little too
raw for the unadventurous diner.
The
dish mentioned above doesn't go under such a disturbing name, but is
rather the starting aspect of
the more mystical "Kangaroo
Evolution", a tasting plate of kangaroo tartare, sweet yam
chips, wild
lime reduction & capers, with char-grilled kangaroo loin & truffle
mash potato, & ravioli of braised
kangaroo & parmesan sauce ($35). Who would be so courageous to declare
this their signature dish?
Well, most appropriately, one of the world's finest pioneers of "la
cuisine Australienne" as French
master chef Paul Bocuse labelled it, the author of the bush tucker
masterpiece "Tukka" (1996), Jean-Paul
Bruneteau.
Here's
a guy working in a Coogee bistro, albeit with the
certain grandeur and ocean views
that Mireille Kilgour's Deep
Blue Bistro possesses, who is featured on Wikipedia,
who won the
1988 Gold Medal for "Most Original Cuisine" at the Second
International Cooking Festival
in Tokyo, Japan, and yet who visibly cringes when this foodie writer
declares meeting him to
be an honour - a sure give-away that this French-born chap really has
lived in Australia since
the late 1960s. Hey I only said it because the Kangaroo Evolution had
massively transformed
my appreciation of this indigenous protein beyond all expectation. At
that stage I hadn't
even read his book, since doing that I'd trade the word "honour"
for calling him
a "living legend" anytime!
Whether
you're a local looking to have your palate re-ignited by the possibilities
of truly
home-grown ingredients, or an international visitor madly seeking a
wow factor that can fill
a postcard (or more likely a post-2000 email), then Deep Blue Bistro
take Mr Bruneteau's talents
one step beyond with the "Outback
Degustation" menu, which matches Crocodile Carpaccio
with Jansz Premium NV Cuvee, Moreton Bay Bug with a Logan Gewurztraminer,
Tasmanian
Ocean Trout with a Madfish Chardonnay, Emu l'Orange with an Adelaide
Hills Pinot Noir, Seared
'Roo with a Barossa Shiraz Grenache, and a Wattleseed Creme Brulee with
a Yalumba
Botrytis Viognier. At just $100pp (wine included) it's pretty bloody
obvious mate that
bookings are essential!!
Having
celebrated Deep Blue's points of difference, there's much to be said
for the more
conventional sides of this bistro. You can enjoy as we did on a recent
Sunday a breakfast
that's totally typical in price, yet has the added thrill of a sublime
beachside view. Or captivated
by the seaside ambience you can indulge in Deep Blue's other signature,
literally a "Bucket
of Prawns" or just as delicious, a "Bucket of Mussels".
Their lunch
menu evokes the
quintessence of casual affordability even while tantalising with Sydney
rock oysters, and
their vast and well-selected wine and cocktail list will never let you
down.
Somewhere
in all that we should add the wonderfully precise and yet so friendly
service
that delighted us on every visit (three so far and counting) and with
a capacity for 120 people
seated or 200 for a stand-up function, this lovely space is also ideal
for weddings
or
corporate occasions. What we love about Deep Blue also, though, is that
the a
la carte
dinner by virtue of diversity, taste and price, invites you back
time after time.
www.deepbluebistro.com.au
 
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