From the moment we walked through Beluga’s door, we felt that we were in for an experience! And we certainly were!! The staff were outstanding. The two ladies that were our main servers were incredibly knowledgeable and very welcoming. Our white marble table was high; we sat on stools, so we had a fantastic view into the open kitchen. The table legs had handbag hooks too – nice touch – you certainly would not want to get your Hermes Birkin dirty!
Chef spent most of the evening gazing through the pass; I was a bit worried that this would be like a “busman’s holiday” for him. At least he was on the dining side of the pass – for a change! The restaurant also has a more intimate dining area, where the lighting is dimmer and it’s away from the bustling kitchen. It’s a great idea to have two such differing areas in the same restaurant. There’s also the alfresco dining area too, open during summer.
Our waitress gave us a little background on the restaurant and explained that they were known for the “chef’s choice”, where the Chef… you guessed it… chooses your dishes for you. It was quite exciting not knowing what we had in store for us! We’re not fussy eaters, so it was perfect really. It was about $75pp, depending on what the Chef sent out. You’ll receive three entrées to share and then main and 2 sides to share. It’s a good way of trying things that you wouldn’t normally choose off of the menu yourself.
For Entrée we shared;
-Caramelised Linley Valley Pork belly, Hummus, Aged Sherry Apple Dressing & Pomegranate $24 This dish is stunning!!! Delicious pork belly, the hummus was very cumin-y and the sweet little pomegranates just burst in your mouth. The closest to caviar we were going to get!
– Seared Rottnest Scallops, Spiced cauliflower & chorizo crumb, apple puree $28 We’re big fans of Rotto scallops, these were big juicy monsters. We really loved the little chunks of cauliflower & chorizo crumb too – they gave the dish a fantastic texture.
– Broccoli & truffleSoup, w prosciutto and parmesan crisps Very tasty. It hit the spot on such a rainy night!
For Main we had Belugas signature dish, the Greek roasted Dorper Lamb Shoulder ($24pp). This was slow roasted in citrus flavours for hours, and then quickly crisped up in the oven.
On the side were…
-Pear & rocket salad with walnuts, witlof and Saint Agur cheese $16. That side was fantastic, and I would have eaten it as a dish in its own right. The creamy – but sharp – French Blue cheese was sublime.
-Roasted Root Veg, Herbs & Dijon dressing $16. These veggies were delicious. They were roasted with a garlic bulb, sliced in half, little cloves of roasted garlic were scattered through the plate.
The lamb was fantastic; it just fell off the bone. It was incredibly moist and tasty. Chef thought that this dish needed a Jus. The meat was by no means dry, but the dish as a whole probably needed a sauce, a little for the meat and veg. There was a lot of lamb left over, the serve was super generous. I was done. The Lamb had beaten me, but I had given it a good shot!! I was thinking of ways I could smuggle the last few chunks into my handbag, but Chef talked me out of it hehe Chef was still raring to go, so he was on his own with dessert.
The Beluga Chocolate Plate $16 Chef really enjoyed this. The chocolate ice-cream and chocolate brownie were fantastic. Chef especially loved the brownie – it was warm, gooey and rich. The only thing that let the dish down was that the white choc mousse – it had too much gelatine in, it wasn’t soft and fluffy like it should be.
This stylish venue, in the Claremont Quarter’s “Eat Street”, is owned by Eagles Dean Cox and Andrew Embley. Emberly, in particular, has a big passion for food. Beluga kicks goal, after goal. From the awesome staff, to the different dining options, to the food; it’s all fantastic. Chef got quite excited about it all; he said we’d soon return. It takes somewhere quite special to impress him!
Beluga Caviar is the most expensive that money can buy; with prices up to $10 000 for 1kg. At the Beluga restaurant they have a caviar menu – ahhhh that would be nice!! Maybe next time… after our lotto win *wink*. Luckily, you don’t need the powerball to enjoy the rest of the fantastic Beluga menu. We’re already looking forward to our next visit.
NOTE – I know I said I’d keep the recommendations short, but BELUGA was soooo good I couldn’t leave anything out!! HIGHLY recommended x