Restaurant Balzac, Randwick, Sydney restaurant

LOCATION
Located in the eastern suburb of Randwick, 15 minutes from the Sydney CBD.

PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIA
“Honest, full of character, a little bit quirky but completely genuine” is a good description of both the Restaurant Balzac cuisine and of its chef, Matthew Kemp. Inspired by the French way of looking at food and by his own British roots, Kemp has married the two concepts splendidly. The result is a modern French menu that features dishes made with the head-to-tail approach (and uses ingredients like brain, trotters and black pudding). But before you recoil with horror and start typing a harshly-worded email to yours truly, consider that this restaurant has won many accolades (not the least of which is two chefs’ hats). While seemingly experimental, the menu is not so much put together to test your endurance as to offer traditionally “peasant” meals in a distinctly fine-dining light.

Although the menu changes as regularly as Kemp ventures to the markets (which is often), the dishes you might spy on the menu include pig cheek “schnitzel” with pumpkin and pickled pears for entree and Macleay Valley rabbit and trompette pie with a ballontine of saddle and baby carrots for mains. You’re also likely to find Kemp’s famous bread and butter pudding, which is caramelised on top and served with homemade pain d’epice ice-cream. To match the stellar menu, Restaurant Balzac has recently acquired a new sommelier. Since coming on board earlier this year, Guy Collins has set his sights on sprucing-up the wine list with new vintages, including some hard-to-come-by sparkling British wines. The hunt for decanters is also on, so several size options should soon be available. One thing is for sure, Restaurant Balzac is a place where you’ll get to try something unique and, judging by its repeat fanbase, it seems you’ll not only try, but fall madly head-over-trotter in love.

Agnes Gajewska, March 2010

DETAILS
In the 5 years since the restaurant opened, Restaurant Balzac has won many awards including Best French Restaurant for the Restaurant and Catering Association, NSW and Best European Restaurant for the Restaurant and Catering Association, Australia. It has managed to win and maintain Two Chefs Hats.
Whether it be for a romantic dinner for two, a family get together, business meeting or corporate dinner you can be assured Restaurant Balzac will cater to all your needs with attention to detail, care and the flexibility and desire to create unique individual menus.

Crossing the thick sandstone threshold you can leave the real world behind and cocoon yourself in this demure setting. The dining room is simply yet elegantly furnished, with a few tables in the alcove leading to the main dining room, where the majority of diners are seated. Floor staff are polite and well-informed with a relaxed demeanour that puts the diner at ease. The food is the centrepiece and Kemp’s elegant and exquisitely cooked meals are a true marvel.

FOOD & BEVERAGE
The menu changes regularly according to seasonality and availability and only the highest quality produce is used. Alongside their a la carte menu a seven course daily degustation is available every evening, whereby the chef selects some of the dishes from the current a la carte menu and creates a tasting menu. It offers diners a fantastic opportunity to sample more of Kemp’s beautiful menu. Restaurant Balzac also presents a new and exciting nine course seasonal degustation on the last Sunday of every month. Restaurant Balzac can cater to any special dietary requirements if informed in advance. Matthew Kemp is one of our best young chefs. After arriving in Sydney in 1992, he worked with Dietmar Sawyere at ‘The Park Lane Hotel’, then with Liam Tomlin at ‘Brasserie Cassis’. He returned to the United Kingdom in 1996 and worked for Philip Howard at the two Michelin star restaurant ‘The Square’. It was during this time and under the influence of Philip that Kemp really began to understand the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of cookery. With this experience, he returned to Australia and worked at ‘Banc’ as Chef de Cuisine. During his time as Chef de Cuisine the restaurant won every accolade possible from ‘Best New Restaurant’ to ‘Restaurant of the Year’.

In Matthew’s vision for Restaurant Balzac he wanted to create a restaurant his Nan, Mum or his best chef mates to be able to walk into his restaurant and all choose something off the menu without feeling any apprehension.

FUNCTIONS
There is a wonderful function area upstairs, a private and intimate room for family and work-related get-togethers. Matthew Kemp and Lela Radojkovic bring together all the key elements of a fine dining restaurant at a fraction of the cost.

Personal Statement