There are times when I feel the luckiest girl in the world. One occasion was during our dinner in the Blue Mountains when the boyfriend and I decided to treat ourselves to some luxurious fine dine cuisine. Some may consider eating out a normal part of their culinary lives, but not us. Budgeting and mortgage and all of those adult responsibilities (plus, I suppose, the frugal Chinese blood in me!) have kept us from eating out during normal evenings. However, sometimes it is indeed nice to treat oneself to a fantastic meal in a fantastic ambience, and a short weekend trip to the Blue Mountains was just the perfect way to spend my birthday.

I have first heard of Cafe Bon Ton from Lorraine. I did a little bit more researching and decided that yes, we are having dinner there. I don’t really know what drew me to that conclusion – is it the homey ambience of its website, the promise of good, French food, or all of the above? Well, there’s just one way to find out.

I made a booking days in advanced just to ensure that we secure a table on that night. It was our first time in the Blue Mountains and we both have very limited local knowledge of good restaurants and places to go. Because I knew that our day would be filled with activities out and about the Blue Mountains, we decided to make a slightly late-ish booking – 7.45pm.

Upon arrival, we were welcomed by a gentleman who quickly ushered us to our table. Service was quite abrupt, as Lorraine have noted in her review, with the menus plonked infront of us and with no table napkin service at all. The place was busy, but not crowded, so I assumed that it was just the usual hussle and bussle of Saturday night dinner service plus or minus the limited number of staff (last count, there were a total of 3 and a maitre d’).

We were given two menu options – the regular menu, or a special A Taste of France menu. $55 for two courses, $65 for three. Of course we chose the special menu – $55 for two courses indeed!

There was a fireplace crackling in the background, and the soft, mellow lighting was a very welcoming atmosphere to a rather freezing cold evening.

Amuse Bouche

Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Mozarella & Basil Oil

It was a welcoming starter, however, I would have preferred it to be less watery and a bit creamier. The mozarella cheese was smokey and permeates through the soup, and I found myself scraping through the bottom of the espresso-sized cup for the last few drops.

Entrees

Fish Soup in the Normandy Style

The fish soup was a combination of succulent seafood – mussels, scallops, salmon, and prawns in a creamy mussels broth with crunchy sourdough croutons. Again, it was a pleasurable soup however I would’ve preferred it a bit creamier and thicker.

Housemade Charcuterie Plate

The charcuterie plate was a selection of cold meats of rabbit terrine, duck rillettes, tasty pork and prune pate served with some tangy cornichons and a basket of sourdough bread. The rabbit terrine was fibrous, meaty, and tender; the duck was tasty with bits of fat globules; the pork blended well with the prunes.

Sourdough baguette slices

The wine list also showcased some French wine, and I was instantly drawned to the Sauvignon Blanc. Yes, I am a girly girl – being a fan of Sav Blancs – and I couldn’t help myself.

2007 Eric Louis Sauvignon Blanc

French wine list

The mains started arriving and by this time, we were completely engrossed by the array of sights and smells of the plated food of the other tables. We didn’t have to wait long before our mains were placed infront of us, and what followed after were a series of groans and muffled sounds not seen (or heard!) since Meg Ryan’s infamous When Harry Met Sally Katz’s scene. You know what I’m talking about.

Grain fed fillet of beef, grilled field mushrooms, herb butter & french fries

You know when a steak is cooked by someone who knows how to cook a good steak? This is exactly the steak to get and the restaurant to get it from – they know how to cook, season, and rest their meat. The french fries were moreish and the grilled mushroom, although really was half a mushroom, was perfect with the herb butter.

Fillet of Dory

This, my dear friends, is the piece d’ resistance, the obra maestra, the creme de la creme, the…. you get the picture. I was doubtful of the combination of oven roasted fish on a bed of rataoutille vegetables and a ring of mash potatoes, however on the first, second, third, nay, the last bite, and I seriously thought I have died and gone to foodie heaven. I tried eating each components separately to separate the tastes of the sweet-succulent fish, the tangy vegetables, and the creamy mash potatoes, and each was good. However, when put everything together it creates some sort of celebratory fireworks inside your mouth that no other dish has ever done to me before. I swore then and there that every other fish or ratatouille dish would be compared to this – Cafe Bon Ton has succesfully set the gold standard in this simple, peasant-like yet completely ingenious dish.

We could’ve done with some desserts, but by then I was just walking in cloud nine and I couldn’t eat anything else. The memory of the dory has been etched in my brain’s food library and I’m sure it will take a long time before I can forget such a memorable meal.

We had a quick chat with the Maitre d’, which turned out to be one of the owners of the cafe, methinks. I couldn’t confirm it right then and there, however he was very pleasant and gracious when I informed him of my near gastro-orgasmic moment with the fillet. Credit is given to where it is due, and Cafe Bon Ton certainly deserves that credit.

A Taste of France

The Taste of France special menu will run from July to August.

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Cafe Bon Ton Restaurant

192 The Mall, corner Megalong St, Leura – 02 4782 4377

Open everyday for:

Breakfast & lunch – 8.30am – 4.00pm
Dinner from 6.00pm