Step into Nel. Restaurant this season and let Chef Nelly Robinson transport you to a magical world of his own creation. Inspired by the famous fairytales we all know and love, Nel. Restaurant’s Once Upon a Time degustation menu is not for the faint of heart. In fact, Chef Nelly gained notoriety for one of his dishes, Bambi’s Mum back in 2019.
I love the intimate setup of the restaurant. You will be seated close together, you can see the team working hard in the kitchen across windows panes and the venue is definitely conversation friendly.
But I digress, here’s what we had.
Day of the Dead (Inspired by Coco) – We started with some bite-sized green skulls surrounded by summer color petals. As soon as you bite into one of these skulls you get a burst of flavours which are a combination of corn, chimichurri, sun-dried tomato and parsley.
Dead Man’s Chest (Inspired by Pirates of the Caribbean) – Next up was a serving of squid cooked with beetroot and garlic, served in a mini (and very aesthetically pleasing) treasure chest.
Man’s Red Fire (Inspired by Jungle Book) – Slow cooked lamb served with mint and crushed cashews. The lamb was so tender it literally fell off the bone as we were eating it.
Black & White (Inspired by 101 Dalmatians) – Mantou style black and white buns served with rosemary, olive and butter
You’re Welcome (Inspired by Moana) – In true spirit of the film we get a slice of kingfish served with a pineapple, coconut sauce and topped off with taro and jalapeno.
It’s a Flounder (Inspired by The Little Mermaid) – Remember Flounder? Ariel’s best friend in the film? Well we get to eat him in this dish (I know) and I have to say he was delicious!
Street Rat (Inspired by Aladdin) – Cheesy rice cooked with dates, pistachio, basil served with a clear tomato soup.
Hundred Acre Wood (Inspired by Winnie The Pooh) – Thought eating Flounder was bad? The “tragedy” continues with Piglet. This dish features a slow cooked , honeyed pork belly served with carrot. This was my highlight of the night.
I’ve Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts (Inspired by The Lion King) – This glass coconut bowl contained an amazing burst of different elements. There were bite sized honeycomb, brown sugar coconut jelly and Kafir lime.
Boo’s Best Friends (Inspired by Monster’s Inc.) – A colourful dessert comprising white chocolate, mint, cucumber, yuzu and chocolate. The mint was a refreshing touch after all the meaty dishes.
Crème de la Edger (Inspired by The Aristocats) – A bite sized treat with nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, milk and coca flavours. How did he cram all these elements into one bite size piece? Simply superb
Final Verdict
Chef Nelly Robinson has outdone himself with the Once Upon a Time degustation menu at Nel Restaurant. This is affordable fine dining with a dark twist (Chef Nelly certainly has a dark sense of humor)- but don’t worry, there are still plenty of happy endings to be found! I truly enjoyed the flavours in each and every dish. Nel. Restaurant is definitely conversation friendly and I would recommend it for a date night or special occasion.
@phatlifeproject Cheapest fine dining experience in sydney that is TOTALLY worth it, 📍Once Upon A Time, Nel. Restaurant Surry Hills #sydneyrestaurants #bestrestaurants #sydneyfoodie #finedining #restaurantreview #foodtok ♬ 5Star x Laybankz – THE TWIN
Restaurant: Nel. Restaurant
Location: 75 Wentworth Ave. Sydney NSW 2000
Online Bookings – https://nelrestaurant.com.au/reservations/
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