Once again this review was unplanned as both Lindsay and Alexi did not attend. However, read the review and you may see why this review was written. Not all the courses (mostly the palate cleansers) were photographed, for which I apologise. For a long time the word of mouth I had heard about Sage indicated it was a restaurant which might be well worth a visit.
It was a very windy day. Flights were being cancelled in Sydney due to the high winds and while Canberra is some distance from Sydney, the winds were still causing some issues.
We had a general idea where the restaurant was situated and parked nearby and then looked for the restaurant. We found Mint (the bar attached to Sage) and had to ask if we were in the right place as the signs were at the front, not the back. As this was our first time visiting the restaurant, it is excusable, maybe? (Sometimes even Google maps can make me confused.)
We were quickly seated in a quiet part of the restaurant and looked at the menu.
Having looked at the website for Sage, I thought I knew what was on the menu, but the online menu was a little different from the one with which we were presented. There is a choice between a 3 course ($75.00) and 5 course ($85.00) menu and we chose the 3 course menu.
There was a choice between still and sparkling water (sparkling was our choice) which came promptly. We looked through the menu and fortunately there was a choice other than seafood. Once we ordered we sat back and enjoyed the music and ambience.
A palate cleanser of shredded prawn and wasabi cream was delivered to the table. This is one of the dishes which was not photographed and as I did not eat it, my opinion is only second hand. Harper reported that the palate cleansers were very tasty and valiantly ate both; without complaint or hesitation.
For an entree I ordered Mushroom Agnolotti which came in a clear broth. I tasted some of the broth, and it was light and fresh. While I am aware that pasta is best al dente, my preference is for something a bit squishy. Selecting one of the agnolotti I placed it whole in my mouth and bit down. After that one bite it suddenly became clear why many people prefer al dente. This pasta had that delicate balance of giving and also a slight resistance from not being overcooked. The filling was superb and paired with the light broth was delightful. The blend of mushrooms within the pasta was well chosen and so very enjoyable. I wished it were polite to drink from the bowl but reminded myself that it would be very bad behaviour, so I didn’t.
Harper chose a prawn dumpling (?) upon which he concentrated after quickly advising it was delicious. There was little conversation as we concentrated on the food.
Once the dishes were removed a rice cracker and cream cheese palate cleanser was delivered. The rice cracker was very crispy but had little to no flavour on its own, but paired with the cream cheese there was a wonderful combination of crispy and creamy. Delightful.
My second course was herb crusted lamb with parsnip cream in a jus. Lamb can be ordinary or it can be extraordinarily good. This was the second. Perfectly cooked, the flavours combined in the mouth and was again a dish that required my full attention. Each element was excellent on their own but combined they were sublime.
Harper ordered the gnocchi with capsicum, pickled zucchini and eggplant. Fortunately I was allowed to sample the dish and it was the best gnocchi I’ve eaten. Instead of soggy, glutinous stodge it was light, lightly fried and combined with a lovely sauce. The pickled zucchini was interesting. I am not sure if I like picked zucchini.
The next palate cleanser was gummy jelly on white chocolate crumb. I wish all jelly was that good. Firm, slightly chewy but not hard. After eating mine it was saddening to realise it was all gone.
Harper, not having much of a sweet tooth, ordered the cheese platter. The blue cheese received special mention as being the best with the soft cheese second. On the whole, Harper declared it was a lovely end to the meal.
For my dessert I chose the Greek doughnuts which was served with coffee cream and honeycomb ice cream. Harper valiantly ate the coffee cream which was enjoyed. The donuts were light and fluffy without and stodginess and the honeycomb ice cream was light and refreshing. While it was good, I preferred the palate cleanser.
The service was excellent, the attention paid to the food was noticeable and on the whole it was a surprise. I did not expect to be impressed
Overall
Due to many disappointing experiences, my expectations were not extremely high when we decided to visit Sage. However, the quality of the food, presentation, taste, ambience of the restaurant and service impressed me greatly. We intend to return again and hopefully have a similar very pleasant and memorable dining experience.
Overall Score: 4.9/5
Clean the Plate 