Silvereye – Joint Chaîne/Gault&Millau Function

Posted on 24th August 2016
in Event Reviews
by webmaster

Silvereye – Joint Chaîne/Gault&Millau Function 22 August

‘Executive chef Sam Miller heads Silvereye’s open plan kitchen. The intimate Silvereye dining room is located on the second floor of the heritage Clare building at The Old Clare Hotel. Looking to his own British heritage and experience as executive sous chef at Noma, Copenhagen; the food showcases the best of Australian produce.’

And he is now leaving Sydney!

We had planned this joint function for some time and were dismayed to be advised a couple of weeks ago that Silvereye would close its doors at the end of August and Sam Miller would be heading back to the UK. We made a decision to proceed with the event and we are so glad we did.

The evening, was planned as a joint venture with the prestigious Gault&Millau restaurant reviewers. The plan was for Gault&Millau to talk about their particular evaluation process. This turned out to be a revelation. Many thanks to our friends from this prestigious concern for their insights.

The evening was of course about the food, wine and conviviality.

We commenced with a NV Andre Beaufort ‘Brut Reserve’ Polisy. This was a Champagne unknown to many of us but it had a solid complexity and depth of flavour that made it a favourite. The Champagne was served with a trio: Pig & Wattle, Prawn in a Box and Baked Potato. All three starters displayed a range of flavours coming from pickling that permeated the whole meal.

Some of us were nodding our heads in appreciation about the starters but we were unprepared for the next starter; that described as ‘beetroot and blackcurrant’. How to explain this? Well you can’t. It is all in the tasting but it was a sensation.

A 2015 Chevre Wines Chardonnay from the Mornington accompanied a superbly prepared Spanish mackerel and baby broad beans. The mackerel was cooked to perfection – in the style of tuna; seared and served medium to rare. We were now shaking our heads and smiling.

Oxtail and Smoked Eel followed with a 2015 Jauma Grenache from the McLaren Vale. Both were also extraordinary.

The desert, Feijoa and Paperbark served with a Sorelle Palazzi Vin Santo Riserva from Tuscany. Yes, this was also a hit.

The whole meal displayed an interest in Scandinavian cooking that Sam Miller has developed. This style is about preserving and pickling with the maximum use of herbs and spices.. The style apparently works in Scandinavia and it works in Sydney.

The staff, the subtle wine matching and general working of this beautiful space above the Old Clare Hotel in Broadway was spot on. Top stars.

What a night! Gault&Millau rate restaurants out of 20. On the night I would rate it at the top, the very top. Yet another fantastic Chaîne night.