Blanca Bar and Dining
75 Hall St
Bondi Beach, Sydney
Bondi is home to some fine dining venues but they don’t get much finer than Blanca. The space is bright and airy with fresh modern décor and a variety of seating options. It’s casual and welcoming, yet suitably stylish.
Two very accomplished and well-respected chefs have combined forces to bring us superb food in a superb setting. The talented Tomi Bjorck and Samuel Cole owner/chef team should be proud of their creation. The food is to die for.
Despite Blanca being just newly opened, the staff here are friendly and top notch, having an intimate knowledge of the menu items. They know how long the ribs have been cooked and how the seafood has been cured. Everything is prepared from scratch on the day using fresh Australian ingredients. The food can’t be described in any one style – there are Japanese, European and Australian influences so expertly chosen and working wonderfully together. We are served the tasting menu today so we can experience a wide range of culinary masterpieces!
First up were the Sydney Rock Oysters. Dressed with mandarin-szechuan pepper mignonette, amaranth and avruga. We are actually not fond of oysters but these were so succulent and tasty we were quite blown away and wished there were more.
The Green Shell Mussels which followed also had great flavours. Kombu soy, lemon jam and marinated trout roe gave these plump beauties a sweet and salty taste.
Croquetas came up next. The crispy golden crumb casing was filled with Lap Cheung Chinese sausage and manchego cream with a harissa dressing. These were cheesy, creamy, delectable little bombs and we loved them.
Raw Beef & Sesame arrived next. The finely sliced aged beef was teamed up with Japanese pickled radish and wasabi mayo and served on a sesame leaf for wrapping. The beef was tender and the combination was tasty. Now for the Bonito Pastrami. This sounded intriguing – yuzu-soy and brown butter dressing, kombu and yuzu cream accompanied the finely sliced fish. The bonito had been lovingly cured then lightly seared and we loved the flavours of this dish. Superb.
The Grilled Fremantle Octopus was served next, with romesco, yuzu brown butter, garlic confit and thyme. This was Dame K’s favourite of the night at this point. The crunchy, nutty romesco went so well with the grilled octopus and it was a lovely dish once again.
Saikyo Miso Salmon followed. Cooked to perfection, with dashi, white miso, wasabi, cauliflower, Japanese daikon pickles and radishes, this dish impressed us with it’s blend of flavours. Subtle yet delicious! Crispy Blanca Potatoes & Aioli hit the table also and we devoured these. They were flavoured with garlic, furikake and a chilli pickle sauce. We couldn’t remember ever eating more amazing potatoes!
Just when we thought it couldn’t get better, our favourite dish of the evening was served – Pork Ribs & Miso Caramel. So sticky, sweet and sensational, these ribs had been cooked slowly and the meat just fell off the bone. They were the stuff of dreams! We were quite full by now but still could have licked the plate.
Oh dear! Dessert was up next. Picture perfect Matcha Tea, Strawberry & Shiso tasted as good as it looked. Matcha mousse, meringue, strawberry sorbet, toasted almond cake, shiso and strawberries all graced the plate in an elegant formation which was light, fresh and delicious.
Bondi Sands came next and was a far more naughty arrangement of whipped pannacotta ice cream, chocolate ganache, salted caramel, mascarpone-vanilla crème, almond biscuit, almond praline, toasted coconut and almonds! It was a decadent assortment indeed and wonderfully yummy.
Everything here sounds good, looks good and tastes good. All the boxes are ticked. The dishes can be ordered individually or as a tasting option. There are group tasting menus tailored by the chefs if you want the full experience. Or if you like, you can just have a few oysters with a chilled sake. Diners individual needs are the priority and everyone is made welcome. We were so glad to have experienced this fabulous food and will be back with bells on.
Big thanks to Tomi and Sam for sharing their passion. Special thanks also to Jee De Bruyn from Hello Something for this invitation.