Restaurant Review: Mr Carsisi

Location: 37C Piper Street, Kyneton
Phone: 03 5422 3769
Link: http://www.mrcarsisi.com/
Cuisine: Turkish, Middle Eastern
Overall Impression: 8/10

Turkish cuisine, in all its’ delightful glory has made a debut in Kyneton with the presence of Mr Carsisi on Piper Street.

The menu places emphasis on fresh vegetables, fish and lean meat that are prepared with a myriad of aromatic spices like fresh mint, sumac, cumin, cinnamon, oregano and allspice. 

Chef Matthew Fegan and his wife, Clare, travelled to Turkey and fell in love with the flavours and simplicity of the food. More travels through Syria confirmed their affections with the Eastern Mediterranean influences and after returning to Australia and manning the stoves at Kyneton's Royal George Hotel and tossing pizzas at Pizza Verde, they took over the lease of what was then Slow Living on the edge of St Paul's Park. 

Cleverly named after Istanbul's Misir Carsisi spice bazaar, their new venue in a former iceworks is cavernous like a bazaar but kept minimalist in decor. 

Top left: House-made bread

Top right: Grilled lamb cutlets, harra sauce, Turkish tabouleh

Bottom left: Fried salted fish potato cakes, tamarind & tomato sauce

Bottom right: Hommus

We were delighted by their banquet menu. The entrees were a delicious, mouth-watering smorgasbord of Turkish staples including a beautiful chickpea based hommus, charcoal-grilled lamb cutlets and fried salted fish potato cakes, with each dish offering zesty, delicious flavours and tastes. 

Roasted stuffed Port Phillip calamari, Persian Gulf rice, dried Iranian lime butter, herb salad

The calamari was beautifully cooked and stuffed with a medley of exciting flavours and textures. This dish was full of flavour and was perfectly seasoned. 

Confit Milawa duck leg, barberry & orange pilaf, pomegranate & walnut sauce

The duck leg was tender and bursting with flavour. The combination of sweet pomegranate with creamy walnut sauce, fresh coriander and almond slivers did wonders to flavour the pilaf. 

Vanilla halva ice cream sundae, almond mahmoul, tahini butterscotch, vanilla Persian fairy floss

The vanilla halva ice cream sundae was stunning. Each layer had a wonderful flavour intensity that worked beautifully together. We savoured every spoonful.

Turkish delight semifredo baklava sandwich, cinnamon doughnuts, rose petal ice cream

This visually attractive dessert of Turkish delight semifredo baklava sandwich, cinnamon doughnuts, rose petal ice cream was decadent and absolutely delicious. The fragrant rose petal ice cream and fluffy doughnuts concoction, together with the crumbly “sandwich” and creamy semifredo produced a balanced and delectable dessert. 

Mr Carsisi is a self-styled and unique eatery which serves modern Mediterranean meets Turkish cuisine and promises to be a feast for the eyes and palette.

Gastrology bloggers dined courtesy of Mr Carsisi.

Restaurant Review: Annie Smithers Bistrot & Produce

Location: 72 Piper Street, Kyneton
Phone: 03 5422 2039
Link: www.anniesmithers.com.au
Cuisine: French, International, Modern European
Overall Impression: 9/10

Iconic Annie Smithers Bistrot was recently taken-over by passionate Tim and Michelle Foster, bringing about a brilliant modern twist to the menu whilst retaining the métier and the spirit of the bistro, in one of Piper Street's most beautiful spaces. 

 Tim & Michelle Foster

Under Tim's guidance, the kitchen offers high-quality cuisine in a relaxed setting. The highlight of the cuisine served is seemingly simple but carefully prepared dishes; the fruit of Tim and Michelle's expansive experience in the world of hospitality. 

Tim was most recently the Executive Chef at Healesville Hotel Group, and prior to that was Head Chef at Hollicks Winery Coonawarra. Whilst his wife Michelle is a qualified Chef, she now works as the front of house Manager. 

House-made sourdough

The dining room combines an atmosphere that is warm, welcoming, modern yet rustic and relaxed.  From the kitchen flows a careful selection of healthy, seasonal gourmet cuisine in the traditional bistro style. 

Amuse bouche - Cold tomato soup with ricotta and bacon

What we experienced was sensational. The menu is based on two central elements: top-quality ingredients from local producers and a strong  European influence. This enables the bistro to offer its guests the best meats, fish, vegetables and fruit available in Victoria. 

Left: Pan seared scallops, confit free range chicken wings, Jerusalem artichoke puree & chips, fresh asparagus, pickled kohlrabi

Right: Grilled partially de boned quail, buckwheat polenta, broad beans, prosciutto, peperonata, jus

Tortellini filled with cauliflower & comte cheese, roast cauliflower, golden raisons, pickled walnuts, sage, brown butter

Our favourite entree, the tortellini was exceptional. The filling of deliciously savoury and melt in your mouth cauliflower was encased in al dente pasta. The accompanying roast cauliflower, raisins, pickled walnuts and stunning brown butter sauce made this a perfectly executed, expertly balanced and intelligent dish.

Left: Aged Sidonia Hills beef, fondant potatoes, grilled asparagus, horseradish creme, beetroot jus

Right: A side of salad from local growers' garden

The steak was beautifully cooked and arrived cooked medium as requested. Perfectly seared on the outside and beautifully juicy and pink on the inside. It was evident that the meat was sourced from a quality producer and great care had been taken in its preparation.

Confit free range duck leg, brined & smoked breast, eggplant puree, beans, cherry jus, fat hen

The slices of duck breast were cooked to a rarely found perfection with the subtle smokiness allowing the rich flavour of the duck to shine through. The accompanying confit leg was tender, the skin crisp. The sweet and sticky cherry jus provided the crowning element to a luxurious dish. 

Consistent with our savoury courses, the desserts that followed were superbly executed, well balanced and fresh.

Left: Rich chocolate delice, strawberries, blueberries, cumquat brandy, lavender honeycomb, pink lake salt meringues, Redesdale estate olive oil ice cream

Right: Lemon verbena poached yellow peach, white chocolate mousse, summer berries, pistachio dacquoise

The rich chocolate delice was, as its name suggests, decadently rich. The lavender honeycomb added a lovely textural element.

The lemon verbena poached yellow peaches exhibited a vibrant combination of flavours. 

Buttermilk panna cotta, new seasons rhubarb, shortbread, strawberry sorbet, rose

The panna cotta was smooth and well crafted, the rhubarb was cooked to perfection. The sorbet had a bold fresh strawberry flavour and the melt-in-your-mouth texture of the shortbread accompanied perfectly. 

Of particular note is that despite the complexity of the dishes crafted by Tim Foster, each element on every plate was cohesive and necessary, and when eaten together were stunning.

Under Tim and Michelle, Annie Smithers brings traditional, classic dishes bang up to date using local and seasonal produce. The reputation of Annie Smithers appears to be in safe hands. 

Gastrology bloggers dined courtesy of Annie Smithers Bistrot.