Top 10 Restaurants of Australia

Becasse

Cuisine: Modern European

Location: Sydney, NSW

Please note that Becasse has been closed since 2012.

Head Chef: Justin North

Born in New Zealand Justin North left home at the age of 15 to pursue a career as a chef. He starred as an apprentice winning many awards. A series of prominent placements then followed starting at Gekko Restaurant at the Park Lane Hotel in Sydney followed by a stint in Liam Tomlin's Brassiere Cassis as Chef de Partie. But North's most prominent and influential placement came when he secured a place in the kitchen of Raymond Blanc's Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons¹.

“Raymond helped to take me to another level” says North, “He installed into all of us, tasting and thinking”². It was here also that an appreciation for the importance of high quality, locally based produce was born. This appreciation has carried into a core philosophy for Bécasse and led to North traveling around Australia for three years to observe and understand the true sources of high quality produce, culminating in his book Bécasse: Inspirations and Flavours. According to North, it is only once the source and method behind the produce you use is understood that proper technique can be chosen to “get the most out of every ingredient on the plate”³.

Previously Number 10 in our 2012-2013 list of the top ten restaurants of Australia is Justin North's Bécasse. Bécasse began as a small French brasserie in the suburbs of Sydney in 2001 but quickly made an impact being name Best New Restaurant by the Restaurant and Catering Association. It has since relocated to the city and grown into a classy, modern restaurant that has been featuring prominently and consistently in the top restaurant awards for some years now. In 2007 it snuck in to the World Top 100 Restaurants List at No. 96.

The menu is driven by a philosophy of sourcing high quality produce and using the best classical technique to bring the most out of every ingredient on the plate. The reviews tend to suggest that most dishes hit the right note in combination and balance of flavours as well as a high proficiency of technique, but overall the menu may lack a greater inventiveness and creativity to push for a higher ranking.

Sample Dégustation Menu*

Canapé
Amuse-bouche
Salad of marinated heirloom vegetables
sugar snap mousseline, black olive and lemon balm
N.V. Devaux Blanc de Noirs, Champagne
Marinated yellowfin tuna and shaved organic Wagyu beef
white asparagus, mushroom and chilled consommé
2009 Spinifex “Luxe”, Barossa Valley
Confit miso blue-eye and smoked scallop
sautéed cuttlefish, cauliflower and buckwheat
2009 Vina Litoral “Ventolera” Sauvignon Blanc, Leyda Valley
Roast Palmers Island mulloway
king prawns, soubise purée and smoked crustacea emulsion
2008 Mahi “Twin Valleys Vineyard” Chardonnay, Marlborough
Caramelised suckling pig and braised pork tail
roast parsnip and compressed apple
2008 Gulfi, Rossojbleo Nero d’Avola, Sicily
Slow cooked ballotine of guinea fowl
baby gem, almond, olive and lemon pith puree
2009 Luke Lambert Syrah, Yarra Valley
Buttermilk pannacotta
coriander, pain d’epice, pineapple granita
Banana crème brulée
salted peanut brittle and milk coffee sorbet
2007 Cookoothama Botrytis Semillon, Darlington Point

References

http://www.becasse.com.au/rest_company.php
http://www.hospitalitymagazine.com.au/Article/Justin-North/488893.aspx
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiSplW2KGuI