marvin lowe photography

This is a long overdue post…

Jazzfoodie: I first heard about this place from a Perth-based blog. So when Marv visited me during Winter break, we made this 1 of our culinary priorities- and our 1st-time there was definitely delightful. The service was warm and prompt, yet not intrusive- so unlike those waiters who skulk around your table, refilling your every sip. We were ushered to a rather private booth near the back of the restaurant, having made an early reservation. It had an elegant feel, and it was kinda romantic. We were greeted by a basket of warm bread, a cute assortment of herbed rolls and sesame grissini (breadsticks).

We wanted the 9-course Tasting Dego (Oz’s Degustation), and opted for the “Big Dego” which included an extra 3 courses chosen by chef Neal Jackson. Although the place was rather full that night, it didn’t stop the wonderful chef from stuffing us with 3 more complimentary dishes. The only ’interesting’ thing (or maybe a trademark of theirs) was having the table set with the cutlery for the entire dinner, meaning our elbows were each flanked by 20+ forks and knives at the start of the meal.

Cornet of Salmon Tartare with Pea Ice Cream

J: I immediately thought of a similar recipe I saw in my French Laundry cookbook which I’ve yet to attempt. The smooth clean taste of the pea ice-cream contrasted refreshingly with the savory tartare and the earthy sesame wafer.
V: Similarly, I also thought of the French Laundry’s signature dish. The Pea ice-cream was creamy and sweet. I thought it really went well with the salmon tartare and the cornet. This was a good sign that more good things to come.

Ocean Trout Tataki

J: The trout was nicely paired with the slivers of seaweed and the juicy salmon roe full of bursting flavour, but was not a ‘wow’ dish.
V: For me, this dish was just ok. The trout was fresh and the seaweed and slamon roe did its job of complementing the trout. It brought out a slight hint of sweetness in the trout.

Tuna Tartare

J: I like my seafood, but the fish tartare dishes have become almost repetitive at lots of restaurants. I think the accompaniment was some cucumber-mint sauce, which did go nicely with the tender fish and crunchy pea shoots.
V:The Tuna Tartare isn’t the most creative dish but they did a good job here. The sauce was slightly tart yet it was complementing to the tartare which was really quite fresh too.With the first dish having a tartare already, this wasn’t really too special.

Icefish, Fennel & Orange

J: The orange sauce went well with the icefish, while the fennel was too subtle, being overpowered by the tiny olives at the side. This is the 1st time i’ve tasted icefish, and it was rather tasty, its firm flesh which was more tender than lobster/crayfish meat, and made the dish a delectable tempura roll.
V:This was a very interesting dish. I have never had icefish before either. The orange sauce was not too sharp and it went well with the fish. The icefish was wrapped with seaweed and fried tempura style. Despite this, the icefish remained much in focus with its fresh and firm flesh. I wasn’t too big a fan of olives so that didn’t bother me.

Scallop, Black Pudding, Pork Belly and Chick peas

J: The scallop was lightly and nicely seared, while I profess to still be unable to appreciate black pudding (pig’s blood and oatmeal i think) which was like some strange-tasting dense bread. I like the different textures used in this dish, from the soft scallop to the firm and slightly crunchy pork belly cubes. However, I felt the flavours were not integrated enough, resulting in a confusing ‘chinese pork belly’ contrasting with the indian-inspired chickpea dahl, and the ‘irish’ black pudding.

V:I was deeply fascinated by this dish. I wanted to see how irish black pudding would defer from our chinese pork blood cubes. It was a really interesting combination to have Scallops with a typical English breakfast accompaniment. The chickpeas added an asian touch, making this dish truly multi-cultural. The pork belly were slightly overdone and the black pudding had a rather maltish taste.

Scrambled eggs with truffles, caviar and toast.

J: This was simple, smooth and delectable.
V: This was a complementary dish again. This was yet another breakfast item that seem really understated. The scrambled eggs were very elegantly done, carrying hints of truffle and the bursts of caviar were brillant.

Foie Gras stuffed Pigeon with Truffled Leeks

J: The pigeon ’steak’ was soft, tasty and not overcooked, and went well with the simple braised truffled leeks. The fried pigeon ‘dumplings’ (far end of picture) were only alright though.
V: The Foie Gras stuffed pigeon was tender. The Foie Gras was rich but not overwhelming, allowing the pigeon meat to shine. I am a sucker for leeks and it was nice and sweet.

Marron and Fish in Oxtail Jus

J: The fresh fish was well paired with the firm-fleshed marron, but I felt both were too delicate to be paired with the heavy but tasty oxtail jus. The potato crisp at the top was a nice touch.
V:I found this pairing really special. Marron together with fish, 2 seafood together accompanied by a meat sauce. This may seem weird but it actually went quite well with one another. The potato crisp was just like a very delicate potato chip.

Vegetarian Springroll with Tandoori Chicken with Crayfish stuffings

J: This was an unexpected dish. Tastewise, the springroll was crisp, but nothing special, and the chicken was a little dry. However, I like the unusual pairing of the indian-inspired meat and the japanese-inspired seafood.
V: This was another dish that had a unique pairing. The vegetarian springroll was pretty normal. However the uniqueness comes in the pairing of the tandoori chicken with Crayfish. The chicken had strong flavors of spices but the freshness and sweetness of the crayfish complemented it nicely.

Rabbit with Beetroot Risotto & Horseradish

J: I’ve heard others gush about this dish, which I consider to be interesting but not neccessarily amazing. The rabbit was nice and tender, and the risotto was creamy, but other than a beautiful deep hue, I didn’t think the beetroot enhanced the taste of the risotto.
V: I have never eaten rabbit meat before, so this was a first. The rabbit was really tender. The beetroot risotto on the other hand was average. The beetroot’s sweetness did not set into the risotto although it was creamy.

Pumpkin soup

J: Instead of a palate-cleansing sorbet, we were served this lightly-spiced creamy pumpkin shot as the mid-course ‘filler’. It was simple and heart-warming, as a winter dish should.
V: This was a very simple yet heart-warming soup. It breaks the tradition of a cold palate cleansing sorbet.

Braised Beef Cheek & Mushrooms

J: This was a beautiful winter dish. The wild mushrooms infused a earthy flavour to the jus and complemented the beef cheek wonderfully. The beef cheek was tender and the soft chunks flaked so nicely it could be eaten with a spoon.
V: The beef was braised to perfection. It was extremely tender and flavourful.

Cheese Plate

J: This was one of the most interesting dishes I have ever had. Usually, cheese courses are plated with croutons or biscuits, but this was something else. The complex flavours and textures of 3 types of cheeses, sweet juliennes of fruit, crunchy walnuts, crisp pea shoots, soft beetroot slices and a tangy vinegrette blended perfectly and tantalised the tastebuds.
V: This cheese plate was really special. It was more like a salad where fruits, nuts and vegetables complemented the 3 different kinds of cheese. There was sweet pear,beetroot and walnuts which strangely complemented the variety of cheeses with their different taste and texture.

Blueberry Mini-Milkshake with Millefeuille

J: I have to admit that the mini-milkshake was rather adorable, it was creamy, and the millefeuille was light, flakey and yummy.
V: I liked this simply because this was really really cute. They came in tiny cups with the millefeuille. The blueberry milkshake had a nice berry flavour.

Trio of Apple: Custard with pashmak, caramelised slices with apple jelly, and sorbet.

J: This would have been a nice ending to the meal. The cool green apple sorbet, and apple jelly were nice, but nothing great. The soft custard went well with the candy-floss-like pashmak.
V: I have never tried pashmak before but Mich was raving about it when it was served. It’s indeed like candy floss but with an asian twist I guess. This desert trio was nicely done, accentuating the flavours of apple, mixing it up with different textures.
J: Hey! I wasn’t raving about it- it was more of a “I’ve heard about this” AND I don’t think it’s asian at all!

 

Strawberry Jelly with passionfruit, and Hazelnut Cream Rolls

J: The hazelnut cream rolls were great, but the strawberry shot was too tangy for me.
V: This was the last free dessert for the night. It was a pleasant surprise and a nice way to end the evening.

J: I was very impressed with this place overall; great value for the number of courses we had. Most of the dishes were excellent, not the best I’ve had, but I would say it’s one of the most innovative in pairing ingredients together.
V: This restaurant really surprised me. Especially, coming off the tail of our visit to Tetsuya’s. I loved the creativity displayed through their dishes. I would not mind coming back again. They were very generous in giving complimentary courses which makes me really happy. A very satisfying meal indeed. Thumbs up for Jackson’s!

Jackson’s Restaurant
483 Beaufort St
Highgate, WA 6003
Perth, Australia
+61-8-93281177
http://www.jacksonsrestaurant.com.au/