In the spirit of “read the book, now see the movie”, I’ve got the cookbook (Two’s Cooking by Jane and Jeremy Strode), and now I’ve finally visited the restaurant. Bistrode, in Surry Hills, is an unpretentious and incredibly welcoming place serving very tasty, deceptively simple food.

If like us, you go with some friends, start by telling them where Bistrode is exactly, so that you don’t have to wait while Calamari walks his asparagus legs hundreds of metres down the street, more than amply passing the restaurant. Once seated, and menus perused, you might choose to order the refreshing Cucumber Gazpacho; tangy, with big juicy chunks of prawn and “ice-cubes” of tomato, or the Crispy Pig’s Ear Salad with Pickled Egg. The slices of pig’s ear were so delicious; I felt a bit like Homer, eating a big bag of pork crackling. The dish as a whole was possibly a little too vinegary for me, but those porcine windcatchers were unbelievably good, I tell ya! B had the Tomato, Bread and White Anchovy Salad, which was very good as well.

The Wagyu Corned Beef dish B had as a main reminded me that I had promised a bunch of friends a corned beef dinner awhile back,.. oh, maybe two years ago,.. and still haven’t honoured the promise. This dish, and the Lamb Rump with Green Sauce, are just the types of dishes I dream of serving to friends. Elegant, simple, and packed with flavour.

Onto the desserts, I really enjoyed the Blueberry and Gin Soup with Lemon Pannacotta – so much so that I didn’t bother much with pestering the others for a taste of their desserts. Calamari’s Honey Tart with Peanut Butter ice-cream looked great, and I’m sure it tasted great too – maybe Calamari will let us know some time – but I was too busy spooning blueberries into my mouth to ask. B had the Clafoutis which came piping hot, studded with plum pieces and bits of chocolate, and with a jug of pouring cream on the side.

We were surprised to find by about 11pm, that we were the only ones left in the restaurant. So K downed his coffee, and out we tumbled onto the street, bellies happy and full.

Bistrode
478 Bourke St
Surry Hills 2010