Streets lined with restaurants are quite the attraction for a night out these days, but there are those occasions when I just want to head off to a place that has a bit more of an upmarket feel yet is still near to all the hub of the night. My squad and I were craving just this sort of experience when we started inquiring on to possibilities and ended up at the Husk & Vine Kitchen and Bar in Parramatta.
New flavours
To start off with, we were allocated the best of hosts possible. Luke R, our steward for the night, was indeed quite the entertainer, not only enlightening us with what was on offer at the restaurant but also giving us snippets of information about the history of the building that housed the restaurant. After explaining what the strange potato-like structures dangling down from the ceiling were, Luke R then went on to recite the story behind the exposed foundation of the archaeological diggings just outside our window.
Sweet delights at Husk & Vine
With an extensive knowledge of the history of the building, we settled into the space, which apparently had been a pub in the bygone era, with our wines, cocktails and mocktails. Our expectation sore high just by witnessing the hub of activity inside the open kitchen where white-clad chefs masterfully played with pots, pans and utensils.
A symphony of flavours
The sumptuous array of a feast we ordered started arriving sooner than expected with waiters moving in a dance with plates in hand and placing them expertly in front of us with a brief introduction to the contents. The sight alone was enough to make our taste buds skip a beat. Without hesitation, we all tucked in ravenously and savoured each and every bite. The plates were squeaky clean with all of us left quite satisfied. For us ladies with wee appetites, a number of plates from the 'share' section of the menu were sufficient just so we could leave that little bit of space for the delights to come next.
Bread & Butter Husk & Vine way
Once the main players were done with and the empty plates were whisked away, then came those that I personally preferred: sweets, sweets and more sweets. To double our joy, we were treated to those pavlovas and alaskas that were soaked in flavours never tried before, a bread and butter pudding with a unique texture and taste and a chocolate mousse that kept us all wanting for more.
Great ambiance
With some money to burn, we had ventured out expecting fireworks of delights a bit on the pricy side. To the soul's delight, Husk and Vine had staged a performance of a feast, which indeed could only be described as nothing but culinary fireworks at a price that did not leave a hole in our pockets. I certainly would not hesitate to make my way to Husk & Vine Kitchen and Bar again, not only to savour more from that extensive menu on offer and the well-stocked bar, but just to have an enjoyable evening with an upmarket feel.
Husk & Vine
