Cara & Co Restaurant @ Level 4, Westfield Sydney

We all love good food vouchers, so myself and a couple of friends were able to dine at the exquisite Cara & Co Restaurant. Cara & Co Restaurant is located inside the retail store Cara and Co, which is inside Westfield Sydney.

It feels really strange to walk into a retail store, and then into a restaurant. It is also surprising that the store doesn't smell like food. The restaurant décor is chic, yet has a feel of a 70s themed restaurant with the neutral colours of browns, blacks and beige. There were lovely artworks along the walls which made the restaurant quite quirky.

The reason I placed the image of the warm towels is because they first look like little mints, and then when water is place on them they become hand towels. I checked in using Foursquare and someone commented saying that they thought they were pre dining mints, so ate them hahah, a rookie mistake.

Anyways, now to the food. The vouchers allowed us to each choose an entree, main and dessert, but they provided an amuse bouche and a second dessert/post dining experience treat.

Complimentary bread with butter and black salt

Olive bread with capsicum jelly and bonito sauce 

Lovely little cylindrical parcels topped with a lovely flower. There was a strong olive taste which was counteracted by the sauce and capsicum jelly. It was a little teaser to what was on its way.

Four cuts of chicken, hazelnut crust, sherry sauce, 

apple pieces, pate and chicken crackle

I found this to be the best of the entrées. The four cuts of chicken were cooked perfectly and allowed to understand the different textures and tastes of the chicken. Chicken crackle is not as good as pork crackle, but continued to add the crunchy element to the dish. All the components worked extremely well with all the sauces.

Kingfish with beetroot, dill and sourdough crisps

Kingfish is a delicate fish with a subtle taste. When serving king fish, you don't want flavours that will overpower the fish, which is what the chefs did well. The dill was probably the strongest of all taste, but it provided that extra kick.

Veal tartare with watercress, aged cheese, cucumber and oyster pearls

This was not my cup of tea, the veal tartare was great, but the other components just didn't work for me. There was a lot of strong flavours, including the oyster pearls which were a bit too salty for my liking.

Veal fillet with crumb, tomato, asparagus, capers, peas and tuna foam sauce 

Everything on this dish was excellent, the veal was cooked to a medium-rare, and the crumb tasted of cracked popcorn kernels. All the vegetables perfectly accompanied the veal. The down side to this dish was the tuna foam sauce. It had the taste of the ocean, and wasn't pleasant to the palate. A would have preferred a simple potato puree and brown sauce to complement the veal.

Lamb's neck with pisatchio crumb and cauliflower, brocletti, kholrabi and anchovy 

This was my friends main dish, and the dish I wish I ordered. The lamb's neck with crumb was delectable, and all the vegetables worked well. The lamb was full of flavour, and the sauce was different to the tuna foam sauce (which was great!).

Summer berries with coconut pannacotta, coconut and herb ice cream, berry sherbet, fruit tuille and rum sauce

The desserts weren't on the menu, so we went by how they sounded. Originally this dish didn't sound that great, but when it was brought out I was envious of my friend. The dish had SUMMER written all over it. The fresh colours, and summery tastes had your taste buds dancing. Every component had a refreshing taste, and all fresh summer berries were exquisite.

Chilli sorbet with lemon jelly, apple pieces, lemon cream, sugar crunch and crumble

The chilli sorbet was a great pick me up with a punch of chilli right at the end. Crunchy pieces of apple and the crumble against the soft creams and sorbet allowed a texture filled spoonful of goodness. This dish didn't quite call out summer, but it did call out tastes of Autumn.

Madeleines and mini chocolates 

After dessert, we were provided with madeleines and mini chocolates to end the meal. 

Cara & Co Restaurant is a great place to dine, with excellent food and good service. The serving sizes of the dishes are generous and filled with flavour. Each dish is presented delicately, expressing beauty in the dish. It is a perfect place for a birthday lunch or an intimate dinner.

Good food, good times!