Balthazar, Perth

This restaurant is hidden away and located on The Esplanade on a corner street. It's one of those places that you always pass on your way to the city but never managed to try. As you walk in there is seating similar to a typical pub then further in the restaurant there is a normal seating arrangement however, this was dark and cramped as one of our seat's was next to a walkway and the other was hitting the seat behind. Therefore, it is advisable to book a table next to the wall. Also, there is no parking nearby and from the closest City of Perth Parking area it is about a 5-minute walk.

Entrée: Tasting plate for one

For entrée's we got the tasting plate for one. The cornet with goat's cheese and celery mousse was the best element on the dish but the rest of the elements seemed a but mediocre for the price paid. How hard can it be to warm up a date? - Second from the left. I felt that more interesting techniques and flavours could have been applied to creating this dish.

Palate cleanser: Lemon sorbet

We received a complimentary palate cleanser of lemon sorbet in a shot glass which was nice and refreshing.

Mains: Pork with scallops and crackling

For the mains I ordered the snapper but instead I received the pork with scallops and crackling. This was of concern as such an obvious mix up showed the lack of competence of the waiters as I had even asked the waiter to suggest a wine which I ordered to compliment snapper. They do not take down the order on paper or electronically as they memorise the order however, avoidance this simple procedure has caused failure in their system. The meal was not introduced and was promptly placed on the table by another waiter. I initially thought that the staff were friendly until I told the original waiter of the incorrect dish and I was rudely told that it was what I had ordered which made me feel awkward. 

I had the dish anyway and it was nice with a delightful array of colours and textures in the dish with attention to detail. I especially liked the scallops which were cooked perfectly and the creamy sauce complimented the pork nicely. The pork rounds were wrapped in pancetta. However, I did not like the crackling as it was literally just shop bought similar to Nobbys Pork Crackle that you get from the vending machine (I used to buy this all the time). This was a large disappointment as crackling is what would have appealed to me if I was to choose this dish willingly.

Mains: Beef fillet, mushroom, smoked potato and creme fraiche

I ordered the beef fillet medium cooked. The piece was thicker than to my usual liking; however, this is quite common in fine dining restaurants as opposed to Country Clubs. The mushroom sauce which is my favourite, was overshadowed by other sauces.

Dessert: Strawberries, truffle honey cream, black garlic and licorice ice cream

This dish intrigued me with the unique combination of sweet and savoury flavours of the liquorice and black garlic ice-cream. The black garlic was subtle and could not be tasted but it had a nice texture and was extra creamy. The liquorice flavour was not too overpowering. The truffle honey cream had a thick gelatine layer on the top which I did not like, it had not much flavour and was rubbery in texture. The rest of it was a bit bland. The raspberry sauce was thick and mixed with gelatine but had nice flavours. The strawberries had been preserved in syrup which seeped out with each bite which I enjoyed. Overall, this dish was not fantastic but the ice-cream was nice but there was an overuse of gelatine in the other elements.

Irish Coffee

The Irish Coffee that I tried was too bitter to my liking. I requested a jar of sugar and used about 3 cubes of sugar just to get it to a drinkable state. 

Bathroom

Jackson's Restaurant, Highgate

*Please note that Jackson's no longer offer the Degustation menu. Only the A La Carte or Lounge Menu is available.

If you are up for a long and fulfilling night having a supreme quality degustation and happy to spend a premium price for it, then this is the place to be. Only 2.6 km from the CBD and some of the finest food that Perth has to offer, this is a definite place to visit for those who enjoy the finer things in life.

From a conversation we overheard that the couple next to us started at 6.30 PM and they left around 11.30 PM. We started around 8.00 PM and by the time we finished all our courses it was 1.30 AM.  So we can safely say that the average duration is about 5 hours. They did not rush you out to close the restaurant which I thought made this place extra special and somewhere you could really enjoy each meal with the company of others.

The restaurant is very narrow and the seating is limited therefore, booking in advance is a must where we booked two months in advance.

Degustation Menu

The menu consists of a seven course degustation with a choice of the mains. The waiter was very pleasant and attentive. The service could not be faulted. Each wine and dish was introduced upon serving with a brief explanation. Each dish has a matching wine where we opted for the premium selection. Initially, a different waiter served us with the standard wine when we had ordered the premium however, we realised this straight away and therefore, it is important to clarify whether you are getting the right one.

Starters - Bread

Similar to any other degustation, bread is served as a starter with a combination of cheese, sourdough and herb bread. This was light and not too filling.

Surprise dish 1 - Anchovy cornet with feta mousse and gazpacho sorbet

To our surprise this dish was served to us as a palate cleanser where the combination was unique with salty yet sweet flavours were emitted from this combination. The cornet was light and crisp and the filling was icy cold.

 Dish 1 

Boston Bay hiramasa kingfish ceviche

Babo Bianco L'lsolano 2009, Sicily

(p) Wittnian Silvaner 2008, Rheinhassen, Germany

This dish consisted of raw fish covered in rich coconut cream topped with shavings of red onion, pineapple, capsicum and parsley. I thought the combination of flavours was tropical and worked well. The parsley was slightly overbearing in flavour but it was very light and the fish melted in your mouth.

The wine, Wittnian Silvaner 2008, Rheinhassen, Germany had pear and apple notes which was refreshing and acidic.

Dish 2

WA rock lobster & drunken chicken wings

Edetana Blanco 2010, Terra Alta, Spain

(p) Chateau Mont-Redon Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc 2009

There are two components to this dish. First, the WA rock lobster tail was covered with a butter sauce and was accompanied with seaweed and sesame seeds. The flavours worked well but it was slightly chewy but I wished the serve was larger as I wanted more. Second, the drunken chicken wings was in a form of sushi with rice embedded into the roll. The flavours were Asian inspired where you could taste the soya sauce and fish sauce absorbed into the chicken. The flavours were stronger than what you would find in a normal sushi roll.

The wine, Chateau Mont-Redon Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc 2009 was dry and complimented the Asian flavours of the dish.

Dish 3

Victorian smoked eel pie floater, apple & bacon

Thompson Estate Chardonnay 2010 Margaret River, WA

(p) Christian Moreau Vaillon' Premier Cru 2009, Chablis

Initially I was sceptical about how eel could be made into a pie but I absolutely adored this dish. The crust melted in your mouth and the buttery flavours of the pastry crumbled with each bite. I really liked the apple and bacon condiments which complemented the smoked eel. The eel had absorbed the smokiness quite well and the bacon seemed to accentuate this. The mashed peas on the bottom made this dish look more appealing with the bright contrast of green.

The wine, Christian Moreau Vaillon' Premier Cru 2009, Chablis was perfect and had woody undertones making it the perfect complement for the smokiness of the dish. This was my favourite wine of the night as it was a complex wine with a plethora of flavours.

Surprise dish 2 - Sausage slice

Another surprise dish was provided which was so tasty and delicious. This reminded me of a barbecue, gourmet style. I wanted to have more!

Dish 4

Baked baldivis rabbit, mushroom & thyme

Domaine de la Vougeraie 'Terres de Famille' 2009, Burgundy

(p) Picardy Tete du Cuvee ' Pinot Noir 2008, Pemberton, WA

I really liked the rabbit and Prosciutto surrounding the rabbit. This gave it a slightly smokey flavour and the rabbit meat was very tender. I didn't particularly enjoy the Chinese mushrooms and I generally don't like them due to their strong flavour but this gave the dish an Asian twist and was enjoyable.

The wine, Picardy Tete du Cuvee ' Pinot Noir 2008, Pemberton, WA was slightly spicy making it the perfect compliment.

"Something extra" - Lime and coconut sorbet

For "something extra" we opted for the lime and coconut sorbet as a palate cleanser before the main meal. Another flavour of Jasmine Tea and Lemoncello was also available. This was very refreshing and the coconut made the sorbet extra creamy.

Mains

Dish 5

Margaret river venison & foie gras toad in the hole

Even Keel Shiraz 2008, Canberra District, ACT

(p) Bests Thomson Family' Shiraz 2008, VIC

The venison was cooked medium rare and was very tender and worked well with the Shiraz. This came with a potato slice, foie gras toad in the hole (liver) and Yorkshire pudding. I didn't really enjoy the foie gras toad in the hole but I also didn't know what I was eating at the time either. I had a slightly chewy texture a bit like a mince ball but made with liver which is a French speciality. I liked potato seasoning and the Yorkshire pudding which was light and fluffy.

OR

Dish 5

Tandoori spiced amelia park lamb loin, rib & shoulder

Estezargue s 'Cuvee de s Copains' Grenache 2010, Rhone

(p) Rene Barbier Clos Mogador 2007, Priorat, Spain

This dish was nice with a spicy twist but a little bit ordinary for the price paid.

Dish 6

Cropwell bishop stilton, beetroot, walnut & chocolate

Mas Amiel 'Cuvee Speciale' Vin Doux Naturel 10yo, Maury

(p) Henriques and Henriques 5yo Madeira, Portugal

Chocolate and cheese, what could be better? This consisted chocolate in its raw form and was bitter in taste. The cheese had slightly nutty flavours and the walnuts were to die for! They were candied, crunchy and delicious. The wine was similar to a port wine with oak tones.

Surprise Dish 3 - Peanut butter macaroon

The strong taste of peanuts made this a winner. Light as air on the inside and crisp of the outside. It was a perfect macaroon. It just melts in your mouth.

Dish 7

Pandan leaf panna cotta

Bella Ridge Late Harvest Viognier 2006, Swan Valley, WA

(p) Itsas Mendi 'Urezti' 2006, Bizkaiko Txakolina, Spain

The pandan pana cotta did not have as strong flavours as I expected but it was creamy and enjoyable. The vanilla ice cream was combined with black rice pudding and it was okay. The Kuih Dadar (coconut pancakes) was nice and light. This was a Malaysian inspired dessert.

The wine, Itsas Mendi 'Urezti' 2006, Bizkaiko Txakolina, Spain was sweet and golden yellow in colour. It was complex and had flavours of overripe grapes, orange, pear and honey and was slightly spicy.

Surprise dish 4

Raspberry and cream shot glass

As the very last dish I didn't not expect yet another surprise which consisted of two layers of raspberries and cream served in a shot glass. This was the perfect way to end the night on a sweeter note and it compensated for the slightly savoury desserts that were on the menu.

I highly recommend this place for a degustation and I will be back in the near future. This place is definitely on the top of my list and the service was exceptional.

Restaurant reservations

Phone: (08) 9328 1177
Fax: (08) 9228 1144

Opening hours
Monday to Saturday
7pm till late

http://www.jacksonsrestaurant.com.au/