Sepia, Sydney CBD - Take #2

Two years on from my last dining experience and Sepia is finally closing down, following long-standing rumours - the finale to the era in which they reigned supreme in the Sydney fine dining arena with three-hatted ratings across 10 (!) consecutive years.

Outside of Restaurant

Situated in the newly renovated Darling Park building, their exterior and interior decor haven't changed since although, maybe due to different seating location, it was much brighter at the table this time round - all the more for better photos, aided by their handy table lamp. The other diners probably thought that we were a little bonkers playing around with the lamp in order to attain optimum lighting. 😂

Shortly after arrival at our table, we were shown the day's tasting menu and the dishes started arriving:

From Top Left, Clockwise: Saikou Salmon, Smoked Roe, Sudachi, Marigold
Hiramasa Kingfish, Dash Cream, Purple Yam, Linaria
Tuna, Yuzu Kosha and Olive Oil Emulsion, Parsnip, Nori, Porizu
Tempura Oba, Smoked Ame Ebi, Shell Powder
Egg White Tofu, Smoked Eggplant Dashi

The first course showcased a variety of seafood using different techniques - eating each one provided an unexpected burst of flavour in the mouth, especially with the smoked roe. I was surprised by the tempura oba, which was light and delicate yet jam-packed full of flavour from the (prawn or scampi?) shell powder. My least favourite was by far the egg tofu and smoked eggplant dashi, as I found it relatively bland in comparison to everything else (could have done with a sauce).

Yellow Fin Tuna, Japanese Chilli, Fromage Blanc, Egg Yolk, Fried Katsuobushi

The chilli provided an unexpected, yet welcome kick to the creamyness of egg yolk and fromage blanc, which highlighted the fresh and fatty diced tuna.

Scallop Roasted in Nori and Yuba, Preserved Yuzu Curd,
Chrysanthemum, Scallop Salt

I was amazed by how they were able to delicately wrapped the scallop in nori and yuba (i.e. seaweed and tofu skin for the food newbs) and roast the whole thing whilst keeping the scallop translucent - I guess this points to their culinary skills.

Toothfish, Saké Lees, Fermented White Asparagus Butter,
Young Garlic, Green Almond, Fried Cherry Blossom Leaf

The fish was sooooo delicate and tender, poached with saké and butter emulsion. Personally, I've never tried a green almond before but it reminded of a soaked almond that wasn't quite crunchy.

Scampi Three-Ways - From Left, Clockwise:
Fried Potato, Charcoal Scampi, Confit Garlic, Shell Powder
Scampi Cooked in Battera Kombu, Kabosu Ponzu
Somen Noodle, Scampi Oil, Tarragon, Kombu

My favourite in this course was the fried potato one - crunchy potato filled with creamy garlic and smoky scampi and topped with more of that shell powder from before. The scampi oil with the somen noodles had such a strong flavour kick.

Miso-Cured Kurobuta Pork Rib, Shiitake Mushrooms,
Parsnip, Buckwheat

This bite-sized pork wasn't much to look at but the pork meat was layered with thin layers of at, given it a very juicy texture. The added pop of the puffed buckwheat gave the dish a crunch factor.

Smoked and Chargrilled David Blackmore Wagyu,
Nori Mustard Butter, Pickled Myoga

David Blackmore wagyu is some of the most expensive cuts of beef and with good reason - look at that marbling! This mouth-watering, succulent steak just melted in the mouth and was well-matched with the sourness of the crisp pickled myoga (Japanese ginger). However, the nori mustard butter didn't really add to the dish - it didn't have any particular (smoky?) flavour so I ate most of the wagyu with the pickled vegetables.

Dai Dai Curd, Green Tea and Tarragon Cream, Pistachio

The tangy citrus of the curd disc was cut with sweetness of the sugar jewels hidden among the sliced pistachio and bitterness of the green tea. However, the tarragon was an unexpected (and most peculiar) addition for the dish - I personally didn't like flavour combination.

The tasting menu ended with a choice of dessert but we both opted for their Summer Chocolate Forest (as opposed to the vague-sounding Blueberry, Coconut, Mascapone, Chocolate, Beetroot dessert):

Summer Chocolate Forest - Soft Chocolate, Almond Praline,
Violet Crumble Cream, Blackberry Sorbet, Napoleon Rose
 Jellies, Green Tea, Liquorice, Chocolate Twigs,
Crystallised Bronze Fennel, Viola

Reminiscent of the last Chocolate Forest that I ate (waittt... the ingredients are basically the same for the Autumn version), the visually-inspiring dish was presented with fresh edible flowers on "forest" bed of chocolate dirt and twigs, with an addition of green tea sugar to act as moss. Every chocolate-lover dream, the dessert was a fitting sweet end to the tasting menu.

Once again, there was an unexpected price hike with no notice - even the confirmation email had the old price ($260) but their website had been updated to reflect the new price ($265)...

Overall, the quality and expertise is still there but I must say that my first experience left a bigger impression than this time around. Perhaps my memory is failing on me, or perhaps my palate has changed for the finer things in life... However, upon review and comparison of the photos between the two visits, there is a marked difference in the menu and execution. There was decidedly more on the plate last time round along with a few standout dishes both visually and taste-wise (that Strawberry & Cream dessert 😍 will forever be on my mind), whereas I can't quite put my finger on what the ultimate highlight was tonight - maybe the shell powder dishes or the Summer Chocolate Forest?

Nonetheless, everything was top-notch and delicious but I just wish they could have left with a bigger bang!


Food: ✰✰✰✰✰
Service: ✰✰✰✰
Atmosphere: ✰✰✰✰✰
Overall: ✰✰✰✰✰
Summary: Fine dining at its best; alas no more

Sepia, Sydney CBD
Reviewed by ChippityChirpon 06 Dec 2019
Rating: 5