4fourteen - surry hills

 my friends and i have ritualised a post-exams visit to the four in hand. to celebrate our hard-earned freedom we tuck into a juicy lamb rack or succulent pork belly. chef colin fassnidge and his team know how to cook a piece of meat! these skills are replicated in the treatment of other proteins, sides and deserts. the four's seemingly simple british and irish dishes taste great and look beautiful. needless to say my infatuation with fassnidge’s cooking meant i was beyond excited to visit his newest venture: 4fourteen.

a booking was made, three weeks in advance. for a gen-y blogger, addicted to snap chats and 140 character tweets, these three weeks stretched into an eternity. hours were spent drooling over 4fourteen's menu, the reviews of my contemporaries and intagrammed photos of fassnidge’s food.

with tummies rumbling and butterflies fluttering, we arrived at the doorstep of 4fourteen- up the road from the cricketer’s arms pub - fitzroy st, surry hills. the place is enormous with soaring ceilings and a central bar encircled by tables sized to fit a mix of large booze-inclined groups, smaller dining parties and courting couples. there are miles of space between each table, giving diners a fabricated buffer from the hustle and bustle of the restaurant. bar stools line two sides of the wide-open kitchen, but we don’t need to snag one in order to spy fassnidge expediting dishes and otherwise commanding culinary respect.

the division of the menu by proteins instead of portion sizes had us scratching our heads. but before we could ask for an explanation, our waitress descended to relieve us of ignorance – the dishes are designed to share, price is an indication of size and they’ll let us know if we’ve ordered too much… unlikely! also pleasing is that some wines are served by the carafe. perfect for a table wanting to try a few different wines, but not willing to sacrifice tomorrow’s productive early hours.

the dining room is near capacity but this does not delay our food. within five minutes an entrée-sized portion of pigs’ ear (soon arrives heralded by smiles all round. the thumb-sized pieces of pigs’ ear are crumbed in a bready batter and deep fried golden brown. they sit on a creamy bed of celeriac remoulade (this time with mayo, capers, mustard, cornichons and parsley). the ears are slightly meaty and the crumb subtly spiced, but it’s a bit hard to hear the ears’ pigginess through the insulating wall of crumb.

pigs ear with celeraic remoulade

miso smoked salmon with lemon curd and fennel bread ($12) is a stunning display. the shaved cucumber artfully sculpted above and around the brilliant pink prism of salmon, top-and-tailed by wafers of fennel bread. the fish is cooked evenly though the miso flavour is subtle, if not absent, and overall, the dish leaves my mouth dissatisfied (yes. i know. that’s what she said…) 

miso smoked salmon with lemon curd and fennel bread

the picture-perfect plating of the salmon is not replicated with the roast spanish mackerel ($28). however this dish is at least two rungs up in terms of taste. the chunks of crisp eel are a flavour bomb and team up nicely with the sweet mackerel and luscious beetroot jus in which the fishies swim. 

the highlight, in our table’s unanimous opinion, is the lamb breast ($24). surprise, surprise fassnidge's team excel in cooking this fine young cut and serve it with accompaniments - sweet eggplant, sorrel, salty white anchovies and and glorious red peppers - that come together singing, without overwhelming the lamb’s own textural lullaby. we choose a side of orange and ginger carrots, cumin and yoghurt ($9). the carrot chunks are thick and tender and a touch of borrowed yoghurt with the lamb and eggplant is heavenly. 

lamb breast with eggplant, sorrel, white anchovies and red peppers

orange and ginger carrots, cumin and yoghurt

suckling pig with cauliflower, sage and spinach ($32) is also a tasty dish, though is perhaps outshone by the lamb. there is a lone piece of chicharrón (puffed-up deep fried pork rinds – think prawn crackers, but piggier) that i quickly shotgun. maybe some extra puffed pork to share next time? the other diners are not left entirely wanting, however, as  the kitchen has gratuitously porked-out four fat slices of pig!

bickering over dessert choices ends in a compromise with one white chocolate sandwich ($14) and one serving of donuts and apple ($16). we’re rewarded with a cute serving of donuts and a jar of fluorescent green sour apple jelly. the donut-flubber combo is a tug-o’-war between sweet and tart, and finds more success as a topic of discussion than classic english pudd’. on the other hand the white chocolate sandwich is an easy win. a smooth creamy slab of white chocolate ice-cream, nestled between thin sheets of crisp caramel and served on a board. love it.

donuts and apple

the team behind 4fourteen have certainly swung hard, but have they hit a home-run?  fassnidge has definitely proven once again why he's the guy known for cooking meat and cooking it right. 4fourteen is mature in many respects – décor, meats, wine list - whilst in other areas it’s still experiencing teething problems. this is to be expected given that its first steps were barely a month ago. i've all hopes that 4fourteen will by running in no time and i can't wait to return to try some of their star dishes such as the irish breakfast ($22). in the meantime, as long as  fassnidge keeps instagramming pix of his #sundayroasts, i’ll keep salivating. 


4fourteen
72a fitzroy street, surry hills
p: 9331 5399
http://www.4fourteen.com.au/