Around this time last year, I reviewed Such and Such's sister restaurant, Pilot, which subsequently became The Canberra Times' top-scoring restaurant of the year. It was also awarded two chef's hats. Bravo to them.
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Such and Such now has the burden of the family name to carry. And like all younger siblings, it's doing its own thing.
But Such and Such is more the artistic type. The room is a kaleidoscopic mixture of artworks, glass, retro timber tables, shiny objects, lighting and, as expected, great music.
I'm pretty sure Neil Diamond is playing as we walk in, and the tunes revolve throughout the night, as if there was a mix tape specifically designed for different parts of our dinner. This sort of attention to detail is no accident.
In launching a high-quality restaurant, attention to detail can't be added later. It requires a philosophy and methodology that must permeate the culture within the team. And the team here is very focused on getting the little things right. There is a guy dining solo at the bench that overlooks the piazza, and the room is full of small tables both low and high, as well as a larger group in a semi-private room. This a place that you can party alone or party with friends. I recognise a few familiar faces on the floor, and a few moustaches in the kitchen from other top venues around town. Unlike big sister Pilot, there is an a la carte menu here, but we just go for the seven-course set menu for $100, which is chef's choice.
The wine list shows the Indigenous country origins of the Australian listings, which is a respectful idea, but we venture international with a glass of 2016 Little Frances Lake County semillon ($16) from California, and a 2020 Gullemot-Michel Quintaine Vire-Clease ($25) from Burgundy. This is when I notice more attention to detail. White burgundy is perceived to drink better at a slightly warmer temperature than other white wine, and it does appear that our two wines are served at different temperatures. My wife tells me "don't be that guy", but I ask the question and yes, we are told that it is part of the wine program to serve certain wines at certain temperatures. When making experiences, attention to detail matters.
School prawns and cashews, fried and coated in 666 spice, taste like a delicious little bar snack from a restaurant listed in a well-known, mineral water sponsored, top 50 restaurants in Asia list. It has a creeping, addictive umami spice and crunchy texture which sets the perfect tone for the food exhibition that is to come.
Barbecue beef intercostal with enoki, miso sambal and sesame leaf arrives as a grilled skewer sitting on a sheet of green sesame leaf. Intercostal is from between the ribs of the steer, with a unique coarse texture and very high marbling. It is also extremely high in flavour.
Zucchini flower chips, salsa agresto and white anchovy come next. These little beauties come shallow fried with a coating of crispy parmesan, smothered with a creamy agresto and salty little white anchovies. Visually, they remind me of the claws on the monster in Where the Wild Things Are. As the original Wild Thing, Max, said, "I'll eat you up".
The ambience at Such and Such is bustling and somewhat boisterous. Local architects MyMyMy have designed a room with great atmosphere, and although there is noise reduction in the ceiling, the beautiful polished concrete floors reverberate a bit like one of Edward Munch's famous paintings. Okay that's a bit harsh, but it's certainly not the Sounds of Silence. Lighting is also on the sharper side, and although I don't know much about light, I know what I like. And I'd like it a bit darker when I'm trying to devour a plate of delicious ricotta and cauliflower gnudi with currants and sage. This dish is a tasty little golf-ball-sized Israeli-style dumpling, made from savoury cheese, with hints of sweetness from the currants, framed with some crispy sage notes.
Blue eye cod in crazy water of mussels and semi-dried tomatoes is perfectly executed and served in crockery designed by local artist Chris Hartford. The water might be crazy, but the southern Italian style broth could easily be crazier. However, spiked with a side of house-made sourdough flat bread brushed in intensely flavoured garlic toum, this dish hits a balance like one of Andy Warhol's soup cans. Somewhat appropriately, Praise You by Fatboy Slim comes on as we are served duck on the crown with blood plums and fish sauce caramel. It comes served with a bowl of barley and grain salad with grapes, goats curd and almond. The duck is pink and perfect with a crispy but moist skin. I have to praise it, like I should.
I'm half expecting Strawberry Fields to drift through the speakers but instead Groove Armada's Superstyling comes on just as barbecue strawberry rice panna cotta and lemon granita with lemon mousse hits the table. These two desserts on their own are intense. The strawberry dessert is excessively sweet, and the lemon dessert pushes the scale in terms of tartness. Rather than eating one and then the other, I find myself switching between the two, one mouthful at a time, and that seems to work beautifully. I guess that like all art, it's open to interpretation.
Such and Such is fun, creative, and unique in its offering to the market. You can go for a big night, drop in before the theatre or just swing past by yourself for a small plate of something delicious. It's accessible, interesting, and open to what you make of it. The little sibling will find its own way, but still do the family name proud. As the famous Russian playwright, Anton Chekhov said "there is nothing new in art accept talent."
Such and Such
Address: 220 London Cct, Constitution Place, City
Phone: 0426 698 776
Website: andsuchandsuch.com
Hours: Monday to Wednesday, 4pm til midnight; Thursday to Friday, noon til midnight; Saturday, 4pm til midnight; Sunday closed.
Chef: Mal Hanslow and Nic Peterson
Noise: Quite noisy
Dietary: Advise on booking
