Ever since the opening of No.4 Blake street, I have seen many positive reviews that swear by the quality of the food this place churns out. Having missed the Press Invitation on launch day, it was safe to say that I felt rather down to know how I have missed out on such a sensational event. But all is not doom and gloom as the day has come where I can have my chance to try out the offerings of No. 4 Blake street. It goes without saying that I was super excited.
Starting with the bread, it came in two flavors which was the plain bread and the olive bread. To get the best of the butter I opted for the plain one. When it came to the texture, I found it to be a little dense and not as fluffy as I hoped it to be. Plus that lingering sourness after each bite made it hard to appreciate the butter. And while the trio of butter looked amazing whilst seated on the plate like that, it was ultimately the truffle and caviar one that had enough flavor to be eaten with the white bread. With 5 courses coming up, I only had the plain one and left the olive one in the capable hands of my dining companions. For the olive bread, they commented that it was a little over salted and hence, it was more suited to the orange zest and the other one, which I am guessing was pistachio. Not the best breads in town for sure.
The amuse bouche for the night was a shot of turnip froth with beef jus and a side of crumbled tendon. In this dish, I found that every element despite complementing each other, did not work by itself. The turnip froth was mildly bitter and the jus extremely salty. But when eaten together, it pronounced a good concoction along with the chewy tendon covered in a crisp batter. Though not bad as a whole, I was not sure whether it built a good enough first impression. It felt lacking the in your face factor. Needed something to lift the whole mood.
As for our appetizers, the first one was the buttered yabbies, blood orange gel, “boudin noir”, purple potato crisp.
Seared squab, green buckwheat, crisp apple, endive.
The last appetizer on the table was the Venison pie & fresh tartare, quail yolk, petite salade.
After the appetizer, No. 4 Blake street adds a personal touch to the dinner by introducing a course called Al Dente, a pasta course to showcase the chef’s best skills with pasta. One of the lovely things that night was how we had our dietary requirements met by the helpful staff. Very considerate! Before serving this course, the waitress reconfirmed that some of my friends were not able to eat shellfish. For them, their Al Dente course for the night was a Gnocchi ala Funghi.
With the mains, we were spoilt for choices. There was fish, beef, and a whole other variety of proteins. But upon hearing how the duck was their signature dish, my mind was decided. Duck pave, smoked breast, duck fat Brussels sprout, sprout kraut, chestnut veloute.
Ranger valley beef flank, textures of parsnip, candied kumquats, brandy braise 
Pan fried Coral Trout, smoked sardine pate, mussels, Chenin emulsion
Palate cleanser was a table pleaser. Refreshing :)!
As for our dessert, we worked our way through several of their offerings. For me, I had the fresh pear, Pedro, pistachio sponge, wild figs, bay and white choc sorbet
Winter Jar: Tonka bean and vanilla panna cotta, burnt orange jelly, malted crumb, cinnamon ice cream
Passion fruit parfait, chocolate gel, passion fruit caviar & curd, chocolate shards
Rhubarb, white chocolate cremeux, orange ash, blood orange
At the end of the night, the satisfaction around the table seemed somewhat mixed. A few of us had a good time while a few people, in particular, my sister found the food here rather average. It is true even for XL who had a salty pairing all the way till her main. To the extent that at one point, it felt rather sickening. From the olive bread to the squab followed by the mushroom pasta, it was all too much salt. The appetizers here were definitely not a strong point but as the meal progressed, things started changing and I found the desserts here to be outstanding along with their pasta course, the Al Dente. But is it truly worth the hype? I find it rather questionable. It was OK and with the bad start evened by the good end, it falls right in between. Even then, it really depended on what you chose. On my side, I found that my main had the most potential to be the game changer. It was nice to see all the different things on there but it could be a tad simpler with more seasoning in the veloute to counter balance that bland strip of rich puree. Even for the yabbies, it definitely could do without the black pudding. Sometimes, less is really more.
WenY
The chicken schnitzel ($12.50) topped with gravy came with a side of chips and steamed vegetables. For me the chicken was just yummy. It was still crunchy and its batter was more than just flour. It had various herbs which made it a tantalizing bite. The chips were pedestrian and for most parts could do with an extra pinch of salt. As for the steamed vegetables, the cauliflower florets and carrots were cooked spot on but the broccoli flowers were very mushy. To the extent that my friends felt that it was squirting out buttery fluid.
The chicken here was a little below par compared to the schnitzel. I suspect that the chicken was a little over-roasted and having it sit under the heat lamp for so long only meant that it was still cooking while waiting to be eaten. The sides we choice were similar to the one we had with the schnitzel.
This one had decent consistency, not melt in your mouth but still soft and tender. But for me, one of the beauties of pull pork is how the meat absorbs all the lovely juices and marinade that it is cooked in. This one here could do definitely with more flavor. 
As my friends and I were dissatisfied with the options on the bain-marie, we decided to call something else to share. This time around, we ordered a $17 open-steak sandwich from the kitchen. Here it was simple. You get a delicious and hearty slab of scotch fillet cooked to medium with crispy bacon. Definitely one of the crispiest in town. Caramelised onions and barbecue sauce finished the sandwich with a bang. Chips came out warmer as the lunch crowd had dispersed and we were one the last groups left. From this humble sandwich, we all agreed that things are better when made fresh from the kitchen, not things cooked prior and left out to dry. With a range of burgers and food cooked fresh to order like the steak sandwich, chicken parmi and salmon, the premium paid over the typical lunch fare is definitely worth the extra buck!
Coarsely diced beef marinated in salt, pepper, lemon juice and olive oil served with crispy bread. In the first instance, a spoonful on the edge of the crispy bread felt sufficient. It was tasty but only very subtle. But the second round came a little mundane. It needed more flavoring. Maybe more lemon, salt and a hint of sugar. Would not mine some heat too. Sounds a little Viet/Thai/Mod Jap but it needed something. Beef was mildly tender but this was not your typical beef tartar. 
This for me was where my sensations were heightened. I was elated. The sauce was flavorsome with just the right amount of acidity. I cannot distinguish all the seasonings but it worked. With the boss bringing in some extra bread to mop up the yummy sauce, it was right on the dollar. I loved this. The meatballs were soft and could break apart if not spooned gently, but I could care less. This was spot on!
One of the most popular Mac n Cheese in town comes from Merrywell many would say. I am a big fan of Merrywell too. But when it comes to their bite sized Mac n Cheese, it was their HP Sauce which I loved. Here though, the chunky Mac n Cheese was served with none. But I get it. Who needs a sauce when the fillings were already so yummy. It was salty, and cheesy with a crisp outside. It was really good. In comparison, I would have to say that this makes the Mac n Cheese in Merrywell taste a little bland! I also suspect they might have used a combination of cheeses!
Beef ribs are probably one of the most gifted parts of a cow. When cooked properly, it literally falls off the bone and its meat, to die for. Just imagine a beautiful melt full of flavor from that perfect braise. Here, it was exactly that. So tender it would fall off the bone under its own weight. It was its usual fatty self which means I had to cut away huge portions of fat or risk ending my night prematurely full from the lard. Chopped coriander splashed across a diagonal was a smart herb move which complemented the beef well. The side of carrots cooked in quality thick diced pancetta gave it an extremely good flavor which together with the caramelization, brought us to heaven. But BEWARE that this is bloody sickening if eaten alone yet perfect when shared. This lovely ribs brings me back to my trip to Cantina 663 last year! See it here 
Here, it was cooked perfectly. The middle was dark red in color and it just looks spectacular when arranged the way Ace Pizza does it. However, we lamented the cut. None of us had eaten this part of the beef before and obviously without research, we jumped right in assuming that it would be tender. But it was not :(! It was tough but surprisingly flavorful. I guess that might be its only consolation. No second time for this one unfortunately!
That neon. Does Ace Pizza qualify?When I think of pizza, I think stretchy mozzarella, delicious toppings, and a crust to die for. All the beautiful things a pizza has to offer. We had two pizzas to share that night. The pig lovers which was a continuation with my love affair for the meat and the other was a neutral preference, the fungi magico. Do not worry, no magic mushrooms involved.
So where do I start? Ok, first things first. 
My preference for doughnuts has always been the good old deep fried ones. Served warm, preferably, it should be fluffy and soft. For a Tiramisu filling, fragrant and decadent but more on the sweet side instead of the mature liquor laced ones. How were the ones here? In terms of texture, it was a little denser than what I would have liked but definitely one notch better than the ones at 
The finely diced meatball was all rave in my mouth. But the little surprise was the finely diced “laksa leaf” or “bunga kantan” which gives it a lovely fragrant. To finish, a delicious Panang curry. Yummy!
While the savory-sweet sauce caught our taste buds, it was the perfectly cooked moist yolk that made us happy. This was easily XL’s favourite. Even fishman and Yv thought it tasted fantastic. The marvels of basic things!
Red Opium’s Ceviche of Salmon!
Yv’s favourite for the night was the duck curry. I once commented that it lacked sauce and clearly it did not go unnoticed. Here, the sauce was plentiful. Just the way I liked my curries to be. Duck meat was roasted spot on and was still tender. So nice it was! But where tenderness was concerned, the perfectly cooked beef Masaman was also a table favourite with fishman calling it the dish of the day. Now, if only the potatoes had another 15 minutes or so, it would have been soft through. On the other hand, the deconstructed green curry was not so popular around the table. Its curry was flawless but something about the fish did not quite appeal @@! 
Red Opium was a great host that night. The food was good and it was not priced to kill. With 8 mains, 6 appetizers, 7 soups and rice, the bill cost around 40pp with the entertainment card shaving a couple of bucks off the bill. Even without, it would still be less than $50pp. It was really filling and everyone enjoyed it. Owner Penny was her usual friendly stuff and had a good laugh at my very un-Thai Thai friend who does not do spicy or seafood. Good stuff ;)!
