FOOD TYPE
Mod Australian with a slightly Italian bent
FOOD QUALITY
Four of us dined on a Saturday night in August. We started with two shared entrees: The pumpkin and pea arancini balls with aioli ($14) and the “compressed watermelon with grilled halloumi, watercress, tomato, beetroot, dukkah and crispy bread” ($12). They were both tasty enough dishes if a bit on the smallish side. The compressed watermelon had the two pieces of fried bread stuck upright in the watermelon, creating an interesting tower effect, but even that couldn’t hide the stinginess of the portion size: three meagre pieces of halloumi, some watermelon and watercress and about two pieces of diced tomatoes, no beetroot that I could see. The arancini balls were crispy on the outside with a soft and flavoursome filling, but again a meagre dish for the price. For my main, I choose the “Sous vide” chicken, with mash, broccolini and broad bean sauce ($30). Sous-vide, as we were told, is a special way of cooking the chicken in a plastic bag, but whatever the cooking method, this was a superior dish. The chicken was plump, tender and succulent and well complemented with the creamy mash and wholesome green vegetables. The bean sauce added the necessary zing and flavour to this original meal. My dining companions had the lamb cutlets ($32), the beetroot pappardelle ($24) and a roasted cauliflower salad with kale and yoghurt dressing ($19). To round it off, we ordered one side of sautéed mushrooms ($7) and two sides of broccolini with shaved almonds ($8 ea). Unlike the entrees, serving sizes for the main courses were generous and satisfying. The presentation of the dishes, on elegant and stylish white crockery, was impressive. Finally, we shared a sweet, moist Florentine tiramisu with Belgian chocolate ($14) and a couple of cappuccinos: The perfect way to end an excellent meal.
ATMOSPHERE
The place was about three quarters full at its busiest, at around 8.30pm, and the atmosphere was fun and lively. The interior design is trendy, colourful and modern with a huge umbrella-like structure as the central feature on the roof. The white walls, concrete floors and rather utilitarian steel and wooden furniture give it a slightly family-friendly look and feel. Apart from the normal sized tables, there is a long communal table in the middle of the restaurant and on this night, it was partially occupied by a large family with kids; luckily for us, all fairly well behaved. But overall, the ambience is relaxed and casual and noise issues aside, this is an ideal spot to spend an evening with family and friends. There is plenty of seating, both indoors and outdoors, but given the chilly weather, there was no-one hardy enough to brave the elements outside. Wild Sage is part of the small “Stockland Cammeray Shopping Centre”. It’s hardly a shopping centre in the traditional sense of the word, with no major stores or banks, for example, just a cluster of restaurants and one or two shops, arranged around the central quadrangle, more in the style of the Leichhardt Italian Forum, but smaller and with fewer people.
SERVICE
Service from our two pretty waitresses was polite, friendly and efficient. Our booked table was ready and waiting for us when we arrived, and as it was still fairly empty, we got to choose a nice spot near the window. Orders were promptly taken and dishes came out at a steady clip in the correct order. In a rather amusing touch, a photo of the “blackboard specials” were displayed on our waitress’s tablet, which obviated the need for her to lug a heavy blackboard around the restaurant from table to table.
COMFORT
I noticed a few blankets hung over chairs, an admission I guess that this is a chilly venue with no proper heating, and guests might like to avail themselves of this comfort. I had been warned about how cold it was, by a friend who’d been here in June, so we all came appropriately dressed. The chairs are firm and stable and the table large enough to easily fit all the dishes, although our neighbour’s table was a little too close for comfort.
MENU
The menu is a fairly simple document, clearly laid out on a double sided sheet laminated to keep it hygienic and clean. It pretty much exactly mirrors the one you’ll see on W.S’s website except for a few pricing discrepancies which generally favour the diners. It’s easy to read in the strong lighting.
TOILETS
There are no facilities within the restaurant itself so you’ll need to step outside and walk a few metres along to the shopping centre toilets. Staff will direct you and there are signs too, so it’s not hard to find. Apart from that inconvenience, you’ll find them clean and well stocked and being shopping centre toilets, there are ample cubicles, and you won’t need to hang around waiting for one to become available.
ACOUSTICS
Although it was only about three-quarters full as I have mentioned, we still found it a loudish venue, with all the wood, glass and steel and not a noise absorber in sight. I’d hate to think what it would be like if it really got full.
COST
With our 25% Ent Book discount voucher (up to max $35), we paid $170 for four of us. That included one beer, two glasses of wine, a soft drink, two starters, three mains, one salad, three side dishes, a single dessert and two cappuccinos. I guess at $43 a head that’s just on the money for this location but obviously not a place to rush to without a voucher or discount deal of some kind.
BOOKING
I would say that booking generally isn’t necessary except perhaps on a Saturday night, as I can’t see this place filling up on any other night of the week.
PARKING/ACCESS
The Stockland Shopping Centre is conveniently located on the corner of Miller and Amherst Streets in Cammeray. There’s free parking in the centre’s car park, but only for two hours and after that, fees start at a hefty minimum $20, so we decided to avoid it and head down Amherst Rd, where we managed to find a spot no far from the restaurant. Restrictions around here generally end at 6.00pm so street parking shouldn’t present a problem.
SUMMARY
We had a pleasant evening here and everything went off smoothly. The food was flavoursome and tasty; fresh and wholesome and we all enjoyed our meals, although entrees could have been more substantial. Service was friendly and efficient and whole place hums like a well-oiled machine. It’s easily accessible from the northern or eastern suburbs and there’s free parking in the centre as long as you don’t stay more than two hours.
RECOMMENDATION
If you’re a chicken-lover, try the sous-vide chicken. You won’t be disappointed.
MEMO
The website needs a bit of an update. As of this review, in mid-Aug, they were still promoting their “July Wine Night”. There’s a link to “Urbanspoon” which everyone knows, is now called “Zomato”, and has been so for well over a year now. The “About” section is empty, so there’s no info about such important matters as opening hours or licensing arrangements. For that, you’ll need to refer to this website, but for the record, it is licenced and opened all day every day!
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