Coya

Themed dinners give chefs an opportunity to bust outside the mundane repetition of reproducing their regular menu, and flex their creativity and skills. They’re a chance to woo diners onto the dark side of eating things they’re not familiar with; dishes that might not sell on an everyday menu. At Coya, on the back streets of Cromer (part of Sydney’s Northern Beaches), Chef Ashraf Saleh is flexing his formidable skills with a well-priced, six-course Game Dinner ($69/person). Before you turn up your nose and tell me you don’t eat camel, in Saleh’s capable hands, the intensity of game is gentled into easy-to-like, approachable creations. Dishes, like our opening venison nayeh, meld strong French technique with Arabic influences to come up with harmonious cross-cultural collisions. Seasoned raw...

Located in the suburban area of Cromer, this restaurant is tucked away and you could easily pass this gem without noticing.

Service is fantastic and we had a specialty degustation made for us by the chef. It encapsulated the best of the flavour of the produce and wonderful presentation. Definitely punches above its weight.

We started with Salmon which was served raw and flavoured with chilli and lime. A sumac vinaigrette finishes this off. Great beginning to the evening. Next was a Pork Belly served with three types of apple (gel, pickled, and fresh) with hints of chilli to lift this. Delightful dish. King Prawns were next and presented like on a flower on the plate with the swirls of piqullo pepper purée and raspberry vinaigrette. Devoured quickly by the table! The fourth dish is Barramundi Fillet. One of the highlights as the fish was moist with a crispy skin served on top. The cauliflower purée was so smooth and complemented the dish well. The green harissa gave it a pop of flavour. Our savoury section was finished off with a Grill Organic Chicken Thigh. It was tender and accompanied by dollops of chickpea purée and harissa. Stunning plate of food that was savoured by all on the table and challenged to be the best dish.

We finished off with shared desserts and we were so pleased by them. All three had great elements to them as well as top notch presentation. Chocolate Gateau was served warm and pungent with chocolately goodness. Served on an oreo crumb and decorate with flowers, strawberries, and macarons. Umm Ali was an unexpected surprise. Topped with a colourful tuile, it covers a delicious bread and butter pudding like cake underneath served with pistachio anglaise, strawberries, and ice cream. Fragranced with rose water. Finally a Passion Fruit Soufflé Mousse. Light and pillowy. It packed a passion fruit punch!

Overall this restaurant is worth seeking out and if you want an upmarket middle eastern meal then give this place a shot. Reasonably priced as well.

In Short: Coya in Sydney’s leafy suburb of Cromer is one of those very special opportunities to experience the culmination of refined culinary creations in a relaxed and welcoming environment. Chef Saleh has used his decades of world-class talent to take diners on a journey through tastes and textures that are infused with flavours and techniques from both east and west. Coya is a rare gem in Sydney’s foodscape and needs to be at the very top of every foodie’s list. Tip: The degustation menu offers one of the best values you’ll find anywhere to experience food that is truly of a global caliber. Yes, it’s that good!

Been to this local restaurant many many times, the menu never disappoint & there is alway something different to try! Our fav is their degustation menu which not just great value but fantastic flavour. Their desserts are to die for! Best local restaurant ever!!! We will be back again for sure!

Tried three of the dishes here, service was good.

Spatchcock - full spatchcock serving size, well cooked and delicious flavour.

Duck - good sauce

Seafood tangine - tasty but would have been happy if the serving size was more generous.

We came here with Dimmi 50% off. It's a shame it could not be applied to the degustation.

Themed dinners give chefs an opportunity to bust outside the mundane repetition of reproducing their regular menu, and flex their creativity and skills. They’re a chance to woo diners onto the dark side of eating things they’re not familiar with; dishes that might not sell on an everyday menu. At Coya, on the back streets of Cromer (part of Sydney’s Northern Beaches), Chef Ashraf Saleh is flexing his formidable skills with a well-priced, six-course Game Dinner ($69/person). Before you turn up your nose and tell me you don’t eat camel, in Saleh’s capable hands, the intensity of game is gentled into easy-to-like, approachable creations. Dishes, like our opening venison nayeh, meld strong French technique with Arabic influences to come up with harmonious cross-cultural collisions. Seasoned raw venison is turned from a mould then topped with horseradish cream and chilli pearls that burst on the tongue with bright capsaicin. It’s surrounded by fluffy wasabi pea dust and garnished with a rice puff that reminds me of panipuri. What’s even better, this hybrid dish is as tasty as it is eye-catching. Showing a remarkable knack for plating, Saleh’s three Southern fried quail tulips sit upon an organic looking rice cracker seasoned with kale dust. Quail tulips – in case you were wondering – are quail legs with the thigh bone removed, and the delicate poultry meat wrapped around the drumstick bone in a tulip formation. Dipped into a little pot of chilli aioli, they're finger-licking good. The green dust has a clever gunpowder note that reminds me of cracker night when I was a kid, and inclines me to eat the whole rice cracker. Next Saleh shows the versatility of kangaroo by reimagining it as kangaroo brandade. Textbook crumbing and not even a hint of the iron-rich flavour that can be off-putting about ‘roo help to make these three well-sized croquettes impressive when you drag them through tangy raspberry and balance them with lemon. A big, savoury hit of roasted rabbit runs though the hare parcels, which are basically a riff upon the manti (Turkish dumplings) I enjoyed last time I was at Coya. The textural, chewy dumplings are nestled in a fluffy cauliflower velouté so lovely I’d have been happy just to eat a bowl of it. Basil oil and edible flowers that actually have a flavour, pretty up this bowl of Turkish-inspired comfort food. By the time we get to the camel that was probably making some diners nervous, the sunny little dining room is full of convivial good cheer. Holding court at the front table are Australian cooking legend, Janni Kyritsis and his former acolyte who cooked with him at MG Garage, Lauren Murdoch, now an award-winning chef in her own right. Tucked between a soft mattress of potato puree and a delicate top sheet of daikon, the tagine braised camel sits somewhere between beef and lamb. Long fibres of spiced meat remind me of rendang, and are easy to like against gently employed preserved lemon. We float back to the CBD on a super-tart passionfruit cloud that enveloped ice cream and tangy yoghurt. It’s perfect to clean up your palate after a game dinner that really belied my expectations about gamey intensity. There’s still time to book in for Coya’s next fancy feast that is taking place this Sunday, 26 May, 2019. This time chef Saleh is doing an entirely Vegan Tasting Menu ($59/head) that kicks off with vegetarian tartare, and ends the five savoury courses on mushroom shawarma before an intriguing chickpea take on dairy free dessert.

Randomly located in Cromer Suburbia it's actually really delightful. The degustation menu is a no brainer with a great selection of beautifully presented and flavourful foods. Dessert was so good, and tasty, everything was cooked perfectly, with a great blend of tastes. The barramundi was a bit too salty for my liking but otherwise everything was great! The dishes came out with a little introduction and everyone got it all at same time (beauty of a degustation meal!) I saw some reviews about noise level and yes it was noisy (attended on a Wednesday evening and it was packed) but it didn't disrupt our group... be cautious though if you intend to eat in a quiet restaurant. Service was good and very friendly - this is a real hidden gem in the northern beaches.

Coya has fabulous and tasty food with a reasonable price for great portions. We ordered takeaway (due to COVID) and we couldn’t fault it. It’s beautifully presented and a feast for the eyes and stomach. Would highly recommend!! We are already plotting our return for a few sneaky dishes