As any meal at a Chefs Warehouse should, we begin with the oysters dressed in a fragrant and textured Vietnamese dressing and a bread board including fresh-out-the-oven bread, cultured butter, olives, whole confit garlic cloves and the most delectable Jamon jam.
Next, it’s the linefish ceviche with a fresh ponzu dressing and thinly sliced daikon, it’s a clean, refined and flavourful dish. The same is true for the tuna tartar — the fresh, tender, fish served with a fragrant spring onion and ginger dressing with crispy fish skin adding an extra dimension to the dish.
The ratatouille tart is not to be missed, a fantastic exercise in texture, the crisp pastry case breaking open to reveal the gorgeously caramelised roast vegetable filling topped with creamy mozzarella, fresh tomatoes and a 15-year aged balsamic vinegar. It’s a dish that has you reaching for seconds.
Review | Chefs Warehouse at The Bailey
A triumphant return to Bree Street as Chefs Warehouse opens at The Bailey
The ground floor of Liam Tomlin’s Bree Street culinary hub, The Bailey, has reopened as an iteration of the chef’s much-loved Chefs Warehouse — just across the road from the first and original location of the eatery.
The space has been subtly redesigned, the flashier and ornate elements of what was The Bailey’s Café have been swapped out for a more urban and restrained feel. The once coffee and pastry station converted to a raw bar, featuring an impressive seafood display, theatrically prepared on order.
The menu, while still featuring the small plates for which Chefs Warehouse has become known, here takes shape in an à la carte offering, rather than the “tapas for two” set menu of its predecessor.
The move is well suited to the faster pace and style of dining favoured for weekday dining in the city. The extended menu also allows diners to mix and match dishes, creating an experience suited to their dietary requirements and eating preferences.
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The menu conceptualised by Tomlin and executive chef of The Bailey, Asher Abramowitz, features old favourites such as salt and pepper squid with chilli, pineapple and caramelised ginger; Vietnamese rice paper rolls; and the Chefs Warehouse signature risotto dish, as well as some exciting new dishes too.
Image: Claire Gunn
As any meal at a Chefs Warehouse should, we begin with the oysters dressed in a fragrant and textured Vietnamese dressing and a bread board including fresh-out-the-oven bread, cultured butter, olives, whole confit garlic cloves and the most delectable Jamon jam.
Next, it’s the linefish ceviche with a fresh ponzu dressing and thinly sliced daikon, it’s a clean, refined and flavourful dish. The same is true for the tuna tartar — the fresh, tender, fish served with a fragrant spring onion and ginger dressing with crispy fish skin adding an extra dimension to the dish.
The ratatouille tart is not to be missed, a fantastic exercise in texture, the crisp pastry case breaking open to reveal the gorgeously caramelised roast vegetable filling topped with creamy mozzarella, fresh tomatoes and a 15-year aged balsamic vinegar. It’s a dish that has you reaching for seconds.
Image: Claire Gunn
Image: Claire Gunn
Image: Claire Gunn
As with the oysters, a visit to Chefs Warehouse should always include the signature risotto. The Bailey’s current one is a deep, comforting mushroom risotto, perfect for a winter’s day indulgence. Many will no doubt be glad that they can visit for the risotto alone — and I have no doubt many will.
Dessert could call for another signature, the lemon posset (here served with a tequila-soaked pineapple — which errs on the side of too tart for my tastes), though I’d certainly recommend the carrot madeleines — cooked to order and served piping hot. The perfect accompaniment to a post-dinner coffee, tea or digestif. You won’t be blamed for ordering seconds — we certainly did.
A fantastic meal, matched with attentive service and a solid drinks offering. Chefs Warehouse’s return to the foodie-centric Bree Street is no doubt a triumph for Tomlin, Abramowitz and team.
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