Pink Salt, Cross St, Double Bay

Pink Salt, Cross St, Double Bay
Saturday 8 December, 2007

The Diva's came together today for Christmas lunch. After a year of high tea's and lunchtime catch ups in the city we decided to try Pink Salt. One Diva knows the owners of Pink Salt and arranged a fabulous table for us in the enclosed terrace that spills onto the sidewalk.

The look is shabby chic or as Pink Salt terms it - pink chic. Each table has pink throws draped over the chairs and the white leather lounges host an array of cushions. It's warm and welcoming and almost like you are visiting a friend's place as the leather is a little worn from over use. The interior is decked out with chandeliers, a pink metallic feature wall and a white marble bar. Further inside it is quite dark and when you visit the toilets there should be torches provided (especially if you have been sitting outside in the sun!).

For those of you who remember, Pink Salt was first featured on 'My Restaurant Rules 2' and owners Evan Hansimikali and Belle Serventi have gained quite a following since they re-opened in Double Bay. Evan was present today and was a gracious host, happy to chat and gave us each a complimentary pink fluffy cupcake as we were leaving.

The menu is small with specials offered each day of the week that include a main meal, glass of wine and salad for $33. There are burgers, a handful of fish and meat dishes plus list of entrees to select from. We decided to share a couple of entrees up front:

- Salt & pepper calamari
- Duck liver and foie gras terrine with toasted brioche and fruit relish

The salt & pepper calamari was sensational and served in very large scored pieces with a very light crispy outer. A nice, spicy chilli sauce was provided to accompany the calamari and we polished that off with ease. The terrine was incredibly decadent and we ordered some extra bread rolls to polish it off. Why it that always the way? Do they expect you to layer the terrine an inch thick on each piece of bread?

For mains, we ordered:

- Beef fillet steak served with hand cut fries and bearnaise sauce x 2
- Steamed blue eye cod with chilli fennel
- Confit duck leg with pan fried gnocchi

The presentation of each dish was just superb - the steak came perched on a large mushroom and the hand cut fries were served in rolled paper. My steak as cooked to order - medium rare - and I enjoyed every single mouthful.

You would think after all this food that we couldn't possibly fit in anything else.....however, we are talking about the diva's. Three serves of sorbet & ice cream and one serve of vanilla creme brulee later we were done. The sorbet & ice cream came to table on a large rectangle plate and four large Chinese soup spoons. Each spoon contained either a scoop of sorbet or ice cream - vanilla bean, pineapple, strawberry and chocolate. The brulee was the largest brulee I have ever seen with the thickest top layer that we had great fun tapping through with our spoons.

Pink Salt is a great place for a lazy long lunch. Request a table outside.

Pink Salt - 53 Cross St, Double Bay - (02) 9328 1664

http://www.pinksalt.com.au/