Sir Charles

Most of the time Sir Charles is a  delightful little cafe just off the main drag in Fitzroy serving up inventive and beautifully executed takes on usual cafe fare. For example, Eggs Benedict arrives with panko crumbed eggs, sriracha hollandaise, chilli and bacon served with roti. However, recently, under chef Stephen Hogan, they have begun to do an occasional night-time banquet which allows the kitchen to really show what they are made of.

I attended a preview of the Summer Banquet at Sir Charles and am now campaigning them to open for dinner every night. 

An appetiser of roasted baby beets with toasted walnuts, goats cheese snow and crostini was delicate and fresh.

Pan seared local scallops were accompanied by asparagus coated in a delightfully crunchy sesame crumb, truffled shaved asparagus, crisp kohlrabi  and topped with a zesty citrus dressing and rye crumb.

For main, Pan roasted lamb backstop with confit lamb shoulder, Miso swede cubes, Charred baby leaks, anise and madeira jus. 

Lean but tender lamb backstop was pan-fried and complemented by the richness of confit lamb shoulder. The pool of jus was an umami explosion balanced by fresh just-tender swede . As we ate, the aromas of the foliage sitting below the plate, transported me away from minimalist Fitzroy and into a lush forest. Divine.

But the magic wasn’t over – a little display of liquid nitrogen preceded a Yuzu and Lemon tart garnished with a caramelised white chocolate crumb and frozen-crisp sorrel and lavender.

We finished with a perfect palate cleanser of an intense acai sorbet topped with more frozen fresh chilli and cacao nibs.

The food at Sir Charles is beautifully balanced, inventive, and frankly a work of art evoking all the senses. Their daily menu is pretty special to tide you over, but next time you see a banquet menu advertised, my advice is to jump on those tickets.

I attended a preview of the Summer Banquet as a guest of Zomato.