From the moment you arrive, you can almost smell the ambition as you enter via The lavish Heritage Lounge, taking whisky and cocktails to the next level with a monolithic thirty four page list in this impressively reimagined c.1928 bank on Church Street. I should also mention the LE CHEVAL cigar lounge, which I shall confess is a passion of mine and we haven’t even got to Oribu yet! Speaking of aspiration, we have three Head Chefs, not one, all with substantial CV’s – Jay Lee (ex Aria), Jaybert Teves (ex SOKYO) and the well-travelled Bryan Paul Nery. The expression too many cooks spoil the broth, most definitely does not apply here!
Make no mistake, whilst you can make this a decadent special occasion if you choose, it also offers a range of menu options that still showcase the diverse skillsets of the kitchen. However, I am keen to take this shiny red Ferrari for a run, so the Japanese Culinary Artistry menu sounds like the ride for me. It starts with two lusciously plump Royal Miyagai oysters from Boomer Bay in Tasmania, dressed with citrus dark tosazu and garnished with sea blite and Oscietra black caviar. A deeply satisfying spoon of sea urchin follows, glazed with egg yolk and topped with pearls of Ikura. Keep this up, and I am about ready to move States given the quality of this pristine duo back to back.
The King crab spoon with yet more Oscietra black caviar (I am not complaining), is served with a mandarin dressing that brings some lovely acidity. The platter of six high-end pieces of astutely sliced sashimi is served Heston style, with dry ice adding enough theatrics to match the stunning presentation of the Old Fashioned ordered earlier. Style always needs to be matched with substance, and that is the case not only here, but with the sublime watermelon cured snapper that follows. It may well be dish of the year, in terms of precise balance, impossible texture, innovative construct and understated elegance. It looks magnificent, and tastes even better. The nuance of enoki mushroom, micro herbs, and shiso counterpointed by garlic ponzu, brings it all together.
A very generous and pretty salmon and caviar tartare is next, with a melody of shallots, ginger, chives, avocado, ikura pearls, shiso, dill, and a carrot ginger emulsion. It sounds a lot, however cohesively it hits the mark. Did I mention there is an olive tree in the middle of the restaurant? As the twilight slowly transcends into night, it becomes a lovely centerpiece feature of the rooftop dining space – softening the whole ambience with hopeful symbolism. The crispy rice quartet of tuna, salmon, scallop and kingfish completes the entree phase, and an earlier decision now looms large in my thoughts: A5 Wagyu or Lobster Tail for main. First world problems.
Let’s talk A5 Hida wagyu or ‘Hidagyu’, from the Gifu Prefecture in Japan (known as the provence of pure water). Simply, its other worldly, and the best wagyu I have had to date. At this stage, I am at the culinary excess point of no return, having ordered the bone marrow to accompany it. Call 000 or send me to heaven, as this is simply as good as protein gets – trust me. It is so intensely rich, 200 grams has my heart beating like a cobra, however I savour and delight in every single piece – determined nothing on this plate is returning on my watch. The execution and seasoning is stunningly flawless, and at this price there is no margin for error – with very mouthful of the marrow and wagyu leaving me sighing with bliss incessantly.
Fortunately, the matcha cream and red bean parfait dessert cleanses the palate and cuts across the heady richness of the A5. Dinner and heady nights like this make my job very easy, and I do feel blest to both experience and appreciate a menu curated at this level. When exceptional quality produce is put in the hands of professionals, sitting back and enjoying the seamless delivery of their work is genuinely a joy to watch. The Heritage Lounge and Oribu is a glamourous undertaking, and in my opinion delivers on its ambition. I have given you just a snapshot of the high end menu offering, and look forward to returning and indulging as a spirits and cigar aficionado, or perhaps just for some tacos or shared plates. It’s multi levelled and multi layered, and a fitting showpiece for Parramatta – where both the city and culinary level is undeniably impressively trending upwards.
By Dane Richards
Oribu
Wednesday to Sunday 5pm to 10pm
0434381688
215 Church Street, Parramatta 2150 NSW
Bookings | Website | Instagram | Facebook
