WE WERE in a festive mood as it was our first time after the longest time to eat and drink with our best buddy Sunil, the new father. The celebration was for fatherhood, and that is a great reason to splurge, isn't it?
So we went the way of Bondi&Bourke, and celebrated. From their appetizers to salad to the main dish, we were pretty satisfied. The steak was perfectly medium rare, with the pink flesh showing and the beef tender and juicy.
The two carnivores in our group -- Sunil and Maan enjoyed it to the max. Kublai and I preferred the Norwegian salmon. The salmon was cooked just right, with the right amount of herbs and flavors to bring out the salmon's natural buttery taste and texture. If you love fresh oysters, then go for the Mornay or fresh-shucked if available. The processed meat in Kilpatrick drowns the oyster taste.
By the way, the charcuterie platter is overflowing, it can keep up with your pre-dinner conversation and still leave you with enough to chew on afterward. Don't forget the wine. We didn't.
Bondi&Bourke will not be an everyday thing for us wage earners, it's pricey and we're not into pretending. But it's not snooty, and so we like it. It's a place to celebrate successes and impress friends. While we were there, there was a big group of men, our seniors, celebrating. How about the service? Friendly but discreet.
You will find no waiter hovering around you to whisk away your plates even before you have spooned off your last bite. But do as much as raise your neck a bit in an inquiring way, and they're there. You will not feel shortchanged, at all. And that will make it easier to part with your hard-earned money.
