4fourteen, Surry Hills

Colin Fassnidge is a technical marvel. He is epitome of the comfort food refined. Take my older post on Four in Hand: shockingly good roast chicken, swede soup and a clever clever crab taco. Then a deal came up on Dimmi with 50 percent off 4fourteen, the baby sister restaurant. Am I in? You betcha.

It's pretty much a straight up bistro: open kitchen, bare tables, industrial-warehouse sorta look. Y'know the usual 2014 thing.

Jerusallem Artichoke Soup
King Alaskan Crab, Parmesan 16

We warm up with a serving of Jerusalem artichoke soup which is just divinely rich and silky smooth.

Citrus Cured Kingfish
Mandarin, Celery and Apple

We knew the onslaught of fatty food-coma inducing deliciousness we were going to embark on so we prepare with a little salad of fresh sliced kingfish topped with a julienne tumble of apple and celery with little blobs of citrusy mandarin curd.

Roast Bone Marrow
Fried Flat Bread, Spiced Mayo 18

As a food blogger, you're meant to remain impartial to everything. I mean you can't exactly go around saying this is my 'fav thing 5eva' otherwise it just holds no meaning when used repeatedly. So believe me when I say this, this is the best thing I've eaten this year. You've heard right, I can't take it back. Holy moley is this good. What's not to like? A thick log of roast quivering bone marrow, fried  flat bread and mayo and a splash of lemon to liven up the whole thing. I'm in my happy place here.

Glazed Lamb Ribs
Pickled Cabbage 11

Lamb ribs almost give the bone marrow a run for its money with a cold red cabbage salad and fatty unctuous lamb ribs combo. Boom Shaka Laka. No bone, all amazing. Cold and hot, tender and crisp. What a joy. 

Smoked Beef Brisket
Roast Potatoes, Onion Rings 38

Compared to everything else's awesomeness, the beef brisket were so and so. It was inevitable really. The brisket can get a little dry especially when it's difficult for the sweet and salty sauce to really penetrate through and the potatoes can get a little tough.

Mussels
Salted Fish and Batlow Apple Cider Sauce 32

Fortunately they pick back up again with a killer mussel dish. Fat, plump and juicy dressed with a kicking apple cider sauce and salted fish mixed in to give it a bit of body. Mop it all up with rips of charred sourdough. Yum.

Charred Salt Crust Sweet Potato
Smoked Potato Mayonnaise 12

Carb up (good carb mind you) with uber soft sweet potato, made smoky with a charred exterior and is a perfect accompaniment.

Rhubarb Cheesecake
Lemon and Ginger Bread 15

Deconstructed cheesecake was very fun featuring the likes of quenelled vanilla bean cheese, blocks of fragrant lemon and ginger bread and sticks of candy-like rhubarb. 

I don't have a death wish or anything but seriously you give me a stack of 4fourteen's marrow bones, lamb ribs with slaw and crab and artichoke soup, a pot of mussels and I'll die a happy man. If I had to pick out my favourite restaurants by discovery it would go something like this: '010 Vue De Monde, '011 Bodega, '012 GastroPark, '013 either Cafe Paci or Hartsyard. 2014 might have to be this place. The only negative is vegetarians really aren't taken care of here with all the meat action happening. Good thing I'm not one. 4fourteen, you've won my heart through my stomach. I'll be back.

Posted in: beef, bone marrow, brisket, cheesecake, colin fassnidge, dessert, mussels, Ribs