C’est Bon is the French restaurant every suburb wants.
The first impression
Housed in a converted heritage-listed shop, C’est Bon’s door opens to the well-curated Le Bon Bar. In my earlier Le Bon Bar review, I mentioned that the space “offers Parisian bonhomie without pretension”. Most importantly, it signals that this is a restaurant that takes food seriously, but in its own relaxed way.
We aren’t merely greeted on arrival – we are warmly welcomed.
In the main dining room, the maximalism of Chef Andy Ashby’s cooking is cleverly contrasted by a minimalist aesthetic. Modern, classic light fittings cast a flattering glow.
The menu
Once seated at our table, we find a folded sheet, sealed with red wax. No, not a menu as such – more a guide to the Chef’s Tasting Menu. It’s freehand illustrations of the six (or seven courses if you choose). Some, like onion, crab, kangaroo, chicken, and fish, are self-evident. What appears to be a map of a lesser-known African nation is puzzling. Isabelle (our waiter/guide for the evening reveals little.
Only on Friday and Saturday evenings, C’est Bon presents the Chef’s Tasting Menu – seven to eight courses based on a savvy combo of intuition, innovation, and copybook craft.
Course #1
The first course is a timber box segmented into four sections. There are two barbecued snails paired with a classic Café de Paris Bearnaise (Hollandaise sauce enhanced with Worcestershire sauce, anchovies, and even tomato sauce for colour). There are two perfect, orange baby yabbies, and two mini loaves of smoked brioche with a quenelle of soubise butter. The yabbie’s sweet flesh has already escaped their perfect, tangerine shells. They are one bite and glorious.
Every component of this ‘snack tray’ is imaginatively precise and novel while steeped in the classics. Case in point: swoon-worthy French onion short ‘cigars’. A delicate morsel of savoury custard lovingly prepared from 24-month aged Comté encircled by the finest lamination painted with a painstaking hours (or is that days-long?) onion reduction. Nothing short of sublime.
When it comes to wine, we are once again in the capable and skilful hands of sommelier Miriam Rose. She has curated a wine pairing for each course, specifically for us. With the snacks, we loved the grower-producer Champagne La Courte Godbillon Premier Cru. Dazzling.
Course #2
Next up, it’s the delicate Swimmer Crab, and it’s a showstopper both in the expert presentation and the delicate crab flavour. Moussed and fashioned into a ring, it’s embellished with the finest tweezered melon slices, tiny fennel fronds, and finger lime pearls. Burnt butter consommé is poured in the centre. It adds a richness that enhances but doesn’t overwhelm the crab.
It’s a double whammy because Miriam has matched the crab with a 2023 Stoney Rise Savagnin from Lutruwita on Tassie’s East Coast. Hailing from France’s Jura region, the grape is now only beginning to gain attention. Stoney Rise is the only Tasmanian grower to make this gobsmackingly delicious wine. Bright but delicate, with a bit of marine salinity, it’s savoury and a match made in heaven with the crab.
Courses #3 and #4
Chef Andy Ashby might be a Kiwi, but the French tricolour is close to his heart. French maximalism is disguised by minimalism. Minimalism that reveals a cuisine that can be rustic and elegant all in one evening. Chef’s passion and reverence for classic French technique best told with the freshest Queensland produce. All imaginatively precise, every dish on this menu is novel but steeped in the classics.
There are moments from the kangaroo tartare to the optional foie gras course where some diners might be cast out of their comfort zone. The kangaroo tartare, prepared and mixed tableside from a vintage trolley, is a mosaic of colours with elderberry, rosella, and more as part of the mix. Meanwhile, the Loire Valley foie gras is partnered with raspberry and tuna.
Courses #5 and #6
Chicken comes in the form of an intricately composed round of roast poussin, layered with the sweetest corn and topped with truffle, to create high-end comfort food. It’s nourishing, restorative and head-spinning. Partnered with a wine from the Jura this time, (2018 Dm. Montbourgeau Chardonnay), it is classic but imaginative.
Poached and seared cod sits on a bed of bright green seaweed ‘broth’ with earthiness provided by Iberico ham. It got even better with the 2011 Greywacke Pinot Noir from Marlborough, New Zealand. This Pinot works well with both briny and porky dishes. Wow!
Dessert and Petit Fours
The map of that lesser-known African nation is, in fact, Jerusalem artichoke. The plain Jane of the vegetable world has been transformed into silver ice cream. It’s topped with Kristal caviar pearls. Oh, and there’s dark bittersweet chocolate mousse and tiny maple leaf shortbread for decoration. What starts as interesting quickly progresses into something enthralling.
Miriam poured Dutschke 10yo Amber Topaque Kaurna & Ngadjuri – Barossa Valley, SA. Topaque is what used to be okay, but the Hungarians got gnarky and made storied Aussie fortified winemakers change the name.
The final part of our graphic menu presented as an apple, a canelé cake and flowers. On the plate (or more accurately, a brass-trimmed glass box) was an apple mead tarte tatin, a feijoa canelé (a clear sign the chef is a Kiwi), and sea buckthorn butternut paté de Fruit. Each mouthful was delightful – not overly sweet and executed with precision.
Miriam’s digestif choice was Stellacello Amaro from the UK, served with ice and pink grapefruit, which allowed each petit four’s flavour to shine.
As we left with loosened belts, Andy greeted us with a copy of the menu – the lesser-known African nation WAS Jerusalem artichoke.
What distinguishes this stunning menu is that it celebrates the season’s best and evolves week by week as the seasons change. And it is delivered with artful, anticipatory service.
C’est Bon is not about indulgence, but more thoughtful extravagance, built on a reverence for classic French technique and told with the freshest Queensland produce and enlightened hospitality.
Disclaimer: This Magnificent Life was hosted by C’est Bon.
