We need to stop going to hyped places. S’more is the latest trending restaurant that opened up in the later half of 2022 and everyone’s talking about it. And the main reason is Big Sam Young, a local chef famous for his truffle lobster pasta.
Don’t get us wrong, the pasta was friggin’ fantastic but when we’ve been eating with our cameras and words since 2015, it’s going to take a lot more substance and gastronomy that this one dish to impress us.
We dined here with A&T on a Friday night, booked 2 months in advance.
Don’t get us wrong, the pasta was friggin’ fantastic but when we’ve been eating with our cameras and words since 2015, it’s going to take a lot more substance and gastronomy that this one dish to impress us.
We dined here with A&T on a Friday night, booked 2 months in advance.
Entrée
We started our night with a boujee extravaganza of 30 g Siberian caviar, crème fraîche, potato gem for $140. There was nothing they could have gotten wrong with this dish.
The caviar were buttery and rich pops of oceanic salt, with its distinct fishy taste at the end of the bite. The crème fraîche was smooth and light. And the potato gems were perfectly fried to give it a crispy shell and a mushy, soft filling. They were a tad starchy but still enjoyable 😄.
The caviar were buttery and rich pops of oceanic salt, with its distinct fishy taste at the end of the bite. The crème fraîche was smooth and light. And the potato gems were perfectly fried to give it a crispy shell and a mushy, soft filling. They were a tad starchy but still enjoyable 😄.
The ice Sydney rock oysters, green apple half dozen for $36 were a little briny on the outside but very creamy inside. The taste was refreshing with mineral notes and a sweet-sour apple taste.
These scallop crudo, green juice, korean chilli $9 each (with optional added caviar or sea urchin for $10 each) were really delicious 🤤. These fresh and creamy scallops were drenched in a neutral and earthy juicy with hints of lemon, and balanced by the zing and sweetness of the Korean chilli.
We were tossing between the dumplings in corn sauce or these potato cakes, salted duck egg yolk for $8 each, and we kind of regretted going with the latter. These were average.
The potato cake itself was dense and chewy, with the classic neutral potato flavour. The filling was underwhelming. There was the slightest salted duck egg flavour but it was very mild. Even adding caviar to these cakes did not enhance the experience.
The potato cake itself was dense and chewy, with the classic neutral potato flavour. The filling was underwhelming. There was the slightest salted duck egg flavour but it was very mild. Even adding caviar to these cakes did not enhance the experience.
The 2GR full blood wagyu MB9+ tartare, potato crisp for $27 was superb 🤤. A cold, chewy mouthfeel filled with the most richest, beefiest flavours. The fat was enhanced by the creamy egg yolk. It was balanced nicely by the salty chips.
Main course
We received a text message the day prior to our reservation if we wanted to add any signature dishes. We chose the BSY lobster pasta – full $238. The half would lobster would have been $148.
Look, it was a good pick of lobster with the freshest and softest flesh but man, for the price, it was one tiny ass mother f*ker. The flavours were really good, magnified by the aromatic truffle and creamy cheese sauce. The pasta was soft, not at all al dente, which suited the dish and went well with the tender lobster meat.
Look, it was a good pick of lobster with the freshest and softest flesh but man, for the price, it was one tiny ass mother f*ker. The flavours were really good, magnified by the aromatic truffle and creamy cheese sauce. The pasta was soft, not at all al dente, which suited the dish and went well with the tender lobster meat.
There was nothing special about the clay pot fried rice, lup cheong, shiitake. It tasted like every other Chinese restaurant. For $28 we were hoping for a bit more wowza but alas, we received indifference. This would be fantastic to the Western community but as Asians who grew up on this simple meal, BSY charging extortionist prices seems greedy.
The Steamed Chris Bolton coral trout, tomato dashi, baby spinach for $58 was also average.
It was another great pick of fish. We could taste the fresh tenderness of its white, silky meat but flavour-wise, there was nothing outstanding. It was another simple Chinese dish from our childhood, presented fancily with a high price tag.
It was another great pick of fish. We could taste the fresh tenderness of its white, silky meat but flavour-wise, there was nothing outstanding. It was another simple Chinese dish from our childhood, presented fancily with a high price tag.
Service
The service was great however two things contributed both positively and negatively to the experience.
For the negatives, we felt judged that we didn’t order enough, even though one of our dishes was the hefty $280 lobster pasta. Most other patrons ordered a main dish each, plus side dishes, so seeing us share our two main dishes might have offended the staff — however we were already sooo full so we couldn’t eat more anyways.
The positive aspect was we felt our server went above and beyond for us. This might have been because we had a lovely conversation about our corgis. She saw my dog-cam of Pocky and then she showed me her corgi tattoo 🥰. Corgis are the best hehehe.
For the negatives, we felt judged that we didn’t order enough, even though one of our dishes was the hefty $280 lobster pasta. Most other patrons ordered a main dish each, plus side dishes, so seeing us share our two main dishes might have offended the staff — however we were already sooo full so we couldn’t eat more anyways.
The positive aspect was we felt our server went above and beyond for us. This might have been because we had a lovely conversation about our corgis. She saw my dog-cam of Pocky and then she showed me her corgi tattoo 🥰. Corgis are the best hehehe.
Review
The hype was sort of justified for the lobster pasta but we’re not sure if the price tag was worth the trip. This restaurant is located far north outside of the city so on top of an already expensive meal, we had to factor in petrol and parking costs. The food was okay for its price point (~$150 per person). We would not come back.
Thanks for reading. Happy eating 😊.
Thanks for reading. Happy eating 😊.
