Celsius earns Wow Factor for Fine Dining

There is only one word to describe a Saturday evening 7-course degustation with matching wines at Celsius – “Sublime’’ !

Celsius chef Ayhan Erkoc (funny name, but don’t let that put you off) is a culinary genius in the kitchen of his Gouger Street contemporary restaurant where his unique dining concept has already earned him Chef of the Year and Restaurant of the Year. Each dish carries a “Wow’’ factor for its delightful presentation, exotic treatments of vegetables, herbs and flowers intricately complementing the flavours of main meat, game, seafood or shellfish. He takes ingredients which sound similar such as Atlantic Salmon, Scallops, duck breast and Coorong Angus, but that is the only familiar thing about his dashing dishes. His ingenuity with food makes each course a culinary adventure. Such as discovering finely sliced raw parsnip, Egyptian egg, rainbow chard, carrots the size of match-sticks and chestnuts no bigger than one’s finger nail. All delicate presentations are a delight to the senses when they arrive in a dazzling artistic display.

There is a sense that Ayhan loves to play with food and uses his plates as an artistic palette, decorating with delicate violas and edible nasturtium leaves and “olive liquorice’ as glossy black dollops around the plate. His treatment of ingredients bears no resemblance to anything you could imagine, but the moment the waiter places it before you with an enthusiastic flourish there is no doubting the genius in the kitchen. Each morsel is a taste treat.

Matching wines are also worthy of this four-star restaurant. Take 2012 Poonawatta Estate: The Eden Riesling from Eden Valley, for instance, was a delightfully fresh accompaniment for Atlantic Salmon,
Beetroot, “Olive Liquorice’’, lardo. The entrée of Scallops (only two, but poached perfectly)was accompanied by 2011 Espelt “Vailet’’ Grenache Blanc, Macabeo from Spain. A superb French pinot blance – 2011 Domaine Schlumberger “Les Princes Abbes’ was as much a treat to the palette as the Egyptian egg (crumbed), pine mushroom, rainbow chard and chestnut.

A glass of Three Dudes Pinot Noir 2008 enhanced the flavour of duck breast, cooked to a perfect pink, while a hearty 2008 Murray Street Vineyards “The Barossa; Shiraz, Grenache Mataro 2008 accompanied the Coorong Angus, escargot, potato, parsnip and caramelised onion.

Desserts seemed too divine to eat and bore no resemblance to any previously devoured “cheesecake’’ or rhubarb dish.

Ayhan created extraordinary signature dishes with stunning wines to present guests with an unforgettable dining experience in a stylish intimate restaurant.

Seven-course degustation $120; with matching beverages $180.00

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