As someone who indulges in fine dining at least a couple times a year, it was a surprisingly hard decision for me to choose what to do for my hens. As something that you theoretically do once only in your life, it's more special than a birthday, so the experience had to reflect that level of uniqueness. After a bit of thought, I finally decided to hit up FEU, which had opened in Byron Bay, not long ago. It caught my radar after the flurry of stellar reviews from Brisbane foodies who I trust, along with one review from Chris Hemsworth who dubbed it the best restaurant in the world.
Anyway, the five of us ended up making the two and a half hour way down to Byron, stopping several times to enjoy lunch and the sights. We arrived early for our 5.30pm dinner, and even got to experience the super exclusive, invites only blind tiger bar, which was a very memorable event.
After walking through the wine cellar and the dry aging fridges, we eventually got to our table.
Given the size of our group, we weren't able to sit at the bar counter, but still had a pretty good view of the kitchen.
Upon being seated, we were presented with a small menu that asked how many courses we wanted.
As we were deciding, quite a few welcome snacks were already presented. First to arrive was the XO sauce pipi and the butter poached oyster. Both were very fresh and appetizing with contrasting flavours that I enjoyed.
Next up was caviar, cream and a small but thick pancake. It was very decadent and luxurious for a complimentary starter and the amount of caviar was very generous.
Next up was a dried root chip with a burnt eggplant dip which was smokey and creamy. The root had a unique waxy texture to it, very different to potato chips and very memorable.
Bringing the smokiness to a peak, we were then treated to charcoal seared wagyu, cooked at our table. It was an absolute delight to our senses and roundly enjoyed by all parties.
It was only at this point that our hostess brought out a tray of white porcelain icons and introduced the tray that were placed in front of us. Essentially it was an interactive menu that allowed us to pick the ingredients we wanted, and for them to be served in any order we liked. This could mean that in theory, someone who enjoys desserts could have up to four dessert courses, and those who do not like dessert could skip and just have another savoury course.
Ultimately this was what I decided on, it was a really enjoyable process to pick out our courses.
First to arrive was the spanner crab. This came in a light broth with jackfruit, giving it a light and sweet texture. It was served with some crisps, adding an extra textural element to it. It was very interesting but I would have preferred a more savoury dish to highlight the flavours of the spanner crab.
Next up was my lobster, served raw. It came in a bowl that was made of ice, topped with shaved ice, berries and ice plant. This was obviously very cold, far more than the usual sashimi I would have had, ensuring that the lobster was fresh and almost crisp. The berries gave it some sweetness and the ice plant added crunch. Again a unique dish that challenged a lot of my preconceptions on lobster.
The duck egg came next, it was served atop a bed of cooked steak tartare that had a distinctive asian five spice taste to it. The egg was jammy and creamy but overall this was probably the weakest of the courses as I didn't think the flavours worked well together, particularly the minced cooked beef, it reminded me of a more casual chinese dish, which was a tad out of place in this location.
Moving onto the proteins, my next dish was the pork which was a far more enjoyable course for me. We were given two cuts, I believe a loin and a jowl. These were also charcoal grilled and had a delectable honey glaze. We liked the contrast in textures between the two cuts.
My favourite course of the night was without a doubt, the duck. It was roasted to perfection and served with a crispy puffy bread also topped with duck mince. The duck skin was perfectly crisp with a lot of the fat rendered off. The meat was tender and even succulent, going well with the glaze. The bread mopped it all up and the greens added crunch and freshness.
My last savoury course of the evening was wagyu. This was served with a deep umami glaze and raspberries. Again, we were offered two cuts of beef and could appreciate the difference in texture between the two. Notably though, my beef was ordered to be served with a truffle garnish, and disappointingly, it was nowhere to be seen.
Just before dessert arrived, we interluded with the art display at FEU. This was very memorable and made the experience all the more special. Anyway, our assortment of desserts came out not long after.
Wanting a lighter touch, I had the mango which was served as a creme brulee. This was burnt at the table with a hot charcoal in front of you, resulting in a crispy caramelised shell and a fragrant, fruity mango brulee that was light but creamy. It made for a perfect ending to a very delicious night that I will remember forever.
On top of the fantastic meal, we were also gifted a goodie bag to go, comprising of eggs, brioche, granola and tea for us to have for breakfast the next day. We were told that if we lived nearby, we could bring it back to the kiosk and they would cook it for us. I particularly enjoyed the thoughtful gesture to round off the experience. I liked it so much that I've already made a reservation to come back next year with Dr L for his birthday.
Price Range: Approx $400pp
Taste: 9.0/10
Value: 8/10
Service: 9.5/10
Environment: 9.5/10
