William Blue Dining

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William Blue Dining is the award-winning training restaurant of William Blue College of Hospitality Management, a place where students showcase their skills so that patrons can enjoy fine dining at incredibly affordable prices. Entrees are $11; mains $18 and desserts $9 - which means you can have a high-quality three-course meal for $38pp. 

The summer heat isn't exactly conducive to creating a large appetite, so we settle for mains and desserts only; but next time I'd certainly like to try the entrees as well.

Chicken Confit
 The chicken confit is cooked so that the meat almost falls off the bones, yet the skin remains crispy. The bed of lentils add a deep, earthy saltiness to the dish, balanced out by the potato cubes. 

Beef
The beef is cooked to perfection - tender and moist. The serving of baby vegetables and potatoes (layered and mashed) is a traditional (and perhaps obvious) companion to beef; however the dish makes up for lack of innovation with execution.

Steamed Snapper fillets
The steamed snapper fillets are done very well, with the flesh tender and the flavours balanced.  The fish is served with shaved squid, snow pea, cucumber and black fungi mushroom; the sauce is a very light soy - so you can taste the Asian influences in this dish.

Apple Tart
 The apple tart, another traditional dessert, is difficult to do well. William Blue achieves just that: the tart is warm; the apples soft, the pastry crumbly and the flavours perfect. The tartness of the apple and the sweetness of the ice-cream creates a well-balanced, comforting dessert.

Chocolate semi-freddo
Softer and warmer than an ice-cream yet firmer and cooler than a mousse, the semi-freddo is one of my favourite desserts. The fresh citrus fruit and sour cherry dressing do an excellent job of balancing the sweet richness of the chocolate and adding interest to the dish.

Panna-cotta and poached pear
The panna-cotta has a rich vanilla flavour created by real vanilla beans and not vanilla extract (which tends to give an artificial tang to the dish). Again, a very simple and traditional dish, but very well executed.

Score: 4/5 
The accessible price point of William Blue dining, and the excitement of possibly dining on dishes created by the future star-chefs make the William Blue experience very worthwhile. The menu is rotated frequently so that you can visit on multiple occassions, and there will always be something new to tempt you.
Cost: $38pp for 3 courses
Address: 107 George Street The Rocks
Note: google maps seems to want to misdirect people towards the old site of William Blue dining in North Sydney. I had the puzzling experience of being told I'm 45min walk away when I was standing outside the restaurant doors.
Website: http://www.williamblue.edu.au/about/william-blue-dining 

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