Tennis coach by day, serious foodie off the court. Local resident Jeremy Collins joins Mosman Collective as our food reviewer, starting at Kholl on Military Road.

By JEREMY COLLINS

Kholl is a bistro built around fire, with a charcoal grill at its heart and a Michelin pedigree in the kitchen.

Located on Military Rd, the warm, intimate room is the perfect spot for your next date night, or a catch up with friends.

Naturally, it’s the food that is the main event, and chef Tomoyuki “Tomo” Usui has the experience to back it up, earning his stripes in Yokohama and at the Michelin-starred L’Astrance in Paris before moving to Sydney in 2004.

Locals already know Tomo’s cooking, with Kholl his third incarnation on the same site, following the success of Plage and Izakaya Umina.

The menu changes with the seasons, and every dish I tried arrived carefully built, beautifully plated and packed with flavour from hand-picked local produce.

A refined selection of starters kick of our evening, with the Tempura Eggplant Tacos with sour cream and honey soy sauce ($10 each) a standout.

We also tried the Bluefin Tuna and Salmon Mille-Feuille with soy milk, crème fraiche and yuzu ($21) and Brussel Sprouts with truffle powder and a chardonnay vinegar emulsion ($24) – both a perfect balance of fire and finesse.

The main event was everything we hoped for and more, with steak taking centre stage and earning its place as star of the show.

We went with the 250g Stockyard black angus sirloin, MB3-4 at $49, offered with a choice of truffle ponzu, red wine jus, smoked garlic emulsion or cafe de kholl butter.

The charcoal grilled pork loin ($39) is another triumph, served with shungiku leaf and anchovy, pork jus, roasted lemon and house mustard.

I would be doing you a disservice if I did not mention the desserts, which are never too sweet and bring surprising flavour combinations and meticulous presentation to the table.

I love them all, but the dark chocolate with kumquat, malt ice cream, juniper berry meringue and caramelised white chocolate ($19) is heavenly.

Tomo’s take on the apple tart ($19) is inspired, pairing wattle seed ice cream with salted sable, a maple tuile, mascarpone and raspberry.

Kholl is licensed and welcomes BYO wine.

Location: 8/255 Military Road, Cremorne
Hours: Wednesday – Saturday 6pm to 10pm. Sunday 6pm to 9pm
Website

Editor’s Note: Jeremy Collins runs Mosman Tennis, offering private and group lessons for players of all ages and levels at the Mosman Tennis Centre. Find Mosman Tennis on Facebook or email jeremy.collins@optusnet.com.au

Would you like us to visit your local cafe or restaurant? Email [email protected]

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