Azafran manages a nice blend of sophisticated modern Australian food with a private, homely atmosphere and friendly, attentive service.
The menu is par for the course in modern Aussie cuisine these days – meat-centric, with some reasonably inventive accompaniments and a rich and delicate jus or similar kind of sauce. To their credit, Azafran also offers a page full of vegetarian options – none of which tempted us, but it was nice of them to be so considerate. The meat-based mains were $34.50 and the vegetarian mains were $29.50, with entrees between $18.50 – $22.50. Apart from the strange 50 cent fetish, these are reasonable prices for the quality of food.
The standout main at our table was probably the crispy szechuan duck, spicy braised eggplant with soy and mandarin sauce. It was very tasty, although a whole plate was maybe a little too much flavour. The dukkah-covered, crispy-skinned salmon (a special) was also an enjoyable meal, and matched well with a side of pear and vinaigrette salad ($8.50).
Capping off the night at Azafran was the turkish delight pannacotta with pistachio ice-cream and fairy floss (yes, real fairy floss – goes in like cotton, then transforms itself into liquid sugar). Fittingly, the 50 cent obsession continued over into the deserts – all $14.50.
Friends of ours live practically next door and are regulars – a testament to Azafran’s consistency. However, being tucked away in Annerley, it might be a little out of the way for some; North-siders in particular. If the quality of a restaurant can be measured by the distance you would be willing to drive to get there, I would rate this one… 35 min. But since that would be in breach of the editorial policy of the world’s most decisive review website, I’ll just go the whole hog, and give Azafran a hot!
- Azafran, 97 Ekibin Rd, Annerley, +61 7 3892 1776
Azafran has good service!